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.

AP African African American Studies—the "controversial" AP course being piloted in schools across the country, is far more interesting than the headlines it's made. Antoinette Dempsey-Waters, a Virginia History teacher and member of the course's development committee, joins the show to talk about why this course will be so impactful, how it was developed, and what the public discourse was truly about.

In this episode, we address the urgent issue of gun violence in schools. Joining us are Zach Martin, a survivor of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting and current teacher at Columbine, and Mary Kusler, Senior Director of NEA’s Center for Advocacy and Political Action. Together, we explore the current state of our nation and discuss how educators can collaborate with parents, students, and communities to advocate for gun-safety legislation and comprehensive school safety policies.

The end of the year can be an especially stressful time, so it only seemed fitting to re-run this enlightening episode to help you discover strategies for stress relief and set internal goals and boundaries for the new year. Educators are more stressed than ever these days, but there are ways to make things better—from federal funding, to local actions, to individual practices. On this episode, Todd Scholl from the Center for Educator Wellness and Learning discusses the toll stress can take...

We’re talking women in leadership with Stephanie Johnson, a South Carolina Reading Interventionist, Fulbright awardee, and former Chair of NEA’s Women’s Issues Committee. Together, we discuss her personal leadership journey as an educator and NEA member, and how every woman has the power to lead–even if they don’t quite recognize it yet.

Student debt is a huge problem for educators. Over the past year, the conflicting news about student debt relief, Supreme Court cases, and recent policy changes has been confusing, to say the least. To break down what's happened and how borrowers should move forward, Ronny Lau from NEA’s Government Relations department joins the show.

Our guest for this episode is Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, an NEA member and Executive Director at GLSEN, a national non-profit that works to ensure K-12 education is safe and affirming for all students, including LGBTQ+ youth. Together we discuss ways that you can support LGBTQ+ youth and encourage your elected officials to do the same through GLSEN's Rise Up for LGBTQ+ Youth campaign.

Student behavior is a major challenge for educators these days, and it’s more important than ever to learn how to respond to those behaviors in a compassionate, effective, and safe way. To discuss these strategies, Rosa DiPiazza, a school psychologist and behavioral specialist in Delaware, joins the show.

In this episode, we're talking to Duncan Tonatiuh, an award-winning author and illustrator whose artwork is inspired by Pre-Columbian art, particularly that of the Mixtec codices. His book, A Land of Books: Dreams of Young Mexihcah Word Painters, is this October’s Read Across America pick for elementary-aged students.

Parents, guardians, and family members are essential parts of every school community—Their involvement can not only improve the learning experience for students but also the working conditions of educators. To discuss how family engagement can be a game changer for educators, Maria Miranda, current UTLA Elementary Vice President, joins the podcast.

Teachers are making $3,644 less, on average, than they did 10 years ago, adjusted for inflation. In this episode, two guests who were part of successful efforts to win higher pay for educators in their states share their experiences, strategies, and insights on how they and their fellow union members achieved victory, and share how you can do the same in your state.

Every member can play a role in growing their union, because no one knows the value of an association better than the members themselves. In this episode, Cassie Owens Moore, a school librarian in South Carolina, and part of NEA’s National Member Organizing Cadre, discusses the value of member-to-member organizing as a tool for fostering connections and building power.

From free speech rights to religious freedom, equal access to education, and the delicate balance between privacy and safety, the legal intricacies and real-world implications of Supreme Court rulings cannot be understated. Alice O’Brien, NEA’s General Counsel, returns to the show to discuss the recent Supreme Court decisions that have had major effects on our country and what they mean specifically for educators and students.

As a resource for our members, NEA recently released a guide to help educators understand their rights and limitations when speaking up for public education and students. Alice O’Brien, NEA’s General Counsel, is back on the podcast to break down the key parts of that report and let educators know what their rights are when advocating for the issues they are most passionate about.

Alice O'Brien, NEA’s General Counsel, is back to give an update on Florida's "Don't Say Gay" and "Don't Say They" laws, and discuss which states have been following in its footsteps by introducing their own discriminatory laws.

Each year, the NEA searches the country for school support staff who are going above and beyond for their students, their school, and their communities, and names one outstanding member as the National Education Support Professional (ESP) of the Year. Pamella Johnson, a Behavioral Interventionist from Washington state, was given this prestigious honor in 2023. Learn about the path that led to her career in education, how she became NEA’s ESP of the Year, and what she’ll be focused on this...

In this episode, we're taking on standardized testing—the impact of testing on students and educators, and the potential benefits and drawbacks of alternative forms of assessment with Jack Schneider, a historian, professor, and author of “Beyond Test Scores: A Better Way to Measure School Quality”.

A growing number of educators are turning to TikTok and Instagram to share their experiences—whether that's to advocate for change, make fellow educators feel seen, or just to make us laugh. We’ve invited Jess Hawk (@MyTeacherFace)—a NJ teacher with more than 426 thousand followers on TikTok—to talk about what it’s like to share life as an educator with the world.

Leslie Hu, a Community School Coordinator in San Francisco, discusses the benefits of the community school model, how it differs from traditional public schools, and how educators can start transforming their own schools into vibrant community hubs.