School Me National Education Association

Despite their important roles in our schools, many Education Support Professionals, or ESPs, have to take on more than one job to make ends meet. Across the country, states are working to secure better pay, working conditions, and more for their ESPs, because one job should be enough. Saúl Ramos, a Senior Program & Policy Specialist in NEA’s ESP Quality Department, and 2017 Education Support Professional of the Year, is our guest. Together, we’re discussing how NEA members, staff, and leaders are collaborating on a campaign to create an ESP Bill of Rights in each state—an effort to increase ESP visibility, rights, and respect—and how your state can join in, too.

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, a racial justice organization committed to building power and making justice real for Black people. Today’s guest, Rashad Robinson, is the President of Color Of Change.

It's been 70 years since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. For many, this iconic Supreme Court case feels like a foundational and permanent part of American society, but today, the promises of Brown v. Board are under attack. Danielle Davis, Staff Counsel for NEA, joins the show to discuss the impact of this important ruling on America and what the future holds for the promises of that case.

This Mental Health Month, we are discussing the mental health crisis among college faculty and staff. Our guest, Mary Ellen Flannery, is a Senior writer for NEA Today magazine who has been reporting on the mental health challenges of staff and faculty on college and university campuses and what solutions exist for our members.

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 for your upcoming bargain.

The Community Schools model is catching on across the country, with NEA members standing at the forefront of this exciting new way of approaching education. But where are these community schools, and what differences are they making for students and educators? Two Senior Policy Analysts and Program Specialists who focus on Community Schools at NEA join the show to discuss the state of the community schools movement and how you can take steps toward bringing community schools to your area.