Tanzina heads to Oakland where a battle over how to teach students essential skills like reading has emerged. Some educators say methods for teaching students to read have long been outdated and have led to low literacy rates among Black, brown and poor students. Activists and organizations like the NAACP are now trying to close that literacy gap by implementing newer ways to teach reading that emphasize phonics over rote memorization. But a bigger question remains - how can Black parents and white parents come together to ensure equity for all Oakland students?
Episode Notes
GUESTS
Kareem Weaver, Oakland NAACP Education Committee member, co-founder of the reading advocacy organization FULCRUM Oakland and a longtime teacher, parent and advocate.
Courtney Martin, the author of Learning in Public, a book about her journey as a white parent in an Oakland public school where the largest racial group of students is Black. She’s also the co-founder of the Bay Area chapter of Integrated Schools.
CREDITS Host: Tanzina Vega Producers: Maureen Kelleher and Ikhlas Saleem
Editing & Sound Design: Ikhlas Saleem Original Music: Ayanna Jacobs-El
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