School Me National Education Association

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.

We’re discussing how educators can support students with disabilities in schools and sharing tactics and practices educators can implement to foster inclusivity and combat ableism. Our guest is Katie Punsly, a creative writing teacher in Louisville, Kentucky, with years of experience as an instructional technology coach, working with English language learners, and serving the needs of students with disabilities.

In this episode, we explore the invaluable partnership between Education Support Professionals (or ESPs) and new and aspiring educators in schools. Our guests, Joie Moore, an ESP from Ohio, and Demetrius Dove, an aspiring educator from Georgia, share their insights and experiences in fostering strong partnerships within the school community.

An audio feature from NEA Today magazine: Nature-Based, Outdoor Pre-Kindergarten Takes Root in Maine from Senior Writer Mary Ellen Flannery.