PrepTalks

Jenn the Tutor, Test-Optional, Test-Free, and College Access (014)

Trying to figure out what “test-optional” and “test-free” really mean and why they’re important? Concerned about the pervasive structural inequity in standardized testing and college admissions more broadly? On this month’s PrepTalks, Ned dives into these questions with Jenn Jesse (aka Jenn The Tutor), a passionate and experienced teacher and advocate for making higher education accessible to those who might not otherwise see themselves as college material.

Jenn is very active on Twitter as @jennthetutor, and you can follow her there or check out her website. You’ll also find Ned on Twitter at @nedjohnson.

Debbie Reber, Differently Wired: Raising an Exceptional Child in a Conventional World

This month, PrepTalks welcomes Debbie Reber, founder of TiLT Parenting and author of Differently Wired: Raising an Exceptional Child in a Conventional World. Ned & Debbie chat about her work to empower parents who are raising “differently wired” kids – children whose neurodifferences might include ADHD, learning differences, giftedness, anxiety, and/or autism spectrum disorder, as well as those with no formal diagnosis but who continue to negotiate a world that wasn’t designed to accommodate their unique gifts. They talk about both her vision for supporting differently wired kids from a place of choice, growth, & joy and the specific tools that parents can use along this journey.

Debbie’s website is https://www.debbiereber.com/, and the TiLT parenting community can be found at https://tiltparenting.com/. Check out Debbie on Twitter at @debbiereber and TiLT at @tiltparenting, and follow Ned at @nedjohnson.

Jessica Lahey, The Addiction Inoculation (012)

This week, Ned talks with Jessica Lahey, whose most recent book, The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence, is just out. They discuss Jessica’s compassionate, practical guide to giving our children the tools to navigate the temptations of substance abuse. Her book builds on the latest scholarship in psychology, neuroscience, and child welfare, as well as her own journey parenting while coming to sobriety herself.

Jessica’s website is https://www.jessicalahey.com. Follow Jessica on Twitter @jesslahey and Ned at @nedjohnson.

Julie Lythcott-Haims, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult (011)

Today, Ned sits down with Julie Lythcott-Haims, former dean of freshmen at Stanford and author of several books, including Your Turn: How To Be an Adult. He talks with Julie about her just-released book, in which she blends her own experience – as a dean, a mentor, a friend, and a human – with the stories of dozens of twenty- and thirty-somethings she has interviewed about how they launched their adult lives. Her work eschews formulaic notions of adulthood, offering instead compassionate, insightful, and highly practical observations and suggestions, all informed by a rigorous commitment to inclusive, diverse notions of what adulthood can look like.

Julie’s website is https://www.julielythcotthaims.com/. Follow Julie on Twitter at @jlythcotthaims and Ned at @nedjohnson.

Mark Salisbury, Tuition Fit: Pulling Back the Curtain on College Pricing (010)

This month, Ned talks with Mark Salisbury, CEO & co-founder of TuitionFit, which seeks to make college pricing fully transparent. They talk about trends in pricing, what families need to know going into the admissions process, and TuitionFit’s mission to promote transparency so that students can find a range of affordable & accessible schools and thus expand the range of opportunities available to them after graduation.

TuitionFit’s website is https://www.tuitionfit.org/. Follow them on Twitter at @tuitionfit_ and Ned at @nedjohnson.

Ron Lieber, The Price You Pay for College (009)

This month, Ned talks with Ron Lieber, the “Your Money” columnist for the New York Times and author of several books, including the just-released The Price You Pay for College. Ron and Ned chat about how the costs of college and the financial aid system have changed in recent years, what you’re actually paying for, and how to navigate the logistics and emotions of what might well be the biggest financial choice a family ever makes.

Ron’s website is https://ronlieber.com/. Follow Ron on Twitter at @ronlieber and Ned at @nedjohnson.

 

Katie Hurley, A Year of Positive Thinking for Teens (008)

In January’s episode of PrepTalks, Ned talks with Katie Hurley, a child & adolescent psychotherapist and the author of several books, most recently, A Year of Positive Thinking for Teens. They chat about the tools teens can develop to boost self-esteem, build confidence, manage expectations productively, and grow a healthy mindset on the road to adulthood.

Katie’s website is https://practicalkatie.com/. Follow Katie on Twitter & Instagram at @katiefhurley and follow Ned on Twitter at @nedjohnson.

Phyllis Fagell, Middle School Mattters (007)

In December’s PrepTalks, Ned sits down with Phyllis Fagell, school counselor, therapist, Washington Post contributor, and author of Middle School Matters. Ned and Phyllis talk about how the middle school years offers parents the low-stakes, high-reward opportunity to build confidence, character, and resilience and to teach kids the critical skills they’ll need to thrive in the years to come.

 

Follow Ned on Twitter at @nedjohnson and Phyllis at @pfagell.

Blake Boles, Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School? (006)

On this month’s PrepTalks, Ned sits down with Blake Boles, Founder and Director of Unschool Adventures and author of Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School? They talk about how mainstream schooling isn’t for everyone and why parents and educators should support young people in exploring alternative paths grounded in self-directed, experiential learning.

Follow Ned on Twitter at @nedjohnson and Blake at @blakeboles.

Akil Bello, Equity, Justice, and Standardized Testing (005)

“A core problem with the SAT right now is the belief in the test and what it measures. The SAT has jumped the shark as a useful tool.” On PrepTalks, Ned Johnson dives deep into questions of equity, justice, and standardized testing with Akil Bello, Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at FairTest.

 

Follow Ned on Twitter at @nedjohnson and Akil at @akilbello.

Read more about FairTest, the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, at https://www.fairtest.org/.