Radical care: Leading with love

Radical care: Leading with love

Author: Ethical Schools January 15, 2022 Duration: 47:15

We speak with Dr. Rosa Rivera-McCutchen, associate professor of leadership studies at Lehman College, CUNY, about the importance of school leaders and teachers practicing radical care, including listening with intent and addressing skill gaps with honesty. Dr. Rivera-McCutchen talks about the importance of teachers getting to know the life of the neighborhoods around their schools.

Overview 

00:00-00:50 Intros

00:50-02:57 Meaning of the book title, ”Radical Care”

02:57- 04:55 Five components of radical care

04:55-08:00 Creating a culture of radical care

08:00-10:27 Graduate students’ reactions to going on walking tours into the communities of their schools

10:27-12:21 Listening, reflecting, not selling students short

12:21:16:45 How principals can create authentic relationships with staff

16:47-20:07 Working and talking with teachers who are burned out or not interested in change

20:07-23:38 Balancing demands for excellence with realities of skills gaps

23:38-31:16 Talking with graduate school students, teachers, students about gaps in their skills

31:16-34:53 How school leaders can leverage their power strategically for change

34:53-38:09 Hw school leaders can avoid burnout

38:09-43:40 Need for change in teaching and leadership education programs

43:40- Outro

Transcript


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: English Episodes: 240

Ethical Schools
Podcast Episodes
Police and metal detectors in schools: Student perspectives [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:30
Nia Morgan and Anahi Ortiz Fierros of Urban Youth Collaborative describe how police and metal detectors humiliate and traumatize students. The story of the “fork in the backpack” illustrates the system’s absurdity. And w…
*UPDATE* Civics education: A Constitutional right? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:05
Last year we interviewed Mark Santow, one of the plaintiffs suing the State of Rhode Island under the 14th Amendment for failing to provide some students civics curricula and other components of an adequate education. Af…
Too Late For Reform: Abolishing the Police in Schools [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:15
Toni Smith-Thompson, Senior Organizer at NY Civil Liberties Union, discusses the importance of replacing police presence in schools with restorative practices. Toni envisions ethical schools, in which all students feel b…
Reimagining college admissions: Performance assessment pilot at CUNY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:00
Dr. Michelle Fine speaks about better alternatives to standardized tests for students to demonstrate college-readiness. NYC’s Consortium Schools, which use Performance Based Assessment Tasks, collaborated with CUNY to op…
Why teach history? Knowing “why” shapes “how” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:30
Richard Miller, who taught in progressive NYC secondary schools for 28 years, talks about teaching students to think like historians, weighing different sources and drawing their conclusions from evidence. The past gives…