Yo, Miss! (No. 24)
Slow Burn Into Summer
I spent most of this past week sandwiched between the skyscrapers, tanning at high noon, letting the humidity slow down my thoughts, allowing the sun to heat up my phone until it had to turn off to cool down, and dozing and reading and dozing off again.
Time goes by so fast. I used to just let it. I’m trying to slow it down this summer.
We can manifest anything, they told me on TikTok.
However, although it might sound like I am having a very low key (and work-free) summer, that is actually far from the case. I am just between conferences this week and doing my best to relax and slow down my pace. (Although if you follow me on social media, I have definitely not unplugged)
The previous week I was lucky enough to both attend and present at the 2023 National Teacher Leadership Conference. I was there with Abbey Clements (my fellow co-founder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence), Sydney Chaffee (2017 National Teacher of the Year), and La-Shanda West (Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence Ambassador) to present: “Speaking of Gun Violence: Do Educator Voices Matter?” It was an informative and emotional panel and it was so inspiring to connect with the so many educators.
We also attended some powerful sessions, including one from Voices From An Honest Education, award winning educators of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year. They are passionate about “preserving classrooms as spaces of student-centered honest dialogue to better support students as they navigate their own lives and connections with peers.”
You can read their report here
My biggest takeaway from my time with these incredible teacher leaders in Louisville, Kentucky is that teachers are unstoppable and undeterred by the attacks on our profession. We are not going to let these cynical and hateful groups that want to destroy public education, the bedrock of our democracy, succeed. We are determined. We are organized. We will win.
But we do need parents and everyone who supports inclusive and honest education to join us. That includes the media. We need less people talking about teachers and more people talk to teachers.
Here are some photos from the 2023 National Teacher Leadership Conference.
This weekend, Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence will be presenting at the AFT TEACH Conference in Washington, DC. So, if you happen to be there, please come to our session on Saturday, July 22nd at 10:45am
So, one more day of rest and then I am back on the road!
I have a few recommendations for you
I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary:
and I am currently reading:
I’ve also started posting more history videos. Here is one that I posted today. It is a history lesson about Sundown Towns, Jason Aldean, and “Anti-CRT” Laws
By the way, the above lesson would most likely get me fired in Florida thanks to the new Black History standards the Florida Board of Education passed today. You can read all about it here
Ok. I am going to go back to resting. I hope you are all enjoying the summer. You can support my work here and please share and recommend my newsletter if you like it!