Reflections on Season 9

 As Season 9 comes to a close, we reflect on some of the amazing conversations we had over the past 16 episodes, and hear from you about what you're grappling with. From the Heather McGhee's episode in the very beginning of the season through Episode 15 on school lunches, we tried to focus on solidarity and elevating voices that have been missing from our conversations.  Cathryn and The Saviors focused on the experience of one low-income parent, The Segregated Lives of Preschoolers focused on our youngest learners, The Intersections of Disability, Race, and Segregation began unpacking the needs of disabled students and caregivers. And, of course, we featured student voice in Between the Lines: An EPIC Comeback. Students are the most directly impacted by our education system, so we lean into to featuring their voice and their perspective whenever possible. Through it all, we leaned into nuance, recognizing that no one has all the answers, and that the best way to know better and do better is through relationships. Lots of thanks for the season: All of our guests who were willing to share their insights, their perspectives, their research, and their values. We are all richer for having heard from you. All of podcast staff who work on transcripts and promotion and offer thought partnership on each and every episode - Anna, Darci, Jennifer, Courtney, Susan, Emily. Thank you! Our friends at Connectd Podcasts for the ongoing support. Check out all their shows, as there are so many important conversations happening on the network. All of our Patreon supporters. Your financial support allows us to keep this podcast going, but even more importantly, your engagement on the Patreon page and participation in happy hours means the world to us. And, most importantly, thank you to all of you who listen, who share, who keep this conversation going. The world is changed one relationship and one conversation at a time, and you all engaging with the conversations we share brings us hope. ACTION STEPS: Share your favorite episode with someone and have a conversation with them about it. Support our work on Patreon Hit the "follow" button in your podcast app to make sure you don't miss an episode.   We'll be back in the fall!!   Visit our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us. Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further. Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – @integratedschls on twitter, IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected]. We’re proud members of Connectd Podcasts, a network dedicated to helping shows like ours grow and thrive. For more info, or to check out their other amazing shows, head over to their website. The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits. This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits. Music by Kevin Casey.