Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
The views and opinions expressed in the following programmer. Those
are the speaker and don't necessarily represent those of the
station it's staff, management or ownership.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good morning. You'll find the out Pete in the public Gold.
I'm Peter and I'm the poet Goals, and we're on
the air this morning with Elizabeth o' rafferty and she's
an educational consultant and she's going to be talking about
what's going on in America today. But before we get
to Elizabeth, we're going to go right to the public
Old for her weekly poem Prayer incannotation gole, please let
(00:32):
it roll.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Okay, Peter, I'm going to do another one from my book,
be the poem Living Beyond Our Fears. This poem is
entitled to be of service to inspire those who are
seeking inspiration, to transform those whose choice is willful ignorance.
To guide those in their darkest moments. To hold dear
those who need to be held, To demonstrate patients when
(00:54):
there seems to be none, to teach those when there
are lessons to be learned, To listen to the of
the unheard, to lead in an exact manner, to be
righteous with our cause to be of service, and.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
The biggest service in the history of the world is education,
you know. And we've had a lot of turmoil in
the government of the issue, and one of the big
things is the elimination basically of the Department of Education
on a federal level. And you have some perspective on
(01:30):
how that is affecting people and is going to affect people.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Yeah, as an education consultant retired administrator, it is a
lot of turmoil. Education has always been tumultuous, but this
is the most amazing thing that's ever happened, the fact
that there is no longer a federal Department of Education.
And in short, what happens is that just makes it
(01:55):
a harder pathway for the KP through twelve college and
career experience for young people in public schools today.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
So in demolishing the federal education structure, that means the
states now or in each state is in charge to
educate our children.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
That's absolutely right. In twenty twenty five, funds were frozen.
There's a hole back and forth. Sometimes it comes back,
sometimes it doesn't. But what will no longer be federally
funded will be the special education services such as IEPs
and five oh one four plans. But in New York State,
(02:35):
we do have a commitment to services for students with disabilities.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
So we'll still have the powers in the room supporting.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Depending on how much money there is, we'll get to that, right,
there'll be no more national guarantee that the funding is
going to be there. There's also the federal civil rights
protections in schools, and that's for race and ethnicity, disability,
gender and sex discrimination, and English language learners. Without federal
(03:08):
funds oversight, that money will no longer be monitored, and
so there could be discriminatory discipline practices on equal access
to advance courses and things like that. But New York
State does have DASA, the Dignity for all students that
in a way ensures again that some civil rights are protected,
(03:32):
but just not funded as strongly as if the federal government. Right.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
And that's New York State.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
If you live in another state, you know, perhaps that's right.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
They not all states have the same guarantees for students.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
In Mississippi or Arizona is not going to do as
well for people with disabilities and in case students with
disabilities as New York State is. But any I think
I'm right on this, Maybe they tell me the politic education.
The way they spent most of the money was funding
(04:06):
education for people with disabilities, the students.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Well, the three things that I'm listening here, right, disabilities,
civil rights and support for low income okay, students and
English language learners and college and career readiness programs okay.
And so they kind of paved the road or made
it easier with these funds that are designated for these
programs so that any student's experience from K through twelve
(04:32):
and their college and career is an easier task.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
So basically everybody falls under that those three lists. I mean,
college readiness is some.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Know something impacts everyone.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yeah, I mean everyone to go to college. You have
to go to college. But the possibility of going to
college is all for everybody when they're you know, fourteen,
it's only sixteen years old. What do I do? Nobody
knows what to do when it gets to be succeed.
I'm you applied for college, yes, so trying to put
(05:06):
apply for medicare. I studied, I studied, I worked at
as a college. And I don't know one teacher who
retired who knew what to do how to get on.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Medicare, right right, right, yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:22):
And you know, you know, so anybody thinking being on
a federal program is an easy thing, well, the college
teachers don't do so cool, right, right right?
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
I know.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
My doctor was having a conversation with me about the
process of Medicare, and I said, well, when I crossed,
everybody need you to give me a lesson. You know,
you know, it's like what you pick and what you
don't pick, and yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
You know, the paperwork you stuff. But the college readiness
is saying.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
It's another thing.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
And there's several more that they The federal government kept
education standards and data data all right, the states do
it too, but this was a national perspective of what
was happening in education, as well as student well safety grants,
well being in safety grants.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
These are all things initiated.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
You know, most of a lot of times our first
lady comes up with something say no to drugs or
keep it moving with.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
I think Michelle Obama that sort of thing.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
These are things that I directed to children that are
provided by our federal government. But public schools still operate
and the states have their own rules.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yeah, and I guess in my instances, even if you're
in New York State, which is progressive in terms of
looking out for students, you're going to have last morney.
I mean, so it's going to necessarily be worse.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Yes, And this also diminishes any sort of universal across
the board state. I mean, you know, country, national standard,
that's right, I would say. So let's say New York
State requires certain things for job readiness. You might go
to another state and they go, well, no, we don't.
You know, we can't honor that because in our state,
(07:07):
you know, you have to do X, Y and z
exactly to get this certificate. Or you know, very similar
to someone coming from another country who may be a
lawyer in another country or a doctor in another country.
And I've met plenty of uber drivers in that situation
where they now cannot practice being a lawyer, or practice
being a doctor or any you know, an advanced career
(07:29):
like that because they don't meet the requirements. But now
it's going to be you don't meet the requirements going
to a different state exactly.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
And interestingly enough, I don't know if you know Carter.
President Carter in nineteen seventy eight formed the Federal Department
of Education for this very same reason, to have more
of an over unified oversight for continuity, continuity, that sort
of thing. And what we're going to miss that New
York State can't replace that the federal government did perform
(08:00):
for was our federal student loan program. Talk about money, Okay,
the PELL grant, et cetera. As well as the enforcement
offices for civil rights. I don't know if you heard
on the news. Somewhere in the news, I heard uh
in some school discriminatory behavior is no longer. I think
the complete department is no longer about civil rights of
(08:22):
students of color, but of students Caucasian students.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Yes, yes, yes, so again. States can do whatever they Yeah,
we just beat you up. Yes, I want to sit
in the front of the bus. We wanted to sit
in the front of the bush. Something from you.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Many yeah Christians.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
And more importantly, professional development programs right like the mandated
reporter program Believe it or not, we're all mandated to
report uh if children are abused, but that believe it
or not, turned into many children of color being reported.
And because of the federal government, the way that training
(09:09):
is done now it's through a trauma informed perspective, so
that the mandated reporter now can look at the situation
of the child rather than say, oh, because of what
I see, this is what you are, that sort of thing.
So these are some of the professional development programs that
a teacher may you know, may not be exposed to.
(09:33):
So there's a lot of variation that could happen.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Yeah, and you know when you hear a political figure,
in this case President Trump say campaign, have we ever
had a Department of education? Well, basically nobody much knew
what its Apartment of education was, but it was affectually
everybody who was kids their life, and the people who
don't have kids were kids at one time, and since
(09:58):
nineteen seventy eight they've been affected.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Yeah, if you're just tuning in, you're listening to finding
out with Pete and the Ploeic Gold and I'm the
Ploea Gold. We're here with Elizabeth Rafferty, an educational consultant
for a company growing stems consultant.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
You're not only an educational consultant, you're an educational consultant
with a lot of experience. Yeah, how you got to
where you are now?
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Okay, so I am certified in physics chemistry and biology,
and I did. I taught in New York City school
systems as a school teacher in middle school for over
fifteen years, and then I became a school administrator and
did supervise STEM all STEM programs technology, although we didn't
have engineering explain Oh yeah, STEM means science, technology, engineering,
(10:49):
and math. And it's a big push to keep our
children abreast of what's going on. Especially I don't let
me get into where we are digitally with AI and
that sort of thing, because again, in education, we're trying
to figure out how we can ethically use AI in
classrooms because it's not going away. So that's something else
that we have to think about when it comes to
(11:10):
state states or handling education on the local level.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Ethically. I can understand what it would require. I think
some thinking how to handle AI if effectively, But what
are some of the ethical problems cheating?
Speaker 4 (11:28):
You know, you could go straight to chat DP and
write your essay.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
They haven't mastered yet. The uh, the syntax and the
pronuncia I mean sorry, the punctuation.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Yes, that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
It's a bunch of R sensens.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
I wind up doing the work anyway.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
Exactly, it'll come out chrommatically correct, but you know, we're
trying to turn it into a tool, uh not a
oh shucks, I forget what as opposed to as a
tool for the brain, as opposed to an advantage of
the brain.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Right, that makes that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Even discussing that is going to be room to discuss it.
And you can see the federal government encouraging that discussion,
you know, with making having a financial muscle to use
seminars and.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
And grant opportunities. Research opportunities. There are there are or
were possibly research opportunities out there for studies in ethical
AI applications because every time we turn around, there's a
new AI chatbot whatever coming out.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yes, yes, and quickly. I mean, you know one of
the things that you pointed out is that it's here
and people have to realize that. I mean, this is
you know sort of you know how the you know,
society went from the page, the pager to the cell
phone that was in the movies.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
It was as big as a shoe or a boot.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Yeah, you know, then to the tiny cell phones and
then Facebook and MySpace and all that came along, and
so you know, so AI is just another iteration of
us advancing yep.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
But I think my impression is there's not only another step,
it's a giant step, and we don't know the full
implications of it, and the giant step we're experiencing now
will probably be dwarfed over the steps over the next
decade after that.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Well yeah, but I mean we've always made these giant steps.
I mean, the Internet was a giant step, you know,
it was, it was huge, you know, thirty was it
thirty five years ago about I think something like that. Yeah,
well it's been it's been around for a very long time.
But I know, I just say that the first email
was sent about thirty five years ago, somewhere around between
(13:51):
thirty three and thirty five years ago, you know.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
And the nonprofits would have got with it about twenty
years ago, even I after two thousand and working with
a lot of nonprofits and they didn't have we're about
to have wondering about getting email. Wow, pervasive.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Well, I just want to share. There's a school out
there in Boston. It's AI driven. It's an individualized school.
It's a private school, seventy five thousand a year, but
they are no longer teachers in the building. They are
called guides and facilitators. They're for social emotional learning, administrative things,
dealing with norms in the building. But each child is
on a computer getting their own education at their rate
(14:35):
and being fed back what's needed for their own learning
style by AI.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
So you said that there is facilitators in place for
the social emotional learning.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Yes, what's their.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Curricul No, I don't know, but it's like being a
guidance counselor Okay, gotcha, gotcha. Yeah, support they do. They
have support team building with the sure I don't have
all the details. It just blew my mind that you
have to pay some five thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Because we could do that at home. Honey.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Today let's go to the true true, calling it the
Blue room.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
But you know, bottom line is, we have no idea
where things are going to go, uh without you know,
federal oversight or our Department of Federal Education.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Just giving that I didn't think of this before, but
when you talk about the confusion that we have with
regard to the future of education, I would imagine that
that would make the Federal Department of Education even more
important because so we could in a unified way confront
(15:46):
the challenges of.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Or move the whole country forward Obama.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
Obama had raced for to excellence and during his tenure
where states got additional money if they improved performance levels
in reading and math, race to the top and so
those kind of incentives are no longer there.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
But you know that it would be new policies that
needs to come in with the changes in education through
AI or whatever else we confront and have no federal
guidance on that, nothing of no federal money for it.
It seems to me we're more in need of a
(16:30):
Department of Education there than we were ever.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Well, as a consultant, knowing that if this is you know,
if this is the way things are, who can we
turn to? And I highly recommend that our parents are
the ones that can do something about how education is
(16:54):
done for their children on the state level and on
the local level. There the ones who become the lobbyists
for whatever funding is out there, whatever we want to
see for our children. They're the ones who have to
be the catalysts to make things happen.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
So they go to like the local school board meetings
and exactly and.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
The parents who are proactive in that way will get
more for their kids than the ones.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Who aren't right right, So.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I mean there's another source of division.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
It is.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
But you know, if if we were to do anything,
we have to rally a united front, you know. And
that's a little bit odd, right because Poughkeepsie is different
than New Hyde Park, which is different. But we go
through that anyway in general, with or without federal funding.
(17:51):
But the bottom line is, yeah, parents need to get
more involved school board meetings. If they can't attend school
board meetings, they're on YouTube. Brief school district now has.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
A YouTube site and they can.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
Reach out to the local nonprofits as well, in order
to help rally a cause around educating our youth.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
And you know, I did want to say how you
revealed you New York City bias when you referred to
Hyde Park as New Hyde Park.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
Yes, sorry, Hyde Park Park, you know, any of the
Duchess County municipalities.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
But you know, I know, I'm a parent of a
person's disabilities. Kevin is forty four years old now, but
when he was in school, and believe me, I America
was great for Kevin in terms of his disability and
especial education. He got completely blessed. But in order to
(18:54):
get that. I was aware of the fact that I
was not only knowledgeable about something, but I had the
confidence and the you know, sort of the social awareness
of how to push.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
The system exactly.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
If you turn it over, oh well, I'll leave it
to the experts. The experts, you know, are going to
favor the parents who are up their nose, uh bothering them.
And if you let it go casually, you're not going
to do your child the service.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Yes, right, I mean you have to at the end
of the day, you have to be engaged, you know.
And I get that the parents are you know, working,
everyone's working, right and and some are taking their children
back and forth, and there's a fatigue not only from working,
there's a social fatigue from everything that's going on.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
You get tired.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
But at the end of the day, we have these
children and have a more responsibility.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
More now, more so now than ever.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
You know, we have to step up for them because
they're no longer oversight.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Right. So it's been a community response ability, yes, but
it has been pitch as an individual family responsibility. And
the families who are culturally more familiar with big institutions
and all they're don't do better.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
But if you're just tuning in, you're listening to finding
out with Pete and the poet Gold, and I'm the
poet Gold and we're here with Elizabeth o'rafferty, a consultant
with Growing Stems, a consulting firm, and we're talking about education,
the state of education.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
If somebody brought you want to consultant, what would the
advantage of that be.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Really streamlining how fun fund funds are used for the
greatest impact, really knowing what's needed for whether it's because
things that most will be affected most likely locally, would
be academic intervention, the reading and writing assistance that young
(20:59):
people get at after school and summer learning programs, the
teacher development, professional development programs, mental health and counseling services.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
And English learner supports.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
So as a consultant, you know, I would want to
go into a school district or even on the state level,
look at data and see where things are most needed
because we have less money to spread out.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
So your background in science, you know you want to
be good at math. Yeah, and when subtraction is the
order of the day, you need somebody good.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
You know, it's really about strategic planning, you know, it
really boils down to really, you know, doing what's right
by your community and your and your children and meeting
their needs. I dare say what might come out of this?
And as an administrator, you sometimes know that you're working
(22:01):
in school environments where there's a lethargy or you know,
you don't really see all hands on deck kind of
vibe in the school. Perhaps with the lack of funding
we will we might end up with more merit based employees,
people who are rewarded for their hard work as opposed
(22:25):
to you know, just getting paid to be there right right,
you know, and.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
That's important, you know, I mean, I know this hole
sometimes for people, uh merit based. It sounds like a
harsh way, but but that's that's the.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Way you're rewarded for your hard work. Yes, you get
out of it. You get out of it what you
put in.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
If you don't put anything in, how can you expect
to get something out of it? You know, It's like
you get out of it what you put in. If
you're committed in any field, if you committed with what
you're doing and you do it well, then you should
be rewarded for that outcome.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Everybody agrees with that goal. But this is when you're
a very individual. Six side comes out. And what I
want to say more agage was think in terms of systems.
If you have less money in a system, a lot
of those people who are you know, maybe even extra gifted,
(23:27):
are teaching or administration, they become discouraged because.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Yeah, yeah, and so you know it might be double
edged sword.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
You might step up and do splendid more likely if
you're in a place with less money, you're going to
tend to be become discouraged by it because you're going
to see failure built then.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Right, And that's and that's and that is the issue
of I mean, I've I've worked in another enough school
environments to know I've talked to enough educators to know
that that they struggle with that. You know that it's
it's it's a big thing having the constraints of the
system that you're in in wanting to I mean, even
as a teaching artist, I have a different leeway going
(24:13):
into an institution than a teacher that's working within the
construct of the system.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
You know.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
And and because and there are great teachers, I mean
really wonderful, wonderful teachers, but they may not have the
creative flexibility to teach a certain type of way because
of the restraints. And and you know that that that
you can reach a child creatively sometimes where you cannot
reach them sometimes through a through through through data or
(24:44):
through through Just take this test, Elizabeth.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
You take somebody like Gold who is a teaching artist,
and you're sort of the special events who comes.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
In right, you know, you know, un for extended period
of times.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
I mean I get be there for six months, you know,
or three months, so I can be there for today
either way.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
My impression of seeing you and your work use your
exceptional stuff. But I'm suspecting the Gold will have a
hard time if they cut funding at a federal level.
By the time it comes down to the states. You know,
the special you know, poet and this Gold is going
(25:24):
to have a few gigs in uh.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Issues. Absolutely absolutely, it's not good news. That's not good news.
That's not good news so far. And you know, actually,
you know, don't forget.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
We had our per money a few years ago, which
is an additional money American Relief pandemic funds, and so
those programmed that that money is gone, so spent, spent,
and many communities invested in the arts and things like
that with with the urper money and and then we
(25:59):
had federal funds, right, so we definitely are not going
to see things the way they were in terms of
anciliary programming for schools like we saw in the last
few years. And that's actually something that parents need to
think about, like what supports are at risk, uh with
(26:21):
with cuts and how is our district or community planning
to replace those loss funds? Because don't forget we can
find money. We can still keep looking for money. Maybe
there's an endowment somewhere, you know, or maybe we can
have a fund where if you want to be a
permanent member of our board.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
You know, pay a million dollars.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Right, I mean, you know, there's always money out there.
It's a matter of how do people want to spend it? Right,
There's always money out there. Yeah, not federal money because
it's gone. So I'm not talking about the government giving
up money. But fine, but there's always money out there,
you know, And it's but it's it's about going through
(27:06):
all the weeds try.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
To get to it.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
But I want to say there's less money out there.
In other words, if you know, if it takes the
federal funding out of it. There's other private.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Founders foundation exactly.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
That is already more people are competing for less money.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
So gold is somebody who wins the competitions for you know,
I mean, so a lot of people lose the things
that you get hired for, and I want to advocate
for that to you don't have to be as good
as you.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
I'm not competing against anyone.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
The way I say, going back to the disability thing,
like I say, America has been great to my son Kevin.
But what I'm saying I'm competing against people who are
less aggressive or less culturally familiar. Right, you're competing, and yes,
that is wrong. That shouldn't be. Yes, here comes a
(28:12):
moralistic part of me that shouldly not.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
We gotta use yes.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
But if you were thinking of one message as a
consultant now for the school districts, what would it be?
Should it beware or what should it be?
Speaker 4 (28:33):
I think for school districts it's an opportunity to we
view and look at things through a different lens, partly
because of how we're engaging children in this digital age
and the fact that we have to spend our funds strategically.
(28:57):
But I think most importantly we need to stay in
tune and in touch with our parents, and we need
our parents to be advocates and lobby lobbyists for their children.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
So one of the possibilities is a greatest cifican engagement
by the parents would really be a big deal for
the kids and give a life to the institutions. And
another way of articulating the whole thing is, for those
school districts are wondering what to do, hire Gold and
forget everybody else two three and four concern.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
What is it without a team of people, right, you know,
need other people.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
They will always be Gold.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Thank you for your confidence.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
That was a matter of fact, So thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Yeah, they call me Ms Liz by the way, Okay, well,
thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Businss with being here today and to our listeners finding
out Pete and Poe go, we appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Thank you very much,
The views and opinions expressed in the following programmer. Those
are the speaker and don't necessarily represent those of the
station it's staff, management or ownership.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good morning. You'll find the out Pete in the public Gold.
I'm Peter and I'm the poet Goals, and we're on
the air this morning with Elizabeth o' rafferty and she's
an educational consultant and she's going to be talking about
what's going on in America today. But before we get
to Elizabeth, we're going to go right to the public
Old for her weekly poem Prayer incannotation gole, please let
(00:32):
it roll.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Okay, Peter, I'm going to do another one from my book,
be the poem Living Beyond Our Fears. This poem is
entitled to be of service to inspire those who are
seeking inspiration, to transform those whose choice is willful ignorance.
To guide those in their darkest moments. To hold dear
those who need to be held, To demonstrate patients when
(00:54):
there seems to be none, to teach those when there
are lessons to be learned, To listen to the of
the unheard, to lead in an exact manner, to be
righteous with our cause to be of service, and.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
The biggest service in the history of the world is education,
you know. And we've had a lot of turmoil in
the government of the issue, and one of the big
things is the elimination basically of the Department of Education
on a federal level. And you have some perspective on
(01:30):
how that is affecting people and is going to affect people.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Yeah, as an education consultant retired administrator, it is a
lot of turmoil. Education has always been tumultuous, but this
is the most amazing thing that's ever happened, the fact
that there is no longer a federal Department of Education.
And in short, what happens is that just makes it
(01:55):
a harder pathway for the KP through twelve college and
career experience for young people in public schools today.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
So in demolishing the federal education structure, that means the
states now or in each state is in charge to
educate our children.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
That's absolutely right. In twenty twenty five, funds were frozen.
There's a hole back and forth. Sometimes it comes back,
sometimes it doesn't. But what will no longer be federally
funded will be the special education services such as IEPs
and five oh one four plans. But in New York State,
(02:35):
we do have a commitment to services for students with disabilities.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
So we'll still have the powers in the room supporting.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Depending on how much money there is, we'll get to that, right,
there'll be no more national guarantee that the funding is
going to be there. There's also the federal civil rights
protections in schools, and that's for race and ethnicity, disability,
gender and sex discrimination, and English language learners. Without federal
(03:08):
funds oversight, that money will no longer be monitored, and
so there could be discriminatory discipline practices on equal access
to advance courses and things like that. But New York
State does have DASA, the Dignity for all students that
in a way ensures again that some civil rights are protected,
(03:32):
but just not funded as strongly as if the federal government. Right.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
And that's New York State.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
If you live in another state, you know, perhaps that's right.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
They not all states have the same guarantees for students.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
In Mississippi or Arizona is not going to do as
well for people with disabilities and in case students with
disabilities as New York State is. But any I think
I'm right on this, Maybe they tell me the politic education.
The way they spent most of the money was funding
(04:06):
education for people with disabilities, the students.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Well, the three things that I'm listening here, right, disabilities,
civil rights and support for low income okay, students and
English language learners and college and career readiness programs okay.
And so they kind of paved the road or made
it easier with these funds that are designated for these
programs so that any student's experience from K through twelve
(04:32):
and their college and career is an easier task.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
So basically everybody falls under that those three lists. I mean,
college readiness is some.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Know something impacts everyone.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yeah, I mean everyone to go to college. You have
to go to college. But the possibility of going to
college is all for everybody when they're you know, fourteen,
it's only sixteen years old. What do I do? Nobody
knows what to do when it gets to be succeed.
I'm you applied for college, yes, so trying to put
(05:06):
apply for medicare. I studied, I studied, I worked at
as a college. And I don't know one teacher who
retired who knew what to do how to get on.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Medicare, right right, right, yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:22):
And you know, you know, so anybody thinking being on
a federal program is an easy thing, well, the college
teachers don't do so cool, right, right right?
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
I know.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
My doctor was having a conversation with me about the
process of Medicare, and I said, well, when I crossed,
everybody need you to give me a lesson. You know,
you know, it's like what you pick and what you
don't pick, and yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
You know, the paperwork you stuff. But the college readiness
is saying.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
It's another thing.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
And there's several more that they The federal government kept
education standards and data data all right, the states do
it too, but this was a national perspective of what
was happening in education, as well as student well safety grants,
well being in safety grants.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
These are all things initiated.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
You know, most of a lot of times our first
lady comes up with something say no to drugs or
keep it moving with.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
I think Michelle Obama that sort of thing.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
These are things that I directed to children that are
provided by our federal government. But public schools still operate
and the states have their own rules.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yeah, and I guess in my instances, even if you're
in New York State, which is progressive in terms of
looking out for students, you're going to have last morney.
I mean, so it's going to necessarily be worse.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Yes, And this also diminishes any sort of universal across
the board state. I mean, you know, country, national standard,
that's right, I would say. So let's say New York
State requires certain things for job readiness. You might go
to another state and they go, well, no, we don't.
You know, we can't honor that because in our state,
(07:07):
you know, you have to do X, Y and z
exactly to get this certificate. Or you know, very similar
to someone coming from another country who may be a
lawyer in another country or a doctor in another country.
And I've met plenty of uber drivers in that situation
where they now cannot practice being a lawyer, or practice
being a doctor or any you know, an advanced career
(07:29):
like that because they don't meet the requirements. But now
it's going to be you don't meet the requirements going
to a different state exactly.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
And interestingly enough, I don't know if you know Carter.
President Carter in nineteen seventy eight formed the Federal Department
of Education for this very same reason, to have more
of an over unified oversight for continuity, continuity, that sort
of thing. And what we're going to miss that New
York State can't replace that the federal government did perform
(08:00):
for was our federal student loan program. Talk about money, Okay,
the PELL grant, et cetera. As well as the enforcement
offices for civil rights. I don't know if you heard
on the news. Somewhere in the news, I heard uh
in some school discriminatory behavior is no longer. I think
the complete department is no longer about civil rights of
(08:22):
students of color, but of students Caucasian students.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Yes, yes, yes, so again. States can do whatever they Yeah,
we just beat you up. Yes, I want to sit
in the front of the bus. We wanted to sit
in the front of the bush. Something from you.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Many yeah Christians.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
And more importantly, professional development programs right like the mandated
reporter program Believe it or not, we're all mandated to
report uh if children are abused, but that believe it
or not, turned into many children of color being reported.
And because of the federal government, the way that training
(09:09):
is done now it's through a trauma informed perspective, so
that the mandated reporter now can look at the situation
of the child rather than say, oh, because of what
I see, this is what you are, that sort of thing.
So these are some of the professional development programs that
a teacher may you know, may not be exposed to.
(09:33):
So there's a lot of variation that could happen.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Yeah, and you know when you hear a political figure,
in this case President Trump say campaign, have we ever
had a Department of education? Well, basically nobody much knew
what its Apartment of education was, but it was affectually
everybody who was kids their life, and the people who
don't have kids were kids at one time, and since
(09:58):
nineteen seventy eight they've been affected.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Yeah, if you're just tuning in, you're listening to finding
out with Pete and the Ploeic Gold and I'm the
Ploea Gold. We're here with Elizabeth Rafferty, an educational consultant
for a company growing stems consultant.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
You're not only an educational consultant, you're an educational consultant
with a lot of experience. Yeah, how you got to
where you are now?
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Okay, so I am certified in physics chemistry and biology,
and I did. I taught in New York City school
systems as a school teacher in middle school for over
fifteen years, and then I became a school administrator and
did supervise STEM all STEM programs technology, although we didn't
have engineering explain Oh yeah, STEM means science, technology, engineering,
(10:49):
and math. And it's a big push to keep our
children abreast of what's going on. Especially I don't let
me get into where we are digitally with AI and
that sort of thing, because again, in education, we're trying
to figure out how we can ethically use AI in
classrooms because it's not going away. So that's something else
that we have to think about when it comes to
(11:10):
state states or handling education on the local level.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Ethically. I can understand what it would require. I think
some thinking how to handle AI if effectively, But what
are some of the ethical problems cheating?
Speaker 4 (11:28):
You know, you could go straight to chat DP and
write your essay.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
They haven't mastered yet. The uh, the syntax and the
pronuncia I mean sorry, the punctuation.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Yes, that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
It's a bunch of R sensens.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
I wind up doing the work anyway.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
Exactly, it'll come out chrommatically correct, but you know, we're
trying to turn it into a tool, uh not a
oh shucks, I forget what as opposed to as a
tool for the brain, as opposed to an advantage of
the brain.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Right, that makes that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Even discussing that is going to be room to discuss it.
And you can see the federal government encouraging that discussion,
you know, with making having a financial muscle to use
seminars and.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
And grant opportunities. Research opportunities. There are there are or
were possibly research opportunities out there for studies in ethical
AI applications because every time we turn around, there's a
new AI chatbot whatever coming out.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yes, yes, and quickly. I mean, you know one of
the things that you pointed out is that it's here
and people have to realize that. I mean, this is
you know sort of you know how the you know,
society went from the page, the pager to the cell
phone that was in the movies.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
It was as big as a shoe or a boot.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Yeah, you know, then to the tiny cell phones and
then Facebook and MySpace and all that came along, and
so you know, so AI is just another iteration of
us advancing yep.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
But I think my impression is there's not only another step,
it's a giant step, and we don't know the full
implications of it, and the giant step we're experiencing now
will probably be dwarfed over the steps over the next
decade after that.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Well yeah, but I mean we've always made these giant steps.
I mean, the Internet was a giant step, you know,
it was, it was huge, you know, thirty was it
thirty five years ago about I think something like that. Yeah,
well it's been it's been around for a very long time.
But I know, I just say that the first email
was sent about thirty five years ago, somewhere around between
(13:51):
thirty three and thirty five years ago, you know.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
And the nonprofits would have got with it about twenty
years ago, even I after two thousand and working with
a lot of nonprofits and they didn't have we're about
to have wondering about getting email. Wow, pervasive.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Well, I just want to share. There's a school out
there in Boston. It's AI driven. It's an individualized school.
It's a private school, seventy five thousand a year, but
they are no longer teachers in the building. They are
called guides and facilitators. They're for social emotional learning, administrative things,
dealing with norms in the building. But each child is
on a computer getting their own education at their rate
(14:35):
and being fed back what's needed for their own learning
style by AI.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
So you said that there is facilitators in place for
the social emotional learning.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Yes, what's their.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Curricul No, I don't know, but it's like being a
guidance counselor Okay, gotcha, gotcha. Yeah, support they do. They
have support team building with the sure I don't have
all the details. It just blew my mind that you
have to pay some five thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Because we could do that at home. Honey.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Today let's go to the true true, calling it the
Blue room.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
But you know, bottom line is, we have no idea
where things are going to go, uh without you know,
federal oversight or our Department of Federal Education.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Just giving that I didn't think of this before, but
when you talk about the confusion that we have with
regard to the future of education, I would imagine that
that would make the Federal Department of Education even more
important because so we could in a unified way confront
(15:46):
the challenges of.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Or move the whole country forward Obama.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
Obama had raced for to excellence and during his tenure
where states got additional money if they improved performance levels
in reading and math, race to the top and so
those kind of incentives are no longer there.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
But you know that it would be new policies that
needs to come in with the changes in education through
AI or whatever else we confront and have no federal
guidance on that, nothing of no federal money for it.
It seems to me we're more in need of a
(16:30):
Department of Education there than we were ever.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Well, as a consultant, knowing that if this is you know,
if this is the way things are, who can we
turn to? And I highly recommend that our parents are
the ones that can do something about how education is
(16:54):
done for their children on the state level and on
the local level. There the ones who become the lobbyists
for whatever funding is out there, whatever we want to
see for our children. They're the ones who have to
be the catalysts to make things happen.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
So they go to like the local school board meetings
and exactly and.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
The parents who are proactive in that way will get
more for their kids than the ones.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Who aren't right right, So.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I mean there's another source of division.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
It is.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
But you know, if if we were to do anything,
we have to rally a united front, you know. And
that's a little bit odd, right because Poughkeepsie is different
than New Hyde Park, which is different. But we go
through that anyway in general, with or without federal funding.
(17:51):
But the bottom line is, yeah, parents need to get
more involved school board meetings. If they can't attend school
board meetings, they're on YouTube. Brief school district now has.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
A YouTube site and they can.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
Reach out to the local nonprofits as well, in order
to help rally a cause around educating our youth.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
And you know, I did want to say how you
revealed you New York City bias when you referred to
Hyde Park as New Hyde Park.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
Yes, sorry, Hyde Park Park, you know, any of the
Duchess County municipalities.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
But you know, I know, I'm a parent of a
person's disabilities. Kevin is forty four years old now, but
when he was in school, and believe me, I America
was great for Kevin in terms of his disability and
especial education. He got completely blessed. But in order to
(18:54):
get that. I was aware of the fact that I
was not only knowledgeable about something, but I had the
confidence and the you know, sort of the social awareness
of how to push.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
The system exactly.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
If you turn it over, oh well, I'll leave it
to the experts. The experts, you know, are going to
favor the parents who are up their nose, uh bothering them.
And if you let it go casually, you're not going
to do your child the service.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Yes, right, I mean you have to at the end
of the day, you have to be engaged, you know.
And I get that the parents are you know, working,
everyone's working, right and and some are taking their children
back and forth, and there's a fatigue not only from working,
there's a social fatigue from everything that's going on.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
You get tired.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
But at the end of the day, we have these
children and have a more responsibility.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
More now, more so now than ever.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
You know, we have to step up for them because
they're no longer oversight.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Right. So it's been a community response ability, yes, but
it has been pitch as an individual family responsibility. And
the families who are culturally more familiar with big institutions
and all they're don't do better.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
But if you're just tuning in, you're listening to finding
out with Pete and the poet Gold, and I'm the
poet Gold and we're here with Elizabeth o'rafferty, a consultant
with Growing Stems, a consulting firm, and we're talking about education,
the state of education.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
If somebody brought you want to consultant, what would the
advantage of that be.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Really streamlining how fun fund funds are used for the
greatest impact, really knowing what's needed for whether it's because
things that most will be affected most likely locally, would
be academic intervention, the reading and writing assistance that young
(20:59):
people get at after school and summer learning programs, the
teacher development, professional development programs, mental health and counseling services.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
And English learner supports.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
So as a consultant, you know, I would want to
go into a school district or even on the state level,
look at data and see where things are most needed
because we have less money to spread out.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
So your background in science, you know you want to
be good at math. Yeah, and when subtraction is the
order of the day, you need somebody good.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
You know, it's really about strategic planning, you know, it
really boils down to really, you know, doing what's right
by your community and your and your children and meeting
their needs. I dare say what might come out of this?
And as an administrator, you sometimes know that you're working
(22:01):
in school environments where there's a lethargy or you know,
you don't really see all hands on deck kind of
vibe in the school. Perhaps with the lack of funding
we will we might end up with more merit based employees,
people who are rewarded for their hard work as opposed
(22:25):
to you know, just getting paid to be there right right,
you know, and.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
That's important, you know, I mean, I know this hole
sometimes for people, uh merit based. It sounds like a
harsh way, but but that's that's the.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Way you're rewarded for your hard work. Yes, you get
out of it. You get out of it what you
put in.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
If you don't put anything in, how can you expect
to get something out of it? You know, It's like
you get out of it what you put in. If
you're committed in any field, if you committed with what
you're doing and you do it well, then you should
be rewarded for that outcome.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Everybody agrees with that goal. But this is when you're
a very individual. Six side comes out. And what I
want to say more agage was think in terms of systems.
If you have less money in a system, a lot
of those people who are you know, maybe even extra gifted,
(23:27):
are teaching or administration, they become discouraged because.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Yeah, yeah, and so you know it might be double
edged sword.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
You might step up and do splendid more likely if
you're in a place with less money, you're going to
tend to be become discouraged by it because you're going
to see failure built then.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Right, And that's and that's and that is the issue
of I mean, I've I've worked in another enough school
environments to know I've talked to enough educators to know
that that they struggle with that. You know that it's
it's it's a big thing having the constraints of the
system that you're in in wanting to I mean, even
as a teaching artist, I have a different leeway going
(24:13):
into an institution than a teacher that's working within the
construct of the system.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
You know.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
And and because and there are great teachers, I mean
really wonderful, wonderful teachers, but they may not have the
creative flexibility to teach a certain type of way because
of the restraints. And and you know that that that
you can reach a child creatively sometimes where you cannot
reach them sometimes through a through through through data or
(24:44):
through through Just take this test, Elizabeth.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
You take somebody like Gold who is a teaching artist,
and you're sort of the special events who comes.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
In right, you know, you know, un for extended period
of times.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
I mean I get be there for six months, you know,
or three months, so I can be there for today
either way.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
My impression of seeing you and your work use your
exceptional stuff. But I'm suspecting the Gold will have a
hard time if they cut funding at a federal level.
By the time it comes down to the states. You know,
the special you know, poet and this Gold is going
(25:24):
to have a few gigs in uh.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Issues. Absolutely absolutely, it's not good news. That's not good news.
That's not good news so far. And you know, actually,
you know, don't forget.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
We had our per money a few years ago, which
is an additional money American Relief pandemic funds, and so
those programmed that that money is gone, so spent, spent,
and many communities invested in the arts and things like
that with with the urper money and and then we
(25:59):
had federal funds, right, so we definitely are not going
to see things the way they were in terms of
anciliary programming for schools like we saw in the last
few years. And that's actually something that parents need to
think about, like what supports are at risk, uh with
(26:21):
with cuts and how is our district or community planning
to replace those loss funds? Because don't forget we can
find money. We can still keep looking for money. Maybe
there's an endowment somewhere, you know, or maybe we can
have a fund where if you want to be a
permanent member of our board.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
You know, pay a million dollars.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Right, I mean, you know, there's always money out there.
It's a matter of how do people want to spend it? Right,
There's always money out there. Yeah, not federal money because
it's gone. So I'm not talking about the government giving
up money. But fine, but there's always money out there,
you know, And it's but it's it's about going through
(27:06):
all the weeds try.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
To get to it.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
But I want to say there's less money out there.
In other words, if you know, if it takes the
federal funding out of it. There's other private.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Founders foundation exactly.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
That is already more people are competing for less money.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
So gold is somebody who wins the competitions for you know,
I mean, so a lot of people lose the things
that you get hired for, and I want to advocate
for that to you don't have to be as good
as you.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
I'm not competing against anyone.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
The way I say, going back to the disability thing,
like I say, America has been great to my son Kevin.
But what I'm saying I'm competing against people who are
less aggressive or less culturally familiar. Right, you're competing, and yes,
that is wrong. That shouldn't be. Yes, here comes a
(28:12):
moralistic part of me that shouldly not.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
We gotta use yes.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
But if you were thinking of one message as a
consultant now for the school districts, what would it be?
Should it beware or what should it be?
Speaker 4 (28:33):
I think for school districts it's an opportunity to we
view and look at things through a different lens, partly
because of how we're engaging children in this digital age
and the fact that we have to spend our funds strategically.
(28:57):
But I think most importantly we need to stay in
tune and in touch with our parents, and we need
our parents to be advocates and lobby lobbyists for their children.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
So one of the possibilities is a greatest cifican engagement
by the parents would really be a big deal for
the kids and give a life to the institutions. And
another way of articulating the whole thing is, for those
school districts are wondering what to do, hire Gold and
forget everybody else two three and four concern.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
What is it without a team of people, right, you know,
need other people.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
They will always be Gold.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Thank you for your confidence.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
That was a matter of fact, So thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Yeah, they call me Ms Liz by the way, Okay, well,
thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Businss with being here today and to our listeners finding
out Pete and Poe go, we appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Thank you very much,
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Hey Jonas!
Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.
Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.