Leonie interviews Jennifer Berkshire, the author of several books on the intersection of education policy and politics who has her own Substack and podcast, Have you Heard. Jennifer spoke about how the politics of public schools are reflected in the mideterm elections, including the campaigns of some progressive candidates running for statewide office. They also dicussed how in contrast there is a disappointing lack of a real K12 agenda among many mainstream Democrats, as well as many Democratic Socialists, including NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Video of NYC School Integration Town Hall, Oct. 20, 2026; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMLwdj0xygM
NY Magazine, Mamdani’s School Plan Is Still MIA, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/mamdanis-school-plan-is-still-mia.html?view_token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpZCI6IkNUMTBUY1RFbEsiLCJwIjoiL2ludGVsbGlnZW5jZXIvYXJ0aWNsZS9tYW1kYW5pcy1zY2hvb2wtcGxhbi1pcy1zdGlsbC1taWEuaH
The New Yorker, Does the D.S.A. Have a Vision for Public Schools in New York? https://www.newyorker.com/culture/progress-report/does-the-dsa-have-a-vision-for-public-schools-in-new-york
Jennifer Berkshire podcast Have you Heard; https://www.haveyouheardpodcast.com/
Jennifer Berkshire substack, What It Takes to Flip a Seat,
https://educationwars.substack.com/p/what-it-takes-to-flip-a-seat
Jennifer Berkshire substack, What’s Left for Public Education?; https://educationwars.substack.com/p/whats-left-for-public-education https://educationwars.substack.com/p/whats-left-for-public-education
The New Republic, Why Democrats Must Embrace a “Mom Populist” Education Agenda; https://newrepublic.com/article/213750/democrats-must-embrace-mom-populist-education-agenda
Where Are Democrats on Education? 5 Takeaways from a Recent AEI Event;
https://www.aei.org/domestic-policy/education/where-are-democrats-on-education-5-takeaways-from-a-recent-aei-event/