For more than 30 years, schools, hospitals, and places of worship have been considered "sensitive locations" — spaces protected from immigration enforcement. But recently, President Trump has moved to strip away those protections, opening the door for ICE to enter campuses and target families. Now, a coalition of educator unions, community organizations, and families has come together to fight back. Our guest is Karen Tumlin, Founder and Director of the Justice Action Center, and one of the attorneys leading the PCUN v. Noem lawsuit, which seeks to restore these decades-old protections and defend every student’s right to learn without fear.

Jennifer Albert Mann joins the show to discuss her book "Shift Happens, The History of Labor in the United States," a labor history book for teens and young adults. Shift Happens was the September young adult book recommendation on NEA’s Read Across America Calendar, under the theme “invite transformation.”

Our two part series on billionaires and public education continues. Today, we’re zooming in on the rise of new, well-funded activist groups targeting school boards, banning books, and attacking everything from diversity initiatives to trans student rights. Who’s behind groups like Moms for Liberty and Parents Defending Education? What is “dark money,” and how does it quietly reshape local and national education policy? And who is Leonard Leo, and why is he so influential in this fight? Alyssa Bowen, deputy executive director of True North Research and the director of True North’s Equality Project, explains.

Have you ever wondered why the rich and powerful seem to have so many opinions about public education, especially when neither they nor their children have attended public schools? This is the first of a two-part series exploring how the rich and powerful are cashing out on public education. Today, we’re looking at the big picture: the historical, decades-long agenda by wealthy donors and corporate interests to privatize schools, weaken unions, and limit what educators can teach. Our guest is **Lisa Graves,** founder and Executive Director of True North Research.

We’re discussing a critical issue facing future educators: how they are compensated—or rather, not compensated—for their student teaching assignments. Hannah St. Clair, Chair of NEA’s Aspiring Educators program, has been deeply involved in the movement to secure paid student teaching, and she’s joining the show to break down why this issue matters, what progress has been made, and how educators and allies can continue pushing for change.

Medicaid is a lifeline for millions of Americans, including students, families, and school employees. But right now, it’s under serious threat. New proposals in Congress aim to slash Medicaid funding, and the consequences could be devastating. Even for those of us with private, employer-provided healthcare, cutting Medicaid makes your healthcare more expensive and harder to access. Cynthia Blankenship, NEA’s senior policy advisor for health policy and benefits, joins the show to explain what these proposed cuts mean, how they could impact students and schools, and what educators can do to help protect Medicaid at the state and national level.

Schools are meant to be safe spaces for all students, but what happens when immigration enforcement reaches the classroom or college campus? Alice O’Brien and Lubna Alam from NEA’s legal team join the show to help educators navigate the complex legal waters of the Trump administration's immigration policies and remind them of their rights to protect every student, regardless of immigration status.

The Trump administration is waging war against diversity, equity, and inclusion. But what does that mean for educators when it comes to discussing race, equity, and history in the classroom? How can schools continue to foster inclusive learning environments despite these restrictions? Alice O’Brien, general counsel for the National Education Association, walks through your rights, risks, and opportunities to push back against anti-equality policies and fear tactics.

With the rise of social media and constant online communication, bullying is affecting students in new, pervasive ways, and schools are often on the front lines of addressing it. Madeline Micou, a middle school counselor with over two decades of experience in education, shares her insights on the realities of cyberbullying, how it differs from traditional bullying, and what educators and families can do to combat it effectively.

A conversation with Kwame Alexander: a poet, educator, and best-selling author of The Crossover, Booked, The Door of No Return, and so many other books that have inspired young readers across the country. In celebration of NEA’s Read Across America, Kwame has teamed up with NEA for a unique project—bringing literature and music together with a jazz-infused reading of The Crossover. You can hear Kwame’s special 10th anniversary reading at https://www.nea.org/crossover.

In 2020, collective bargaining for public sector workers returned to Virginia after a nearly 50-year ban—a huge win for Virginia educators. But change doesn't happen overnight. Fairfax Education Association President Leslie Houston joins the show to talk about how educators in Fairfax, Virginia came together to create their first collective bargaining agreement since the ban, and what other districts can do to bring similar wins to their schools.

Welcome to another Moments From mini-episode! This week we have another story from NEA Today’s Mary Ellen Flannery. We believe that every educator should be paid more than enough to afford basic necessities, like fruit and vegetables. But in Florida, which ranks 50th in the nation for average teacher salary, having to decide whether to put healthy food on the table or to pay for essential medications is, sadly, not uncommon. Mary Ellen recently went shopping with one Florida educator to expose the reality of what it means to live on a teacher’s salary.

There’s a groundbreaking program reshaping how we train and support new educators—The Washington Education Association’s Apprenticeship Residency in Teaching. Founded with initial support from NEA, it’s the nation’s first union-led teacher preparation program, turning Washingtonians dream careers into a reality, cohort by cohort. Learn more about the program and how it addresses some of the biggest challenges in educator prep programs on this episode of School Me.

Dwayne Reed is a Chicago educator, author, rapper, and viral sensation who’s made a name for himself as “America’s Favorite Rapping Teacher.” His book, "Simon B. Rhymin'", is the December pick for middle-grade readers on NEA’s Read Across America calendar—NEA’s year-round program to celebrate reading and diverse books. Learn more about Dwayne’s journey and the power of Read Across America’s mission of inclusion and representation in the books our students read.

People often say that education is a wonderful career to retire from, but what does that mean, and how can educators ensure they have what they need at the end of their career? In this episode of School Me, we talk to one of NEA's Senior Pension Specialists to help answer these questions and more.

Each year, educators from across the country come together to learn how to take a potentially life-changing step: running for publicly held office. Take a peek into the exciting weekend of training hosted by NEA's See Educators Run team, and get inspired to make a change in your community, too.

Artificial Intelligence is a topic on everyone’s minds these days, for exciting and concerning reasons alike. But what role will AI play in education? According to our guest, Adam Aguilera, the sky’s the limit.

With incredible poise and delicious food, five teenage chefs from New Jersey recently won a statewide competition. Listen to them prepare for nationals—and a world beyond the kitchen.

Despite their important roles in our schools, many Education Support Professionals, or ESPs, have to take on more than one job to make ends meet. Across the country, states are working to secure better pay, working conditions, and more for their ESPs, because one job should be enough. Saúl Ramos, a Senior Program & Policy Specialist in NEA’s ESP Quality Department, and 2017 Education Support Professional of the Year, is our guest. Together, we’re discussing how NEA members, staff, and leaders are collaborating on a campaign to create an ESP Bill of Rights in each state—an effort to increase ESP visibility, rights, and respect—and how your state can join in, too.