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- Attention.

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Attention, please. Attention
please. Dedicated educators.

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Yo, everyone knows

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that being an educator requires
an incredible amount of time

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and effort, making it
tough to prioritize our own

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personal financial planning.

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On top of that, there
are other things too.

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That's why I want to
introduce you to my guy, um,

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and his amazing partner, a
trusted financial planner

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who specializes in working
with educators like us.

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Meet Alex Sierra,

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a certified financial
planner with Tara Investors.

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He provides educators with planning

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for the most important financial
milestones of their lives.

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He has a deep understanding

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of the important strategies
related to teachers

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and our retirement, the
school pension system,

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and retirement programs
specifically for teachers.

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By taking the time now to work with Alex,

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you can lay a solid foundation
for your financial goals

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and secure a brighter future.

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Don't let the busyness of the
school year hold you back from

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achieving your financial Dreams.

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Alex's website, um, is a place

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where you can go to learn more.

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www.toriandalexsatterinvestors.com/to

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dope, T-O-O-D-O-P-E

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to schedule an initial
virtual consultation.

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And here's the best part.
Mention the discount code to DOPE

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during your first consultation

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to receive a 25% discount
on their subscription based

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financial planning packages.

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Click the link in the description
section of this podcast

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for more information.

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Remember that your financial
success is just as important

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as your student success.

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So start putting together
your financial plan today.

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Satara Investors is the marketing name

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of SAT investment services.

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Securities and insurance
products are offered

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through Satera Investment Services.

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LLC, doing insurance
business in California.

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ccf, GST C Insurance Agency LC Member,

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F-I-N-R-A slash SIPC.

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Advisory services are offered

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through Satera Investment Advisors, LLC,

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California Insurance, license number zero

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L 0 5 6 5 0.

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Alexander Sierra is located at

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1 55 North Lake Avenue,
suite four 30, Pasadena,

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California 9 1 1 0 1.

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And can be reached at phone number

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(626) 408-1333.

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Extension 3 0 6.

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- What is up? What's popping?

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We are out here. We are tired.

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- We are working way too

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- Hard for our own good, but
we are here, SDO teachers.

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And I'm Mike. My name is Ard
De Munoz. I'm Kevin Anderson.

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And we're still out here.
Kev. We are still out here.

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- Out here. We, uh, we outside.

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- Outside. We outside. Outside. Outside.

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- The brand
- Is strong.

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- So strong folks, so
strong. Uh, welcome back to

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- Tudo
- Teachers, Anna, mic.

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- If you
- Are a new listener, where

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- You been, where you been.

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We've been out here.
Everybody knows who we are.

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Why are you just now starting
to listen? It's like wild.

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Like, you know, and, and low key. Kev.

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There's people that I connect with mostly

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through our social media
accounts who are like, oh,

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I should check out your podcast.

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I'm like, why do you think we
have this? Yeah. Why? What?

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You've been following
me. Following us for how

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- Long? And you don't know we are.

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- No.
- Maybe I should

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- Listen.

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Maybe I should. Maybe I should
listen. Yeah, you should. Um,

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- But we understand it's
busy and we talk a long time.

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Uh, we are remixing the conversation on

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race, power, and education.

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We are the most dangerous
podcast in the schoolhouse.

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We are a fugitive space,
uh, for teachers of color

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and allies who wish to see a
better day for our children.

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Um, if you're new to the show, though,

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we really, there's no hatred.

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Welcome. Um, we That's right.

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Invite you to follow us on social media.

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We're at two dope teachers on
pretty much every platform.

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We do have a TikTok.

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You're not gonna find anything there

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because we don't know how to do that yet,

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but not yet. But soon. It's, it's

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- Coming. It's

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- Coming, coming.

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It's gonna change. Shout out.

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Shout out my guy Chris
Deere, who has agreed

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to teach us about how

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to get 135,000 followers on TikTok. Uh,

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- There's a lot of t That
teacher talk is popping right

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- Now.

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Teacher talk. Look at you knowing stuff.

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Teacher talk is popping. I'm out here.

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I'm like the last outpost
on X, um, <laugh>.

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Like, like, it, it literally feels like

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- I just picture like
a Star Wars. Like, no

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- Dude.

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- Desolate planet. It so feels like that.

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And you're just like, I'm out here

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manning a post for goodness. Because

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- All it is is bounty
hunters and bots, <laugh>.

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That's all that's out there
is like racists and bots.

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And then there's a few
of us who are there.

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We're part of like, the resistance,

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but it, it so feels like,
it feels like Mad Max, bro.

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It feels so like, you're
like, what's going on?

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Feels so post-apocalyptic
on X. So we need, yeah.

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We need to, we need to do
things in other places.

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Um, Instagram's growing.

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We got a good following
on Instagram. That's cool.

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Very good. Um, hope you had
a chance, folks to check out,

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um, the most recent Chicano
log with, um, author

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and publisher, Leticia
Oras, who talks about, um,

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the importance of oure telling stories.

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But, uh, Kev, we got,
we got a great episode

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for people right now.

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Yes. Right here, right now.

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- Very good one. Very good. How

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- Good is it?

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Very good. How good is it?
Tell the people how good

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- It is.

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I, I would say, um, it is, watch this

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four fire emojis.

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- Yes. Okay. Four fire emojis.

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- Four, maybe five if you need, Kevin.

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- I can't, I can't articulate
to you how proud I am of you

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for having these like 20,
23, 20 24 like references.

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I'm really enjoying this.

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- This is doing good. This
- New year, new Kev.

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Um, love it. Love it.

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And you probably can't help it,

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like raising two high
schoolers, like, that's it.

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It's just, that's it.
Yeah. Yeah. I've always,

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- Hold on, hold on.

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Let me give you a big
shout out to one of my,

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my child Sophia Adams
presented her passage today.

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- Man, I so wanted to be there today.

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And then they're like, no,
sorry. Your budget's on fire.

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We need you in this reading. Yeah.

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- Shout out to all the
juniors in our school.

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Shout out to our passages teachers.

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They big day in my
community. It's beautiful.

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And I couldn't be prouder as
a father watching my daughter

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- Do it. It just

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- Do the damn thing
- Consistently.

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My favorite day was watching
kids present their learning

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and present their research

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and just doing a is so
like, amazing master.

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- Yeah.
- Ah, I miss y'all.

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Um, we do have a great guest today.

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Um, we have got, um,

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Colorado Education Association
President Amy Bacca, Oler.

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Uh, we've been connected to
Amy for a very long time.

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I've been connected to
Amy for a long enough time

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that it would expose our ages <laugh>.

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Um, and I'm not shy,

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but I don't, I don't talk about
other people's age, right?

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There you go. There you go.

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Um, but, um, for those of you in Colorado,

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this is hugely appropriate

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because we'll be talking
about the, um, state

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of education in the state of Colorado.

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If you're not in Colorado,
it's still really interesting

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because I really encourage you to see

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what parallels you see in your
own states, right, giv. Yep.

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- Yep, yep. I mean, I think
that's the, the beauty

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of connecting, uh, first of all

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with educators in my state, right?

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Yep. Beyond my district. Yep.

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Educators outside of my building.

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But whatever you see, you,
you start to realize, oh man,

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we in the same situation everywhere.

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Everybody's dealing with
the same stuff. We're all

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- In the same gang.

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- And that's when you get
perspective on kind of

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what we need to do, um, to, to resist,

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like the things that people
are trying to do to, to us

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and our work that we love and
we're committed to. Totally

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- Agree. So, and I think,

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- I think that's a great
- One.

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One thing that you said,

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and so we'll, we'll get to the
interview in just a moment,

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but one thing that you said
in our conversation was really

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powerful is really the
importance of starting

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to break down traditional distinctions

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between roles in education.

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So on this interview, you have the,

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the elected representative

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of teacher voices across
the state of Colorado,

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40,000 members across
the state of Colorado.

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You have a voice of leadership
in public education,

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00:09:01,025 --> 00:09:04,445
and you have a voice of a
middle management cubicle,

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00:09:04,445 --> 00:09:06,605
inhabiter, um, in central office

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00:09:06,865 --> 00:09:09,205
who looks at these systems every day.

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And the fact that we don't
spend more time talking across

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these differences, um,
it might might be part

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of why we're struggling
so much in a lot of areas.

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Yep. What can people look forward

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to in this conversation, Kev?

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00:09:21,965 --> 00:09:23,845
- I mean, I think you can look forward

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to getting really some
of the, the, the changes

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that we're facing, why we're
in the situation in Colorado,

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uh, that we are in, uh, some
of the wins, some of the things

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that have been going well, uh,

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but also a great explanation of our,

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our favorite term created

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00:09:43,365 --> 00:09:45,505
by the Colorado
legislature, the BS factor.

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00:09:46,075 --> 00:09:47,305
Right. And, uh,

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00:09:47,305 --> 00:09:48,785
- Such a great story behind that one, too.

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00:09:49,085 --> 00:09:50,105
- That's such a great one. Yep.

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00:09:50,685 --> 00:09:54,665
And, and I think just overall
inspiration for the work

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and where we have to go,
um, and, and, and we'll get,

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00:09:59,085 --> 00:10:01,785
and the best thing, I think
is what Amy points out is

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00:10:01,785 --> 00:10:03,425
that it's, it's based on the voice

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00:10:03,445 --> 00:10:06,585
of educators in Colorado and absolutely.

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00:10:06,935 --> 00:10:10,625
That that is who needs to be
dictating this conversation.

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00:10:10,965 --> 00:10:12,785
Yep. And I'm glad That's right.

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We have this report and,

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00:10:15,125 --> 00:10:17,985
and we're gonna get to
the people are gonna get

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00:10:17,985 --> 00:10:19,065
to hear from Amy about it.

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00:10:19,195 --> 00:10:21,665
- Definitely. And it's an
ongoing conversation, folks.

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00:10:21,845 --> 00:10:23,905
So, uh, you can enter the conversation.

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00:10:23,905 --> 00:10:25,625
You can enter the chat anytime.

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00:10:26,165 --> 00:10:28,505
Uh, so Kev, let's, uh,
let's get to this interview.

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00:10:28,515 --> 00:10:31,225
Let's get people listening
to it. Folks, hit us up.

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00:10:31,245 --> 00:10:33,865
Let us know your thoughts.
Share this, uh, widely.

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And, uh, we're looking
at solidarity, y'all.

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- Peace.

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- Alright. People, we are here with, um,

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a very special guest that we
told you about in the intro.

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00:10:48,345 --> 00:10:49,565
And I just kept, I gotta,

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00:10:49,765 --> 00:10:52,525
I gotta give this
individual their flowers.

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00:10:52,905 --> 00:10:57,405
Um, because this is a person
that has been in my life,

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00:10:58,225 --> 00:11:00,645
oh man, for a long enough time

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00:11:00,795 --> 00:11:04,325
that we would expose our true
ages, um, here in front of all

247
00:11:04,325 --> 00:11:05,085
- The people. There you go. There

248
00:11:05,085 --> 00:11:06,085
- You go.

249
00:11:06,085 --> 00:11:09,085
Um, so my mother, Kev, as,
as you may be aware, yes.

250
00:11:09,105 --> 00:11:12,285
Um, is a retired teacher.
Uh, yes. She taught,

251
00:11:12,375 --> 00:11:13,765
- Shout out to her for service,

252
00:11:14,655 --> 00:11:17,925
- Shout out to the service
that she bought time off of

253
00:11:18,025 --> 00:11:19,565
so she wouldn't have to actually do a

254
00:11:19,565 --> 00:11:20,845
whole retirement thing.

255
00:11:21,145 --> 00:11:22,645
Hey, I'm not knocking the hustle.

256
00:11:23,025 --> 00:11:24,325
I'm not knocking the hustle. Mom.

257
00:11:24,425 --> 00:11:26,085
My mom the other day,
she's kinda like, oh yeah,

258
00:11:26,265 --> 00:11:27,285
I'm probably the reason.

259
00:11:27,685 --> 00:11:29,965
Somebody you can't retire as
early as you want to. <laugh>.

260
00:11:29,965 --> 00:11:32,245
- Thanks, mom.
- That is great.

261
00:11:32,625 --> 00:11:35,605
Uh, but mom's living her best
life right now. That's it.

262
00:11:35,625 --> 00:11:38,645
So anyway, my mother, uh,
spent the last, I would say

263
00:11:39,525 --> 00:11:41,725
17 years of her teaching career, um,

264
00:11:42,105 --> 00:11:44,525
at Adams City High School in Adams 14.

265
00:11:44,785 --> 00:11:46,925
And, um, she biked to work every day.

266
00:11:47,305 --> 00:11:48,885
Uh, she's a bit of a lunatic.

267
00:11:49,305 --> 00:11:51,845
Um, but she loved teaching at that school.

268
00:11:52,465 --> 00:11:53,845
And while teaching at that school,

269
00:11:54,025 --> 00:11:58,365
she had this wonderful
colleague who is now your

270
00:11:58,995 --> 00:12:02,325
president of the Colorado
Education Association.

271
00:12:02,465 --> 00:12:06,685
Amy Bacca Oler, welcome to Two
Dope Teachers, and then Mike.

272
00:12:06,885 --> 00:12:10,325
I was gonna say, and a mic,
<laugh>, <laugh>, and a mic.

273
00:12:10,355 --> 00:12:11,965
It's a long day. How are you?

274
00:12:12,545 --> 00:12:15,085
- Hi. Hi. I'm awesome.
Thank you for having me.

275
00:12:15,145 --> 00:12:17,525
Uh, I just smile when I think of your mom.

276
00:12:17,665 --> 00:12:21,125
She was one of those, I started
teaching, speaking of age.

277
00:12:21,185 --> 00:12:22,485
And you know what I'll say about that?

278
00:12:23,455 --> 00:12:24,655
I always say when people are like,

279
00:12:24,735 --> 00:12:25,815
I don't wanna share my age,

280
00:12:25,835 --> 00:12:27,855
or I can't believe how old
I'm getting, I always say,

281
00:12:27,955 --> 00:12:30,455
you know, the alternative
to not getting old.

282
00:12:30,635 --> 00:12:33,745
That's right. So be happy
that we're sitting, sitting

283
00:12:33,805 --> 00:12:34,825
- That's, that's

284
00:12:34,825 --> 00:12:37,105
- Getting all together and
have all these memories.

285
00:12:37,205 --> 00:12:38,785
- But That's right. That's right.

286
00:12:38,805 --> 00:12:40,625
And I don't wanna expose
other people's ages.

287
00:12:40,625 --> 00:12:41,665
Like I'm comfortable with my own,

288
00:12:41,765 --> 00:12:43,985
but I'm also a, I'm a cishet dude.

289
00:12:44,005 --> 00:12:47,505
So it's like easier like to,
for society to be like, oh,

290
00:12:47,505 --> 00:12:48,985
wow, what a cool old guy over there.

291
00:12:49,525 --> 00:12:51,065
Um, yeah. Yeah.

292
00:12:51,425 --> 00:12:54,065
- I was 22 years old and I just turned 22,

293
00:12:54,165 --> 00:12:55,345
and I'm teaching at,

294
00:12:55,565 --> 00:12:58,385
got my first teaching job
at Adams City High School.

295
00:12:59,245 --> 00:13:02,065
- Man,
- I had no clue what I was doing,

296
00:13:02,245 --> 00:13:06,025
but I had amazing mentors like your mom,

297
00:13:07,005 --> 00:13:10,265
who showed me what it
meant to just love kids.

298
00:13:14,485 --> 00:13:17,205
I was 22 years old, I had no clue

299
00:13:17,205 --> 00:13:19,885
what I was doing was
not prepared at all for

300
00:13:20,545 --> 00:13:23,485
the experiences I would face,
you know, the situations

301
00:13:23,485 --> 00:13:25,005
that would walk into my classroom.

302
00:13:25,185 --> 00:13:29,165
Um, but I had amazing mentors
like your mom who just,

303
00:13:29,225 --> 00:13:30,765
you know, took me under her wing

304
00:13:31,185 --> 00:13:35,645
and really, you know,
there's so much you, you can,

305
00:13:36,105 --> 00:13:39,005
you know, learn from an ed prep
program or things like that,

306
00:13:39,065 --> 00:13:41,515
but you really learn how

307
00:13:41,515 --> 00:13:44,355
to be a teacher from other great teachers.

308
00:13:44,535 --> 00:13:46,195
Um, a hundred percent. Your mom is one

309
00:13:46,195 --> 00:13:47,355
of those teachers for me.

310
00:13:47,455 --> 00:13:49,315
So, big shout out to your mom. Who,

311
00:13:49,385 --> 00:13:50,385
- Yeah.

312
00:13:50,385 --> 00:13:52,195
Big shout out, mama. Love
you. There you go. Shout out.

313
00:13:52,305 --> 00:13:54,755
Also, like app <laugh> appropriately

314
00:13:55,295 --> 00:13:57,795
as we're recording this,
it is actually, um,

315
00:13:57,895 --> 00:13:59,515
mentor appreciation month.

316
00:14:00,015 --> 00:14:01,715
Oh, there we go. So
the month of January is

317
00:14:01,715 --> 00:14:02,755
the time to celebrate mentors.

318
00:14:03,015 --> 00:14:05,915
So I'll shout mine out.
Everybody knows who my mentor is.

319
00:14:06,135 --> 00:14:07,275
Uh, Doris Dempsey.

320
00:14:07,495 --> 00:14:10,035
The reason I made it through
my first two years of teaching

321
00:14:10,215 --> 00:14:11,835
and would not have done it without you.

322
00:14:11,835 --> 00:14:12,835
Shout out Doris. Kev,

323
00:14:13,325 --> 00:14:14,325
- Shout out.

324
00:14:14,415 --> 00:14:15,875
You know who my mentor was,

325
00:14:16,205 --> 00:14:17,205
- David.

326
00:14:17,205 --> 00:14:18,395
I know, but the people
might not remember the,

327
00:14:18,495 --> 00:14:19,495
- The imminent.

328
00:14:19,885 --> 00:14:21,915
David Tabo. <laugh>

329
00:14:22,195 --> 00:14:23,195
- <laugh>.

330
00:14:23,475 --> 00:14:26,435
I was hanging out with, uh,
I was, I was hanging out

331
00:14:26,435 --> 00:14:27,595
with his son Carmine, um,

332
00:14:27,615 --> 00:14:29,155
at a birthday celebration on Friday.

333
00:14:29,225 --> 00:14:30,115
What a good dude. Um,

334
00:14:30,115 --> 00:14:31,715
anyway, this is not why we're here today.

335
00:14:31,715 --> 00:14:33,915
- Whole family, whole family
- <laugh>. Yeah.

336
00:14:34,415 --> 00:14:39,395
So, um, like I think a,
as it's January, 2024,

337
00:14:40,135 --> 00:14:44,355
um, I, there, this is kind of the point

338
00:14:44,765 --> 00:14:47,835
where people start sort
of figuring out patterns

339
00:14:47,835 --> 00:14:51,380
and trends as far as what's
going on in education.

340
00:14:52,535 --> 00:14:56,095
CEAA has this 32 page report,
which will link in the,

341
00:14:56,355 --> 00:15:00,655
in the show notes here, that
is a state of education,

342
00:15:01,315 --> 00:15:04,255
um, in Colorado as we are doing this.

343
00:15:04,255 --> 00:15:05,295
And kinda looking ahead.

344
00:15:05,435 --> 00:15:06,655
So Amy, in five words

345
00:15:06,715 --> 00:15:09,295
or less, what is a state
of education in Colorado?

346
00:15:10,385 --> 00:15:13,505
Just kidding. Um, <laugh>,
can you, I I'm now, wait,

347
00:15:13,525 --> 00:15:15,265
now I actually kind of
wanna know these five words.

348
00:15:15,745 --> 00:15:17,025
<laugh>, you look ready.

349
00:15:17,805 --> 00:15:20,065
- You were like, what
was she gonna say? Yes.

350
00:15:20,565 --> 00:15:24,015
Um, well, you know, the first
thing I would say about this,

351
00:15:24,035 --> 00:15:26,935
the important thing about the
state of education report is

352
00:15:26,935 --> 00:15:29,925
that it's from the voices of educators.

353
00:15:30,105 --> 00:15:34,045
And that was probably gonna
be part of my answer, um,

354
00:15:35,075 --> 00:15:38,695
you know, in those five words,
is that this is the story

355
00:15:38,915 --> 00:15:41,495
of public school educators in Colorado.

356
00:15:41,875 --> 00:15:44,215
And what's so important about
that, the reason, you know,

357
00:15:44,215 --> 00:15:47,775
we started doing this, uh,
state of education report

358
00:15:48,285 --> 00:15:51,775
several years ago, really
to respond to the fact that

359
00:15:52,815 --> 00:15:56,075
too many people were
trying to tell the story

360
00:15:56,215 --> 00:15:59,795
of educators without being educators.

361
00:16:00,375 --> 00:16:03,795
Um, and we really wanted
to ensure, um, you know,

362
00:16:03,935 --> 00:16:06,675
the governor gets to tell
the state of the state,

363
00:16:06,975 --> 00:16:09,595
the president of the United States gets

364
00:16:09,595 --> 00:16:11,075
to share the state of the Union.

365
00:16:11,695 --> 00:16:15,595
Um, and too often our
educators don't have a voice in

366
00:16:16,415 --> 00:16:18,915
saying what's happening in our profession.

367
00:16:19,335 --> 00:16:20,995
Um, and as well as our students.

368
00:16:21,215 --> 00:16:24,915
You know, I mean, we think
our educator voices are often

369
00:16:24,915 --> 00:16:27,235
silenced, you know, our
student voices are even

370
00:16:27,465 --> 00:16:28,555
further silenced.

371
00:16:28,555 --> 00:16:32,325
So, that's right. That I
think is the, you know, what's

372
00:16:32,325 --> 00:16:34,125
so important about this report is

373
00:16:34,125 --> 00:16:37,205
that it is about lifting
up the voices of educators.

374
00:16:37,715 --> 00:16:41,455
- Yeah, that's great.
Um, go ahead, giv. Uh,

375
00:16:41,495 --> 00:16:43,695
- I just think that's so
important in that point.

376
00:16:43,795 --> 00:16:47,375
You know, everybody does talk
about the state of education.

377
00:16:47,375 --> 00:16:50,815
They don't wanna hear
the voices of educators

378
00:16:51,155 --> 00:16:53,015
and what's going on, the
people on the ground.

379
00:16:53,435 --> 00:16:56,675
But I always think like the,
to your point about students,

380
00:16:56,845 --> 00:16:58,875
we're always like the customer's, right.

381
00:16:59,005 --> 00:17:01,435
Everywhere except for students,

382
00:17:02,555 --> 00:17:04,745
right? Yeah, yeah,

383
00:17:05,455 --> 00:17:06,455
- Yeah.

384
00:17:06,455 --> 00:17:07,345
Absolutely. And I, and I think we got,

385
00:17:07,455 --> 00:17:09,625
there's definitely work
that needs to be done there.

386
00:17:09,805 --> 00:17:12,665
So, um, so this is a report

387
00:17:12,855 --> 00:17:15,585
that is based on the experiences

388
00:17:15,685 --> 00:17:18,225
and perspectives of, um, teachers.

389
00:17:18,225 --> 00:17:22,705
So if folks, if you look at
the report, it's got a table

390
00:17:22,705 --> 00:17:25,265
of contents so you can
know kind of what it has.

391
00:17:25,525 --> 00:17:28,865
And there's, um, the first
section kind of details

392
00:17:29,405 --> 00:17:32,505
the crisis that is in education
in Colorado right now.

393
00:17:32,845 --> 00:17:34,625
And then there's a celebration of wins.

394
00:17:34,625 --> 00:17:35,905
There's change in challenges,

395
00:17:36,005 --> 00:17:38,385
and then there's also, um,

396
00:17:38,385 --> 00:17:41,705
something about particularly
policy solutions.

397
00:17:41,705 --> 00:17:43,265
So Amy, just kind of
take us through a couple

398
00:17:43,265 --> 00:17:44,505
of pieces in here.

399
00:17:45,005 --> 00:17:48,945
Um, so educational
crisis, what is it that,

400
00:17:50,155 --> 00:17:54,845
that, that came out of
this report that said

401
00:17:55,625 --> 00:17:58,325
we are facing a crisis
in education in Colorado?

402
00:18:00,485 --> 00:18:02,815
- Well, and I think some
of it is looking at, um,

403
00:18:03,015 --> 00:18:05,095
patterns over, you know,
the last several years.

404
00:18:05,195 --> 00:18:07,095
And some of it is seeing, you know,

405
00:18:07,285 --> 00:18:11,015
that we haven't moved
the needle on, you know,

406
00:18:11,015 --> 00:18:13,735
several big issues that our
educators have been, you know,

407
00:18:13,915 --> 00:18:16,255
waving a flag saying, listen to us.

408
00:18:16,785 --> 00:18:18,375
These are the things that are happening.

409
00:18:18,955 --> 00:18:23,095
Um, you know, we still have a
massive educator shortage, um,

410
00:18:23,145 --> 00:18:25,855
where we didn't have one
school district this year,

411
00:18:26,205 --> 00:18:30,895
this 20 23, 20 24 school year
that started fully staffed,

412
00:18:31,035 --> 00:18:32,295
not one school district Wow.

413
00:18:32,635 --> 00:18:36,055
Across Colorado, you know,
started fully staffed, whether

414
00:18:36,055 --> 00:18:39,575
that meant, you know, certified
staff, uh, support staff,

415
00:18:40,235 --> 00:18:42,295
um, you know, admin level staff.

416
00:18:42,675 --> 00:18:43,855
Um, that's huge

417
00:18:43,855 --> 00:18:48,235
because that has an impact on everything.

418
00:18:48,375 --> 00:18:50,875
And, you know, I think
making those connections is

419
00:18:50,875 --> 00:18:53,595
what really, and that's what I think

420
00:18:54,545 --> 00:18:56,085
the report really pulls together,

421
00:18:56,225 --> 00:18:57,805
is connecting all the dots, you know,

422
00:18:57,805 --> 00:19:00,045
when we have this shortage, which leads to

423
00:19:00,755 --> 00:19:04,965
increased workload, which
leads to, you know, morale,

424
00:19:05,015 --> 00:19:08,285
which leads to, um, you know,
the mental health needs.

425
00:19:08,425 --> 00:19:11,485
All of it is, you know,
so interconnected. Yep.

426
00:19:11,665 --> 00:19:15,945
Um, and I will say too, that,
you know, we struggled with

427
00:19:15,945 --> 00:19:20,575
that word crisis because, um, you know,

428
00:19:20,575 --> 00:19:21,815
there are some, there,

429
00:19:21,825 --> 00:19:25,615
there are on a daily basis amazing things

430
00:19:25,615 --> 00:19:27,655
that happen in public education.

431
00:19:27,835 --> 00:19:30,375
And, um, we don't want that to, you know,

432
00:19:30,515 --> 00:19:32,215
not be told or lifted up.

433
00:19:32,675 --> 00:19:36,255
Um, but we are, we are at an
inflection point, you know,

434
00:19:36,315 --> 00:19:39,335
in public education in
Colorado, in our country.

435
00:19:39,995 --> 00:19:43,215
Um, and we did really feel
like that need to be lifted up,

436
00:19:43,475 --> 00:19:46,535
um, and not to be dramatic to be real.

437
00:19:46,715 --> 00:19:49,695
And that's, you know,
really what the report, um,

438
00:19:50,205 --> 00:19:53,455
digs into is, you know, what
does that look like, um,

439
00:19:53,455 --> 00:19:55,295
when we say crisis and education?

440
00:19:55,965 --> 00:19:59,935
- Yeah. One of the pieces
that, um, is named immediately

441
00:20:00,915 --> 00:20:05,135
is, um, the funding situation
in college situation.

442
00:20:05,315 --> 00:20:09,135
Um, such a ridiculous
under understatement of

443
00:20:09,135 --> 00:20:10,215
what it is reality.

444
00:20:10,595 --> 00:20:12,935
Um, yeah. So, so chronically underfunded.

445
00:20:13,195 --> 00:20:15,055
And, um, I remember that.

446
00:20:15,435 --> 00:20:18,495
So I remember when, when I
was in the classroom last,

447
00:20:19,375 --> 00:20:22,735
I remember, um, the students
learning the data point

448
00:20:22,805 --> 00:20:25,375
that the class of 2022
had never had a single day

449
00:20:25,375 --> 00:20:26,575
of fully funded education.

450
00:20:26,915 --> 00:20:29,535
How far have have we been
able to carry that forward?

451
00:20:30,115 --> 00:20:31,815
And by the way, my
daughter heard that stat

452
00:20:31,815 --> 00:20:34,255
and she's like, wait, there's
education funding <laugh>.

453
00:20:34,555 --> 00:20:35,555
That's okay.

454
00:20:37,445 --> 00:20:39,215
- Well, that's the thing. I think so many

455
00:20:39,215 --> 00:20:42,815
of our students don't realize
what they're missing out on,

456
00:20:42,955 --> 00:20:46,625
but we know, you know, that,
I mean, some of the things

457
00:20:46,625 --> 00:20:49,405
that are just highlighted
in the report, you know, now

458
00:20:49,405 --> 00:20:51,125
that we have more than a generation

459
00:20:51,125 --> 00:20:53,925
of students who've never
experienced a fully funded,

460
00:20:54,145 --> 00:20:57,695
you know, education, they
don't realize, like, look at,

461
00:20:57,695 --> 00:20:59,775
you know, the opportunities,
the experiences

462
00:20:59,885 --> 00:21:02,375
that a student in Wyoming may have, right.

463
00:21:02,375 --> 00:21:04,375
Just because of the
differences in funding.

464
00:21:04,795 --> 00:21:08,215
You know, they don't
realize that they could

465
00:21:08,235 --> 00:21:11,415
and should have access to
more mental health supports.

466
00:21:11,415 --> 00:21:14,055
They don't realize that their class sizes,

467
00:21:14,115 --> 00:21:15,175
you know, should be smaller.

468
00:21:15,205 --> 00:21:16,975
They should have more
individual attention.

469
00:21:17,215 --> 00:21:19,215
I mean, right down to things
like, they don't realize

470
00:21:19,215 --> 00:21:21,215
that they don't get, you know,

471
00:21:21,245 --> 00:21:23,695
some hands-on learning experiences

472
00:21:23,695 --> 00:21:25,895
because we simply don't have the funding.

473
00:21:26,075 --> 00:21:29,245
You know, like I was talking
to a teacher the other day

474
00:21:29,265 --> 00:21:32,925
who said her students haven't
gone on a field trip in years,

475
00:21:33,745 --> 00:21:37,035
not because, you know, there's
some that don't do that

476
00:21:37,035 --> 00:21:38,715
because of the testing academics

477
00:21:38,715 --> 00:21:40,195
that we won't even go down that route.

478
00:21:41,015 --> 00:21:42,355
- Not yet. Not yet. The

479
00:21:42,695 --> 00:21:44,875
- Was because they don't have busing,

480
00:21:44,905 --> 00:21:46,195
they don't have buses that

481
00:21:46,295 --> 00:21:46,995
- Can Yep. Yep.

482
00:21:47,705 --> 00:21:50,425
- I mean, these are kids
missing out on experiences

483
00:21:50,495 --> 00:21:53,945
because Coloradans can't see it

484
00:21:54,745 --> 00:21:56,765
to fund our students adequately.

485
00:21:57,115 --> 00:22:00,645
- Yeah. My, my spouse
manages a program, um,

486
00:22:01,475 --> 00:22:04,565
that caters to students out
outside of the school district,

487
00:22:05,025 --> 00:22:07,125
and they are able to pay for buses

488
00:22:07,225 --> 00:22:08,725
and they're able to pay for subs.

489
00:22:08,745 --> 00:22:09,885
But then it kind of,

490
00:22:09,885 --> 00:22:13,165
so when you talked about
everything being understaffed, then

491
00:22:13,195 --> 00:22:15,525
what happens is we'll pay for a sub.

492
00:22:15,535 --> 00:22:17,005
Great. We don't have subs.

493
00:22:17,005 --> 00:22:18,605
Like we just don't have
enough people there.

494
00:22:18,625 --> 00:22:20,045
And one thing that I've noticed

495
00:22:20,825 --> 00:22:25,485
in my central office space is
that everything just is taking

496
00:22:25,745 --> 00:22:29,645
so much longer because there's
so much turnover just in hr.

497
00:22:30,065 --> 00:22:32,525
And that doesn't even look
at the other vacancies

498
00:22:32,525 --> 00:22:34,565
that are kind of all over the, the,

499
00:22:34,585 --> 00:22:35,845
the central office space.

500
00:22:35,945 --> 00:22:39,765
And so the person that's
processing your I nine, the person

501
00:22:40,235 --> 00:22:42,805
that is helping you get onboarded

502
00:22:42,825 --> 00:22:45,485
and get set up with all
your systems access,

503
00:22:46,745 --> 00:22:48,365
we aren't keeping those people.

504
00:22:48,465 --> 00:22:50,805
And so we have teachers who want to come

505
00:22:50,805 --> 00:22:53,005
and work in our district
waiting and waiting

506
00:22:53,225 --> 00:22:54,765
and waiting and then going elsewhere.

507
00:22:54,825 --> 00:22:57,485
And so I think that that's a piece

508
00:22:57,685 --> 00:22:59,805
that I'm seeing in, in, in my space.

509
00:22:59,905 --> 00:23:02,045
Kev, kind of where, what are
you seeing in your space as far

510
00:23:02,045 --> 00:23:06,045
as what President Amy
has has shared with us?

511
00:23:07,055 --> 00:23:10,065
- I mean, when you
mentioned busing, right?

512
00:23:10,255 --> 00:23:12,105
That that becomes a struggle for us.

513
00:23:12,325 --> 00:23:16,545
We, we have a small bus, Amy, that, uh,

514
00:23:16,805 --> 00:23:17,945
our librarian

515
00:23:18,045 --> 00:23:21,285
and our restorative
justice, uh, coordinator

516
00:23:21,815 --> 00:23:25,285
takes shifts driving to
get students, right. So

517
00:23:25,285 --> 00:23:27,125
- To and from school,
it's to and from school.

518
00:23:27,125 --> 00:23:28,285
Right. It's not just on, and

519
00:23:28,285 --> 00:23:29,525
- We one-offs, we have two and from, yeah.

520
00:23:29,555 --> 00:23:31,365
Yeah. It's not one off,
this is like a route.

521
00:23:31,515 --> 00:23:33,965
This is like our route, we
call it, it's the Phoenix,

522
00:23:34,225 --> 00:23:35,885
the Phoenix Express route.

523
00:23:36,415 --> 00:23:40,925
Right. But, um, and, and we
can't get buses and then,

524
00:23:40,945 --> 00:23:42,405
and we're caught in this kind of thing

525
00:23:42,405 --> 00:23:44,925
because we have families
that are like, we can't come

526
00:23:44,925 --> 00:23:46,485
to your school because we can't get a

527
00:23:46,485 --> 00:23:47,925
bus to get us to your school.

528
00:23:48,305 --> 00:23:50,925
And our, our our, our
numbers are dropping.

529
00:23:51,625 --> 00:23:54,045
So it's that like, that that busing

530
00:23:54,045 --> 00:23:55,685
that simple problem leads

531
00:23:55,685 --> 00:23:58,125
to this whole other, uh, big problem.

532
00:23:58,625 --> 00:24:00,525
And then, and then the substitute thing.

533
00:24:00,525 --> 00:24:04,245
And I think this year it's been
better for us. I don't know.

534
00:24:04,275 --> 00:24:06,725
There's been more jobs being picked up.

535
00:24:07,265 --> 00:24:10,725
Uh, but, but for a minute
there it was nobody, yeah.

536
00:24:10,785 --> 00:24:12,125
It was nobody, you know,

537
00:24:12,125 --> 00:24:13,805
because people weren't coming into it.

538
00:24:14,465 --> 00:24:17,915
Um, and I don't know if that
relates to that, that jam up

539
00:24:17,915 --> 00:24:19,035
that you're talking about g

540
00:24:19,655 --> 00:24:23,115
but it was just, it's, it's just so much.

541
00:24:23,495 --> 00:24:25,075
And then it's budget season, right.

542
00:24:25,215 --> 00:24:28,435
And, and the esser funds are up and, and,

543
00:24:28,735 --> 00:24:30,955
and there's, uh, declining enrollment.

544
00:24:31,675 --> 00:24:34,855
And, and I feel like everybody
who I talk to every building,

545
00:24:35,315 --> 00:24:39,095
uh, the different leaders
in my, uh, my program,

546
00:24:40,445 --> 00:24:42,895
they're all saying it's
the same thing, you know,

547
00:24:42,895 --> 00:24:46,325
that we we're gonna be doing way, have

548
00:24:46,325 --> 00:24:48,685
to do way more meet the
needs that we have right now

549
00:24:48,835 --> 00:24:50,405
with way less

550
00:24:50,715 --> 00:24:51,725
- Well, and it's gonna be

551
00:24:51,725 --> 00:24:53,085
- Really, it's been for so many years.

552
00:24:53,195 --> 00:24:55,725
Yeah. And I think at some point
people just, you know, like

553
00:24:55,985 --> 00:24:57,445
that's one thing we're seeing

554
00:24:57,585 --> 00:25:01,705
and hearing is people just,
you know, they're at a point,

555
00:25:01,815 --> 00:25:05,625
like, I can't, I can't, they,
it's not that I don't want to,

556
00:25:05,805 --> 00:25:10,475
you know, it's like at what
point does it, you know, meet,

557
00:25:10,535 --> 00:25:12,035
do you meet your breaking point?

558
00:25:12,135 --> 00:25:14,835
And, um, I think we're seeing so many

559
00:25:15,595 --> 00:25:18,675
educators there right
now, and Yep. Um, yeah.

560
00:25:18,675 --> 00:25:21,435
- Yeah. Like speaking of
breaking point, Kev, I don't, I,

561
00:25:21,515 --> 00:25:23,315
I don't want to rain on
your parade a little bit.

562
00:25:23,315 --> 00:25:26,955
Like it, like picking up
subs a little bit easier.

563
00:25:27,545 --> 00:25:29,995
I've also noticed on my side, uh, folks

564
00:25:29,995 --> 00:25:31,515
who have left teaching and,

565
00:25:31,935 --> 00:25:33,755
and just decided they're
gonna sub for a while,

566
00:25:33,915 --> 00:25:34,915
- <laugh>.

567
00:25:34,915 --> 00:25:35,395
Yep. No, I know. No,

568
00:25:35,655 --> 00:25:36,995
- No. So it's one of those things

569
00:25:37,515 --> 00:25:38,515
- A lot.

570
00:25:38,515 --> 00:25:39,195
Hey, can I tell you something? Yeah.

571
00:25:39,215 --> 00:25:41,595
In my building, I see a
lot of the former teachers

572
00:25:41,595 --> 00:25:43,675
that you work with who
just pop into sub Yep.

573
00:25:43,815 --> 00:25:44,875
Yep. Every once in a while.

574
00:25:45,185 --> 00:25:46,515
- Yeah. So, I mean, that is that

575
00:25:46,955 --> 00:25:49,875
- I had a friend do that, and
she was like, you know what,

576
00:25:50,555 --> 00:25:53,195
I don't have to do the
lesson planning, the grading,

577
00:25:53,255 --> 00:25:54,395
and I don't have to go

578
00:25:54,395 --> 00:25:56,595
to the afterschool
meeting. <laugh>. That's

579
00:25:56,675 --> 00:25:57,675
- Right.

580
00:25:57,675 --> 00:25:58,795
That walk right off the,
that's floor. That's

581
00:25:58,795 --> 00:25:59,915
- Right, man. You

582
00:25:59,915 --> 00:26:01,315
- Know, and it's, I mean,
and that's the thing.

583
00:26:01,355 --> 00:26:03,955
I had a, you know,
reporter ask me like, well,

584
00:26:03,955 --> 00:26:05,115
what are the things, you know,

585
00:26:05,115 --> 00:26:07,075
because when we, you know, one

586
00:26:07,075 --> 00:26:08,515
of the questions we ask in our,

587
00:26:08,775 --> 00:26:11,395
and a lot of the data in this
report comes from our all

588
00:26:11,395 --> 00:26:12,875
member survey, right.

589
00:26:13,135 --> 00:26:15,755
You know, where we ask
members these questions

590
00:26:15,815 --> 00:26:17,915
and you know, one of
them is, you know, why

591
00:26:18,445 --> 00:26:19,915
would you leave the profession?

592
00:26:20,265 --> 00:26:22,395
What makes you feel valued and respected?

593
00:26:22,415 --> 00:26:25,435
And, you know, always at
the top of that valued

594
00:26:25,495 --> 00:26:27,435
and respected list is like autonomy.

595
00:26:27,895 --> 00:26:30,475
You know, things like, I'm
a professional, let me,

596
00:26:30,695 --> 00:26:31,715
you know, do my job.

597
00:26:31,855 --> 00:26:35,315
And, you know, the reasons
to leave the profession is,

598
00:26:35,455 --> 00:26:37,635
is just the increasing workload.

599
00:26:37,775 --> 00:26:40,835
And, you know, this reporter
asked me like, well, you know,

600
00:26:40,855 --> 00:26:44,245
if, if, you know, if we can't
figure this funding thing out,

601
00:26:44,265 --> 00:26:45,965
and because we can, you know, talk

602
00:26:46,545 --> 00:26:48,605
for days about all the funding issues,

603
00:26:48,665 --> 00:26:51,725
but like, what could districts
be doing, you know, right now

604
00:26:51,945 --> 00:26:55,605
to support teachers, to keep
people in the classroom,

605
00:26:55,665 --> 00:26:56,725
you know, to attract them.

606
00:26:56,745 --> 00:26:58,325
And, you know, to me, I'm like, well,

607
00:26:58,325 --> 00:26:59,325
those are some easy things.

608
00:26:59,475 --> 00:27:03,925
Like let them give them the
freedom to teach, you know,

609
00:27:03,925 --> 00:27:05,605
like trust them to do their job,

610
00:27:05,605 --> 00:27:06,685
- Trust that they know what they're doing.

611
00:27:06,795 --> 00:27:08,485
- Yeah. Trust that they
know what they're doing

612
00:27:08,705 --> 00:27:11,005
and cut out all this excess stuff.

613
00:27:11,115 --> 00:27:13,445
Like if, you know, if it
can be said in an email,

614
00:27:13,665 --> 00:27:15,925
you don't need a 45 minute
afterschool meeting.

615
00:27:15,985 --> 00:27:18,525
Little things, little things,
little things. Little things.

616
00:27:18,715 --> 00:27:20,685
- Like, no, nobody wants those meetings,

617
00:27:20,715 --> 00:27:22,765
including building leaders <laugh>, like,

618
00:27:23,105 --> 00:27:25,565
- Oh, I'm, I'm on the other
side of having to figure,

619
00:27:25,585 --> 00:27:26,685
figure out what, what

620
00:27:26,685 --> 00:27:27,765
- Are we doing? Did you know Kevin

621
00:27:27,875 --> 00:27:28,875
- This week?

622
00:27:29,195 --> 00:27:30,605
- This week Kevin went
over to the dark side.

623
00:27:30,605 --> 00:27:32,565
I don't know if you knew that. I, <laugh>

624
00:27:33,515 --> 00:27:34,525
- They have,
- Although,

625
00:27:34,525 --> 00:27:36,925
but if it's any
constellation, he has a union.

626
00:27:37,205 --> 00:27:39,365
I don't have a union. So
we're gonna start a union.

627
00:27:39,365 --> 00:27:41,925
- Do I do have a union? I
do. And I, and I joined.

628
00:27:41,945 --> 00:27:44,365
Oh, no, you do, Ken. No, me, I
joined. I'm like, wait, what?

629
00:27:45,005 --> 00:27:47,365
I joined immediately as soon as I,

630
00:27:47,725 --> 00:27:50,325
I left my other bargaining
unit, hard bargaining unit.

631
00:27:50,665 --> 00:27:53,565
My old bargaining unit. The
one that's in my heart. Yeah.

632
00:27:54,125 --> 00:27:56,965
I I joined the other
one. I said, yep. Okay.

633
00:27:57,925 --> 00:27:59,245
Definitely. I know how
this works. Definitely

634
00:27:59,245 --> 00:28:00,245
- Same.

635
00:28:00,245 --> 00:28:00,565
We're we're gonna, we're gonna

636
00:28:00,805 --> 00:28:01,925
organize protex at some point.

637
00:28:02,285 --> 00:28:03,605
'cause there's, there's a lot of us

638
00:28:03,605 --> 00:28:04,645
that need to get organized.

639
00:28:04,705 --> 00:28:07,325
But, you know, I th I
think this is, this is, um,

640
00:28:07,715 --> 00:28:09,005
just such a critical piece

641
00:28:09,005 --> 00:28:11,525
because I think teacher pay is

642
00:28:11,795 --> 00:28:13,405
obviously the bottom rung of the ladder.

643
00:28:13,555 --> 00:28:15,885
Like, you can't, you can't actually get

644
00:28:16,305 --> 00:28:17,565
to the other small changes

645
00:28:17,735 --> 00:28:20,325
until teacher pay is
humane and reasonable.

646
00:28:20,325 --> 00:28:23,165
Right. Um, but I think, I
think about these things,

647
00:28:23,225 --> 00:28:24,605
and there's literature out here.

648
00:28:24,605 --> 00:28:25,805
This is the thing that kills me.

649
00:28:26,065 --> 00:28:28,725
I'm taking a class that
is called Perspectives

650
00:28:28,725 --> 00:28:29,805
and District Leadership.

651
00:28:29,805 --> 00:28:32,805
And what we're seeing is that
there have been studies done

652
00:28:33,275 --> 00:28:35,725
that when building leaders

653
00:28:36,445 --> 00:28:38,365
democratize the professional
learning process

654
00:28:38,745 --> 00:28:42,445
and say, here are our
really general things

655
00:28:42,445 --> 00:28:44,765
that we know we need to
address in this school.

656
00:28:44,995 --> 00:28:47,405
Yeah. But we're actually gonna empower you

657
00:28:48,025 --> 00:28:49,645
to do the professional learning

658
00:28:49,665 --> 00:28:51,165
and growth that you want to do.

659
00:28:51,215 --> 00:28:52,965
We're even gonna give
you a chance to lead it.

660
00:28:53,305 --> 00:28:55,805
And then that teacher autonomy
piece, Amy, I don't know if,

661
00:28:56,045 --> 00:28:59,005
I don't know if you knew this,
but, um, from August, 2022

662
00:28:59,095 --> 00:29:03,285
until, um, August of 2023, I did, um,

663
00:29:04,005 --> 00:29:05,965
I was part of the, uh, this Voices

664
00:29:06,065 --> 00:29:07,485
for Honest Education Fellowship.

665
00:29:07,485 --> 00:29:09,765
And what we did was find ways

666
00:29:09,765 --> 00:29:12,365
to counteract the anti-public education,

667
00:29:12,955 --> 00:29:15,925
anti CRT educational gag orders

668
00:29:15,995 --> 00:29:17,605
that are happening nationally.

669
00:29:18,265 --> 00:29:23,245
And those, those things that
are being done in other states.

670
00:29:23,245 --> 00:29:25,165
And we also see some of
it being talked about

671
00:29:25,185 --> 00:29:26,205
in, in our states.

672
00:29:26,305 --> 00:29:27,845
My district sent out a communication

673
00:29:27,845 --> 00:29:29,205
that was very worrying to me.

674
00:29:30,025 --> 00:29:34,125
Um, where again, it touches
on those things of autonomy.

675
00:29:34,585 --> 00:29:37,405
We make it seem like this is some massive

676
00:29:37,755 --> 00:29:39,045
mystery of the universe.

677
00:29:39,625 --> 00:29:41,605
Why do pe why do teachers leave?

678
00:29:42,105 --> 00:29:44,645
My sense is they leave teaching
for a lot of the reasons

679
00:29:44,645 --> 00:29:46,485
that they leave other jobs. Yeah.

680
00:29:46,755 --> 00:29:49,245
- Yeah. It's straightforward. Yeah.

681
00:29:49,245 --> 00:29:52,085
I mean, it's so, it's so many
things combined, you know,

682
00:29:52,085 --> 00:29:55,535
and I think the pay thing,
um, you know, there're,

683
00:29:55,535 --> 00:29:58,415
over the years there's been a
lot of things said about that.

684
00:29:58,645 --> 00:30:01,855
Like, you know, teachers don't
do it for the pay. Well, yep.

685
00:30:01,995 --> 00:30:04,335
You do it. You should be
able to be able to, you know,

686
00:30:04,395 --> 00:30:05,775
afford to feed your family,

687
00:30:06,325 --> 00:30:07,895
live in the community that you serve.

688
00:30:08,135 --> 00:30:11,975
I mean, there's so many things
where, you know, we hear more

689
00:30:11,975 --> 00:30:14,695
and more often, you know, how
many people are working two

690
00:30:14,715 --> 00:30:17,055
to three jobs just to make ends meet.

691
00:30:17,645 --> 00:30:21,375
Yeah. Um, you know, one
thing that was startling out

692
00:30:21,375 --> 00:30:25,015
of this year's report,
um, was that over 50% said

693
00:30:25,015 --> 00:30:28,735
that they struggled to afford
housing in the last year.

694
00:30:29,395 --> 00:30:31,895
Um, you know, and it's all
of these things, like I said,

695
00:30:31,895 --> 00:30:32,895
they kind of all connect.

696
00:30:32,895 --> 00:30:34,935
And like you were saying
earlier, Kev, about like,

697
00:30:35,045 --> 00:30:38,495
it's just kind of like,
it all adds together.

698
00:30:38,675 --> 00:30:42,575
And, you know, when people,
um, you know, I don't care

699
00:30:42,635 --> 00:30:45,775
how much you love what you
do, you again, you have

700
00:30:45,775 --> 00:30:46,975
to be able to pay the bills.

701
00:30:47,075 --> 00:30:49,895
You know, you wanna have
a roof over your head.

702
00:30:50,095 --> 00:30:54,055
I mean, I think, um, one of
the things, uh, over my career

703
00:30:54,115 --> 00:30:57,175
as a union leader that was,
you know, most startling

704
00:30:57,175 --> 00:31:00,135
for me was one year at the
bargaining table, we shared

705
00:31:00,135 --> 00:31:02,095
with the district the number

706
00:31:02,235 --> 00:31:05,535
of teachers whose own children qualified

707
00:31:05,555 --> 00:31:06,695
for free and reduced lunch.

708
00:31:07,155 --> 00:31:11,055
Woo. That's a reality that
our educators are living.

709
00:31:11,455 --> 00:31:14,215
I mean, and so, you know,
there's other things in the

710
00:31:14,215 --> 00:31:15,455
report, like Colorado,

711
00:31:15,515 --> 00:31:17,895
we have the largest
pay gap in the country.

712
00:31:18,295 --> 00:31:23,175
I mean, you know, we've,
we have a decade plus

713
00:31:23,315 --> 00:31:25,335
of, you know, underfunding of our school.

714
00:31:25,535 --> 00:31:28,575
I mean, it's just, um, when
you look at that, you can see

715
00:31:29,435 --> 00:31:31,375
why people are making the
choices that they are.

716
00:31:31,675 --> 00:31:35,215
And, um, you know, that's
why we're like saying,

717
00:31:35,285 --> 00:31:36,455
this is crisis level.

718
00:31:36,635 --> 00:31:38,455
We have to do something about this.

719
00:31:38,555 --> 00:31:41,335
Our students and our
educators deserve better.

720
00:31:41,805 --> 00:31:43,055
- Yeah, absolutely.

721
00:31:43,515 --> 00:31:46,295
Um, I think too, like I think when you,

722
00:31:46,295 --> 00:31:48,175
when you talked about
struggling to pay for housing,

723
00:31:48,365 --> 00:31:50,135
like even, even

724
00:31:50,135 --> 00:31:52,495
after 20 plus years as a teacher,

725
00:31:52,525 --> 00:31:55,855
that it was still very much
hand of mouth for, for us.

726
00:31:56,435 --> 00:31:59,375
Yep. Yep. And it's not like
I'm getting, uh, you know, I'm,

727
00:31:59,435 --> 00:32:01,135
I'm probably making about the same,

728
00:32:01,135 --> 00:32:04,455
we're not gonna go into my, my
comp compensation situation,

729
00:32:04,475 --> 00:32:07,295
but I think, like, I think what
you're talking about is big.

730
00:32:07,295 --> 00:32:09,175
I think the, the thing
that Kevin's probably tired

731
00:32:09,175 --> 00:32:11,215
of hearing me say after
eight years of a podcast,

732
00:32:11,345 --> 00:32:14,175
which is when you live under
capitalism, money is helpful.

733
00:32:14,795 --> 00:32:16,575
Um, <laugh>, you know, you,

734
00:32:16,675 --> 00:32:17,855
you gotta get through it somehow.

735
00:32:18,155 --> 00:32:20,095
And I, I'm not tired of the notion.

736
00:32:20,315 --> 00:32:22,135
I'm tired that you, you
have to keep saying that.

737
00:32:23,045 --> 00:32:25,455
Well, yeah. That's, that's
tiring. Right? That's tiring.

738
00:32:25,515 --> 00:32:30,265
And, and the, the thing of
it is that, um, you know,

739
00:32:30,575 --> 00:32:33,145
there's this, you know,
the, the, the great book,

740
00:32:33,245 --> 00:32:36,305
the Teacher Wars really
outlines the history of

741
00:32:36,335 --> 00:32:39,765
that rhetoric around no teachers do it

742
00:32:39,765 --> 00:32:41,525
for the outcome, not for the income.

743
00:32:41,555 --> 00:32:42,405
It's like, if you don't gimme

744
00:32:42,405 --> 00:32:43,765
income, there ain't gonna be no outcomes.

745
00:32:43,955 --> 00:32:47,125
Okay. Right. <laugh>. So it's,
that's how it's gonna work.

746
00:32:47,545 --> 00:32:51,085
So one of the things that the
report differentiates between,

747
00:32:51,085 --> 00:32:52,525
there are separate sections on this.

748
00:32:52,665 --> 00:32:56,245
One is the crisis that we're
dealing with, which has a lot

749
00:32:56,245 --> 00:32:58,045
to do with the BS factor.

750
00:32:58,055 --> 00:33:00,085
Right. And the sort of, um,

751
00:33:00,185 --> 00:33:02,245
and for those of you
who don't know, uh, Amy,

752
00:33:02,315 --> 00:33:04,525
will you please explain
what the BS factor is

753
00:33:04,585 --> 00:33:06,445
and why it's so apt that

754
00:33:06,445 --> 00:33:08,165
that's the acronym? That's the acronym,

755
00:33:08,235 --> 00:33:09,235
- Yeah.

756
00:33:09,235 --> 00:33:10,965
Yes. I'll say that was one of the, um,

757
00:33:12,055 --> 00:33:15,025
best gifts I think the
legislature gave us with they,

758
00:33:16,295 --> 00:33:19,785
they themselves named this factor in

759
00:33:19,785 --> 00:33:20,945
the school finance. They're like,

760
00:33:21,645 --> 00:33:24,705
- For real, y'all are gonna,
for real call this, this a b,

761
00:33:25,125 --> 00:33:27,745
you're really gonna go
with budget stabilization.

762
00:33:27,805 --> 00:33:29,345
That's what we're going with. Okay.

763
00:33:29,525 --> 00:33:32,105
- Is this a joke? Yes. It was
- Just wanna be clear, we

764
00:33:32,105 --> 00:33:33,385
- Named the negative factor

765
00:33:33,525 --> 00:33:35,425
and they thought, oh, we don't like that

766
00:33:35,425 --> 00:33:38,305
because it just always makes us sound bad.

767
00:33:38,305 --> 00:33:39,865
- Came up with something worse, <laugh>.

768
00:33:40,005 --> 00:33:43,225
- So we're gonna, instead of
calling it the negative factor,

769
00:33:43,875 --> 00:33:46,985
we're gonna call it the
budget stabilization factor.

770
00:33:47,205 --> 00:33:48,545
And we were like, awesome.

771
00:33:48,765 --> 00:33:51,905
The BS factor, because
what it's really doing

772
00:33:52,645 --> 00:33:56,185
is you are doing your one job
that you're mandated to do

773
00:33:56,245 --> 00:33:59,225
by the state constitution,
which is to balance the budget.

774
00:33:59,725 --> 00:34:03,065
You are balancing the
state budget on the backs

775
00:34:03,065 --> 00:34:07,625
of students in public education
by stabilizing the budget.

776
00:34:07,845 --> 00:34:10,025
So it is the dollar amount annually

777
00:34:10,325 --> 00:34:13,385
by which they underfund
our schools in order to

778
00:34:13,935 --> 00:34:15,025
balance the budget.

779
00:34:15,485 --> 00:34:18,025
- Yep. It's, and it's absolute bs.

780
00:34:18,165 --> 00:34:20,865
So some of it is, um,
just navigating change.

781
00:34:21,025 --> 00:34:24,145
I think that's the piece that,
that we're kinda looking at.

782
00:34:24,165 --> 00:34:27,825
So there is this matter of harm

783
00:34:27,825 --> 00:34:29,225
that was done, I think, 2010.

784
00:34:29,225 --> 00:34:33,185
Is that when the BS factor was,
or when, when did that first

785
00:34:33,405 --> 00:34:34,405
- Around that?

786
00:34:34,405 --> 00:34:36,425
Yes. Yeah. Okay. Because
it was, um, yeah, we,

787
00:34:36,425 --> 00:34:39,305
because it was like an
entire Generation 22.

788
00:34:39,375 --> 00:34:41,985
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we were in
a great recession, you know,

789
00:34:41,985 --> 00:34:43,865
we'd had 2008.

790
00:34:43,965 --> 00:34:45,325
Um, yeah, yeah.

791
00:34:45,875 --> 00:34:47,925
- Yeah. So then it talks about just kind

792
00:34:47,925 --> 00:34:49,005
of navigating change

793
00:34:49,265 --> 00:34:50,765
and some of the things in the report,

794
00:34:51,185 --> 00:34:52,325
let me get to it right now.

795
00:34:52,705 --> 00:34:54,925
Um, around navigating change.

796
00:34:54,925 --> 00:34:57,645
There's issues around school
safety, there's issues

797
00:34:58,185 --> 00:35:01,965
around collective bargaining
that kind of come up

798
00:35:01,985 --> 00:35:03,245
as ways of navigating change.

799
00:35:03,385 --> 00:35:08,005
So, um, what is it when,
when you heard from teachers,

800
00:35:08,475 --> 00:35:10,845
what are the changes that
we're all gonna need to be able

801
00:35:10,845 --> 00:35:13,845
to navigate in the state
of Colorado in order

802
00:35:13,985 --> 00:35:17,645
for public education to not
just survive but thrive?

803
00:35:18,495 --> 00:35:20,405
Maybe that's a better way of framing

804
00:35:20,405 --> 00:35:21,405
- That.

805
00:35:21,405 --> 00:35:23,525
Yeah. You know, I mean,
I think that there, it,

806
00:35:23,675 --> 00:35:24,895
it, again, it's hard.

807
00:35:25,355 --> 00:35:26,615
The interesting thing is,

808
00:35:26,615 --> 00:35:28,735
and again, back to the
point of like, you know,

809
00:35:28,735 --> 00:35:31,695
it's important to hear from
the people who are actually,

810
00:35:32,355 --> 00:35:34,935
you know, on the ground
licking students in the

811
00:35:34,935 --> 00:35:36,135
eye every single day.

812
00:35:36,135 --> 00:35:39,525
Because so many people have
this perception that, you know,

813
00:35:39,525 --> 00:35:42,445
school is what it was, 40, 50.

814
00:35:42,625 --> 00:35:45,125
Yep. Maybe even 60 years ago, you know,

815
00:35:45,315 --> 00:35:47,965
when the last time they
walked out of the, you know,

816
00:35:47,965 --> 00:35:50,045
the high school doors on their graduation.

817
00:35:50,665 --> 00:35:54,485
And it, it we're in just such
a different context right now.

818
00:35:54,705 --> 00:35:57,925
And, you know, one of
the things we like to say

819
00:35:58,065 --> 00:35:59,405
and point out is that, you know,

820
00:35:59,425 --> 00:36:02,805
the pandemic didn't create
a lot of these challenges

821
00:36:02,945 --> 00:36:05,725
and circumstances that we're
dealing with right now,

822
00:36:05,785 --> 00:36:07,645
but it certainly exacerbated them.

823
00:36:07,915 --> 00:36:10,085
Yeah. Um, and then, you
know, you compound all that

824
00:36:10,085 --> 00:36:11,485
with our funding problems

825
00:36:11,665 --> 00:36:15,325
and it's, you know, it, it is a difficult

826
00:36:16,035 --> 00:36:17,485
reality that we're navigating.

827
00:36:17,485 --> 00:36:19,805
But one of the biggest things
that I think we're hearing,

828
00:36:20,185 --> 00:36:24,325
um, all across the state
is just the, the challenge

829
00:36:24,465 --> 00:36:27,805
of addressing students'
needs and student behavior.

830
00:36:28,465 --> 00:36:31,315
Um, and, you know, which so many,

831
00:36:31,775 --> 00:36:34,595
and this is something that,
you know, we really want to

832
00:36:35,745 --> 00:36:36,915
carefully talk about

833
00:36:36,915 --> 00:36:39,195
because it's, you know,
we don't want people

834
00:36:39,195 --> 00:36:40,795
to hear like students are bad

835
00:36:40,855 --> 00:36:42,715
and, you know, they're, our students

836
00:36:43,305 --> 00:36:46,075
- Have be that slippery
slope to blaming families.

837
00:36:46,495 --> 00:36:50,395
And then you start deficit
these, these communities.

838
00:36:50,865 --> 00:36:54,355
- Yeah. And what we want to
point out is that no, like we,

839
00:36:54,495 --> 00:36:57,635
the system has failed our
students, our families,

840
00:36:57,695 --> 00:36:59,315
our communities, um,

841
00:36:59,495 --> 00:37:01,835
and we have, we need to
do something about that.

842
00:37:01,895 --> 00:37:05,115
You know, when students are
behaving in a way, you know,

843
00:37:05,115 --> 00:37:09,005
that is not, you know, what
some people would say it's

844
00:37:09,005 --> 00:37:10,645
because they're expressing a need.

845
00:37:10,785 --> 00:37:13,645
You know? And, um, and so that, you know,

846
00:37:13,705 --> 00:37:16,445
how we're addressing, you
know, student behaviors,

847
00:37:16,515 --> 00:37:19,525
this school safety
conversation is another one.

848
00:37:20,085 --> 00:37:22,285
I mean, this is one of the
things that, you know, I think

849
00:37:22,845 --> 00:37:26,165
a lot of people don't
recognize is one of the things

850
00:37:26,165 --> 00:37:28,565
that happened during the Great recession,

851
00:37:28,745 --> 00:37:32,125
all the budget cuts, you
know, the implementation

852
00:37:32,125 --> 00:37:35,285
of the budget, stabilization
factor, all of these things is

853
00:37:35,915 --> 00:37:37,125
many things went away.

854
00:37:37,465 --> 00:37:40,365
Not just snapping, you
know, like, you know,

855
00:37:40,375 --> 00:37:42,125
counselors mental health supports,

856
00:37:42,185 --> 00:37:45,965
but we used to also have a
lot of alternative settings

857
00:37:46,065 --> 00:37:47,805
and placements for students Yes.

858
00:37:47,805 --> 00:37:51,045
Where students could get, you
know, their, their needs met

859
00:37:51,045 --> 00:37:54,405
and you had the right staff
to support student need.

860
00:37:54,405 --> 00:37:57,685
And so, you know, all of
those are just big challenges

861
00:37:57,905 --> 00:38:00,925
and change that we're facing
and, you know, navigating.

862
00:38:00,945 --> 00:38:04,365
And so, like now the
classroom teacher is expected

863
00:38:04,385 --> 00:38:06,725
to be the everything to every student.

864
00:38:06,945 --> 00:38:10,285
And that is, that puts a lot
on their shoulders, you know?

865
00:38:10,525 --> 00:38:13,125
I mean Yep. So there's
that aspect, you know,

866
00:38:13,125 --> 00:38:17,445
we're also really dealing
with this culture war, um,

867
00:38:17,585 --> 00:38:18,605
you know Yep, yep.

868
00:38:18,675 --> 00:38:21,045
Reality that, that is
landing in our classrooms.

869
00:38:21,045 --> 00:38:23,565
And I think that was
something that was really

870
00:38:24,435 --> 00:38:25,885
telling from the report.

871
00:38:26,385 --> 00:38:30,365
Um, you know, 85% said
that this, you know,

872
00:38:30,395 --> 00:38:33,525
political divisiveness,
this book banning, you know,

873
00:38:33,525 --> 00:38:37,165
the culture wars is impacting their morale

874
00:38:37,305 --> 00:38:38,925
and how they feel about teaching.

875
00:38:39,145 --> 00:38:41,365
And also the number of
teachers, you know, back

876
00:38:41,365 --> 00:38:43,965
to the autonomy thing that said

877
00:38:43,965 --> 00:38:46,485
that they e they either self-censored,

878
00:38:46,505 --> 00:38:48,045
or felt pressure to censor

879
00:38:48,345 --> 00:38:50,365
or remove books, curriculum,

880
00:38:50,465 --> 00:38:52,005
you know, materials. Mm-Hmm
mm-Hmm. <affirmative>

881
00:38:52,255 --> 00:38:53,255
- Wanna, yeah.

882
00:38:53,255 --> 00:38:55,965
Wanna put a pin on in
that for just a second

883
00:38:56,345 --> 00:39:00,005
and go back just a little
bit to the, the call.

884
00:39:00,005 --> 00:39:02,805
And I think it's such a
great call to really look at,

885
00:39:03,345 --> 00:39:04,725
you know, the behaviors

886
00:39:04,725 --> 00:39:06,965
that we're seeing in schools from students

887
00:39:07,065 --> 00:39:10,405
and trying to put those
in a very, um, sensitive

888
00:39:10,825 --> 00:39:12,605
and well-informed kind of context.

889
00:39:13,145 --> 00:39:17,925
Um, Kev, you are in this
role where you're probably,

890
00:39:18,025 --> 00:39:20,325
you're, you probably have
a broader understanding

891
00:39:20,345 --> 00:39:21,565
of kind of what's happening there.

892
00:39:21,785 --> 00:39:24,205
Do you wanna comment on that
real quick as far as kind of

893
00:39:24,205 --> 00:39:25,165
what, what you're seeing,

894
00:39:25,195 --> 00:39:26,365
what you're hearing from other folks?

895
00:39:26,865 --> 00:39:29,365
Are we having the correct
conversations about

896
00:39:29,365 --> 00:39:30,805
this as a system?

897
00:39:32,545 --> 00:39:37,085
- You know, I, I think it,
it's about, it's about supports

898
00:39:37,085 --> 00:39:39,965
and it's about the function
of behaviors, right?

899
00:39:40,075 --> 00:39:41,805
That the, like, and like Amy said,

900
00:39:42,355 --> 00:39:44,025
these behaviors serve a purpose.

901
00:39:44,095 --> 00:39:47,145
They're alerting us to
something that's going on

902
00:39:47,175 --> 00:39:48,905
with these kids, right?

903
00:39:49,005 --> 00:39:51,265
And there is a lot going on.

904
00:39:51,275 --> 00:39:53,585
There are a lot of needs, um,

905
00:39:55,745 --> 00:40:00,045
so many challenges on a
day-to-day basis that emerge, um,

906
00:40:00,625 --> 00:40:04,765
for kids at all levels,
all levels, you know, and,

907
00:40:04,865 --> 00:40:09,395
and it's, it's, it's
really challenging at times

908
00:40:09,815 --> 00:40:12,715
to, to have the, to, because I,

909
00:40:12,715 --> 00:40:16,435
and I can say this as a leader
in a building, you know,

910
00:40:16,435 --> 00:40:17,795
because some teachers are like,

911
00:40:17,795 --> 00:40:19,155
you guys aren't doing enough about this.

912
00:40:19,735 --> 00:40:21,635
You aren't, you, you know, we, we like,

913
00:40:21,655 --> 00:40:23,635
and it's like, well, what
do you want to happen?

914
00:40:23,645 --> 00:40:26,715
Right? But the kids, I want
the behavior to change, right.

915
00:40:26,895 --> 00:40:30,075
And kids are exhibiting the
same behaviors over and over

916
00:40:31,005 --> 00:40:35,065
and, um, I think at times
it's easy to say, well,

917
00:40:35,065 --> 00:40:36,305
they just don't listen right.

918
00:40:36,365 --> 00:40:37,425
To write the kids off

919
00:40:37,445 --> 00:40:40,385
and say there's something wrong with them.

920
00:40:40,795 --> 00:40:43,365
Right. Um, versus saying,

921
00:40:43,365 --> 00:40:45,725
we're gonna invest in doing
the work, we're gonna have

922
00:40:46,355 --> 00:40:47,965
more restorative coordinators.

923
00:40:48,185 --> 00:40:51,405
And I think people think
restorative practices are the be

924
00:40:51,405 --> 00:40:52,605
all end all, right.

925
00:40:52,605 --> 00:40:55,045
Right. And it's like, if you
have a restorative conversation

926
00:40:55,355 --> 00:40:56,725
that should have fixed the kid, right?

927
00:40:56,945 --> 00:40:58,165
That's how we fix the kid.

928
00:40:58,915 --> 00:41:03,665
And, and I think it's not even
acknowledging like this idea

929
00:41:03,665 --> 00:41:05,505
of really what restorative practices are,

930
00:41:06,135 --> 00:41:07,985
it's about restoring a relationship

931
00:41:08,095 --> 00:41:09,385
with people in the community.

932
00:41:09,885 --> 00:41:12,375
You know, it's, it's, uh,

933
00:41:12,445 --> 00:41:15,535
fundamental indigenous concepts, right?

934
00:41:15,645 --> 00:41:19,455
That nobody is ever beyond
saving in our community.

935
00:41:19,455 --> 00:41:20,935
That's right. Right. And,

936
00:41:20,995 --> 00:41:23,735
and I think there's a lot of room, uh,

937
00:41:23,815 --> 00:41:28,555
for growth on all parts,
students, families,

938
00:41:29,755 --> 00:41:34,615
educators, admin, to understand
really what this means,

939
00:41:34,615 --> 00:41:37,415
because it is a shift,
I think, in how we think

940
00:41:37,515 --> 00:41:38,775
as a society, like

941
00:41:38,925 --> 00:41:41,535
what are the dominant
values of the society?

942
00:41:41,885 --> 00:41:43,655
It's saying, let's try to
do something different.

943
00:41:43,915 --> 00:41:45,655
- And to that point, I gotta,

944
00:41:45,815 --> 00:41:47,175
I don't think I've told
you about this, Kev.

945
00:41:47,175 --> 00:41:49,295
So I got invited to this like, thing, this

946
00:41:50,345 --> 00:41:53,535
rando organization, and
apologize if you're listening,

947
00:41:53,595 --> 00:41:55,215
but you made this really uncomfortable.

948
00:41:55,215 --> 00:41:57,975
This Randall organization invited me

949
00:41:57,995 --> 00:42:00,455
and a bunch of people
connected to education.

950
00:42:00,455 --> 00:42:01,655
So there's all kinds of folks there.

951
00:42:01,815 --> 00:42:04,535
I think there was like a
union person there from

952
00:42:04,605 --> 00:42:05,735
some association.

953
00:42:05,745 --> 00:42:07,935
There was a bunch of charter leaders,

954
00:42:07,935 --> 00:42:09,135
there were like these other people.

955
00:42:09,195 --> 00:42:11,455
So it was just a, it
was this mix of folks.

956
00:42:11,915 --> 00:42:13,735
And bro, I got shouted down

957
00:42:13,995 --> 00:42:17,255
for this radically inexcusable comment.

958
00:42:17,655 --> 00:42:21,175
I said, my perspective
on things for my 23 years

959
00:42:21,195 --> 00:42:23,855
as a classroom teacher
for my year of services

960
00:42:24,155 --> 00:42:25,535
as Colorado teacher of the year,

961
00:42:25,675 --> 00:42:29,095
and for a year of working
in central office and,

962
00:42:29,475 --> 00:42:31,735
and hearing things from
all over the district.

963
00:42:32,715 --> 00:42:34,535
My take is that a hundred percent

964
00:42:34,535 --> 00:42:36,135
of teachers are doing
the best that they can.

965
00:42:36,605 --> 00:42:39,815
They are, the question
is, do we have resources?

966
00:42:39,915 --> 00:42:42,655
Do we have supports? Do we
have professional development?

967
00:42:42,915 --> 00:42:45,935
Do we have, do, are we giving

968
00:42:46,775 --> 00:42:49,815
teachers an opportunity
to grow into these things?

969
00:42:49,815 --> 00:42:52,255
Because if they're, if we're not, we,

970
00:42:52,485 --> 00:42:54,055
they are doing the best that they can.

971
00:42:54,075 --> 00:42:56,895
And their best may not be what
the kids need in that moment.

972
00:42:57,435 --> 00:43:02,015
Woo. I got shouted down. It
was amazing. It was incredible.

973
00:43:02,075 --> 00:43:04,015
But I think like what you're
talking about, it's not

974
00:43:04,175 --> 00:43:05,415
- Somebody who's in a classroom though.

975
00:43:05,415 --> 00:43:07,935
Because if it wasn't, I
would just tune that up,

976
00:43:07,955 --> 00:43:08,955
- Bro.

977
00:43:08,955 --> 00:43:13,375
No, it was, it was people
from all across roles.

978
00:43:13,885 --> 00:43:16,215
Yeah. Like, that was,
we didn't agree on much,

979
00:43:16,555 --> 00:43:19,615
but that was one thing that
everybody in the room agreed

980
00:43:19,615 --> 00:43:21,135
about, not me, was

981
00:43:21,135 --> 00:43:23,895
that my comment was
completely outta bounds

982
00:43:24,395 --> 00:43:26,535
and just completely wrong.

983
00:43:26,635 --> 00:43:29,215
So it says a lot about this. Yeah.

984
00:43:29,565 --> 00:43:31,735
This idea and how we are.

985
00:43:32,275 --> 00:43:35,975
And again, the impulse to
blame teachers is always there.

986
00:43:36,075 --> 00:43:37,775
And I see it every day in my job.

987
00:43:38,125 --> 00:43:40,935
- Well, and what's really, you
know, what I have also seen,

988
00:43:41,395 --> 00:43:45,735
um, just in my role and, you
know, being in so many schools

989
00:43:45,915 --> 00:43:47,015
and across the state

990
00:43:47,015 --> 00:43:49,215
and hearing from so many educators is

991
00:43:50,635 --> 00:43:53,375
we wanna blame the
teachers, yet we're not.

992
00:43:53,395 --> 00:43:55,415
And again, this goes back
to that autonomy comment,

993
00:43:55,765 --> 00:43:57,855
providing them the space to do

994
00:43:57,855 --> 00:43:59,815
what they know they
need to do, need to do.

995
00:43:59,955 --> 00:44:02,855
And a big part of that is
we have not slowed down

996
00:44:03,475 --> 00:44:04,615
to address students

997
00:44:05,275 --> 00:44:08,855
or adults, you know, needs, experiences.

998
00:44:09,195 --> 00:44:10,815
And, you know, we, like right

999
00:44:10,865 --> 00:44:13,375
after the pan, it was
like hardcore academics.

1000
00:44:13,375 --> 00:44:15,255
We gotta catch, catch 'em up to what?

1001
00:44:15,755 --> 00:44:18,055
- Oh, one Colorado district I
know of was like, it's time.

1002
00:44:18,805 --> 00:44:21,055
- Yeah. Well,
- What were they calling it?

1003
00:44:21,125 --> 00:44:24,015
Herardo, uh, in our
district. It was recovery.

1004
00:44:24,045 --> 00:44:25,735
What were they saying?
What was the Well, there

1005
00:44:25,735 --> 00:44:27,375
- Was accelerated tra Accelerated.

1006
00:44:27,375 --> 00:44:28,935
Accelerated, yeah. Accelerated learning

1007
00:44:28,935 --> 00:44:30,655
- Acceler something

1008
00:44:30,655 --> 00:44:32,455
- Like, kids are behind,
let's go faster. Yes,

1009
00:44:32,475 --> 00:44:33,475
- Yes.

1010
00:44:33,825 --> 00:44:37,445
And here's what kids are behind
in like, how to be human.

1011
00:44:37,635 --> 00:44:38,885
Like we haven't slowed down.

1012
00:44:39,225 --> 00:44:41,405
- That's right. We're,
- We didn't give space for that when

1013
00:44:41,405 --> 00:44:43,605
- We're, oh, I'll tell you,

1014
00:44:43,785 --> 00:44:46,405
my daughter in her is a
first year college student.

1015
00:44:46,625 --> 00:44:49,885
And the things that she is witnessing

1016
00:44:49,945 --> 00:44:52,765
and hearing from fellow
first year college students,

1017
00:44:53,215 --> 00:44:56,085
she's like, dad, what is going on?

1018
00:44:56,085 --> 00:44:58,605
Like, what she, she's
borrowed a lot of my lingo.

1019
00:44:58,655 --> 00:45:01,005
She's like, they just don't
have any home training.

1020
00:45:01,385 --> 00:45:02,685
And I'm like, okay. Yes.

1021
00:45:03,425 --> 00:45:06,125
And they went through the
same same pandemic you did.

1022
00:45:06,195 --> 00:45:08,565
They just don't have a
dad who won't shut up

1023
00:45:08,585 --> 00:45:09,725
and connect with his kids.

1024
00:45:09,825 --> 00:45:10,925
So that's like what it is.

1025
00:45:11,025 --> 00:45:13,125
But yeah, I think, I think that's a piece

1026
00:45:13,125 --> 00:45:14,205
that is so important.

1027
00:45:14,315 --> 00:45:17,685
Like, how do we, and from
my perspective, working

1028
00:45:17,715 --> 00:45:18,725
with aspiring

1029
00:45:18,725 --> 00:45:20,285
and new teachers, it's wild to me

1030
00:45:20,285 --> 00:45:21,645
that we still have aspiring teachers.

1031
00:45:21,705 --> 00:45:23,685
I'm like, that y'all are the goat.

1032
00:45:23,775 --> 00:45:25,685
Y'all are so courageous and brave

1033
00:45:25,945 --> 00:45:28,725
and indefatigable, so I
need to make sure that you,

1034
00:45:28,995 --> 00:45:30,805
that I'm a reason that you wanna stay.

1035
00:45:30,805 --> 00:45:33,645
Right. But when we're
doing this work with them,

1036
00:45:33,915 --> 00:45:37,645
it's kinda like we didn't
set out to be hands-on

1037
00:45:37,675 --> 00:45:39,445
with every new teacher in the district,

1038
00:45:39,665 --> 00:45:41,405
but that's what the work has called for.

1039
00:45:41,425 --> 00:45:43,445
That's what they need my team and I to do.

1040
00:45:43,825 --> 00:45:45,725
And so someone's like,
I've got a first year

1041
00:45:45,725 --> 00:45:46,805
teacher who's really struggling.

1042
00:45:46,825 --> 00:45:48,885
Can you all come down? And we're like, no,

1043
00:45:48,885 --> 00:45:50,005
but we will <laugh>.

1044
00:45:50,385 --> 00:45:52,485
You know, and so we'll
come down and do that.

1045
00:45:52,705 --> 00:45:54,645
The other thing, and I
don't wanna make this an

1046
00:45:54,645 --> 00:45:58,045
afterthought, Amy started
to talk about these, uh,

1047
00:45:58,045 --> 00:45:59,565
culture wars, which I've referred to

1048
00:45:59,565 --> 00:46:02,565
as these manufactured
culture wars and through,

1049
00:46:02,705 --> 00:46:04,245
and we all know what this is about.

1050
00:46:04,245 --> 00:46:07,125
This is about votes. You get
votes through fear-mongering

1051
00:46:07,705 --> 00:46:09,485
and divisive rhetoric.

1052
00:46:09,545 --> 00:46:12,165
But just some of the
data, for those of you

1053
00:46:12,225 --> 00:46:16,565
who have missed it, 56% of
teachers who responded to,

1054
00:46:17,065 --> 00:46:19,525
um, this, this, uh, survey said

1055
00:46:19,525 --> 00:46:22,485
that politically divisive
issues have significantly

1056
00:46:23,105 --> 00:46:24,525
or somewhat affected their jobs.

1057
00:46:24,785 --> 00:46:29,285
85% that political, uh, divisive
issues have significantly,

1058
00:46:30,105 --> 00:46:33,205
or, oh, sorry, wait, no,
it's just skipped on me.

1059
00:46:33,805 --> 00:46:35,205
Somewhat affected their feelings

1060
00:46:35,425 --> 00:46:38,325
or morale around in the education field.

1061
00:46:38,325 --> 00:46:40,485
And that's when you shared,
there's a great perspective from

1062
00:46:40,525 --> 00:46:43,325
a librarian that you, um, referenced,

1063
00:46:43,465 --> 00:46:45,845
and at 32% felt the need

1064
00:46:45,845 --> 00:46:49,205
to change their curriculum
based on the current

1065
00:46:49,675 --> 00:46:51,365
educational climate.

1066
00:46:51,905 --> 00:46:53,885
So that's that self-censoring piece.

1067
00:46:54,465 --> 00:46:55,965
Um, this is a piece

1068
00:46:55,965 --> 00:46:59,005
that certain people on in our state board

1069
00:46:59,535 --> 00:47:00,685
don't want to talk about.

1070
00:47:00,975 --> 00:47:03,405
Right. And we wanna talk
about it in this way,

1071
00:47:03,665 --> 00:47:05,405
but talk about that piece,

1072
00:47:05,405 --> 00:47:07,885
because that's a piece
that it seems like even

1073
00:47:08,545 --> 00:47:09,605
in district leadership

1074
00:47:09,605 --> 00:47:13,205
and policy spaces, people wanna
talk about when it comes to,

1075
00:47:13,745 --> 00:47:15,045
um, teacher attrition.

1076
00:47:16,405 --> 00:47:20,075
- Yeah. You know, and I
think people aren't sure how

1077
00:47:20,075 --> 00:47:22,075
to handle this, you
know, how to address it.

1078
00:47:22,145 --> 00:47:24,315
It's like one of those like taboo topics,

1079
00:47:24,425 --> 00:47:27,235
like if we don't talk about
it, it doesn't exist, you know?

1080
00:47:27,255 --> 00:47:28,795
And it's, it so exists.

1081
00:47:29,145 --> 00:47:30,845
And the, the thing that I thought was

1082
00:47:31,805 --> 00:47:35,045
interesting about this is,
you know, I think people tend

1083
00:47:35,045 --> 00:47:37,525
to think like, well, that's
only happening in one part

1084
00:47:37,525 --> 00:47:40,325
of our state or that district
where, you know, there,

1085
00:47:40,915 --> 00:47:43,885
this was across the, across
the board, across the state

1086
00:47:43,885 --> 00:47:48,005
that 85% was of ev you know, everybody.

1087
00:47:48,005 --> 00:47:49,005
And so it's telling us like,

1088
00:47:49,445 --> 00:47:50,925
everyone's being affected by this.

1089
00:47:50,955 --> 00:47:52,525
Like it's, no one's immune to it.

1090
00:47:52,945 --> 00:47:55,565
You may not have, you
know, somebody showing up

1091
00:47:55,565 --> 00:47:58,205
to your school board with a
list of, you know, 20 books,

1092
00:47:58,425 --> 00:48:02,055
but it's happening in one
form or another, you know?

1093
00:48:02,055 --> 00:48:03,175
Yeah. And so, Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>.

1094
00:48:03,475 --> 00:48:08,255
And I think that, you know,
it, it's interesting to see how

1095
00:48:08,885 --> 00:48:11,375
different districts are
reacting to it, you know,

1096
00:48:11,375 --> 00:48:13,095
different individual educators,

1097
00:48:13,395 --> 00:48:15,415
how our students are reacting to it,

1098
00:48:15,505 --> 00:48:18,055
which I will say in this
situ, you know, the,

1099
00:48:19,345 --> 00:48:21,885
the students like they are
in, so, you know, so much

1100
00:48:21,885 --> 00:48:22,965
of our, they are the hope.

1101
00:48:23,185 --> 00:48:24,285
And you know, I, oh yeah.

1102
00:48:24,325 --> 00:48:27,085
I, any students are out
there listening, like,

1103
00:48:27,515 --> 00:48:30,485
lift up your voice, like, you know, come,

1104
00:48:30,635 --> 00:48:33,685
because what's hard is,
you know, I was sharing

1105
00:48:33,685 --> 00:48:36,245
with somebody like a reporter,
you know, we're getting a lot

1106
00:48:36,245 --> 00:48:37,965
of questions about this, especially

1107
00:48:37,965 --> 00:48:39,885
during the school board election cycle.

1108
00:48:40,215 --> 00:48:42,205
Right. Um, you know, sharing

1109
00:48:42,205 --> 00:48:44,085
that was wild <laugh> Oh, was so wild.

1110
00:48:44,195 --> 00:48:47,125
Like, you know, asking questions
like, well, do you know,

1111
00:48:47,265 --> 00:48:48,965
do you guys indoctrinate students?

1112
00:48:49,145 --> 00:48:50,725
And are you, you know, and it's like,

1113
00:48:51,225 --> 00:48:53,485
we don't tell students,
you know, what to think.

1114
00:48:53,585 --> 00:48:55,165
We teach them how to think.

1115
00:48:55,265 --> 00:48:58,045
And it, it's up to students
to, you know, like Right.

1116
00:48:58,045 --> 00:48:59,285
- I couldn't even get 'em
to like, sit in there,

1117
00:48:59,285 --> 00:49:01,005
assign seats for an entire semester.

1118
00:49:01,005 --> 00:49:02,325
Exactly. Like, let alone that

1119
00:49:03,625 --> 00:49:06,085
- If we had that level
of power, like, trust me.

1120
00:49:06,225 --> 00:49:08,445
You know, I mean, and
there's so many layers to it.

1121
00:49:08,525 --> 00:49:11,805
I, as a parent myself, I'm
thinking, why do you get,

1122
00:49:11,905 --> 00:49:14,685
why does someone else get to
say what my kid can't read?

1123
00:49:14,745 --> 00:49:16,445
You know, I want, and there's,

1124
00:49:16,445 --> 00:49:19,605
and I just think all of that,
you know, by nature, I think

1125
00:49:19,875 --> 00:49:23,805
with, there's so much going
on in our education world

1126
00:49:23,805 --> 00:49:25,365
that it's just making people tired.

1127
00:49:25,505 --> 00:49:26,245
You know, they don't wanna,

1128
00:49:26,245 --> 00:49:27,845
it's another thing,
fight about this. Yeah.

1129
00:49:28,115 --> 00:49:29,245
- Just another thing, another
- Thing.

1130
00:49:29,505 --> 00:49:31,365
But they also feel passionately about it.

1131
00:49:31,365 --> 00:49:34,685
They want kids to have
access to, you know,

1132
00:49:34,925 --> 00:49:36,365
a wide range of the

1133
00:49:36,365 --> 00:49:38,725
- Great books and
- To it's diverse

1134
00:49:39,245 --> 00:49:40,245
- Stories.

1135
00:49:40,355 --> 00:49:42,325
Yeah. And that was
something, I have a friend

1136
00:49:42,465 --> 00:49:44,445
who teaches in, uh, in Douglas County,

1137
00:49:44,865 --> 00:49:47,405
and we don't always
associate Douglas County

1138
00:49:47,465 --> 00:49:49,805
as being a place where kids want this type

1139
00:49:49,805 --> 00:49:51,525
of diverse curriculum
and that kind of thing.

1140
00:49:51,785 --> 00:49:53,525
But he said that even in my classes

1141
00:49:53,865 --> 00:49:55,405
of upper middle class white kids,

1142
00:49:55,835 --> 00:49:57,925
they also wanna know about people

1143
00:49:57,925 --> 00:49:59,085
who are different from them.

1144
00:49:59,265 --> 00:50:01,965
So I, I think to your
point, that generation is,

1145
00:50:02,185 --> 00:50:03,725
is such a light,

1146
00:50:03,905 --> 00:50:07,165
and the, the student voice
work that's happening both

1147
00:50:07,745 --> 00:50:10,045
on a local level in the state of Colorado

1148
00:50:10,105 --> 00:50:11,685
and then nationally, is really powerful.

1149
00:50:11,825 --> 00:50:13,925
And to your point, like,
none of us is safe from this.

1150
00:50:13,955 --> 00:50:17,405
Like, even, like, it
makes me think of being in

1151
00:50:17,915 --> 00:50:19,285
like classrooms.

1152
00:50:19,825 --> 00:50:23,825
If one kid gets like,
cursed out by the teacher

1153
00:50:23,925 --> 00:50:26,665
or treated badly, the rest
of the kids are watching

1154
00:50:27,065 --> 00:50:29,005
and the rest of the kids
are like, damn, okay.

1155
00:50:29,305 --> 00:50:32,485
That's what happens if I
step outta line. Right.

1156
00:50:32,805 --> 00:50:34,285
I think there's the same dynamic there,

1157
00:50:34,505 --> 00:50:36,925
but I, you know, a couple
of things that I've learned,

1158
00:50:36,925 --> 00:50:40,125
because there is this,
there is this notion

1159
00:50:40,125 --> 00:50:41,525
that this is a red state thing.

1160
00:50:41,835 --> 00:50:44,925
This is a GOP state thing,

1161
00:50:45,505 --> 00:50:48,325
and yet we are seeing stories
from all over the place.

1162
00:50:48,545 --> 00:50:51,965
Um, our mutual, our
friend, uh, Manuel Rustin

1163
00:50:51,965 --> 00:50:53,445
who teaches in Pasadena,

1164
00:50:53,505 --> 00:50:55,285
was talking about what's
going on in Orange County

1165
00:50:55,465 --> 00:50:57,965
and what's going on in
Temecula County in those places

1166
00:50:58,055 --> 00:51:01,245
where they are removing
books, um, from the library.

1167
00:51:01,845 --> 00:51:04,645
I know of a teacher in
Massachusetts who got fired

1168
00:51:04,675 --> 00:51:09,565
because she allowed one of her
students to play a song byte

1169
00:51:10,395 --> 00:51:13,495
at the end of class while
everybody was packing up kids.

1170
00:51:13,495 --> 00:51:16,135
Says, what we've been
learning about makes me think

1171
00:51:16,135 --> 00:51:17,655
of this song, miss could I play it?

1172
00:51:17,655 --> 00:51:18,735
And that teacher lost her job.

1173
00:51:19,035 --> 00:51:21,855
So this is not a blue
state, red state thing.

1174
00:51:22,595 --> 00:51:24,375
We are seeing the actions all over the

1175
00:51:24,375 --> 00:51:25,695
place, and yeah, it's heavy.

1176
00:51:25,805 --> 00:51:28,095
It's heavy for me and not
even in the classroom anymore.

1177
00:51:28,765 --> 00:51:29,935
- Yeah. Yeah.

1178
00:51:29,965 --> 00:51:32,415
It's heavy in so many, you
know, thinking of like,

1179
00:51:32,475 --> 00:51:34,935
as an educator, as a parent, about

1180
00:51:34,935 --> 00:51:36,295
what it means for our democracy.

1181
00:51:36,615 --> 00:51:39,335
I mean, there's just
like, it weighs a lot.

1182
00:51:39,335 --> 00:51:40,535
And I think, you know, it,

1183
00:51:40,605 --> 00:51:44,575
that came out in our survey
when 85% saying that it

1184
00:51:45,205 --> 00:51:47,415
impacts their morale towards teaching.

1185
00:51:48,175 --> 00:51:49,615
- Absolutely. Absolutely.

1186
00:51:50,275 --> 00:51:53,095
Um, so we, we are running
a little bit long,

1187
00:51:53,115 --> 00:51:56,215
so we wanna be sure we get
you outta here, um, you know,

1188
00:51:56,215 --> 00:51:57,575
in a humane way.

1189
00:51:58,115 --> 00:52:01,415
Um, I think one of the things
that I would love for us

1190
00:52:01,635 --> 00:52:05,255
to talk about, you know, every, there's,

1191
00:52:05,255 --> 00:52:08,215
there are certain teachers
I talk to a lot, and, um,

1192
00:52:09,335 --> 00:52:11,975
whenever the question of policy comes up,

1193
00:52:12,315 --> 00:52:13,815
the teachers I know are kind of like,

1194
00:52:14,775 --> 00:52:15,895
I don't want anything to do with that.

1195
00:52:16,115 --> 00:52:18,055
No, I don't understand the policy stuff.

1196
00:52:18,195 --> 00:52:19,375
I'm just not interested in it.

1197
00:52:19,375 --> 00:52:20,535
Just let me work with my kids.

1198
00:52:21,035 --> 00:52:24,375
Can you talk a little bit
about the urgency of, um,

1199
00:52:24,595 --> 00:52:27,175
of the policy landscape
that we're dealing with in,

1200
00:52:27,275 --> 00:52:28,855
in Colorado and, and how,

1201
00:52:28,955 --> 00:52:31,055
and what the implications
are for educators

1202
00:52:31,475 --> 00:52:35,215
and what are some of the
things that, that CEA

1203
00:52:35,475 --> 00:52:38,495
and other allies are working on, um,

1204
00:52:38,595 --> 00:52:39,855
in the legislative session

1205
00:52:40,155 --> 00:52:42,335
to improve conditions for teachers?

1206
00:52:44,195 --> 00:52:46,445
- Yeah. Well, to your first point, I hear

1207
00:52:46,445 --> 00:52:47,645
that all the time as well.

1208
00:52:47,705 --> 00:52:49,005
You know, and I get it.

1209
00:52:49,205 --> 00:52:53,005
I, because it's, it's not my
favorite part of the, you know,

1210
00:52:53,035 --> 00:52:55,565
this work, but it is so important.

1211
00:52:55,985 --> 00:52:59,405
Um, you know, I like, I know
people like to say, like,

1212
00:52:59,485 --> 00:53:01,205
I don't, like I don't get into politics.

1213
00:53:01,345 --> 00:53:04,365
I'm not political. Well, as
a public school educator,

1214
00:53:04,695 --> 00:53:07,565
every single aspect of
your job is political.

1215
00:53:07,595 --> 00:53:09,565
Like, it just, that's how it is. Mm-Hmm.

1216
00:53:09,605 --> 00:53:12,725
<affirmative>, there's
somebody, you know, making some,

1217
00:53:13,065 --> 00:53:16,325
you know, school board making
a decision about, you know,

1218
00:53:16,435 --> 00:53:18,445
what you're teaching,
what you're, you know,

1219
00:53:18,545 --> 00:53:22,485
or some legislator making
a decision about, you know,

1220
00:53:22,625 --> 00:53:24,605
how you're gonna do X, y, Z.

1221
00:53:24,745 --> 00:53:28,685
So, um, you know, like it or
not, our jobs are political.

1222
00:53:28,745 --> 00:53:31,485
And I think that, um, it is up to us.

1223
00:53:31,725 --> 00:53:33,765
I mean, that is something that, you know,

1224
00:53:33,785 --> 00:53:35,805
coming back full circle to the beginning

1225
00:53:35,825 --> 00:53:39,805
of our conversation, I
learned early in, in my career

1226
00:53:39,945 --> 00:53:42,365
as an educator, um, is that, you know,

1227
00:53:42,365 --> 00:53:44,445
and I truly believe this, like, that

1228
00:53:44,985 --> 00:53:49,365
as a public school educator,
we have a, a moral obligation

1229
00:53:49,585 --> 00:53:53,205
to advocate for our
students, for our profession.

1230
00:53:53,785 --> 00:53:57,365
Um, you know, it's that, that
old saying, like, if not you,

1231
00:53:57,385 --> 00:53:59,085
who, and so, um,

1232
00:53:59,105 --> 00:54:02,565
and I think right now the
urgency of the direction of

1233
00:54:02,565 --> 00:54:05,685
where our profession will head,
you know, in so many ways,

1234
00:54:06,105 --> 00:54:09,565
um, whether it's, you know,
policy about recruitment

1235
00:54:09,665 --> 00:54:12,765
and retention of educators policy, about

1236
00:54:13,425 --> 00:54:18,165
how do we diversify the, you
know, educator pipeline, uh,

1237
00:54:18,345 --> 00:54:22,285
policy about housing, you
know, I mean, it's, it's issue.

1238
00:54:22,465 --> 00:54:25,125
All of these issues. Um, you know,

1239
00:54:25,285 --> 00:54:27,485
I just was asked just recently, you know,

1240
00:54:27,515 --> 00:54:29,965
like people I think are
getting, they're starting

1241
00:54:29,985 --> 00:54:31,245
to understand the issues.

1242
00:54:31,275 --> 00:54:34,285
Like they get that there's
a shortage, they get

1243
00:54:34,285 --> 00:54:38,085
that housing, you know,
and educator pay matter.

1244
00:54:38,345 --> 00:54:41,005
Um, but it's the solutions to those.

1245
00:54:41,225 --> 00:54:43,245
Do we want to define those solutions

1246
00:54:43,345 --> 00:54:45,565
or do we want others
to define them for us?

1247
00:54:45,745 --> 00:54:47,965
And you know, like teacher housing,

1248
00:54:48,445 --> 00:54:50,365
educator housing is a big example of that.

1249
00:54:50,365 --> 00:54:53,285
Like, oh man, you know, people
have lots of thoughts on it,

1250
00:54:53,385 --> 00:54:56,125
but have they asked an educator,
you know, somebody asked me

1251
00:54:56,125 --> 00:54:57,405
that the other day, well, this district,

1252
00:54:57,565 --> 00:54:58,765
they're building teacher housing

1253
00:54:58,865 --> 00:55:00,445
and isn't that, you know, a great thing?

1254
00:55:00,465 --> 00:55:02,885
And I'm like, have you
asked the educators there?

1255
00:55:02,885 --> 00:55:04,605
Because what they said to me is,

1256
00:55:05,005 --> 00:55:06,405
I don't wanna live in a dorm room.

1257
00:55:06,515 --> 00:55:08,685
Like, good thought, like, thank you for,

1258
00:55:08,905 --> 00:55:11,245
but I wanna be, I wanna
be an adult afford a home.

1259
00:55:11,585 --> 00:55:13,965
Yes. Like, I would like to live
like an adult <laugh>. Yeah.

1260
00:55:14,225 --> 00:55:16,725
And so, you know, that's, I,

1261
00:55:16,905 --> 00:55:18,325
that's the importance of policy.

1262
00:55:18,505 --> 00:55:20,565
Of course. The, you know,

1263
00:55:21,325 --> 00:55:23,645
actually buying down
the budget stabilization

1264
00:55:23,665 --> 00:55:25,445
factor, which will be huge.

1265
00:55:25,495 --> 00:55:28,165
We've gotta get rid of the
bs. Yeah, that's right.

1266
00:55:28,165 --> 00:55:30,645
But it's only gonna take
us to 1989 funding levels.

1267
00:55:30,785 --> 00:55:34,645
And so we have a long way to
go on the funding fix. Yeah.

1268
00:55:34,865 --> 00:55:39,285
Um, and I think, you know,
I'll just probably end with,

1269
00:55:39,345 --> 00:55:40,565
you know, one thing we didn't get

1270
00:55:40,565 --> 00:55:42,205
to talk about is in the report

1271
00:55:42,865 --> 00:55:44,925
we do talk about the union difference.

1272
00:55:44,945 --> 00:55:47,885
And I think we're seeing that
across the country. Yeah.

1273
00:55:48,055 --> 00:55:49,485
We're seeing it here in Colorado.

1274
00:55:50,145 --> 00:55:51,365
Um, you know, the districts

1275
00:55:51,365 --> 00:55:53,845
where they have a collective
bargaining agreement

1276
00:55:54,055 --> 00:55:57,765
where they're able to, you
know, negotiate salary.

1277
00:55:58,265 --> 00:56:02,005
The, the difference, uh,
in starting pay, you know,

1278
00:56:02,475 --> 00:56:04,805
that we've been able to negotiate, um,

1279
00:56:04,935 --> 00:56:06,405
there is a union difference.

1280
00:56:06,505 --> 00:56:08,565
And I think, you know, the point of

1281
00:56:08,565 --> 00:56:12,965
that section in the report is
that we are stronger together.

1282
00:56:13,015 --> 00:56:14,565
Right. And when we, you know,

1283
00:56:15,485 --> 00:56:17,585
you are out there fighting
the good fight every day.

1284
00:56:17,855 --> 00:56:19,385
Kevin's out there fighting the good fight

1285
00:56:19,385 --> 00:56:20,625
every day I'm out there.

1286
00:56:20,805 --> 00:56:24,845
But when we join together,
like join, shit gets done.

1287
00:56:25,025 --> 00:56:27,085
We make things happen. Percent. And, um,

1288
00:56:27,765 --> 00:56:28,485
- Hun Yeah. And so,

1289
00:56:28,675 --> 00:56:29,675
- Yeah.

1290
00:56:29,775 --> 00:56:32,785
- Yeah. I think into one
of the other, you know,

1291
00:56:32,785 --> 00:56:34,665
and we had just talked about, um,

1292
00:56:35,235 --> 00:56:38,665
these manufactured culture
wars, educational gag orders,

1293
00:56:38,855 --> 00:56:40,905
book bans, these things
that have been happening.

1294
00:56:41,605 --> 00:56:44,425
If you don't think policy matters, look

1295
00:56:44,425 --> 00:56:45,945
and actually see the data of

1296
00:56:45,945 --> 00:56:47,865
what parents want their
kids to be learning.

1297
00:56:47,965 --> 00:56:50,545
So these parents' rights
groups are claiming

1298
00:56:50,605 --> 00:56:51,945
to represent parents' rights,

1299
00:56:52,045 --> 00:56:54,705
but what it is, is it's a
very small group of people

1300
00:56:55,005 --> 00:56:57,345
who are extremely loud and noisy.

1301
00:56:57,525 --> 00:57:00,625
What's up, Kiv? Um, the internet is ready

1302
00:57:00,625 --> 00:57:01,905
for us to be done with this episode.

1303
00:57:02,245 --> 00:57:04,225
Um, the, uh, but, you know,

1304
00:57:04,285 --> 00:57:07,985
and what we're seeing is we
know that, you know, according

1305
00:57:07,985 --> 00:57:10,465
to embrace race, 80% of parents

1306
00:57:10,465 --> 00:57:14,145
that they surveyed want their
kids to be racially informed

1307
00:57:14,285 --> 00:57:18,265
and to have like a working
knowledge of the history

1308
00:57:18,385 --> 00:57:20,385
of racial inequality in this country.

1309
00:57:21,085 --> 00:57:25,625
Um, and we have, you know,
89% of parents don't think

1310
00:57:25,625 --> 00:57:28,705
that schools should be spots
for political opportunism.

1311
00:57:28,725 --> 00:57:30,825
Now of course, that can
be interpreted like whose

1312
00:57:31,305 --> 00:57:32,425
opportunism and that kind of thing,

1313
00:57:32,645 --> 00:57:36,385
but I think that what we know
from a policy perspective is

1314
00:57:36,385 --> 00:57:39,345
that we have a real situation
of the tail wagging the dog.

1315
00:57:39,805 --> 00:57:43,585
And so these legislators are
going to go in the direction

1316
00:57:43,585 --> 00:57:45,545
that they think most of
the noise is coming from.

1317
00:57:46,085 --> 00:57:47,985
And that may not,

1318
00:57:48,005 --> 00:57:51,305
and historically has not
included, um, teachers.

1319
00:57:51,365 --> 00:57:52,865
So you might be bored with policy,

1320
00:57:52,965 --> 00:57:54,105
man, but you gotta get out there.

1321
00:57:54,105 --> 00:57:55,265
Like that's the real thing. And,

1322
00:57:55,285 --> 00:57:56,705
you know, there are people who do it.

1323
00:57:56,765 --> 00:58:00,305
And also, I'd be remiss not
to shout out Dr. Lolita Tabin.

1324
00:58:00,585 --> 00:58:02,065
I took a policy analysis

1325
00:58:02,065 --> 00:58:05,305
and education system class
from her two years ago.

1326
00:58:05,655 --> 00:58:07,065
Hardest class I ever took.

1327
00:58:07,065 --> 00:58:08,785
And I'm so thankful that I did it.

1328
00:58:08,885 --> 00:58:10,145
So Kev, what are your thoughts?

1329
00:58:10,145 --> 00:58:11,905
You were having internet
issues, but you're here.

1330
00:58:12,545 --> 00:58:15,825
- I mean, just, I I am in full agreement.

1331
00:58:16,165 --> 00:58:19,265
You know, in, in this idea
of us staying in solidarity

1332
00:58:19,445 --> 00:58:21,985
as educators, I think is critical.

1333
00:58:22,605 --> 00:58:23,705
Um, because,

1334
00:58:24,545 --> 00:58:28,245
'cause I think ultimately,
you know, the conspiracy side

1335
00:58:28,245 --> 00:58:32,765
of me knows there are people
who, who wanna see, uh, all

1336
00:58:32,765 --> 00:58:33,805
of this torn apart.

1337
00:58:33,915 --> 00:58:35,165
- Well, that's not a conspiracy man.

1338
00:58:35,165 --> 00:58:36,885
They're being real vocal
about that. Yeah, yeah.

1339
00:58:37,025 --> 00:58:40,445
- And, and they, they don't
want a public education system,

1340
00:58:41,145 --> 00:58:43,645
you know, they, they,
they see it as a problem.

1341
00:58:44,385 --> 00:58:46,925
And the only time they, it
seems like they've ever seen it

1342
00:58:46,925 --> 00:58:50,965
as a problem is when it's trying
to say, we can do something

1343
00:58:51,105 --> 00:58:55,005
for, you know, uh, the marginalized people

1344
00:58:55,225 --> 00:58:57,485
of this country, which I, you know,

1345
00:58:57,485 --> 00:58:59,565
- Listen, we were not, we
did not sign up for black

1346
00:58:59,565 --> 00:59:00,765
and brown children to succeed.

1347
00:59:00,765 --> 00:59:02,605
That's right. That is not what we wanted.

1348
00:59:02,605 --> 00:59:04,365
- That's even though we can claim that,

1349
00:59:04,365 --> 00:59:06,765
that's like the goal, the
goal is equity and Yeah.

1350
00:59:06,785 --> 00:59:08,405
And we, and everybody's gotta grow,

1351
00:59:08,945 --> 00:59:10,925
but it's like, well,
what do you really mean?

1352
00:59:10,945 --> 00:59:12,445
And what do you That's
right. What do you really

1353
00:59:12,445 --> 00:59:13,685
constitute as knowledge?

1354
00:59:13,945 --> 00:59:17,405
And whose knowledge, whose
stories, whose perspectives?

1355
00:59:17,945 --> 00:59:22,725
Um, but I think educators
have to be free to, to dream,

1356
00:59:23,025 --> 00:59:25,365
to, to dare to be big and,

1357
00:59:25,745 --> 00:59:28,845
and do the big things that
they're, they're thinking about

1358
00:59:29,235 --> 00:59:30,925
because they know what they're, you know,

1359
00:59:31,795 --> 00:59:32,975
we know what our kids need.

1360
00:59:33,195 --> 00:59:36,935
We, we know, you know,
class, I know I walk

1361
00:59:36,935 --> 00:59:37,935
around my building.

1362
00:59:38,155 --> 00:59:40,215
I'm fortunate enough this year, that's one

1363
00:59:40,215 --> 00:59:41,855
of the great things about moving

1364
00:59:41,875 --> 00:59:44,135
to a leadership position is I, I

1365
00:59:44,935 --> 00:59:46,215
I only knew the awesome stuff

1366
00:59:46,215 --> 00:59:48,495
that happened in my classroom right now.

1367
00:59:48,535 --> 00:59:49,975
I get to see the awesome stuff and,

1368
00:59:50,315 --> 00:59:51,535
- And you son
- Mine and yours.

1369
00:59:51,535 --> 00:59:53,135
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank
you. You know, thank you.

1370
00:59:53,135 --> 00:59:54,975
The people allowed me
in, but it was mostly

1371
00:59:55,035 --> 00:59:56,055
the social studies teacher.

1372
00:59:56,065 --> 00:59:58,375
Shout out to social studies.
I mean, shout out, shout out.

1373
00:59:58,375 --> 00:59:59,815
We were pretty dope. But, uh,

1374
01:00:00,515 --> 01:00:02,895
but you know, like I get to see it

1375
01:00:02,955 --> 01:00:06,295
and I see people, to Amy's
point earlier, trying

1376
01:00:06,805 --> 01:00:10,655
working hard educators,
doing really the best

1377
01:00:10,655 --> 01:00:12,175
of their ability, the best
that they can, trying to learn,

1378
01:00:12,545 --> 01:00:16,955
going to, going to a additional classes,

1379
01:00:17,185 --> 01:00:18,555
sitting in each other's classes,

1380
01:00:19,055 --> 01:00:23,155
having deep conversations
about how to improve at

1381
01:00:23,155 --> 01:00:26,435
what they're doing, even when
they're frustrated, tired,

1382
01:00:27,595 --> 01:00:32,535
you know, overworked, underpaid,
all of the things. Um, and

1383
01:00:32,535 --> 01:00:34,095
- Under-resourced
- And showing

1384
01:00:34,095 --> 01:00:35,415
that other piece of it,
still showing up for kids.

1385
01:00:35,915 --> 01:00:38,655
- And I, and I think that's
the other piece of it is,

1386
01:00:39,115 --> 01:00:42,775
you know, are we properly
resourcing the things

1387
01:00:42,845 --> 01:00:45,415
that educators tell us
are needed in schools?

1388
01:00:45,525 --> 01:00:47,855
Like, and all teachers want to be able

1389
01:00:47,855 --> 01:00:49,615
to do everything within their

1390
01:00:49,625 --> 01:00:51,335
power to support their students.

1391
01:00:51,715 --> 01:00:53,295
The question is at what cost?

1392
01:00:53,755 --> 01:00:58,095
At, at what point are we
going to say, no, Kevin,

1393
01:00:58,315 --> 01:01:00,895
you don't have to burn yourself to Ash.

1394
01:01:00,895 --> 01:01:02,695
That's in order to support your kids.

1395
01:01:02,695 --> 01:01:05,175
That's what we're gonna
say is, you know, tell us

1396
01:01:05,175 --> 01:01:06,415
what you think they need and we're gonna,

1397
01:01:06,415 --> 01:01:07,655
we're gonna find a way to make it happen.

1398
01:01:07,675 --> 01:01:11,255
You don't have to do
everything. Um, so Amy,

1399
01:01:11,395 --> 01:01:13,735
you have been such an amazing guest.

1400
01:01:13,805 --> 01:01:15,135
This is powerful. Can't wait

1401
01:01:15,135 --> 01:01:16,455
to get this out in front of people.

1402
01:01:16,795 --> 01:01:18,415
Uh, Kev, do we wanna, um,

1403
01:01:18,635 --> 01:01:22,495
do we wanna ask Madam President
about her musical taste?

1404
01:01:23,765 --> 01:01:26,645
- I mean, are you up for it?
- That's my question too.

1405
01:01:27,425 --> 01:01:30,045
- Yes,
- I know. I'm like, trying to think. Yes.

1406
01:01:30,185 --> 01:01:34,085
I'm like, what would be I'm so
bad at, I mean, I'm like, oh,

1407
01:01:34,085 --> 01:01:35,085
- Well hold on.

1408
01:01:35,085 --> 01:01:36,165
- Have time to listen to music,

1409
01:01:36,825 --> 01:01:39,485
but I can tell you, so
maybe I'll say this, like,

1410
01:01:39,485 --> 01:01:41,205
what are the concerts I have lined

1411
01:01:41,205 --> 01:01:42,285
up for this summer? So let's,

1412
01:01:42,455 --> 01:01:43,455
- There we
- Go.

1413
01:01:43,455 --> 01:01:44,125
So, okay. Yeah, I love that.

1414
01:01:44,305 --> 01:01:46,685
- That's a great, so typically
we do this top five rappers,

1415
01:01:46,865 --> 01:01:49,525
uh, you know, sort of segment
top five performing artists,

1416
01:01:50,345 --> 01:01:54,365
um, folks, the president
is working so hard

1417
01:01:54,365 --> 01:01:57,085
for you in the state
of Colorado and beyond

1418
01:01:57,085 --> 01:02:00,405
because presidents talk to
each other also across states.

1419
01:02:00,405 --> 01:02:01,965
That's right. That's
right. Um, actually Amy,

1420
01:02:02,045 --> 01:02:03,685
I feel like I've seen
you outside of the state

1421
01:02:03,685 --> 01:02:05,245
of Colorado more than I've seen you in

1422
01:02:05,445 --> 01:02:06,725
Colorado the last couple of years.

1423
01:02:07,285 --> 01:02:09,885
I know. And so we're all, so,
you know, you're always there.

1424
01:02:10,025 --> 01:02:12,725
So Amy is working so hard to support you

1425
01:02:12,725 --> 01:02:15,325
that she doesn't even have
time to like, get on Spotify

1426
01:02:15,865 --> 01:02:18,485
and like, follow artists and
say, these are my top five.

1427
01:02:19,025 --> 01:02:22,165
So instead of that, you're
gonna go to some shows.

1428
01:02:22,945 --> 01:02:24,045
So tell us

1429
01:02:24,715 --> 01:02:27,605
what some shows the lineup
you'll be hitting up this summer.

1430
01:02:28,225 --> 01:02:30,845
And uh, and if you wanna give
us a little bit of context on,

1431
01:02:30,865 --> 01:02:33,325
on why those are the
shows that you're gonna go

1432
01:02:33,325 --> 01:02:34,685
to, like, that'd be okay too.

1433
01:02:36,325 --> 01:02:39,345
- Yes. And I, I mean, if my
kids came in here right now,

1434
01:02:39,415 --> 01:02:41,265
they would be laughing at me

1435
01:02:41,285 --> 01:02:44,505
and like, mom, how do you not
know the music they listen to?

1436
01:02:44,625 --> 01:02:46,905
I have no, yeah. I'm
like, who's that? What?

1437
01:02:47,085 --> 01:02:49,025
I'm still like stuck in the nineties. So

1438
01:02:49,345 --> 01:02:50,345
- <laugh>.

1439
01:02:50,345 --> 01:02:51,185
Yeah. It's a good place
to be stuck. It's a good

1440
01:02:51,185 --> 01:02:52,185
- Place to be.

1441
01:02:52,185 --> 01:02:53,065
- We got three Xs on the call.

1442
01:02:53,065 --> 01:02:54,905
This is a safe space. Yes. Great

1443
01:02:54,905 --> 01:02:55,905
- Place
- To be.

1444
01:02:55,905 --> 01:02:57,865
- Back to the age thing.
Like I would, there we go.

1445
01:02:57,865 --> 01:03:00,025
Miss off my top five and I'd be, you know,

1446
01:03:00,485 --> 01:03:01,485
- That's right.

1447
01:03:01,485 --> 01:03:02,625
Exposed as the kids say.

1448
01:03:02,645 --> 01:03:05,625
- So going, Zach, Brian
with my kids. Right.

1449
01:03:06,155 --> 01:03:07,905
- There we go. They
- Wanna go that we're going

1450
01:03:07,905 --> 01:03:10,665
to Rockygrass, which is my friend's.

1451
01:03:10,665 --> 01:03:12,065
Like, so we'll see Lots of that.

1452
01:03:12,065 --> 01:03:13,425
- Like bluegrass music. Bluegrass.

1453
01:03:13,425 --> 01:03:14,905
- Yeah.
- Oh my gosh, I love it.

1454
01:03:15,475 --> 01:03:17,425
- Right up there in Lions. It's awesome

1455
01:03:17,475 --> 01:03:18,475
- Lions.

1456
01:03:18,645 --> 01:03:19,825
Yep. I've heard it's good time.

1457
01:03:20,595 --> 01:03:21,595
- Kevin
- Knows all

1458
01:03:21,595 --> 01:03:22,465
- This Good time.

1459
01:03:22,465 --> 01:03:23,625
You listen to some bluegrass. That's fun.

1460
01:03:24,405 --> 01:03:26,865
Um, we're going to a couple shows up in

1461
01:03:26,935 --> 01:03:29,265
that new amphitheater and Dylan, um,

1462
01:03:29,535 --> 01:03:30,865
- Okay. That'll

1463
01:03:30,865 --> 01:03:31,865
- Be fun.

1464
01:03:32,385 --> 01:03:35,025
Trampled by Turtles. And
these are all like bands.

1465
01:03:35,025 --> 01:03:37,425
My husband, like, I just go
along for the <laugh>. Alright.

1466
01:03:37,785 --> 01:03:38,545
- I, I, your husband

1467
01:03:38,805 --> 01:03:40,225
- Sounds pretty cool. I just love music.

1468
01:03:40,625 --> 01:03:41,985
- <laugh>,
- It's so funny.

1469
01:03:42,045 --> 01:03:44,865
My, so my, I'm thinking about my spouse.

1470
01:03:45,165 --> 01:03:48,985
If she was asked like,
she'd be like, so what's

1471
01:03:48,985 --> 01:03:53,705
that one song by that one guy
from, I think we heard it in

1472
01:03:53,705 --> 01:03:55,305
that one movie <laugh>.

1473
01:03:55,575 --> 01:03:56,905
Like, that's how it would be.

1474
01:03:57,285 --> 01:03:59,385
- You know, the song,
you know the song, you

1475
01:03:59,385 --> 01:04:00,385
- Know, you know.

1476
01:04:00,925 --> 01:04:02,625
So what's, here's the big question I have.

1477
01:04:02,805 --> 01:04:05,505
Um, which is the biggest number,
the number of Phish shows

1478
01:04:05,505 --> 01:04:07,065
that Kevin will see in this calendar year?

1479
01:04:07,365 --> 01:04:11,705
Or the number of shows that
Amy will see, um, this summer?

1480
01:04:12,525 --> 01:04:14,905
- Oh, don't put me on blast.

1481
01:04:15,005 --> 01:04:17,065
I'm already, I'm already in trouble.

1482
01:04:17,215 --> 01:04:18,985
They, they keep, they keep announcing

1483
01:04:18,985 --> 01:04:21,125
stuff, keep buying tickets.

1484
01:04:21,385 --> 01:04:24,005
So it's not <laugh> keep
buying tickets. It's not good.

1485
01:04:24,385 --> 01:04:26,285
And I, I'm actually having
the chance to get 'em.

1486
01:04:26,365 --> 01:04:27,645
'cause usually you can't get 'em.

1487
01:04:27,875 --> 01:04:29,645
Usually, you know, I,

1488
01:04:29,745 --> 01:04:32,245
I'm actually winning on
getting the tickets, so.

1489
01:04:32,505 --> 01:04:33,885
- Wow.
- Nice. Wow.

1490
01:04:33,885 --> 01:04:36,205
Well hope we keep winning
on getting the tickets.

1491
01:04:37,225 --> 01:04:38,965
- Yep. And
- Yeah, and when we,

1492
01:04:39,475 --> 01:04:41,845
when we abolish this BS factor, um,

1493
01:04:42,195 --> 01:04:44,005
more teachers will be able to go to shows.

1494
01:04:44,225 --> 01:04:45,885
- That's it. That's the
goal What I'm saying,

1495
01:04:46,145 --> 01:04:47,145
- Go
- To shows.

1496
01:04:47,375 --> 01:04:49,125
- Gotta do it. Gotta it. Well,
- Maybe not the Taylor

1497
01:04:49,215 --> 01:04:52,045
Swift, because that's a
little too high on the,

1498
01:04:52,485 --> 01:04:53,485
- A little too high.

1499
01:04:53,485 --> 01:04:56,045
Yes, yes. We're not quite, we
won't get to Taylor Swift or,

1500
01:04:56,345 --> 01:04:58,685
or Beyonce, like in this calendar year,

1501
01:04:58,745 --> 01:05:01,085
but we, we are working
towards it. Amy Buckle.

1502
01:05:01,425 --> 01:05:02,525
- We could go, we could go to it.

1503
01:05:02,625 --> 01:05:04,725
Uh, Janet Jackson, 1989. See

1504
01:05:04,725 --> 01:05:06,965
- That's what we could do, can we in 1989?

1505
01:05:07,445 --> 01:05:11,405
1989, if we could take our money
from now back to 1989, then

1506
01:05:11,405 --> 01:05:12,645
that, that might work.

1507
01:05:13,785 --> 01:05:15,605
Amy Bler, thank you so much for taking

1508
01:05:16,655 --> 01:05:18,545
time outta your busy schedule to come on.

1509
01:05:18,545 --> 01:05:19,745
Two dope teachers and a mic.

1510
01:05:20,125 --> 01:05:23,345
Um, folks, you can follow
this entire report.

1511
01:05:23,345 --> 01:05:26,105
Just look up the CEA
website and get on here.

1512
01:05:26,105 --> 01:05:27,625
We have also linked to the report

1513
01:05:28,725 --> 01:05:31,145
to this episode really
encourage you to read it.

1514
01:05:31,165 --> 01:05:34,145
It, it says it's 32 pages,
but there's lots of pictures

1515
01:05:34,145 --> 01:05:37,305
and graphs and everything
is really succinct

1516
01:05:37,685 --> 01:05:40,425
and you can really get a good picture of

1517
01:05:40,425 --> 01:05:42,945
what your role is in this.

1518
01:05:43,405 --> 01:05:46,665
Um, so Amy, let's,
let's, uh, check back in

1519
01:05:46,845 --> 01:05:49,385
and, uh, see if we can have you on again

1520
01:05:49,385 --> 01:05:52,065
and maybe the next time we talk
we're gonna be headed in the

1521
01:05:52,065 --> 01:05:55,385
right direction and, um, and
good things will be happening.

1522
01:05:56,895 --> 01:05:58,985
- Well I think, you know,
somebody asked me the,

1523
01:05:59,205 --> 01:06:02,545
if this report was like,
you know, hopeless, is it,

1524
01:06:02,545 --> 01:06:04,945
paint a picture, you know, and I said, no.

1525
01:06:05,015 --> 01:06:07,465
Like, it's actually hopeful if you just

1526
01:06:07,465 --> 01:06:08,825
listen to the educators.

1527
01:06:09,605 --> 01:06:11,825
We have, there are things
we can change you, we

1528
01:06:11,825 --> 01:06:12,985
- Have the answers
- We can fix.

1529
01:06:13,485 --> 01:06:15,185
- Yep.
- We can fix it, we can do it.

1530
01:06:15,245 --> 01:06:16,585
So yes, I will come back

1531
01:06:16,645 --> 01:06:18,305
and we'll be talking about all the hope

1532
01:06:18,325 --> 01:06:20,345
and all the things that
we changed together.

1533
01:06:20,525 --> 01:06:22,185
So yeah, thank you all for having me,

1534
01:06:22,185 --> 01:06:23,745
- You guys, we'll laugh and we'll be

1535
01:06:23,745 --> 01:06:25,265
like, remember that BS factor?

1536
01:06:25,405 --> 01:06:27,865
Oh my gosh, that was so
crazy. Glad that's over.

1537
01:06:28,325 --> 01:06:30,985
Um, so I, I'm gonna
ramble for just a second

1538
01:06:31,165 --> 01:06:33,385
and then we're all gonna
say state oak together.

1539
01:06:33,845 --> 01:06:37,225
So for, uh, Colorado
Education Association,

1540
01:06:37,455 --> 01:06:39,025
president Amy Vacca, Oler

1541
01:06:39,085 --> 01:06:43,345
and former mentee of Sarah
McGregor, um, for, um,

1542
01:06:43,535 --> 01:06:46,425
assistant principal of
the year, Kevin Adams.

1543
01:06:46,785 --> 01:06:50,745
I am Munoz. So your 2021
Colorado Teacher of the Year,

1544
01:06:50,895 --> 01:06:53,865
your manager of learning
and development, um,

1545
01:06:54,405 --> 01:06:57,545
and uh, really your main storyteller.

1546
01:06:57,735 --> 01:06:59,905
Stay focused, stay
encouraged, stay positive,

1547
01:06:59,975 --> 01:07:04,225
stay in solidarity,
but in every other way.

1548
01:07:04,225 --> 01:07:06,705
Make sure that you always stay.

1549
01:07:08,405 --> 01:07:08,625
- Go

1550
01:07:20,915 --> 01:07:21,915
- Attention.

1551
01:07:21,995 --> 01:07:26,645
Attention please, attention
please. Dedicated educators.

1552
01:07:27,385 --> 01:07:29,205
Yo, everyone knows

1553
01:07:29,205 --> 01:07:31,885
that being an educator requires
an incredible amount of time

1554
01:07:31,905 --> 01:07:35,045
and effort, making it
tough to prioritize our own

1555
01:07:35,885 --> 01:07:37,205
personal financial planning.

1556
01:07:37,425 --> 01:07:39,765
On top of that, there
are other things too.

1557
01:07:40,665 --> 01:07:43,925
That's why I want to
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1558
01:07:44,185 --> 01:07:47,885
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1559
01:07:47,985 --> 01:07:50,765
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1560
01:07:51,395 --> 01:07:52,645
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1561
01:07:53,605 --> 01:07:55,965
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1562
01:07:56,785 --> 01:07:58,405
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1563
01:07:58,465 --> 01:08:01,485
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1564
01:08:01,785 --> 01:08:03,205
He has a deep understanding

1565
01:08:03,345 --> 01:08:06,925
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1566
01:08:07,145 --> 01:08:10,205
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1567
01:08:10,665 --> 01:08:13,525
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1568
01:08:14,225 --> 01:08:16,325
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1569
01:08:16,785 --> 01:08:20,205
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1570
01:08:20,345 --> 01:08:21,925
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1571
01:08:22,535 --> 01:08:25,285
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1572
01:08:25,285 --> 01:08:27,045
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1573
01:08:27,905 --> 01:08:29,925
Alex's website, um, is a place

1574
01:08:29,925 --> 01:08:31,125
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1575
01:08:32,545 --> 01:08:37,545
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1576
01:08:39,005 --> 01:08:41,165
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1577
01:08:41,785 --> 01:08:45,325
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1578
01:08:45,665 --> 01:08:48,445
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1579
01:08:48,445 --> 01:08:50,165
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1580
01:08:50,225 --> 01:08:54,765
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1581
01:08:54,875 --> 01:08:56,405
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1582
01:08:57,735 --> 01:08:59,445
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1583
01:08:59,505 --> 01:09:01,365
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1584
01:09:02,205 --> 01:09:05,245
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1585
01:09:05,245 --> 01:09:06,285
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1586
01:09:06,545 --> 01:09:10,165
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1587
01:09:11,075 --> 01:09:12,805
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1588
01:09:12,805 --> 01:09:14,445
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1589
01:09:14,695 --> 01:09:16,845
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1590
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1591
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1593
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1596
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1597
01:09:44,025 --> 01:09:48,325
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1598
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1599
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1600
01:09:52,705 --> 01:09:56,005
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1601
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