Episode 17: Crossing the Divide

While education should not be partisan, it is most definitely political. From dictating what can, and cannot, be taught to developing laws that constrain pay raises for experienced teachers, politicians have inserted themselves into every aspect of public education in Florida.For the past few legislative sessions, members of FEA’s Republican Cadre have been working to build relationships with their legislators in the hopes of influencing legislation in a positive way.On this episode of Educating from the Heart, we sit down with three members of the cadre to discuss their challenges and successes and the importance of every educator joining in union to advocate for what is best for students. Episode 17 Show Notes: Guests Show Resources Transcript /*! elementor - v3.10.1 - 17-01-2023 */ body.elementor-page .elementor-widget-menu-anchor{margin-bottom:0} GuestsMary Rivera, Marion County Middle School ELA teacher Shiela Watson, Suwannee County PreK-MTSS Coordinator Patrick Strong, President Okaloosa Education Staff Professionals ResourcesFEA's 2022 Voter ToolkitLearn more about the 2022 legislative session by read FEA's 2022 End of Session ReportLook up your elected officials hereFEA's 2022 Legislative Agenda Transcript Andrew Spar, FEA President: Hi, this is FEA president Andrew Spar. To stay on top of all the latest news and issues impacting our public schools, be sure to follow FEA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more information on this podcast, visit feaweb.org/podcastSharon Nesvig: You're listening to Educating from the Heart. Thank you for joining our lively conversations with teachers, support professionals, parents, and students, as they share issues that matter most in our public schools. Here are your hosts, Tina Dunbar and Luke Flynt.Tina Dunbar, Host: Welcome back! I’m Tina here with Luke. So good to be with you again.Luke Flynt, Host: Always great to be with you, Tina. We have made it through another legislative session. Again, this year education was a focus of the governor and of lawmakers and the partisan divide was quite evident, especially when it comes to issues dealing with race, gender, and sexual orientation.Tina: Yes. This session was a bit unusual, especially being a year in which many of these legislators, including the governor, are up for reelection. Normally, it's business as usual: legislators, rush in, quickly move through session and head straight to the campaign trail, but it was quite different this year.I'm telling you, Luke, Florida is caught up in this nationwide trend of public education attacks. And parents are being used as a tool to create a major divide between educators and the communities where they work and live. Even worse, the result could have a negative impact on students, teachers and the entire school community.It's why it's so important for all school employees to feel empowered, to speak up and advocate for themselves throughout the school year, talking about what's going on in their schools and what's happening with their students. It doesn't matter if you’re new to the job or you’re experienced, if you're a teacher, a custodian, or if you're a Democrat or Republican.Luke: Absolutely. It is so important that every educator speak up, but they should not do it alone. It is so helpful to have a strong group of supporters or an organization like the FEA and its local affiliates standing beside them. On this episode we'll talk with a group of Republican educators who chose to join their union and work with other like-minded colleagues to raise awareness and redirect education policy.Mary Rivera, Patrick Strong, and Sheila Watson are all educators and members of FEA's Republican cadre. The three of them are focused on influencing legislation as they advocat...