Setting Them Up to Succeed: A Parent's Guide to Academic Support

What does success actually look like for our children — and how do we help them get there?In this episode of Rethinking Freedom, host Aya Fubara Eneli sits down with three powerhouse guests to dig into what it really takes to set our kids up for academic success: not just good grades, but a genuine curiosity and love of learning.We cover: ✅ How parents actually define "success" — and the gap between what we say we want and what the data shows we reward ✅ Building routines that support learning, starting from infancy ✅ Recognizing and addressing your child's mental health as part of their academic journey ✅ Navigating the special education system, IEPs, and the school-to-prison pipeline ✅ Building your village — mentors, grandparents, and community supportGuests:Toya Algarin — Philadelphia-based education advocate with 25+ years championing quality education for underserved children and families. Former KIPP Philadelphia Schools board member, founder of Educational Opportunities for Families, and founder of Grandma's 4 Literacy.Dr. Elizabeth Jennings — Occupational therapist, mental health advocate, author of 13 books, and founder of Boys Matter 2 Men and Remember You Matter Coaching, Consulting & Mentoring.Dustin Rynders — Director of legal and legislative work at the Texas Civil Rights Project, whose advocacy uncovered and eliminated an illegal cap on special education enrollment in Texas that had denied services to over 300,000 students.📚 Resource mentioned in this episode: Disability Rights Texas — IDEA Manual (a parent's guide to special education rights and the special education process in Texas): https://disabilityrightstx.org/en/publication/idea-manual/https://www.charlescoleiii.com/black-agentic-parent-ebookGrandmas4Literacy:https://www.grandmas4literacy.org/I&T Girls: https://www.grandmas4literacy.org/This is the extended, full-length version of the conversation. A shorter cut aired on KGRN 98.5 FM and KVBM 104.7 FM in Killeen, TX.🎧 Subscribe for new episodes of Rethinking Freedom, and catch African News Review for pan-African news and analysis.#RethinkingFreedom #ParentingTips #AcademicSuccess #SpecialEducation #IEP #MentalHealthAwareness #BlackParenting #EducationEquity #SchoolToPrisonPipeline #MentorshipSupport the show