When parents try to advocate for their kids inside the education system, communication becomes everything — and nothing is simple.

In Part 1 of this conversation, South Dakota parent Danielle shares her family’s experience navigating evaluations, special education services, breakdowns in communication, and the emotional labor of making schools take concerns seriously.

Parents will recognize this.
Teachers will understand it instantly.
School leaders may feel it in their stomach.

🎙 Part 2 drops Sunday — where we dig into what needs to change and why it matters.

Follow Every Voice Matters for honest conversations from parents, teachers, and students on the front lines of education.

In this first full episode of Every Voice Matters, Dr. Sherri Rochel sits down with Michelle, an educator from the Anoka-Hennepin School District, at a moment of deep uncertainty for teachers.

At the time of this conversation, educators in the district are working without a finalized contract, continuing under last year’s salary while facing a 22% increase in insurance costs, with a potential teacher strike just days away. Classrooms remain open. Students are being taught. But the strain is real.

Michelle speaks candidly about:

• What it’s like to teach amid ongoing contract uncertainty

• The emotional and professional toll of feeling unheard

• Why teacher exits are rarely impulsive — and often inevitable

• Her own exit strategy and the founding of Parents for Good, a 501(c)(4) organization focused on advocacy, accountability, and meaningful reform

• What parents, school boards, and communities often don’t see — but need to understand

This conversation isn’t about blame.
It’s about listening.

Every Voice Matters exists to create space for honest dialogue among the people most impacted by education policy — teachers, students, parents, administrators, and school leaders — because lasting change doesn’t happen without understanding what’s happening inside our schools.

🎧 New episodes drop every Friday

📣 Interested in sharing your story?
Email “Talk to Me” to [email protected]
or visit educationthatmatters.net/reform

If education matters to you — this conversation does too.

Point of Clarification:
During this episode, a reference is made to potential district budget cuts. Upon review, the correct figure discussed in negotiations is approximately $22 million, not $80 million as stated in the conversation.

We are sharing this clarification in the spirit of accuracy and transparency. The broader concerns discussed in the episode — educator uncertainty, rising costs, and the emotional toll of working without a finalized contract — remain unchanged.

Thank you to Michelle for flagging this, and to our listeners for engaging thoughtfully with these conversations.

— Dr. Sherri

Education won’t improve until we start listening — especially to students.

In Episode 0 of Every Voice Matters, Dr. Sherri Rochel introduces the purpose behind this series and explains why this space exists. This episode is not about blame, politics, or quick fixes. It’s about listening to lived experiences, identifying patterns, and turning honest conversation into meaningful action.

Every Voice Matters is a space for students, parents, educators, administrators, and community members to share what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs to change — with students at the center of the conversation.

This short introductory episode sets the tone for the series and invites listeners to be part of a broader, student-focused dialogue about the future of education.

🎙️ Real voices
🎙️ Real stories
🎙️ Change that starts with listening