- [Narrator] Funding for this edition of One-On-One with Steve Adubato has been provided by Atlantic Health System.

Building healthier Communities.

New Jersey Institute of Technology.

NJIT makes a difference in our students' futures.

NJM Insurance Group.

Serving New Jersey's drivers, homeowners and business owners for more than 100 years.

New Jersey Sharing Network.

The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Delta Dental of New Jersey.

Everyone deserves a healthy smile.

Valley Bank.

And by NJ Best.

Promotional support provided by ROI-NJ, informing and connecting businesses in New Jersey.

And by Meadowlands Chamber.

Building connections, driving business growth.

- This is One-On-One.

- I'm an equal American just like you are.

- The jobs of tomorrow are not the jobs of yesterday.

- Look at this.

You get this?

- Life without dance is boring.

- I don't care how good you are or how good you think you are, there is always something to learn.

- Do you enjoy talking politics?

- No.

- People call me 'cause they feel nobody's paying attention.

- Our culture, I don't think has ever been tested in the way it's being tested right now.

- That's a good question, high five.

(upbeat music) - Hi, I'm Steve Adubato.

You know, the New Jersey Education Association 2020 Convention in Atlantic City, was not actually in Atlantic City.

It was remote.

But even though it was remote, a whole range of educators got together to talk about critical issues in education today, particularly in this most challenging school year that COVID has affected in so many ways.

But at the same time, even though it was a virtual convention, we focused heavily on the theme of the convention, which is this, social justice equals, education justice equals, student success.

I mean, what could be more important than that, whether it's 2020, 2021 or any other year?

So let's check it out.

- We're pleased to be joined by Sean Spiller, Vice President, New Jersey Education Association, also happens to be the mayor of my hometown.

It's not what it's known for me in my own town, but it's Montclair, New Jersey.

Good to see you, Mr. Mayor.

Good to see you Sean.

- Yeah, great to see you.

- By the way, let's get this out of the way, we're doing this on the 5th of November there's a virtual convention going on NJEA.

You juggle a lot of different things, do you not?

You're good at time management.

- Well, you have to be you know very well.

A lot going on.

We all know right now there's a lot going on in the in the public space convention.

There's a lot going on around education, pandemic instruction, virtual learning, teaching, you name it, there's a lot going on.

We're all trying to do our best, but certainly many balls to keep in the air.

- Yeah and I spoke to Marie Blistan about this, your President, because she's at the core a teacher, you are as well.

For you, you train to be a teacher in a classroom you have the lesson plan you get all already, right?

You throw that game plan out totally different?

What happens?

- Yeah, I think, I think it's pretty different.

It's funny, I did a podcast with an educator just the other day I said, what's your biggest advice, you'd give to a new person coming into the profession?

And she said, you know those lesson plans we do and... she's like, I remember when I first started out I would I'd write the lesson plan out, like two three weeks thinking, look at the great job I'm doing.

I got this all laid out and she'd say first-class first day out the window because it goes in a totally different direction.

Something happens, different conversation.

And I think it's a little bit of that.

Yes, we plan, you kind of lay things out as to where you think they're going, but at the end of the day, you've gotta be able to adapt.

Kids always throw things at you that force you to change what you were gonna do and approach something differently.

I think this is obviously, to the extreme but this is an example of that.

It's, you've gotta be changing things up.

You've gotta be ready.

And for a lot of people, that's going back to the drawing board, of we've gotta do things differently.

So it's relearning, it's redoing.

It's something that I think that educators are specifically skilled at doing.

- And, it's so interesting Sean, you've been attending as we have as well, for the last several years.

You've been going there a lot longer the actual convention in Atlantic city, over a hundred years talk about adapting and innovative, or innovating.

That is exactly what this convention is, while we are speaking to you, there are remote seminars, workshops, presentations going on as we speak, correct?

- Yeah, absolutely, kudos to there's a group of members a convention committee, and also staff who've done a phenomenal job, as you can imagine you're turning this into a virtual experience, you can still go into all the different rooms, check out things that are going on check out the hall.

It's really trying to bring that robust experience.

And I think they've done a heck of a job from what I've seen so far in the sessions I've been in.

Kudos and we're just hoping for a smooth rest of the way.

How much more challenging is it, to keep "students" engaged in the learning process, when you're not in the room together?

- Yeah, I think it's pretty hard, right?

There's just so many distractions.

We all know this we've been on in what million zooms a day.

Everyone's kind of getting used to that piece, but you know how it works, right?

I'm sure the kids have their cell phones.

I'm thinking high school here, but it's all different grade levels, whether it's another distraction or the device, TV on the background, something else, you're competing for that attention normally.

And now you've got to do it where you don't get to control the student's environment as much.

It's certainly a challenge, no question.

- You've told our producers that, "education is a constant, must be a constant for kids."

Sean what does that mean?

- Well, right now, I think more than ever, right?

What you've heard from our governor who I think is doing a heck of a job with all of this, but but so many people talking about the fact that, everything is different right now.

We're always talking about checking in on our students but certainly our colleagues and all of us as adults, our social, emotional wellbeing, but for students, especially, they are used to a little bit of structure a little bit of order, they're used to being with their friends in a certain way and all that's been thrown just upside down.

So I think for us school's important that routine's important.

That structure's important at seeing that educator is important.

I think all of those things help to stabilize these young learners.

I think doing more than just teaching them math, science whatever it is, just really helping them through these difficult times, it's just an important piece of it.

- Steve Adubato here, Sean Spiller, the Vice President of New Jersey Education Association.

Sean, convention themes, social justice equals education justice equals student success.

Make that real for us.

- Yeah.

Well, look, we've seen it again, bring it back to the pandemic, right?

Which we keep talking about.

Hasn't created some of these things.

It's only highlighted that they existed, but when you talk about all those pieces and at the court of justice, right?

We all know it matters where you are, what you experience.

And when you talk about the pandemic and now not having any internet access, for not having devices, those of us who are fortunate, you look around and you see how many connection devices around your home other families don't have that, one kid's on another one's waiting.

And so I think all of these challenges, have only shown that, Hey, we've all gotta do, we gotta do a better job.

I know there's a lot of good people working on these issues all the time.

But I think it's really focused the fact that we talk about justice and want to make sure things are are better for the next generation, for our kids.

We've got to invest in that in many ways.

Yes, lot of it's money but it's also thinking of things differently looking at things from their perspectives and talking about equity, realizing that it isn't about equal, it's about equity and making sure, that we give kids what they need, so we can meet them where they're at.

- Finally, as we go out through the break, I want to be clear, we live in the town of Montclair.

It's a great town, it's a wealthy town in some ways but there's a lot of disparities.

So real quick on this Sean, someone in Montclair or any other community, says, I got mine, oh geez, you don't have for your kids.

That's not my problem.

It is everyone's responsibility.

I'll get off my soap box, go ahead.

- No, you're dead right.

I think the (audio glitch) and you know it well.

Thanks goodness, we don't really hear a lot of that in Montclair.

I think that's why we both love it so much but that type of thinking, listen we all know when everybody's doing better, you and I, even if we had that mentality, are gonna do better as well.

We've gotta wrap our arms around each other here especially during these difficult times and realize that let's support one another.

Let's get through this together.

And we're all gonna be stronger because of it.

keep doing what you're doing every day.

Good luck with this remote convention and fingers crossed that we'll be together in Atlantic City next year.

All the best Sean.

- Yeah, thanks like wise.

Like, listen, thanks for what you do as well.

And looking forward to seeing you in person next year - You got it, we'll be right back after this.

- We're now joined by Angel Santiago, who is to 2020,2021 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year, you heard that right.

He is the Teacher of the Year fifth grade teacher at Loring Fleming Elementary School in beautiful Camden County.

Good to see Angel.

- Thanks for having me, Steve, it's a pleasure to be here.

- Well, first of all, congratulations.

How did you find out that you were the Teacher of the Year?

A and B, what was your reaction?

- So obviously, I knew I was the Camden County Teacher of the Year earlier in the summer.

And, later in the fall, my administrators wanted to send me an email and ask if I wanted to celebrate being Camden County Teacher of the Year on a Zoom call, just like this a Zoom call.

And they would invite my students and so we had a bunch of the administrators here in Camden County and Gloucester Township, and my students were also there as well, we celebrated being Camden County Teacher of the Year, then they asked my students to head back to their original Zoom meeting while I stayed, and then at that point, Interim Commissioner Naymer appeared on the screen and notified me that I had a new position, a new role as New Jersey State Teacher of the Year, obviously, anyone who's experienced this position or this calling you know this is the pinnacle of your profession, this is the top and to be recognized in this way.

And this, with this honor I was left speechless.

I was very emotional.

First thing I asked is if I can call my mom and let my mom know about the honor and... - How proud was she?

- Obviously I'm the oldest one in the family of the oldest grandchild and the one who has the highest degree when it comes to college.

So I'm one of the first ones actually have a degree from college.

So she was very proud, she cried on the phone we cried together.

My mom is been probably the most important person in my life, throughout my entire life.

So she was very proud, very happy.

A, why did you go into teaching?

And B, as a fifth grade teacher and our daughter's in the fifth grade as we speak right now.

Is this what you signed up for?

Teaching in the way you're teaching now?

- So obviously, I wanted to be a teacher quite early in actually in my high school career, I had great teachers that kind of guided me mentored me, When it comes to this particular year, and how special this year is, and I'm gonna use the word special, because I do think there's positive things that we can take from this.

We can never predict what this would happen.

But there's one thing that stays constant throughout the profession of education.

and it's that adaptability, like, we have to be adaptable, right?

So we've known adaptation throughout the entire, most teachers know what adaptation is because curriculums change, standards change, and times has changed as well as the profession should be adaptable, because new policies come up.

New ways of pedagogy come up so even though I'm not prepared, I wasn't necessarily prepared for this.

I was able to adapt because I knew that came with the job.

And I know it even,(indistinct) - Excuse me Angel but not being in the classroom with your students again, it's gonna go back and forth.

This will be seen later in 2021 and God willing, things will have gotten better and we can be together in a classroom but who knows, but are you still feeling this, do you still have the sense that you're connecting with your students, you're teaching your students and more importantly, they're learning?

- I do think that we are connecting with our students.

I do think that with the technology we have nowadays, we are still able to be with our students.

Imagine if we didn't have this technology.

I don't necessarily think I do miss my children physically.

I miss being around their presence.

I think every teacher throughout the state of New Jersey probably feels that but I do understand where we are at where we're at, in the form of health and safety.

And I do think that this is part of the future when it comes to education and that there are some things that we can take from this, that will be beneficial.

As we go along in the future of education, I think we have to be open minded, I think we have to do the best that we can possibly do and all the teachers throughout the state of New Jersey, have stepped up to the plate and really put themselves out there and become creative.

Professional learning communities have grown to not just include the five people or six people you work with, but a network of teachers throughout the state that we weren't, privy to have prior to this experience.

- Angel real quick got about two minutes left, diversity in education.

You had an interesting quote, it took me a while to see minorities in education, you are one of the few Latino men in elementary school education.

Why is that so important?

- I think it's important on different aspects in different levels for instance, obviously, we want our student population to be reflected in our teacher population.

But more importantly, I believe that even our regular population of students, it's important for them to see positive role models throughout every culture being representative inside their classroom inside their schools and at an earlier age as well in elementary education as well.

And that goes with genders as well, men, women, we have to diversify that so that our students are exposed to different cultures, different genders, and they can, just be called acculturated and understand different forms of teaching different styles of teaching.

And so I think that's very important.

On behalf of all the parents, with our children in public schools, thank you to public school educators like you who make a difference every day in our children's lives.

Thank you, Angel.

- Thank you so much, Steve.

- We'll be right back right after this.

- We're now joined by a good friend, Steve Swetsky the executive director, New Jersey Education Association.

Good to see you Steve.

- Good to be here, Steve.

Thanks for having me on.

- We're actually taping on November the fifth, there was a convention the NJEA Convention.

It's virtual this year going on a lot of years, over a hundred years, but it's virtual.

What's the biggest difference for you Steve?

Virtual in-person, a convention?

- So I mean, just the being able to be with people talk to people, bump into them.

This morning I did, you know we did our opening and we have a virtual main street which you've been at the convention before.

So you know that we have an area where members kinda join together for the organization.

And so I took a walk down the virtual main street and it was amazing.

You know, I bumped into rooms, there were members in there they were conversing and engaging.

And those weren't either the workshop rooms the workshop rooms are all happening, you know on our virtual third and fourth floors of the center.

These are just our places where our members gather.

And so while it's different, it's an opportunity, right?

And one thing we're seeing, we're seeing lots of members participating in our events, not just convention but throughout the year now who really haven't had the opportunity before.

Being able to access things and participate virtually, is becoming second nature to everyone.

- You know, Steve, last year when we were in Atlantic City for the convention, interviewed you and your colleagues a big theme around racial justice, right?

Racial, social justice, the themes this year.

I think I mentioned social justice, education justice equal student success.

Give us a concrete example, Steve, of what we mean by social justice, education justice, or injustice put it out there.

- Well, I think we're seeing that right now throughout New Jersey, as schools are in 600 different versions of instruction.

Some with students in classrooms some completely remote, some in hybrid models.

And the virtual aspect of this is really exposing even more than we've talked about before kinda the haves and the have-nots of who has access, who has the tools, right?

Who has a place in their house to go to school.

And so it's, I think really exposing a whole new part of public education in ways that we, right now everybody's peddling really quick just to keep up and do what they need to do.

When this all clears, I think we really should sit down for a conversation about how all of this connects and how public education is the connector.

- From a public policy point of view, right?

What do you believe, quote, education justice should look like A and B, are those policy decisions that have to be made?

- Yeah, I think they are policy decisions that have to be made.

- Such us?

- I mean, you know, it's equity, it's funding, it's school facilities, you know, all of these pieces that make schools that are not equitable throughout New Jersey.

New Jersey is a segregated state one of the most segregated States in the country.

And so while we have the top ranked school system, public school system in the country, if you dig a little deeper in there, you'll find, again, a lot of places where there are haves and there are have-nots.

And those are the things that we should talk about and it's gotta be policy.

I mean, that's where you bring everybody together on those policy issues.

- But Steve is that largely, by the way let me disclose the NJEA one of our longtime educational partners and underwriter of what we do when it comes to educational programming.

But I'm curious about this.

How much of those policy decisions do you believe come out of the State House versus local boards of education and, or both?

- I think it's both.

And I think it comes down to resources and it comes down to wealthier communities that have more resources than less wealthy communities.

And so then you get the state involved in that conversation and the legislature involved in that conversation via funding via the lawsuits that have gone on in New Jersey over a period of 30 years in terms of the Abbott decisions and the various versions of that which are all designed to bring equity into the public education sphere and acknowledge where it doesn't exist and provide resources to make things better in those areas.

- The issues that Steve Swetsky is raising we will continue to examine from a policy perspective, from a human perspective.

And most of all, in terms of teachers and students in that classroom or in a remote fashion.

Hey, Steve thanks so much for joining us from the convention remotely.

- Glad to be here, thanks, Steve.

- We'll be right back.

- We're now joined by Stacy Yanko, 2020 New Jersey Education Association Education Support Professional of the Year.

She's the guidance secretary at Hopatcong High School.

Good to see you, Stacy.

- Thank you for having me, Steve.

- First, a lot of folks do not know what an ESP is, an Education Support Professional.

Define that for us, please.

- Well, we're the essential workers behind the teachers and school counselors.

So we're the secretaries, custodial and maintenance staff, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, everyone who makes up the paraprofessionals, the support team, so to speak.

- You know, we're taping this in late November, 2020, it'll be seen after that.

Describe what this school year has been like for you, but more importantly, not more importantly, but also for your students.

- It's a challenge, just like with everyone else, except we're dealing with students.

I'm with students in grades eight through 12.

They're trying to focus on their next steps in their future and it's been quite a challenge.

I am happy to say that our teachers and support professionals have really tried to provide all the support that the students need, while not always being in the school.

And I think that's been a lot more challenging, because that one to one that you usually have, that in-person, is so important.

So just like everyone else, we're finding the challenge of working from home, working from school, and still trying to provide all the support that everyone needs.

How much has this challenged your leadership skillset over this past few months?

- Well, I think it's like, as somebody once told me when I got this honor, the ability to seek good in all situations, and sometimes when you are given the biggest challenges is when you learn the biggest life lessons.

And I think when you're a leader, you provide opportunities, not only in the good times when things are going great, but in the more difficult times when you really have to pull together as a team.

And team is something that I always feel, you know, we all play a role.

We're all a player, not everyone's the captain or the coach.

You need all of the players on the team, no matter what position.

Some are always on the field, some need to pinch hit, so to speak, but we all do it together.

- Oh, hold on Stacy.

I am a sports addict.

Not that I play anymore, but I'm obsessed with being a fan.

You make a lot of sports references.

Is there a reason for that?

- I'm a huge sports fan.

- Okay, let's get this out of the way.

I'm gonna talk about the NJEA Virtual Convention in a second.

What sports, what teams?

- This is a little unconventional.

- Go ahead.

- I mean, football is my favorite.

I'm actually a Tennessee Titans fan.

(Stacy laughs) - Hold on.

I'm taping up in North Jersey.

You know, I'm a Giants fan.

Just get this, where does that come from?

Are you from Tennessee?

- No, I actually am born and raised in New Jersey, and one of my best friends growing up was a Houston Oilers fan back when Earl Campbell was the running back.

- That's right.

- And I kind of picked up from there and followed- - You changed teams.

- And followed them when they went to Tennessee from Houston.

But with that being said, we always root for the Giants, that's my husband's team, and of course we support the Jets as well, so.

- Just making sure.

All right, back to education.

The NJEA, New Jersey Education Association virtual convention.

Describe it.

What was it like?

- It was still amazing.

It definitely, I missed being with everyone and having that opportunity to network in person and meet new people, but with that being said, I think NJEA once again raised the bar and tried to give us those opportunities to not only get wonderful professional development but also the opportunities to interact virtually, and I was really pleased and proud to be a part of it.

- You know, when you have a virtual convention like that, just like we're doing virtual broadcasting right now, you also, at least for me, I look forward to being back in the studio.

How much do you look forward to being back with your colleagues and your students?

- Well, I'm fortunate.

I have been in my school, even since March, two to five days a week.

And actually, when we're done, I'll be back in my office supporting our staff.

Unfortunately, we did just go virtual recently.

But I definitely can't wait until we can be all back together.

- Well, Stacy, I wanna thank you for joining us.

I'm gonna remind folks, you're the 2020 New Jersey Education Association Education Support Professional of the Year, and we're honored to have you with us.

Thank you for what you do every day.

- Oh, thank you so much, Steve.

- Thanks, Stacy.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato has been a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by Atlantic Health System.

New Jersey Institute of Technology.

NJM Insurance Group.

New Jersey Sharing Network.

The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Delta Dental of New Jersey.

Valley Bank.

And by NJ Best.

Promotional support provided by ROI-NJ, And by Meadowlands Chamber.

- [Young Girl] I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when I was two.

It's hard to grow up with CF.

But I have an awesome care team at Goryeb Children's Hospital.

Helping me do the things I want to do, like play lacrosse.

And now, I've been recruited to play in college.

- Where you go for pediatric care matters.

- [Announcer] Atlantic Health System, because every moment is a moment that matters.