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PODCAST

The Integrated Schools Podcast

Andrew Lefkowits, Val Brown, Courtney Mykytyn

Hosts, Andrew, a White dad from Denver, and, Val, a Black mom from North Carolina, dig into topics about race, parenting, and school segregation. With a variety of guests ranging from parents to experts, these conversations strive to live in the nuance of a complicated topic.

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

50:07

Seeds of Resistance: The Lemon Grove Legacy

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2026/04/08

We're joined by YA author, María Dolores Águila to uncover the largely untold story of the 1931 Lemon Grove Incident—the first successful school desegregation case in California, led by Mexican and Mexican American families.Through her book A Sea of Lemon Trees, Maria invites us into the world of 12-year-old Roberto Alvarez, a child asked to carry the weight of his community’s fight for educational justice.Together, we explore what it looks like when communities organize, when young people lead,

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61:03

Spatial Injustice: School Closures as a Form of...

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2026/03/25

What happens when we stop thinking about schools as buildings—and start seeing them as the ecosystems that hold our communities together?In this episode, we sit with Dr. Mara Tieken to explore school closures not as isolated decisions, but as part of a broader pattern of spatial injustice—where resources, opportunities, and care are unevenly distributed based on where we live.Together, we wrestle with a hard truth: school closures are often framed as inevitable… but what if they’re actually the

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50:52

Legacy and Community: Bridging Generations through...

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2026/03/11

In this episode, Andrew and Dr. Val are joined by Logan Tilton, a history student at North Carolina Central University and one of the Levine Museum of the New South’s fellowship students. Together, they reflect on what it means to learn history not as a list of dates and names, but as a living story shaped by community, struggle, resilience, and collective memory.Drawing from a powerful fellowship trip to Montgomery and Selma, Logan shares how visiting the Equal Justice Initiative sites and hearing

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67:12

Caring for Your Community in a Time of Crisis: On the...

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2026/02/25

When crisis comes for one of us, it comes for all of us.In this powerful and deeply moving episode, Dr. Val and Andrew sit down with two parent leaders in Minneapolis—Carina (a White mom and longtime bridge-builder in dual language spaces) and Cisne (a Spanish-speaking immigrant mom and vice president of their dual language parent organization)—to talk about what it means to care for our community when ICE arrives at your doorstep.What unfolds is a story about more than fear. It’s a story about

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51:42

Staying Power with Danielle Wingfield

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2026/02/11

What does it mean to outlast backlash?In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Danielle Wingfield—legal historian, law professor, and public education advocate—whose work sits at the intersection of history, civil rights, democracy, and family. Together, we trace the long arc of resistance to public education, from enslavement and segregation to today’s fights over curriculum, parental rights, and school privatization.Dr. Wingfield helps us see that what feels overwhelming right now isn’t new—it’s

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56:35

Demystifying Disability with Emily Ladau

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2026/01/28

Join the conversation by registering for one of our upcoming Book Club sessions! The Integrated Schools Podcast returns with a great conversation with Emily Ladau, disability rights activist and author of Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally.Ladau describes herself as "passionate about having conversations about disability and really engaging people to talk about a topic that they might otherwise feel uncomfortable with and really

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38:54

2025 In Review

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/12/17

As we come to the end of 2025, we wanted to pause together—to reflect on a year that has been emotionally heavy, nationally turbulent, and deeply personal.This year, our families have been in the midst of big transitions. We talk about what it’s been like to launch a child toward adulthood, to navigate new middle and high schools, and to sit with the uncertainty that comes with parenting when the stakes feel so high. We reflect on the school choices we’ve made—often outside the bounds of prestige or

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62:54

Calling In with Loretta Ross

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/12/03

We’re joined by MacArthur “Genius” and legendary activist Dr. Loretta Ross for a conversation that left us grounded, challenged, and deeply moved. From her early work in reproductive justice and anti-violence movements, to her current mission disrupting “call-out culture,” Dr. Ross offers us a path forward rooted in grace, accountability, and radical love.We explore what it means to “call in” rather than call out—especially in an era where public shaming feels ever-present and social media rewards

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55:46

A Big Tent: Parent Voice for Public Educatiion

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/11/19

In this episode, we’re stretching the boundaries of our “big tent”—the messy, hopeful space where we try to build a public education system worthy of all our kids. We sat down with Ms. Keri Rodrigues, President and co-founder of the National Parents Union, for a conversation recorded inside the U.S. Senate building (a first for us!).Ms. Rodrigues brings her whole self into this work: mother, organizer, daughter of immigrants, former student who didn’t always get what she needed from school, and

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59:12

Using Stories to Inspire Change

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/11/05

What happens when over 600 educators, students, organizers, and advocates gather in community to center racial equity and storytelling? We found out at this year’s Color of Education Summit in Raleigh, North Carolina.In this episode, Andrew takes us inside the summit—hosted by the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity—to hear voices from across the state and country. From keynote speeches to hallway conversations, we witness the power of stories to connect, inspire, and catalyze

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47:23

Raising Antiracist Kids

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/10/22

We’re sharing a special crossover: Dr. Val and Andrew join Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs and Adam Jacobs, co-hosts of the Raising Antiracist Kids podcast, to talk about parents as partners in building antiracist school communities. We dig into why relationships—especially across lines of race and class—are core to any multiracial democracy, what it looks like for White families to show up without centering themselves, and how we nurture brave, durable school communities together. Along the way, we sit

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64:16

Identity and Purpose with Byron Sanders

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/10/08

What does it mean to truly know who you are—and how might that knowing shape what you give back to the world? In this episode, we’re joined by Byron Sanders—educator, CEO, community leader, and newly elected Dallas ISD school board member—for a vulnerable, expansive conversation about identity, purpose, and the responsibility that comes with our gifts.Byron shares a deeply personal story of finding his way from trauma to mission, from being driven by what he didn’t want to become to discovering a

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31:58

Season 12 Kick Off: What Now?

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/09/24

As we launch Season 12 of the podcast, Dr. Val and Andrew reflect on the start of the school year. With big personal transitions, and the country in a state of deep uncertainty, we ask, what now? How can we acknowledge the current state of eduction and find ways to act for justice.LINKS:Parents as Partners: Building Antiracist School Communities - Dr. Val and Andrew on the Raising Antiracist Kids PodcastBig, Beautiful Monstrosity . . . And a call to action - Blog post from this summer about the

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68:27

Eve Ewing Revisited

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/08/13

Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism is the Integrated Schools Book Club pick for the fall. So we thought we'd revisit our episode with Dr. Ewing. If you've never attended Book Club, it's a wonderful to chance to chat with folks from around the country who are interested in school integration. We have small groups and great facilitators who make sure the conversation flows. Book Club is free! Register

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7:45

Big, Beautiful Monstrosity - and a Call to Action

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/07/06

The president just signed a truly monstrous piece of legislation into law. Much has been written about the impacts on health, climate and the debt, but there is a lesser known evil lurking in this bill - a national school voucher plan. It's temping to lose hope, but there is something each of us can do.LINKS: A blog post version of this episode. Visit our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.Join our Patreon to support this work, and

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30:17

Reflections on Season 11

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/06/11

As Season 11 comes to a close, we wanted to spend some time reflecting on the lessons we've learned from this season and what we hope for in Season 12. We'll be off for the summer with a few possible bonus episodes, and back for real in the fall. In the mean time, we want to express our deepest appreciation for a number of people who make this podcast run. Firstly, to all of our guests, thank you for joining us, for sharing your stories and your wisdom with us. Being in conversation with

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54:30

The Intersection of Private Decisions and Public...

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/05/28

“Having my children in public school was something that I wanted to do with people in my community. It was a commitment that we were making together. And then when I saw folks leaving, it felt like a betrayal.” – Stephanie Foreman.Where we send our kids to school is, for many, a complicated decision. We struggle to weigh multiple factors- curriculum and teachers, diversity of the student body, the commute and hours, not to mention what role we want to play in supporting the institutions where our

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49:11

Advocating for Black Educator Wellness with Asia Lyons

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/05/14

“I hope that you know that I believe you, the community of listeners believes you, and that's good enough.” Dr. Asia Lyons Dr. Asia Lyons is the host of 'The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators' where she practices archival justice by sharing the stories of Black educators who have left the classroom. Her own journey to education and then out of the classroom led her work both on the podcast, and in creating intentional spaces of healing for Black educators. Dr. Lyons's

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54:36

Unearthing Joy: Gholdy Muhammad on Teaching with Love

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/04/30

"If we're not centering children’s humanity through love, there's no strategy, no professional book or instructional method in the world that can prepare the teacher to elevate the child." - Dr. Gholdy MuhammadIdentity, skills, intellectualism, criticality, and joy. These are the five pursuits that Dr. Gholdy Muhammad argues are key to education. Our educational system focuses most of its attention on skills while often overlooking the other pursuits to the detriment of all kids. All

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60:08

What Was Lost: Noliwe Rooks on The Failures of...

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/04/16

“At its inception, in the courts, and as a project, integration was deeply contested and Black people were deeply divided about it. ” – Dr. Noliwe RooksThe common narrative about integration often frames it as a clear victory—a moment when American education finally confronted injustice. But Dr. Noliwe Rooks argues the reality is far more complicated. In her new book, Integrated: How American Schools Failed Black Children, she traces the history of Black education, showing how the pursuit of

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165 results

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