Norman Fruchter on the pioneering alternative high school he and colleagues built in Newark in the 1970s (Encore)

Norman Fruchter on the pioneering alternative high school he and colleagues built in Newark in the 1970s (Encore)

Author: Ethical Schools January 7, 2023 Duration: 38:37
We speak with Norm Fruchter, long-time educational activist and thought leader, about Independence School, an experimental high school where the ideal was that someone walking into a classroom couldn’t tell the teacher from the students. We discuss lessons learned – and perhaps forgotten – about supporting students whose original schools failed them. Among the school’s strengths were authentic, enduring relationships among teachers and students, teaching strategies that enabled illiterate students to learn to read without embarrassment, month-long internship breaks, and curriculum that referenced students’ life experiences. Norm Fruchter, leader in NYC and Newark education equity movement, dies at 85 Overview 00:00-00:52 Intro to encore 00:52-02:07 Intros 02:07-05:30 Founding of Independence H.S. in Newark 05:30-07:29 Law Enforcement Assistance Administration grant 07:29-09:11 School’s relationship with Newark police department 09:11-10:24 What students did after graduation 10:24-12:19 Students’ challenges in college 12:19-13:53 Recruiting teachers 13:53-16:27 Stressors on faculty member...

Conversations about education often focus on test scores and curriculum, but there’s a deeper layer that truly shapes a student’s experience. Ethical Schools digs into that layer, exploring what it means to build a learning community grounded in integrity and care. Each week, hosts Amy and Jon sit down with educators and innovators who are actively reimagining schools. You’ll hear specific, grounded discussions about the practical work of creating environments where every student feels safe and respected. The dialogue frequently addresses how to support young people dealing with trauma, moving beyond theory to share actionable strategies that teachers are using right now. More than just problem-solving, this podcast highlights how to empower students themselves to become advocates and changemakers in their own communities. It’s a series that connects philosophy with daily practice, looking at the social and cultural structures within schools through a lens of ethics. For anyone invested in the future of education-whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or simply a concerned community member-this podcast offers a thoughtful and necessary perspective on the foundational values that make education meaningful.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Ethical Schools
Podcast Episodes
Translanguaging: Inviting the whole child into the classroom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:50
We speak with Dr. Cecilia Espinosa and Dr. Laura Ascenzi-Moreno, co-authors of “Rooted in Strength: Using Translanguaging to Grow Multilingual Readers and Writers.” Traditionally, teachers have brought language to studen…
Challenging censorship: Student journalists fight back [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:55
We speak with Hillary Davis, who runs the New Voices program at the Student Press Law Center, and Sara Fajardo, who experienced censorship firsthand at her high school. School administrators frequently prevent students f…
School behind bars: Meeting the needs of traumatized kids [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:00
We speak with Melissa Svigelj-Smith, graduate fellow at University of California at Santa Cruz, about her experience teaching high school students awaiting case outcomes at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center.…
Students speak up: NYC Youth Agenda [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:30
We speak with students Eugenia Bamfo, Alexandra Rouvinetis, and Mukilan Muthukumar, members of the NYC Youth Agenda. Using citywide student survey data, Youth Agenda teams aggregated young people’s needs to make recommen…
Abolitionist education: Creating liberatory spaces (Encore) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:14
We speak with Swarthmore’s Dr. Edwin Mayorga, who explains how abolitionist classrooms and schools create “freedom as a place” in contrast to racial capitalism. Dr. Mayorga encourages educators to center joy and healing.…
Gender and sexually diverse students: Creating comfortable schools [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:00
We speak with Dr. Elizabeth J. Meyer of the University of Colorado about ensuring that K-12 schools are welcoming and safe for students with non-normative gender identities and expressions. Dr. Meyer found that these stu…