PODCAST · government
The Radical Bureaucrat
by Abram Guerra and Sam Rosaldo
Bureaucracy is that strangely modern form of government where lots of folks at their desk (french “bureau”) follow rules that they might not necessarily understand, and thus reinforce a system that they typically don’t like. Bureaucrats rule without really having much power–or without realizing how much power they have…A few of these bureaucrats, however, work to change their institutions so that they are more human, more perfect, and more just. This is a podcast devoted to exploring their methods, understanding their values, and telling their stories.
Episodes
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RB-S3E4--Family, Zionism, and Creative Rage
Sam and Abram discuss Sam's Jewish roots and family members, dip our toes into the history of zionism, and spend some time talking about the creative process.
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S3:E3 - For What It's Worth
Sam and Abram talk about their inability to articulate, the role of art, and they make room for some other voices as we unpack 200 days of atrocities in Palestine. Here are the other voices: Steven Stills and Buffalo Springfield, creators of the musical theme for our episode, "For What it's…
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S3:E2--Unpacking and Making Sense of Palestine
Sam and Abram unpack what they have been carrying about Palestine, the hopelessness and confusion of it all, and what we are feeling as we face each day's new cycle
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S3:E1--Seeking Authentic Dialogue, Building Beloved Community
We begin a four part series about breaking silence without damaging relationships and striving to create productive dialogue about current events (like the occupation of Palestine). This episode focuses on the core values we try to sustain while creating these conversations: Humility, Community,...
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BONUS: NYC Schools Chancellor Carranza Steps Down
We talk about the historic transition happening at the very top of the largest public school system in the nation. Chancellor Carranza has been a controversial figure at a pivotal moment in the history of NYC, and Sadye Campoamor and Zakiyah Ansari help us to make sense of this moment.
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S2:E20--Renato Rosaldo
Renato Rosaldo is a world-renown anthropologist and the author of four books of poetry. He is also Sam's dad! On this episode he discusses grief and grieving, in the time of COVID-19 and after the death of his wife, and Sam's mother, in 1981. He ends by reading from his book, "The Day of Shelly's...
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S2:E19—Tema Okun, @TemaOkun
S2:E19—Tema Okun, @TemaOkun by Abram Guerra and Sam Rosaldo
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S2:E18--Colin Seale, @ColinESeale
S2:E18--Colin Seale, @ColinESeale by Abram Guerra and Sam Rosaldo
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S2:E17--Jose Luis Vilson, @TheJLV #Educolor
We talk with Jose Luis Vilson, Nationally recognized Harlem educator and all around good guy. He helps us make sense of this moment, and highlights the importance of "grace."
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S2:E16--Sam and Abram Make Space for Grief
Sam and Abram make space to talk about some of the loss that we are all facing, from the death of dear loved ones, to the more trivial losses of work, momentum, or just routine. What does it look like to intentionally dig in on an emotion that we pretty much avoid unless we absolutely have to?
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S2:E15--Naima Beckles, @ForYourBirthNYC
We talk with Sam's wife about healthcare, the hospital industrial complex, the importance of asking for help, planning, and preparing for birthing, and how things have changes since the COVID shut us down.
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S2:E14—Dan Honig, Johns Hopkins SAIS
We have a sprawling conversation with Dan Honig, who helps us understand what's happening in West Africa and at his temporary Comfy COVID Country Cottage in Madison, Virginia. What does it take to not only make space for bureaucrats to want to rock the boat for the sake of the people, but to also...
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S2:E13--Radical, Yes. Bureaucrat? Not any more...
Abram and Sam chat about two stories of folks who Rocked the Boat and fell out. Who went 'all in' to use a phrase from the Texas Hold-em fad, and lost their job in order to better serve the people that were counting on them.
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S1:E12--Janelle Scott, UC Berkeley
S1:E12--Janelle Scott, UC Berkeley by Abram Guerra and Sam Rosaldo
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S2:E11--Ruben Brosbe, Harlem; @blogsbe
We talk with Harlem educator Ruben Brosbe, on Twitter @brosbe, about the impact of the pandemic, remote learning, tired pedagogies of test prep and 'business as usual,' and the real work of holding space with communities striving to learn and grow together.
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S2:E10--Sam And Abram Debrief
Sam and Abram share media (books, articles, music) that has been giving them life over the last few weeks. Happy Friday!
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S2:E9--Becky Tarlau, Penn State
Dr. Rebecca Tarlou shares with us how life has changed for her at Penn State, how she is working locally to organize her neighbors to respond to the crisis, and what we might reimagine in our education and social systems given the current disruption.
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S2:E8--David Kirkland, NYU Metro Center
We hear from David Kirkland (@davidekirkland), who leads a community of education justice innovators and movement builders at NYU's "Metro Center" (@metronyu): The Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools.
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S2:E7--Brian Salter, Seattle
S2:E7--Brian Salter, Seattle by Abram Guerra and Sam Rosaldo
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S2:E6--Jaekun Cho, Seoul
We talk with Jaekun Cho in Seoul about living day by day through the coronavirus pandemic. We appreciated Jaekun's willingness to share his reflections, and how he is understanding his part in the interconnected global whole.
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S2:E5--Tassika Lloyd, @t_lloyd, Sociologist and Visionary
We hear from Tassika Lloyd, who shares with us some of the ways her heart is heavy reckoning with (and calling people to reckon with) the ways that they are modeling things right now that are teaching our kids what it means to cope in a crisis. Takissa blew us away with her visionary call for...
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S2:E4--Seth Hanlon, American Progress
We hear from Seth Hanlon, a veteran wonk and bureaucrat in the seat of the Federal Government. We discuss the challenges of working from home, the 'all hands on deck' environment in DC right now, and what our elected representatives from both parties are coalescing on in terms of economic…
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S2:E3--Genevieve DeBose, LAUSD
We chat with educator, artist, and instructional leader Genevieve DeBose about making time for collective and self care, the social costs of isolation and physical distancing (socially we are still practicing solidarity and love!), and how schools and workplaces are important sources of belonging...
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S2:E2--Toni Smith-Thompson of NYCLU
Sam and Abram chat with Toni Smith-Thompson, who is working from her NYC apartment as a Community Organizer for the NY Civil Liberties Union (NY State branch of the ACLU). The lockdown won't stop the movement, because we move from a place of purpose. There will be change, mistakes, losses, and...
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Season 2! Coronavirus Lockdown with The Radical Bureaucrat
Season 2 of The Radical Bureaucrat: Now with less editing and polishing, but still made with love. Join us as we try to make sense of living through this unprecedented moment. Questions and Comments via Twitter @RadBureau
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S1-E8: "Brazil," the Movie (Season Finale)
For the last episode of the season, Sam and Abram invited some friends to watch and discuss Brazil, a surreal film that takes on themes of bureaucracy and alienation. Sam and Abram are joined by Patrick G. Williamson, who works for the NYC Department of Education and produces the podcast 3…
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S1-E7: If You Want to Go Far, Go Together (Paul Forbes)
In this episode, Sam and Abram chat with Paul Forbes while he drives one of his Expanded Success Initiative students to college. The Expanded Success Initiative, which Paul runs, is a New York City Department of Education program that works with Black and Latino boys in high schools to make sure...
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S1-BONUS: MLK Day 2019
A special tribute to the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior.
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S1-E6: All About Love (bell hooks)
"The Radical Bureaucrat: Love" When a co-worker cried after a tense phone conversation, Sam started thinking about accountability and human relationships within bureaucracy. Inspired by this incident and by the closeness they’ve built while working on The Radical Bureaucrat, Abram and Sam spend...
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S1-E5: Cutting School, Listening to Communities (Noliwe Rooks)
The Radical Bureaucrat: Noliwe Rooks At the beginning of her most recent book, Dr. Noliwe Rooks shares a conversation she had over and over with her white, affluent students at Princeton. They called education “the civil rights issue of our time,” and seemed eager and committed to eradicating...
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S1-E4: Radical Change, the Harvard Way
“Is there any way to rock the boat without falling out of it?,” is the central question of Debra Meyerson’s article “Radical Change, the Quiet Way,” which Sam and Abram spend this episode discussing. Meyerson’s article resonates because it addresses those “tempered radicals” who work to steer...
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S1-E3: Dream Boldly, Prioritize the Mission (Vinny Schiraldi)
In today’s episode, Sam and Abram chat with Vinny Schiraldi, who oversaw radical changes running Juvenile Corrective Services in Washington, DC. Listen to Vinny explain how, guided by his approach of “acting incrementally while dreaming boldly,” he vastly cut down on institutionalization, abuse,...
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S1-E2: Reformer, Revolutionary, or Something Else?
What can a viral video of a teacher ripping up an elementary schooler’s book tell us about government regulation and management? In this inaugural recording, Sam and Abram try to unpack some of the arguments and assumptions in Elizabeth Green’s January 2018 article in The Atlantic: “The Charter...
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S1-E1: What are we Talking About Here
Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, described a scenario in which a person rescues a baby drowning in a river--then another one, then another. How many babies would you have to rescue before walking upstream to address the root cause? How do you continue rescuing babies downstream…
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The Radical Bureaucrat Trailer
The Radical Bureaucrat trailer, where we briefly preview the coming season.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Bureaucracy is that strangely modern form of government where lots of folks at their desk (french “bureau”) follow rules that they might not necessarily understand, and thus reinforce a system that they typically don’t like. Bureaucrats rule without really having much power–or without realizing how much power they have…A few of these bureaucrats, however, work to change their institutions so that they are more human, more perfect, and more just. This is a podcast devoted to exploring their methods, understanding their values, and telling their stories.
HOSTED BY
Abram Guerra and Sam Rosaldo
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Radical Bureaucrat have?
The Radical Bureaucrat currently has 35 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Radical Bureaucrat about?
Bureaucracy is that strangely modern form of government where lots of folks at their desk (french “bureau”) follow rules that they might not necessarily understand, and thus reinforce a system that they typically don’t like. Bureaucrats rule without really having much power–or without realizing how...
How often does The Radical Bureaucrat release new episodes?
The Radical Bureaucrat has 35 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Radical Bureaucrat?
You can listen to The Radical Bureaucrat on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Radical Bureaucrat?
The Radical Bureaucrat is created and hosted by Abram Guerra and Sam Rosaldo.
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