Advertise on podcast: The Teachers Caucus Podcast

In Part 2 of this conversation, John Arthur joins conservative teacher and Utah State School Board Member Cole Kelley to discuss SEL and DEI, educational equity vs. equality of opportunity, systemic racism, federal authority vs. state autonomy, and even a little Common Core.

Host John Arthur, who ran for office as a Democrat in 2024, sits down with Republican Utah State School Board Member Cole Kelley for a conversation across the aisle about controversial topics in education, including political agendas in the classroom, indoctrination, LGBTQ+ identities, and the roles of teachers vs. parents in our kids' education.

John welcomes Moe Hickey, Executive Director of the nonprofit Voices for Utah Children, to discuss the impacts new federal policies like H.R.1 are having on our students, the Trump administration rescinding guidance on English Learners’ rights, and low scores on the Nation’s Report Card.

John discusses immigration policies and their impacts on our students and schools with fellow 2021 Teachers of the Year Juliana Urtubey and Gerardo Muñoz. They also look back at the summer's federal education funding freeze and their visions for the future of public education.

Host John Arthur speaks with Abbey Clements, a survivor of the Sandy Hook tragedy and Co-Founder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence. They discuss current school safety legislation and the role of teachers in advocating for change. John and Abbey also look at the recent bill passed in New York instituting a bell-to-bell cell phone ban in New York's public schools.

Public education is under serious pressure. The Supreme Court's Mahmoud v. Taylor decision allowing parents to opt students out of instruction featuring LGBTQ-related themes or materials, $6.8 billion in federal funds being withheld by the US Department of Education, and attacks on higher education all signal a new chapter for education in the United States. John Arthur breaks it all down this week with special guest Rebekah Cummings, librarian extraordinaire and 2024 candidate for Utah's Lieutenant Governor.

The Teachers Caucus is back! This time, 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year and Finalist for National Teacher of the Year, John Arthur, takes the lead as the show's new host. Guests and former Teachers Caucus Podcast hosts, Rodney Robinson and Shawn Sheehan, join John to discuss the latest in education and their predictions for what's in store for educators. *This episode was originally recorded in December 2024.

All good things must come to an end. Now, this isn't the end for sure, but it's definitely a break. Life just gets so busy! Shawn, Rodney, and show producer Joel hop on one more time to officially close things out and reflect on their favorite moments on the mic.

Shawn discusses the Educational Leadership Policy doctoral program at Texas Tech University with cohort colleagues Carissa Duran and Chris McGilvery. Follow Carissa Twitter - @seejodee Follow Chris Twitter - @camcgilvery Follow Teacher Caucus www.teachercaucus.com Twitter - @TeachersCaucus Facebook - @theteacherscaucus Follow Shawn & Rodney on Twitter Shawn Sheehan - @SPSheehan Rodney Robinson - @RodRobinsonRVA Follow and give us a rating on the app you use to listen to our show.

Lauren Corboy with The Teacher Salary Project joins the Teachers Caucus to talk about their Midterm Election Guide, the work that went into it, and how current educators can use it before heading to the polls in November. Check out the Teacher Salary Project's 2022 Midterm Election Guide. Follow Lauren Twitter - @corboy303 The Teacher Salary Project Twitter - @teachersalary Follow Teacher Caucus www.teachercaucus.com Twitter - @TeachersCaucus Facebook - @theteacherscaucus Follow Shawn & Rodney on Twitter Shawn Sheehan - @SPSheehan Rodney Robinson - @RodRobinsonRVA Follow and give us a rating on the app you use to listen to our show.

Author and 2020 Louisiana Teacher of the Year, Chris Dier, joins the Teachers Caucus to discuss education in his state and how he uses TikTok in his history classes. Follow Chris Twitter - @chrisdier TikTok - @chrisdier Follow Teacher Caucus www.teachercaucus.com Twitter - @TeachersCaucus Facebook - @theteacherscaucus Follow Shawn & Rodney on Twitter Shawn Sheehan - @SPSheehan Rodney Robinson - @RodRobinsonRVA Follow and give us a rating on the app you use to listen to our show.

2022 Texas Teacher of the Year, Ramon Benavides, and 2022 Colorado Teacher of the Year, Autumn Rivera,  discuss school safety and some of the good stuff that awaits students and teachers as they head back to school. Follow Ramon Twitter - R_Benavides2 Follow Autumn Twitter - msrivera114 Follow Teacher Caucus www.teachercaucus.com Twitter - @TeachersCaucus Facebook - @theteacherscaucus Follow Shawn & Rodney on Twitter Shawn Sheehan - @SPSheehan Rodney Robinson - @RodRobinsonRVA Follow and give us a rating on the app you use to listen to our show.

Kareem Neal, 2019 Arizona Teacher of the Year and Arizona’s first-ever National Teacher Hall of Fame Inductee, shared his journey as a special education teacher and the latest in AZ education. Rodney also takes a moment to celebrate his sister and her legacy of advocacy. Follow Kareem Neal Twitter - @kareem_neal Facebook - Kareem Neal Follow Teacher Caucus www.teachercaucus.com Twitter - @TeachersCaucus Facebook - @theteacherscaucus Follow Shawn & Rodney on Twitter Shawn Sheehan - @SPSheehan Rodney Robinson - @RodRobinsonRVA Follow and give us a rating on the app you use to listen to our show.

The Teachers Caucus explores the #TeachingTruth campaign led by the Education Civil Rights Alliance. Natasha Wilkins from ECRA and 2020 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, Takeru "TK" Nagayoshi, walk us through the framework of "teaching truth" from educator and legal perspectives. Follow The #TeachingTruth Movement Twitter - @Ed_CivilRights Facebook - @edrights Instagram - @ncylnews LinkedIn - National Center for Youth Law Follow Teacher Caucus www.teachercaucus.com Twitter - @TeachersCaucus Facebook - @theteacherscaucus Follow Shawn & Rodney on Twitter Shawn Sheehan - @SPSheehan Rodney Robinson - @RodRobinsonRVA Follow and give us a rating on the app you use to listen to our show.

2020 Oregon Teacher of the Year, Mercedes Munoz, walks us through her journey to Teacher of the Year, her decision to change school systems, and her move to a public charter school. Holla School website Follow Teacher Caucus www.teachercaucus.com Twitter - @TeachersCaucus Facebook - @theteacherscaucus Follow Shawn & Rodney on Twitter Shawn Sheehan - @SPSheehan Rodney Robinson - @RodRobinsonRVA Follow and give us a rating on the app you use to listen to our show.