First hour: How to create schools that serve all children well
Second hour: Understanding the microbiome
Low-income students of color make up the majority of classrooms in American public schools, and research shows that the challenges they face -- poverty, homelessness, or hunger -- have directly influenced their level of academic success. While many of these children are failing to make the grade, education experts say state and federal policies are failing the students. They say there’s too much of a focus on raising test scores, and that policies should be designed to close opportunity gaps and get students excited about learning. Pedro Noguera is an internationally-recognized education scholar who studies how students are affected by a variety of social and economic factors. He’s in Rochester to give a presentation at East High School, but first, he’s our guest on Connections. We’ll talk about how to create more equitable education opportunities for all students. In studio:
- Pedro Noguera, Ph.D., sociologist and distinguished professor of education at UCLA
- Shaun Nelms, Ed.D., associate professor at the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester, superintendent of East High School, and co-chair of the Greater Rochester Initiative for Children’s Social and Emotional Health Implementation Task Force
Then in our second hour, it’s being called one of the most promising breakthroughs in medicine, and researchers say understanding it better could transform how we treat a number of diseases. We’re talking about the microbiome. Maybe you’ve heard the term used in various health-related discussions, but what does it really mean? We'll discuss how the bacteria in our bodies help us digest food, fight off infection, and affect our mood. Our guests:
- Dr. Kirsi Jarvinen-Seppo, M.D., Ph.D., chief of pediatric allergy and immunology at Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong
- Dr. Antti Seppo, Ph.D., research associate professor in pediatric allergy/immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center
- Dr. Helena Boersma, Ed.D., executive clinical director at the Ranch at Bethel
