Welcome to the debut episode of Recut! After months of planning, we're very excited to finally share this podcast with you.
We work hard to bring you the news you hear each day, but sometimes, we can't get everything into a four-minute story on the radio. That's why we're bringing you Recut; think of it as a behind-the-news podcast. Every Tuesday and Thursday, we'll choose a story we're working on in the WFPL newsroom and pull back the curtain. I'll talk to the reporter of the story, and we'll learn how and why they told the particular story they did.
Our first episode is now available! You can listen in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts. I hope you'll listen, and let us know what you think.
Episode 1: It's Hard To Be What You Can't See
You'd have to be living under a rock these days to not have heard about the many issues facing Jefferson Country Public Schools. In late April, the state's interim education commissioner released the results of a state audit of the district, and to put it mildly... it was not good. On top of that, the commissioner also called for a state takeover of JCPS.
The audit found a number of major issues within JCPS including achievement gaps between white students and students of color, as well as inequities in the way students are disciplined.
Several days after the release of the audit, JCPS approved a plan to address some of the race-related issues, including how to diversify JCPS staff. Of the 6,000 teachers in the district, 84 percent are white, while students of color make up more than half of the entire district.
Today on Recut, I talk with WFPL Education Reporter Roxanne Scott about the district's plan to address teacher diversity. We also talk about why having a teacher that looks like you is important, and about our own experiences with teachers of color. Spoiler: mine was pretty brief.
Like what you hear? We do it twice a week! Every episode of Recut takes a closer look at a story we’re covering in the WFPL newsroom. Subscribe on iTunes or Android, and let us know what you think at recut@wfpl.org.
