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Learning Support for Parents and Caregivers

A New Education Podcast for Parents

By Dr. Megan Allen, NBCT August 27, 2021

Are you a parent looking for a little extra support with your kids, in a time so short that you can listen to it and learn while you are doing the dishes? This is for you!


Let’s hear it for more parent support! The teachers of The Community Classroom are excited to announce To The Core, An Education Podcast for Parents. To The Core is a weekly education podcast that aims to help better prepare parents and caregivers to support and advocate for their children. Each week, The Community Classroom founder Dr. Megan Allen interviews expert teachers to unpack a particularly complex parent question in simplified ways. And the best part? It happens in 20-25 minutes, just long enough to listen while parents are shuttling kids to soccer practice or loading the dishwasher.

Do your kids know what a record is? Now’s the time for them to find out! There will be a virtual Podcast Launch and Family Dance Party on Zoom from 6:30-7:30 pm EST on September 7th, featuring Community Classroom-endorsed DJ Bobby G (a father of two) spinning live. If your kids have never seen someone scratch a record, this is their moment. Sign up at tinyurl.com/tothecorepodcast.

And did somebody say raffle?  If you sign up for a one-time notification for the podcast release, your email address is automatically in a raffle for your choice of prize: A $50 gift card to Glow Beauty Bar (they ship!), a $50 gift card for High Five Books (they ship, too!), or a $50 gift card for Donors Choose. Sign up at tinyurl.com/tothecorepodcast. We’ll pick a winner for the raffle live at the Podcast Launch and Family Dance Party.

What are the topics and who are the guests?

Season 1 of this podcast drops at midnight on September 7th with a new episode going live every Tuesday. 

The lineup for Season One is as follows:

Episode One (pilot): Pandemic Learning Perspective From a Second Grader. Featuring Community Classroom student Edith Allen (Is there a better way to ground ourselves in education than talking to a child?).

Episode Two: What Happens With Girls and Math (and What Can We Do About It?)? Featuring Dr. Daniele Massey, Community Classroom math tutor, 2013 Department of Defense Teacher of the Year, and virtual math educator.

Episode Three: Should We Worry About Pandemic Learning Loss? Featuring Dr. Jemelleh Coes, the Director of Teacher Leadership for Mount Holyoke College, and the 2014 Georgia Teacher of the Year.

Episode Four: What Can I Do if My Child Doesn’t Like to Write? Featuring Christine Paglia Baker, a Community Classroom tutor, a veteran educator from Western Massachusetts, and mom of two.

Episode Five: Help! My Child Doesn’t Like To Read! Featuring Community Classroom tutor, literacy expert, North Carolina educator Mary Phillips.

Episode Six: What Is Fluency and Why Should I Care? Featuring Community Classroom tutor and western Mass educator Christina Webster.

Episode Seven: The Complex Relationship With Girls and Science. Featuring Community Classroom tutor, science expert, and award-winning Kentucky educator Carly Baldwin, NBCT.

Episode Eight: Books and Representation: Why It Matters. Featuring Community Classroom tutor, Hadley middle school special education teacher, lover of books Koki Mulugeta.

Episode Nine: How Can Parents Help Their Kids At Home With Math? Featuring Dr. Mike Flynn, Director of Math Leadership at Mount Holyoke College.

Episode Ten: How Can Parents Support New Teachers? Featuring Elise Abreu, first year teacher, Community Classroom tutor, and 2021 graduate of Mount Holyoke College.

Episode 11: What Should I Be Doing at Home as Preschool, PreK, or Kindergarten Parent?  Featuring Danielle Goua, Community Classroom tutor, veteran early childhood teacher in Washington, DC, and Mount Holyoke College alumna.

Episode 12: What Is Math Play and Why Does it Matter? Featuring Jay Bright, Community Classroom tutor, veteran math teacher, and Mount Holyoke College alumna.

Episode 13: What Should I Know About Independent Schools As A Parent? Featuring Kim Evelti, Dean at The Williston Northampton School.

Episode 14: Help! How Do I Support My Teen In School? With Chris Holmes, Community Classroom academic coach, writer, and Missouri middle school gifted educator.

Episode 15: Best Practices In Literacy Support At Home. With Sarah Frenette, Director of the Mount Holyoke College Teacher Licensure Program.

More information can be found at https://thecommunityclassroom.com/resources/podcast/