Lions, Floods, & Poverty: Knocking Down The Barriers Keeping African Kids Out of School
Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
03/16/26
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Featured In
Part One of my S5E29 @schoolutionspodcast with Dr. Kris Nystrom highlights the critical need for education for all and how a dedicated "teacher" can drive education reform through direct action. It reframes our understanding of social justice in educational contexts and the profound impact of ensuring academic success globally.
In Part 1 of this conversation, Kris shares:
• How 10 years of global literacy research revealed a crisis hiding in plain sight
• What the "four horsemen of educational inequity" are (conflict, climate, geography, and cost) and why they demand a whole child approach
• Why good teaching always begins with student culture, and how bypassing that is itself a political act
• His community-first protocol for sustainable school building: no savior complex, no top-down solutions
• What it's really like when kids walk through lion and leopard territory just to reach a classroom
Kris founded Reading the World Inc. in 2024. Nobody takes a salary. Every dollar goes directly to children. Donate here.
🎙️ Part 2 drops this Friday, where we zoom out to the global literacy crisis and why it matters far beyond sub-Saharan Africa.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction: Who is Dr. Kris Nystrom?
1:40 Research foundations: Paulo Freire, semiotics, and how the brain reads
4:00 Why culturally responsive teaching is a moral stance
5:00 What is a school desert? The four horsemen of educational inequity
8:00 The real cost barriers keeping kids out of school
10:30 From Connecticut retirement to sub-Saharan Africa
12:30 The philosophical foundation: where you're born shouldn't determine access
13:40 Kris's community-first protocol for building schools
17:00 Lightning round: what keeps Kris up at night, biggest misconceptions
19:30 Preview of Part 2: global literacy and economic ripple effects
Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.
🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content.
📧 Connect with me if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in.
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!
#readingtheworld #schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #evidencebasedstrategies #classroomreadystrategies #SchoolDeserts #GlobalLiteracy
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.
Previous Episode
In Part 2 of my @schoolutionspodcast conversation, Erin Patterson from SchoolHouse Connection returns to detail legislative wins for families experiencing homelessness, showcasing how advocacy works amid federal budget cuts.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- How $129 million in homeless education funding was zeroed out in the President's FY26 budget, and how SchoolHouse Connection got it restored through nonpartisan grassroots advocacy
- What the McKinney-Vento Act actually guarantees for homeless students
- The Homeless Children and Youth Act: the signature legislation that would align federal definitions so families in motels and doubled-up housing finally qualify for housing assistance
- How the Thrive from the Start Coalition is mobilizing state-level action on infant and toddler homelessness, and why 48 states applied for just 10 grants
Mentions:
➡️Barbara Duffield
➡️Thomas J. Lucas (TJ)
➡️Thrive from the Start Coalition
➡️Advocacy Page
➡️Federal Policy Tracker
➡️Homeless Children and Youth Data Map
➡️McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
➡️Every Student Succeeds Act
➡️Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program
➡️Homeless Children and Youth Act
➡️Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
➡️Resources for Homeless Education Liaisons
🎧 Watch Part I! Erin paints the full picture of what hidden homelessness looks like for children across America.
CHAPTERS
0:00 When the Budget Shows a Zero
1:45 FY26 Budget & Homeless Education
6:00 $129 Million Restored
7:30 McKinney-Vento Explained
10:00 Undocumented & Homeless
11:45 Dedicated Funding vs. Block Grants
13:00 Thrive from the Start
15:15 Homeless Children & Youth Act
16:30 How to Get Involved
Next Week: Dr. Kris Nystrom left retirement to tackle the world's lowest literacy rates in sub-Saharan Africa, one community at a time. This one will change how you see what's at stake when a child can't read.
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.
Next Episode
What does a child's birthplace have to do with their right to learn? Everything. And Dr. Kris Nystrom is doing something about it.
This clip explores the philosophical foundation of "reading the world," asserting that a child's place of birth should not dictate their access to education for all. It underscores the critical role of academic success in fostering social justice. This perspective drives the daily work of educators committed to education reform, questioning why any child should be treated as less than, and emphasizing the need for mental health support.
🌍 Support Reading the World Inc. by donating here.
In this clip:
- The philosophical foundation of Reading the World Inc.
- What "school deserts" are, and the 4 forces that create them
- Why the pro-kid mindset has no borders
- What culturally responsive teaching looks like at a global scale
- How student success begins with seeing the whole child
Save this. Share it with your school administrators, instructional leaders, and fellow teachers.
Watch, reflect, and share Part 1 & Part 2 of our @schoolutionspodcast S5E29 interview with your team.
📌 CHAPTERS
0:00 — The Quote That Drives Everything
0:12 — "Where One Is Born Cannot Be the Only Reason"
0:28 — Looking Kids in the Eyes: The Moral Case for Equity
0:45 — What Is a School Desert?
0:52 — Walking Through Lions to Get to Class
1:05 — Building Schools That Communities Own
📧 Connect with me if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in.
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!
#Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #CuriosityDriven #EvidenceBased #equityineducation #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #SchoolDesert #GlobalLiteracy #WholeChild #StudentSuccess #InclusiveClassrooms #TeacherCoaching #InstructionalLeadership #SchoolImprovement #ProKidMindset #EmpoweredEducators #Schoolutions #ReadingTheWorld #TeachingTips #EducationTransformation #NewTeachers #MentorTeachers #FamilyPartnerships #SchoolCulture
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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