Olivia Wahl
27 February 2026
Welcome back to Part Two of my S5E26 @schoolutionspodcast conversation with Dr. Beverly Falk and Dr. Nancy Cardwell. 🧠 What you'll learn in this episode: 💫The exact asks inside Beverly and Nancy's proposal and why Massachusetts and Connecticut have already led the way 💫How play-based learning actually builds the foundation children need to detect AI misinformation and fake news 💫What culturally responsive teaching looks like when it's grounded in community 💫Why assessment must move beyond standardized tests toward performance-based, observation-driven documentation 💫What student engagement looks like when children have choice, voice, and real problems to solve 💫Why screen time and AI need urgent guardrails and how play deprivation leaves children more vulnerable to misinformation 💫How school culture, classroom belonging, and trauma-informed approaches create the emotional steadiness children need to learn 📎 Resources: ➡️NYCPS Proposal to Support Play ➡️High Quality Early Learning Project ➡️Investigating Choice Time by Renée Dinnerstein ➡️Bronx Community Charter School Bronx River Study ➡️State resolutions supporting play-based learning ➡️NYC Mayor Mamdani's Education Transition Team 💫Check out Part One 📑 Chapters 0:00 — Welcome Back: What Part 2 Covers 2:00 — Why This Mayor, Why Now? The Story Behind the Proposal 3:30 — States Leading the Way 5:00 — The Equity Case: Why Rich Learning Must Be for ALL Children 6:30 — Starting the Day with Choice Time 8:00 — Play as a Tool for Democracy and Critical Thinking 9:00 — Why the Team Has Hope in NYC's New Mayor 11:00 — The High Quality Early Learning Project 13:00 — The Bronx River Study 15:30 — The Actual Proposal: Beverly Breaks Down the Asks 16:30 — The Science of Reading Has Been Distorted & Here's What's Missing 17:30 — Performance-Based Documentation 19:30 — Screen Time, AI, and What Children Really Need 20:30 — Redefining Early Childhood 22:00 — What Teachers Can Do RIGHT NOW Inside a Scripted School Day 25:00 — How Play Teaches Kids to Spot Misinformation and AI Fakes 28:00 — Schools as Training Grounds for Democracy 29:30 — Closing: This Is Not Nostalgia It's a Movement 31:00 — What's Coming Next Week Next Week: Dr. Chris Hass, co-author of From Empathy to Action with Katie Kelly and Lester Laminack, makes a compelling case that even the youngest students can create real change. This conversation will challenge how you think about empathy research and what's truly possible in your classroom. When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
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