WEBVTT - Parents Voted Against Hate

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<v Speaker 1>Good morning, peeps, and welcome to wok F Daily with

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<v Speaker 1>Meet your Girl Daniel Moody. Pre recording from the Home

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<v Speaker 1>Long Island Bunker. Folks, I'm very excited for you to

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<v Speaker 1>get into this latest episode of wok F with returning

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<v Speaker 1>guests President of the American Federation of Teachers, Randy Weingarten.

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<v Speaker 1>And what Randy lays out in this episode is the

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<v Speaker 1>reality of what took place in the elections earlier this

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<v Speaker 1>month in November, where we saw tens of millions of

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<v Speaker 1>dollars that Moms for Liberty and other right wing organizations

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<v Speaker 1>put into school board races, city council, state legislatures all

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<v Speaker 1>to put up their right wing candidates. And what we

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<v Speaker 1>saw from places like Kansas and Kentucky and Pennsylvania and Virginia,

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<v Speaker 1>Wisconsin and others is that the voters when very clear

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<v Speaker 1>about what it is that Republicans are trying to do,

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<v Speaker 1>and when they pay attention, they don't win. Right Like

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<v Speaker 1>this is the clear message is that it is not

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<v Speaker 1>that the Democrats and Progressives have a bad agenda. It's

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<v Speaker 1>that the messaging needs to be very clear and very real,

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<v Speaker 1>not only about what they are against, like you know,

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<v Speaker 1>teaching history that is actually devoid of facts in truth

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<v Speaker 1>banning books that are made for critical thought and empathy

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<v Speaker 1>and compassion, but that it is incredibly important to actually

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<v Speaker 1>talk about what you were for and what people need

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<v Speaker 1>on top of what it is that extremists are trying

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<v Speaker 1>to rob them of their autonomy around. And so I

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<v Speaker 1>think I think that this conversation with Randy provides a

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<v Speaker 1>very clear pathway and framework for Democrats Big D to

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<v Speaker 1>be able to ride into twenty twenty four with Look, folks,

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<v Speaker 1>I can't say this enough, and I will continue to

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<v Speaker 1>reiterate it through the next eleven and a half months,

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<v Speaker 1>is that this is the last democratic election if Donald

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<v Speaker 1>Trump becomes president of the United States, and it is

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<v Speaker 1>not the opportunity to have a protest vote right because

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<v Speaker 1>I frankly understand that Joe Biden is a flawed candidate.

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<v Speaker 1>I frankly understand that he is not everyone's first choice.

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<v Speaker 1>But what you have to understand is that we are

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<v Speaker 1>not voting for a person in this next election. We

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<v Speaker 1>are voting for democracy, our liberty, and our freedom to

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<v Speaker 1>be able to push back against a president, to push

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<v Speaker 1>back against an administration, to push them to be better,

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<v Speaker 1>and to actualize the dreams of our founding fathers.

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<v Speaker 2>Right.

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<v Speaker 1>And I say that with those flawed, enslaved holding motherfuckers, right.

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<v Speaker 1>But you don't get the opportunity for pushback when you're

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<v Speaker 1>living inside of an authoritarian dictatorship. Talk to people in China, right,

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<v Speaker 1>they are thrown in jail with the quickness. They don't

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<v Speaker 1>even learn about the uprising that happened in Tienemin Square.

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<v Speaker 1>We know that, but that's not what is taught in

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<v Speaker 1>their curriculums. So understand that while our democracy is incredibly

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<v Speaker 1>flawed and imperfect, that what we are voting for is

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<v Speaker 1>the opportunity to still have a role in shaping this

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<v Speaker 1>country to be the best that it can be. You

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<v Speaker 1>don't get that opportunity if you decide to sit this

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<v Speaker 1>one out or say well, I'm not going to support Jennis,

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<v Speaker 1>because what you are going to support is your own enslavement.

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<v Speaker 1>So this conversation coming up next with Randy Winegarten lays

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<v Speaker 1>out the blueprint of what parents, caregivers, teachers and administrators

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<v Speaker 1>had happened in this last election and what it is

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<v Speaker 1>that we need to be thinking about as we enter

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<v Speaker 1>into twenty twenty four. Folks, I am always grateful for

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<v Speaker 1>the opportunity to be in conversation with the president of AFT,

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<v Speaker 1>the American Federation of Teachers, Randy Winingarten, to talk about

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<v Speaker 1>what I believe to be one of the most important

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<v Speaker 1>professions on one that I had the opportunity to be

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<v Speaker 1>a part of for many years. Randy, we just finished

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<v Speaker 1>closed out an important election cycle earlier this month where

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<v Speaker 1>we saw many folks at for instance, Moms for Liberty

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<v Speaker 1>and other Republican right wing groups had put up school

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<v Speaker 1>board candidates, local state legislatures full of right wing extremists,

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<v Speaker 1>ideology and an agenda. Talk to us about the wins

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<v Speaker 1>that we have seen and what you think it's a

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<v Speaker 1>bell weather for as we look to twenty twenty four.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, first, Danielle, thank you very much, and this is

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<v Speaker 2>the you know, this is a week of showing gratitude

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<v Speaker 2>and having thanks and frankly, I'm very thankful for the

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<v Speaker 2>elections just happened at the beginning of November, because they

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<v Speaker 2>do provide a data point that we had been seeing

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<v Speaker 2>since frankly, the beginning of the school year twenty twenty two,

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<v Speaker 2>twenty twenty one to twenty twenty two, actually twenty twenty

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<v Speaker 2>two to twenty twenty three, and we saw some of

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<v Speaker 2>this in the November twenty twenty two elections, but we

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<v Speaker 2>really saw it now in twenty twenty three, which was

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<v Speaker 2>which is the parents want their kids to be okay. Yes,

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<v Speaker 2>there's been a lot of anxiety because of the after

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<v Speaker 2>effects of COVID, and frankly, during COVID went There's never

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<v Speaker 2>been a time when schools were closed. I don't care

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<v Speaker 2>if you're talking about you know, Florida schools closed for

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<v Speaker 2>three months or six months, or you know a school

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<v Speaker 2>in Chicago closed for more than that, or people being

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<v Speaker 2>there halftime or not having sports. There's never been this

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<v Speaker 2>kind of disruptive influence in our society in any time

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<v Speaker 2>that we know of, So of course kids are going

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<v Speaker 2>to be affected by this. Parents want their kids to

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<v Speaker 2>be okay, and parents want kids to have opportunity and

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<v Speaker 2>like school and feel like school is safe and welcoming

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<v Speaker 2>and well rounded. That's what parents want. What has happened

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<v Speaker 2>in the aftermath of COVID was the same forces who

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<v Speaker 2>have always been against public schooling, who thought we should

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<v Speaker 2>divert money to vouchers who don't like what's taught in

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<v Speaker 2>public schools, who want a different kind of country than

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<v Speaker 2>a pluralistic, multicultural country that comes together. What they saw

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<v Speaker 2>is they saw that that the anxiety around COVID, the

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<v Speaker 2>anxiety around George Floyd's murder, all of that became a

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<v Speaker 2>fertile ground for them to create division and hate and

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<v Speaker 2>consternation in chaos. So you saw whether it was vaccines

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<v Speaker 2>or mass or critical race theory, that noe knew what

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<v Speaker 2>the word meant unless you went to law school or

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<v Speaker 2>book banning, or you know, the division about teachers. What

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<v Speaker 2>you saw was what actually one of them told us,

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<v Speaker 2>which was to get to universal vouchers, you had to

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<v Speaker 2>create public school universal public school distrust. And they were

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<v Speaker 2>doing it on a platform of huge anxiety. And that's

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<v Speaker 2>what we had to actually understand that it was not

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<v Speaker 2>about any of these particular issues. It was about how

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<v Speaker 2>do we really get to what I said at first,

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<v Speaker 2>make sure the kids are okay, safe, welcoming, well rounded curriculum.

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<v Speaker 2>So over the course of the last many months, there

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<v Speaker 2>have been many of us we've been saying, don't ban books,

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<v Speaker 2>give them out. Now, We're going to teach honest history,

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<v Speaker 2>the good and the bad, And we have to really

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<v Speaker 2>help our kids, be connected, be resilient, we relate to

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<v Speaker 2>each other, and have schools that are fun and interesting

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<v Speaker 2>and safe and welcoming. And there are a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>school board candidates that ran on a pro public education

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<v Speaker 2>platform and on platforms like I just talked about, and

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<v Speaker 2>they won by eighty to ninety percent of the time

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<v Speaker 2>because people want kids to be okay. So it's not

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<v Speaker 2>just the fight back, but it was also a sense

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<v Speaker 2>of what should we be doing for the kids, the

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<v Speaker 2>ninety percent of kids who go to public schools. And

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<v Speaker 2>I think what you saw is when local folk, because

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<v Speaker 2>school boards are basically local terrain, when you had moms

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<v Speaker 2>and dads running for election on a pro public education basis,

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<v Speaker 2>even with all the money that Moms for Liberty as

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<v Speaker 2>and even with all the hate that they spewed. The

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<v Speaker 2>end of the day, look at Central Books, look at Loudon,

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<v Speaker 2>look at Kansas, look at Cincinnati, look at Minnesota. And

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<v Speaker 2>that's why we we were seeing this. But we said,

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<v Speaker 2>let's track it all. We track two hundred and fifty races,

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<v Speaker 2>and eighty percent of the time the pro public education

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<v Speaker 2>candidate one.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you think, Randy that then what we understand as

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<v Speaker 1>Democrats is going to be something that is sustainable, which

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<v Speaker 1>is that these local elections, your school board, your city council,

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<v Speaker 1>your state legislatures. These are things that you have to

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<v Speaker 1>be paying attention to because the radical right sees it

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<v Speaker 1>as fertile ground for division.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, I mean, I think it's I think that the

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<v Speaker 2>you know, part of the dilemma for Democrats in the

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<v Speaker 2>country is that people that that hope sells by trust

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<v Speaker 2>in and with each other. That requires and you and

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<v Speaker 2>I have had these conversations. It requires you talking to people.

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<v Speaker 2>It requires activism on the ground, It requires building communities.

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<v Speaker 2>That's not easy when somebody is yelling and screaming at you.

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<v Speaker 1>Yep.

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<v Speaker 2>But once you have that, it doesn't matter how much

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<v Speaker 2>money you have. You can actually win these elections because

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<v Speaker 2>hope beats fear if you have a message that's backed

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<v Speaker 2>by real stuff. And I think that that and I

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<v Speaker 2>think what so you had groups like Moms Rising and

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<v Speaker 2>Red Wine and Blue and parents together and campaign for

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<v Speaker 2>a shared future. Lots of new groups that were not

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<v Speaker 2>around a few years ago either. But what happened was

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<v Speaker 2>normally parents connect to schools through PTA or parent teachers

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<v Speaker 2>Associated parents associations. They felt very constrained because of how

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<v Speaker 2>overtly political the right wing extremists had gotten with this.

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<v Speaker 2>So these new groups started popping up and working together

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<v Speaker 2>in a very loose coalition so that people saw they

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<v Speaker 2>weren't alone. So for democrats, democrats should pay attention to

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<v Speaker 2>what just happened, because underlying what just happened is also

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<v Speaker 2>what has happened in terms of reproductive rights, which is

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<v Speaker 2>people are really gnawed at upset about somebody taking away

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<v Speaker 2>their rights. Right. So a parent, I've heard moms say

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<v Speaker 2>this to me often, I may decide, you know, I'm

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<v Speaker 2>a grandma. I may decide this is not a book

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<v Speaker 2>I'm comfortable with my grandkids reading. But I don't want

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<v Speaker 2>somebody else deciding that for my grandkids. And so what

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<v Speaker 2>happened is when you ban hundreds of books, then what's

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<v Speaker 2>happening is that somebody else is making that decision. I mean, frankly,

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<v Speaker 2>the parents might you know, my grandkid's parents should make

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<v Speaker 2>that decision. But what's happening is when you ban all

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<v Speaker 2>these books, when you censor all this curriculum, then you

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<v Speaker 2>are actually taking rights away from most parents. And that's

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<v Speaker 2>what people had seen. If you you know, there are

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<v Speaker 2>processes in schools now, some you know, we need to

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<v Speaker 2>strengthen school Some of the processes are too bureaucratic. Sometimes

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<v Speaker 2>people feel totally alienated from schools. I'm not saying that

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<v Speaker 2>schools are a panacea right now, but there are processes

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<v Speaker 2>that if you really don't want your kid to read XO,

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<v Speaker 2>Y or Z, then they're not going to ultimately read

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<v Speaker 2>at Y or Z. But you have to go through it,

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<v Speaker 2>and you can't ban it for an entire school, or

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<v Speaker 2>entire class, or entire district by pulling the book out

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<v Speaker 2>of the library. Yeah, so I do think. I do

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<v Speaker 2>think you're right that dem should pay attention because it

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<v Speaker 2>is a freedom to learn and a freedom to teach issue,

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<v Speaker 2>just like reproductive freedom is a freedom issue, you know.

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<v Speaker 1>And I think too what you have done with AFT

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<v Speaker 1>I think as well, is not just talk about the

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<v Speaker 1>things that we need to be against. Right, we need

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<v Speaker 1>to be against the book bands and against the attacks

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<v Speaker 1>on LGBTQ kids and students and teachers trying to create

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<v Speaker 1>safe space, but you're also developing a reimagining and a

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<v Speaker 1>vision of what kids actually need. So I want to

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<v Speaker 1>give you the opportunity to talk about that because I

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<v Speaker 1>think that that too. Talking about what kids need as

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<v Speaker 1>opposed to what they're being robbed from is going to

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<v Speaker 1>be a essential for us as Democrats being able to

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<v Speaker 1>win in twenty twenty four.

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely, and I think often so thank you for that.

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<v Speaker 2>Just also say I think we whether we're teachers, I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>journalists know this better than teachers do, or lawyers do

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<v Speaker 2>or doctors do. We also have to talk in plain English.

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<v Speaker 2>We have to talk in a way that people can understand.

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<v Speaker 2>We have to remember what we learned as school teachers,

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<v Speaker 2>which is it's not what said, it's what's heard. And

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<v Speaker 2>you meet people where they are. So if the issues

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<v Speaker 2>right now are look at you know, the New York

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<v Speaker 2>Times editorial last week. Learning loss is a thing. Loneliness

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<v Speaker 2>is a thing, and we have to deal with it.

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<v Speaker 2>It doesn't COVID was a thing. It's not, you know.

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<v Speaker 2>And and what happens is that people feel like, oh

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<v Speaker 2>my god, even though it's a thing. You know, somebody's

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<v Speaker 2>gonna like the right wing often does, but it doesn't matter. Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>let them smear. Let's deal with loneliness, Let's deal with

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<v Speaker 2>learning loss. Let's deal with how we lure kids back

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<v Speaker 2>to schools. Let's deal with things that help kids learn

0:16:15.440 --> 0:16:21.080
<v Speaker 2>critical thinking and application in an age of AI. Let's

0:16:21.400 --> 0:16:25.200
<v Speaker 2>make sure kids really master literacy, you know by the

0:16:25.200 --> 0:16:29.600
<v Speaker 2>time they're in third grade. Let's really rebuild the relationships

0:16:29.680 --> 0:16:32.560
<v Speaker 2>and deal with mental health issues and as I said,

0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:36.280
<v Speaker 2>loneliness and looking at each other as opposed to looking

0:16:36.320 --> 0:16:39.920
<v Speaker 2>at our devices. So what we've done is we've said,

0:16:40.080 --> 0:16:44.160
<v Speaker 2>these are real solutions. There are real solutions to these problems.

0:16:44.600 --> 0:16:52.080
<v Speaker 2>And there's ways of creating strategically real programs across the country,

0:16:52.160 --> 0:16:56.240
<v Speaker 2>seating them, scaling them, sustaining them. And so I'll throw

0:16:56.280 --> 0:17:01.960
<v Speaker 2>them out. We should be giving books out of lots

0:17:01.960 --> 0:17:04.840
<v Speaker 2>of different titles instead of banning them. And we've given

0:17:04.880 --> 0:17:08.320
<v Speaker 2>out nine million books in the last few years. We're

0:17:08.320 --> 0:17:11.000
<v Speaker 2>on our tenth million, and we're on our last million.

0:17:11.000 --> 0:17:12.920
<v Speaker 2>We want to get to ten million by July twenty

0:17:12.960 --> 0:17:16.320
<v Speaker 2>twenty four. You can just come with me to any

0:17:16.400 --> 0:17:19.639
<v Speaker 2>of these book fairs. We do the level of joy

0:17:19.680 --> 0:17:22.840
<v Speaker 2>that you see with parents and kids about having a book.

0:17:23.119 --> 0:17:28.320
<v Speaker 2>Plus we also are helping teachers learn more have videos

0:17:28.359 --> 0:17:32.160
<v Speaker 2>available to them just in time for the issues they

0:17:32.240 --> 0:17:35.520
<v Speaker 2>may not understand about how to teach their kids reading like,

0:17:35.600 --> 0:17:38.239
<v Speaker 2>if a kid in your class is dyslexic and you

0:17:38.320 --> 0:17:41.280
<v Speaker 2>don't know how to deal with a dyslexic kid. We

0:17:41.359 --> 0:17:44.240
<v Speaker 2>now have through something called Reading Universe, which is free

0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:48.120
<v Speaker 2>to teachers how to work on that. But so I'm

0:17:48.119 --> 0:17:53.600
<v Speaker 2>saying we're dealing with literacy, have community schools wrap services around.

0:17:53.960 --> 0:17:56.760
<v Speaker 2>Let's make sure we deal in just in time basis

0:17:57.040 --> 0:18:00.800
<v Speaker 2>with issues around mental health, loneliness and things like that.

0:18:01.160 --> 0:18:03.960
<v Speaker 2>And at the same time, we're working with parents to

0:18:04.080 --> 0:18:07.320
<v Speaker 2>take on the social media company so profit does not

0:18:07.480 --> 0:18:12.000
<v Speaker 2>replace student need as the mainstay of what they are doing.

0:18:12.119 --> 0:18:14.360
<v Speaker 2>Take on the algorithms. And the last and the one

0:18:14.400 --> 0:18:18.520
<v Speaker 2>that I'm most excited about is experiential learning. Most of us,

0:18:18.680 --> 0:18:21.280
<v Speaker 2>we need kids to want to come to school and

0:18:21.440 --> 0:18:25.680
<v Speaker 2>to get the opportunities of today and tomorrow, which means

0:18:25.680 --> 0:18:28.840
<v Speaker 2>the skills for today and tomorrow. That means learning by doing.

0:18:29.119 --> 0:18:32.679
<v Speaker 2>That means experiential learning. That means what happens in career

0:18:32.720 --> 0:18:34.760
<v Speaker 2>tech ED. And let me give you one stat which

0:18:34.800 --> 0:18:39.960
<v Speaker 2>blows my mind. Kids in career tech ED programs, they graduate,

0:18:40.480 --> 0:18:43.879
<v Speaker 2>ninety four percent of them graduate on time, seventy percent

0:18:43.920 --> 0:18:48.960
<v Speaker 2>of them go to college. Think about advanced manufacturing culinary,

0:18:49.320 --> 0:18:53.080
<v Speaker 2>health care, the jobs of today and tomorrow. This provides

0:18:53.160 --> 0:18:56.640
<v Speaker 2>kids more opportunity, not less, and it builds that kind

0:18:56.680 --> 0:18:59.639
<v Speaker 2>of practical skill set. So let's start that in high school.

0:19:00.080 --> 0:19:03.680
<v Speaker 2>So instead of testing, testing, testing, let's do performance bace

0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:07.040
<v Speaker 2>work like that. And so we're not doing a whole

0:19:07.240 --> 0:19:10.000
<v Speaker 2>laundry list of five thousand things. We're saying, we know,

0:19:10.520 --> 0:19:14.800
<v Speaker 2>community schools, experiential learning, and really focusing on literacy. This

0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:18.840
<v Speaker 2>will really help kids and families have the opportunities of

0:19:18.840 --> 0:19:23.440
<v Speaker 2>today and tomorrow and address loneliness and learning loss.

0:19:28.920 --> 0:19:32.320
<v Speaker 1>I want to tap into loneliness for a minute, because

0:19:32.560 --> 0:19:35.960
<v Speaker 1>you've brought it up, and we've seen headlines about loneliness

0:19:35.960 --> 0:19:38.200
<v Speaker 1>in both adults and in students, and I want to

0:19:38.200 --> 0:19:40.840
<v Speaker 1>give you an opportunity to talk about that as a

0:19:40.880 --> 0:19:44.840
<v Speaker 1>serious emotional and mental health issue that we should be

0:19:44.920 --> 0:19:47.920
<v Speaker 1>talking about on a regular basis, and parents and caregivers

0:19:48.080 --> 0:19:51.280
<v Speaker 1>should be talking about on a regular basis with young people.

0:19:52.280 --> 0:19:56.960
<v Speaker 2>Right. Well, look, how how many more statistics do we

0:19:57.080 --> 0:20:04.199
<v Speaker 2>need to show yes that kids are more likely to

0:20:04.240 --> 0:20:07.120
<v Speaker 2>think about suicide today than they were twenty thirty, forty

0:20:07.160 --> 0:20:11.080
<v Speaker 2>years ago. How many more Surgeon General reports do we

0:20:11.160 --> 0:20:14.760
<v Speaker 2>need to say that mental health issues are real issues.

0:20:15.520 --> 0:20:18.080
<v Speaker 2>How much more do we need? I mean, you know,

0:20:19.720 --> 0:20:24.679
<v Speaker 2>if we know what can solve this, what are we

0:20:24.800 --> 0:20:31.240
<v Speaker 2>waiting for? And so what you know? And these problems

0:20:31.720 --> 0:20:38.359
<v Speaker 2>started before COVID, but COVID exacerbated them by kids not

0:20:38.920 --> 0:20:44.000
<v Speaker 2>being together as kids and not having again. It's you know,

0:20:45.160 --> 0:20:49.399
<v Speaker 2>I'm always shocked when people don't think that there was

0:20:49.440 --> 0:20:53.679
<v Speaker 2>going to be an effect of COVID by you know,

0:20:53.760 --> 0:20:58.680
<v Speaker 2>the by people basically not relating to each other in

0:20:58.720 --> 0:21:02.520
<v Speaker 2>person for whether it was months or a year or two,

0:21:03.240 --> 0:21:07.840
<v Speaker 2>it was going to have an effect. And so if

0:21:07.840 --> 0:21:13.800
<v Speaker 2>we know that, if we rebuild relationships and rebuild community

0:21:14.400 --> 0:21:19.240
<v Speaker 2>and then also have a systemic approach so that we

0:21:19.400 --> 0:21:24.600
<v Speaker 2>don't stigmatize help that's what community schools can do, then

0:21:24.680 --> 0:21:29.679
<v Speaker 2>we can address a bunch of loneliness issues proactively. But

0:21:29.800 --> 0:21:33.159
<v Speaker 2>then at the same time, if we take on the

0:21:33.240 --> 0:21:36.360
<v Speaker 2>social media companies, like you know several of the of

0:21:36.440 --> 0:21:40.120
<v Speaker 2>the bills in Congress are trying to do, but have

0:21:40.200 --> 0:21:44.320
<v Speaker 2>a campaign on a local level so parents don't feel alone,

0:21:44.320 --> 0:21:48.040
<v Speaker 2>teachers don't feel alone. I often walk into a school

0:21:48.800 --> 0:21:52.520
<v Speaker 2>and ask teachers and I would have my device with

0:21:52.640 --> 0:21:54.480
<v Speaker 2>me and I would. I would look them in the

0:21:54.480 --> 0:21:56.840
<v Speaker 2>eye and I would use my two fingers and I say,

0:21:57.200 --> 0:22:00.240
<v Speaker 2>are they looking at you? Are they at the device? Yes?

0:22:00.800 --> 0:22:04.399
<v Speaker 2>And that would be a conversation. That's always a conversation starter,

0:22:04.960 --> 0:22:10.000
<v Speaker 2>because what happens, Danielle, is the algorithm runs a kid's life,

0:22:10.080 --> 0:22:12.520
<v Speaker 2>and these social media companies say, oh, no, you know

0:22:12.800 --> 0:22:16.040
<v Speaker 2>there should be parental controls. Well, what happens at eleven

0:22:16.080 --> 0:22:18.560
<v Speaker 2>o'clock at night when a parent may be sleeping. At

0:22:18.560 --> 0:22:20.600
<v Speaker 2>one o'clock in the morning, when a parent is sleeping

0:22:20.960 --> 0:22:23.520
<v Speaker 2>and a kid gets their device, like, what are you

0:22:23.560 --> 0:22:26.919
<v Speaker 2>going to do? You can't. So there are things that

0:22:26.960 --> 0:22:30.840
<v Speaker 2>these companies can do. They can stop automatic scroll, they

0:22:30.880 --> 0:22:34.480
<v Speaker 2>can stop notifications at a particular piece at point in time.

0:22:34.880 --> 0:22:38.200
<v Speaker 2>I was in a classroom a few days ago where

0:22:38.400 --> 0:22:41.720
<v Speaker 2>the teacher had a place for all the devices, you know,

0:22:41.920 --> 0:22:45.000
<v Speaker 2>a very nice little storage place right at the entrance

0:22:45.040 --> 0:22:48.639
<v Speaker 2>of the classroom. There's a time out that way. But

0:22:49.200 --> 0:22:52.639
<v Speaker 2>there are things we have to do to try to

0:22:52.760 --> 0:22:58.119
<v Speaker 2>displace the algorithm from running a kid's life instead of

0:22:58.720 --> 0:23:04.199
<v Speaker 2>the relational work of maturation, which is what kids need.

0:23:04.640 --> 0:23:08.919
<v Speaker 2>And so that's a fight that we're having with the

0:23:08.960 --> 0:23:12.920
<v Speaker 2>social media companies. And you know Europe has done this.

0:23:13.800 --> 0:23:17.199
<v Speaker 2>California tried to do a new law and immediately the

0:23:17.240 --> 0:23:21.240
<v Speaker 2>social media companies went in to stop that law. So

0:23:21.320 --> 0:23:25.520
<v Speaker 2>we need federal intervention to make sure that they have

0:23:25.640 --> 0:23:29.359
<v Speaker 2>accountability and transparency. There should be I'll give you one

0:23:29.359 --> 0:23:33.240
<v Speaker 2>more example. There should be like a hotline and from

0:23:33.320 --> 0:23:35.600
<v Speaker 2>a social media company to a school. So if you

0:23:35.640 --> 0:23:39.679
<v Speaker 2>see cyber bullying, it's going to eat up so many

0:23:39.760 --> 0:23:42.400
<v Speaker 2>person hours in a school to figure out what it is.

0:23:42.800 --> 0:23:46.240
<v Speaker 2>If you add a hotline to TikTok or to Meta

0:23:46.880 --> 0:23:51.680
<v Speaker 2>and so one could track down the IP address from

0:23:51.720 --> 0:23:54.040
<v Speaker 2>where the bullying.

0:23:53.640 --> 0:23:56.440
<v Speaker 1>Happened originated, yeah, y to stop it.

0:23:56.800 --> 0:24:01.280
<v Speaker 2>Quickly instead of taking the hours and hours of investigation

0:24:01.920 --> 0:24:05.560
<v Speaker 2>that us mere mortals would have to do to deal

0:24:05.600 --> 0:24:08.800
<v Speaker 2>with the algorithm. So these are the kinds of things

0:24:09.119 --> 0:24:14.480
<v Speaker 2>that working together, we should be able to thwart because

0:24:15.240 --> 0:24:19.399
<v Speaker 2>kids mental health should be more important than the profits

0:24:19.800 --> 0:24:21.920
<v Speaker 2>that metigates or that TikTok gets.

0:24:23.240 --> 0:24:25.160
<v Speaker 1>I mean, I couldn't agree more. And I just think

0:24:25.200 --> 0:24:29.320
<v Speaker 1>that the way in which your organization has been able

0:24:29.320 --> 0:24:31.480
<v Speaker 1>to frame these issues is things that we need to

0:24:31.480 --> 0:24:33.800
<v Speaker 1>fight against, but also things that we need to fight

0:24:33.880 --> 0:24:36.920
<v Speaker 1>for is going to be the blueprint for how we

0:24:36.960 --> 0:24:42.080
<v Speaker 1>move into this incredibly. I think consequential as not even

0:24:42.119 --> 0:24:46.520
<v Speaker 1>the word of the upcoming election cycle. And so Randy,

0:24:46.640 --> 0:24:49.280
<v Speaker 1>I'll lastly tell me give you one more Yeah, please.

0:24:49.160 --> 0:24:53.200
<v Speaker 2>Get me one more example before the moment we give

0:24:53.320 --> 0:24:58.240
<v Speaker 2>kids agency and engagement in these kind of things where

0:24:58.280 --> 0:25:01.800
<v Speaker 2>they see a future and they have those skills and

0:25:01.840 --> 0:25:05.520
<v Speaker 2>they feel agency about it and engagement about it. It's

0:25:05.560 --> 0:25:09.159
<v Speaker 2>a moment and we turn around America on democracy and

0:25:09.200 --> 0:25:14.040
<v Speaker 2>pluralism too. So instead of kids feeling checked out or oh,

0:25:14.080 --> 0:25:16.440
<v Speaker 2>there's nothing I can do about it, nobody's going to

0:25:16.520 --> 0:25:20.080
<v Speaker 2>listen to me. These are the things like experiential learning,

0:25:20.200 --> 0:25:24.359
<v Speaker 2>like joining the fight on against social media companies. You know,

0:25:24.400 --> 0:25:26.840
<v Speaker 2>these are the things that help give kids agency when

0:25:26.880 --> 0:25:30.359
<v Speaker 2>they feel like in a community they can beat back

0:25:30.440 --> 0:25:34.440
<v Speaker 2>loneliness because of the recommitting to a circle of friends

0:25:34.560 --> 0:25:39.959
<v Speaker 2>or community circle whatnot. So that's that agency piece in

0:25:40.040 --> 0:25:43.840
<v Speaker 2>terms of learning and life skills is so important, but

0:25:43.960 --> 0:25:48.800
<v Speaker 2>it also will be important and foundational to democracy and

0:25:48.880 --> 0:25:51.560
<v Speaker 2>to pluralism and their civic engagement.

0:25:52.280 --> 0:25:56.200
<v Speaker 1>One hundred percent. Please tell people how they can connect

0:25:56.440 --> 0:26:00.840
<v Speaker 1>with AFT, how they can continue to get information joined campaigns,

0:26:01.400 --> 0:26:02.120
<v Speaker 1>what can they do?

0:26:02.359 --> 0:26:07.399
<v Speaker 2>Great? So number one. If you're on threads, follow me

0:26:07.480 --> 0:26:11.720
<v Speaker 2>at Ronda Winegarden. If you're on Twitter, follow me at

0:26:11.720 --> 0:26:14.760
<v Speaker 2>our Winegarden. I haven't been able to figure out how

0:26:14.760 --> 0:26:17.120
<v Speaker 2>to use my nickname as my real name on threads,

0:26:17.160 --> 0:26:20.919
<v Speaker 2>but maybe one day I'll figure it out and or

0:26:21.080 --> 0:26:24.439
<v Speaker 2>follow us at AFT dot org. We have lots of

0:26:24.440 --> 0:26:28.399
<v Speaker 2>our campaigns up there, and we are really trying to

0:26:28.800 --> 0:26:33.600
<v Speaker 2>teachers and parents are the best allies kids have in

0:26:33.680 --> 0:26:36.399
<v Speaker 2>terms of opportunity for the future, and we're trying to

0:26:36.440 --> 0:26:40.840
<v Speaker 2>do more and more campaigns on the ground strengthening schools

0:26:41.320 --> 0:26:43.800
<v Speaker 2>so every single public school is a place that parents

0:26:43.880 --> 0:26:46.680
<v Speaker 2>want to send their kids, educators want to work. Most importantly,

0:26:46.760 --> 0:26:49.480
<v Speaker 2>kids thrive, and so all of it is on AFT

0:26:49.640 --> 0:26:50.080
<v Speaker 2>dot org.

0:26:50.840 --> 0:26:53.600
<v Speaker 1>Amazing Randy As always, thank you so much for the

0:26:53.640 --> 0:26:55.960
<v Speaker 1>work that you do and for making the time for

0:26:56.080 --> 0:26:57.639
<v Speaker 1>WOKF Always appreciate you.

0:26:58.800 --> 0:27:00.280
<v Speaker 2>Thank you m H.

0:27:04.440 --> 0:27:07.280
<v Speaker 1>That is it for me today, dear friends on woke

0:27:07.320 --> 0:27:10.760
<v Speaker 1>a f as always power to the people and to

0:27:11.040 --> 0:27:15.560
<v Speaker 1>all the people. Power, get woke and stay woke as fuck.