K-12 Confidential Podcast Por Trina English Creator/Executive Producer/Co-Host Co-Hosts: Manuwella Allen Shawn English Mandy Walker arte de portada

K-12 Confidential

K-12 Confidential

De: Trina English Creator/Executive Producer/Co-Host Co-Hosts: Manuwella Allen Shawn English Mandy Walker
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Even before the pandemic lock-downs, American teachers from sea to shining sea reported a critical shortage of teachers within their ranks, and have watched in horror at the crippling levels of greed, arrogance, apathy, and ignorance at every level of K-12 educational governance. While embattled teachers have continued to try in vain to draw attention to the issues, our leaders have failed to acknowledge the problems at all. But since covid, the nation’s teachers have borne witness to a break neck hastening pace of this downward spiral–and a total avoidance of a conversation from our leaders.


This a-political podcast, created and produced exclusively by teachers, gets into the nitty gritty details of why teachers are leaving the profession in droves, and uncovers huge contributing structural problems baked into the teaching profession which are not discussed or understood even within the K-12 educational world, which also explain why so much of what is done in K-12 is ineffective. These desperate, passionate, highly qualified teachers use this podcast series to insert teachers forcefully into the national conversation about the critical issues plaguing K-12 education, because no one else was letting them in–a fact which belies a central thesis about the roots of the problems discussed throughout the episodes. Listeners will be gripped by the reality that without substantial reforms which empower teachers to lead the work, the inevitable result is a collapse of our very ability to effectively self-govern–a process which they argue is already well underway.


Listen as they describe the problems in teacher pay, teacher preparation requirements, special education, climate and culture, reading instruction, the false promise of existing DEI based frameworks in K-12, and the problems inherent in outsourced canned curriculums. Become a part of the solution as they outline a framework to authentically fix these problems, which require all hands on deck from both inside and outside of K-12 education.

© 2025 K-12 Confidential Ciencias Sociales Política y Gobierno
Episodios
  • Episode 5. Evidence of the Mess: An Interview with Dr. Paul Bruno

    Episode 5. Evidence of the Mess: An Interview with Dr. Paul Bruno
    Aug 30 2025

    In this episode of K-12 Confidential, the hosts discuss the convoluted and fragmented governance of K-12 education and its role in the teacher shortage crisis. The core argument posits that the decentralized local control model obfuscates accountability, leading the public to mistakenly blame teachers and the federal government. The podcast extends an invitation for public engagement and emphasizes the non-partisan nature of the discussion. It features an interview with Dr. Paul Bruno, co-author of a scholarly article on teacher shortages, who discusses his journey in education and the methodology behind their research. The episode argues for targeted interventions based on localized data to effectively address teacher shortages. The conversation culminates in a call to action: a petition advocating for a K-12 Educator Governing Board that would allow teachers to lead their profession from within, ensuring a quality education for all students.

    00:00 Introduction to K-12 Governance Issues

    01:11 Podcast's Stance and Public Interaction

    02:51 Interview with Dr. Paul Bruno Begins

    03:58 Dr. Bruno's Background and Research Interests

    06:35 Teacher Shortage Crisis: Origins and Impacts

    14:39 Challenges in Quantifying Teacher Shortages

    22:39 Methodology and Data Collection

    38:21 Credential Course Coursework Issue

    38:28 Teacher Hiring Challenges

    39:06 Economic Impact on School Staffing

    40:37 Gender Pay Gap in Teaching

    41:15 Teacher Preparation and Credentialing

    42:11 Induction and Certification Requirements

    43:10 Teacher Shortages and Policy Reflections

    47:49 Data Availability and State Categories

    53:02 Local Control and Data Limitations

    57:29 Addressing Teacher Shortages

    01:00:51 Teacher Leadership and Compensation

    01:10:46 Final Thoughts and Conclusion



    We need more teacher voices to this this justice! Visit us at k-12confidential.com to request to speak on the podcast.

    Sign the petition to join the movement to save K-12 Education!
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    1 h y 13 m
  • Episode 4. The Teacher Shortage Mess: Where Did All the Teachers Go?

    Episode 4. The Teacher Shortage Mess: Where Did All the Teachers Go?
    Aug 24 2025

    In this episode of K12 Confidential, we delve into the complexities surrounding the teacher shortage crisis in the United States. As the new school year kicks off, many school districts struggle to fill vacant teaching positions. The host traces back the origins of misleading media reports about this crisis to one scholarly article and speaks with one of its authors to clarify the data. The episode tackles the intricate nature of the problem, explores how AI misinterprets data, and highlights the geographic and subject-area disparities in teacher vacancies. It also criticizes the lack of accurate data and reporting, emphasizing the need for a national K-12 educational governing board. Additionally, the discussion covers unhealthy job satisfaction levels among teachers, the impact of toxic positivity, and the severe implications of understaffed and underqualified teaching positions on marginalized communities. The host stresses the importance of nuanced research and the need for comprehensive reforms to address this systemic issue.

    00:00 Introduction to the Teacher Shortage Crisis

    02:32 Unpacking the Teacher Shortage Data

    03:19 AI's Perspective on the Teacher Shortage

    04:32 Job Satisfaction and Toxic Positivity in Teaching

    05:55 The Real Numbers Behind Teacher Vacancies

    06:53 Challenges in Special Education and Foreign Language Teaching

    08:28 Geographical and Racial Disparities in Teacher Vacancies

    12:22 The Need for a National Teacher Workforce

    27:26 State-by-State Analysis of Teacher Vacancies

    34:07 Conclusion and Call to Action

    We need more teacher voices to this this justice! Visit us at k-12confidential.com to request to speak on the podcast.

    Sign the petition to join the movement to save K-12 Education!
    Más Menos
    35 m
  • Episode 3. Introduction to the Teacher Shortage Mess

    Episode 3. Introduction to the Teacher Shortage Mess
    Aug 21 2025

    The podcast 'K-12 Confidential' addresses the multifaceted issues within the American K-12 education system, focusing on the severe teacher shortage crisis. Hosted by Trina and new co-host Manuwellla Allen (Mani), the discussion highlights how low literacy rates and inadequate teacher preparation impact educational quality. Notable contributions include Dr. Paul Bruno's research on the teacher shortage, emphasizing the lack of consistent data reporting across districts and the nuances of the crisis. The conversation underscores the necessity of a K-12 Educator Governing Board to standardize reporting and empower teachers to lead their profession. The episode concludes by urging viewers to support their petition advocating for this governing board, aiming to foster significant educational reforms.

    00:00 Introduction to the K-12 Education Crisis

    00:36 Meet the Co-Host: Manny's Background

    02:05 Teacher Shortage Crisis: An Overview

    02:51 The Nuances of Teacher Shortage

    06:31 Impact on Education Quality

    09:06 District Responses to the Shortage

    11:05 Governance and Reporting Issues

    17:07 Upcoming Episodes and Conclusion

    We need more teacher voices to this this justice! Visit us at k-12confidential.com to request to speak on the podcast.

    Sign the petition to join the movement to save K-12 Education!
    Más Menos
    19 m
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