Earlier this school year, a group of educators met to take stock of the school year and compare notes on what's ahead for teachers in this tumultuous time. You can watch the full debrief here, or keep reading for some key takeaways.

"One of the most important things we can do, being a Special Ed teacher, is educating Special Ed students that their voices matter early and often."

Alexandra Slatoff spoke on the importance of getting young people voting and enabling students to get involved in the political process.

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"We still have to wear our masks for the Covid situation."

Tremayne Lewis said his school is still adapting to safety concerns, and brought up measures to address Covid and gun violence.

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"[Book bans] are going to impact us in ways that we can't imagine."

Cheryl Ann ??? said she was concerned about how students of color will be impacted by book bans which stop their stories from being heard in the classroom.

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"We've got so much work to do and so much growth to do as a country."

Ryan Werenka said that listening to the discussion on book and curriculum bans made him worried about our country's progress.

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"The more we collaborate and the more we talk and lift up each others' voices— I think that, too, has the power to change the world for the better."

Following the group discussion, Dr. Precious Symonette said she was struck by what teachers' vulnerability with each other can accomplish. She encouraged teachers to continue to work together.

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"Being a part of this makes me feel like I'm in a safe place to teach what I feel needs to be taught."

Faith Broome said joining this discussion with teachers provided some encouragement during a tumultuous time for educators.

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"We need to create a stronger community with young people."

Sari Beth Rosenberg spoke on the importance of collaborating with students as well as other teachers.

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