Radio Reporter Kyle Palmer is Handing Teachers the Mic

Here’s a fact: Kids these days call each other “the G.O.A.T.” and “so extra.” Want to know why? Kyle Palmer (Houston ’06), a reporter for Kansas City’s KCUR public radio station, has you covered. His weekly No Wrong Answers podcast features area teachers sounding off on everything from bizarre pre-teen fads to national politics to Hollywood’s takes on classrooms (“Kindergarten Cop is a 100-percent-true story,” one guest said). Prior to journalism, Palmer spent nine years in the classroom, including one in a small town in Kerala, India. He shared with One Day his thoughts on books, local news, and Bollywood’s catchiest tunes.

Favorite podcasts?

Pop Culture Happy Hour, because you feel like you become friends with the people who are on it every week, and Code Switch.

What about other education podcasts?

There are a lot of niche podcasts, like by a school district or an individual teacher who’s into one particular topic. But I haven’t been able to find one for a more general listener. No Wrong Answers is something that any teacher, anywhere, could listen to.

Dream studio guest?

Malia Obama.

Favorite read?

Salman Rushdie’s Midnight's Children, about a young man whose life parallels India’s journey to independence.

Speaking of India, any Bollywood bests?

Dabangg. The plot is ludicrous. But the title song is really catchy.

Fake news is everywhere, apparently. What’s your dream fake headline?

Schools Decide to Do Away with Standardized Tests.

What’s your advice on finding the best real news? 

Find the local journalists. Follow state legislature reporters. Every single day I learn something from them about the process of local government, the process of state government.

Anything banned from your media diet?

Spoilers. I don’t have an HBO subscription, so I always watch Game of Thrones a year late.

How do you unplug? 

I make Spotify playlists. I like taking a single artist or a band and listening to them over and over again for a week to put myself in that artist’s shoes.

After a long day reporting, you… 

...go home and watch two or three episodes of Family Guy. My wife absolutely hates it.

You used to call play-by-play for high school and college sports. Do you have a favorite sports movie? 

There are only two possibilities: Hoosiers or Rudy.

No Wrong Answers Episode #1: The "Flush With Cash" Lesson

No Wrong Answers