1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:03,840 Speaker 1: This is the Tutor Dixon Podcast, and so often on 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: this podcast we start to get into some of the 3 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: things that are happening to our kids, that we don't 4 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 1: even know that are happening to our kids, and that 5 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: oftentimes has to do with public school. And now we're 6 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: finding out a lot about what goes on with the unions. 7 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: So we brought a former teacher and a former union 8 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: member NEA, union member, National Education Association on. Her name 9 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: is Erica Sanzy. She's here to talk to us. She 10 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: now is more of a political activist. She's with Defending Education. 11 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 1: We talked about this organization a few weeks ago. We 12 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: had Nikki Neely on, we talked about this, but I 13 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 1: saw this article that Erica put out about what is 14 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: going on with the teaching behind the scenes. The NEA, 15 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: the teachers' union, actually has these conferences and they invite 16 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: a bunch of teachers and they teach some pretty radical stuff. So, Erica, 17 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: thank you so much for being on today and telling 18 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 1: us what exactly is going on behind the scenes. 19 00:00:58,240 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for having me. 20 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 3: What's going on behind the scenes is that the NEA 21 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 3: and teachers' unions more generally have always tilted to the left, 22 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 3: and they've always overwhelmingly supported Democrats. And even when I 23 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:16,839 Speaker 3: was in the NEA in the late nineties and early 24 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 3: two thousands, I can remember them sending glossy mailers to 25 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 3: our homes telling us, you know who we should vote for. So, 26 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,400 Speaker 3: for example, in the two thousand and four primary, they 27 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 3: wanted us to vote for Howard Dean, but I never. 28 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 1: I just want to stop you because I think it's 29 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: so funny. We've talked about this before we got on 30 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: and I was like, that's shocking, and you said that's 31 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:40,959 Speaker 1: not even bad. And it's shocking to me because I 32 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: think if you haven't been in a public union like this, 33 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: I've worked in many different jobs. I've worked in at 34 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: big pr firms, I've worked in a foundry, I've worked 35 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: at a steel mill. Never in my career did anybody 36 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: say to me, this is who we suggest you vote for. 37 00:01:58,200 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: But to you, it was so normal. 38 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 3: Oh, you mean they didn't spend your membership dues that 39 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 3: you were forced to pay to send you over priced 40 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 3: glossy mailers telling you who to vote for. 41 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 2: Well at the time. 42 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 3: I mean again, the difference is, at the time they 43 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 3: felt like a Democrat leaning organization, but they felt to 44 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 3: me at least, it seemed like they were tethered to reality. 45 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 3: They have morph over the past couple decades into what 46 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 3: I publicly have called an insane asylum. 47 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 2: They are run. 48 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:38,679 Speaker 3: By radicals, They are totally ideological. Their focus if you name, 49 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,399 Speaker 3: you know, all the hot button issues that that progressive 50 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,679 Speaker 3: sort of fixate on. That those are their priorities. So 51 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 3: there will you will never hear about improving instruction. You 52 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 3: will never hear about student outcomes, You will never really 53 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 3: hear about learning. So you will certainly never hear about 54 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 3: like parents as partners. 55 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: Let me pick on that for a second, because we 56 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: have heard about out terrible reading scores across the country. 57 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: I mean it's not just you know, I talk about 58 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: Michigan a lot. Michigan is really bad, but really the 59 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: United States is below most Western countries. Our reading scores 60 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: are terrible, Our math scores are terrible. And the fact 61 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 1: that that that is shocking to me because that is 62 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: something at work every place I've worked. It's like, we 63 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: got to get better. We got to get better. The 64 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:28,359 Speaker 1: product that we are delivering has to be better. Ultimately, 65 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: the product that teachers are delivering is an education and 66 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: yet this latest conversation at the NEA has been about 67 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: advancing LGBTQ justice and transgender advocacy. 68 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 3: I mean, what, yeah, like to my point, that is 69 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 3: their focus. So and just for if listeners who aren't 70 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 3: or viewers I guess right, aren't familiar with the data 71 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 3: on student outcomes. I pulled a couple numbers before we 72 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 3: came on, just so I could let people know. So, 73 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 3: thirty one percent of fourth graders are currently considered proficient 74 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 3: at reading. 75 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: So sad, twenty two. 76 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 3: Percent of twelfth graders are considered proficient in math. So 77 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 3: we're talking very very low numbers. But the other piece 78 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:16,679 Speaker 3: that's really important here is that on these reading I'm sorry, 79 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:21,160 Speaker 3: on these test results, you have proficient, you have proficient 80 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:23,720 Speaker 3: with distinction, which is like the high achievers, that's a 81 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 3: small percentage. Then you have the proficient, which means that 82 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 3: they're meeting the benchmark. Then you have partially proficient, which 83 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 3: means like they're they're not in dire straits, but they're 84 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 3: not meeting the benchmark. And then you have something called 85 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 3: below basic. A very alarming part of the data is 86 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 3: that a very large swath of students are falling into 87 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 3: that below basic category, which means they're not even approaching proficiency. So, 88 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 3: for example, in reading in twelfth grade, thirty two percent 89 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 3: of seniors in high school fall into that below basic category, 90 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:04,600 Speaker 3: which means they're not even approaching the benchmark. And that 91 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:08,160 Speaker 3: is extremely alarming to have such a big number in 92 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,560 Speaker 3: that bottom bucket. And again that is something it's like 93 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 3: a five alarm fire. The trajectory for student outcomes has 94 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 3: been going downward for a long time decades, and instead 95 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 3: we see the biggest you teachers' union in the country 96 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 3: that gives ninety over ninety nine percent of its money 97 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:34,280 Speaker 3: now to Democratic candidates, focused on on, you know, providing 98 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 3: sample templates for teachers who want to change their gender, 99 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 3: you know, helping them share that with the rest of 100 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:45,679 Speaker 3: the school community. 101 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 1: It is stunning to me. And when you talk about 102 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: those math scores, I just want to point out when 103 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: I was traveling around to businesses in this state that 104 00:05:56,440 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: are usually getting skilled tradesmen, usually getting kids out of 105 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: high school, they said they had to actually take reading 106 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: a ruler off of their tests to get to just 107 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 1: hire their hiring exam because students couldn't do that. High 108 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 1: school students couldn't do that. I mean this you said 109 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: a far five alarm, five alarm fire. You are right, 110 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,719 Speaker 1: this is a five alarm fire, and yet that's not 111 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: how the Union sees it. And if we talk about 112 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 1: this we get pushback from the progressive left. You also 113 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 1: said something else that I thought was interesting. You were like, 114 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:33,720 Speaker 1: you know, it used to be that they were just 115 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 1: like I just thought this was like a normal group, 116 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:40,599 Speaker 1: and they were just Democrats. That's how we thought democrats were. 117 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: They were just Democrats. But now they've gone to this 118 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 1: radical extreme and this stuff, this transgender advocacy, LGBTQ justice, 119 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: that was why they lost the last election. Why are 120 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:54,600 Speaker 1: they doing this? Do they just figure they can get 121 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 1: the youth on board, We're all screwed. 122 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:00,840 Speaker 3: I mean, I am having a very hard time wrapping 123 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 3: my head around this as well. I mean, it is 124 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 3: a cult like ideology. So I actually do think that 125 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 3: for some people they are just true believers, right. This 126 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 3: is they've been marinating in this belief system in worldview 127 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 3: for a really long time. Also, when you are in 128 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 3: progressive circles, you cannot step out of line or you 129 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 3: will be sort of shunned and expelled from your group. 130 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 3: So if that's your world, right, then it's like, well, 131 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 3: I may know that it's ridiculous that a male just 132 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 3: won the women's powerlifting competition, but I can't say that 133 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 3: because if I do, like my whole like social circle 134 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 3: will implode. 135 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: How welcoming and exclusion and include So I. 136 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 3: Sort of think that you have like the true believers, 137 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 3: and then you have the people that know it's nuts, 138 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 3: but go along with it because they don't want their 139 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 3: whole again, like they're kind of like world to implode. 140 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 3: And just a quick little thing that I happen to 141 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 3: know is that preference falsification, this idea that like behind 142 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 3: the scenes you say what you really think, but then 143 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 3: like outwardly you pretend that you agree with things that 144 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 3: you don't. 145 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 2: It's the highest for this issue around gender. 146 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 3: That's where we see people the most unwilling to just 147 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 3: like I gain say the truth or just state like say, 148 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 3: I'm not gonna play make believe right like I'm not, 149 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 3: I'm not engaging in this game of make believe and 150 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 3: pretending that things aren't what they are. 151 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 1: I noticed in one of these in one of these scenarios, 152 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 1: it's like one of these teachings that they have at 153 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: this conference. I think this is you guys pulled something 154 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:42,960 Speaker 1: out of the teachings, and I know you're looking in 155 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:47,960 Speaker 1: greater depth at this, but it says embrace replace, say 156 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 1: this our genders or genders instead of gender. And it 157 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: says because pluralizing genders enables a greater agreement with our 158 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 1: worldview and helps activate more expansive attitudes toward our genders 159 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 1: and transgender people. This is what they're saying to use 160 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: in class, right. 161 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 3: This is the language that they want their members to 162 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 3: use again in pursuit of a political goal. So the 163 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,439 Speaker 3: idea is that they are working on their messaging strategy, 164 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 3: and they want their messaging strategy to incorporate race, class, 165 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 3: engender at all times. Because these psychos think that it's 166 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:37,559 Speaker 3: it's a useful and acceptable tactic to compare gender justice 167 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 3: to the civil rights movement, and so they want to 168 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 3: link race and class to this gender thing, thinking that 169 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 3: it'll be harder to go against them if they make 170 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,200 Speaker 3: it seem more like a civil rights argument. 171 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 2: But the other thing that's kind of crazy in. 172 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 3: Here, they use the word villains in their training to 173 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:02,679 Speaker 3: describe anybody who ap you know, this ideology or this 174 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 3: messaging They specifically name Republicans as the villains, although they 175 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 3: seem to include all people in opposition, and they also 176 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:16,560 Speaker 3: say that their opposition can only be explained by racism 177 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:21,959 Speaker 3: and transphobia and racist dog whistles, oh I'm sorry, and 178 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 3: that they're fascists. This is These are words like every 179 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:27,840 Speaker 3: word I just used is in the documents. 180 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: That's another. So there's another. This is I've been told recently, 181 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 1: if you don't have racism, then on the left you 182 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 1: don't have much. So you've got to keep racism alive. 183 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 1: So you have to create racism. And I think that 184 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 1: a lot of people from the gen X generation have 185 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 1: been like, what is happening. This is not how we 186 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: grew up. This is not people didn't talk this way. 187 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 1: There was not a focus on racism. And I've even 188 00:10:56,720 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 1: had I come from the suburbs of Chicago, we had 189 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:03,360 Speaker 1: a very diverse high school. And even my high school 190 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:07,200 Speaker 1: friends I've noticed have commented on Facebook like this, my 191 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:10,079 Speaker 1: high school friends of color, They have said, this wasn't 192 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: how it was When we were in high school. We 193 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: did not feel racism, we didn't feel like this, But 194 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 1: now it's like one of these This is a quote 195 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 1: from the material. We see this in high schools. We 196 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: see this, wait, we see this in how high schools 197 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 1: tell black kids how to keep their hair or send 198 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 1: girls home from school for the clothes that they're wearing. 199 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:34,080 Speaker 1: Like we keep talking about how we have to have 200 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: these laws, You've got Michelle Obama out there making telling 201 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:39,679 Speaker 1: people that white people are telling black people how to 202 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 1: wear their hair. Now they're saying that you if you 203 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:46,560 Speaker 1: send girls home from school for breaking dress code, I mean, 204 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 1: I gotta tell you, We've had kids sent home from 205 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: our school for wearing things that are inappropriate to school. 206 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 1: There are rules on whether or not you can wear 207 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: short skirts and many and crop tops. 208 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 3: So one of the issues is some of us believe 209 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 3: that the that the way that we sort of respect 210 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 3: people is that we hold them all to the same standard. 211 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:14,720 Speaker 3: Other people think that if you don't make special concessions 212 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:17,079 Speaker 3: or you don't change the rules for certain people because 213 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 3: of some marginalized status that you believe that they hold, 214 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 3: then you're not you know, you're not engaging in equity 215 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 3: is what they would call it. 216 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 2: So you're right, Like having. 217 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:29,120 Speaker 3: I've worked in I worked in very affluent school districts. 218 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:33,400 Speaker 3: I worked in high poverty schools. I worked in public, 219 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 3: charter and parochial. Right, I have seen many students written 220 00:12:39,559 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 3: up for dress code, and I have seen many students 221 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 3: either sent home or mom or dad had to bring 222 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 3: something in. 223 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:48,319 Speaker 2: And that has always been. 224 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:52,960 Speaker 3: Sort of not to use a very you know, controversial word, 225 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:54,840 Speaker 3: but that was a colorblind. 226 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 2: Thing that absolutely when I was it was in important. 227 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 3: Now if somebody I wanted to make the argument, well, 228 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 3: the style, you know, this style is more common with 229 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:08,199 Speaker 3: this group, and therefore they are getting written up for 230 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:11,319 Speaker 3: dress code more. I mean, people can have that conversation, 231 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 3: but that doesn't change the fact that, like, you have 232 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 3: the rule in place, and. 233 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 2: I can't remember when it as a time. 234 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 3: There may have been a time too, Like I'm not 235 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 3: positive about this, but there have been I think some 236 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:25,319 Speaker 3: rules regarding hair that might have been a bit discriminatory. 237 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:30,320 Speaker 3: But again that's a very small problem that can be 238 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 3: fixed versus oh, we're not going to talk about reading, math, literacy, civics. 239 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 3: We're going to obsess over this tiny little thing that 240 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,120 Speaker 3: might be an issue in some school because they didn't 241 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 3: allow kids to have dreads. 242 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:47,640 Speaker 1: But see that's the thing. It's not about that. The 243 00:13:47,679 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 1: title of this is actually architecture of a race class 244 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 1: gender narrative. So this is like we're creating. This is 245 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 1: how we create the architecture. This is how we build 246 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 1: the narrative that there is a race class gender issue here. 247 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:04,280 Speaker 1: And I can tell you I can remember when I 248 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 1: was in high school and junior high and we would 249 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 1: have to watch Degrassi Junior High in school, and I 250 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 1: can remember an exact episode where the girl would leave 251 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 1: and she would change her clothes in the car on 252 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 1: the way to school, and then she got in trouble 253 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 1: at school, and it was like the lesson there was, 254 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: don't do that. This is not there's nothing new. Students 255 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 1: aren't doing anything new. We're always trying new. 256 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 3: Like all the girls I get out of the school 257 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 3: with their car, well they used to maybe not so 258 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 3: much anymore, with their skirts like the right length. And 259 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 3: then they get out of the car and they get 260 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 3: out of sight and they roll them until they're like 261 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:42,880 Speaker 3: basically as long as they're underwear. So it's just advertised 262 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 3: that this happens a lot because you can usually find 263 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:49,560 Speaker 3: one example of a bad thing that happened. So what 264 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 3: they do is they find one example and then they 265 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 3: make it as if this is a common thing happening everywhere, 266 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 3: and then they decide we need to focus on this, 267 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 3: talk about this, make this the narrative. Why Because it's 268 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 3: a new, shiny object that shifts the focus from what matters, 269 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 3: which is that students are not learning well enough. It 270 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 3: means it's, you know, shifted from the fact that schools 271 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 3: are hiding information from parents about their own children. It's 272 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 3: like they know that if they shift to this new 273 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:23,600 Speaker 3: stupid thing, then the focus and because it is true, 274 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 3: like there's the people. The media, for example, in many 275 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 3: cases will immediately go to that dumb, small thing and 276 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 3: make it a g giant issue and not talk about 277 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 3: the fact that the vast majority of school districts in 278 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 3: the United States have written policies to withhold information from 279 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 3: parents about their own child new gender and new gender 280 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 3: accommodations at school. 281 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on 282 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: the Tutor Dixon podcast. When you talk about them saying 283 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 1: we're not going to dress code kids, this is a 284 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 1: slippery slope into you are right, you can do anything, 285 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 1: there are no rules, and don't let anybody hold you back. 286 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 1: Be your true self. If that is wearing a tiny 287 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: skirt or changing your gender, because then it does go 288 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 1: into and exploit the lack of familiarity with transgender people. 289 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: And then in quotes it says and how certain politicians 290 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 1: exploit lack of familiarity with transgender people excluding trans kids 291 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:32,440 Speaker 1: from healthcare, school or sports. So now you really are 292 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: this is to the teachers, this is what they're learning. 293 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: Now you really are injecting full indoctrination politics into not 294 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,160 Speaker 1: only the teacher, but the teachers. Meant to then bring 295 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: that to the school and tell the students this politician 296 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: is bad, a specific politician is bad because they are 297 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 1: stopping your friends from getting healthcare, which we know other 298 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 1: countries have banned what they're calling healthcare because it is 299 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: so it is so mutilating to these children, and then 300 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: excluding them from sports. This is to protect women. 301 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 3: It's again, notice how benign the language sounds. They're not 302 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:22,399 Speaker 3: talking about, you know, potential sterility of kids. They're not 303 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:27,879 Speaker 3: talking about the irreversible damage that occurs when you pause 304 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:32,159 Speaker 3: and stop puberty and put children on cross sex hormones 305 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 3: that five years later they are very likely to regret. 306 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:40,120 Speaker 3: And they're not talking about the fact that the only 307 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:42,359 Speaker 3: reason we have a women's division in the first place 308 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:45,400 Speaker 3: is because they can't compete obviously at an elite level 309 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 3: against the men. I mean, I had a school board 310 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 3: member in my own town say to me, and by 311 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 3: the way, the worst people on this issue of sports 312 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:59,040 Speaker 3: are the ones who never played any sports and don't 313 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 3: like sports and don't watchboards and don't have kids who 314 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,680 Speaker 3: play sports. Because they literally don't think there's a difference. 315 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 3: They really don't. They just like so the school board, 316 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:10,440 Speaker 3: the elected school board might have been the chair actually 317 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:13,880 Speaker 3: said to me on the phone, I don't understand why 318 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 3: we can't just have tryouts for the swim team and 319 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:20,120 Speaker 3: everybody just goes together, all the boys and the girls together, 320 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 3: and then just the best kids make the team. This 321 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 3: is what he said. Like does he not we don't 322 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:29,200 Speaker 3: understand that much about it, never compete against Michael Phelps? 323 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:32,760 Speaker 2: Does he not know this? But the reality is he 324 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:33,560 Speaker 2: doesn't know this. 325 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:37,239 Speaker 3: So my new So my new proposed Like, you know, 326 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:38,920 Speaker 3: if I ever want to write a book for fun, 327 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 3: one of my proposed rules is going to be like, 328 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:42,160 Speaker 3: you can't be on a school board if you haven't 329 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:46,879 Speaker 3: played sports. I mean, I'm joking, but I'm joking, but 330 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 3: you can't have a school board full of people that 331 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:49,960 Speaker 3: that were nobody did. 332 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 1: That's the problem. It's at the point where there is 333 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:58,040 Speaker 1: no voice of reason, no experience, no life experience brought 334 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:00,439 Speaker 1: to this and so often. I mean, we had person 335 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:04,160 Speaker 1: on one of the local school boards here, not a parent, 336 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,960 Speaker 1: had no kids, not involved with the school at all, 337 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: a young guy who I think ended up getting caught 338 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:14,480 Speaker 1: in bezzling or something, but a young twenty something year 339 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:17,680 Speaker 1: old guy who for some reason joined the school board 340 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 1: and was saying all these radical things. But this is 341 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:23,160 Speaker 1: kind of teaching this. They have a campaign lab. They're 342 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 1: teaching teachers to be activists. And to me, I mean 343 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 1: right now in our state, this is something that I 344 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 1: think people don't realize is these are the types of 345 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 1: groups that get these these radical ballot initiatives into laws. 346 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 1: So they have this campaign lab. So all of a sudden, 347 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:44,679 Speaker 1: in a swing state, you have all these teachers that 348 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:46,679 Speaker 1: are just ready to go out and knocked doors and 349 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:50,000 Speaker 1: campaign for you. Well, they have something on the back 350 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:51,720 Speaker 1: or they're trying to put something on the ballot that 351 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: would say that candidates can't get money from any corporations. 352 00:19:57,040 --> 00:19:59,879 Speaker 1: But unions are exempt from this. So think about all 353 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:02,919 Speaker 1: of money that would go into Democrat candidates and you 354 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:06,640 Speaker 1: have an entire system that is ready to go out 355 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:11,199 Speaker 1: and do the ground game, be the grassroots built into 356 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 1: a system that is paid for by tax dollars. That's 357 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:15,119 Speaker 1: the real kicker. 358 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 3: Well, and also like I don't I mean, you know, 359 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:21,160 Speaker 3: most people in the country are independents, but it's fair 360 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:24,400 Speaker 3: to say that we're about fifty we're a split country. Well, 361 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 3: the Teachers Union, the largest teachers union for public school 362 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 3: teachers in the country, is essentially saying that half the 363 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:37,440 Speaker 3: country that the parents of the students that their members serve, 364 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 3: are villains, transphobes, fascists and engaging in racist dog whistles. 365 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 3: So what is I mean that to me is a 366 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 3: is almost a bigger problem. They are vilifying half at 367 00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:00,120 Speaker 3: least half of the country, and that means that they 368 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 3: see the parents of the students of their members as 369 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:04,520 Speaker 3: the enemy. 370 00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 1: Who are the people that it's not all teachers that 371 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 1: go to these conferences. And that's the thing I think 372 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:16,439 Speaker 1: that is also challenging because as we talk about this, 373 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,240 Speaker 1: I don't want people listening to this to be like 374 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:21,679 Speaker 1: every teacher at a public school feels this way and 375 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:24,800 Speaker 1: they want to indoctrinate my kids. There is a small 376 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: group that is this far left political activism group that 377 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 1: is in our schools. Now, that's not to take away 378 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: their power. They are powerful. I mean, the NEA and 379 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 1: the AFT together contributed more than forty three million dollars 380 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 1: between twenty two and twenty four to left wing political advocacy. 381 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 1: So they are they are trying to do this. It's 382 00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:49,920 Speaker 1: not everybody, though, who is going to these So. 383 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, this has to be a nuanced thing because for 384 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:55,439 Speaker 3: some reason, two teachers and I say this as a 385 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:58,880 Speaker 3: former one, so I witness it a lot. Any critique 386 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 3: of a teacher or teachers, it lands on the ears 387 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:05,639 Speaker 3: of teachers that you're talking about all of them. It's 388 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 3: like it's this one group for some reason, just like 389 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 3: you can't you can't converse about them without it being 390 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:13,760 Speaker 3: you know that something that you said if totally unfair 391 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:18,400 Speaker 3: because you're you're smearing all of them. There's a couple 392 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 3: of things going on. One is the leadership of the 393 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:26,280 Speaker 3: union is absolutely run by radical ideologues. 394 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 2: They are far leftists. They are obsessed with these causes. 395 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 3: It is who they are I don't think it used 396 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:36,840 Speaker 3: to be like this, but there is no question. Again, 397 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:38,840 Speaker 3: like for me, even from the late nineties and the 398 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 3: early two thousands to now, I find this just the 399 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:46,400 Speaker 3: messaging coming out of them, the issues that they focus on, 400 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:53,480 Speaker 3: they are completely different and very extreme. I'm not like, 401 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 3: this isn't hyperbole. I don't normally use the word radical 402 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:58,199 Speaker 3: because I think it's overused, but in the case of 403 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:01,120 Speaker 3: the leadership of this organization, it is the correct word. 404 00:23:02,119 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 3: They are far left radical ideologues. The rank and file 405 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 3: members who really have no choice, it's like you just 406 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:11,639 Speaker 3: you are. I mean, now, there are these ways that 407 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 3: you can kind of opt out of the union, but 408 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 3: it's hard to do, and most people don't do it. 409 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:17,960 Speaker 3: I shouldn't say it's hard to do, it's just you 410 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:19,760 Speaker 3: have to take an extra step. Most people don't do it. 411 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:23,240 Speaker 3: They don't know that their union is even doing this. 412 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 3: They probably never think about their union. And the other 413 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:32,000 Speaker 3: thing that's very important to know is that oftentimes even 414 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 3: the leader of a union misrepresents their members. So for example, 415 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 3: during COVID, when my local schools were closed, the head 416 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 3: of the local union got up and said that the 417 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 3: majority of the teachers wanted didn't want to go back 418 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 3: to in person schooling. 419 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:55,040 Speaker 2: That was a lie. 420 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:58,040 Speaker 3: We had an overwhelming majority of students that want I 421 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 3: mean teachers, I'm sorry, teachers, teachers wanted to go back. 422 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 3: She was saying, my members don't feel safe, they don't 423 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,120 Speaker 3: want to go back. That wasn't even true. We knew 424 00:24:06,119 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 3: that we had about seventy percent of teachers that wanted 425 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:11,760 Speaker 3: to go back. So number one, they lie. Number two, 426 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 3: teachers that are more my age, I'm gen x are 427 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 3: they didn't marinade in this ideology in their teacher prep programs, 428 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 3: so they are now saying to themselves, what the hell 429 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:32,359 Speaker 3: is going on with these brand new teachers coming out 430 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:36,840 Speaker 3: of school that are saying, we were taught in school 431 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:39,600 Speaker 3: that teaching is a political act. We were taught in 432 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 3: school that our responsibility is to be activists. 433 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 1: That's what we thought. 434 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 3: That's what we're just hearing, and we're like, what if 435 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:49,840 Speaker 3: you look, and we actually did at Defending Education, We 436 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:51,600 Speaker 3: did a report on this, so people can look at 437 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 3: the documents. It tells them your job is to be 438 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:58,760 Speaker 3: an advocate and an activist for social justice, and here's 439 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:02,000 Speaker 3: how we define that. So that means that if a 440 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:06,720 Speaker 3: person is a bit more conservative or apolitical and their 441 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 3: idea like for example, I would argue that social justice 442 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:15,520 Speaker 3: is literacy. In teaching children to read, no matter their background, 443 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:19,200 Speaker 3: no matter their zip code, it's making sure that children 444 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 3: can read. I would argue that is social justice, right. 445 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 2: But for the. 446 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:28,919 Speaker 3: Teachers coming out of these programs, it's all equity, it's inclusion, 447 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 3: it's queer theory based stuff. It's climate justice all the time. 448 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,679 Speaker 3: It's all the evils of whiteness and white privilege and 449 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 3: all of these buzzwords. That's what they're hearing. So it's 450 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:43,880 Speaker 3: not just that they think they have to be political 451 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 3: and be activists. They have very specific causes that they 452 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 3: believe they have to push as classroom teachers, which to 453 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:56,199 Speaker 3: a forty five year old, fifty year old teacher fifty 454 00:25:56,200 --> 00:26:00,439 Speaker 3: two if you're my age, it sounds insane. Yeah, and 455 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:02,919 Speaker 3: they're thinking, that's not your role. What are you talking about, Like, 456 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:05,960 Speaker 3: that's not the job. But to the twenty two year old, 457 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 3: they've been taught in their teacher prep programs that that 458 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:13,280 Speaker 3: is the job, and that is a something that I 459 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:18,920 Speaker 3: still think the larger public does not realize. Does this 460 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:22,880 Speaker 3: hagend and has changed in teacher ed Does that make. 461 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 1: The union more powerful? Because there seems to be in 462 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 1: this younger generation and these new teachers, but not just teachers, 463 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:33,159 Speaker 1: this generation coming out of college today, it feels like 464 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:36,200 Speaker 1: they have a sense of wanting to be a part 465 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:38,960 Speaker 1: of a bigger group. They love political activism, they love 466 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:41,960 Speaker 1: to be a part of something bigger than them. They're 467 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 1: not always a part of a church, so it seems 468 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 1: like they're looking for something that kind of feels that 469 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:49,200 Speaker 1: same way, like I'm a part of this and I'm 470 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:52,720 Speaker 1: a leader in this. Are they the ones that are 471 00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:56,159 Speaker 1: more prone to going to these conferences? And is that 472 00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:56,880 Speaker 1: the future? 473 00:26:57,400 --> 00:26:59,600 Speaker 2: I actually don't know the answer to that question. 474 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:01,440 Speaker 3: I feel like a lot of times when I see 475 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:04,199 Speaker 3: like photos of like union people out with signs, they 476 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 3: actually often see middle age. But uh, I'm I'm not 477 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:15,199 Speaker 3: actually sure about that. I will say it may sound controversial, 478 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 3: but it's just a fact as teaching has become increasingly female. 479 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:23,080 Speaker 3: I mean, the numbers are I mean, the male teacher 480 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 3: numbers have really just kind of dropped off a cliff, 481 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:30,639 Speaker 3: especially at the elementary level. You're also just young females. 482 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:35,480 Speaker 3: Skew left. Yeah, yes, so you're gonna see more of that. 483 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:40,359 Speaker 3: Whereas like, like I'm thinking right now of some of 484 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:42,439 Speaker 3: some young guys. I know they've coached my kids in 485 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:44,159 Speaker 3: the past, so they're, you know, in their twenties, and 486 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 3: their teachers and coaches, they're they're. 487 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:47,560 Speaker 2: Down with any of this. 488 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 3: I don't if I asked them about it, I don't 489 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 3: know if they would know about it. I certainly have 490 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:54,560 Speaker 3: heard them say, oh, my gosh, like you know, all 491 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:57,960 Speaker 3: this pro they the gender pronoun stuff. They think it 492 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 3: is super dumb, very annoying, ridiculous. 493 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:03,840 Speaker 2: But I think they kind of keep their heads down. 494 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:06,600 Speaker 1: I think so many people are keeping their heads down 495 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:10,280 Speaker 1: because this is your career. And I get that from 496 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:12,440 Speaker 1: the standpoint of I don't want to rock the vote. 497 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 1: I don't want to get kicked out, I don't want 498 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:16,639 Speaker 1: to get fired. I don't want to be ostracized. I mean, 499 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:18,720 Speaker 1: you're in a group. These are the people you see 500 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:20,520 Speaker 1: every day, and you don't want to be on the 501 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 1: outside of that. And you're young, and you're in the 502 00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:25,520 Speaker 1: beginning of your career, and you don't feel like you 503 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 1: can come out and say these things. And I am 504 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:30,440 Speaker 1: not making excuses. I think that this is human nature 505 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 1: and its reality, and we have to understand that when 506 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,040 Speaker 1: you see these things, when people are coming back with gosh, 507 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:41,640 Speaker 1: this stuff that is written in these trainings is so extreme. 508 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:45,720 Speaker 1: It's like, share your pronouns. If we want to get 509 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:48,760 Speaker 1: out of the habit of assuming pronouns, then we need 510 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:52,800 Speaker 1: to introduce with our pronouns. This is I thought we were. 511 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:56,000 Speaker 1: It's funny to me because I thought after the last 512 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 1: election that Democrats were like, oh, maybe this stuff isn't 513 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: the way. And we're hearing on the news affordability, affordability, 514 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 1: let's talk about that. But the radical left, and maybe 515 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:11,720 Speaker 1: not even so radical, is still pushing no, we've got 516 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:15,480 Speaker 1: to accept. And I'll never get it. I don't understand 517 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:18,760 Speaker 1: why the confusion. Why do they love the confusion, the 518 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:22,400 Speaker 1: confusion of pronouns. And that's at a very young age. 519 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 1: I mean, the other day we were listening to Rosie 520 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:28,240 Speaker 1: O'Donnell talking about her kid, and she's talking about her 521 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:32,000 Speaker 1: and she's saying she this, and she's like, now they 522 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:35,720 Speaker 1: are sleeping with me and they're doing this. And the 523 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:37,600 Speaker 1: girl that was sitting with me, she goes, who are 524 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:39,600 Speaker 1: she talking about? And I said the kid, and she 525 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:42,200 Speaker 1: was like and like another person, and I was like, no, 526 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:45,080 Speaker 1: just the kid. This is the confusing. I mean, it's 527 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:48,280 Speaker 1: not even proper grammar. Nobody knows what people are saying. 528 00:29:48,520 --> 00:29:52,600 Speaker 3: But at least with that, it's her own life, yes, 529 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:55,440 Speaker 3: and it's her private if that's what she wants to do. 530 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:55,960 Speaker 1: Right. 531 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 2: My issue is. 532 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 3: You're telling public employees a publicly funded school. 533 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:03,760 Speaker 2: System, that's what I means, and they have to. 534 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 3: I mean, it just it says, add your pronouns to badges, emails, documents, 535 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 3: and system use pronoun pins if your school ID can't 536 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:15,280 Speaker 3: be changed. So now now you have a lanyard with 537 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:18,720 Speaker 3: an ID and a little dumb pin. And it says, 538 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:20,680 Speaker 3: and this is another reason why they're keeping their head down. 539 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 3: The people who don't agree. It says misgendering should prompt 540 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 3: corrective action and or consequences. So if you're a young 541 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 3: teacher and you're told that to not go along with 542 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:40,959 Speaker 3: this qualifies as harassment and you should be you know, punished. 543 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:44,200 Speaker 3: I mean again, there are those out there that are 544 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:46,480 Speaker 3: always going to just sort of be that brave type 545 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:48,560 Speaker 3: when they're gonna be like, I'm not going along with this. 546 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:51,960 Speaker 3: But it's not human nature to your point. And it's 547 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:54,240 Speaker 3: also like they don't want to put their job at risk. 548 00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:57,120 Speaker 1: Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on 549 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:03,280 Speaker 1: the Tutor Dixon podcast. Is teaching not hard enough? I mean, 550 00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 1: I see the kids today. Even so, we moved our 551 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:09,960 Speaker 1: kids during the pandemic. We went from public school to 552 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: private school. Even in the private school, we have kids 553 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:16,120 Speaker 1: that are talking back to the teachers, getting sent out 554 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 1: of class, and it's so much different than the public school. 555 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:21,640 Speaker 1: The public school kids are so much harder to deal 556 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:24,000 Speaker 1: with today than when you and I were in school. 557 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 1: I mean, I look at the way they behave would 558 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:29,600 Speaker 1: never have happened when we were in school. You're dealing 559 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:31,960 Speaker 1: with that already. You were already dealing with that. You're 560 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 1: dealing with all the gentle parents out there that are like, 561 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:37,080 Speaker 1: don't say we had I just have to say this 562 00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: because I still can't believe it. We had a teacher 563 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:43,800 Speaker 1: who said she was asked by the parent to and 564 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 1: this is in first grade. She was asked by the 565 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:49,720 Speaker 1: parent to only reprimand her daughter while having a puppet 566 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:51,719 Speaker 1: on her hand, and she brought the puppet to school 567 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:54,360 Speaker 1: and told the teacher that only the puppet could talk 568 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:56,760 Speaker 1: to her and tell her that she had done something wrong, 569 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 1: and the teacher was like, what do I even do 570 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 1: with that? I hear stories like that. I'm like, this 571 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 1: generation of parents is challenging, this generation of kids is challenging, 572 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:09,880 Speaker 1: And then you have to worry about this crap and 573 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:13,840 Speaker 1: having to like navigate around all the emotional teachers and 574 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:17,400 Speaker 1: teachers union people. What how do people even stand doing 575 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:19,200 Speaker 1: the job. That's why we can't get people to teach 576 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:19,960 Speaker 1: the barely. 577 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:23,800 Speaker 3: I mean what we have seen teachers are one hundred 578 00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:25,800 Speaker 3: percent at the end of their rope in terms of 579 00:32:26,440 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 3: behavior and discipline for a variety of reasons. One is 580 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:33,240 Speaker 3: the behavior is much worse just societally. It was getting 581 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:35,760 Speaker 3: worse anyway, but the pandemic really blew that up. 582 00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 1: Yeah. 583 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:41,200 Speaker 3: Number two, schools were under a lot of pressure to 584 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:44,520 Speaker 3: make sure that their discipline stats all looked the same 585 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:49,160 Speaker 3: in terms of like race and identity groups. So they 586 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:53,880 Speaker 3: had to juke the stats to avoid, you know, becoming 587 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:58,720 Speaker 3: under investigation by the federal government. So suspensions went way down, 588 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:03,880 Speaker 3: which meant that students that were very disruptive and or 589 00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:08,120 Speaker 3: violent and or putting the safety and well the safety 590 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:10,160 Speaker 3: at risk and just the basic learning at risk. They 591 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:12,160 Speaker 3: had to kind of be kept in the building. That's 592 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:15,760 Speaker 3: obviously a huge problem private schools. Of course, they obviously 593 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:19,440 Speaker 3: also have bad behavior, but because they have much more 594 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:27,560 Speaker 3: ability to expel kids. I mean, a public school basically 595 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:30,400 Speaker 3: cannot expel a student unless they commit a felony. I mean, 596 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:34,800 Speaker 3: it's very difficult for public schools. And if a child 597 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:37,880 Speaker 3: has an IEP, you know, for being in the special 598 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:43,360 Speaker 3: education designation, I'm pretty sure that the federal law says 599 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:46,880 Speaker 3: they can't be removed from school more than ten total 600 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:50,080 Speaker 3: days in a school year. So when people hear of 601 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:54,520 Speaker 3: classrooms where they're like, there's a student that's so disruptive 602 00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:57,680 Speaker 3: and violent, the classroom gets evacuated. 603 00:33:58,200 --> 00:33:59,880 Speaker 2: You know, let's just say twice a week. 604 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:02,880 Speaker 1: Let's just say other kids suffer because all the other. 605 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:06,640 Speaker 3: Kids have to they suffer, they can't learn, it's total chaos. 606 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 3: And then people say, oh my gosh, you know, why 607 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 3: don't you kick them out, expel them, to spend them. Well, 608 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 3: these administrators have their hands tied because of federal regulations 609 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:18,960 Speaker 3: and federal laws, and so it's not again like all 610 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,760 Speaker 3: of this is so complicated, it's not like an easy 611 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:25,719 Speaker 3: just do X, just do Y. Because on the one hand, 612 00:34:25,719 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 3: you want to meet the needs of the child that's 613 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:32,600 Speaker 3: having some sort of serious behavioral disturbance, right, but you 614 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:34,960 Speaker 3: can the same time you cannot put an inclusion. You 615 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:38,680 Speaker 3: cannot say inclusion. The priority is inclusion to the extent 616 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:41,720 Speaker 3: that we're going to make sure that that student gets 617 00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:45,160 Speaker 3: to be in a mainstream classroom where everything goes off 618 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:47,400 Speaker 3: the rails all the time for everybody, because if you 619 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:49,480 Speaker 3: think about it, in addition to the all the kids 620 00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:53,920 Speaker 3: who's learning is disrupted, that child with this severe issue 621 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:55,800 Speaker 3: going on, their needs aren't being met either. 622 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:57,800 Speaker 2: So you're really not disturbing. 623 00:34:57,360 --> 00:35:01,240 Speaker 1: Anybodre Because I am such a fan of our public schools. 624 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:04,880 Speaker 1: I'm a public school student, and I think they're so 625 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:08,959 Speaker 1: critical to our communities. But to hear this and we 626 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:12,480 Speaker 1: took our kids out, and our kids have they have 627 00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:15,000 Speaker 1: thrived at the school that they're at, and it just 628 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:17,600 Speaker 1: is so hard because I want to be like, it's 629 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:21,440 Speaker 1: your kids, it's your greatest investment, it's your legacy. Do 630 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:24,160 Speaker 1: everything you can to get them the best possible education, 631 00:35:24,239 --> 00:35:26,840 Speaker 1: and it stinks that that's not happening at public school 632 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:28,919 Speaker 1: and that this kind of stuff. I mean, I look 633 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:35,239 Speaker 1: at this and this advancing LGBTQ plus justice and transgender advocacy. 634 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:37,359 Speaker 1: Those are words that don't even go together. I don't 635 00:35:37,360 --> 00:35:39,279 Speaker 1: even know what that means. You know, I'm like, what 636 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,719 Speaker 1: I'm on earth? Is this? It shocks me. I know 637 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:45,319 Speaker 1: that you guys are gonna I know you're gonna do 638 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:47,560 Speaker 1: more and more research on this, and you're gonna have 639 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:49,799 Speaker 1: more and I would love to have you back. I've 640 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:53,320 Speaker 1: so enjoyed this conversation, not because this is an enjoyable topic, 641 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:56,759 Speaker 1: but because you understand it at a level that most 642 00:35:56,800 --> 00:35:59,400 Speaker 1: people don't and are able to explain it at a 643 00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:03,400 Speaker 1: level that people can't do without getting angry or putting 644 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:05,920 Speaker 1: their own opinion in it. But you're just such the 645 00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 1: straight facts is so wonderful to hear. So I appreciate 646 00:36:09,239 --> 00:36:12,000 Speaker 1: you for doing this. Thanks so much for having me. 647 00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:14,440 Speaker 3: And it's complicated, right, like you just can't like people 648 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:16,719 Speaker 3: just want things to be black and white and they 649 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:19,600 Speaker 3: never are, but especially when you're talking about K twelve education, 650 00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:22,000 Speaker 3: they're just not. And also, it's in all of our 651 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:26,440 Speaker 3: best interests to have thriving, strong public schools in our communities. Right. 652 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:29,040 Speaker 3: We want parents to have options. We want parents to 653 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:31,440 Speaker 3: have options regardless of their income in their zip code. 654 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:35,120 Speaker 3: One of those options needs to be a robust, thriving 655 00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:39,640 Speaker 3: public school system, because that's what most families are going 656 00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:43,000 Speaker 3: to choose, either because it's all they can afford, it's 657 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 3: the most convenient they have nostalgia afford, or their kid 658 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:47,160 Speaker 3: wants to play football, or you know, be in the 659 00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:47,960 Speaker 3: marketings right. 660 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:50,920 Speaker 1: Yes, absolutely, I mean that is that is what we 661 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:53,280 Speaker 1: gave up. There's no football team at the school. 662 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:53,480 Speaker 3: You know. 663 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:58,440 Speaker 1: We gave that traditional high school experience up to ensure 664 00:36:58,640 --> 00:37:02,239 Speaker 1: their safety. And that makes me sad that that's how 665 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:04,840 Speaker 1: it has to be and to ensure that they're actually 666 00:37:04,840 --> 00:37:07,160 Speaker 1: getting an education. And suddenly I think that we're going 667 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:11,280 Speaker 1: to see a massive switch where all of these colleges 668 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:14,239 Speaker 1: are putting the SAT back into play and all these 669 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:17,360 Speaker 1: kids actually have to have shown that they've learned, because 670 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:19,440 Speaker 1: suddenly these kids get to college and they do testing 671 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: and they're like, oh my gosh, these kids don't know anything. 672 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:26,000 Speaker 1: But they have had no SATs SAT scores for five years. 673 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:28,719 Speaker 1: So this year that all gets switched back on it. 674 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:31,320 Speaker 1: Most of these universities and I just have a feeling 675 00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:34,920 Speaker 1: that this is, this COVID crash is coming to a head, 676 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:37,640 Speaker 1: and it's going to be ugly for everyone across the 677 00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:39,160 Speaker 1: board totally. 678 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:41,640 Speaker 3: And I think that one thing that people who opene 679 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:44,680 Speaker 3: or comment on all of this needs to understand is that, like, 680 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:49,440 Speaker 3: there's always trade offs, yes, And I think that's often 681 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:52,960 Speaker 3: missing from a lot of the conversation, certainly the online conversation, 682 00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:57,000 Speaker 3: is that, you know, whatever parents decide to do, you know, 683 00:37:57,120 --> 00:37:59,160 Speaker 3: or whatever a teacher decides to do in terms of 684 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:01,279 Speaker 3: like speaking up or not speaking up, or staying in 685 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:05,719 Speaker 3: this environment that's getting increasingly chaotic or whatever it is, 686 00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:09,040 Speaker 3: it's everybody's dealing with trade offs. And so I would 687 00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 3: love it if we could like all, like, I mean, 688 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:12,600 Speaker 3: this sounds kind of corny, but it's also true. Like 689 00:38:12,600 --> 00:38:15,040 Speaker 3: can't we just have a conversation where we're all saying 690 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:19,960 Speaker 3: we want what's best for students and families without immediately 691 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:23,800 Speaker 3: you know, like my here's my favorite. If you loved 692 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:27,120 Speaker 3: your kids, you would take them out of public school. 693 00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:30,319 Speaker 1: I know what I know. 694 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:33,520 Speaker 3: I actually no, that's my second favorite. My most favorite 695 00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:36,279 Speaker 3: is if you loved your kids, you'd homeschool them and 696 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:38,640 Speaker 3: I'm always like, guys, I know I love my kids, 697 00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:40,080 Speaker 3: and I also know I would never do that. 698 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:44,080 Speaker 1: No, I'm my kids. We wouldn't survive, Like I'm not 699 00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:47,120 Speaker 1: a teacher. That is not that. That would not be 700 00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:49,319 Speaker 1: me loving my kids. And I know that, and I'm 701 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:51,640 Speaker 1: healthy enough to say I know that. But I do 702 00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:54,040 Speaker 1: think that this is putting a massive amount of pressure 703 00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:55,960 Speaker 1: on young parents, like what am I going to do? 704 00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:59,239 Speaker 1: And that has been a message that has you know, 705 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:01,799 Speaker 1: these big conference have people and they're like, this is 706 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:05,120 Speaker 1: the perfect this is the ideal situation. There's no ideal situation, 707 00:39:05,360 --> 00:39:07,960 Speaker 1: and when you put people in that box, then that's 708 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:11,200 Speaker 1: what you when you start to have people experiencing depression 709 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:14,279 Speaker 1: and anxiety, like I'm not providing the ideal situation. I 710 00:39:14,440 --> 00:39:17,840 Speaker 1: legitimately know on a daily basis, I'm like, oh my gosh, 711 00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:20,240 Speaker 1: I just want to get through this day. That's parenting 712 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:23,919 Speaker 1: every day. There's no ideal situation. But that's why when 713 00:39:23,920 --> 00:39:26,480 Speaker 1: we see things like this, I think that we need 714 00:39:26,520 --> 00:39:28,680 Speaker 1: to call it out because it's not just a problem 715 00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:31,440 Speaker 1: for parents. It's a problem for the teachers who are 716 00:39:31,440 --> 00:39:34,120 Speaker 1: in the classroom and they have parents that are going, oh, 717 00:39:34,239 --> 00:39:36,239 Speaker 1: you're teaching this and they don't want to be that's 718 00:39:36,239 --> 00:39:37,320 Speaker 1: not what they're doing. 719 00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:40,239 Speaker 2: You know. And and they're not or they're not that's 720 00:39:40,280 --> 00:39:41,879 Speaker 2: what I mean. They're not even know. 721 00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:45,880 Speaker 3: That their union is putting out this insane you know, 722 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:48,680 Speaker 3: these insane training materials and they kind of want to 723 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:50,719 Speaker 3: be like, listen, I am a member because I kind 724 00:39:50,719 --> 00:39:53,120 Speaker 3: of have no choice, but like, I'm. 725 00:39:52,960 --> 00:39:53,759 Speaker 2: Not downe with this. 726 00:39:54,320 --> 00:39:57,000 Speaker 1: I know it's such it is such a challenge, and 727 00:39:57,040 --> 00:40:00,200 Speaker 1: I so appreciate having you on, and I definitely want 728 00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:02,239 Speaker 1: to have you back and talk about what else you 729 00:40:02,280 --> 00:40:06,000 Speaker 1: find out and how we can support everybody. I think 730 00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:08,239 Speaker 1: that you make such a great point because we are 731 00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:11,280 Speaker 1: we are on this train of like step away, crush 732 00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:15,080 Speaker 1: it all, and that's not the answer. It doesn't. You 733 00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:18,359 Speaker 1: would have so many kids and so many families that 734 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:21,520 Speaker 1: would have no solution. So we need to figure out 735 00:40:21,520 --> 00:40:24,200 Speaker 1: how to make it all work. And I love that 736 00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:26,960 Speaker 1: you're out there doing that. Erica Sansey, thank you so 737 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:28,400 Speaker 1: much for being on the podcast. 738 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:29,759 Speaker 2: Thanks so much for having me. 739 00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:32,719 Speaker 1: Absolutely and thank you all for listening to this episode 740 00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:34,719 Speaker 1: and for this episode and others. As always, you can 741 00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:37,680 Speaker 1: go to the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you 742 00:40:37,719 --> 00:40:40,400 Speaker 1: get your podcasts. You can also watch it on Rumble 743 00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:43,000 Speaker 1: or YouTube at Tutor Dixon and join us next time. 744 00:40:43,239 --> 00:40:45,800 Speaker 1: Have a blessed day.