In this episode of Two Dope Teachers and a Mic, Gerardo sits down with Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose, to talk about how classrooms become engines of justice when teachers are trusted with resources—and when young people are trusted with big ideas.

From robotics programs serving new immigrant students, to youth-led racial justice campaigns sparked by classroom reading groups, to hydroponic gardens blooming on school rooftops in Puerto Rico—this conversation pulls back the curtain on how creativity thrives when scarcity isn’t the dominant story.

Alix also breaks down what equity means beyond buzzwords, how data from over 90% of U.S. schools is shaping systemic insight, and why investing in kids is not just morally urgent—it’s economically undeniable.

• 00:00 — Opening Question: What needs a remix in education?
• 05:00 — What DonorsChoose Is (and Isn’t)
• 12:00 — Classroom Stories that Spark Movements
• 30:00 — Acceleration vs. Remediation: Rethinking Learning Gaps
• 41:00 — What Equity Looks Like in Practice
• 47:00 — The Next 25 Years of DonorsChoose
• 52:00 — Top Five Rappers
• 55:00 — Closing Reflections

• DonorsChoose: https://www.donorschoose.org
• Fund real classroom needs across the U.S.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donorschoose
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/donorschoose/

• Zearn Math – Acceleration-focused math equity model
• https://www.zearn.org
• Math Mind by Shalinee Sharma — research on accelerating learning instead of remediating gaps

In this in-depth conversation, Washington Monthly editor-in-chief Paul Glastris joins Gerardo to unpack how America’s obsession with elite college rankings distorts our sense of what higher education is for. From his days inside U.S. News & World Report to his years building an alternative ranking system rooted in upward mobility, research, and civic service, Glastris offers a powerful critique — and a hopeful vision for how colleges can once again serve democracy.

They dig into:

• The myth of “best” colleges and how exclusivity became a badge of honor
• Why schools like Fresno State and Berea College outshine Ivy League institutions in real impact
• How higher ed has become a political battleground — and what’s at stake for our democracy
• What vocational education really looks like when it’s not just political theater
• How students, families, and educators can use data wisely and choose institutions that serve the public good

Listen if you care about:

Educational equity • Democracy • College access • First-gen students • Public policy • Media and truth-telling

Guest:

Paul Glastris, Editor-in-Chief of The Washington Monthly

Follow him on X and BlueSky: @glastris

Explore the latest college rankings at washingtonmonthly.com

Host:

Gerardo A. Muñoz — 2021 Colorado Teacher of the Year, educator, scholar, disruptor, and co-host of Too Dope Teachers and a Mic

Music by:

Kevin Adams

Links Mentioned:

• Washington Monthly 2025 College Rankings: washingtonmonthly.com/college-guide
• Washington Monthly Podcast

In this powerful conversation from the archives, recorded live at the 2019 NEA Racial and Social Justice Conference in Houston, Two Dope Teachers and a Mic sit down with the legendary Boots Riley — writer, director of Sorry to Bother You, frontman of The Coup, and lifelong revolutionary artist.

Six years later, Boots’ words still feel urgent. He reminds us that art isn’t a luxury — it’s a tool for liberation. From the farmworker fields of California to classrooms and stages across the country, Boots shows how creativity, organizing, and truth-telling are all part of the same struggle for justice.

Together, we explore:

• How art helps us imagine freedom beyond capitalism and compliance.
• The power of educators as organizers, disruptors, and culture builders.
• Why movements need artists — and why artists need movements.
• The difference between success and liberation, and why the latter demands community.
• What it means to find your own role in the fight for a better world.

As we face new waves of censorship, economic inequality, and attacks on public education, this conversation hits harder than ever. Boots reminds us that every one of us has a place in the struggle — whether we teach, create, organize, or simply refuse to be silent.

Tune in, reflect, and ask yourself:

What is the art I bring to the movement for liberation?

Featuring: Boots Riley (@BootsRiley)

Hosts: Gerardo Muñoz (@gmunoz) & Kevin Adams

Originally recorded: NEA Racial & Social Justice Conference, Houston, TX, Summer 2019

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Follow @toodopeteachers on all platforms

Support the show and our work for educational liberation at patreon.com/toodopeteachers