Learn and Lead Learn and Lead

In this episode, we're joined by Deputy Director Joaquin Rios who is talking about the educators at the capitol events we host every spring break, how they went this year, and the purpose of these types of organizing opportunities. Even more exciting is that Carrie gets to tell the cheesy joke this episode... ok, it's only exciting to her, but the conversation around what educators were able to share with legislators is worth a listen!

In this episode, we're excited to share some play-based learning examples, tips, and stories from the marvelous Kelley Fisher. As a Kinder teacher in Deer Valley Education Association, she has incorporated play into her curriculum her entire career, and she shares her insights in how prioritizing this kind of learning could be the answer to post-COVID learning!

Math instruction has changed so much over the past 5 years, and so many educators are trying to meet the times with new approaches! We had math teacher Maria McDowell from Phoenix Union Classroom Teachers Association join us to talk about how she builds math literacy, helps students relate to math content, and takes thinking deeper than just getting the right answer. This episode isn't one to miss if you love cheesy math puns!

As you may have heard, our union is growing, and it's all thanks to the work of our incredible local leaders - like Mesa EA President Kelly Berg. She's the local President in the largest school district in the state, and we brought her on to talk about how she's been engaging in membership blitzes, building member capacity to take action, and taking back the narrative about schools in her district.

This very special episode before Thanksgiving features the President of UFCW 99 - Jim McLaughlin. He's joining us to talk about the awesome work of their union, the pending merger between Kroger and Albertsons, and what the merger means for the future of grocery stores and communities in Arizona. It's a conversation about union solidarity and workers' rights that we hope will inspire you as much as it inspired us!



About President McLaughlin:

Jim McLaughlin currently serves the working men and women of Arizona as President of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 99 representing more than 25,000 workers.  Mr. McLaughlin began his career working for Ralph’s grocery store in Orange County, California as a member of UFCW Local 324.

In 1992, McLaughlin was hired as a field Representative with Local 99, later became an Organizer, and was elected President in November 2001.

He currently serves on the national level as International Vice President of the UFCW International Union.  Jim is the chairman of the $1 billion dollar Desert States Pension Fund and the Arizona Retail Health fund that delivers $300 million dollars annually in health benefits to UFCW members and their families.

It's everyone's favorite time of year - election time! We invite Ellie Perez Pawloski back to the podcast to talk bonds, overrides, and federally endorsed candidates. Bonds and overrides can be a complicated funding question to explain to voters, but our members are carrying the lion's share of the action in making sure our schools can continue to make repairs, keep programs and people going, and purchase updated equipment. Listen in as she talks about the process for how candidates are endorsed, who has been endorsed so far, and why they were endorsed.