Middie Rising - A City Unites and Defuses a School Culture War (Ep. 2 of 3)

Middletown

Jul 19

Episode Notes

In this second of three episodes about a culture war simmering in Middletown, Ohio, we learn how Superintendent Styles responds to allegations of racism and violations of students’ rights because of health mandates.

Hint: He didn’t fight back. Instead, he listened to his critics. He then asked for help from the community’s “quiet majority,” a group he called “the Positive Gossipers,” and members of the Middletown Area Ministerial Alliance These counterintuitive steps helped to defuse the conflict and ultimately enabled the district to focus on serious challenges affecting student learning. The current administration, the Board recently launched “Middie Minutes Matter,” an initiative designed to reduce the high levels of chronic student absenteeism in the district. And they are receiving assistance from the same group of community leaders that supported the district was faced with a polarizing conflict.

Tune in to the third and final episode to hear from Middletown’s community leaders and several outside observers who reflect on the tangible lessons this story teaches. One of these observers is Amanda Ripley, author of the New York Times bestselling book, High Conflict - Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out, who said, “I love the story because we desperately need examples of how people and communities manage to get out of dysfunctional conflict.”

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The Middletown Series is a story of a fractured school community that unites on behalf of its students. It’s a masterclass in transforming a crisis into an opportunity.

~ Ken Futernick, Host & Founder of Courageous Conversations About Our Schools

Key Moments from Episode 2 of the Middletown Series

Middletown’s Brewing School Culture War (00:03 - 01:07): Ken Futernick sets the stage for Middletown's response to division, highlighting the power of unity and resilience in overcoming community tensions.

The Positive Gossipers Strategy (01:07 - 03:50): Discover how the "positive gossipers" strategy rallied Middletown’s quiet majority to promote unity and a focus on common values.

Asking For Help (03:51 - 08:13): This segment highlights the crucial role played by the Ministerial Alliance in promoting unity and engaging the city’s diverse community of faith leaders.

School Board Meeting Transformations (08:14 - 16:00): Community leaders and faith-based leaders help dissipate tensions at a school board meeting through empathy and compassion, and shifting the focus to student well-being.

Sustaining Unity and Focus (16:01 - 20:48): Key figures in this story begin reflecting on what it took to maintaining peace, foster community engagement, and prioritize student well-being.

Featured Guests:

Marlon Styles

Courtney E. Martin

John Wagner

Tom Falk

Michael Bailey

Ken Futernick

Marlon Styles served as Superintendent of the Middletown City Schools from 2017 to 2023. In 2017, Styles was named a Top 30 Digital Trailblazer by the Center for Digital Education, highlighting his innovative approach to education. Styles currently works for the Learner Centered Collaborative, an organization that "partners with educators to define whole-learner outcomes, design meaningful learning experiences, and create enabling conditions for learner-centered education."
Courtney Martin is the author of “Stopping Culture Wars in Their Tracks: How One City Did It,” the article that appeared in the Christian Science Monitor and inspired our three-part podcast series about Middletown. An accomplished writer and thought leader, Courtney brings considerable insight to the Middletown Series. She is the author of four books, including the most recent, Learning in Public, and she writes the popular newsletter, The Examined Family.
Courtney is also a co-founder of the Solutions Journalism Network and FRESH Speakers, organizations dedicated to promoting impactful and solutions-focused storytelling. In her role as the Storyteller-in-Residence at The Holding Co., she continues to champion narratives that foster understanding and drive positive change.
John Wagner is the former pastor of First United Methodist Church in Middletown, Ohio, and the first white leader of the integrated Middletown Ministerial Alliance, having served . With a background deeply rooted in the civil rights movement, Wagner has been committed to bridging divides and serving politically diverse congregations.
Tom Falk is a parent of students who attend Middletown City Schools. He is also an Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Dayton, where he teaches courses in Philosophy of Education; History of Education; and School, Self, and Society.
Michael Bailey is a long-time member of the community and currently a pastor at the Faith United Church in Middletown.
Ken Futernick is the host of "Courageous Conversations about Our Schools," a podcast that explores complex and often controversial issues in education through meaningful dialogue and healthy conflict. With a background in teacher education, school policy, and educational research, Futernick has devoted his career advocating for equitable, high-quality learning opportunities for all students.

Inspire Others

We believe the power of Middletown's story lies not just in listening but in sharing with others. If you were inspired by this story, we hope you will spread the word to friends, colleagues, and members of the media who care about the future of education in our country.

You can also download the media kit to share quotable moments, images, audiograms, and more. They are perfect for embedding in a blog post, sharing on social media, or including in an email to friends and colleagues.