Toward A Socialist Understanding of Public School Finance w/ David Backer

Toward A Socialist Understanding of Public School Finance w/ David Backer

We sat down with author of As Public As Possible: Radical Finance for America's Public Schools [https://www.aspublicaspossiblebook.com/] David Backer with the intention of gaining a better understanding of how our public schools are (under)funded today in capitalist America and how we can take control of that finance to create the schools we deserve. We talk about local property tax, the role of private credit and Wall Street in public school debt and some near term changes that familis and educators can fight for. Big shout out ot Minneapolis Families for Public Schools for the book recommendation. We might have a few more drops for you this summer, stay tuned:)

HCMC Must Not Close w/ Jamey Sharp

We are joined by South Minneapolis neighbor and emergency room doctor in training Jamey Sharp to talk about the financial crisis facing HCMC (Henneppin County Medical Center), which is facing imminent closure if nothing is done. Beyond the accute crisis facing HCMC we discuss the chronic crisis of health care in capitalist America, the interlocking nature of the attacks on health care and education and the power of our community to transform these systems for the better. Urgent - https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/save-hcmc [https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/save-hcmc] - sign the petition to save HCMC and contact your state lawmaker this week!

Art Education is Essential w/ Crystal Spring

We continue our coverage of the resistance to Minneapolis Public Schools cuts to staffing and student services in the wake of Operation Metro Surge by focusing in on our powerful and crucial performing arts programs that are on the chopping block. Long time Social Justice Theatre teacher Crystal Spring sat down to talk us through her two decades of work in Minneapolis Public Schools, the power of art and expression, how theatre and culture helped our students through Covid, the George Floyd Uprising and Operation Metro Surge and the devestating cuts to performing arts being proposed by the district. This episode opens with a clip from South high sophmore Ramsha testifying to the power of her theatre classes at the May 6th day of action for public eduation at the state capital organized by Minneapolis Families for Public Schools. This episode ends with a poem I (jake) wrote in late February. UPDATE: Our organizing is making an impact! Last week MPS announced a reversal to all the proposed cuts to the Adult Ed program we talked about two weeks ago, as well as an additional 10 Million to K-12 education that will save some jobs of Education Support Professionals. This is good, but not nearly enough!

Which Side Are You On, MPS? w/ Felix Pablo Muñoz and Jules Barivan

In the third installment of our emergent series covering the mass layoffs and budget cuts by Minneapolis Public Schools in the wake of Operation Metro Surge we sit down with multi-lingual ESPs Felix Pablo Muñoz and Jules Barivan who both had their jobs cut this year after standing shoulder to shoulder with thier students in resistance to ICE. Tune in to the hard faught wisom these rank and file educators share and keep your eyes and ears open for action opportunities as MPS moves to finalize thier budget in the next month. See you in the streets on May 1st!

Save Adult Ed - A Roundtable with Minneapolis Adult Education Rank and File

We continue our coverage of the aggressive budget and staffing cuts proposed by Minneapolis Public Schools in the wake of Operation Metro Surge by sitting down with 3 Rank and File educators from the Adult Eduaction program. The proposed cuts hit Adult Ed particularily hard, eliminating the jobs of 1/2 of thier teachers and all of thier Somali speaking support staff. Said Hassan, Ashley Zimmerman and Amy Elliott join us to talk about how thier school community supported each other during the invasion of our city, the importance of Adult Ed and thier demands of the school district. Follow Save Adult Education Minneapolis [https://www.facebook.com/people/Save-Adult-Education-Minneapolis/61584894872592/] to support thier organizing Check out this recent reporting on the dysfunction in the MPS finance department - which makes these cuts all the more grotesque https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/04/14/minneapolis-schools-withheld-money-from-employee-health-plan-account-for-10-months/ [https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/04/14/minneapolis-schools-withheld-money-from-employee-health-plan-account-for-10-months/] https://sahanjournal.com/education/minneapolis-public-schools-finance-leaders-shakeup-missing-funds/ [https://sahanjournal.com/education/minneapolis-public-schools-finance-leaders-shakeup-missing-funds/]