Hey, yo, what is going on? Two Dope Nation. How are y'all doing?
My name is Hi Munos. Um,
and Kevin is not with us for this episode today.
Kevin is getting some time off with family, um,
but we are two dope teachers and a Mike.
We are merely two public school educators in the city of Denver who are out here
trying to remix the conversation on race, power, and education.
Y'all, as we said, um, at the top,
super excited to bring you this episode. Um,
I am joined by four of like the doen dopest humans that I've ever met in
my life,
and I have the opportunity to work with them in the Voices for Honest Education
Fellowship. This is programming that is, um,
sponsored by Nickel by Rally,
and most importantly by the National Network of State Teachers of the Year.
I have four incredible state teachers of the year with me
today. Um, the first is Tracy Nance. How are you, Tracy?
Doing excellent. Happy to be here.
Yes, and here is happy that you are here. Uh,
Wanda in Oh,
and Tracy is a 2020 and 2021 Georgia State Teacher of the Year,
among other things that you'll learn about as a matter of this episode. Um,
next we have Monica, Washington, 2014, Texas Teacher of the Year.
What's up, Monica? Hey. Hey. Thank you for having me.
And this is Monica's second appearance on the two Dope Teachers and a Mike
podcast. So, uh, Monica is a, a veteran. Uh,
next to line we have the homeboy, taro Naoshi to .
That's stumbling over your name. I practiced it and everything. Take Carero tk,
how are you? I'm doing good. Uh, glad to be here.
All right. And I am glad that you're here as well. And finally,
we have my friend, despite being a New Orleans Pelicans fan, Chris Deer.
What's up Chris? 2020, uh, Louisiana Teacher of the Year. Oh man.
Stoked to be here. Stoked to be here. Nah, it's great.
And I neglected to mention that Taru is the 2020 Massachusetts
Teacher of the Year. So folks, we have our, um,
we have our panel discussion. We're gonna do a little bit of a round table here.
Um, you all know kind of the guidelines. There'll be some questions.
There are some folks that are gonna lead us off with some of the questions,
but you always have the opportunity to speak on this. Before we hop into it.
Want you all to remember that if you are trying to find Tudo teachers
in a mic, maybe you're finding this episode for the first time. Um,
maybe you saw what these amazing teachers of the year that you know, um,
are on this podcast. You wanna know more more about the podcast.
We are at two dope features on every social media platform,
um, including TikTok, where we don't post anything, but we should. Um,
but my daughter will murder me if I do. Um,
and so it's just gonna be one of those things that we'll have to negotiate as we
go. So, um, we're talking a little bit about, um, this,
this work that we were all invited to. Um,
the first thing I want to know from each of you is,
what is it that drew you to voice Stratas education for this, uh,
fellowship through the National Network of State Teachers of the Year? And, um,
what is the lens that you kind of wanna bring? And I,
I actually want to kick this off, uh, with Tracy and Monica because you, uh,
were, uh, two of the first people that I knew were doing this work.
So if one of y'all wants to start us off,
what is it that brought you into this work and what lens do you think you bring.
? Um, this work could not have come at a more opportune time for me.
I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia,
and I know the impact that teachers have on a kid, but importantly,
I know the impact that privilege can have on a kid.
My twin brother and I were taken in by our wealthy uncle and aunt,
and our entire lives changed,
and I saw immediately how important those things were,
and I wanted to make a difference. Um,
I wanna be in this work because I know kids and I know teachers,
and too often those voices are missing at the tables where decisions are being
made. I wanna be a part of it. Absolutely.
Yeah. Awesome. Thank you, Monica.
Yeah, thank you for that question. So I think for me, um,
what brings me to the work is the, the,
the knowledge that I was trying to do this work all the time and getting so
pushback. And it was almost as,
as if being an advocate for students speaking up on behalf of teachers
was seen as me being a troublemaker, um, in some cases.
And so when the opportunity to do that full-time presented itself
was like, h how could I not? Right? This is, this is what is so important to me.
Um, and I know that conditions have to be right for students,
conditions have to be right for teachers,
for us to do the things that we have to do. And I feel,
and I know that this fellowship allows me to get right in there and to make
sure that I am doing as much as I possibly can to,
to improve those conditions. And so, yeah. The fellowship it is.
Yeah. No, that's awesome. And it, like, I don't know if,
if you feel the same way, but when I saw, um, that it was posted, I was like,
hold up.
So this stuff that I feel like I've needed to do in a clandestine way for my
entire career,
I can actually do and get paid for and, you know,
and have it out in the open and have that as kind of a focus.
So I definitely echo that. Um, take Carero, how about you? And then, uh,
and then we'll hear from Chris.
No, I mean, similar to Tracy,
I was just so sick and tired of people who are outside of education who are
essentially hijacking the conversation on what's best for schools and students.
Uh, and we know, right?
That the public doesn't care about what politicians think about what's best for
schools. They don't want politicians, officials, the agenda for public schools.
They don't, they want our teachers,
they want our local schools to make the right call on what and how to teach our
kids. And I think because of the noise, because of the misinformation,
because of the media's tendency to under-represent our educator voices and
expertise and over-represent these bad faith reactionary actors
who are making schools and educators and students an easy
political target, right? Yeah.
That need for us to actually speak back on and say,
this is what we know to be true in education is stronger than ever. Um,
and as far as what I bring in, uh, a lot of my identities, right? Uh,
I'm a gay Asian person, a son of immigrants from a bilingual background. Um,
and so not only those different identities,
but the intersection of those identities, yeah. Uh, is also another lens that I,
I I hope to bring in the work that we do.
Yeah. Thank you so much for, um, for sharing that perspective, tk,
because we know that the ways in which these attacks have happened,
especially in the last couple of years,
has very much targeted communities that you consider home.
And this is something that is, I think,
I think we're at Defcon one with how we,
how we step in and how we start defending these communities.
Something else you said really echoed, um, some reading I've been doing.
I've been reading Dana Goldstein's book, the Teacher Wars,
and this is an incredible book because it really,
if you want away folks to really understand why attacks happen
on teachers in the communities that we serve, um,
you need not look any further than the last 150 years of public education,
, and the ways in which teachers are stigmatized. So Tika,
thank you for naming that.
As a person who moved out of the classroom this year and into,
um, a central office space, I can tell you, um,
there are not enough teachers in any educational space. Um,
there are amazing people, there are amazing people that I work with, um,
who don't have education backgrounds, and they do great work to help,
but there's no substitute, um, for teachers. And, um,
so thank you for that tk. Chris, how about you?
You just mentioned a book that changed my life. I mean, teacher wars is, was,
it's incredible.
And she goes all the way back to reconstruction and how teachers were
stigmatized Yeah. Back in the day. Uh, but anyways, as a teacher, you know,
there's only so much that we can do in the classroom, and we do our best.
I'm still in the classroom,
but the more I began to learn about the problems we face in education,
the problems teachers and, and students face,
the more I realized that there's so much going on at a systemic level.
And I also noticed to reiterate what TK just said,
is that there are a lot of people who were making these decisions and who were
pushing for political ideas regarding education that were not educators or
teachers who, who had ever worked in the classroom,
they had no experience in the classroom. And as teachers,
we have more expertise in the classroom than a politician or someone working for
a think tank.
And so I really felt it was our time for our thoughts and
perspectives and expertise to reflect what was going on
nationwide and to,
to sort of change the narrative in a way that does uplift teachers and students.
So this opportunity came at a, at a really important time, a really, you know,
hyper politicized time. And I, I couldn't, I couldn't pass it up, no doubt.
Uh, I'm muted. There we go. The first lesson of recording things on Zoom,
you'd think that I would know by now. Um,
what I was saying is really glad that you didn't pass it up. I think it's, um,
I think it's, it's,
there's so much to balance and we'll talk about how you're balancing your life
as a fellow in your life as a classroom teacher. Um,
the only one who's still a classroom teacher at the moment, I,
I'll mean still that sounds degrading,
who is currently a classroom teacher and sort of how you're,
you're looking at this, um, one of the things that I hear you all saying,
not just, um, not just right now, but in, in some of our gatherings,
is the ways in which teachers' perspectives tend to be attacked,
um, by a small number of bad actors, um,
who really seek the end of public education. Right? Um,
and it makes me think of something I tweeted a couple days ago about how I can't
think of another profession that is as infantilized and patronized
as the teaching profession. Um,
we saw this with Covid where we were heroes for, oh, what would you,
what would you, you all say it was like three or four weeks. We were,
we were heroes A.
Month, tops.
A month. Did you get a month? I didn't get a month. .
I'm saying tops, you know, tops .
Yeah. I mean, you know, tops. And so, and so we know this and,
and so we know that this is kind of the culture. And so, um,
I just shout out to you all for really stepping up to do this work,
and we're gonna, you know, it's not without its risks, right?
We've seen these things happen. And, um, we'll,
we'll touch on those a little bit. Um, so we're gonna do this first round of,
uh, questions, and then we'll have more of a free flowing, uh,
dialogue about some of the other elements of this work that people may not be
aware of. Um, also it occurs to me that this will,
this will air right before the end of 2022.
If you are a state teacher of the year from any year,
keep your eyes out for this fellowship for next year. Um,
we're hoping that in conjunction with the funders and with the, uh,
or finalists. Yes. Um, that's right. It's open to finalists.
I forgot about that. Um, so, uh,
but in conjunction with our funders and partners at,
at the National Network of State Teachers of the Year, um, this,
we're hoping to build something amazing that you all can step into. So, um,
wanna start with, uh, Monica, um,
not only the longest tenured member of our little toy family, um, you were,
I I don't mean older. I mean that you were a teacher of the year in 2014.
The rest of us are, the rest of us are so 20, 20, 2020s, you know.
Um, and also the only person I've actually, uh, hung out with,
like directly in person, um, . So, uh, so,
so when I look at kind of your kind of biography around
being a state teacher of the year, you are a teacher in Texas.
Texas is wild Avenue when
it comes to some of the ed policy and that kind of thing.
What's your journey to and through this moment been like?
Hmm. And I'll say, I am.
There it is.
Chickening . Um, but yeah,
it has been very interesting, I'll say, and I, I,
and I'll go back to something I said earlier about trying to do
this work from the classroom, and I think doing a good job of advocating, right?
We, we weren't really talking about what's culturally responsive or what was,
you know, best social emotional learning that we could do.
But if you enter this profession for the right reasons,
you enter with those things as your lens anyway.
It shouldn't be that we're entering for content.
And so that was always important to me.
And I didn't mention my own lens from which I I, that I use, so as.
Yeah, that's a great time to do it. , yes.
Now Memphis, south Memphis, where, you know,
we probably most schools didn't have air conditioning, um,
and we didn't have all the resources we needed.
And so we had to make due like, as a student, we were making due,
our teachers were making due. And then when I became a teacher in Memphis,
I found myself doing that same thing and,
and wondering like how I could have come through this whole system.
And then by the time I got to be a teacher in it,
things still weren't corrected. Things still weren't better. Um, and then,
and not knowing really much about policy and how policy, you know,
impacts my, my life and my students' lives, and, um,
not understanding how no Child Left Behind got to be,
and not knowing that teachers weren't at the table, right?
So just knocking on doors, asking people questions,
and realizing that nobody is really asking us anything. Um,
and so I just started to,
to show up in spaces and ask questions to the,
the leaders in the school and in the district Yeah. About why, right,
why and how my are my favorite two questions to, to ask leaders. Um,
and I found out that they didn't really know a lot of the why, that they did,
uh, certain things,
really bad policies that were really not allowing our students
to enjoy school in the way that they, that they deserve to enjoy school. Um,
and when I became State Teacher of the year, uh,
I went to the capitol, talked to, uh, we haven't elected, um,
state superintendent, and okay. He was talking about, you know,
some of the things that we were doing, and he is like, oh yeah,
we've got this teacher advisory council. And I was so like,
excited and I wanted to know what teachers were on the council.
And then he told me, no, Monica, there are no teachers on the teacher's council.
And I like,
almost fell out of my chair that that could be a thing that you can call it
that,
but it can be filled with lobbyists and people who are running organizations.
It's amazing ing that making mad, right? Yeah. It made me mad.
It made me want to, to advocate even more. And so it went back to school and,
um, created my own little advisory council there with teachers. And, uh,
it's amazing continued to do that work and to,
to have like monthly meetings where we showed up and we talked about the things
that were not right for kids,
but then we always tried to show up with a way to make it better. Um,
so that that is what I bring to the work. Yeah.
Sort of been my journey of seeing, not knowing well as a student,
seeing so many things wrong,
and then making my way through a system that just never was fixed.
And to this day,
I still see a lot of the same things that I saw as Monica Carver High School,
1993 as a senior. Yeah. Those things still haven't been fixed.
So that's my inspiration for, for doing the work.
It makes me mad that we're still fighting for the same things, but can't,
can't quit.
Yeah. No.
I know if I answered the question, but.
absolutely, absolutely ain outta me. And, and, and if you didn't,
then the question was wrong. That's the way I see it. Um, but you, but you did.
I think you really did.
And I think one of the things that really occurs to me is, you know, I,
I came into my year of service as Colorado teacher of the year
with, with a very myopic view.
I knew what was happening in my locality a little bit,
what was happening in my state, but no understanding of what was happening, um,
across the country. And Monica, through talking with you,
and then through meeting some incredible Latinx educators when I was at the Ales
Conference in Puerto Rico,
realizing that the work is different in a place where the union
is not permitted, right? The work is different in places that, um,
don't have reputations for being socially progressive, um,
or particularly enlightened. And what I found, um,
not only from your hearing about your work is so much of the work is very
grassroots and very local, and that's like a beautiful thing.
So I'm gonna be one of the first people here to say that. Um, I had Texas wrong.
I had a lot of y'all states wrong. Not even gonna lie. Speaking of a, uh,
state that I had wrong, Tracy Nance, um, .
So one of the things that, um, one of the things that really, um,
causes me to just stand in awe of some of the work that you do
is you're in Georgia. And again, um,
some of the things that you've shared and some of the things that we see in the
headlines, um, regarding education in Georgia is intense. Um,
but you have been a fixture in this congressional
discourse.
You are confronting attacks on honest education and policy spaces.
Um, you've engaged in some things that are incredibly powerful on behalf of
students, teachers, and families, um, that want the best for their kids,
uh, for the future. Um,
talk a little bit about why policy is,
is an item of passion for you. And I wanna also, um,
include that I've talked to a number of teachers who will tell me that they find
policy to be boring,
that they zone out and they tune out,
and they don't wanna just let me be with my kids and let me teach my classes
and don't bother me with policy things and all that kind of thing.
This is an item of really obvious passion for you. Um,
why don't you speak on that and why more of us need to be keyed in to
policy conversations.
Yeah. Thanks, g. It's, it's so important.
It's terribly important,
and I understand why some teachers see it as boring or really just that it's
this thing over here that we're gonna trust the government to take care of
because we have these elected officials.
And what could be a more important than all those tiny humans that are in front
of you, right? When you're in that classroom.
We think everybody thinks of it in the ways that teachers think of it, right?
. Yeah. You think everyone thinks that way? I mean,
even when you're inside the four walls of your classroom,
you assume that every other classroom looks like yours too. True.
And that they're all true teaching the way that you do too. . Um,
but yeah, I can see why it would be easy, because I did,
I was focused on my students and becoming a state teacher of
the year really started throwing me in the mix.
A part of it being just the credibility that the platform lends itself.
I was not really allowed to, you know, they couldn't discipline me.
Atlanta public schools couldn't discipline me.
The state of Georgia couldn't disciplined me.
I had been given this award and had already traveled the state for
27 months. .
That's amazing. Education. You can't tell me nothing. You were,
you were like Kanye, but in a good way, . I.
Mean, it's wild.
They had me speaking on equity and talking about the power of teachers.
They asked me to stay on for a second year at the height of the pandemic. Yeah.
Um, and the height of the summer of racial reckoning.
And then things started getting crazy here in Georgia. Yeah. Um,
there were a couple things that led me to the space of policy is where my voice
is needed right now. Um, one of them is that when I was traveling the state,
I realized that all of these people we put on a pedestal, school board members,
school principals, superintendents, they're just people.
They are normal everyday.
I mean, most of them, no , they're people, they're regular folks. Yeah.
. Yeah.
And a lot of them don't have near enough expertise as the same as, you know,
as teachers and as parents.
So I saw that really being important during the Atlanta Public School teacher
protest when they weren't allowing vulnerable employees to telework. Um, again,
hundreds and hundreds of teachers saying, will you say this for me?
Will you speak out for me?
I organized a big zoom over 500 educators with Channel two news,
um, titling themselves with anonymous names to speak out. Um,
and then a person running for a school board in ap s called me and
was asking for, um, campaign donations.
And I told him that I was doing this other work within education. He said, well,
teachers just don't ever speak up and show up. And I was like, what?
Wow.
Just because you're not paying attention doesn't mean that we're not speaking up
. So.
You have to show up. Yeah. I,
I realized how easy it is to go to a school board meeting. Um,
and these are some things that I would love to add to the show notes.
Just some links, some ways to reach out to your policymakers.
We even have drafted form letters where you can borrow and then add your own
magic and spice. It's absolutely critical our voices are needed.
Yeah. And, and that is really important because I do think that, you know, I,
I agree with what you say. A lot of us as teachers, and I,
I've been one of them in the past, you don't know where to start with policy.
It feels overwhelming. It, the more you educate yourself about it,
the less confident you feel that you can engage in and understand it. Um,
but it's, it's important, uh, just like these folks you're referring to,
teachers or people with perspectives, um, that absolutely matter. Um,
shout out to Dr. Tabin.
I took your critical policy analysis class about a year ago.
I don't know if you listened to the podcast,
but that was r really started to break down the walls for me and to really
understand some things. Um, we're gonna shift gears really quickly,
um, to Chris, uh,
Louisiana Teacher of the year from 2020. Um,
you're the only member of our crew that is working as a classroom teacher
currently. Um,
so how has engaging the work of Honest
Education been for you as you do both of those things? So you're out here,
uh, publicly,
we're gonna talk a little bit about social media later in the show. Um,
and then you'll know all of these folks on the call with me, uh, need,
you need to be following, um, all of them on social media. Um,
but so Chris,
how has this work been for you as you continue to show
up every day for kids?
Yeah. You know, it's been super eye-opening to be able to,
to teach students during the day at the, at this micro level,
at this community level,
and then hop on meetings with y'all and with politicians after work to kind of
see what's going on.
From your classroom too. We, we've gotten,
we've gotten little glances of your classroom, and that's, that's very cool.
It is true. And it's cool to like tell my students what I'm doing too.
They're like, who? Like, they'll stay after class to chat and, and what, so.
You do share with, with your students this work that you're doing? Oh.
Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. They think it's amazing. Think Yeah.
They think it's really cool and, and whatnot. Yeah. So, but yeah, you know, it,
it's, in many ways it's inspirational and sort of, uh, revitalizes this,
this why I do the work and stay in the classroom because as y'all know,
it's easy to get, uh, dissolution with all the pressures we have as teachers.
But, you know,
having a crew like y'all that are so committed to advocating for teachers and
students in positive ways, it's, it's kind of, uh, motivational.
And it keeps my, my why centered,
but also being a teacher and still being in the classroom is,
is really interesting while I do this work because it has changed with over,
you know, in the last few years, especially within the last year, the, you know,
with increasing stigmatization and polarization. I mean,
we have politicians that talk show hosts that, that bash teachers and scapegoat,
uh,
seemingly almost every night for societal issues that we work so hard to
try to rectify in our classrooms. Yeah.
All these issues that happen at the societal level. Yeah.
We face that in our classroom and we work so hard to,
to help students who are, uh, facing these issues.
So to have have that lens during a time as an advocate, I think is,
is truly unique. I mean,
there was a time when legislators in Louisiana tried to pass an anti C R two
C R T bill, which, you know, as you and and your listeners know,
it's really just designed to stop teaching honest history. It, yep.
I can't remember the exact wording,
but you couldn't teach about race or issues like that.
That might be discomforting or something Yeah. To students. Well.
I think divisive is one word that's been used, but I don't know if it,
what it was in Louisiana, though.
Divisive was definitely a word. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, as a teacher,
I can advocate against this and give perspective on why it's wrong from a
history teacher's perspective, who's right in the classroom,
who wakes up every day and does this work. And so, you know,
we advocated against this bill. We wrote op-eds did interviews,
we sent in questions and stuff.
And I can do all of this from a history teacher's perspective.
And I think that's, that's unique to say during this time.
And also the teachers and students won Louisiana didn't pass an anti c r t or
anti Honest Education Bill, which if you know a lot about Louisiana politics,
it's, it's really shocking. But, uh, but yeah,
just being a history teacher during this time is,
is truly a unique lens to, to see Yeah. To see the world.
And if y'all don't follow, um, Chris on social media, um,
you're really missing out. Like, I, I think that this is an individual who,
who knows the game and, and who's fierce. And I,
I say that about everybody on this, um, on this panel, the,
the ways that you have learned to deal with that. And a little bit,
we will talk a little bit about, um, how each of these spaces looks.
Because one thing that I've learned in this work with you all, um,
these last few months, is that the work lives everywhere,
but it takes a different form depending on where you are. Um,
so we're gonna move to, uh, to tk, take Carro. Quick question for you.
It doesn't have to be quick, actually, it's not a quick question.
There's a lot in there. Um,
so I don't know if you had the same experience that I did when I was able to let
people know that I was a part of this fellowship, people would be like, oh,
yeah, Tracy from Georgia. Yeah, that makes sense. You know, oh, Louisiana. Yeah.
That makes sense, Texas. That makes sense. Colorado,
like Massachusetts. I think there's a lot of, um, there,
there's a,
there's a lot of sort of naivete about harmful attitudes
that are directed at marginalized and minoritized communities.
The, the stereotype is, it's all in the south. We don't have this in the north,
we don't have this out west. Um,
what does the work look like in your communities?
I wanna emphasize multiple communities, because at the top you sort of named,
um,
the intersections of your identity and how those all are really important to you
in the work. So what does the work look like in your place and time?
Yeah. No, I, I appreciate you for naming that. I, and similar to you,
I don't agree with that framing, right? That, you know,
all parts of the country, regardless of whether they're red or blue,
they need consistent advocacy around.
A hundred percent.
Right. And, and so I'm Massachusetts,
I'm most our product of New Jersey public schools.
And so as far as education communities are concerned and it's intersection with
politics, I do think of it as yes, more progressive liberal spaces,
uh, which at least in the theory,
are more supportive of honest and inclusive education. Yeah.
Um.
And I think here's a danger though, right? Um,
while there is a political stronghold, uh,
in our state houses are elected offices, uh,
to protect schools against this legislative onslaught that, uh,
is taking place across the country, uh,
that doesn't mean that even within our blue places,
there aren't pockets of anti honest education sentiment growing.
Uh, and as we're seeing this sort of forced metastasize across the country,
we're also seeing a lot of the indirect ways in which it impacts, uh, even,
you know, states like Massachusetts and, and, and, and New Jersey. Um,
and so like right, we, at this fellowship, we've talked a lot about our, our,
um, the bills, the anti C r T bills, the book bans, the gag orders, um,
even in states like Massachusetts and New Jersey, they make it on the docket,
right? New Jersey, yeah.
Introduced an anti-trans bill that's trying to prevent gender affirming care for
young people. Uh, and secondly,
even if those bills don't get passed just by being platformed,
they're still impacting our educators. They're still impacting our students.
It's creating That's right. It's chilling effect. Um,
it's poisoning our discourse.
It's scaring teachers away from actually leaning in to the honest and inclusive
pedagogical principles that we know to be true. Um,
I left the classroom around the time when a lot of this anti C R t, uh,
discourse was ramping up. Uh, and I noticed that a lot of my colleagues,
they started self-censoring their curriculum, their lessons. Yeah.
Out field retribution, librarians were taking books out, um,
especially right now around l g LGBTQ topics because they're afraid of being
targeted as groomers, uh, and schools, right?
They're asking departments to avoid these concepts around diversity equity,
because they're, they just don't wanna deal with the noise.
It's not because they agree with it, it's just, yeah.
It's not because they think they're wrong or that they're doing,
they're engaging in anything educationally unethical. Mm-hmm. .
It's because there is such a vested interest in misrepresenting this
work that it's like, is it worth it, man, sorry, I interrupted you though. No,
and.
That's part of the design, right? Like,
let's make the situation so cumbersome that like the onus of having
to respond is gonna happen on the school.
Teachers are gonna happen on the school leaders that like,
we're gonna overwhelm and flood them, uh,
like holds them with information and they have to deal with, uh, uh,
outcome of that.
And the people who are making these attacks don't have to do their due diligence
around the science or the research or evidence. And so,
when we think about these consequences, right? Um, I also think like, uh,
those are the harms, uh, specifically this, this chilling effect. Um,
but I also think that like, we're not seeing the good things happen either.
Mm-hmm. And so, by that I mean right. Anti honest education, um,
when those attacks happen,
they're also dampening enthusiasm for great things that should be taking place.
That's right. And I remember right from Massachusetts when, uh, the,
the wake of George Floyd's murder,
there were so many leaders in organizations rallying together saying
anti-racism, anti-bias equity work is important. Um,
but since this anti education movement started to take hold,
those same organizations and those same leaders, they're more silent.
Uh, they're less enthusiastic.
There's greater reluctance to, uh,
advocate on behalf of the things that we know to be true. Um,
and to give you one specific example, in the state of Massachusetts,
I have been working for the past three years to help pass legislation on an
inclusive curriculum bill that would recognize the contributions of L G B LGBTQ
plus people in history. It was a bill that, you know, teachers got together,
um, and, and, and tried to pass, uh, in the houses, um,
you know, consulted with a lot of our legislators. We submitted testimonies,
we spoke at committee hearings. We even combined forces with other anti-racist,
anti-bias, uh,
curriculum bills to increase the chances that the bill gets passed. Right.
In Massachusetts. Yeah. And it hasn't gone through. Um,
and I think that's such a great example of like,
in these so-called states that we might not think that there is much of an
issue. There's also not a sense of urgency Yeah. Uh, in these states.
And I think a lot of liberal people, , they have this like,
let's not rock the boat mentality. That's.
Right. That's.
Right.
Hundred percent.
Roll all ourselves in this false sense of security. Yeah. Uh,
these terrible things they happen to other districts in other states in our
neighborhood.
Couldn't happen here. Yeah.
. So part of that work, work that we do in, in our communities here is,
is, is overcoming that kind of mentality.
Yeah. Th thank you for naming that. Cause I think that's,
I think that's a really important thing to keep in mind.
Colorado's a little bit different in that way,
where Colorado had been a very conservative state for most of the time growing
up. I think, um, it was to the point where when Reagan ran for president twice,
the,
his opponent didn't bother to campaign here because Colorado was considered to
be kind of a lost cause. And over the last few years, um,
there are some weird takes about why it's become more progre progressive,
but Colorado's become progressive,
and yet our social studies standards were almost completed. . Yes.
Maybe it was the legalization of certain things that happened in Colorado back
in the day. Um, but the, um, but you know, what we,
what we have seen is that there's still these pockets and there are these places
we had to fight for our social studies standards that did exactly what it is
that you're trying to do,
which is to recognize the contributions of marginalized and
minoritized people. Shout out Serena Gutes and, uh,
Julie Gonzalez and Colorado State Legislature, uh, for passing that. And,
and we narrowly, uh, were able to preserve those. So, you know, you, uh,
you know, I don't wanna say you're not safe anywhere,
but it's kind of like that. Um, at the same time,
there's opportunity everywhere to kind of do this work.
We're gonna take a really quick break. Um, when we come back,
we're gonna talk about how all of us are able to sort of
participate in what the work looks like in various places.
Stay with us on Tudo Teachers and a mic.
What's up? Two dope people's. Uh, we're back. I'm back.
Get outta . So Kevin is not back, but he wasn't here to begin with. So,
um, he can't really be back if he didn't come in the first place. Uh, but he,
he'll be with us. Don't, don't worry. Y'all been asking where Kevin been.
Kevin is in this teaching grind. I'm not in this teaching grind right now.
And so, uh, when, when Kevin is freed from,
um, his , unpacking, decompressing, then,
then he'll be back and we'll be doing this. I saw a, uh,
a meme that started off with what it's like to teach in December. And, um,
the first line is nobody's listening to you.
And so I remember those days. Um,
so we're gonna,
there's a bunch of places where the work that we have been doing
as, uh, voices for Honest Education Fellows lives, and I don't know about y'all.
I was like kind of blown away by all the various places, um,
that this stuff is happening and all of this sort of moving parts when you're
engaging in a national discourse.
So we're gonna talk a little bit about how this work looks in social media,
how this work looks in policy spaces, um, how this works look,
work looks if you're from a marginalized or minoritized community.
And we will sort of talk a little bit about all that kind of stuff.
Um, so, uh, the,
the social media presence of the Voices for Honest Education Fellows, um,
is powerful. Like y'all are amazing. And, um,
in a time of Elon Musk's, you know,
sort of whatever malfeasance he's doing in Twitter,
y'all are still at the top of my feet all the time. And so this is good stuff.
Um, Chris, you know,
the social media world in ways that I am still coming into grips with,
like, um, this is, this is a real study for me. Chris,
why don't you start us off, kind of,
kind of share with us a little bit about what, um, what the,
the social media space is,
what it isn't when it comes to these conversations,
and everyone else can chime in as well.
You know, it was really interesting how I, I, you know,
started getting into social media.
I was teaching during C O V D and I was given, you know, them,
I was making these videos for, for students, and they were kind of long.
And then some of my students said, you should make, you know, TikTok videos,
.
It's so if only there was a shorter format that I could use to teach my students
. Yeah. Everybody is smiling right now. I just wanna point this out.
. Yeah.
They were. And I was like, ah, you're not gonna catch me.
I'm not Clock app or whatever, you know, at the time. , that's 2021.
And then I was like, wait a second.
They were bringing in knowledge from this app that, uh,
students usually don't know about. So I started engaging.
And so that's probably the main way that I engage with Honest Education is by
making these TikTok videos that highlight marginalized history to somewhat,
you know,
ensure that students who might not be getting this history still
see this honest history.
Because there are a lot of students who are in classrooms where the teachers
literally can't teach certain aspects of US history,
or they won't teach it because, you know, uh,
it's been demonized as C R T or some sort of like wokeness.
I I did that in quotes by the way. I don't know.
, right? It's air quotes. You can't see the air quotes on the audio.
. Yeah, yeah. You know, and as DK was saying, teachers and librarians,
they're self censoring. They're edit, it's in their curriculum,
they're taking out books. Well, with the internet, you know,
you can't stop kids from getting historical truths really can.
So as much as people try to bury this history,
the more kids and they kids know when they're being, you know,
misled. They, they know they're, they're, they're very much aware than,
than people give them credit for. Yeah.
They're gonna go find this history in unique ways.
So with my TikTok videos and with many other history teachers, now students,
they can learn, you know, things about, uh,
black leaders and politicians from the reconstruction era or, um, uh,
a labor movement where multiple different groups came together or L G B T Q,
historical figures. Yeah. So it's, it's been really powerful in that way.
But like you said, I'm also on, you know,
Twitter highlighting and promoting honest education and authentic history and,
and talking politics. But that's, that's really messy. And unfortunately,
Twitter has been less productive as of late than before. Sure. But,
but still can be a good avenue to, to push forward ideas and,
and articles and whatnot.
Yeah. What about others? What, what would you Yeah, go ahead. Tk.
This. So I just wanted to make a plug for him. Like, his tos are so amazing,
and part of what makes it so amazing is he's prolific and has a way of
opining on current events in a way that's not only student friendly,
but contextualizes the issues in a broader historical context. And so,
if you're an educator and something happens in the news,
in current events and international news, that you feel like,
I don't know how to explain this,
particularly through a way that's conscientious about like equity and what needs
to be done, right. In terms of student affirming and understanding, you know,
the broader context at play.
Like Chris is your go-to guide because he will have within a day a,
a take on it away of understanding and processing it that you can model for your
own students.
Yeah. I just wanna say that I, I paid TK 50 bucks to say that. No,
I'm just kidding. I really appreciate you tk.
. You know what, TK is worth way more. Way more.
You should have paid a lot more.
My.
$500. No, your worth. Tk Know your worth. . I.
Appreciate the kind words I appreciate. It's.
It's the primary sources that get me too. So, like,
as an American literature teacher,
I was always looking for those and always having them look for those.
And I find myself like going back to see like, Ooh, let me see that picture.
Like, where did Chris even get that picture? And like, dropping the,
just dropping at the bottom, like where he got things.
So I know there are a lot of people on social media who,
who do the same thing without the receipts to back it up.
But Chris always has the receipts.
Yeah.
Gotta bring the.
Receipts somewhere in my head. I want, at some point, I wanna, um,
I wanna put Chris and my friend Bra Hubble who manages the Liberating
Narratives account on, um, on Instagram.
Just put 'em in a room and just see what happens. Because like, because,
because Bram has a similar approach, but his is more focused on documents.
He doesn't do the videos and that kind of thing. Um, I,
I think that that's not in his wheelhouse, but man, that would be fun.
He's so cool.
Yeah.
I would love that. All kinds of people. Yeah.
What are some other thoughts we have so we can kind of move into like
social media and, um, the political discourse in,
as Chris kind of mentioned, um, on Twitter especially, um,
it's, it's getting a little messy out there.
It's kind of wild in those Twitter streets. Um, talk,
let's talk a little bit about just how we've all engaged
in some of the discourse on social media and what that's been like and why we
feel like that's an important place to engage Messy, though it may be,
and maybe I can hear from, uh, from Monica and Tracy,
since you've been doing a lot, lot of policy work. We can kind of bridge that.
I'll say one of the things that really I think about a lot is,
cause it can feel messy for sure,
but it can also be just disgusting and it can be tiring and it can make you
want to just not look, just find a pillow, just cover up and not Yeah.
Not wanna be engaged.
Anymore. Like how many na how many names can you be called before you're like,
you know what, I need a break.
Absolutely. Absolutely. And so, I don't know.
I think as we engage with people or around, especially around honest education,
I think it's important to know that there are some people who have their
position, who do not ever plan to change their position.
You can come with all the facts. You can, you know, show them all the things.
Um, you can tie it to kids, you can try to make sure you, you know,
have a common ground with them and they have an agenda and you can't change it.
And so I think it's important to know right when to back away.
And it's also important to realize like, where the teachable moments are.
And I think that's something that we all, we all sort of know,
like we can see within a space when we're able to persuade someone and when it's
not going anywhere. And, um, I think that's been,
that's been a fun part for me is watching all of you and learning how you're
engaging, um, with people and how you keep your cool. Like, that is so .
I, I don't always do that. Like, I have to just like put it down, like done.
But then I'll see Chris, I'll see Tracy and I'm like, oh,
how did they keep their cool? They've been called names. Um,
but then to move people even after that,
like Tracy probably will share this with you,
but even to have someone apologize to you after calling you names, because wow,
you were able to back up what you were saying with some thought provoking
things. And so I just think that we have to know when to,
it's important to always try to engage,
but we should also know when to disengage as well, because it is hard.
What we do as educators is hard enough.
And if it becomes so much that it feels heavy and it doesn't allow us to be the
light that we need to be in this world, then that's why we have each other.
That's why we do the work in community. When I can't do it,
I can tag someone else, step out and let them handle it,
and then come back when I can when I've gathered myself. And so, um, yeah.
Engage and disengage.
. No, I agree. And it's, it's funny because I,
I look at the poise and the confidence that Chris and Tracy gotta come
with and, and they're just kinda like, no, no, no, no. And,
and it's just wild to me because like, again, like, like you, um, I,
I get angry and it, and it's, and it's frustrating and it's upsetting,
but that's really important kind of perspective. Tracy,
you wanted to add something? Look like.
You know, we've learned a little bit about being in these social media spaces,
you know, kind of what TK was saying earlier. We don't wanna sit back and say,
oh, we don't have to worry about that. You know, or say that, well,
that space is ugly. I'm gonna leave the playground and go somewhere else. Yeah.
Like, no, we found that we need to speak up.
And like, social media's a version of the real, real world, isn't it? It is.
Like, people talk about how it's not the real world,
and yet people are getting ideas and repeating things in
the real world that they're seeing on social media. I interrupted you.
I have a really bad habit.
Sorry. No, just complete misinformation.
And so when you're out there on this playground with the bullies, uh,
just remember to humanize the situation, right?
Just humanize it. Like, I'm not, you know, I'm an elementary teacher, ,
I teach kids to read, we read culturally responsive books and know I'm,
you know, um, but humanize it and,
but definitely speak up and speak from a place of shared values, right?
We know that 87% of parents agree that we should be
teaching our kids a full history. Yeah. And teaching, you know,
kids how to have a better tomorrow and preparing them for it. Yeah.
We can really get behind shared values. Yeah. Um,
it's important to keep that in mind.
And I think that's really important when we start thinking about how we take
humanizing into policy. We, we have to remember that,
that policy ideas impact real humans and they have implications
for real people.
And I think bringing that back and always looking for the shared values
and welcoming the dialogue when it's in earnest and when it is in,
in the right mindset is important. Um, tk, one of the things that I think,
um, I was hoping you could speak to a little bit is when I,
when I think about some of our shared background, right? Um,
we both come from communities of color. We both, um,
are children of immigrants, and there can be a lot of layers.
And then your, um, your membership in the L G B T Q community is,
is so important as far as that goes. Sometimes, man, I,
I look at you and I wonder why are, why do you want this smoke? Like,
it's like you haven't been through enough in your life,
to come and sort of, you know, in invite this. And I,
and I say that with respect because I think that it is complicated
when maybe the values I grew up with are kind of
countered to this speaking out and speaking up and being in front of people.
Um, and I'm a cis hat dude. And so the, these are things that, you know,
there's a limit to where I kind of empathize,
but like where I feel a connection. But talk a little bit about that.
Like where,
what does it mean to come from a marginalized community and to,
and to engage in this work? And why is it important for more of us to do that?
Yeah. You know, one of the things that our fellowship has been training us in,
um, is this idea of not letting the opposition control the narrative.
Um, and,
and I was thinking about like how marginalized communities have been doing that
like forever, right? They create their own discourse.
They don't allow That's right. Bad faith, divisive,
reactionary actors to control the narrative. Mm-hmm. ,
because if we let them do so for marginalized communities especially,
it means us having to debate our own humanity. Why we should exist,
why we should have rights, why we deserve to be contr, uh, considered as people,
right? Um,
and so marginalized communities are actually really good at not speaking on the
terms, uh, that are defined by these groups oftentimes who yield power. Uh,
and we do this by, by by talking about things on our terms,
the truth and, and, and the truth that's based on research, on empathy.
And this belief, particularly for honest education,
that all students deserve access to a full education that affirms,
that affords them. Um, and, and,
and I think part of how we do that, right, uh,
in terms of speaking our own truths and, and us controlling the narrative, uh,
is describing really the positive impact the assets of what we can bring.
Um, I do this a lot,
like for the college essays that I help with my students and sometimes write
things like, I want to go to this school because, you know,
I'm a person of color. Um, uh, and, and representation matters.
And those are really true things in the abstract,
but one of the ways in which I try to nudge them is by having them think, uh,
what does being a person of color mean in terms of the perspective that you add
to the campus community that you're, yeah. Uh,
and I think some of the things that marginalized communities, uh, when they do,
when they control the narrative in a way that's the best,
is when we are able to define ourselves,
not by narratives of oppression, um,
even though that's part of the discourse, but also through narratives of joy,
of aspiration, of our contributions, uh,
and really the positive ways in which we can inspire hope. Um,
and so I think that's always an antidote.
People are more likely to change when you inspire them and give them a sense of
hope. And so,
while it's important to highlight the negative things that are happening, uh,
owning our own discourse, um, but owning it in a way that is happy and sparkly,
uh, in the ways that it has to, I think is also an important takeaway.
Yeah. So that's what I've been doing wrong, , I get, I get in the,
I get in the rabbit hole and it gets really frustrating. I mean,
that's one thing that's been really beautiful about getting to know all of you
is, you know, we, we have our official conversations and then we'll have,
let's call 'em our unofficial conversations. And I feel like, um, I,
I get to see your authentic voices all the time. And I,
and I love it. And it, and it's a beautiful thing.
I was gonna add too, you know, as, as a black woman Yeah.
Who there is this perception that you're angry and you're loud
and you're, you know,
and so then you're gonna go do a fellowship that requires you to be really loud,
right? That you need to be loud, you need to talk a lot. Um, and so, and,
and I've had people say to me like, oh, you, you go say it.
Like it's easy for you. And I'll just say like, for people,
people in marginalized communities, it's not always easy, man. It's necessary,
but it's not always easy to borrow your phrase. Right.
To take the smoke to know that you're going to get the smoke.
So you just have to realize like,
I'm going to take this that I feel and move it to the side because I need to
center other people. Um,
it's almost gonna decentering of self to center someone else,
but at the same time you are saying like, as a person of color,
and it is not only our job, right. To speak up about things that, um,
are wrong and that have been done and discriminated against the whole
community. It's not yeah. Us that, like only us.
But I think that when we do it and we are authentic and we step out there
and we're able to take it,
I just wanna let anybody know who's listening that it does not always feel good.
And it is not always easy. And it, if the most articulate person, the most,
you know, well-read person who you think may not be struggling,
it's a struggle to do that.
And so you have to spend something emotionally to be a person of color,
to get out there and to advocate. So there is something that is spent, um,
but we spend it because we know what the gains are on the other side.
Yeah. It's got a cost. It Yeah, absolutely has a cost. And, you know, I,
I think that, and thank you for, for naming that, Monica, because you know,
I think that you are definitely an individual who,
you just always are so poised and so prepared.
And I think people who don't know you, don't, don't always,
they don't see the work that that goes into that. And, you know,
we talk about emotional labor and you know, there have been numerous,
uh, studies on the impact of emotional labor,
particularly on black women teachers and how that
is exhausting. And there's the whole, you know,
William Smith has written about racial battle fatigue when it comes to black
educators. And these are things that we can't lose sight of. Um,
so thank you for that. And, um, and it does come at a price, um,
for so many of us. Um, so,
you know, I believe that the, that the revolution has to be defined by joy,
right? Um, I was reading Sa Lewinsky's book and um,
he was criticizing the younger generation, um,
for not making a movement. The kind of thing that you wanna be a part of.
You look around and you're like, these people are not enjoying the work.
They're not having fun. Why do I want to be a part of this kind of movement?
And I just wanna name that when he was writing that he was writing about my
parents' generation . Um, and so that kind of goes back a little bit.
So we we're, we're multi-generational here. We got a couple of, uh,
gen Xers here. We got a couple of millennials. We, you know,
we don't have any ears yet. Um, you know, but, but they're coming.
They can't order for themselves or want to talk on the phone,
but they will definitely tattoo Acab wherever they feel like it. . Um,
and so, uh, we're gonna bring some joy in here right now.
So we agreed that music is something that really
speaks to all of us.
And when we talked a little bit about what motivates us on these days,
on these things that we need to do, uh, we talked a little bit about music.
And so what we are gonna do is we're gonna make y'all a playlist.
This is gonna be our Voices for Honest Education playlist. So, um,
uh, Chris and Monica, you have ideas on how to pool this.
So we thought we would throw some titles. What do you think?
What's a good number of tracks for an Honest
Education playlist?
At least 10, right?
So, okay. Yeah. I tend to overdo it.
Like I got playlists and then I don't know if anybody,
this is maybe just a me thing.
I find that I have like 25 playlists on my Spotify,
and it's really all the same 20 songs, like just on multiple playlists.
Is that just me? I think that's just me. Oh, man. Um,
that's okay. My daughter's like, wait, this is the same stuff.
I also have a tendency to watch the same five movies over and over again. Like,
those are the only movies I'm aware of. I'm a creature of habit, but,
so we're gonna, so we'll say 10 tracks.
So that's two tracks per fellow .
It's a lot to think about. And you know what? You, you can,
we can drop one at a time. If you know you're two, we can throw Tracy,
you look excited. You look ready for this playlist. Um,
should we start with you.
Man? I've got this.
My students have analyzed so many hip hop songs and lyrics when we're learning
poetry, bring some rap. But in the spirit of honesty for education,
I think the best one to add is break the walls by fits in the tantrums.
Ooh, I don't think, I don't, wow. Break the walls by fits in the tantrums.
. That's amazing. I've never heard of any of those. All right.
So Tracy starts our play playlist with Break the Walls by Fits in the
Tantrums. All right. Who wants, who Dares, who Danes to go next?
I'm gonna go old school. I, I gotta do it. When I think of, you know,
honest education and fight in the Good Fight, uh, Woody Gunther's,
all you fascist Bound to lose, you know, , that's from the 1940s. I mean,
you play that today and, uh, you know, there's,
there's a lot of people out there that are pushing this country in,
in certain directions. And so that's a really motivational one for me. W.
Woody Guthrie man, like, it, it's, it's amazing. Um,
cuz you name Woody Guthrie for like younger people and they're kinda like,
what it, and it's like really powerful stuff. All right.
That's very good at these next.
They love it too, when they hear the lyrics and stuff. Yep. Kids get,
they were like, wow. They had this type of like, you know,
revolutionaries back in the day.
Yeah. Oh man. Uh, yeah, esp. Yep. Absolutely.
I had the same experience with Pete Seger . So.
I mean, that's another one, right? John Brown's body. Pete Seger, I that,
those are two. Uh, and then I'm done and then I'm done.
There you go. Oh, okay. Wait, is that yours? Is that,
are you committing to John Brown's body or did you have.
I mean, right when you said Pete Sing, uh, secret. That's,
that's what popped in my head and I just started singing that. So ,
his rendition and what, you know, John Brown, he Yeah.
Quite.
The, nah, that's John Brown. That's, that's my favorite thing about like,
you know, white folks who are willing to engage in the fight. I,
I just refer to y'all as having John Brown vibes. Like, it works. It works.
All right. Who would like to add the fourth track?
Should I add my fourth and fifth?
All right. You can't, you may, sir.
As right, the one of the resident millennials here, uh,
I'm killing a lot of my generational tastes here, but, uh,
the first very nice American idiot by Green Day.
Okay. Yes.
Like anti-war. I think it was around like the.
Bush Show. Chris is pumping his fist. For those of you who.
I know, you know, the politics and too much of what was going on at the time,
but I think it's like a, you don't wanna be an American idiot, right?
No. No.
So.
Definitely I feel like that's gonna be appropriated at some point.
And that makes me really sad. . Um, so American Idiot by Green Day.
All right. And then you have a fifth track for us.
Um, where's the Love by Black Eye.
Peas? Man, you know what that is, right? What's wrong with this world mama?
People acting like, yeah.
It's anti-war pro humanity.
It talks about war discrimination and environmental.
Gang violence. Like gang. Yeah.
Here's the best part. I looked at the lyrics because, you know,
our whole fellowship is about truth and honesty. And, and, and, and,
and this Riva lyric, the truth is kept secret. It's swept under the rug.
Because if you never know truth and you never know love.
Oh, if you never know truth, you never know love, I'm telling you this, um,
playlist is gonna be fire. All right. I think we have not heard from Monica yet.
Um, yes. Okay. Monica's got a whole catalog. Look,
th this whole podcast is eventually just gonna be Monica's favorite songs cuz we
already have one where she has a bunch of tracks. And so .
Um, I'll just drop, I'll drop one. I do have a few, but I,
I wanna make sure I correct myself from earlier. Just waiting a moment.
Like I said, I started an advocacy council,
shout out to the teachers who helped me. I'm all about the we.
It wasn't me alone and okay, I wanna just say shout out to them. And also,
I think I said our commissioner is elected. No, I is, he is not.
He is appointed. Okay. So now, oh.
Boy. Oh boy, , um.
Gotta drop a little public enemy,
fight the power because that what we are doing.
We're fighting the powers that be, fight.
The powers that be.
Yes. I'll, I'll save, I'll save another couple until we.
. Yeah. All right. So I'm,
I'm gonna go in real time and go into my Spotify and let's,
let's just see because I listen to the same 12 songs over and over again.
Um, for me, I'm going to add,
and I'll know if folks are ready for this,
I'm gonna add Bju bon's Untold Stories. Um,
and so Bju man, he'd been through some stuff, , um,
and I just had the opportunity to interview, uh, Susu Brown,
who wrote this beautiful book called [inaudible]. Uh, bad Hair Doesn't Exist.
And, uh,
she reminded me of Bja Bonton Untold Stories is amazing because it just
highlights the need to ensure that stories are told,
particularly from those of us who come from places where the
powers that be, um, are motivated to erase our existence.
Any race are stories. So I believe we are on,
what is this Track eight? Let me count.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Yep. Track eight. Tracy, I believe it's you.
Yeah, I think it, it needs to end on a really like, fun, joyful note. Like,
we know that there's mess going on and we work hard,
but we also know how to play. So I'm throwing in Good Day by Nappy Roots.
. Yes. Tracy did our homework on this. I just have to, uh,
point this out. Uh, stays ready. Whoops.
I misspelled that. This is going, I'm typing this as we speak.
Good Day by the Nappy Roots. All right. Um, so then,
so two more tracks. I guess I get one and then Monica gets one.
And then T Tk and Chris, if,
if there are tracks that you just can't, like,
just have to have on this playlist,
like I'm gonna allow it. We're decolonizing numbers as as we do this.
So, uh, who's ready?
I feel like we can't have a playlist like this without Tupac, right?
Like the nephew of Asada Shakur. Um.
I mean.
Changes is a good one. I'm down for whatever y'all wanna do, but that one's,
it's such a classic.
All right. Is that, is that your final answer?
I'm pointing at the camera changes.
, that's my final answer.
That's a good, I, you know, I actually thought of the same one. Um,
so I'll let you do that one and not me. All right. Uh, tk,
you look kind of worked up. You looked ready for to throw a track out there?
Not yet. All right. All right. We'll, we'll come back to you tk. Monica,
do you want it or you want, or you want me to take it?
Um, I'll add a little Marvin Gay, what's going on?
Yeah, I mean, what is going on.
Happening? What's going on.
? I love it. All right.
Um, so, well now I feel,
I feel like I need to have something in Spanish. Um,
because although Spanish is my second language, um,
I like to sing in Spanish more than I like to sing in English.
And this song is called, I don't know if you've ever heard it.
It's called [inaudible], um, by the Rapper, Ente.
Um, and Elte, it's, it's kind of hard to translate, but in Spanish,
it's like what we put up with, right? A is to put up with something,
is to endure something and get through it.
And it is this incredible song about everything
s everything that we just deal with and endure.
But it's like a total party song. Um,
the music video takes place in a bar and they're just,
they're raising their glasses and cheering to
[inaudible] because the struggle is beautiful, right? And I,
and I think if I was gonna break our rules and add another one,
I would actually put, um, the Beautiful Struggle by Taliqua. Um,
don't follow Quali on Twitter. He's, he's not awesome on Twitter. But,
um, beautiful struggle is amazing. The struggle is beautiful.
We are too strong for your slavery.
Any other tracks that people are dying to put on here?
I, I got some. All.
Right.
A little bit in Queerness Female Voices. Let's do it in here. Uh,
one is Born This Way by Lady Gaga, great pro. L G B T Q Anthem,
that like, centers how,
who you are and how you navigate is valid and should be accepted. Uh,
and then the other one, a little deeper Cut from Christina Aguilera. Beautiful.
Uh, also just such a beautiful message, um, how it really.
Is.
in the way.
That song, that song hit different than I thought it would, like,
the first time I heard it I'm like, okay, it's Christina Aguilar. So,
and then it just got me deep. It's like, I feel beautiful.
It's having another moment. I think, uh, yeah,
there was another music video that was sent in like the social media age,
cuz a lot of folks are just feeling anxious about everything.
Yeah, I mean.
I love how we've moved into the Warm squishies.
I think it's not appropriate to dedicate a song to all the teachers listening.
And we're gonna go back. There you go. Old school nineties, you know,
raised in the nineties. How about Natalie? Merchant kind and generous?
Oh.
Shirley speaks about every educator I've met on this incredible journey.
And really the teachers I see working hard in classrooms.
Yeah, I think that's what it really comes down to.
I always think about the poor, righteous teachers, um,
which is who we represent and who we would humbly
submit that potentially we may be. Um, well, folks, we,
this, this of course went long than that, than we planned,
but it's because when you get, um, when you get these four brilliant,
brilliant people on this panel, on the podcast, you know, it's gonna be amazing.
And there's gonna be a lot of ideas. Um, y'all, where does everybody follow you?
How do, how do people find you on social media? Drop Ya handles?
Oh, sorry, I'm Twitter. I'm, I'm Swaggy G on Twitter. , yeah.
2020 Georgia Teacher of the Year.
That's Tracy.
Manzi. It's just my first and last name at Chris Dear.
And that's for Twitter and TikTok.
You find me on Twitter before it crashes and crumbles. Uhhi,
N A g a Y o s h I.
And even as it crashes and crumbles .
I am at Texas t o y 2014.
And also, if we have a way to drop our website with, uh,
uh, all of the things that come with the podcast, yep.
You can click our faces on our, um,
contact us page and go to our individual Twitter pages.
Hey, that's really cool.
And shout out to Monica for that amazing design and doing that kind of stuff.
We will include a link to the website, um, in the show notes.
If you do wanna have any of the members of Voices,
Ronas Education come and speak, um, do training, hang out with you all,
just hear what you gotta say. Uh, we're here for it. And, uh,
we're doing this work that, you know, we're,
we're only part of the way through it y'all,
but it's been such an incredible process. Um, really grateful to all of you.
Thank you all for being on the podcast today.
Thanks for having us. Beautiful.
Appreciate it. Thank.
You. Thank you. Thanks. Yeah. So I am Ard,
I'm your Colorado, the teacher of the year for 2021. Um,
you are listening to Tudo teachers and a mike. Now what we do is, um,
on my count, we're all gonna try to say state up together.
We're saying it from five different states. And so we're gonna do that.
So in this time of tension, in this holiday season,
in this time where you feel like you're fighting for your life and just trying
to find a reason to smile, stay optimistic, stay fighting the good fight,
stay truthful, stay honest. But above all, you always want to
stay old peoples and .
This is why it's good to be able to edit. There we go.