November 17, 2023 • 29 mins
There are few jobs more critical to the future of our children and our country than teachers. but it’s been more challenging than ever for those in the profession. Teach for America is working to provide a pathway to teaching. Anna Shurak, Executive Director, Teach For America – Philadelphia talks about their program’s efforts to train the next generation of teachers.
Website and social media handles and tags
teachforamerica.org/greater-philadelphia
Instagram: @tfaphillypham
X: @tfaphillypham
FB: https://www.facebook.com/TFAGreaterPhilly/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teach-for-america-greater-philadelphia/
I’m joined by Angela Giampolo of Giampolo Law Group for our once-a-month segment SpeakOUT which takes a look at issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community and how they relate to all of us. This week – good news: The election of the first openly LGBTQ City Councilmember Rue Landau and the signing of an executive order protecting individuals seeking, receiving and providing gender affirming health care.
Mayor Kenney Signs Executive Order Protecting Individuals Seeking, Receiving and Providing Gender-Affirming Health Care
https://www.phillygaylawyer.com/
https://giampololaw.com/
First, I speak to Dr. Jill Bowen, Commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services about the 988 Lifeline, a national network of over 200 local, independent crisis centers equipped to help people in mental health-related distress or experiencing a suicidal crisis via call, chat, or text. The 988 Lifeline provides free and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the U.S. We also discussed the DBHIDS website that provides a wealth of mental health resources. DBHIDS Mental Health/Substance Use Resources.
Website and social media handles and tags
teachforamerica.org/greater-philadelphia
Instagram: @tfaphillypham
X: @tfaphillypham
FB: https://www.facebook.com/TFAGreaterPhilly/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teach-for-america-greater-philadelphia/
I’m joined by Angela Giampolo of Giampolo Law Group for our once-a-month segment SpeakOUT which takes a look at issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community and how they relate to all of us. This week – good news: The election of the first openly LGBTQ City Councilmember Rue Landau and the signing of an executive order protecting individuals seeking, receiving and providing gender affirming health care.
Mayor Kenney Signs Executive Order Protecting Individuals Seeking, Receiving and Providing Gender-Affirming Health Care
https://www.phillygaylawyer.com/
https://giampololaw.com/
First, I speak to Dr. Jill Bowen, Commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services about the 988 Lifeline, a national network of over 200 local, independent crisis centers equipped to help people in mental health-related distress or experiencing a suicidal crisis via call, chat, or text. The 988 Lifeline provides free and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the U.S. We also discussed the DBHIDS website that provides a wealth of mental health resources. DBHIDS Mental Health/Substance Use Resources.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Good morning, and welcome to what'sgoing on? A show about making a
difference in our lives and our communities. I'm Lorraine Balladmorrow. Ever thought about
teaching, We need you and Teachfor America is there to support the next
generation of educators. We speak toAngela Giampola for our once a month feature
Speak Out about issues related to theLGBTQIA plus community and how they impact us
(00:22):
all. But first, we knowthat suicide is a crisis, not only
in Philadelphia but in the nation,but there are resources available to tell us
all about it is doctor Joe Bohen. She is Commissioner for the Department of
Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services.Thank you so much for joining us here
today and tell us about the nineto eight eight hotline that's available for those
(00:45):
who need help. Thank you somuch for having me and highlighting how important
this is for the city of Philadelphia, and we have been really trying to
get the message out that nine eighteight is live. Celebrated the one year
anniversary in July. We were highlightedas the model city Philadelphia because we were
(01:07):
really ready for the nine eight eightrollout. But this line, which is
very easy to call. Now it'snine eight eight, so used to have
a ten digit number that's actually stillactive in case people have that. But
all you need to do is callnine eight eight and you reach these amazingly
well trained, really exceptional Philadelphia crisisline workers. They are there twenty four
(01:34):
to seven, you know, everyday, and if you are a loved
one are experiencing suicidal ideation or amental health or a substance use crisis,
then all you need to do iscall nine eight eight. Look, we
know that in this cety people areexperiencing a great deal of distress. There
are all the layers of trauma wetalked about that. There's the pandemic,
(01:57):
and there is the postpend reality anddisconnectedness, gun violence, the substance use
crisis. There's just a lot,and it impacts us greatly. Our wellness
is incredibly impacted. So people needto know that they are not alone.
What I think is great about thenine eight eight is that we're very used
(02:20):
to calling nine to one one.We're even now getting used to calling two
one one, But now that wehave this very simple number set of numbers
to call, it's more specifically directedto people who are in crisis or know
someone who's in crisis. So,doctor Bowen, if people dot that number
nine eight eight, what can theyexpect to experience, So they can expect
(02:42):
to experience a welcoming call responder whowill do an assessment, will listen to
what their concern is and do anassessment and will be extremely helpful. Right,
So, most of the people whocall, actually the crisis or the
need can be resolved on the phone. But for those who need a mobile
(03:05):
crisis response, it's a community mobilecrisis response. And guess what those same
helpful people are the ones who dispatchthose community mobile crisis response teams and they
go to where the people are andthey also do a full assessment. They'll
look at people's things like that wecall social determinants, but things that are
(03:29):
creating stress. And the whole pointof this Philadelphia model is to have a
system response that's community focus, that'scommunity driven, and that resolves the crisis
in the community with the individual andthe people they would like, so that
they do not have any trauma fromthe system response as much as possible.
(03:53):
And I want to say that ourpreliminated data is really excellent. It shows
that the response people say, isis a really good response. They're We're
really satisfied. They find it helpfuland the vast majority of those crises are
resolved in the community. Fantastic.So once again, rather than calling nine
one one, there is this numberthat you can call. It's been around
(04:15):
for a year, but we wantmore people to know about it, and
that is nine eight eight. Ifyou are in crisis, if you are
thinking about ending your life, orif you know someone who might be in
danger of doing so, nine eighteight is the number to call. Also,
we have to mention that the Departmentof Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services
(04:38):
has a whole raft of great resourceson your website. Tell us where that
website is. I'm going to saya couple of things. Besides the Philadelphia
Crisis Line nine eight eight, whenfolks are on crisis, you can also
call our member services number eight eighteight five point five twenty six hundred,
ask a question, get a referral, get a linkage, and you can
go online to dbhids org and youcan go dbidas dot org slash boost.
(05:02):
You can also go on to ourHealthy Minds Philly page. So there's lots
of information. It's really well presentedand we invite you to reach out again.
You are not alone. DBHIDS ishere to help. Fantastic once again,
that number for a crisis mental healthcrisis is nine to eighty eight.
(05:27):
Doctor Jill Bowen, who is Commissionerof the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual
Disability Services, thank you so muchfor shedding light on this very important service.
Thank you so much, Laurene.Have you ever wanted to go above
and beyond for your community? Volunteeringfor your local fire or EMS department is
your opportunity. Join a family thatwill serve with you, always have your
(05:51):
back, and train you to bethe best version of yourself. As a
volunteer, you will meet new people, learn new skills, and make a
meaningful impact. Learn more at makeMe a Firefighter dot org. That's make
me a Firefighter dot org. I'mWilliam Shackner and I've been around a long
time, but I'm truly humbled.But I see the real battles are brave
(06:13):
paralyzed veterans of face defending our freedomat when they come home. I just
come home from servant over in Germany. Next thing I know is three weeks
later that was paralyzed while parachuting withMichaelton. My parachute didn't open. I
broke my neck. It left meparalyzed for the rest of my life.
I was on a routine patrol andwe were in the desert of Kuwait and
(06:36):
the vehicle flipped and landed on topof me, which left me paralyzed from
the waist down. Okay, folks, this is heroism. That's why I'm
proud to support Paralyzed Veterans of Americabecause they've kept their promise to never leave
a fallen sodier behind a roof,over the heads, accessible homes and cars,
jobs benefits. PA has brought meback to life. Show them their
(07:00):
sacrifice hasn't been in vain. Goto PVA dot org to learn how you
can make a difference. You're listeningto what's going on. There is a
dwindling number of qualified educators available tomeet the demands of an expanding student population.
(07:24):
Factors contributing to this shortage include lowsalaries, challenging working conditions, high
burnout rates, and inadequate resources forprofessional development. Addressing this issue is crucial
to ensuring that every student has accessto a quality education and that the teaching
profession remains attractive and sustainable in thelong term. One organization that is working
(07:45):
hard to help make that happen isTeach for America. Joining us right now
as Anna Sharrek, Executive director ofTeach for America, thank you so much
for joining us here today. Yes, thank you so much for having me.
Well. In an other life,I was an education major and have
ever since been very, very committedto bringing to the world information about education,
(08:11):
the importance of it, and teaching, and so I wonder if you
could tell us what is Teach forAmerica. We work to ensure that all
students have the opportunity for an excellenteducation, and we work to recruit diverse
leaders who are committed to educational equity. And so we recruit recent college grads
(08:33):
and career changers into our organization.We train them to be educators. We
work with schools and place our teachersin schools where teachers are needed the most.
And then as a result of theexperience, many of our members stay
on in the teaching profession and orgo on to work in other important fields
(08:54):
that influence outcomes for students. Andso we're very grateful to have the opportunity
to continue to serve in Philadelphia.We've been here for twenty years, and
as a national organization, we've beenin existence for thirty three years. Very
interesting. So I did touch onsome of the challenges that face the teaching
profession, certainly the burnout, someof the challenges having to do with violence
(09:18):
that's existing in our communities and theculture wars that are out there that many
teachers are being forced to resign orhave been fired because of coming up against
that. And I wonder if wecan talk a bit more about what are
some of the things you are doingto address some of these issues and encourage
(09:39):
people who might potentially want to teach, but take a look at some of
the challenges that teachers face. Howdo you reach those individuals? Yeah,
great question, Laurien. So youknow, first and foremost, at the
end of the day, regardless ofwhat side of the culture wars as you've
named, we sit on, weneed excellent teachers in the classroom for our
(10:03):
students, for our entire world,in our country to thrive, as our
students are really the next leaders forall of us. And so as we're
seeing teacher shortages broadly, there arereally multiple reasons educators are leaving the workforce
and there are fewer professionals that areconsidering teaching as a viable career, and
really the pay hours, increased politicizationthat you named has not made it attractive
(10:28):
for the as a profession for genZ and gen Z is set to make
up more than a quarter of theworkforce by twenty twenty five, and so
Teach for America has really focused onevolving to meet the needs of these gen
Z individuals alongside the needs of ourstudents and communities, and just to underscore
(10:50):
this gen Z is really the mostdiverse generation in history and seeking meaningful careers
that align with their values and soas a purpose driven generation, they really
yearn to address major societal issues andcreate a positive impact. So at Teach
for America, that leads us toreally think about the systemic issues and the
(11:11):
structure of the teaching profession that isincreasingly out of step with what matters most
to this generation of college graduates,and thinking about how as a profession,
teaching and education has to evolve toreally reinvent the system and think about things
such as teaching compensation conditions, supportiveenvironments, and how we are setting teachers
(11:35):
and educators up to be successful withstudents so that we can really experience the
full potential and impact of our schoolsand with our kids. So let's talk
about what need people need to doin order to become a part of Teach
for America. Who are you lookingfor to sign up and what are their
qualifications and what steps do they needto take? Yeah? Thanks so much.
(12:00):
So we are looking for individuals whoare invested in our students, in
our communities, and who fundamentally believethat all students have the potential to live,
grow, and thrive in our world. And so equity based, diverse
educators who are willing to do thiswork, willing to learn, and have
(12:20):
the fortitude and experience to know whatit takes and that it's not going to
be easy. As an individual whocame into the program as a two thousand
and four core member in Philadelphia,I never thought that I would still be
here twenty years later. In fact, I had studied political science and policy
studies and didn't want to do educationpolicy till I had taught and quickly learned
(12:45):
that how policy. Having great policyis essential and also having folks doing the
work and willing to implement great policyis also another key piece of the puzzle.
I bring this up because we're notlooking for folks to come due to
years and leave to do something totallydifferent. We're looking for folks who fundamentally
believe in the potential of our studentsand why education is so essential to the
(13:11):
future of Philadelphia. And if peopleare interested in applying, there are various
ways to get involved. You canapply through our website to learn more,
through our recruitment team and an andor also contact us directly and we'd love
to be in connection. We alsoneed a coalition of support and currently are
(13:31):
working with many other organizations because Teachfor America doesn't solve the education problem in
isolation. We do it with partnersacross the city, and so any sort
of involvement, whether you're interested injoining, interested in joining the core,
and or just being involved in ourefforts to assure that our students have the
opportunities that they deserve, we welcomethat sort of partnership and coalition. If
(13:56):
people want more information, what's thatwebsite Teach for America dot org fantastic.
An Asherak, executive director for Teachfor America, Philadelphia. Thank you so
much, Thank you so much.Okay man, this is your time.
Maybe you didn't choose this that you'rehere. Now you're gonna go out there
(14:16):
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(14:43):
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(15:05):
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three organization. Well, once again, we have a special feature that we
(16:41):
call speak Out and our host forthat co host is Angela Giampolo of Giampolo
Law and also Philly gay lawyer.Angela so many really positive things. Sometimes
it's nice to talk about some ofthe good things. And we have some
good things to talk about today,Angela so laid on us. Yeah,
we have a few good things.So a couple of weeks ago, Mayor
(17:04):
Kenny, who's still you know,sitting Mayor signed an executive order protecting any
individual who is either seeking or providingor receiving gender affirming care inside the City
of Philadelphia that they're protected, thatPhiladelphia is a safe place. And you
know, Mayor Kenny has just beena staunch ally for decades. In nineteen
(17:29):
ninety six, he passed the veryfirst life Partnership Registry, almost lost his
seat in City Council nineteen ninety six. It was not cool to be pro
LGBTQ in nineteen ninety six, justlike it's kind of not now right,
But he just he words it likeI wouldn't want anybody to be bullied,
and I'm just anti bullying, andyou know, the community has just been
(17:52):
bullied for so long. So he'sjust always been a great advocate, and
a couple of weeks ago went evenfurther. That's something that we need to
acknowledge. I know that towards theend of his term, people have talked
so much about some of the negativeswith Kenny, but there were some positive
things too, that's certainly being oneof them, and there's also some additional
(18:15):
good news regarding representation on city Council. Let's talk about Rulando. Absolutely,
first ever, I just got chills. You know. Again, we've had
amazing allies throughout the city, butthat can only take someone so far.
You need to be at the table. You need representation at the table.
So Ru is the first ever openlyLGBTQ, openly LGBTQ city council person that
(18:41):
we've ever had. Are thoughts thatthere are other city council people over the
years that may not have had theprivilege of being out. But Ru was
elected a city council at large forthe whole city of Philadelphia, and she
will represent everybody in Philadelphia for allof their needs. But obviously it just
(19:02):
you know, more than warms myheart that we finally have someone at the
table with LGBTQ issues as part ofher agenda serving the city. So and
yeah, Kenny, you know,with any mayor, there's going to be
pro cons or likes dislikes, butjust being there for like you said,
if one person or like we've saidmultiple times, right, if if one
(19:22):
person is being bullied or one communityis being bullied, then ultimately it's not
a safe place for anybody. Soany politician, gay, straight, whatever,
that is fighting for human rights andfor any marginalized community should be acknowledged.
But yes, of Philadelphia. Youknow, HRC has rated Philadelphia one
(19:44):
of the most LGBTQ friendly cities eightyears in a row, and with what
we have going on now, thatis only going to continue into the future.
Yeah, you know, I thinkthat sometimes people forget. I mean,
there's so many good things about thecity, and that certainly is one
of them, And particularly in timesright now when there seems to be a
higher level of negativity around LGBTQ rights, I think representation is so critical.
(20:12):
When we talk about how important representationis, we have to remember that when
you have someone who brings their livedexperience into whatever job they have, whether
it's in politics as an elected officialor in the media, that that brings
greater depth and diversity in the kindsof stories that get told and the kinds
(20:34):
of legislation that gets past. It'snot necessarily a criticism of someone who doesn't
have that lived experience. It's simplyan acknowledgement that having diversity and having folks
who have a lived experience can bringa richness and additional opportunities for growth and
(20:56):
for positivity in our communities. Sosomeone like Rue, she does represent us
all because she is an at largecouncil person, but she does represent everyone.
But she has that lived experience ofbeing LGBTQ and being out and having
the sensitivity to be aware of someof the issues that not only folks in
(21:18):
the LGBTQ community want to address,but all of us really need to be
aware of absolutely and you know,all of the anti LGBTQ legislation that's that's
being passed. The most recent statisticis at one point two million. One
point two million LGBTQ folks in thelast year have moved, have literally picked
(21:41):
up sold homes or broke leases andmoved to a place that is more welcoming
or safe. And so having Philadelphiabe at the forefront of a pioneering city
like that, just being a safeplace. There are a lot of people
not just in Philadelphia seeking people likeme or Kenny or councilperson brew Landau's leadership,
(22:03):
but really cities and states all overthe country, and Philadelphia is at
the top of the list of placesto now move and be able to be
free, to be safe, tobe able to go to work, not
be fired. You know, thingsthat a lot of people take for granted,
but one point two million people choosingto move to different cities based on
(22:29):
how dangerous it is to live wherethey live. You know, speaks volumes
as to where we are as acountry right now, and then how lucky
we are here in Philadelphia, youknow. And I've been going by Philly
gay lawyer for sixteen years and itwasn't always easy, and I had law
professors tell me not to do it, and you know that it wasn't safe
even to just put myself out inthat way. But Philadelphia has always felt
(22:52):
like a haven, right, likea bubble that I feel like a lot
of folks don't even necessarily realize howlucky they are to live here. Again,
there's always pro cons good bad.No city's perfect, No politician is
perfect. And to your point aboutjust the depth that diversity brings to any
(23:14):
community, it's the same in business, right, Corporations have finally just gotten
hip to the fact that, oh, a diverse workplace means more creativity,
more imagination. Right, different viewpointsultimately enriches the bottom line. If it
makes dollars, it makes sense,right, So corporations got there, I
feel like before politicians. But it'sa good month in Philadelphia. It is.
(23:37):
And I have to also shout outthe Mural Arts Organization because there was
a I saw a feature that wason CBS three about a mural that celebrates
the ogs of voguing. Some ofthe great people we have, some stars
when it comes to that whole world. For those who don't know what voguing
(23:57):
is, maybe we can tell talkabout it very briefly, but it's a
genre of performance and dance and celebrationin the LGBTQ community that always provided a
wonderful release way before before we haddrag, race and pose and all of
the other different types of media thathave been out there expressing the diversity of
(24:19):
the LGBTQ community. But it's abeautiful mural and it's definitely worth checking out.
Where is it good question? Wewill find out. We will find
out, but I'm sure if yougo to a Mural Arts dot org they
will have that information. And soit's just nice to see that acknowledgment and
such a beautiful testimony to it.Well. And a couple of months ago,
(24:41):
the dancer up in Brooklyn who wasvoguing to Beyonce's new song was murdered
and the victim of a hate crime. And he's from Philadelphia Koresh Dance Studio
and was actually a member client,if you will, of the Attic Youth
Center as a young lgb TQ youth. And this weekend is the ATTECU Center's
(25:03):
thirty year galap against. Philadelphia hasbeen rich with institutions that have been saving
and helping the LGBTQ community for decadesat ACUTH Center thirty years old William Way
Community Center. But he'll be receivinga lifetime award, you know, posthumously
as in his honor this weekend atthe ATTACU Center thirty year gallup. And
(25:27):
he was voguing when it happens.So this is also the season of galas
so William Way Community Center just attheir annual gala. We should say,
and we often will talk about,like you said, the anti LGBTQ legislation
or don't say gay, or thelegislation in Tennessee and anti drag and there
(25:51):
is always something negative to be ableto talk about, right, but this
is definitely a season and a monthand a time to actually stop for a
second and appreciate how lucky we areto live in Philadelphia. And again We've
had so many staunch, amazingly supportiveLGBTQ politicians as allies over the years.
(26:15):
But allies can only take you sofar. I mean, we wouldn't have
gotten here without them, but theycan only take a community so far.
And so to have councilperson land Out, you know, now elected, it's
going to be amazing to see whatthe future holds. Absolutely well. If
people want more information about Jampolo LawGroup or your blog Philly Gay Lawyer,
(26:36):
where did they go Phillygay Lawyer dotcom? Make it simple and my law
firm website is Jampolo Law dot comand you can always call the office two
one five six four five twenty fourfifteen and the office in the heart of
the gighborhood. And we represent everybody, so I always joked at ninety seven
percent of my clients are gain fabulousand the other three percent of fabulous,
So all are welcome. Wonderful wayto end, Angela Giampolo who comes to
(27:03):
us once a month every month totalk about issues related to the LGBTQIA plus
community. But these are issues thatreally do impact us all and we always
appreciate your point of view. Thanksso much for joining us again. Thank
you Erin before we close. Iwas at the walk to end to Alzheimer's
(27:33):
last week in honor of my latecolleague and friend, Don Juan Beggs,
who passed away from early onset Alzheimer's. There I met a family who tells
us why they walk. We're walkingfor our father. We passed in June
with Alzheimer's, so we walked throughour dad. As my sister said,
we collectively got together and with friendsand family who raised the scene hundred dollars
(27:57):
touras Alzheimer's and we're hoping that's amega impact so that the organization can find
a cure. Yeah, I seethat you have a purple flower. What
does that stand for? Oh,it stands for that we lost a family
member or a loved one through theAlzheimer's. What is your message to the
(28:17):
public out there about Alzheimer's. Ourfight is a long We need to continue
to help support the organization because,as they say, there is a cure
out there and we just have thecollective workforwards achieving that. Home Mark fantastic
to find out more about support forcaregivers. The latest info on Alzheimer's disease
and more. Go to AZL dotorg slash delval. You can listen to
(28:45):
all of today's interviews by going toour station website and typing in Keyword Community.
You can also listen on the iHeartRadioapp Keywords Philadelphia Community Podcast. Follow
me on Twitter and Instagram at LorraineBallard. I'm Lorraine Ballard Morrow and stand
for service to our community and mediathat empowers. What will you stand for?
You've been listening to what's going on, and thank you
Good morning, and welcome to what'sgoing on? A show about making a
difference in our lives and our communities. I'm Lorraine Balladmorrow. Ever thought about
teaching, We need you and Teachfor America is there to support the next
generation of educators. We speak toAngela Giampola for our once a month feature
Speak Out about issues related to theLGBTQIA plus community and how they impact us
(00:22):
all. But first, we knowthat suicide is a crisis, not only
in Philadelphia but in the nation,but there are resources available to tell us
all about it is doctor Joe Bohen. She is Commissioner for the Department of
Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services.Thank you so much for joining us here
today and tell us about the nineto eight eight hotline that's available for those
(00:45):
who need help. Thank you somuch for having me and highlighting how important
this is for the city of Philadelphia, and we have been really trying to
get the message out that nine eighteight is live. Celebrated the one year
anniversary in July. We were highlightedas the model city Philadelphia because we were
(01:07):
really ready for the nine eight eightrollout. But this line, which is
very easy to call. Now it'snine eight eight, so used to have
a ten digit number that's actually stillactive in case people have that. But
all you need to do is callnine eight eight and you reach these amazingly
well trained, really exceptional Philadelphia crisisline workers. They are there twenty four
(01:34):
to seven, you know, everyday, and if you are a loved
one are experiencing suicidal ideation or amental health or a substance use crisis,
then all you need to do iscall nine eight eight. Look, we
know that in this cety people areexperiencing a great deal of distress. There
are all the layers of trauma wetalked about that. There's the pandemic,
(01:57):
and there is the postpend reality anddisconnectedness, gun violence, the substance use
crisis. There's just a lot,and it impacts us greatly. Our wellness
is incredibly impacted. So people needto know that they are not alone.
What I think is great about thenine eight eight is that we're very used
(02:20):
to calling nine to one one.We're even now getting used to calling two
one one, But now that wehave this very simple number set of numbers
to call, it's more specifically directedto people who are in crisis or know
someone who's in crisis. So,doctor Bowen, if people dot that number
nine eight eight, what can theyexpect to experience, So they can expect
(02:42):
to experience a welcoming call responder whowill do an assessment, will listen to
what their concern is and do anassessment and will be extremely helpful. Right,
So, most of the people whocall, actually the crisis or the
need can be resolved on the phone. But for those who need a mobile
(03:05):
crisis response, it's a community mobilecrisis response. And guess what those same
helpful people are the ones who dispatchthose community mobile crisis response teams and they
go to where the people are andthey also do a full assessment. They'll
look at people's things like that wecall social determinants, but things that are
(03:29):
creating stress. And the whole pointof this Philadelphia model is to have a
system response that's community focus, that'scommunity driven, and that resolves the crisis
in the community with the individual andthe people they would like, so that
they do not have any trauma fromthe system response as much as possible.
(03:53):
And I want to say that ourpreliminated data is really excellent. It shows
that the response people say, isis a really good response. They're We're
really satisfied. They find it helpfuland the vast majority of those crises are
resolved in the community. Fantastic.So once again, rather than calling nine
one one, there is this numberthat you can call. It's been around
(04:15):
for a year, but we wantmore people to know about it, and
that is nine eight eight. Ifyou are in crisis, if you are
thinking about ending your life, orif you know someone who might be in
danger of doing so, nine eighteight is the number to call. Also,
we have to mention that the Departmentof Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services
(04:38):
has a whole raft of great resourceson your website. Tell us where that
website is. I'm going to saya couple of things. Besides the Philadelphia
Crisis Line nine eight eight, whenfolks are on crisis, you can also
call our member services number eight eighteight five point five twenty six hundred,
ask a question, get a referral, get a linkage, and you can
go online to dbhids org and youcan go dbidas dot org slash boost.
(05:02):
You can also go on to ourHealthy Minds Philly page. So there's lots
of information. It's really well presentedand we invite you to reach out again.
You are not alone. DBHIDS ishere to help. Fantastic once again,
that number for a crisis mental healthcrisis is nine to eighty eight.
(05:27):
Doctor Jill Bowen, who is Commissionerof the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual
Disability Services, thank you so muchfor shedding light on this very important service.
Thank you so much, Laurene.Have you ever wanted to go above
and beyond for your community? Volunteeringfor your local fire or EMS department is
your opportunity. Join a family thatwill serve with you, always have your
(05:51):
back, and train you to bethe best version of yourself. As a
volunteer, you will meet new people, learn new skills, and make a
meaningful impact. Learn more at makeMe a Firefighter dot org. That's make
me a Firefighter dot org. I'mWilliam Shackner and I've been around a long
time, but I'm truly humbled.But I see the real battles are brave
(06:13):
paralyzed veterans of face defending our freedomat when they come home. I just
come home from servant over in Germany. Next thing I know is three weeks
later that was paralyzed while parachuting withMichaelton. My parachute didn't open. I
broke my neck. It left meparalyzed for the rest of my life.
I was on a routine patrol andwe were in the desert of Kuwait and
(06:36):
the vehicle flipped and landed on topof me, which left me paralyzed from
the waist down. Okay, folks, this is heroism. That's why I'm
proud to support Paralyzed Veterans of Americabecause they've kept their promise to never leave
a fallen sodier behind a roof,over the heads, accessible homes and cars,
jobs benefits. PA has brought meback to life. Show them their
(07:00):
sacrifice hasn't been in vain. Goto PVA dot org to learn how you
can make a difference. You're listeningto what's going on. There is a
dwindling number of qualified educators available tomeet the demands of an expanding student population.
(07:24):
Factors contributing to this shortage include lowsalaries, challenging working conditions, high
burnout rates, and inadequate resources forprofessional development. Addressing this issue is crucial
to ensuring that every student has accessto a quality education and that the teaching
profession remains attractive and sustainable in thelong term. One organization that is working
(07:45):
hard to help make that happen isTeach for America. Joining us right now
as Anna Sharrek, Executive director ofTeach for America, thank you so much
for joining us here today. Yes, thank you so much for having me.
Well. In an other life,I was an education major and have
ever since been very, very committedto bringing to the world information about education,
(08:11):
the importance of it, and teaching, and so I wonder if you
could tell us what is Teach forAmerica. We work to ensure that all
students have the opportunity for an excellenteducation, and we work to recruit diverse
leaders who are committed to educational equity. And so we recruit recent college grads
(08:33):
and career changers into our organization.We train them to be educators. We
work with schools and place our teachersin schools where teachers are needed the most.
And then as a result of theexperience, many of our members stay
on in the teaching profession and orgo on to work in other important fields
(08:54):
that influence outcomes for students. Andso we're very grateful to have the opportunity
to continue to serve in Philadelphia.We've been here for twenty years, and
as a national organization, we've beenin existence for thirty three years. Very
interesting. So I did touch onsome of the challenges that face the teaching
profession, certainly the burnout, someof the challenges having to do with violence
(09:18):
that's existing in our communities and theculture wars that are out there that many
teachers are being forced to resign orhave been fired because of coming up against
that. And I wonder if wecan talk a bit more about what are
some of the things you are doingto address some of these issues and encourage
(09:39):
people who might potentially want to teach, but take a look at some of
the challenges that teachers face. Howdo you reach those individuals? Yeah,
great question, Laurien. So youknow, first and foremost, at the
end of the day, regardless ofwhat side of the culture wars as you've
named, we sit on, weneed excellent teachers in the classroom for our
(10:03):
students, for our entire world,in our country to thrive, as our
students are really the next leaders forall of us. And so as we're
seeing teacher shortages broadly, there arereally multiple reasons educators are leaving the workforce
and there are fewer professionals that areconsidering teaching as a viable career, and
really the pay hours, increased politicizationthat you named has not made it attractive
(10:28):
for the as a profession for genZ and gen Z is set to make
up more than a quarter of theworkforce by twenty twenty five, and so
Teach for America has really focused onevolving to meet the needs of these gen
Z individuals alongside the needs of ourstudents and communities, and just to underscore
(10:50):
this gen Z is really the mostdiverse generation in history and seeking meaningful careers
that align with their values and soas a purpose driven generation, they really
yearn to address major societal issues andcreate a positive impact. So at Teach
for America, that leads us toreally think about the systemic issues and the
(11:11):
structure of the teaching profession that isincreasingly out of step with what matters most
to this generation of college graduates,and thinking about how as a profession,
teaching and education has to evolve toreally reinvent the system and think about things
such as teaching compensation conditions, supportiveenvironments, and how we are setting teachers
(11:35):
and educators up to be successful withstudents so that we can really experience the
full potential and impact of our schoolsand with our kids. So let's talk
about what need people need to doin order to become a part of Teach
for America. Who are you lookingfor to sign up and what are their
qualifications and what steps do they needto take? Yeah? Thanks so much.
(12:00):
So we are looking for individuals whoare invested in our students, in
our communities, and who fundamentally believethat all students have the potential to live,
grow, and thrive in our world. And so equity based, diverse
educators who are willing to do thiswork, willing to learn, and have
(12:20):
the fortitude and experience to know whatit takes and that it's not going to
be easy. As an individual whocame into the program as a two thousand
and four core member in Philadelphia,I never thought that I would still be
here twenty years later. In fact, I had studied political science and policy
studies and didn't want to do educationpolicy till I had taught and quickly learned
(12:45):
that how policy. Having great policyis essential and also having folks doing the
work and willing to implement great policyis also another key piece of the puzzle.
I bring this up because we're notlooking for folks to come due to
years and leave to do something totallydifferent. We're looking for folks who fundamentally
believe in the potential of our studentsand why education is so essential to the
(13:11):
future of Philadelphia. And if peopleare interested in applying, there are various
ways to get involved. You canapply through our website to learn more,
through our recruitment team and an andor also contact us directly and we'd love
to be in connection. We alsoneed a coalition of support and currently are
(13:31):
working with many other organizations because Teachfor America doesn't solve the education problem in
isolation. We do it with partnersacross the city, and so any sort
of involvement, whether you're interested injoining, interested in joining the core,
and or just being involved in ourefforts to assure that our students have the
opportunities that they deserve, we welcomethat sort of partnership and coalition. If
(13:56):
people want more information, what's thatwebsite Teach for America dot org fantastic.
An Asherak, executive director for Teachfor America, Philadelphia. Thank you so
much, Thank you so much.Okay man, this is your time.
Maybe you didn't choose this that you'rehere. Now you're gonna go out there
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and be an all star caregiver.It's up to you. So what are
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is your time to show the world, your family, and yourself that you're
tougher than tough. Don't go outthere would be the best caregiver this world
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at AARP dot org slash caregiving.A public service announcement brought to you by
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three organization. Well, once again, we have a special feature that we
(16:41):
call speak Out and our host forthat co host is Angela Giampolo of Giampolo
Law and also Philly gay lawyer.Angela so many really positive things. Sometimes
it's nice to talk about some ofthe good things. And we have some
good things to talk about today,Angela so laid on us. Yeah,
we have a few good things.So a couple of weeks ago, Mayor
(17:04):
Kenny, who's still you know,sitting Mayor signed an executive order protecting any
individual who is either seeking or providingor receiving gender affirming care inside the City
of Philadelphia that they're protected, thatPhiladelphia is a safe place. And you
know, Mayor Kenny has just beena staunch ally for decades. In nineteen
(17:29):
ninety six, he passed the veryfirst life Partnership Registry, almost lost his
seat in City Council nineteen ninety six. It was not cool to be pro
LGBTQ in nineteen ninety six, justlike it's kind of not now right,
But he just he words it likeI wouldn't want anybody to be bullied,
and I'm just anti bullying, andyou know, the community has just been
(17:52):
bullied for so long. So he'sjust always been a great advocate, and
a couple of weeks ago went evenfurther. That's something that we need to
acknowledge. I know that towards theend of his term, people have talked
so much about some of the negativeswith Kenny, but there were some positive
things too, that's certainly being oneof them, and there's also some additional
(18:15):
good news regarding representation on city Council. Let's talk about Rulando. Absolutely,
first ever, I just got chills. You know. Again, we've had
amazing allies throughout the city, butthat can only take someone so far.
You need to be at the table. You need representation at the table.
So Ru is the first ever openlyLGBTQ, openly LGBTQ city council person that
(18:41):
we've ever had. Are thoughts thatthere are other city council people over the
years that may not have had theprivilege of being out. But Ru was
elected a city council at large forthe whole city of Philadelphia, and she
will represent everybody in Philadelphia for allof their needs. But obviously it just
(19:02):
you know, more than warms myheart that we finally have someone at the
table with LGBTQ issues as part ofher agenda serving the city. So and
yeah, Kenny, you know,with any mayor, there's going to be
pro cons or likes dislikes, butjust being there for like you said,
if one person or like we've saidmultiple times, right, if if one
(19:22):
person is being bullied or one communityis being bullied, then ultimately it's not
a safe place for anybody. Soany politician, gay, straight, whatever,
that is fighting for human rights andfor any marginalized community should be acknowledged.
But yes, of Philadelphia. Youknow, HRC has rated Philadelphia one
(19:44):
of the most LGBTQ friendly cities eightyears in a row, and with what
we have going on now, thatis only going to continue into the future.
Yeah, you know, I thinkthat sometimes people forget. I mean,
there's so many good things about thecity, and that certainly is one
of them, And particularly in timesright now when there seems to be a
higher level of negativity around LGBTQ rights, I think representation is so critical.
(20:12):
When we talk about how important representationis, we have to remember that when
you have someone who brings their livedexperience into whatever job they have, whether
it's in politics as an elected officialor in the media, that that brings
greater depth and diversity in the kindsof stories that get told and the kinds
(20:34):
of legislation that gets past. It'snot necessarily a criticism of someone who doesn't
have that lived experience. It's simplyan acknowledgement that having diversity and having folks
who have a lived experience can bringa richness and additional opportunities for growth and
(20:56):
for positivity in our communities. Sosomeone like Rue, she does represent us
all because she is an at largecouncil person, but she does represent everyone.
But she has that lived experience ofbeing LGBTQ and being out and having
the sensitivity to be aware of someof the issues that not only folks in
(21:18):
the LGBTQ community want to address,but all of us really need to be
aware of absolutely and you know,all of the anti LGBTQ legislation that's that's
being passed. The most recent statisticis at one point two million. One
point two million LGBTQ folks in thelast year have moved, have literally picked
(21:41):
up sold homes or broke leases andmoved to a place that is more welcoming
or safe. And so having Philadelphiabe at the forefront of a pioneering city
like that, just being a safeplace. There are a lot of people
not just in Philadelphia seeking people likeme or Kenny or councilperson brew Landau's leadership,
(22:03):
but really cities and states all overthe country, and Philadelphia is at
the top of the list of placesto now move and be able to be
free, to be safe, tobe able to go to work, not
be fired. You know, thingsthat a lot of people take for granted,
but one point two million people choosingto move to different cities based on
(22:29):
how dangerous it is to live wherethey live. You know, speaks volumes
as to where we are as acountry right now, and then how lucky
we are here in Philadelphia, youknow. And I've been going by Philly
gay lawyer for sixteen years and itwasn't always easy, and I had law
professors tell me not to do it, and you know that it wasn't safe
even to just put myself out inthat way. But Philadelphia has always felt
(22:52):
like a haven, right, likea bubble that I feel like a lot
of folks don't even necessarily realize howlucky they are to live here. Again,
there's always pro cons good bad.No city's perfect, No politician is
perfect. And to your point aboutjust the depth that diversity brings to any
(23:14):
community, it's the same in business, right, Corporations have finally just gotten
hip to the fact that, oh, a diverse workplace means more creativity,
more imagination. Right, different viewpointsultimately enriches the bottom line. If it
makes dollars, it makes sense,right, So corporations got there, I
feel like before politicians. But it'sa good month in Philadelphia. It is.
(23:37):
And I have to also shout outthe Mural Arts Organization because there was
a I saw a feature that wason CBS three about a mural that celebrates
the ogs of voguing. Some ofthe great people we have, some stars
when it comes to that whole world. For those who don't know what voguing
(23:57):
is, maybe we can tell talkabout it very briefly, but it's a
genre of performance and dance and celebrationin the LGBTQ community that always provided a
wonderful release way before before we haddrag, race and pose and all of
the other different types of media thathave been out there expressing the diversity of
(24:19):
the LGBTQ community. But it's abeautiful mural and it's definitely worth checking out.
Where is it good question? Wewill find out. We will find
out, but I'm sure if yougo to a Mural Arts dot org they
will have that information. And soit's just nice to see that acknowledgment and
such a beautiful testimony to it.Well. And a couple of months ago,
(24:41):
the dancer up in Brooklyn who wasvoguing to Beyonce's new song was murdered
and the victim of a hate crime. And he's from Philadelphia Koresh Dance Studio
and was actually a member client,if you will, of the Attic Youth
Center as a young lgb TQ youth. And this weekend is the ATTECU Center's
(25:03):
thirty year galap against. Philadelphia hasbeen rich with institutions that have been saving
and helping the LGBTQ community for decadesat ACUTH Center thirty years old William Way
Community Center. But he'll be receivinga lifetime award, you know, posthumously
as in his honor this weekend atthe ATTACU Center thirty year gallup. And
(25:27):
he was voguing when it happens.So this is also the season of galas
so William Way Community Center just attheir annual gala. We should say,
and we often will talk about,like you said, the anti LGBTQ legislation
or don't say gay, or thelegislation in Tennessee and anti drag and there
(25:51):
is always something negative to be ableto talk about, right, but this
is definitely a season and a monthand a time to actually stop for a
second and appreciate how lucky we areto live in Philadelphia. And again We've
had so many staunch, amazingly supportiveLGBTQ politicians as allies over the years.
(26:15):
But allies can only take you sofar. I mean, we wouldn't have
gotten here without them, but theycan only take a community so far.
And so to have councilperson land Out, you know, now elected, it's
going to be amazing to see whatthe future holds. Absolutely well. If
people want more information about Jampolo LawGroup or your blog Philly Gay Lawyer,
(26:36):
where did they go Phillygay Lawyer dotcom? Make it simple and my law
firm website is Jampolo Law dot comand you can always call the office two
one five six four five twenty fourfifteen and the office in the heart of
the gighborhood. And we represent everybody, so I always joked at ninety seven
percent of my clients are gain fabulousand the other three percent of fabulous,
So all are welcome. Wonderful wayto end, Angela Giampolo who comes to
(27:03):
us once a month every month totalk about issues related to the LGBTQIA plus
community. But these are issues thatreally do impact us all and we always
appreciate your point of view. Thanksso much for joining us again. Thank
you Erin before we close. Iwas at the walk to end to Alzheimer's
(27:33):
last week in honor of my latecolleague and friend, Don Juan Beggs,
who passed away from early onset Alzheimer's. There I met a family who tells
us why they walk. We're walkingfor our father. We passed in June
with Alzheimer's, so we walked throughour dad. As my sister said,
we collectively got together and with friendsand family who raised the scene hundred dollars
(27:57):
touras Alzheimer's and we're hoping that's amega impact so that the organization can find
a cure. Yeah, I seethat you have a purple flower. What
does that stand for? Oh,it stands for that we lost a family
member or a loved one through theAlzheimer's. What is your message to the
(28:17):
public out there about Alzheimer's. Ourfight is a long We need to continue
to help support the organization because,as they say, there is a cure
out there and we just have thecollective workforwards achieving that. Home Mark fantastic
to find out more about support forcaregivers. The latest info on Alzheimer's disease
and more. Go to AZL dotorg slash delval. You can listen to
(28:45):
all of today's interviews by going toour station website and typing in Keyword Community.
You can also listen on the iHeartRadioapp Keywords Philadelphia Community Podcast. Follow
me on Twitter and Instagram at LorraineBallard. I'm Lorraine Ballard Morrow and stand
for service to our community and mediathat empowers. What will you stand for?
You've been listening to what's going on, and thank you
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