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Keeping current during your commute with education policy podcasts
Trustees are more likely to report a different shortage: time

School board packets. Inboxes overflowing with newsletters. Local and national publications. Social media. There seems to be no lack of information about education issues. Instead, trustees are more likely to report a different shortage: time. Yet in their role as public officials, it’s essential for trustees to keep current on state and federal laws and policies, as well as to know what other districts and county offices of education are doing to tackle the challenges and opportunities they encounter.

One source of information presented in digestible bites? Podcasts. There’s something for everyone, and that includes board members looking for education news and policy updates. Fortunately, busy trustees will find that most education policy podcast episodes last between 20-30 minutes each. If you’re not sure where to start, there are several podcasts to which trustees can subscribe. Below are just a few to consider:

CDE Ed Talks
about 20 minutes
CDE Ed Talks Podcast
This podcast from the California Department of Education releases episodes intermittently and offers news updates directly from the department, and explores topics such as social and emotional learning, school climate and educator compassion fatigue.
This is California: The Battle of 187
about 2 hours in 4 episodes
This is California: The Battle of 187 Series
This four-part series from the Los Angeles Times provides some historical context regarding California’s contentious debates and policies for serving English learners.
The Harvard EdCast
about 15-30 minutes
The Harvard EdCast Podcast
This podcast hosted from the Harvard Graduate School of Education offers listeners a range of conversations from national and international leaders in preK-12 and higher education. Host Jill Anderson unpacks issues like equitable grading, unconscious bias, what test scores actually tell educators, student mental health, diversifying the books students encounter in schools and redefining school counseling.
CA School Field Trip
about 20-30 minutes
CA School Field Trip Podcast
While no longer active, this podcast produced by the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence took listeners on in-depth “audio field trips” to learn from the state’s educators and local educational agencies as they implement the Local Control Funding Formula and focus on continuous improvement efforts. Examples of archived episodes include: Differentiated assistance in Mother Lode, continuous improvement in the Chula Vista Elementary School District, and collaborative initiatives between county offices of education and local districts.
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