Tom Di Liberto taught Spanish in the Eugene School District longer than I have been alive. He remains involved in music education and teacher training in our community, and he is making a splash in this cycle's most competitive race for a seat on the 4J school board.  We discuss fact-finding and deliberation (1:31), stepping up as a first-time candidate (4:05), issues in testing and funding over 30 years (7:02), staying involved no matter what (12:46), music and genre fusion (16:40), pre-pandemic momentum and Covid hurdles (24:30), challenges in home life, meals, and de-professionalization (31:05), hurtful rhetoric about the teachers' union (38:38), burdens foisted on teachers of color (42:50), class size and teacher pay (47:29), and identity and equity (53:30).  The discussion is on video at https://youtu.be/wqek2r_phSo. Learn more at https://www.tomdilibertofor4j.com. Ballots are due May 18th!