Whether it’s explaining complex education policies, informing school board voting choices or exploring lesser-known school programs, the new, “Our Kids, Our Schools” podcast seeks to tackle the intricacies of education in Idaho.
Hosted by Alexis Morgan, a passionate education expert and parent of four, the podcast aims to educate and empower community members to “be engaged and part of making a positive impact” within their local school communities. Morgan articulated her desire to use her podcast to inform, not persuade. “[The] different perspectives that we have within a community are valuable. If I can just give people the information that will help them make an informed decision… then that’s going to resonate more with people. We want to make our own choices.”
In addition to serving as President of the Idaho PTA (Parent Teacher Association), Morgan completed her undergraduate degree in secondary education, has a master’s degree in Adult Organizational Learning & Leadership and is working on a PhD in Public Policy and Administration. She served as school board director for four years, worked as a substitute teacher and is the parent to four school-aged children. In Morgan’s various roles in education, she explained she often would get phone calls from confused parents asking her questions. Intrigued, she started searching for parent-run resources about Idaho education. Finding only scattered information, she decided to start the “Our Kids, Our Schools” podcast. She hopes to inform not only parents but also other community members, as Morgan strongly believes “a school community is also our business owners and workers, professionals, community public service workers, community leaders and politicians, and taxpayers. All of these groups contribute to the health of our school community.”
Community members face various obstacles to accessing relevant education information, according to Morgan. Many lack time, especially those in single parent households or where both parents work demanding jobs. However, the complexity of the education system is another barrier. Morgan gave the example of talking to an administrator to clarify some confusion she had about the new grading system at her child’s school. She explained to the administrator, “I am a parent that [studied] education…I’ve invested a lot of time to understand [education], and this is even challenging for me to understand. Now imagine the rest of the parents in the school district trying to navigate this idea.” Morgan aims to bridge gaps in understanding through “Our Kids, Our Schools.” She also hopes the podcast helps relieve some of the many tasks on the to-do lists of teachers and administrators.
“Our Kids, Our Schools” has already received plenty of positive feedback, including Morgan gaining @totallyboise as a sponsor. She hopes the podcast will reach people all across the state of Idaho.
“I would love for this idea to grow into something that fills the state,” she explained. “That people who care about the overall health of our school communities use ‘Our Kids, Our Schools’ to help create good change within their communities around the state.”
Morgan released her fourth podcast episode on Tuesday about parent and school communication. The podcast is available on all major streaming platforms, new episodes come out the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Click here to watch and listen. Or click here to visit Morgan’s website.
