School Me

For more than 30 years, schools, hospitals, and places of worship have been considered "sensitive locations" — spaces protected from immigration enforcement. But recently, President Trump has moved to strip away those protections, opening the door for ICE to enter campuses and target families. Now, a coalition of educator unions, community organizations, and families has come together to fight bac...

Jennifer Albert Mann joins the show to discuss her book "Shift Happens, The History of Labor in the United States," a labor history book for teens and young adults. Shift Happens was the September young adult book recommendation on NEA’s Read Across America Calendar, under the theme “invite transformation.”

Our two part series on billionaires and public education continues. Today, we’re zooming in on the rise of new, well-funded activist groups targeting school boards, banning books, and attacking everything from diversity initiatives to trans student rights. Who’s behind groups like Moms for Liberty and Parents Defending Education? What is “dark money,” and how does it quietly reshape local and nati...

Have you ever wondered why the rich and powerful seem to have so many opinions about public education, especially when neither they nor their children have attended public schools? This is the first of a two-part series exploring how the rich and powerful are cashing out on public education. Today, we’re looking at the big picture: the historical, decades-long agenda by wealthy donors and corporat...

Mentioned in this episode: Join the Movement for Paid Student Teaching

Mentioned in this episode: Tell Congress to protect Medicaid funding - https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/action-center/take-action/dont-slash-medicaid-and-childrens-health-care Call in and share your story - Call 866-426-2631 Find out more about Medicaid’s impact in your  school district ,  congressional district , or  state . Organize locally using this toolkit: https://www.nea.org/resour...

Mentioned in this episode: Safe Zone policies - https://www.nea.org/resource-library/safe-zone-school-districts NEA’s Immigration Resource Hub - https://www.nea.org/resource-library/guidance-immigration-issues Open letter to Higher Ed admin - https://www.nea.org/open-letter-protect-speech-college-and-university-campuses Legal resources for immigrant educators https://iamerica.org/legal-help/ https...

The Trump administration is waging war against diversity, equity, and inclusion. But what does that mean for educators when it comes to discussing race, equity, and history in the classroom? How can schools continue to foster inclusive learning environments despite these restrictions? Alice O’Brien, general counsel for the National Education Association, walks through your rights, risks, and oppor...

With the rise of social media and constant online communication, bullying is affecting students in new, pervasive ways, and schools are often on the front lines of addressing it. Madeline Micou, a middle school counselor with over two decades of experience in education, shares her insights on the realities of cyberbullying, how it differs from traditional bullying, and what educators and families...

A conversation with Kwame Alexander: a poet, educator, and best-selling author of The Crossover, Booked, The Door of No Return, and so many other books that have inspired young readers across the country. In celebration of NEA’s Read Across America, Kwame has teamed up with NEA for a unique project—bringing literature and music together with a jazz-infused reading of The Crossover. You can hear Kw...

In 2020, collective bargaining for public sector workers returned to Virginia after a nearly 50-year ban—a huge win for Virginia educators. But change doesn't happen overnight. Fairfax Education Association President Leslie Houston joins the show to talk about how educators in Fairfax, Virginia came together to create their first collective bargaining agreement since the ban, and what other distri...

Read more from Mary Ellen about how low pay affects education across the nation, and how unions are helping educators get the pay increases they deserve: https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/dear-educators-youre-still-not-paid-enough As the nation’s largest labor union, we stand in solidarity with the Costco Teamsters in their fight for a fair contract. Just as we fight for the rights a...

Learn more about the Washington Education Association’s Apprenticeship Residency in Teaching https://www.washingtonea.org/events-training/residency/

Learn more about Read Across America, and access the calendar: https://www.nea.org/readacrossamerica Check out Simon B. Rhymin' : https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/read-across-america/find-your-book/simon-b-rhymin

Mentioned in this episode: Pensions, Explained for Educators - https://www.nea.org/resource-library/pensions-explained-educators Frequently Asked Questions about Pensions - https://www.nea.org/resource-library/frequently-asked-questions-about-pensions

Check out NEA.org/SeeEducatorsRun for more information about taking the first step toward holding public office.

Mentioned in this episode: Report of the NEA Task Force on Artificial Intelligence in Education Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence in Schools aiEDU

See photos from the kitchen, the transcript, and more here.

Learn more about the ESP Bill of Rights campaign: http://nea.org/espbillofrights 

Defending the right to learn about our country’s full history naturally includes defending the right to learn about Black history. As certain politicians seek to ban books by Black authors and ban courses that teach the truth about the Black experience in America, we are fighting back to ensure all students have access to an honest education. One of NEA’s partners in this work is Color Of Change,...

Read the report, " The Legal and Pedagogical Case for Culturally Responsive and Racially Inclusive Public Education for All Students ". Danielle's Book Recommendations:    - Schoolhouse Burning by Derek Black    - Engines of Liberty by David Cole    - The Lie That Binds by Ellie Langford  

Read Mary Ellen's latest article, The Mental Health Crisis Among Faculty and College Staff. Also, see The Mental Health Crisis on College Campuses.

They say that the best way to prevent a strike is to prepare for one. So how can educators successfully avoid striking, while also having their demands met? Leah VanDassor, president of the St. Paul Federation of Educators, and executive board member Quentin Wathum-Ocama discuss how St. Paul, MN educators prepared for their recent negotiations, and how you can use their example as a helpful guide...

Learn more about Community Schools at NEA.org/CommunitySchools