Nina Duffeck is a High Five Teacher at Nellie Stone Johnson Elementary School. She joins us to talk about her students, how she incorporates Social Emotional Learning, and the joys of teaching.

Ms. Julia Freeman is the Director of Community Engagement at Voices for Racial Justice and the Board Chair of the Advancing Equity Coalition. Julia joins Heather to talk about the purpose of being in coalition, the EDIA committee and its role in MPS, and the needs of our students in Minneapolis.

Lisa Beck is the Executive Director of Transportation and Fleet at MPS. Lisa joins us to talk about the challenges that MPS faces around transportation, things to consider for caregivers, and exciting future plans. Tune in to learn more!

In an introduction to Season 2 of Belonging in Classrooms, Heather outlines the current landscape of MPS to set the stage for the stories that we will be sharing this season.

Claire and Anna are parents of MPS students who have advocated for a gender inclusion policy in Minneapolis Public Schools. This episode explores what is included in the new MPS gender inclusion policy, how we work to hold the district accountable for following it, and their own journeys as advocates for their kids and all MPS students.

There is so much wisdom from this group of students, that we are bringing you Part 2 of a two-part series These young women cover senioritis, the draw of skipping class, how our classrooms have changed post-pandemic, and what it means to be a black student in MPS.

There is so much wisdom from this group of students, that we are bringing you Part 1 of a two-part series tomorrow. These young women cover senioritis, the draw of skipping class, how our classrooms have changed post-pandemic, and what it means to be a black student in MPS.

Belonging in Classrooms: Stories of Anti-Racism in Minneapolis Public Schools Patrick Carpenter is an Interventionist at South High School. Patrick joins us to talk about the ways intervention triads have impacted students and their relationship with school, along with the ways he prioritizes relationships with students.