The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators

In this episode of the Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators, we continue discussing what it means to heal from racial battle fatigue in the workplace. Listen as Dr. Flowers shares her classroom experiences and how she supports the healing of Black educators.

In our first live tapping, Kevin and Dr. Asia sit down with Dr. Dedrick Sims of the Sims-Fayola Foundation to talk about the importance of retention and recruitment of Black and Brown male educators, his own education story, and what it means to heal while doing the work of educating our youth.

This will be Kevin's first year as an assistant principal in the Denver area! In this episode, he briefly talks about his ideas on how school districts can retain Black educators based on his experiences in the classroom.

Dr. Asia Lyons is a guest on The Thoughtful Counselor Podcast!

"In this episode, Dr. Asia Lyons meets with Dr. Dsa Karye Daniel to discuss the tenants of Racial Battle Fatigue and racism-related stress. Throughout their conversation, they reflect on the experiences of Black Teachers and how sharing these experiences can change the narrative for future Black educators. Dr. Lyons gives examples of how mental health practitioners can support Black educators through culturally responsive practices." -From, The Thoughtful Counselor Podcast

In this episode, Janet Stickmon returns to the podcast to talk to our audience about what healing from racial battle fatigue could look like.

This brief episode highlights the crucial importance for school districts to acknowledge and address the influence of family support on the departure of Black educators from the education field. The departure is being triggered by various factors, such as policies, colleagues, administrators, and others who are contributing to pushing Black educators out. Simultaneously, family members of Black educators are also playing a significant role in pulling them out of the classroom, driven by their weariness of witnessing vicarious racial battle fatigue.

As conversations arise about retention and recruitment during summer professional development sessions within the education sector, it is imperative to include the impact of family support in these discussions. Recognizing and understanding the role of family dynamics in the decisions of Black educators to remain or leave the profession can lead to more effective strategies for addressing the issue and fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for educators of all backgrounds.

Janet Stickmon was named 2023's Distinguished Professor by her university. She takes great pride in working with her students. She has created CenterJoyPWR: Strategies for Healing Racial Battle Fatiguean online experience for professionals of color who want to center joy in their lives. But before this Janet was a Catholic school educator with a strong desire to teach ethnic studies in a space with no interest in seeing their students understand the humanity of themselves and others. Listen as Janet shares her story along with fantastic strategies that school districts and universities should implement to retain Black educators.

Enola Garland found her way into the classroom as an early childhood educator. She quickly realized that working with three and four-year-olds was what she was meant for. After years in the ECE space and with COVID-19's impact on her students, colleagues, and herself along with racism-related stress in the workspace after the murder of George Floyd she knew she had to leave. Listen as Enola shares her story and what she is doing now that continues to support early child hood educators across Colorado.

Well, its time for me to tell my Exit Interview story. On the last day of school in 2018, I threw my work i.d. in the garbage can in front of the middle school where I had taught for six years. I didnt know what was next, but I knew I had to get the hell out of there! Listen as Kev, our producer Gerardo, and I talk about my journey from the D (Detroit, that is), my own experience with racism-related stress and racial battle fatigue to being the co-host of The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators.

Nedra Rudolph is one of thousands of educational professionals that many of us see but never truly SEE. Having worked in Title 1 schools, as a Dean of Students, a paraprofessional, and a family liason. These professionals are categorically invaluable, and grossly undercompensated.

She had a great situation, but like in so many situations, when leadership changes, so does culture. Never was the old saying "sometimes it's your own people" more true than in this situation, when White supremacy was perpetrated by a fellow person of color.

After a painful journey, Nedra was able to leave her position with her head held high. She still gets to work with children daily, and has found new joy in her work.