The CPS Podcast

Check out the May 2025 episode of the CPS Podcast - Are the Kids OK? Dr. Ross Greene and Dr. Narov Shaw explore the question “Are the kids ok?” by unpacking the rising stressors kids face in a rapidly changing world, from social media and school shootings to shifting social roles, while reminding us that many kids are still doing well. They emphasize that mental health struggles are human responses to stress and that it’s hard to pin down single causes, given the layered and nuanced nature of these challenges. They caution that correlation (e.g., social media user with anxiety) does not equal causation – and that involving kids in identifying solutions will likely be more successful than mandates. This was a special live presentation arranged by Freeport Speech, Meetinghouse Arts, and Freeport Community TV3.

This episode of the CPS Podcast takes a big-picture look at why power struggles dominate our world—politically, socially, as well as in parenting and education—when collaboration could be the real game-changer. We explore how listening, understanding, and solving problems together (instead of fighting to "win") could lead to better outcomes for everyone. Turns out, three simple steps might just be the secret to a less aggrieved and more cooperative world!

Perhaps especially now, we think it's important to get back to skills -- empathy, appreciating how one's actions are affecting others, taking another person's perspective, resolving disagreements without conflict, and honesty -- that bring out the better side of human nature, and to be helping kids develop those skills as early as possible. Dr. Greene especially homed in on the honesty dimension...for the unfamiliar, here are two links to bring you up to speed on what he was talking about:https://cpsconnection.com/why-the-name-change/https://cpsconnection.com/disinformationormisinformation/

The US Department of Education recently released guidance suggesting that FBAs should be completed on all students. Dr. Ross Greene and our Director of Legal & Policy Initiatives, Ben Jones, J.D., discuss where this idea falls short, what can be done instead, and how the USDOE became so wedded to PBIS. We also have time to address one parent's email regarding a 4-year-old who is having difficulty with the word "stop."

We are back for the 2024-25 school year! ...and using new technology to hopefully resolve previous audio issues. In this edition of The CPS Podcast, Dr. Greene responds to a TikTok-er who is spreading misinformation about the CPS Model. A good listen whether you are a parent, educator, provider or other caring adult!

In the March edition of the CPS Podcast, we take a deep dive into Plan C (in the CPS model, Plan C refers to putting an expectation on hold, at least for now). While those familiar with CPS recognize that Plan C is a very important part of prioritizing expectations -- and stabilizing some kids -- putting expectations on hold is frequently misinterpreted as "giving in" and "giving up," and some caregivers have pressures being placed on them that make it very difficult to put ANY expectations on hold.

The special topic on today's program was Coping Strategies: Are We Teaching Kids to Be Early or Late? Unfortunately, many of the coping strategies we're teaching kids these days teach them to cope once they're already frustrated. That's late. What should we be empahasizing instead? Teaching kids how to identify, anticipate, and solve the problems that are causing them to become frustrated in the first place. That's early. And we were also able to respond to an email and help out a mom who called in with a difficult situation with her son.

Our guest hosts, Alex Spencer (formerly principal of the Alternate Learning Centers in the New York City Public Schools) and Ben Jones (Director of Legal and Policy Initiatives at Lives in the Balance) described their personal experience with and data related to the disproportionate use of punitive, exclusionary discipline with Black and Brown students and those with with disabilities.

We had an update from one previous caller (Plan C for the win!), an email about how to use the model with toddlers, and another caller who is worried about her 18 year-old son who seems to have regressed considerably. Check out the advice given about the CPS Model across a range of ages! We will be back in September - You can call into the program to get your questions answered or submit them via email here. And, if you can't listen live, all the programs are archived on i-Tunes.

Interesting discussion about how step 1 - the Empathy Step - of the CPS Model helps us to understand the inner worlds of our children and how they perceive things...which often can be very different from how we adults perceive things. Important not to skip this step if we are going to help them durably solve problems! Hear the surprising information our caller learned when she talked with her child about what makes it hard to engage in CPS and problem solve things that are not going well. We also briefly answered an email regarding sensory issues.

Happy New Year! Thanks to a caller, we were able to visit many important aspects of the CPS Model by hearing about an early attempt at Plan B with her 15 year old son.

There's always some detective work to be done when Plan B doesn't go as well as hoped. Our team responded to some inquiries about that on today's podcast, but -- as is often to case with Plan B -- the team needed more info to be maximally helpful. The team was in rare form today...