Public Education Unfiltered
By Educators. For Educators.
Public education is facing new challenges, and it’s time for real talk.
Public Education Unfiltered, hosted by public education expert Brian J. Stephens, goes beyond the headlines to tackle the biggest challenges facing public school districts— without the sugar coating.
Through raw, unfiltered conversations with superintendents, policymakers, and education reform leaders, this podcast breaks down the real issues affecting schools today, from chronic absenteeism and student recruitment to funding struggles and policy shifts. But this isn’t just talk— it’s about real-world solutions that help educators, administrators, and decision-makers take action.
If you care about the future of public education, this is the podcast you need to hear.
Have a topic you want to hear about next? Email caroline@caissaps.com to share your thoughts.
Public Education Unfiltered
Inverting the Future: What Could Destroy Public Schools
Most conversations about public education focus on how to improve it. In this episode, we flip the question through a process called inverting: instead of asking what schools must do to succeed, we ask what could destroy them.
From financial fragility and political weaponization to media attacks, teacher demoralization, and the erosion of community support, we map out the ten biggest threats that could dismantle public schools if left unchecked. More importantly, we outline the strategies leaders can use to anticipate, avoid, and neutralize these dangers before they spiral out of control.
If you want to understand both the risks and the roadblocks and how to keep America’s public schools standing strong, this episode is for you.