This first episode of Chasing Bailey sketches the four-year story of an effort to transform a “failing” public school in Nashville, TN, only to have success turn sour when the district office determined that the underserved students at the school -- mostly poor and mostly Black -- had to be moved out of the place that had become their educational home. Host Barb Stengel introduces us to several central players and to the important infrastructure elements – teaming, teacher leadership, residents, relationships, race, culture, curriculum, collective responsibility, and equity – that made a difference at Bailey, and that will be explored in depth in monthly episodes to come.

00:00 Introduction: What is a good school?

03:28 Why tell the Chasing Bailey Story? Resident Julia Konrad

06:11 “Every single day, remember who we are.” Principal Christian Sawyer and Teacher Leader Karen Dorris Wolfson

10:41 Last on the list and “persistently dangerous”: Bailey in 2012. Sawyer and Dorris

13:55 Mental health and emotional needs at Bailey. Counselor April Roberts

15:54 Prioritizing teacher talent: Recruitment, development, retention. Sawyer and Dorris

19:25 Getting started: Good intentions but not much else. Sawyer and Dorris

21:05 External constraints. Metro Nashville Public Schools IZone Director Alan Coverstone

23:56 Making plans. Sawyer and Host Barb Stengel

25:00 Teaming. Exceptional Educator and Teacher Leader LeKeisha Harding

28:13 Teacher residents. Dorris and Stengel

29:43 Unpacking race at Bailey. Sawyer, Dorris, and Teacher Leader Whitney Bradley Weathers

35:50 Measuring success. Sawyer

37:03 Chief of Culture. Dr. Claire Jasper

40:51 Closing Bailey and moving the students, despite success. Sawyer and Dorris

42:48 Why “Chasing Bailey?” Sawyer and Dorris

44:47 What was Bailey missing at the start? Sawyer and Dorris

48:35 Relationships! Student Damisha Hanserd

Chasing Bailey is hosted and narrated by Dr. Barbara Stengel, Vanderbilt University.

This episode was edited and co-produced by Brenna Fallon. The executive producer is Dr. Lowery Woodall, Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

For full Show Notes visit: https://www.chasingbaileypod.com/episodes/episode-one