When Educators Speak Up: The Power of Teachers’ Voices (S2, E7)

What does it look like when teachers stop being subjects of change — and start driving it? In this episode, Jenn and Rebeca sit down with Evan Stone, co-founder and CEO of Educators for Excellence (E4E), a national movement of 40,000 teachers working to ensure educators have a real voice in the policies that shape their classrooms.

Evan shares his journey from a sixth-grade teacher in the Bronx who felt “crushed by the system” to building one of the most influential teacher advocacy organizations in the country. Along the way, the trio dives into what it means to amplify teacher voices in policymaking, how collective action can shift power back to educators, and why the political climate makes that work more urgent than ever.

They also get personal — swapping favorite teacher memories, talking about the emotional and mental health toll of teaching, and exploring what real systemic support for educators could look like.

Whether you’re in the classroom, adjacent to it, or just passionate about education policy, this episode is a powerful reminder: the people closest to students should be the ones shaping the future of education.