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Ben Herald, a former reporter at Education Week, set out across America to document what is happening in school districts located in once largely white suburban communities. His book Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America's Suburbs documents his disturbing findings.

When he got to Compton, he found a rare example of a school district in a formerly all white suburb that is offering hope to students of color and their families. Under the leadership of Superintendent Darin Brawley, the district is closing achievement gaps and boosting graduation rates.

In this podcast, noted author and scholar Pedro Noguera and veteran journalist Louis Freedberg interview Supt. Brawley and author Herald about what sets Compton apart from other similar communities -- and how it is achieving uncommon success with its diverse, low-income student body.

This episode of“Sparking Equity,” with hosts Pedro Noguera and Louis Freedberg, was produced before the podcast was rebranded “Education on the Line.”

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Guests:

Benjamin Herold was a contributing writer who covered learning environments and ed-tech issues for Education Week, and a contributing writer for EdWeek Market Brief. He joined Education Week in 2013 as a staff writer and covered technology for six years.
Darin Brawley, Ed.D. is currently in his 13th year as the superintendent for the Compton Unified School District. Under his leadership CUSD has benefitted from a tremendous turnaround and elevation in student outcomes, facilities, and opportunities.