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The Integrated Schools Podcast

The Integrated Schools Podcast

Written by: Andrew Lefkowits Val Brown Courtney Mykytyn
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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.

©2018-2026 IntegratedSchools Parenting Relationships Self-Help Social Sciences Success
Episodes
  • Reflecting on Nikole Hannah-Jones and the Choice for Integration

    Reflecting on Nikole Hannah-Jones and the Choice for Integration
    Oct 14 2026
    Ten years ago, Nikole Hannah-Jones wrote a powerful essay about choosing a predominantly Black, low-income public school for her daughter, Najya. That piece helped inspire a generation of parents to think differently about school choice, including many of us at Integrated Schools. Now, a decade later, Hannah-Jones has returned to that decision, this time through the eyes of her 16-year-old daughter, who has some very different feelings about the education she received.Her new essay, In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own?, has sparked a national conversation about school segregation, parenting, privilege, and the tension between doing what's best for our own children and doing what's right for all children.To help us wrestle with these questions, we're joined by two mothers with different experiences and perspectives. Marian Dingle, a longtime educator and Black mother of two adult children, reflects on the choices she made for her own kids and the importance of protecting their identities and humanity. Jenny Devenny, a White mother in Brooklyn and leader of Integrated Schools' NYC chapter, shares why Hannah-Jones's experience has strengthened, rather than shaken, her commitment to integration.Together, we explore what makes a school "good," the limits of school ratings and test scores, the role of parents in advocating for their children, and the ways race shapes the risks and opportunities families encounter. We also consider what it means to stay engaged when a school isn't perfect, how we define success for our children, and why the responsibility for integration cannot continue to fall disproportionately on Black families.Hannah-Jones's reflections are a reminder that one family's choices cannot undo generations of systemic inequity. But that doesn't mean our choices don't matter.At the heart of this conversation is a question we return to often at Integrated Schools: How wide can we draw the circle of children we consider "our kids"?We are deeply grateful to Nikole Hannah-Jones and Najya for sharing their experiences so honestly, and to Marian and Jenny for helping us sit with the complexity, discomfort, and possibility of this work.LINKSIn Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own? — Nikole Hannah-Jones, The New York Times Magazine (2026)Choosing a School for My Daughter in a Segregated City — Nikole Hannah-Jones, The New York Times Magazine (2016)An Argument — This American Life, featuring conversations with Nikole Hannah-Jones and Najya (2026)The Problem We All Live With, Part One — This American Life (2015)The Problem We All Live With, Part Two — This American Life (2015)What Nikole Hannah-Jones's Essay Means for White Families — Jenny Devenny, Integrated Schools (2026)Extensive Data Shows Punishing Reach of Racism for Black Boys - The New York Times (2018)ABOUT OUR GUESTSMarian Dingle is a longtime elementary school educator, mother of two adult children, and advocate for educational justice. Drawing on her experience as a Black mother, teacher, and daughter of an educator, she brings a perspective on the importance of academic opportunity, belonging, and protecting children's humanity.Jenny Devenny is a White mother of two in Brooklyn, New York, and leader of the NYC chapter of Integrated Schools. A social worker by training, she is also the author of Race Cars, a children's book about White privilege. Her children attend a predominantly Black and Brown, Title I public school in their neighborhood.Send us a voice memo: speakpipe.com/integratedschoolsCheck out 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 connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, @integratedschools on Instagram and TikTok, or email us podcast@integratedschools.org.The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.dThis episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.Music by Kevin Casey.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Season 13 Kick Off: Dreaming of the Future

    Season 13 Kick Off: Dreaming of the Future
    Sep 30 2026

    We are back! Welcome to Season 13 of The Integrated Schools Podcast. It’s been almost eight years and over 170 episodes, but as we kick off this new season, we are reflecting on where we find ourselves—as a country, as an organization, and in our own lives. Val is navigating life with a college freshman (who earned a 100% on his first African American Studies test!) and a high school senior, while Andrew is stepping into the classroom for the first time as a high school audio engineering and musical theater teacher. These real-world transitions ground us in the ongoing, messy work of wrestling with parenting, privilege, and public education.

    In this kickoff episode, we take a hard look at the state of public education right now. With federal rollbacks on civil rights enforcement, decreasing oversight, and expanding voucher and privatization schemes, the national landscape feels tricky and daunting. Yet, even in this moment, we find local reasons for hope. Across the country—from Denver and Winston-Salem to Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Montgomery County, and beyond—school districts are undergoing boundary redraws and student assignment reviews that explicitly aim to reduce socioeconomic segregation. These local efforts remind us that when the ground is shifting, there is an opportunity to build toward real change if we show up and demand it.

    As we look ahead to Season 13, we are focused on tilling the soil for future systemic change and radicalizing our hope. Guided by Dr. Loretta Ross's reminder to "hold our link in the chain," we are preparing to dream together about what public education could look like on the other side of this moment. Throughout the season, we'll be bringing in a diverse range of voices—including Afrofuturists, Indigenous thinkers, youth, and caregivers of students with special needs—to imagine a truly just, multiracial education system beyond simply rebuilding what was.

    How are you holding your link in the chain during this political moment, and what does your dream for a truly integrated, multiracial public education system look like?

    LINKS
    • Share your thoughts, local stories, or feedback via voice memo at speakpipe.com/integratedschools or email podcast@integratedschools.org
    • Support the show and access monthly happy hours, show notes, and discussion guides on Patreon
    • Explore or connect with an Integrated Schools Local Chapter
    • Listen to the Season 12 finale: Val’s reflection on parenting transitions and letting go
    Join the Movement

    Support is a verb! Help keep these unsponsored, nuanced conversations going by joining our Patreon community, starting a podcast listening group in your neighborhood, or sharing this episode with a friend.

    The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.

    This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown.

    It was edited and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.

    Music by Kevin Casey.



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    35 mins
  • Reflections on Season 12

    Reflections on Season 12
    Jun 3 2026
    As we wrap up another school year, we're taking a moment to reflect on the conversations, challenges, and lessons that shaped Season 12.This year, we explored what it means to build belonging, strengthen community, advocate for public education, and stay connected through uncertainty. Along the way, we learned from educators, organizers, authors, students, parents, and community members who reminded us that while the challenges facing our schools are real, none of us are facing them alone.We also hear from listeners navigating school closures, parent organizing, and the everyday joys of integrated schools. Their stories remind us that community is built not only through big moments, but through the choices we make to show up for one another again and again.In This EpisodeBelonging mattersOne of the biggest themes we kept returning to this season was belonging. From conversations about disability justice to discussions about third spaces and community care, we explored what it looks like to create schools and communities where everyone feels seen, valued, and connected.The power of conversation and communityThis season reinforced something we deeply believe: meaningful change happens in relationship with one another. We reflected on lessons from guests like Dr. Loretta Ross, who reminded us that none of us are responsible for fixing everything alone. The work becomes sustainable when it's rooted in community.Public education under pressureThroughout the season, we examined some of the challenges facing public education today, including:School closures and spatial injusticeThe resurgence of "massive resistance" to educational equityImmigration enforcement's impact on students and familiesThe ongoing struggle for educational justice across generationsLearning from historyAgain and again, our guests reminded us that today's struggles are connected to longer histories of organizing, resistance, and collective action. From the Lemon Grove desegregation case to reflections on Thurgood Marshall's legacy, we explored how history can help guide us through the present moment.Listener ReflectionsWe also heard from listeners who shared:The grief and organizing that can emerge when a neighborhood school closesThe importance of family voice and participation in public schoolsMoments of joy that remind us why integrated schools matterA Few Things We're Carrying ForwardBelonging is foundational to healthy schools and communities.Public education is strongest when families, educators, and communities work together.History can offer both perspective and possibility.Community sustains us through uncertainty.There is real joy to be found in learning, growing, and building alongside people whose experiences differ from our own.Looking AheadAs we prepare for another season—and as our own families navigate major transitions—we're thinking about what comes next.What conversations are you having in your community? What challenges are showing up in your schools? What stories should we be telling together?Send us a voice memo: speakpipe.com/integratedschoolsThank you for listening, learning, and staying in community with us throughout Season 12. We're grateful to all of our guests, our listeners, and everyone committed to creating public schools that serve all of our children.Check out 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 connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, @integratedschools on Instagram and TikTok, or email us podcast@integratedschools.org.The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.dThis episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.Music by Kevin Casey. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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    32 mins
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