There's Power in Teaching

Educators Rising national officers Ivy Smith (National Student President), Solomon Moore (National Vice President of Engagement), Isabella Carneiro (National Vice President of Service), and Liberty McCloskey (National Vice President of Communications) sit down with Jeanie Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Educators Rising, for a candid conversation about what it looks like to be a student inside the system adults design. They cover why life skills shouldn't be electives, how CTE gave them a credential and a backup plan, where student voice becomes influence, and the mentors who saw something in them first. Stay for the lightning round, where one of them refuses to ban phones in our public schools.

Key Takeaways

• Relevance drives engagement. Students want a clear line from what they're learning to how they'll live and work.
• CTE is a credential, a confidence builder, and a backup plan. Students see its value before many adults do.
• Hearing isn't influence. Student councils and advisory roles only matter if decisions actually change.
• Belonging and mentorship recur in every story. Each officer traces their path to an adult, or a first grader, who noticed them.
• Access to higher ed starts before senior year, and peer mentors make the path feel attainable, not just available.

Interested in starting a chapter in your school? Visit our website, educatorsrising.org to learn more about how to establish a chapter and start cultivating the next generation of education leaders within your own community.

In this episode of There's Power in Teaching, we continue our series on educators who used the PDK Travel Scholarship Program to expand their perspective — and their classrooms. Kasie Payne teaches English half-time and Educators Rising's Teaching as a Profession courses half-time at a new school in Wasatch County, Utah, where she also serves as her school's Educators Rising teacher leader.

Kasie talks candidly about choosing Japan and South Korea — the farthest she'd ever traveled — as a deliberate act of modeling bravery for her students, the pre-trip reading list (fiction and nonfiction) that shaped what she noticed once she arrived, and the small cultural observations (no public trash cans, yet spotless streets) that reframed how she thinks about systems and student behavior back home. She also reflects on a Buddhist temple visit and tea ceremony in South Korea, practical advice for traveling off the beaten path, and how her district's Educators Rising program has grown from a fledgling high school chapter into a full grow-your-own pipeline — complete with a first-ever paid student internship and a new university-level ER program built in response to what the high schoolers started.

Topics include:

• Why Japan and South Korea, and how pre-trip reading (fiction especially) shaped her cultural lens
• Modeling bravery for students by choosing discomfort over the familiar
• Nagasaki, WWII history, and the "current meets history" moment of seeing what she'd read about
• Cultural observations: public order, the no-trash-can paradox, and "systems that let people show up as their best selves"
• Realizing Japan and Korea are not interchangeable — and what that taught her about assumptions
• A Buddhist temple visit and tea ceremony, and its influence on how she wants to keep learning
• Travel advice: go off the beaten path, eat somewhere tiny, read before you go
• The value of national convention networking for bringing new ideas back to her state

© 2026 Educators Rising • educatorsrising.org

Host John Hendron speaks with Becky Tomaso, a 32-year educator and Educators Rising teacher leader at Baldwin County Public Schools in Alabama. Tomaso used an Educators Rising travel scholarship to visit Portugal and France — then brought the trip straight into her classroom, from coastal-food comparisons to a fall project built around the places she'd been. She also talks about coaching her students to present at conference themselves, growing her program into its fifth year, and why she believes solving the teacher shortage starts with the profession itself.

"A lot of kids come with their backpacks not full — they don't have any background knowledge. So we have to always work to build background for them and make those real-world connections."

"It starts with us. It starts with me as a teacher. It starts with us as a school. It starts with us as future teachers, to build up our profession."

This podcast is ©2026 by Educators Rising, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Visit us online at educatorsrising.org.

"Teaching is a universal language of love." — on meeting teachers at the school in La Fortuna

Becky Rowe teaches Teaching Professions Academy at Turpin High School in the Forest Hills School District, a satellite program of Great Oaks Career Development Centers in Cincinnati, Ohio — and this year marks her 18th year teaching and 10th at Turpin. In this conversation with host Kathleen Vail, Becky talks about how Educators Rising became the backbone of her TPA program, then dives into the story behind her recent Educators Rising scholarship trip to Costa Rica: nine days spent chasing fluency in a language she'd once lost, visiting a rural bilingual school as "a stranger off the street," riding out an earthquake and a tropical storm, and eating the best brownie of her life.

She closes with what she's bringing back to her own classroom — a "pura vida" mindset, a renewed commitment to modeling risk-taking for her students, and maybe a TESOL license.

"I've already made like seven pans of brownies." — on her ongoing, so-far-unsuccessful quest to recreate a brownie from La Fortuna

To learn more about our travel scholarship program, visit https://pdkintl.org/international-travel/.

© 2026 Educators Rising, from PDK International

Host: Kathleen Vail, editor, Kappan

Guest: John Wilson, educator, advocate, and former executive director of the National Education Association and 2025 Educators Rising Champion

In this episode, Kappan editor Kathleen Vail sits down with John Wilson — a teacher, union leader, policy advocate, and one of Educators Rising’s 2025 Champions — for a wide-ranging conversation about what it means to spend a lifetime in service to the teaching profession. Wilson’s story begins in a cafeteria line at Western Carolina University, where a chance encounter with a student NEA table set the course for five decades of advocacy. From teaching middle schoolers to read during leaves of absence from union work, to leading the fight to get North Carolina schools air-conditioned, to navigating No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top as NEA’s top staff executive, Wilson’s career is a masterclass in staying in the fight.

He talks candidly about the arc of North Carolina teacher pay — from the 40s in national rankings to the low 20s under Governor Jim Hunt, and sadly back to the 40s today — and reflects on what it takes to sustain political will for public education across changing administrations. He shares the origin story of the North Carolina Foundation for Public School Children, which has distributed over a million dollars to meet needs that government simply won’t fund, including wells, washing machines, and backup pairs of glasses for kids who would otherwise fall behind.

The conversation turns to the Teacher Cadet Program, which Wilson founded in North Carolina using the South Carolina model as inspiration, and how it became a feeder into Educators Rising’s national network. He makes a pointed contrast between programs like Teach for America — which he argues is fundamentally a leadership pipeline, not a teaching pipeline — and the philosophy behind Educators Rising: that the best thing you can do for students is keep great teachers *in* the classroom.

Wilson also reflects on the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, coalition-building philosophy (his “shoulder to shoulder” model in North Carolina), the importance of teacher voice in policy, and why he believes we should be listening more to those who work with children directly.

The episode closes with Wilson’s Educators Rising moment: a first-generation college student who moved through five elementary schools in first grade alone, finding his school family in a handful of great high school teachers — and dedicating his career to making sure those teachers had the conditions they needed to stay.

About John Wilson: John Wilson began his career in the 1970s as a special education teacher in Wake County, North Carolina. He served as president of the NC Education Association’s student program before rising to become executive director of NCAE and later executive director of the NEA, a position he held for approximately 11 years. He founded the North Carolina Teacher Cadet Program and the North Carolina Foundation for Public School Children, and served as past chair of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the Learning First Alliance, and the North Carolina Covenant for Children. He was named an Educators Rising Champion in 2025.

© 2026 PDK International • Arlington, Virginia

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Chapter Guide

**0:00** — Introduction: John Wilson’s career overview

**1:11** — From a cafeteria line to the student NEA: How advocacy started at Western Carolina University

**3:07** — Why special education changed everything: “Everybody can learn something”

**4:04** — Teaching middle schoolers to read between union assignments

**5:14** — The perspective shift: Low tolerance for what’s wrong, and the fight for school air conditioning

**7:16** — Educators Rising and the Teacher Cadet Program vs. Teach for America: Who stays in teaching?

**8:47** — The moral case for teacher pay: Advocacy for national average in North Carolina

**13:02** — Leading the NEA: No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, and what happens when you don’t ask teachers

**20:05** — Returning to North Carolina: The North Carolina Foundation for Public School Children

**27:22** — Founding the NC Teacher Cadet Program: Curriculum, partnerships, and the path to college credit

**33:12** — District-level pipelines: Guilford County’s early job offers to Teacher Cadets

**37:09** — Building the national partnership with Educators Rising and CTE

**39:13** — Why professional identity formation in high school matters

**40:55** — “I am a get-to-yes person”: The Partnership for 21st Century Skills and coalition philosophy

**43:25** — John Wilson’s Educators Rising moment: First-generation, five schools in first grade, and the teachers who became his family

In this episode, Kathleen Vail interviews Elizabeth Bennett, Associate Vice President for Career and Technical Education at Northern Essex Community College and former Associate Commissioner for College, Career, and Technical Education for the state of Massachusetts.

Bennett shares how her career journey — from classroom teacher to state leadership and now higher education — has been driven by one goal: expanding equitable access to career-connected learning for students.

Bennett explains that students increasingly want to understand why they are learning something and how it connects to their futures. She argues that career-connected learning helps students see the relevance of academics by tying classroom lessons to real-world applications and careers.

She shares examples of students using advanced math concepts in manufacturing labs and emphasizes the importance of helping students connect their strengths to possible career paths.

A major theme of the conversation is the need to introduce career exploration before high school. Bennett believes middle school — and even elementary school — is the ideal time to help students explore possibilities and build confidence in their abilities.

Rather than allowing students to define themselves by what they aren’t good at, schools should help students identify where they thrive and how those strengths might shape their future.

Bennett discusses how community colleges are evolving into stronger workforce and career partners. She highlights innovative partnerships that allow students to earn college credits, industry credentials, and workplace experience while still in high school.

She also emphasizes the importance of supporting first-generation college students as they transition from high school into postsecondary education.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Massachusetts launched new opportunities for high school students to support classrooms while exploring teaching careers themselves. Bennett shares how this effort helped spark broader educator pathway programs across the state.

The initiative also strengthened collaboration with Educators Rising, providing students with curriculum, mentorship, and authentic exposure to the teaching profession.

One of the most powerful stories in the episode centers on Bennett’s “After Dark” initiative, which expanded access to CTE programs for students who were stuck on waiting lists.

By using school facilities during unused afternoon hours, districts were able to provide students from underserved communities with access to advanced manufacturing and other career pathways that led directly to college and high-paying careers.

Looking ahead, Bennett believes the traditional divide between academics and career and technical education will continue to disappear.

Her vision is for every student to experience internships, work-based learning, and career exploration as a normal part of high school — not as a separate track for only certain students.

The episode closes with Bennett reflecting on her own path into education and the teachers who shaped her life.

She shares how the educators who made her feel seen, valued, and encouraged ultimately inspired her to become a teacher herself — and why helping students feel connected and supported remains central to her work today.

Elizabeth Bennett currently serves as Associate Vice President at Northern Essex Community College. Prior to this role, she served as Associate Commissioner for College, Career, and Technical Education for the state of Massachusetts, helping lead statewide efforts focused on equitable access, career-connected learning, and innovative CTE programming.

She was recognized last summer as an Educators Rising Champion at the 2025 Educators Rising National Conference in Orlando.

Hawaii is one of the most geographically isolated places on Earth — and one of the most complex when it comes to recruiting and retaining teachers. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Janet Kim, a tenure-track faculty member at the University of Hawaii at Manoa whose job is one of a kind: recruiting the next generation of educators into the profession full-time.

Janet traces her own winding path from Northern Virginia military kid to elementary special education teacher to the first (and possibly only) tenure-track university faculty position dedicated exclusively to teacher recruitment. Along the way, she shares how she helped bring Educators Rising to Hawaii — and why she believes it's the missing piece the state's teacher pipeline has long needed.

We cover a lot of ground in this conversation: the revolving door of mainland teachers who come to Hawaii but don't stay, the statewide coalition that finally stopped the blame game and started building solutions, differential pay for hard-to-fill positions (special ed, Hawaiian language immersion, rural/remote schools), and why recruitment without retention is only half the answer.

Janet also shares her "Ed Rising moment" — and a second-grade teacher named Miss Sweet who quietly changed everything.

In this episode:

• Why Hawaii's geographic isolation creates a unique case study for teacher recruitment
• How Educators Rising fills a gap that other CTSOs don't: a space dedicated exclusively to future educators
• The statewide stakeholder coalition that helped Hawaii move from identifying problems to building solutions
• Hawaii's differential pay strategy for special education, Hawaiian language immersion, and rural positions — and what it's teaching them about the limits of recruitment alone
• Why early, hands-on experience is the strongest predictor of teacher retention
• Janet's personal "Ed Rising moment" and the story of Miss Sweet's hall pass

Dr. Kim was recognized at the 2025 Educators Rising National Conference as an Educators Rising Champion.

© 2026 PDK International.

In this episode, Kappan editor Kathleen Vail sits down with Dr. Gladys Cruz, Superintendent of Questar III BOCES and past president of AASA, to discuss the personal experiences, leadership strategies, and innovative programs shaping the future of education.

Dr. Cruz reflects on the educators who changed the course of her life and explains how those moments of encouragement ultimately led her from a planned career in dentistry into education.

The discussion also explores how Questar III BOCES built strong teacher pathway programs long before teacher shortages became a national conversation. Dr. Cruz explains how Educators Rising became a natural extension of that work, helping students connect their passion for education with real-world pathways into the profession.

The episode takes an honest look at today’s educator workforce challenges, including nationwide shortages in special education, math, science, foreign languages, and multilingual learner instruction. Dr. Cruz also speaks candidly about the growing difficulty districts face in retaining talented educators amid budget pressures and increased competition between school systems.

One of the most compelling parts of the conversation focuses on retention through professional growth. Dr. Cruz shares how Questar III partnered with the University at Albany to create paid, stackable micro-credential programs for teaching assistants and career and technical education instructors. The initiative has strengthened instruction, increased staff confidence, and improved retention — while helping educators see new possibilities for their careers.

The conversation also highlights the expanding role of career and technical education in helping students discover meaningful futures. From aviation and welding to culinary arts and education pathways, Dr. Cruz argues that students need exposure to a wide range of opportunities — and that hearing directly from successful students is often the best recruitment tool of all.

Throughout the episode, Dr. Cruz offers a hopeful but practical perspective on leadership, mentorship, and the responsibility educators have to help students discover both their talents and their purpose. Dr. Cruz was honored by PDK/Educators Rising at the 2025 Educators Rising National Conference as an Educators Rising Champion.

In this episode:

•Why encouragement from teachers can change a student’s entire trajectory

• How Educators Rising aligned naturally with Questar III’s teacher pathway efforts
• The realities of teacher recruitment and retention nationwide
• How professional learning can serve as a powerful retention strategy
• Why CTE pathways are critical for student success and workforce development
• The importance of student ambassadors in promoting career pathways
• How mentorship and coaching help educators “pay it forward”

© 2026 PDK International

Alabama faces one of the nation's most severe teacher shortages — over 800 vacancies in early childhood and elementary alone. In this webinar, PDK International sits down with Alabama State Coordinator Suzanne Clemons and three standout teacher leaders — Becky Tomaso, Moriah Miller, and Stephanie Cody — to share how Educators Rising is turning today's high school students into tomorrow's educators. Hear how one program grew from 40 students to over 200, how students published their own bilingual children's books, and why the best teacher recruiters in Alabama are the students themselves.

What you'll hear:

- Why Stephanie tells teachers on the fence: *"Don't look back. Jump in with both feet."*
- How Mariah's students turned a children's literature competition into a fundraiser — pre-selling over 100 copies of their own published, illustrated books
- Becky on integrating AI literacy into future-teacher training through a National Science Foundation grant
- The moment a district realized its teachers didn't reflect its students — and how Grow Your Own became the answer
- How students who weren't traditionally seen as leaders are now running signing days, mentoring elementary kids, and getting hired as paraprofessionals before they graduate
- Why the curriculum matters, why community matters more, and what "signing day" looks like when 150 people show up to cheer future educators

Alabama went from fewer than 200 Educators Rising-affiliated students two years ago to roughly 600 today — with 1,300 attending state conferences this spring. This is what a movement looks like when it's built on the right foundation.

Learn more and download the free Grow Your Own Playbook at educatorsrising.org.

Tracy Kern has spent more than two decades at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, South Dakota — a district that has grown from 750 students to more than 5,000 since she arrived in 2000. A Family and Consumer Science educator and longtime CTE pathway teacher, Kern was honored as a 2025 Educators Rising Champion at the national conference, recognized for her role in building one of the largest and most active Educators Rising chapters in South Dakota. In this episode, she sits down with Kappan Editor-in-Chief Kathleen Vail to talk about what it really takes to build a chapter that lasts.

Kern was there at the beginning — literally. Around 2017, she and a small group of administrators sat down to figure out how to launch an Educators Rising chapter at Harrisburg without a state association in place to support them. Their solution: start one. Within a few years, South Dakota had a functioning state association with more than 500 student members. Kern's chapter, the largest in the state with around 50 students, draws members both from her Education and Training classroom and from students outside the course, using Ed Rising as the connective thread that keeps future educators engaged across multiple years.

The chapter's programming is anything but a passive club experience. Kern's students open the school year by welcoming new district staff with handmade bulletin board kits, address a thousand-person faculty meeting to talk about the educators who inspired them, mentor elementary students during "learning days," and serve as room consultants at professional education conferences. The chapter's signature event is a Future Teacher Signing Day held during Teacher Appreciation Week — a ceremony with university representatives, an institutional pledge, and the kind of weight typically reserved for student athletes. Kern created it from scratch in 2018 and has refined it every year since.

Beyond her own chapter, Kern actively mentors advisors across South Dakota, including in rural districts where CTE infrastructure is thin and a single passionate classroom teacher might be the only thing standing between a student and the education pathway. She's matter-of-fact about why it matters: she wants future teachers in every corner of the state who are as passionate as she is, including, eventually, the ones teaching her grandchildren. After 30 years, she's still not thinking about retirement — at least not until the work stops being exciting. It hasn't yet.

Throughout the conversation, Kern speaks with the energy of someone who has never stopped being a student herself. She reflects on the full-circle moment of watching a freshman experience the same confidence breakthrough she had as a CTSO student decades ago, shares her philosophy on mentoring advisors in rural districts across South Dakota, and makes a direct case to prospective teachers: the challenges are real, but so are the rewards — and if you're still excited to be with kids every morning after 30 years, that's all the answer you need.