Rebel Teachers Rising Podcast By Trina English Jessica Martin cover art

Rebel Teachers Rising

Rebel Teachers Rising

By: Trina English Jessica Martin
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Even before the pandemic lock-downs, American teachers from sea to shining sea reported a critical shortage of teachers within their ranks, and have watched in horror at the crippling levels of greed, arrogance, apathy, and ignorance at every level of K-12 educational governance. While embattled teachers have continued to try in vain to draw attention to the issues, our leaders have failed to acknowledge the problems at all. But since covid, the nation’s teachers have borne witness to a break neck hastening pace of this downward spiral–and a total avoidance of a conversation from our leaders.


This a-political podcast, created and produced exclusively by teachers, gets into the nitty gritty details of why teachers are leaving the profession in droves, and uncovers huge contributing structural problems baked into the teaching profession which are not discussed or understood even within the K-12 educational world, which also explain why so much of what is done in K-12 is ineffective. These desperate, passionate, highly qualified teachers use this podcast series to insert teachers forcefully into the national conversation about the critical issues plaguing K-12 education, because no one else was letting them in–a fact which belies a central thesis about the roots of the problems discussed throughout the episodes. Listeners will be gripped by the reality that without substantial reforms which empower teachers to lead the work, the inevitable result is a collapse of our very ability to effectively self-govern–a process which they argue is already well underway.


Listen as they describe the problems in teacher pay, teacher preparation requirements, special education, climate and culture, reading instruction, the false promise of existing DEI based frameworks in K-12, and the problems inherent in outsourced canned curriculums. Become a part of the solution as they outline a framework to authentically fix these problems, which require all hands on deck from both inside and outside of K-12 education.


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Episodes
  • 11. The Teacher Preparation Mess: 8 Years, 50 Grand and Your Soul--An Introduction to the Teacher Preparation Mess

    11. The Teacher Preparation Mess: 8 Years, 50 Grand and Your Soul--An Introduction to the Teacher Preparation Mess
    Jul 5 2025

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    In this episode, Trina and Amanda delve into the complex and often misunderstood process of becoming a teacher in the United States, particularly in California. They discuss the extensive financial, emotional, and time investments required, highlighting how these barriers contribute to the current teacher shortage. The conversation explores the disparities in teacher preparatory programs, the bureaucratic hurdles faced by new teachers, and the systemic income inequality that prevents many potential educators from entering or staying in the profession. Through personal anecdotes and critical analysis, they shed light on the oppressive elements of the certification process and offer potential solutions for making it more accessible and equitable.

    00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
    00:29 Understanding the Teacher Shortage Problem
    02:22 Financial and Emotional Investments in Teaching
    03:44 The Credentialing Process: California vs. Washington
    05:44 Challenges of Student Teaching and Internships
    10:56 The Burden of Continuing Education
    16:14 Personal Experiences and Systemic Issues
    18:47 The Impact on Disadvantaged Schools
    22:40 Clearing the Credential and Ongoing Challenges
    29:00 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

    Website: teachershortagecrisis.com

    www.rebelteachersrising.com
    Petition to Save K-12 Schooling and our Precious Democracy!

    www.rebelteachersrising.com
    Petition to Save K-12 Schooling and our Precious Democracy!
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    32 mins
  • 10. The Teacher Pay Mess: Real Talk--Janice Cook's Quitting Story

    10. The Teacher Pay Mess: Real Talk--Janice Cook's Quitting Story
    Jun 28 2025

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    In this episode of the Teacher Shortage Crisis Podcast, the hosts welcome Janice Cook, a veteran teacher from New England. They delve into the critical issues surrounding teacher pay and the hardships teachers face trying to make a living in this profession. Janice shares her personal journey, discussing the difficult choices she made due to insufficient salaries, taxes, high, cost of living, and excessive bureaucratic hurdles. They explore the idea of forming a national professional teacher association with innovative teachers leading the way. Throughout, they highlight the disconnect between different stakeholders in education and the need for systemic reforms.

    00:00 Welcome and Introduction

    00:30 Guest Background: Meet Janice

    01:42 Teacher Pay in New England

    02:36 The Reality of Teacher Salaries

    04:16 Challenges and Decisions

    11:26 Certification and Relocation

    15:34 Navigating the Salary Schedule

    23:47 Certification Hurdles

    29:05 Navigating Professional Development Credits

    30:07 Challenges of Staying in the Teaching Profession

    31:37 Teacher Evaluation Process

    32:15 Tenure and Job Security Issues

    34:56 Side Hustles and Leaving Public Education

    43:24 The Petition for National Teacher Pool

    45:37 Systemic Issues in Education

    58:25 Final Thoughts and Call to Action


    www.rebelteachersrising.com
    Petition to Save K-12 Schooling and our Precious Democracy!
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • 9. The Teacher Pay Mess: Dr. Paul Bruno Returns

    9. The Teacher Pay Mess: Dr. Paul Bruno Returns
    Jun 21 2025

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    This episode centers on a discussion about teacher pay, featuring Trina and Dr. Paul Bruno from the University of Illinois. The conversation highlights the complexity and inadequacies of teacher compensation systems, particularly focusing on the disparity in pay between veteran and novice teachers, the rigidity of step and column salary schedules, and the broader socio-economic challenges impacting education funding and teacher retention.

    Trina emphasizes issues such as the historical underpayment of teachers due to structural sexism, while both underscore the significant differences in teaching conditions and pay across districts and states, and the lack of effective support for teachers in high-cost urban areas.

    They call for a reevaluation of teacher pay structures, better support systems, and broader socio-economic reforms to address these issues.

    00:00 Introduction: The Future of Education

    00:18 The Teacher Shortage Crisis

    00:57 Teacher Pay: A Complex Issue

    01:57 Insights from Dr. Paul Bruno

    03:34 Challenges in Teacher Compensation

    05:31 The Importance of Differential Pay

    13:43 Veteran Teachers and Systemic Inequities

    29:32 The Role of School Districts and Administrators

    46:21 The Impact of Housing Costs

    53:45 Conclusion: A Call to Action


    www.rebelteachersrising.com
    Petition to Save K-12 Schooling and our Precious Democracy!
    Show more Show less
    54 mins
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