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The Crisis in Education Podcast
Educators are the backbone of our nation, and education is its lifeblood. But because of a number of issues exacerbated by politics and the pandemic, it is progressively faltering. From teacher shortages and failing schools to growing mental health issues, there is an undeniable growing crisis in Education at the individual, classroom, and school level. Though painful, with the right approaches, crises can be leveraged as an opportunity for growth. Therefore, Dr. Paul "Paulie" Gavoni and Drew Carter are co-hosting the Crisis in Education Podcast, where Education meets Behavior Science, to interview educational leaders, behavior scientists, and experts around the world to dissect the root causes of crisis issues and explore potential opportunities for sustainable improvement across schools and districts. [Sponsored by the Professional Crisis Management Association - pcma.com]
The Crisis in Education Podcast
Keeping Kids in School — and Out of the System
In this episode of the Crisis in Education podcast, Dr. Paul “Paulie” Gavoni sits down with Michael Waller, an attorney and Executive Director of Georgia Appleseed, to talk about the real work of keeping students safe, supported, and out of the criminal justice system. Drawing from legal, educational, and behavioral science perspectives, they unpack how poverty, exclusionary discipline, and lack of proactive support funnel students — especially kids in poverty and kids of color — from classrooms into courts. The conversation shines a light on what actually works: strengthening schools as prevention hubs, building predictable environments, and giving educators the tools to respond to behavior before it escalates.
🔑 Key Topics Covered
- Why the criminal justice system was never designed for children
- How poverty and school exclusion feed the “school-to-system” pipeline
- The real impact of suspension, expulsion, and “push-out” practices
- What educators can do when they don't control the home environment
- How legal advocacy and behavior science intersect in prevention
- The role of predictable, reinforcing environments in reducing crisis behavior
- Why “safety” must be defined as more than just the absence of violence
If you believe schools should be places of opportunity, not gateways to the system, share this episode with a colleague, educator, or policymaker.
Subscribe for more behavior-science-driven conversations about fixing what’s broken in education.
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