Project: School Dad
Project: School Dad is a research-driven podcast and storytelling initiative exploring the impact, urgency, and underrepresentation of Black male educators in American schools. Blending personal narrative, historical analysis, and honest conversation, the podcast examines how representation, belonging, mentorship, and culturally responsive teaching shape the academic and emotional experiences of Black and Brown students. Through interviews with educators, advocates, scholars, parents, and community leaders, Project: School Dad amplifies stories that challenge inequity, restore erased narratives, and reimagine what education can look like when care, connection, and cultural understanding stand at the center.
Being Reflective: Culturally responsive pedagogy: “What Works” featuring: "The Intellectuals"
What does it truly mean to do what works for children?
In Episode 3 of Project: School Dad, Eric Gardner is joined by The Intellectuals—a collective of educators, advocates, and community leaders committed to learning, reflection, and transformative change in urban education. Together, Tivona Baht-Yisrael, Eric Gardner, Zea Wallace, and Horace Ryans III engage in an honest conversation about culturally responsive pedagogy, effective teaching practices, and educators' responsibility to create learning environments where students feel seen, valued, and challenged.
The conversation begins with a reflection on identity, community, and what "what works" truly means in to...
Mentorship That Moves the Needle: Radical Advising in Urban Schools - Featured Guest: Dr. Khary Moody
What does it take to create a school where Black and Brown students feel truly seen, supported, and challenged to reach their full potential?
In this episode of Project: School Dad Podcast, host Eric Vaughn Gardner sits down with Dr. Khary Moody for a timely conversation about mentorship, belonging, and the transformative power of Radical Advising in urban schools.
Together, they explore how culturally grounded mentorship can serve as a response to the historical harms many students continue to face—from exclusion and mislabeling to disconnection from school communities. Dr. Moody shares what it means to...
Belonging & School Connection - Featured Guest: Darren Rainey
From Desegregation to Displacement: The Erasure of Black Educators
In this episode of Project: School Dad, Eric Gardner sits down with educator and professor Darren Rainey for a powerful conversation about the historical displacement of Black educators and the lasting impact of their absence on Black students and school culture today. Grounded in the works of Leslie T. Fenwick, Adam Fairclough, and April L. Peters, this episode explores what truly happened after Brown v. Board of Education and how desegregation led to the systematic removal of thousands of Black teachers and principals from American schools.
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