In a world striving for equity, how do we address the deeply rooted systemic biases in education? Can we design schools to nurture curiosity and fairness rather than reinforce disparities?

Today’s guest is Dr. NaLette Brodnax, an assistant professor of public policy at Georgetown University and a visiting fellow at the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard. With a background in finance and a passion for equity, Dr. Brodnax explores the intersection of data, policy, and education, focusing on how systemic inequalities shape educational outcomes.

In this episode, we dive into Dr. Brodnax’s groundbreaking research on how school policies perpetuate structural racism and inequities, especially in discipline and resource allocation. She sheds light on the language of school handbooks as policy documents, revealing how carceral ideologies dominate certain educational environments—particularly in charter schools and the rural South—and what this means for students’ formative experiences.

We explore the implications of labeling students as “deviant” and how this affects their opportunities and self-perceptions. Dr. Brodnax also discusses the broader societal systems, like housing and employment policies, that intersect with education to perpetuate inequality. By examining these structures through a data-driven lens, she offers insights into creating schools that prioritize engagement, curiosity, and leadership over punishment.

This episode is a must-listen for educators, policymakers, and anyone passionate about equity in education. It challenges us to rethink how policies, both overt and hidden, shape students’ futures and how we can collectively transform education to serve all learners equitably.