THAT’S THE INTERNET FOR YOU,
YOU’VE GOT A WORLDWIDE AUDIENCE.
ASHLEY, MANY THANKS.
OUR NEXT GUEST IS A HIGH SCHOOL
ACCOMPLISH TEACH TEACHER INST
THE -- IN KANSAS, AND SHE’S
CALLING OUT HER SCHOOL DISTRICT
FOR THE DIVERSITY TRAINING.
ALL RIGHT, CAN YOU GIVE ME AN
EXAMPLE OF WHITE SHAMING?
>> YES, I CAN.
WE ARE, WE HAVE MANDATORY DEI
MEETINGS IN OUR DISTRICTS, AND
WE ARE REQUIRED TO GO THE THESE
MEETINGS IN WHICH WE ALSO HAVE
PD, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT,
SESSIONS WHERE WE GO TO SESSIONS
THAT ARE -- WE ARE SUPPOSED TO
TAKE THE INFORMATION BACK TO TO
OUR CLASSROOMS AND PUSH IT ONTO
OUR STUDENTS.
SOME OF THE NAMES OF THESE ARE
NAVIGATING YOUR PRIVILEGE,
SOCIAL JUSTICE IN YOUR
CLASSROOM, BLACK LIVES MATTER,
CREATING A SPACE TO TALK ABOUT
RACE.
WE DID THE PRIVILEGE WALK WHERE
WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO -- BASED
ON THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING,
SHOW OUR PRIVILEGE TO STAFF,
ETC.
STUART: NOW, YOU HAVE YOU HAVE
TO GO TO THESE MEETINGS, RIGHT?
THAT’S -- YOU’VE GOT TO DO THAT.
>> YES, THEY ARE MANDATORY.
I ASKED ABOUT THAT, AND IS WE
ARE REQUIRED TO GO TO THESE
MEETINGS, YES.
STUART: WHAT’S THE RESPONSE OF
TEACHERS LARGELY TO FORCED DEI TRAINING?
TRAINING?
>> WELL, THE TEACHERS, SINCE WE
HAVE TO GO, WE’RE -- MOST
TEACHERS GO AND WE LISTEN TO THE
IT AND WE TRY, YOU KNOW, WE TRY
TO GO THE THESE MEETINGS WITH AN
OPEN HEART AND DO THE BEST WE
CAN, YOU KNOW, IN OUR
CLASSROOMS.
BUT IT’S KIND OF, YOU KNOW,
THERE ARE SOME TEACHERS THAT
JUST DON’T BELIEVE THAT IT’S
RIGHT, AND THERE ARE OTHER
TEACHERS THAT GO ALONG WITH IT.
SO WE JUST -- MOST, I MEAN, I’M
GETTING LOTS OF SUPPORT FROM
TEACHERS INSIDE MY SCHOOL WHO
ARE THANKING ME FOR FINALLY
BRINGING THIS UP.
IS SO --
STUART: OKAY.
I’VE GOT TO TELL YOU THAT WE
REACH OUT TO THE SHAWNEE MISSION
SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR COMMENT.
HERE’S WHAT THEY TOLD US IN
PART: THE ARTICLE YOU REFERENCED
DOES NOT REPRESENT THE BELIEFS
AND/OR EXPERIENCE OF THE VAST
MAJORITY OF STAFF WHO WORK AT
SHAWNEE MISSION NORTH AND
MISREPRESENTS THE WORK WE ARE
DOING AROUND DIVERSITY, EQUITY
AND INCLUSION.
OKAY, THAT’S WHAT THE SCHOOL
BOARD SAYS.
I’M GOING TO MOVE ON FROM THERE.
LISTEN TO THIS.
LISTEN TO WHAT THE GOVERNOR OF
VIRGINIA, GLENN YOUNGKIN, SAID
ABOUT RANDI WEINGARTEN AND THE
COVID LOCKDOWNS.
ROLL THAT TAPE.
>> FOR RANDI WEINGARTEN TO COME
OUT AND AND SAY THAT THEY WERE
TRYING TO GET SCHOOLS OPEN?
LET ME TELL YOU, THIS IS COUNTER
TO ANYTHING PEOPLE BELIEVE AND,
IN FACT, SHE WAS PROBABLY MY
BEST SUPPORT IN GETTING ELECTED
BECAUSE THEY KEPT SCHOOLS SHUT.
PARENTS KNOW IT, THEY KNOW THE
TRUTH.
THEY CANNOT SPIN THEIR WAY OUT
OF THIS.
STUART: WHAT’S YOUR RESPONSE TO
WEINGARTEN’S HANDLING OF THE
PANDEMIC?
>> I HAVEN’T WRITTEN LOTS ABOUT
THIS TOPIC, AND I’VE BEEN
THINKING ABOUT FOR YEARS.
I THINK THE NUMBER ONE THING
THAT TEACHERS WHO FEEL THE SAME
WAY AS I DO IS TO STOP PAYING
UNION DUES TO THE UNION.
WE DO NOT, AS TEACHERS, WE
SHOULD NOT FEEL FORCED OR
COMPELLED THE FUND THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY JUST BECAUSE WE
TEACH.
AND SO I WOULD URGE ANY TEACHERS
TO SOP PAYING -- STOP PAYING TO
THE UNION.
IT’S CORRUPT OR OR, AND IT’S --
STUART: WELL, MANY YOUR SCHOOL
DISTRICT DO YOU HAVE TO JOIN THE
UNION?
>> YOU DO NOT HAVE TO JOIN THE
UNION ALTHOUGH I HAVE BEEN
CALLED A FREELOADER FOR NOT
JOINING THE UNION BECAUSE, YOU
KNOW, THE POLICIES, YOU KNOW,
AFFECT ALL OF US AS TEACHERS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT’S --
STUART: OKAY.
IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHAT
PROPORTION OF TEACHERS ARE IN
THE UNION?
>> I’M NOT 100% SURE ABOUT THAT.
I CAN’T ANSWER THAT.
ALL I KNOW IS THAT WE HAVE
REPRESENTATIVES IN OUR
BUILDINGS, AND WE HAVE -- THE
NEA REPRESENTS OUR SCHOOL.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THAT
IN THE DISTRICT WITH POLICY, BUT
I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE
PART OF IT.
I DO THE KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE
FEEL COERCED TO JOIN THE UNION.
STUART: ANY TEACHERS LEAVING
BECAUSE OF THE WOKE POLICIES?
>> YES, THERE ARE TEACHERS
LEAVING.
THERE IS FRUSTRATION INSIDE THE
BUILDINGS.
IT’S PRETTY MISERABLE ON MANY
CASES.
BUT, YES, I BELIEVE THAT THE
DIVISIVENESS OF THE DE
IMESSAGE IS PROMPTING -- DEI
MESSAGE IS PROMPTING JUST A
CULTURE OF CONTEMPT IN THE
BUILDING THAT IS INTOLERABLE FOR
MANY OF US WHO WORK THERE AND
HAVE WORKED THERE FOR A LONG
TIME.
STUART: NOT A GOOD SITUATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
REVEALING IT TO US.