Retired educator Brad Huffaker joins Tami to reflect on 30 years in public education — from classroom teaching and school technology to administration, CTE, transportation, and district leadership.

In this conversation, Brad shares what he has learned about students, teachers, parents, technology, and the importance of helping kids feel seen. Tami and Brad also discuss the pressure educators are carrying, how smartphones have changed school and family life, and why connection, communication, and steady adult leadership still matter.

This episode is about more than education. It is about mental health, community, responsibility, and the adults who shape the lives of young people.

A companion resource, Trauma-Informed Leadership in Public Education, is available at valentinecounseling.org.

In the first episode of For Peyton, Tami Valentine shares why she’s starting this podcast and the heart behind it. She introduces the vision for the show: honest, grounded conversations about mental health, grief, growth, and the things people carry that often go unspoken.

Tami also shares about her son, Peyton “Pete” Valentine, whose life, creativity, compassion, and memory inspired this podcast. With both professional experience and personal loss shaping her perspective, she explains why these conversations matter so deeply and what listeners can expect in the episodes ahead.

This is the beginning of a podcast rooted in honesty, humanity, and hope.