Hi, hello everyone. Welcome back to another episode of The Bold and the Brave, A Parent
Leader podcast. My name is Melvette Hill and I'm joined by my good friend and colleague
Zulema Gomez. Welcome back everyone. Hello, Zulema. Hi, hi. It's so good to be here. And
spring is springing. Oh my goodness. Finally, finally there's some sun in California. Feeling
good. That's awesome. That's amazing. I love that we are matching today. We both are rocking
our black and white. What does that say? I just said spring is springing, but then we
both have our black and white. But it is. We're springing. We're springing. And so is my hair.
My curls are springing. If you all could see me, for those of you who are listening, I
have my little curly curls today. And Zulema's hair is like slick and short and chic. Yes.
You're rocking it out today. So what's new with you, Melvette? Lots of things. Here in
Connecticut, we are wrapping up our legislative session next week. So things are moving slow
and fast at the same time. And that's what's new. That's all I have to report. It's not
raining here, which is great. It's sunny in Connecticut today. What's new with you? Wrapping
up the school year in another month. So that's exciting for all of us at home. And then some
work travel in DC in May that I'm really looking forward to. And some fun. Definitely adding
some fun time. So that'll be great. Yes. Fun is good. Fun is good. You have to make sure
that you take plenty of pictures. And also please and thank you. Make sure you put some
photos on your Instagram and maybe do some TikTok. Because inquiring minds want to know
how you are living life and having fun out there. I'll try. I'll remember. Okay. Yeah.
So let's see. Last time we were together, we talked a little bit about TikTok. Now that
you brought it up, it just came to mind. And we were talking about sort of the decision
making process that was leading to that vote to ban TikTok, as some people are saying.
And there's some updates since the last time we spoke. And we know that now TikTok will
no longer be. It will still exist on people's phones and things for a time. But it looks
like the requirement is really for TikTok to be sold to an American company. And there's
been some concerns since this vote has passed. Some concerns from those of us who use the
platform, concerns from parents, concerns from youth advocates, and of course, government
officials. So it's been just really interesting. And I know that as we were preparing for this,
Carlos, who is our producer, had shared some really great resources and I had some time
to really go through all the pros and cons. And I think that's a really good process
for any civic leader as you're listening to issues is really to hear what are all sides
saying around this issue. But what I still sit with on this issue of TikTok is trying
to figure out a way that we can still engage young advocates and youth in civil issues
or civic issues. Because I think what is the truth is that, or what can't be denied is
that there was so much advocacy, whether it was misinformation or whether it was correct
information, it was and it still continues to this moment. It's the space for young voices.
And so I think what I'm sitting with is like, what is going to be the equivalent to that?
Because there's not a lot that we can do about the sale, right? There's not a lot that we
can do about the security piece. And so I think, for me as a civic leader is trying
to figure out like, how do we engage youth voters in an election year, if TikTok is a
platform that we won't be able to use at the same capacity, right? And I don't know where
you sit with any of this moment.
I understand how important it is to folks. I'm not on TikTok. Actually, I tried to get
on TikTok and I forgot at one point to put in my date of birth and then they banned me.
I couldn't get back on. So I gave up. But I do know that it is important for young people,
especially. I know my daughter is all over TikTok. That's how she gets her news. And
she's like, oh, you know, weather. And she gets so much information from TikTok. I think
what concerns me are the security implications. So there are a lot of theories about that
and even some conspiracy theories about, well, why does the United States want to have all
this information? There's lots. I don't want to get into that. I think what I think might
happen is that young people will create their own platforms. That's my hope and dream that
they create something for themselves. We have a lot of bright young minds out there and
I'm hoping that we see that young people in the spirit of innovation and creativity will
create something that our government finds accessible and will allow them to use so that
they have those platforms to create, to be innovative, to use their voice, to share themselves
and to collaborate and work with one another. So I think that's my hope. But I do, I know
there are growing concerns, TikTok and then what's going to happen where, you know, in
spaces like Instagram and also with X, you know, are we fair across all platforms? And
of course, this is a foreign owned company and that's a big security concern. Let me
get my words out. But I do think that we have to be fair across all platforms. And I do
appreciate as a person who works in government, right, I work in state government, I do appreciate
that in most cases, legislators are trying to do the right thing because they're people
just like you and I and they have children, they have families and so they too see the
implications of the concerns that arise from social media use and whether it's mental health,
whatever the things that we all hear about and experience, the addiction to social media,
the images that people see and sometimes young women and young boys and others aspire to,
right? Like I have to look like that person, I have to be like that person or to be accepted.
So those are the things I think that run through parents minds, parents are sometimes legislators
as well and they just want to protect their families, right? So I think like in the broader
scheme of things, we have to figure it out. We have to figure it out as a society, as
those who are engaged in systems change, like what is going to work? Because we know that
social media does work for young people. It's how they choose to engage and so how can we
support them? How can we support this next generation of leaders to create a platform
that will work for them and work for the rest of us?
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I really would love to see the White House or federal legislators
to create these spaces for these conversations, right? I think, yes, it could be, we also
do our work as civic leaders and young advocates should do the same, but it would be nice to
see leaders within our federal government to create these spaces, to not wait till like
the last minute, which is probably what's going to happen, right? A company might step
up or no one will step up to buy this platform and then at the last minute, we're sort of
scrambling for some replacement. And for me, I think the biggest concern is it's such a
pivotal election year. And if this is where folks are going for information or for having
the conversation, you know, again, like the app isn't going away if you have it on your
phone. And, you know, but I think there won't be new uploads or downloads of the app or
new updates and things like that. Eventually, the app will just not be functioning well,
right? And that will pose its own security risks. But I think I am concerned with where
will this conversation move to in a year that's just so important to have the right information
and to have a conversation as we're looking at not just the presidential election, but
other other local and state elections.
So not only is the government trying to ban TikTok or a foreign entity for owning and
operating it, but there's something else. And so I was reading this article, it's called
Can Government Coerce Removal of Content on Social Media? And it was really about the
Supreme Court taking up a case to decide whether the Biden administration's request to remove
posts from social media platforms violated the First Amendment. And so this conversation
around freedom of speech is going to continue to be a thread that we see as it relates to
social media. I'm also wondering in the back of my mind for another conversation, like
how does that relate to AI as well, right? When people are sourcing using content. So
anyway, but there's a case arising out of the government's influence on social media
companies, right? To enforce content moderation policies, right? So they want to control the
content that's being posted. And there is this case that's before the Supreme Court.
They haven't decided it yet, but it's in the case, Murthy versus Missouri. And so five
users of social media platforms, as well as two states, Missouri and Louisiana, sued several
federal agencies and officials for allegedly violating their First Amendment rights. And
they were pressuring social media platforms to remove or deprioritize or add disinformation
labels to their posts. And so these complaints were primarily about posts that were related
to content concerning COVID-19, the pandemic and the 2020 election. And so that case is
going to be, I think, settled later this summer. I think that's the timing of it, but it does
make one wonder how many more of these cases around social media, around freedom of speech,
will we continue to see? And how will this all play out as we look at our court? And
also future court appointments, I might add, as we are approaching elections in the fall.
And we know that each candidate always has their eyes on folks they would like to have
seated on that Supreme Court. So these are all important things as we try to piece things
together, all the puzzle pieces. What are your thoughts?
Yeah. Well, I'm just thinking specifically around our First Amendment, right? How this
specifically is, it's really in the spotlight this year, right? We were talking about it
with TikTok. We're talking about it around these cases. And we're seeing this also with
the protests that are happening around the country and colleges and universities. And
I think it's a good time, as always, as civic leaders, to really sort through our feelings
and our beliefs around what trumps the other thing. What's more important? Is it this specific
right to free speech? Is it community safety? Is it health? These are the things that we're
always struggling with. And I imagine our legislators are struggling with. These are
our rights guaranteed to us, but it's not without cost, right? And we definitely saw
this early in 2020 and 2021 with so much misinformation and how that led to death, right? It led to
many of our communities being completely at risk. And what was more important? Was it
important to have a say and to say whatever we believed, whether it was correct or not,
or is it the health of our communities? And I think we're seeing this again. What's more
important, the safety of our youth and our communities, that they have the right, or
that they have the right to say what they believe is right, especially when it concerns
the life of fellow humans in another country, right? As we're talking about Palestinian
rights. But I think this is the thing that I'm really like watching, is the conversation
around this First Amendment right and what we give up to keep or what we give up to say
what we need to say. It's an interesting time, I think, to be really involved right now.
In regards to the protests, I know we on the team have really been watching, I think, both
in horror and with so much empathy and sympathy for our youth leaders and for parents of advocates
in these university spaces. And there's a video that I watched. There was a protest
at USC here in California and there was a video I had watched with a dad who was being
interviewed and asked how he felt. Was he concerned for his daughter's life in these
protests? And as a parent watching this Mexican dad say and declare so proudly, right, that
he was proud of his daughter, that what she was marching for is really anti-genocide,
right? It's for peace. And I really put myself in that place as I was hearing that, thinking
of my own son who's 13. But I think to see your children begin to do their advocacy and
speak out, would I feel the same? How would I feel if their health is at risk? And how
will my values also show up in his advocacy? And I really felt for that dad thinking, yeah,
I would be proud too if I've taught my children that peace is a value that we hold, right?
Or that all humans are equal. If that's a value we hold, how is that going to show up
in their advocacy? And I really admired this father saying, I would also be proud to be
arrested alongside these students if that happened to me. But I think I really have
been thinking a lot of the parents of these youth advocates and where they're sitting
and what are the conversations they're having over dinner or on the phone in concern, right?
Or are they expressing that they are proud of what young people are doing in this country?
And that's regardless of what the argument is around this, right? Just thinking of youth
advocates in this moment in time. We haven't seen something like this for a long time.
I think we saw Black Lives Matter marches, but they were not youth focused, right? These
were full communities. And we're really seeing our youth lead this conversation and lead
these protests specifically.
Yeah. And it's exciting to see our young people stepping up. And I'm going to retract that.
I'm not going to say stepping up. I'm going to say doing what they do, right? Because
it's almost as if they were in a position of inaction. And I think young people right
now are in a space where they are acting, right? We don't always see it, but they are
advocating. And in more and more spaces, we are seeing them live out their truths and
they're doing it unapologetically. So I don't want to say stepping up. I want to say doing
what their hearts tell them to do. We might see it as stepping up, but I don't think they
ever stood back from the challenges that are facing them. I think about my two daughters
in particular and they were some of the young people who joined in with their neighbors
and community members during those Black Lives Matter marches and protests. And I was so
proud of them. I did not. I chose not to march because we all have to know ourselves and
know what we can engage in and how that will affect us or even our employment. However,
I do think that there was a sense of pride and also a sense of concern, just like this
father that you were speaking about. I also have been watching the news and listening
and even recently what happened down in New York with Columbia University, right? And
we have to be so aware of what's happening. Regardless of which side of the issue you're
on, I think everyone has the right to peaceful protests. But I think what is happening was
becoming more complicated and what makes me more afraid for our young people in this time
of protests and standing up is that there are the people who are coming in to disturb
the process. So they're not really on the side of protest. They're coming in to make
a problem and trouble. And so that's what we saw down in Columbia University where there
was peaceful protests, they were encampments, but then there was a group of people who were
not college students who had come from wherever and now they have infiltrated the campus.
They try to take over a building. And so I think that's what my concern is, is that in
the midst of young people trying to stand up or standing up and doing what's right for
them and using their voices and caring about their country and caring about how the United
States is showing up in the world, there's always something on the other side of it trying
to make it look different and to disrupt that process. So I think that's what my concern
is. But I would be with that dad. I would be so proud of my young person standing up
for what they believe in. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, I think, you know, what you were saying
was about, you mentioned like being really aware, right to what is happening. And I think
as as parents, you know, the days are long, all of us are so busy. And it's it's so easy
to disengage. But it is important to hear like, what is the conversation out there?
I do see a lot of misinformation around these protests, right? The conversation that's happening.
And it's not to say that there might not be a few people there saying like anti-Semitic
remarks. But for the most part, what I've seen in communities around here, this is,
you know, a lot of these protests are about a government accountability. They're about,
you know, tax dollars being used a certain way. They're about, you know, being pro-human
life, right? And, and it's very easy to hear these other remarks about what this isn't.
And I think as parents, whether it's this issue or anything, we we have to be informed.
And whether it's like a podcast or like a quick 10 minutes on NPR in the morning, whatever
that source is for you as a parent, you can't tune out. Because this is where there's like
disconnect, right? As young people are engaging in this conversation as parents, we don't
know what they're saying, right? Yes, let's ask questions. But I think we have to bring
something to the conversation to around like, this is what I'm hearing. What's going on?
You know, I've been having this conversation with my own son, like asking him, what have
you heard? This is what I'm hearing. So we're having our own conversations around this issue
and other civic issues. But we we just can't tune out as busy as things get. And yes, our
mental health matters. But we really have to hear both sides of the conversation to
be fully informed leaders.
Yes, I think we have a clip of that video we want to play for people to see and to hear.
Carlos, you want to roll that for us?
They are threatening. If we don't leave the campus, we are going to be arrested. But the
students are so brave. Look at them. They don't want to leave the campus.
Does that concern you, though, as a father, that your daughter is somewhere?
You know, it concerns me. But my daughter did the right decision. If she rather be arrested
fighting for Palestine, I will be the happiest daddy. I will be the happiest dady if she's doing the
right thing. And I know she's doing the right thing. If the police arrest me now, I am willing
to go with the students. I have no problem because what I am doing is the right thing.
I'm fighting against a genocide. I have kids, not only teenager. I have a seven year old. And
I imagine being a father in Palestine to see my kid be assassinated by Israel. That's not
good. We are humanity. This is not a matter of religion, political. No, we are humans.
We cannot support any genocide.
Wow. That's my first time seeing that clip.
Yeah, I've seen this several times. And it always makes me teary, especially where he
says at the end, I am a parent of a seven year old. And to think of other parents, right?
Yeah, Palestinian parents and their own children being murdered. And I think, again, you know,
we talk about parent leadership and that that is parent leadership is to think of all of
these different social issues through that lens, whether it's this specific war, or it's
you know, policies that, you know, could uplift families and poverty, like, what would that
feel like for me as a parent, those nights where I can't feed my child, and you know,
or you know, issues around like bullying or any other policy, what would it feel like
as a parent, if my family was going through this, if my child was going through this,
that empathy is powerful. And we don't always do that. Right? We think of like our ideals
now our values now, instead of like really thinking of like, what would that feel like
for me that like, that hopelessness, right, that your community isn't being helped. It's
powerful. I think for me, the most powerful thing is like that empathy that this father
shows in that moment.
Yeah, it is it is beautiful. And I just kept focusing on his words of, you know, we're
humans, and this is about humanity. And again, you know, people have their opinions on both
sides of it, right. I also want to note that there, there are Jews, there are Israelis
who, who don't want this, who don't want this to continue. And so it really, to me, what,
no matter what side you're on, we all can come around and agree that the loss of life
is terrible. And the loss of seeing babies and children on both sides die is not, it's
not lost on me. And also, I would say that it's important that we continue to raise our
voices around these issues and issues elsewhere in the world, right? Like we, if we look at
the African continent, we look at the Congo, we look at what's happening in Sudan, all
of these places. These things happen every single day to mothers, to children, to whole
communities being wiped out. There's genocide in Africa and on the African continent that's
happening. And so I think these, these issues are important right now. We know that this
is a hot spot in the world. The Middle East, it always has been. I'm a woman of a certain
age and ever since I was young and can watch the news and read the newspaper, this is not
a new story being told, right. And, and so we just, we have to get to a point where we're
actually doing something and we are valuing human beings' lives. And if I think we center
ourselves in that, in the hope of acknowledging and understanding that people, like we're
all human beings, then maybe we can move towards something. But until we stop looking at land
and ownership of things, it's going to be hard to do that around the world. And I think
land has been an issue since the beginning of time. So I'll leave it there. But I am,
I wish I was able to meet that dad. I wish I, watching that video, I just wanted to go
and hug his neck and say, I'm with you. I'm with you. I'm with you. Yeah. So much pride
there.
Yeah, for sure. For sure. Yeah. And I think what more could we want as parents for our
children to live out the values that we've brought them up with and to do so bravely
and fiercely. Yeah, I think there's different, there are different ways to advocate for sure.
I think just to see your children speak up, I think that's always, yeah, it feels good.
It feels good as a parent.
Yeah. And a lot of times they learn that from us, from watching us in community and, right,
and read their examples and they watch us and like, I can do that too. Yeah, maybe I
can do that too.
Right. Right. Yeah. I mean, you know that in my local community, I'm pretty public.
I speak out quite a bit around like education issues. I've had my son there in the room
with me or watching on zoom. And usually before I go, I'll tell him, like, I'm going to go,
I'm going to talk at the board meeting, or I'm going to mention your name or today I
talked about you, right? Like all of the advocacy I do, I do with him in mind, even though he
might not be impacted by the issue, it's him in the community that surrounds him, right?
And that that's really important for me to be able to show that. And this last month,
I mean, May 1st today as we're meeting, but in April at the last board meeting, I talked
about language justice. I've been advocating around language justice for my school community
for a while. If you know me, it's been a while. And one of the things that I did this time
is I gave my comment completely in Spanish and had no intent of translating it or wondered
if they would interpret, right? That things are a little tense on the school board right
now. But I gave my three minutes in Spanish as I was listing out what language justice
would look like in the district, asking for an expansion of our interpretation and translation
department. And I said, you know, this this day last year, I asked for these things and
I'm back again, right? And when emails go unresponded, or there's no action over like
a year's time like this, for some of us, the only place is the public square. And so you
know, I got on the agenda that way. And my comment was not interpreted. And then there
was a Spanish speaking parent after me that spoke on another issue, and they received
interpretation. And there was a board member, right, right. There was a board member that
then looked at her fellow board and looked at her board president and said, Why didn't
she pointing to me in the audience? Why didn't she get the same interpretation? I didn't
understand anything of what she was saying. And so they had a debate from the board around
who gets interpretation, who doesn't, they then asked me to send them the translated
message. And it was it was just so interesting for me to watch their Spanish speaking folks
in the audience, we had a good conversation around it after and I went to a meeting yesterday,
a school meeting on equity and anti racism. And a few folks showed me from the district,
look, I've been translating these things, I want you to know that I trans we saw your
comment. And someone else said, I want you to know, like, we had all these slides translated,
we didn't know if there were going to be any Spanish speakers. And I just had that moment
of like, it's working, right? Like no one told him to do it, right? This definitely
wasn't a directive from the district. But people were watching. And this is why you
engage in that space, right? And you know, someone said, like, someday, this won't be
a thing we have to think about. It'll just be the culture. But like, thank you for doing
that. Right. And I just think it was so amazing, though. But like, for parents who are like
pushing, I think it's important to say like, keep pushing. I always talk about like, I'm
the pebble in like the shoes of these board members, I'm just gonna keep bugging until
they take off their shoe. And they're like, fine, let's do something about this. Right.
And like, I do it as lovingly as possible in the only way I can. But we can't give up,
you know, we and this is still not what I've asked for. Right. But I think little by little,
those who are watching the community will begin to shift this culture. But, you know,
again, like, as soon as I heard that happen, I came home and I told my kid, I was like,
yes, this is what I heard. Right. So like, for him to see like the process or progress.
Right. Yeah. Yeah, that's amazing. I just can't get over the blatant disregard for like,
here's this parent and certainly they know you and they know like, you become that parent,
right? That they fear that that's the troublemaker or disruptor, right? So they're like, we know
she knows how to speak English, right? Oh, for sure. I'm going to tell you, like, they
were like, this is what they were thinking. I'm making a lot of assumptions, but I bet
I'm pretty close. And the blatant disregard for not even like having what you said interpreted
for others is so, so interesting. So interesting. But you did what you needed to do and stuff
is happening. I think also sometimes people just need to hear it because sometimes they
don't know what they don't know. Right? Like it's not as obvious to people what to do.
You know, I had a friend one time make an assumption that I knew how to do some things
like, well, I thought you, everybody should just know how to do that. They felt like I
wasn't showing up for them in a certain way. And during a rough time. And I was like, I
am not a mind reader and I'm like, I only can pull from my experience. And maybe what
I need is not the same thing that you need. And so if you need something from me, just
tell me, because I don't know what I don't know. Right? Like, please don't make assumptions
about what you think I know. Right? And so I think that that showed you that some of
these people just needed to hear it. Like, tell us what to do. We'll do our best, right?
To do it. And then there are the others that are like, I still don't care. Right? Right?
And those are the folks that are going to have to change hearts and minds if they really
want to want to help children and to be the educators and the administrators that we need
for our communities. That's so interesting. And that was during public comment at a board
of ed meeting, a school board meeting. Right. Yeah. Yeah. We're still getting there. We're
getting there. We'll get there eventually. So, you know, I wonder, I'm not sure how many
school board meetings are left in the school year, but I know that, you know, we're not
quite there. Some parts of the country, they're moving along to the close. I'm pretty sure
in the South, May is kind of like we're out of school almost. And then maybe in other
parts of the country. I wonder what are the conversations that parents are having, right?
With their children, with the teachers, with the administrators. I remember something I
used to do, and this is probably bored. I would love to hear your ideas on it. But I
came to know after many years, so I have four children, they're all adults now. But, you
know, I've been around the block a few times with teachers. I can't imagine, you can imagine
how many teachers we had and all the things. And, you know, you buy teacher gifts and they
get mugs and, you know, you give them a gift card or the kid makes them flowers, whatever.
There's lots of things that I've seen happen over the years. But one thing I started doing,
because I asked the principal one time, I said, I want to do something for the teachers,
but I want to do something different because I'm pretty sure they're tired of all these
mugs that we're giving them. How many mugs can they have? And this was an elementary
school teacher, I mean, principal. And she said to me, write them a letter. Write a letter.
Thank them. She said, or even write, write a letter and give me a copy so that they know
that their boss is seeing what you're saying, the good about them and how their interaction
with their child might have helped or changed their life. And so that's what I started doing
with all the teachers. I would write them letters at the end of the school year and
thank them and like go back and think about some of the things that I know happened for
my child because that teacher did it, right? Because they were patient and they were patient
in a way that helped my child to blossom in this area. Or some of the little idiosyncrasies
our children have, like, I know they like to tap their foot. Thank you for your patience,
helping us have strategies that... And I'm going to tell you, one of the teachers, they
all, I'm going to tell you, not one of them did not like the letters. I never heard a
teacher say, I wish you had given me a gift card. They all liked the letters. And then
my, when my oldest son graduated from high school, I wrote letters to all the teachers
I can remember. And I told them they all had a hand in helping him to graduate. I wrote
it to the principals. I was just writing letters. And then I stopped writing the letters when
the other kids got older. I just did cards, like, thank you for helping them achieve this.
I think that's just something to do. That's the conversation that I like to have with
parents. And I think there are different conversations that might be happening. There might be conversations
around, hey, can I give you some feedback as a teacher? Because sometimes it becomes
combative where we're like, you're just not responding to my child's needs. But maybe
on the way out, you give them something, right? Like, hey, here's a thank you. One thing I
like that you did. One thing I would do different to the teachers. What other kinds of conversations
do you think are happening during this end of the school year time? Or what kind of conversation
should be happening?
Yeah, I mean, this, this is also testing time, right, for a lot of our school districts.
And I think this is a good time for mental health conversations with administrators.
And certainly, this is a conversation that we have had as parents of a student that's
about to go through testing. This reminder of like, those tests do not define you. These
tests are about how they're teaching you, but it's not it has nothing to do with you,
whether you do well or you don't do well. It has no bearing on how we see you, right?
We love you, very stressed, you know, all of these things. And I think I'm finally starting
to see schools communicate the same thing. We had a letter from our principal that said
almost the same type of message, right to talk to our students and to let them know
that, you know, if they need certain like strategies to get ready, but that this isn't
the most important thing. And I really appreciated that because that is that is a philosophy
that I hold around tests specifically. They're only meant for certain type of students and
has nothing to do with really tracking proficiency. And so, you know, we've had those conversations,
but I'm glad to see administrators are having those conversations. And really the mental
health for our teachers and staff also, you know, people don't talk about like how students
right now are also like all over the place emotionally as they're closing out the year.
That has an impact on classroom environment. That has an impact on teachers who have done
really well all year, but now students are just like kids are just everywhere emotionally,
right? It's like a roller coaster these last couple of months. And I think, you know, we
have to be really extra thankful and grateful that teachers are holding it together and
staff are holding it together. And so I, you know, I think that's one of the things I try
to communicate and I haven't done the letters. I love the letters idea. I think that's something
I'm going to try doing this year. What we usually do is I talk to Logan like who is
the teacher or who are the teachers that made a difference for you. And let's get something
together, right? Whether it's like one chocolate bar because it's like his teacher's favorite
chocolate bar snickers, right? But that it's something from him and that he really thinks
intentionally, right? About what his teacher's doing.
I love that.
One of the, I'm just going to go kind of dark. So I'm sorry if I'm going to go there, but
one of the recent conversations I had with a former teacher now retired that has made
me really think of teachers differently since we had this conversation almost a month ago
was you know, as we begin the year again, you know, we're talking about sort of like
August when we go back, we were sharing how we always have the active shooter conversations
of family. And she shared how that's a conversation that teachers have amongst themselves and
that the unspoken thing though in those conversations is this expectation that teachers are the
protectors of our children, right? That their bodies are meant for not just teaching our
children, but their bodies are meant to protect the lives of our children.
Wow.
And I had never, I had never really thought of it. I've never heard that from a teacher,
first of all. And it made me, it made me appreciate them in such a different way because she's
right. We don't talk about the expectation that they need to protect their children.
Right. And so I have felt so much gratitude for our educators because it's not just that
they're educating our students, but they go in there knowing every school year that when
the worst happens, right, they are meant to guard our children. And I think as I'm going
into like teacher appreciation week, it's just, it's a heavier feeling for me. It's
not just, you know, yes, they're there to teach my children, but it's also an appreciation
that they're every day putting their life on the line for our kids. Cause that's America
today, right? Unfortunately that is America today. So yeah, I'm definitely feeling something
different this year as I go into this appreciation space.
Thank you for sharing that. I don't have children in schools, you know, K through 12 anymore.
So that's not so apparent for me in that way. What I can tell you, as I got chills as you
were sharing that there are two things. So one, anytime we have this conversation, I
can't not say this person's name because I'd like to honor her life every time I can. And
so I'm going to speak the name of Lauren Russo, who was a teacher who was killed in Sandy
Hook, who I knew well, who was a beautiful human being. And her dream was to be a teacher.
I met her when she was a barista at Starbucks. And I remember when she was in school and
I remember when she finally got that assignment to go be a teacher in school. And so I'm just
going to say her name and honor her because she did put her life on the line for children.
And we don't think about that often enough that they're there to teach, but they're also
there to protect as well. And we don't see them as a first responder at all. We don't
see them as we see police officers who are protecting and serving. And so I'm so appreciative
of you bringing that today. And I hope that when others hear this podcast, that they're
able to think a little differently about teachers as well. Yeah, I think that's all. I was going
to say something else. I think that's it. And we're going to keep, I'm just going to
leave it right there. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I think as we're like ending the close of
our time, we can definitely end this in like a celebratory, like, yes, let's celebrate
teachers. I know it just got a little like heavy. It's okay. It's real. This is real.
But it's also like a time of celebration, right Malvette? Like what are the things that
we celebrate? It is. So I also, I'm just pulling it out there. So I do have loved ones who
work in schools. My daughter in love is a teacher and I know she's always so excited
at the end of the year, right? Looking at her students and how they're progressing and
you know, a lot of stuff is confidential. She doesn't share that, but she just has such
joy in the work. But there are lots of folks out there who are graduating, both students
who are, you know, graduating, but also just moving up to the next grade. And there are
a lot of parents who are graduating too, who are going through their own journey of, you
know, completing school or getting a certification or even embarking on a new dream, like entrepreneurship.
Like there are people who are saying, making a decision. Now that my child has graduated
high school and they're in college, or maybe my college student is off on, I'm going to
now pick up the dream that I wanted. I'm going to become an entrepreneur. I'm going to start
a business. I'm going to do a new thing. I'm going to be a social influencer, whatever
it is. I think that in this season of spring, of, you know, new life that springs forth
as we look around, I think that there are a lot of things that parents, that we should
be celebrating about how parents are moving up and doing things as well as their kids.
I don't know.
Yeah. Yeah. I, that's beautiful. And I'm also celebrating parents who, you know, through
these last 12 years of, or more, right, of public school. And let's add like preschool
and all of that, that you've like made it and whatever, wherever your kiddo goes next,
right? There's always like this conversation. There's that question, like what's happening
next? Where's your kid going next? Let's, can we just like celebrate that we have made
it right to this moment in whatever capacity, you know, we have like brought our children
to like this finish line. And I think sometimes as parents, you just need to sort of like
take that in and like appreciate all of that hard work that parents put in and that our
young ones put in also, it's not just parents. And of course we do this with the help of
like counselors and teachers. But I think if you're a parent that is here and your child
is graduating high school or college, like celebrate yourself. Just take a moment, whatever
that means for you. But I'm celebrating parents who have made it, have made it to like high
school graduations right now.
Yes. I mean, because let's just be clear. The graduation is about the student, but it
really is about that parent. It's about us too. It's about us. Yeah. It's about us.
For sure. Yeah. So we're like, we're in May now. So we're like, what's next? What's coming
up?
Yeah, I think, you know, you and I are traveling for different things. We want to hear about
your new job for the next podcast. So that we can make that like a little bit more official.
But I think there'll be some things, right? We're taking parents to DC in May. So I want
to be able to talk about like that experience. But I just want to say thank you, Movet, for
this like wonderful conversation for letting me go all over the place with it. I always
appreciate it.
I love our time together where we can just chop it up. Absolutely. Yes. Yeah. So until
next time.
All right. Till next time.