October 29, 2025 • 52 mins
The Purpose Pusher (Dr Rodriguez) and the Super Organizer (Dr Lott) have a chat about education and the importance of being educated! goto atimeforpeace3e.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hello on Welcome to Extra Connections. I'm James Latner of
j J Meadia and I. You know, I started to
show about eight nine years ago, and it's all about
talking with people in the community and having conversations with
them and connecting with them and talking about how to
connect with others. And we've done that so many times.
I mean, we've done almost four of these shows. I've
(00:26):
had millions of guests or whatever. I don't know how
many I've had on here. I've had great conversations, and
I'm excited about this one because she and I both
are part of a book right now that's the number
one Amazon bestseller, You Don't Become Anything, Volume sixteen. We're
both there were both there on this in this place
where you met. And you may have noticed last couple
(00:47):
of weeks I've had people. She's like the third person
I've had on from that book. We all became friends,
we connected, we all connected, and so I'm very excited
to have her on the show. She's a lovely human being.
And as you can see, is doctor Renee, doctor Renee
Rodriguez a day.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
How are you this morning?
Speaker 1 (01:06):
So I'll be over recalled. I was, I was, I
was sickular this week. But I've been relaxing in my home.
It's been great weather here in l A. I've been
taking advantage of just kind of like laying around and
I'm not working as much as it's been. It's been
actually very nice. It's been very nice. I'm starting to
feel better, like I have, like the last residual stuff
coming up. So but we're good. Un't just right now,
(01:30):
but yeah, it's all, it's all coming up. I want
to take I take everything to get rid of it.
You know, all the tea. I'm a big tea person, chicken, soup,
all that stuff. So now we folks, we're going to
this as we do on the show. We're gonna we're
just a little different. We have a conversation and I
call this one doctor doctor, so yes, you know I'll do.
(01:52):
I'll go first. As you know, I have a doctor
in divinity. And maybe that's like, well what does that mean?
What is that? So? I have read the Bible backwich
and forwards, and I went for study and for my doctorate.
I'm a bachelor's and masters all kinds of but I
went my safe for my doctorate, and my studies were
women of the Bible. That was my that was my
(02:12):
focus because there's some wonderful women in the Bible and
very interesting stories.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
And I had a great time and that's what I
got my doctor in Duvinity. So I am doctor Lote
and some people car to James J LJM. I've got
all kind of names, but that's kind of funny. I
love education. So I so if you guys notice on
Live a lot of letters after my name, one day
I'll explain every single set of letters. Folks, what else
break it down for you? But I love education. I
(02:39):
always say education should never stop. As long as you're alive,
we should never stop. I want to die learning. That's
that's how that's how I want to right. And so
I am with another doctor and I have heard tell
you what her doctorate is, and so doctor Nay please.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Tell us, well, thank you.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
We are lifelong learners and I appreciate you acknowledging in
that about us. I am Eleanor Renee Rodriguez, affectionately called
doctor Renee.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
My doctorate is in the superintendency. What does that mean?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
That means I racked up a bachelor's, master's specialists, and
PhD in education, so the top of the food chain,
if you will, is the superintendency. So educational administration and
supervision are the areas that are my expertise as a
way to meet my purpose of making certain every child
get what they deserve when they're being educated.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
And that's I think a lot of folks out there.
I'm a I'm a parent, I'm a grandparent. I'm also
an uncle and a great uncle. And you know said,
I love education and I and I was very fortunate
to go to a couple of good school schools in
my life.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
And absolutely leadership, yes.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
And but my well, I want to start off with
though with you. My first opening statement will be we
almost forget that the children are our future. I know
it's a song and everybody knows Whitney Houston it's a song.
But I feel like we almost forget that children are
our future.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Absolutely it comes to education, right.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
And the decisions that we make in education that do
not have a thing to do with children.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
God, it's crazy. My grandchildren, one set of them went
to an arts based school arts I'm gonna say fast
arts based school. Okay, it was called Leonardo Vinci. There's
a bunch of them running around Vinci. Of course, right
(04:54):
once they went there, I can tell you their proficiency
and everything went up, because it's been proven time and
time again the arts help in all areas of life.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
So I was just saying for me, watching them flourish
in a school that encouraged them to use both sides
of their brain, I didn't grow up with that, so
it's very it's very interesting to see that and see
the development. I'm sure you've seen all kinds of situations.
Where is the where is it where you based and
(05:33):
we started, We'll start there where.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
You're based right now. I'm in Hampton, Virginia.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
But I'm glad you said that about the arts piece,
because when school district budgets are tight, what's the first
thing that they get rid of? So they mean they
leave that one half of the brain not active and
focus on the cognitive cognitive, cognitive piece, and all they're
doing is thinking, thinking, thinking, But they're not thinking creative
(06:01):
and they're not thinking critically.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
They're not. My niece Haley went to Hampton College. Thanks
for that. Oh wow, she did. She graduated from the
Hampton College. She's back here in LA And a little
side note, Taylor swift to horse is really big right now.
Went to Hampton College when she was there, Like, my
niece is a cheerleader and in her video shake It Off,
she's the black cheerleader in this in the video, un
(06:28):
she's known there. She is the black cheerleader in the video. So, okay,
that happened when Hampton. She came to Hampton and used
their cheerleaders. So it was very nice.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I've only been here since June, coming here from San Diego, California,
so I missed you while.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
I was there.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
But I'll get you're a West Coaster the well, actually
I'm a Midwesterner because I hold your mouth.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Okay, I'm from Omaha, Nebraska. Don't open your mouth. See that.
I told you, Wow, I wanted you in advance.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
I warned you, he did. I couldn't stop myself. I
got big mouth.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
It's like that all the time anytime I say Omaha,
Nebraska because of all these things people conjured in their
head about the Midwest.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
But see it works perfectly, especially for me.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Yeah, think by something. So there must be. So is
there a rich black history in Omaha that I shall
know about?
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Absolutely? There is, absolutely there is. You would not have
believed that we had a miss Nebraska that was black.
You will not believe that we have a senator, had
a senator that was well known throughout the state that
was black, Ernie Chambers. And he's still a very active
(07:49):
person and no one could get him out of that
office until they changed the law about the term limits. Wow,
we have had so many people out of Omaha, Nebraska.
And the challenge is the first question we're always asked,
is our statement that make.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Us I didn't know there were black people in the know.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
But then if you think about it, the railroads, the
packing houses, where did black people go to get jobs?
Speaker 2 (08:20):
The railroads?
Speaker 1 (08:21):
You're right in the packing.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Houses, right?
Speaker 1 (08:25):
I mean, why if there? If they're in Tots, Oklahoma,
why not Ohama, Nebraska? Right? Why not Denver, Colorado? Why not?
They are That's all the Rockies have been. When you're right,
they're all there. You're right there in Kansas, right next
to you, Missouri, right next to you.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Absolutely, and everybody knows Kansas City and they figured that
the demographics are different there than they are in Omaha
and Des Moines. But you'd be surprised des Moines as
in Iowa.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
I've been there Okay, I see education never adds I
loved something.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Do you want my stud and just think you didn't
have to pay tuition?
Speaker 1 (09:03):
I love free.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Education me too. That's the best kinds.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Yeah, you're right, right, exactly. No, it's just a serious
I've traveled through the main parts of Midwest and I
have been always pleasantly surprised what I found. But in
now Nebraska, I never I just never knew there were
I know, I know there's Omaha, there's Lincoln, Nebraska, and
that only two big cities I know. I never thought
there are black folks in there.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
And that's because of the corn Huskers.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
So the football team from University of Nebraska Omaha basically
and mutual of Omaha.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Yes, putting Nebraska on the map.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
And then when it comes to black folks, we're not
part of that from most people's geographical training.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
But that has to do go back to school.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Some people had good schools and they shared some stuff,
and other people had schools that weren't quite up to park.
And that's my purpose in life, makes sure every every
child is able to have those opportunities so they can
be successful.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
What is so, then, how did you get out of Nebraska.
Did you just like to go to school somewhere else
and I just brought you out?
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Well, i'll tell you.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
I'll first begin by saying I have never been in
the military, so my moving has nothing to do with military.
But I attended school in Omaha, Nebraska, Creighton University, and
I attended University of Nebraska at Omaha, and then I
got my PhD at the University of Texas at Austin,
oh But I was a person that wanted to be
(10:34):
an administrator.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Early on, I knew I can get the job done.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
And as you're aware, in my story, I talked about
how one of the things I didn't give up was
my effort to become a person responsible for research and
the press professional development for people at the American Association
of School Administrators. But the challenge was when I don't
get my way. That's the nicest way I can put it.
(10:59):
I wanted to be an administrator. I knew I had
skills that I could share, and I saw what was
going on in the classroom.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
So I moved.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
So I've lived in Nebraska, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, California twice,
now Virginia twice. In DC for a minute, because I
was searching and seeking places where they were adaptable to
the kind of person I am. That's a transformational leader
where tradition does not work for me because we don't
(11:27):
have traditional children, right or what we call as tradition.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Yeah, that's true. As you look back any of those
cities that you lived and worked here at your school,
and are any of them your favorites or one of
your favorites or anyone likes, stand down and go. You know,
I really loved living here, and I got some good
work done.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
I think the locations aren't as favorites as much as
the positions that I held. For example, I wouldn't just
live in Oklahoma City because it was Oklahoma City, but
I loved being an elementary school principal.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I would not go to.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
San Diego where I went there for fun basically, but
I would not go to some of the other places
that I've gone and say, oh, this is my favorite place.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
I want to live here the rest of my life.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
Because people have asked me, based on the number of
places I lived, where's.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Your favorite place?
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Well, I can tell you where my favorite friends are,
I can tell you where my favorite extended family members are.
But I can't tell you my favorite place because I've
consulted in forty eight out of fifty states, and then
I've traveled abroad to all of the continents that I
want to go to as a consultant.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
So no favorite place, but favorite people.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
That's better. I like that than favorite jobs. One of
the things that I did when I turned to I
was unhappy at my job, was not happy in the
city I lived. It, was not happy at all. So
I sat down and I got one of those and
I don't, folks, is old school. This was two thousand
and eight or when I was seven. I sat down
(13:14):
and I got a I got a lined notebook, a
pad of paper, and I wrote all the jobs I
liked at each job, what I liked about it. I
decided to go the opposite route of like all the
jobs I hated? What do I do? And I said, no,
me fun how much I was leaking because I've had
(13:35):
a very career myself. I've had I've done everything from nursing,
so I was ready to nurse, to to insurance to
retail for that it all. So I said, well, each job,
what did I like about him? And I wrote all
down and I started noticing some of the same things
coming up, like, oh, I do like customer service, I
(13:55):
do like organizations, I do like I know all these things.
I'm making a difference, I like you know. So that's
how I kind of led to the levity of this.
But but it's when you said that, it was like
I was thinking it wasn't You're right. It wasn't like
that was my favorite job per se or my favorite
city I lived in when I did it. But it
was just kind of like I felt good when I
was there, and these the things I liked about it.
(14:19):
So I kind of just feedback off for you. I
guess what I did, and I changed my hund forty.
I changed my whole life. That's where I'm now. So Born, okay,
put your hair behind there. I think it does. Leave
put your hair behind there. I think, wow, I.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Will just tell it, says Born to teach.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
So the reflection is very important for us to think
about what we've done where we are now in order
for us to go to.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Our next spot. See is important. So that reflection piece.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
So you should do a job description for yourself with
your favorite things and then create your own job.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
You can't already have part of the job done.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Yeah, well I created my job I have. I'm happy
what I'm doing. But I'm saying, but my whole things
for people is we always think it we always focus
on the negative to motivate us, right, But I'm saying
I don't need the negative to motivate me. That was
the different, Just like no, I can think of the
positive to motivate me and go. Like you said, yes,
(15:19):
I can actually do wherever this is. And see, I'm
doing stuff that wasn't invented back in twenty oh eight,
So it's kind of weird. There was this thing. It's
called podcasting. This was the thing is I'm doing jobs
that weren't invented yet. I knew there are certain things
I wanted to do and outcomes. I wanted that those
are happening. I never thought of be this. This was
(15:42):
not I never thought in a million years I'd be
a host of a show and I have a guest
like you on and we're talking that was never wasn't
invented yet. But I knew I wanted to talk with
people and help affect change. I don't like, why do
I wanted to? I loved I loved being parts of
associations and meetings and that kind of stuff. I knew that.
(16:05):
I knew that, right, But I think, but what Dot
is saying, I think it's true for you guys who
are following along with this and follow what I did,
write all down, and maybe your job is right there.
Because my aunt said the same thing. And she has
several doctorates and she's smart, and she said, there's a
business in there. She sent to me, there's a business
in there. I don't know what it is, only you
(16:26):
know what it is, but it's a business in there.
I was like, what are you talking about? I have
no idea. I had no idea what you're talking about.
I figured it out, obviously, I figured it out six
seventeen years later. But but I thing it was just
that it's it's kind of you and I are kind
of the same. It's like I to write stuff down.
I got no pads, so I got I got story everywhere.
(16:48):
I'm always writing stuff there.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
You don't even want to look behind this screen.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
I know I love writing stuff down, but I'll go
back to you, like, this is fascinating to me. So
you had decided you wanted to be an administrator, So
that's more. It's almost like me being a producer. We're
behind the scenes, made times, helping creates the changes that
(17:13):
affect everyone. You want to do that and not necessarily
be a teacher that you don't want to be a teacher,
You want to be an administrator. That's not what I'm hearing.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Almost, Okay, I wanted to be an administrator who was
an instructional leader that could lead teachers to do the
right things for children. So it all comes back to
the children. That was my ultimate goal. And if the
leader is focused on children, then everybody else in the
organization what are they going to be focused on the children?
(17:43):
Versus if the leader is focused on passing the state test,
then everybody in the district is going to be focused
on passing the state test.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
There are no jobs, and I promise.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
You there aren't jobs that say, Okay, I'm going to
high if you feel in this bubble exactly right. There
are no jobs with job descriptions that say all you're
going to do is fill in bubbles. The closest job
to that were the jobs that were had back in
the day when you were responsible for this widget, and
you were responsible for this wigit and you didn't have
(18:18):
to think, but now we have to be thinkers because
we have technology up the kazoo AI is doing half
of our work, but we still have.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
To be able to think in order for them to
be able to create the information that we want.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
So I wanted to be an administrator, back to your question,
but I wanted to be an administrator who affect those
who affect the children. And I don't care if which
category they're in as a stakeholder. I don't care if
they're a board member. I don't care if they're a parent,
a parent, professional, a teacher, administrator, a grocery store owner.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Whoever affects children.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Then the leader of that district, or of that organization
is responsible for sending the right message out to all
the those who are affecting the people that they are
responsible for. I don't have a problem with performance paid
because I know I'll perform. But those who have a
problem with that are those who have a tendency. Not
(19:13):
everybody tont get the job done. How can I teach
somebody or how can I teach third graders? For twelve
years of my thirty year career, and half of my
children still can read what happened to performance, right, Yeah,
(19:35):
I don't hope that answered your question.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Good job, but no, I know people who there to
get to high school and they really they can't read.
They really can't, and either it's because they're good at sports.
So they passed this past them along the classrooms that
you crowded. So he said, look at everybody, saying they
either some some kids are good at taking tests or
(19:58):
just good at taking tests. We get through all kinds
of reasons, and they get through to get to like
the ninth to have eleventh grade, they're like.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
I don't want to read, and they're not going to
tell anybody. Nope, we are so comfortable in this country
saying oh, no, I'm not good at mad. Have you
ever heard anybody say, oh, I'm not.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Good at reading all the time.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
No, they'll hide that they can't read because it's embarrassing.
But then what's more embarrassing for real is that what
got Let me tell you back up a little bit.
I'm tired at sixty two, not retired, but tired at
sixty two, and I just stopped because I didn't feel
(20:39):
as though my message was getting across. Although I had
three editions of one book, and everybody says it's great
and grand and all this other kind of good stuff.
But the challenge was, when we start talking about the
success of children. At near seventy two, I said, I
know I got too much between my ears in order
to take this with me when I go out. So
(21:01):
I decided to get up and start doing some more things.
But then one of the research things that I found,
and I'm not going to research to you, but this
is one example. The National Assessment for Educational Progress INAEP
is like the United States report Card. Well, shortly after COVID,
they did a test and it showed three fingers.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Think about it, only one third choose the right fingers.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
One third of fourth graders read act or above the
fourth grade level. Now think about it, since COVID, those
same children that could not read, those one third could,
but the other two thirds could not read. There are
now twelfth graders. What do you think NAEP results are
(21:49):
this year? They still can't read. So our challenge is,
are we focused on the children and what they need?
Are we focused on passing test? Plain and simple? But
who wants to hear that besides me?
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Right?
Speaker 1 (22:07):
And now it's tough because because as I'm seeing a
subset of my first send of grand Star to become adults.
And but they're struggling with them with the things that
they were not taught. They were not taught about how
to balance their budget, how to pay for bills. They
have no idea. They're struggling right now. They have no idea.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Financial digitteracy was not tough.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Nope of that. They just don't, you know, they're just
see their pants, are flying by, to see their pants.
They're talking at a job, and that's it. I thought,
that's what they're taught when they're going to school. And
I know some kids who are just eternal students, and
it's almost like they're afraid to even enter life in
the regular.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Right, They're going to stick me out there? What am
I going to do?
Speaker 1 (22:54):
Right? And I can see them scar no scary out there.
I'm sure jobs are changing, like you just said, Ai,
their jobs that just are not there anymore, and they're
going away. But there are plenty of jobs. And you said,
but they still need us. We're not. We're not. We're
not dead in the water yet. And one of the
things they always when you were talking, and one of
(23:16):
the things that got to me was. I remember, so
I was a kid in the seventies and I was
I was in the tailing of desegregation, meaning so folks
at home and going what this is. I know our history.
It's on the story too. I was busted out to
white schools when I was when I was from kindergarten
to second grade. Uh so we had to get two
(23:37):
hours early in the morning and get on that bus.
They took the black kids out to the white school
and the white kids in the black school here in
La and I was at the Sherman Oaks that he
stopped it. Thank god, it didn't work anyway, because all
the black kids stay have together and the white didn't.
Didn't work at all. So anyway, so we got back
to we got back to it. I was in you know,
inner city whatever here in La Anywood, and I remember
(23:58):
I got to the school and they were like, he's
too smart. So they had me take this test back
then and I was considered a mentally gifted minor's when
they called him back in the seventies or whatever. But
there were no programs set up, not in our neighborhood,
not our area. So I would just they would just
take me out of the second grade class and put
them with the fifth graders. That's what I was reading
that level, and socially I was not ready. I hate them.
(24:22):
Mother said, you hated it. Oh my god, you thought
you did something wrong. You're like, why are they isolating me?
And why did you know?
Speaker 2 (24:31):
The teachers weren't prepared?
Speaker 1 (24:32):
No, so you know the story. You know the story.
I don't didn't tell you. You know there's a story. Basically,
if it's an age old story back then I'm just
like one thing about of here and put them over here,
but no regard for the child's emotional being or or
or it went to your point, probably prepared the teacher
because couldn't be prepared the teacher at the second grade
(24:53):
level saying okay, have you have a student that.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Or words that were I supposed to say, like diversity,
equity and inclusion. What do you have to do for
me differently than you've done for somebody else that's already
familiar with that traditional route. I need something transformed. I
need something different. And that's where that fat Coe came from.
It has to be transformed. I want to mention something
(25:21):
to you since you were so shocked to hold your
mouth about Omaha, Nebraska, we had court ordered desegregated schools.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
See you didn't you held your mouth, but your eyes went.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Up somewhere.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
Yeah, you need to have your camera off when I'm
talking because don't make your mouth open.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
But just think about it.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
We had to have enough black folk in Omaha for
us to be desegregated.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Yeah, might not get what we need. And ad I'm sorry.
I had a punishment.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
That's what they thought when I got kicked out of
an all black school, and my punishment, believer it or not,
was to have me go to an all white school.
Now think about my junior high school class. Of that class,
how many of them got beyond high school. So that
punishment was something that paid off for me in the end.
(26:27):
Oh graduated from high school, college, everything.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
But then I was coming to me. I was mad,
why are you making me?
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Yeah? You know, yep.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
So we have to see where our blessings come from
and take advantage of them, because some people don't have
those blessings.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
They don't or they don't they don't And I did
at the school I went to. You Eventually I did
like and I have a great history of the school.
I feel bad for my younger siblings. They got they
got compared to me, and I feel bad about that.
Then my mother's pissed. He was like, do you not
compare my children? I was very dynamic, I was very extroverting.
(27:11):
And the others, you know, they all hated it after me,
And I was like, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry. I'm
wonderful now, but I but I agree with my mom
that was was hold, you should never compare kids the
same family. But no, but you're right. I had opportunities
that it was really great. That's why I was so
mad because then I went from a great elementary to
(27:35):
what college? Did you high back? Then? Horrible high school?
So high school was just a business for me. Okay,
I'll take these classes, get through it, and then I'm
going to go to college. I mean, it was just
it was just it was very I didn't like mine.
I didn't care for high school. So I was like,
but my other schools I enjoyed going and it was
like fun. I love my teachers. And I got to
(27:56):
a high school where it was it was gang ridden,
gang infested, teachers were checked out. It was a whole thing.
And I and I and when I got to college,
I realized, Luckily I come from a family of academics.
They all are just anybody's and says we were big,
voracious readers. Luckily I had that on my side. I'm thinking,
(28:17):
what if I didn't have my side, what if I
didn't want My family was just like, I don't care.
They to college, and that's a that's a shock. We
get to college. It's a whole the world, folks, where
they really forced you to, like, you know, work for
you for your education. Luckily I had so I was
okay to go in there and I was able to
do it. But I can only imagine the folks you
were like, oh what what I got? Read a thousand
(28:39):
pages by tomorrow. I was that kind of stuff where
I was able to I was able to handle it,
but I had friend who couldn't handle it. We couldn't
handle it all.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Well, just think about it.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Although we lived in the projects, no, I shouldn't say although,
but we lived in the projects, and like I mentioned earlier,
the packing houses are in Nebraska, so the projects were
strategically placed. If this is the projects, this is the
packing house, and there's just the street between, So that
(29:12):
tells you why I don't eat meat today. But in
our home we had Britannicas, we had Britannica jrs. We
had Bible stories. Think about what books, if any children
have in their homes today, because they're going like this, No,
(29:33):
I don't, right, and they don't have to read, So
why are we curious that our children can read today?
The challenge is there's this poster that I saw one
time and it said ten things to do to improve reading.
When you catch on, I want you to join me.
Number one, read number two, read number three, read four,
(30:00):
read number five, read read, read read ten.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Things to improve reading. So if we're not reading, then
we're not improving it.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
And as parents, if we don't have access to things
for children to read, and the public library is the
perfect spot.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Fore, yes, yes I have a library card and there's
no excuse I do too.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
We're proud I do. That's renee. I know adults my
age who don't read books. And I'm talking I mean nowadays.
I mean they got audio books, they got you know kid,
they all they don't read nothing. I'm like you and
(30:46):
I said, it's not a book that comes out. You're
thinking I want to read that. No, am I talking
about Warren Piece, and shit, I'm saying, there's like little
little books and me, I got books everywhere, girl, I
got books everywhere. I'm reading. I'm reading like ten books
at once. Right. Hello, But I know friends who have
one of my really good girlfriends, I love it. But
she's a wonderful person. I love her pieces. But I
always use an example. I was like, she's she has
(31:10):
She says, since high school she has never read a book.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
And that's not a surprise. That's not one of those
that I go, you.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Understand, But I'm saying, it's just so just just I don't.
I don't. I don't understand. I mean, I just don't
understand absolutely.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
And now that people aren't reading the newspapers, no, then
even that little bit of third grade, fourth grade reading
is not happening.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Yes, yes, oh my god, what newspaper? Oh my god,
my mother. So it was just at the little side note.
So my stepfather made he rested pec. He passedway two
years ago. He was older than my mom, so he
died in like eighty five. So he they'll get the
newspapers sent to their house every day, and some day
it's the big tick paper. We go to the coop.
We'll coupon folks. That's right, fulks can do it. But
(31:56):
the paper will come for us La Times. That was
the paper. So we would get it, and then also
would go to the store and get the and here
it's cut the waves. It's like the Inglewood South May Waves.
Black Ben's read it as we get both of those.
And and literally he would sit and we used to
get a section and we'd all read our sections. I'm
(32:17):
a sports guy, so I read a sports section. He
read the auditorials whatever, and we'd read. And also just
like looking at the different like he liked old cars,
look at the class of fives or cars and things
like that. It's like but it was something he did
every every night. Paper came every night I come to visit,
I'd bring a paper in and here you go. So
when he died, I was like, well should I get
(32:37):
the paper coming? I go, maybe why not? It wasn't
expensed to be that I have it once a month,
but I said, you know, maybe why not just remind
you for me? And I wanted her because now she
has no husband to be with all there together all
the time. I said, maybe good for you. Mind you
of him. She's a void. We like, we're like reading
if the wind not well, after a while the paper
was like this. Then I'm like, where's the pay.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
That?
Speaker 1 (33:02):
So not for lack of trying, the paper went away,
the paper itself. Basically, it's a it's a sheolving for herself.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Absolutely. Well, I have one joke. I can tell you.
It's not a joke because I can't tell jokes. I'll
tell you. I'll tell you that I have comedic timing.
Often I can't tell the joke.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
But something that was funny to me is that my
great aunt would always get the newspaper daily and she
would go to the last page every time. And I
finally asked her one day, Auntie, why don't you start
at the front and go to the back. Oh I
got to look and see if I may be obituary
this morment. Yeah, that's so she would look.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
To see whose funeral she had to go.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
That's you.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Yes, So now you don't know somebody died until somebody
talks about them by accident or sends them a birthday card, and.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
They've been done.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
I found out on Facebook last like some might die
Oh no Facebook, And I was like, oh my gosh,
I to my other girls. So and so's gone. Well
I just saw her last month ago. Well she's gone now,
and yeah, you don't know anymore. The paper to me,
I remembering my grandmother. Yeah, when I was when I
was growing up, she would come stay with when so
(34:16):
I was cover to stay with us, and earlier morning
was our tied together. My grandma Midcy and she worked
in downtown La. She was she was a worker. And
my grandmother was like four foot nothing were sixteen. Sheels,
had a wig, she had hair and also be well
she had hair folks, but she always wore wigs to work.
So she I'll get up early in the morning, it's
(34:37):
like six in the morning. I'll get up with her.
She'd have coffee, a cigarette hanging out her mouth and
she coming up the wig. He think it's all nice,
and had the paper. I it's my favorite things. And
she was thinking. I was like I was in high school.
She's like, okay, you get a little bit of coffee.
I'm like, I said that naball hooked coffee. She'd have
coll said, I won't get hooked right, Oh, it'll be
fine with her. And I was sitting with her and
(35:00):
she would test because she always she was very a wordsmith.
And I'm mom, I'm an next spelling bee champion, thinking
very much. I have my trophies over here. But she
was always test. She always said to me, before you
speak the slang and have fun with words, you have
to know the language. That was always your thing. No,
(35:21):
the language. Then you could play with it and have
fun with it. It just stick to my brain. So
we go over words, and she would tell me a
certainly said and while she sigarette hang out her mouth
and he's drinking a coffee and she's like coming out
that wig and getting ready, and I just I remember
those times. I wonder, and I wonder because I mean,
education was not just at school, as you said earlier,
(35:41):
it's also at home. And I wonder how many kids
today do not have that at all? I mean, yes,
to me, go why I think it was snugging, like,
forget all of that part. It was a bonding moment
between me and my grandmother. And she still was helping
me teach me stuff, get the coffee and all that.
Just she was teaching me something. We don't have it.
(36:05):
They we're probably dewey, not really.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
No, look at the example that I had, I used
to well, I used to have an asthma. I don't
claim it anymore, okay, but my mother used to go
like this, I hope you don't start smoking when you
grow up. And then I say, well, you know, children,
(36:28):
watch what you do in addition to listen to what
you say. So the example is, don't do as I do,
do as I say do. So what's the likelihood most
children that don't have other medical problems are gonna do
as their parents did.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
And that's our challenge.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
The parent is not reading now, the child is not
reading now. Their children will not read unless somebody picks
up the banner. And that's where educators have to step in. Yeah,
and I have the tools to make certain that they
get it.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
Yeah. Yeah, that's that's the thing. That's what it is.
And I just but it's always been with my kids.
I was always involved, and their mothers were too, were
always very much. We knew it was a collaborative effort
because it's in school, it's at home, it's in the community,
it's it's all. It all comes together. And my kids
grew up in Sacramento, California, which is a nice, little
(37:21):
small community and it's very I will say this about
I'm not a fan of Sacramento High Claude. My clawed
my way out of there personally. But but but school wise,
it was very diverse. There's my kids from mixed ray
so it was very much a mixed rece community there,
and they really had some good schools and some really
(37:43):
good teachers as they're coming up. So I for me,
I was always happy to be involved because they would
make sure the parents were. This is the nineties. I
guess they made us really involved. My grandkids were younger,
same thing they go. They go to a really good preschool,
really good elementary school. They are the same. So there
(38:03):
are I know there are places that are doing this
and they're very committed to their to their to the kids.
I also know the bureaucracy that's going on out there.
We can't ignore it. We just can't ignore it. And
it's just it's affecting our kids. But through through programs
that you said being cut, You're right, the first programs
(38:23):
cut are always arn't the areuse somebodies are cutting sports programs,
Sports again just as important, right, feel Also you learned
if I hadn't played sports, I don't even know if
I would learn was like to be a team player,
what it's like to delegate, what it's type, what it's
like to come up and play. I guess sports are
important to you. I know classrooms are getting are crowded now,
(38:47):
they're banning books. There's all kind of there's a lot
of stuff out there. So I want to ask you,
doctor Renee, what is some advice you might want to
tell people in the face of all this kind of adversity.
You know, what kind of positive rights would you give
people out there?
Speaker 3 (39:04):
I would say to know that you are in control
of your thoughts. You put negative thoughts in there, you're
going to get negative results. You put positive thoughts, you're
going to get positive thoughts. There is a saying that says,
if you don't know where you're coming from, you can't
(39:26):
figure out where you're going.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
Where are you right now?
Speaker 3 (39:29):
The challenge is we have to be able to make
certain that people are thinking. And thinking is so critical.
Thinking is so critical. You mentioned athletics just a few
minutes ago, But then if we look at the different
ways that people learn, those students who are athletes probably
have a comfort zone with the bodily kinesthetic intelligence. The
(39:51):
two of us may have a comfort zone with logical,
mathematical or verbal linguistic because we like to write. Somebody
else might have a comfort zone in musical with So
if we look at all of the intelligences that's diverse,
then we have to make certain that we meet the
needs of those children who have different types of learning.
And that's back to that traditional versus transformed classroom settings.
(40:15):
There is hope, but parents have to know. I mean
they have to know that they're the child's first teacher.
I participated in instrumental enrichment, which is cognitive mediation or thinking,
and the challenge is the thinking part. If I don't
give you the answer to the question. For example, back
(40:37):
when I was teaching, they had the teacher answer key
at the back of the book. You could find all
the answers. Well, now the internet is the teacher's answer key.
We are not required to think. So the thing that
I would say for people is to make certain that
they encourage their children to think. Don't let them ask
the question Mama, what's today and you say Wednesday? Instead
(41:01):
cognitive mediation, Mama, what's today?
Speaker 2 (41:04):
What was yesterday? What do you think tomorrow will be?
Based on this, what do you need to do about
such and such and so and so.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
So.
Speaker 2 (41:12):
We should not be the answer key for our children.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
We should be the people who are mediators for our
children and say ask questions as as opposed to providing answers.
Ask questions, ask questions. Ask me any question. I'm gonna
ask you another question so you can solve that problem yourself,
because it will require you to do the thinking and
not me. That's the example that I use often. If
(41:36):
I'm a third grade teacher, and I'm the one who
does all the talking, the one who does the talking
is the one who does the learning.
Speaker 2 (41:45):
So I don't become the smartest third grade teacher.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
I become the smartest third grader because I've been talking
that third grade stuff for however long I've been teaching.
So the children have to be the ones that are
doing the teaching. And if you look get that coat in,
you can overcome anything. It has to be fun, it
has to be easy, it has to be transformational. It
has to be cooperative. We didn't come in here to
(42:09):
do this by ourself, and it has to be ongoing.
You can't tell me something one time and think I
got it.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
You have to practice.
Speaker 1 (42:18):
I agree with you one hundred thousand percent. I use
it all the time right now with my nieces and
nephews and grandkids, even my mom. I'm curing my mom
and her functions are slowly going, and I wouldcourage. I
always say that what they can never take away from
you is your education. And I agree with you. With thinking.
(42:40):
I think we've become lazy thinkers. And I'm always pushing
for Okay, so sound that word, uncle James, how do
I say it? Will? Sound it out? Sound with sound
it out together? And this is that The other day
with my nieces, she got it. See that's what But
(43:00):
we just go So it's just because, Okay, I do
want to preface this a little bit. I'm not trying
to be judge to parents. I'm busy. I know you
have ten thousand things. You're trying to make money. It's
hard out there for a panther. They say it's hard,
it's hard. I get it. You're out there. You're tired.
I could be a parent right now. I'm tired. I'm like, no,
(43:21):
not this age. I'm not a no parent. So I
get it. You're tired and you're trying to get through
today and everything coming at you, and but you still
you chose me a parent. I still have to make
that hard choices of engaging with your children. And for me,
I'm a caregiver for my mom, it's like having a
(43:42):
kid again. I'm choosing a caregiver. So I choose to say, Okay,
girl wrote that song from let's that's thing that's like.
I try to push her to think because I feel
like that's that's what's getting And I said a word
lazy that I stand by that statement. We're becoming lazy
thinkers in this country. I feel like I don't have
to agree with you on everything. I don't have to
(44:04):
what's been the same side. But I'm still gonna encourage
you to think right, think for yourself, look at look
into things, read like it's I still feel like that's
that's our last thing we have. We lose our minds
aft to renee, then what's left.
Speaker 3 (44:22):
Some of us have lost our minds, and some of
those persons persons are our decision makers.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
It comes back to who is leading.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
For example, in right back to that same comment about
if I'm focused on the children, everybody in that system
is focused on the children. But if we're not requiring
them to think and just fell in bubbles, then nine
times out of ten they're not gonna get it.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
But I'm gonna say this, folks, I care. It's my shelf.
All some midterm election things are coming up, starting to
come I get by ballots here in La the ver fourth.
I always say it starts locally. So I'm just saying,
folks out there, if you're parents or a person in
the community, really look over those superintendent spots. We'll look
(45:16):
over those boards spots. They're not just on the ballot
just for for you know, giggles. I mean, there's a
reason why they're on there. So looking at something you
can get whether you can do go online, look up
that person's see what they're doing, who they're talking about,
We're on social media, see what's going on. You have
to I'm like, please. I mean, because she's right, it
(45:37):
starts with the top down. It just always has. And
so if if these po folks are in these positions
to make these decisions, are making the best decisions for
your school district, for your schools, that it's on you.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
Yeah, that's saying think globally a locally Yep.
Speaker 1 (46:02):
It starts with the local stuff. Tell you, folks, who
is your mayor, who is your who is your this start?
Who is your who is your representative? Who is your congressman?
You said, Earli, who's your congressman? Like? Are they representing you?
Are they really doing what's well for your for your district?
And mean them they remember they worked for you, they
(46:24):
worked for us. That's kind of their public servants.
Speaker 2 (46:29):
Did When you say that word one more, I think
we almost forgot.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
They are public servants to serve the public.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
That's why something that that's something they need a reminder on.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
I agree completely, re fresher course, reminder, every everything, everything
on that one. And I just and I don't know,
and I just and also I'm gonna say this to
you guys. You know I'm a man of a certain age.
I mean, look young and youthful, but a man of
a certain age. Yes, we will really good. You know
you're a black dough correct. But here's the pain. Also,
I've been hearing this from some of my older people.
(47:07):
Don't do this. Well, I'm old, so too late anyway,
why should like I get, never give up, don't get
do not just go Well, I'm a certain age, she cares. No,
still care, still care? And it almost like what doctors
that do more than care? Still get involved? You can
if you can't be able to, don't you say, well
(47:29):
that's I'm them Now I'm done. No you're still here.
Speaker 3 (47:34):
Well, I have to tell you what my favorite uncle
Okay said when he was asking what does he do?
What's his secret for longevity? And you know, he was
eighty nine working on ninety in a couple of weeks.
And you know how those older seniors are back in
(47:54):
the day, they would have a little chuckle.
Speaker 1 (47:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (47:58):
So his thing was like, as a matter of fact,
when you wake up, you get up.
Speaker 2 (48:05):
Don't just lay there, Get up and do something.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
And that has been my motte. Plus I've added get
up with the purpose. What are your intentions for today?
If we cannot figure out what our attentions are for
the day, then we're on default.
Speaker 2 (48:24):
Wake up, brush your teeth, go to job, come back home.
Wait for Friday. Oh, Friday's here finally, Oh oh no,
it's gonna be Monday.
Speaker 3 (48:31):
Every day you should be facing and laser focused on
your purpose.
Speaker 2 (48:36):
If not, you're wasting a lot of time. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (48:41):
All right, I'm gonna end also, because that's that's that's
a good way to end there. I was gonna add
my friend, I can say my friend Tony Basil. Maybe
that's Laura. He's a choreographer, dancer. Vicky was a big
hit she had. Anybody knows that she knows. I interviewed
her at I think she was seventy four, so if
she's still around, but I did like it sony four
on my show, and she had said, never forget the
(49:03):
little kid within, thank you. That's why she's still youthful.
That's why she can still dance in her eighties because
she doesn't forget the kid within. And I think that
applies to us here too. Absolutely, not forget your kid
with the kid of you within and what you needed,
and that means these kids needed to Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (49:26):
I would say one additional thing.
Speaker 3 (49:30):
When I finally got over the trauma that I experienced
and I got some help, I was thirty seven for
something that occurred when I was four, so all of
that time, so at thirty seven, I want you to
know that one year from now, in two months, that
would have been half of my life.
Speaker 1 (49:50):
Ah wow, So it.
Speaker 3 (49:52):
Means that's why I'm where I am now. And I'm
the purpose pusher because I don't want anybody to take
thirty seven years to do anything unless it's all good, right, right,
right right?
Speaker 1 (50:04):
You know, I love it. What can they find? You?
Got you now? If they want to talk to you.
Speaker 3 (50:10):
My telephone number, and I'm still a phone kind of person,
and I do answer my phone.
Speaker 2 (50:15):
It's sixty one nine five one four six zero three five.
Speaker 1 (50:24):
That's a Sean Diego number.
Speaker 2 (50:25):
I know that number, it certainly is.
Speaker 3 (50:27):
And then I have to share with you what my
website is, but I have to do it in a
rhythmic pattern because we remember rhythms. And so it's a
time for Peace, and peace is spelled p E A
C three E p E A C three E, which
(50:48):
stands for a propensity in education with an academic curriculum
centered on culture and equity.
Speaker 2 (50:54):
Three c's dot com. I'll put that Time for Peace
dot com. But it's p E A C three E.
Speaker 1 (51:06):
Yes, I love it. I love folks. Thanks for being
on the show. You're welcome back anytime that you're back
on again, anytime.
Speaker 2 (51:15):
Okay, still recording. Y'all heard that I have witnesses, and.
Speaker 1 (51:21):
You guys know, I don't find nobody on I don't
like that. I like her. That's that's the truth.
Speaker 2 (51:26):
That's a compliment and I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
Folks. I'm James Jr. A lot of help dot com.
It's for two t's lot l O T T like
Ronnie Lott and all the lots. So yes, a lot
of help dot com James Jr. Everywhere. Extra connections on Facebook.
We again as always ended these shows. Connections is very important.
What I do affects you, where you do affects me,
(51:53):
whether we know each other or not. And I believe
that ripple effect is everywhere. So let's make some good
ripples's let's have some good ripples out there and have
some good effects because we do need that in the
world today. And that's making a big way, good way,
good wave. And I'll see you next Wednesday for another episode.
Hello on Welcome to Extra Connections. I'm James Latner of
j J Meadia and I. You know, I started to
show about eight nine years ago, and it's all about
talking with people in the community and having conversations with
them and connecting with them and talking about how to
connect with others. And we've done that so many times.
I mean, we've done almost four of these shows. I've
(00:26):
had millions of guests or whatever. I don't know how
many I've had on here. I've had great conversations, and
I'm excited about this one because she and I both
are part of a book right now that's the number
one Amazon bestseller, You Don't Become Anything, Volume sixteen. We're
both there were both there on this in this place
where you met. And you may have noticed last couple
(00:47):
of weeks I've had people. She's like the third person
I've had on from that book. We all became friends,
we connected, we all connected, and so I'm very excited
to have her on the show. She's a lovely human being.
And as you can see, is doctor Renee, doctor Renee
Rodriguez a day.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
How are you this morning?
Speaker 1 (01:06):
So I'll be over recalled. I was, I was, I
was sickular this week. But I've been relaxing in my home.
It's been great weather here in l A. I've been
taking advantage of just kind of like laying around and
I'm not working as much as it's been. It's been
actually very nice. It's been very nice. I'm starting to
feel better, like I have, like the last residual stuff
coming up. So but we're good. Un't just right now,
(01:30):
but yeah, it's all, it's all coming up. I want
to take I take everything to get rid of it.
You know, all the tea. I'm a big tea person, chicken, soup,
all that stuff. So now we folks, we're going to
this as we do on the show. We're gonna we're
just a little different. We have a conversation and I
call this one doctor doctor, so yes, you know I'll do.
(01:52):
I'll go first. As you know, I have a doctor
in divinity. And maybe that's like, well what does that mean?
What is that? So? I have read the Bible backwich
and forwards, and I went for study and for my doctorate.
I'm a bachelor's and masters all kinds of but I
went my safe for my doctorate, and my studies were
women of the Bible. That was my that was my
(02:12):
focus because there's some wonderful women in the Bible and
very interesting stories.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
And I had a great time and that's what I
got my doctor in Duvinity. So I am doctor Lote
and some people car to James J LJM. I've got
all kind of names, but that's kind of funny. I
love education. So I so if you guys notice on
Live a lot of letters after my name, one day
I'll explain every single set of letters. Folks, what else
break it down for you? But I love education. I
(02:39):
always say education should never stop. As long as you're alive,
we should never stop. I want to die learning. That's
that's how that's how I want to right. And so
I am with another doctor and I have heard tell
you what her doctorate is, and so doctor Nay please.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Tell us, well, thank you.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
We are lifelong learners and I appreciate you acknowledging in
that about us. I am Eleanor Renee Rodriguez, affectionately called
doctor Renee.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
My doctorate is in the superintendency. What does that mean?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
That means I racked up a bachelor's, master's specialists, and
PhD in education, so the top of the food chain,
if you will, is the superintendency. So educational administration and
supervision are the areas that are my expertise as a
way to meet my purpose of making certain every child
get what they deserve when they're being educated.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
And that's I think a lot of folks out there.
I'm a I'm a parent, I'm a grandparent. I'm also
an uncle and a great uncle. And you know said,
I love education and I and I was very fortunate
to go to a couple of good school schools in
my life.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
And absolutely leadership, yes.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
And but my well, I want to start off with
though with you. My first opening statement will be we
almost forget that the children are our future. I know
it's a song and everybody knows Whitney Houston it's a song.
But I feel like we almost forget that children are
our future.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Absolutely it comes to education, right.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
And the decisions that we make in education that do
not have a thing to do with children.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
God, it's crazy. My grandchildren, one set of them went
to an arts based school arts I'm gonna say fast
arts based school. Okay, it was called Leonardo Vinci. There's
a bunch of them running around Vinci. Of course, right
(04:54):
once they went there, I can tell you their proficiency
and everything went up, because it's been proven time and
time again the arts help in all areas of life.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
So I was just saying for me, watching them flourish
in a school that encouraged them to use both sides
of their brain, I didn't grow up with that, so
it's very it's very interesting to see that and see
the development. I'm sure you've seen all kinds of situations.
Where is the where is it where you based and
(05:33):
we started, We'll start there where.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
You're based right now. I'm in Hampton, Virginia.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
But I'm glad you said that about the arts piece,
because when school district budgets are tight, what's the first
thing that they get rid of? So they mean they
leave that one half of the brain not active and
focus on the cognitive cognitive, cognitive piece, and all they're
doing is thinking, thinking, thinking, But they're not thinking creative
(06:01):
and they're not thinking critically.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
They're not. My niece Haley went to Hampton College. Thanks
for that. Oh wow, she did. She graduated from the
Hampton College. She's back here in LA And a little
side note, Taylor swift to horse is really big right now.
Went to Hampton College when she was there, Like, my
niece is a cheerleader and in her video shake It Off,
she's the black cheerleader in this in the video, un
(06:28):
she's known there. She is the black cheerleader in the video. So, okay,
that happened when Hampton. She came to Hampton and used
their cheerleaders. So it was very nice.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I've only been here since June, coming here from San Diego, California,
so I missed you while.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
I was there.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
But I'll get you're a West Coaster the well, actually
I'm a Midwesterner because I hold your mouth.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Okay, I'm from Omaha, Nebraska. Don't open your mouth. See that.
I told you, Wow, I wanted you in advance.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
I warned you, he did. I couldn't stop myself. I
got big mouth.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
It's like that all the time anytime I say Omaha,
Nebraska because of all these things people conjured in their
head about the Midwest.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
But see it works perfectly, especially for me.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Yeah, think by something. So there must be. So is
there a rich black history in Omaha that I shall
know about?
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Absolutely? There is, absolutely there is. You would not have
believed that we had a miss Nebraska that was black.
You will not believe that we have a senator, had
a senator that was well known throughout the state that
was black, Ernie Chambers. And he's still a very active
(07:49):
person and no one could get him out of that
office until they changed the law about the term limits. Wow,
we have had so many people out of Omaha, Nebraska.
And the challenge is the first question we're always asked,
is our statement that make.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Us I didn't know there were black people in the know.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
But then if you think about it, the railroads, the
packing houses, where did black people go to get jobs?
Speaker 2 (08:20):
The railroads?
Speaker 1 (08:21):
You're right in the packing.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Houses, right?
Speaker 1 (08:25):
I mean, why if there? If they're in Tots, Oklahoma,
why not Ohama, Nebraska? Right? Why not Denver, Colorado? Why not?
They are That's all the Rockies have been. When you're right,
they're all there. You're right there in Kansas, right next
to you, Missouri, right next to you.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Absolutely, and everybody knows Kansas City and they figured that
the demographics are different there than they are in Omaha
and Des Moines. But you'd be surprised des Moines as
in Iowa.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
I've been there Okay, I see education never adds I
loved something.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Do you want my stud and just think you didn't
have to pay tuition?
Speaker 1 (09:03):
I love free.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Education me too. That's the best kinds.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Yeah, you're right, right, exactly. No, it's just a serious
I've traveled through the main parts of Midwest and I
have been always pleasantly surprised what I found. But in
now Nebraska, I never I just never knew there were
I know, I know there's Omaha, there's Lincoln, Nebraska, and
that only two big cities I know. I never thought
there are black folks in there.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
And that's because of the corn Huskers.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
So the football team from University of Nebraska Omaha basically
and mutual of Omaha.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Yes, putting Nebraska on the map.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
And then when it comes to black folks, we're not
part of that from most people's geographical training.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
But that has to do go back to school.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Some people had good schools and they shared some stuff,
and other people had schools that weren't quite up to park.
And that's my purpose in life, makes sure every every
child is able to have those opportunities so they can
be successful.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
What is so, then, how did you get out of Nebraska.
Did you just like to go to school somewhere else
and I just brought you out?
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Well, i'll tell you.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
I'll first begin by saying I have never been in
the military, so my moving has nothing to do with military.
But I attended school in Omaha, Nebraska, Creighton University, and
I attended University of Nebraska at Omaha, and then I
got my PhD at the University of Texas at Austin,
oh But I was a person that wanted to be
(10:34):
an administrator.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Early on, I knew I can get the job done.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
And as you're aware, in my story, I talked about
how one of the things I didn't give up was
my effort to become a person responsible for research and
the press professional development for people at the American Association
of School Administrators. But the challenge was when I don't
get my way. That's the nicest way I can put it.
(10:59):
I wanted to be an administrator. I knew I had
skills that I could share, and I saw what was
going on in the classroom.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
So I moved.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
So I've lived in Nebraska, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, California twice,
now Virginia twice. In DC for a minute, because I
was searching and seeking places where they were adaptable to
the kind of person I am. That's a transformational leader
where tradition does not work for me because we don't
(11:27):
have traditional children, right or what we call as tradition.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Yeah, that's true. As you look back any of those
cities that you lived and worked here at your school,
and are any of them your favorites or one of
your favorites or anyone likes, stand down and go. You know,
I really loved living here, and I got some good
work done.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
I think the locations aren't as favorites as much as
the positions that I held. For example, I wouldn't just
live in Oklahoma City because it was Oklahoma City, but
I loved being an elementary school principal.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I would not go to.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
San Diego where I went there for fun basically, but
I would not go to some of the other places
that I've gone and say, oh, this is my favorite place.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
I want to live here the rest of my life.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
Because people have asked me, based on the number of
places I lived, where's.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Your favorite place?
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Well, I can tell you where my favorite friends are,
I can tell you where my favorite extended family members are.
But I can't tell you my favorite place because I've
consulted in forty eight out of fifty states, and then
I've traveled abroad to all of the continents that I
want to go to as a consultant.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
So no favorite place, but favorite people.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
That's better. I like that than favorite jobs. One of
the things that I did when I turned to I
was unhappy at my job, was not happy in the
city I lived. It, was not happy at all. So
I sat down and I got one of those and
I don't, folks, is old school. This was two thousand
and eight or when I was seven. I sat down
(13:14):
and I got a I got a lined notebook, a
pad of paper, and I wrote all the jobs I
liked at each job, what I liked about it. I
decided to go the opposite route of like all the
jobs I hated? What do I do? And I said, no,
me fun how much I was leaking because I've had
(13:35):
a very career myself. I've had I've done everything from nursing,
so I was ready to nurse, to to insurance to
retail for that it all. So I said, well, each job,
what did I like about him? And I wrote all
down and I started noticing some of the same things
coming up, like, oh, I do like customer service, I
(13:55):
do like organizations, I do like I know all these things.
I'm making a difference, I like you know. So that's
how I kind of led to the levity of this.
But but it's when you said that, it was like
I was thinking it wasn't You're right. It wasn't like
that was my favorite job per se or my favorite
city I lived in when I did it. But it
was just kind of like I felt good when I
was there, and these the things I liked about it.
(14:19):
So I kind of just feedback off for you. I
guess what I did, and I changed my hund forty.
I changed my whole life. That's where I'm now. So Born, okay,
put your hair behind there. I think it does. Leave
put your hair behind there. I think, wow, I.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Will just tell it, says Born to teach.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
So the reflection is very important for us to think
about what we've done where we are now in order
for us to go to.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Our next spot. See is important. So that reflection piece.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
So you should do a job description for yourself with
your favorite things and then create your own job.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
You can't already have part of the job done.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Yeah, well I created my job I have. I'm happy
what I'm doing. But I'm saying, but my whole things
for people is we always think it we always focus
on the negative to motivate us, right, But I'm saying
I don't need the negative to motivate me. That was
the different, Just like no, I can think of the
positive to motivate me and go. Like you said, yes,
(15:19):
I can actually do wherever this is. And see, I'm
doing stuff that wasn't invented back in twenty oh eight,
So it's kind of weird. There was this thing. It's
called podcasting. This was the thing is I'm doing jobs
that weren't invented yet. I knew there are certain things
I wanted to do and outcomes. I wanted that those
are happening. I never thought of be this. This was
(15:42):
not I never thought in a million years I'd be
a host of a show and I have a guest
like you on and we're talking that was never wasn't
invented yet. But I knew I wanted to talk with
people and help affect change. I don't like, why do
I wanted to? I loved I loved being parts of
associations and meetings and that kind of stuff. I knew that.
(16:05):
I knew that, right, But I think, but what Dot
is saying, I think it's true for you guys who
are following along with this and follow what I did,
write all down, and maybe your job is right there.
Because my aunt said the same thing. And she has
several doctorates and she's smart, and she said, there's a
business in there. She sent to me, there's a business
in there. I don't know what it is, only you
(16:26):
know what it is, but it's a business in there.
I was like, what are you talking about? I have
no idea. I had no idea what you're talking about.
I figured it out, obviously, I figured it out six
seventeen years later. But but I thing it was just
that it's it's kind of you and I are kind
of the same. It's like I to write stuff down.
I got no pads, so I got I got story everywhere.
(16:48):
I'm always writing stuff there.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
You don't even want to look behind this screen.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
I know I love writing stuff down, but I'll go
back to you, like, this is fascinating to me. So
you had decided you wanted to be an administrator, So
that's more. It's almost like me being a producer. We're
behind the scenes, made times, helping creates the changes that
(17:13):
affect everyone. You want to do that and not necessarily
be a teacher that you don't want to be a teacher,
You want to be an administrator. That's not what I'm hearing.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Almost, Okay, I wanted to be an administrator who was
an instructional leader that could lead teachers to do the
right things for children. So it all comes back to
the children. That was my ultimate goal. And if the
leader is focused on children, then everybody else in the
organization what are they going to be focused on the children?
(17:43):
Versus if the leader is focused on passing the state test,
then everybody in the district is going to be focused
on passing the state test.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
There are no jobs, and I promise.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
You there aren't jobs that say, Okay, I'm going to
high if you feel in this bubble exactly right. There
are no jobs with job descriptions that say all you're
going to do is fill in bubbles. The closest job
to that were the jobs that were had back in
the day when you were responsible for this widget, and
you were responsible for this wigit and you didn't have
(18:18):
to think, but now we have to be thinkers because
we have technology up the kazoo AI is doing half
of our work, but we still have.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
To be able to think in order for them to
be able to create the information that we want.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
So I wanted to be an administrator, back to your question,
but I wanted to be an administrator who affect those
who affect the children. And I don't care if which
category they're in as a stakeholder. I don't care if
they're a board member. I don't care if they're a parent,
a parent, professional, a teacher, administrator, a grocery store owner.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Whoever affects children.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Then the leader of that district, or of that organization
is responsible for sending the right message out to all
the those who are affecting the people that they are
responsible for. I don't have a problem with performance paid
because I know I'll perform. But those who have a
problem with that are those who have a tendency. Not
(19:13):
everybody tont get the job done. How can I teach
somebody or how can I teach third graders? For twelve
years of my thirty year career, and half of my
children still can read what happened to performance, right, Yeah,
(19:35):
I don't hope that answered your question.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Good job, but no, I know people who there to
get to high school and they really they can't read.
They really can't, and either it's because they're good at sports.
So they passed this past them along the classrooms that
you crowded. So he said, look at everybody, saying they
either some some kids are good at taking tests or
(19:58):
just good at taking tests. We get through all kinds
of reasons, and they get through to get to like
the ninth to have eleventh grade, they're like.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
I don't want to read, and they're not going to
tell anybody. Nope, we are so comfortable in this country
saying oh, no, I'm not good at mad. Have you
ever heard anybody say, oh, I'm not.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Good at reading all the time.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
No, they'll hide that they can't read because it's embarrassing.
But then what's more embarrassing for real is that what
got Let me tell you back up a little bit.
I'm tired at sixty two, not retired, but tired at
sixty two, and I just stopped because I didn't feel
(20:39):
as though my message was getting across. Although I had
three editions of one book, and everybody says it's great
and grand and all this other kind of good stuff.
But the challenge was, when we start talking about the
success of children. At near seventy two, I said, I
know I got too much between my ears in order
to take this with me when I go out. So
(21:01):
I decided to get up and start doing some more things.
But then one of the research things that I found,
and I'm not going to research to you, but this
is one example. The National Assessment for Educational Progress INAEP
is like the United States report Card. Well, shortly after COVID,
they did a test and it showed three fingers.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Think about it, only one third choose the right fingers.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
One third of fourth graders read act or above the
fourth grade level. Now think about it, since COVID, those
same children that could not read, those one third could,
but the other two thirds could not read. There are
now twelfth graders. What do you think NAEP results are
(21:49):
this year? They still can't read. So our challenge is,
are we focused on the children and what they need?
Are we focused on passing test? Plain and simple? But
who wants to hear that besides me?
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Right?
Speaker 1 (22:07):
And now it's tough because because as I'm seeing a
subset of my first send of grand Star to become adults.
And but they're struggling with them with the things that
they were not taught. They were not taught about how
to balance their budget, how to pay for bills. They
have no idea. They're struggling right now. They have no idea.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Financial digitteracy was not tough.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Nope of that. They just don't, you know, they're just
see their pants, are flying by, to see their pants.
They're talking at a job, and that's it. I thought,
that's what they're taught when they're going to school. And
I know some kids who are just eternal students, and
it's almost like they're afraid to even enter life in
the regular.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Right, They're going to stick me out there? What am
I going to do?
Speaker 1 (22:54):
Right? And I can see them scar no scary out there.
I'm sure jobs are changing, like you just said, Ai,
their jobs that just are not there anymore, and they're
going away. But there are plenty of jobs. And you said,
but they still need us. We're not. We're not. We're
not dead in the water yet. And one of the
things they always when you were talking, and one of
(23:16):
the things that got to me was. I remember, so
I was a kid in the seventies and I was
I was in the tailing of desegregation, meaning so folks
at home and going what this is. I know our history.
It's on the story too. I was busted out to
white schools when I was when I was from kindergarten
to second grade. Uh so we had to get two
(23:37):
hours early in the morning and get on that bus.
They took the black kids out to the white school
and the white kids in the black school here in
La and I was at the Sherman Oaks that he
stopped it. Thank god, it didn't work anyway, because all
the black kids stay have together and the white didn't.
Didn't work at all. So anyway, so we got back
to we got back to it. I was in you know,
inner city whatever here in La Anywood, and I remember
(23:58):
I got to the school and they were like, he's
too smart. So they had me take this test back
then and I was considered a mentally gifted minor's when
they called him back in the seventies or whatever. But
there were no programs set up, not in our neighborhood,
not our area. So I would just they would just
take me out of the second grade class and put
them with the fifth graders. That's what I was reading
that level, and socially I was not ready. I hate them.
(24:22):
Mother said, you hated it. Oh my god, you thought
you did something wrong. You're like, why are they isolating me?
And why did you know?
Speaker 2 (24:31):
The teachers weren't prepared?
Speaker 1 (24:32):
No, so you know the story. You know the story.
I don't didn't tell you. You know there's a story. Basically,
if it's an age old story back then I'm just
like one thing about of here and put them over here,
but no regard for the child's emotional being or or
or it went to your point, probably prepared the teacher
because couldn't be prepared the teacher at the second grade
(24:53):
level saying okay, have you have a student that.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Or words that were I supposed to say, like diversity,
equity and inclusion. What do you have to do for
me differently than you've done for somebody else that's already
familiar with that traditional route. I need something transformed. I
need something different. And that's where that fat Coe came from.
It has to be transformed. I want to mention something
(25:21):
to you since you were so shocked to hold your
mouth about Omaha, Nebraska, we had court ordered desegregated schools.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
See you didn't you held your mouth, but your eyes went.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Up somewhere.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
Yeah, you need to have your camera off when I'm
talking because don't make your mouth open.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
But just think about it.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
We had to have enough black folk in Omaha for
us to be desegregated.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Yeah, might not get what we need. And ad I'm sorry.
I had a punishment.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
That's what they thought when I got kicked out of
an all black school, and my punishment, believer it or not,
was to have me go to an all white school.
Now think about my junior high school class. Of that class,
how many of them got beyond high school. So that
punishment was something that paid off for me in the end.
(26:27):
Oh graduated from high school, college, everything.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
But then I was coming to me. I was mad,
why are you making me?
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Yeah? You know, yep.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
So we have to see where our blessings come from
and take advantage of them, because some people don't have
those blessings.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
They don't or they don't they don't And I did
at the school I went to. You Eventually I did
like and I have a great history of the school.
I feel bad for my younger siblings. They got they
got compared to me, and I feel bad about that.
Then my mother's pissed. He was like, do you not
compare my children? I was very dynamic, I was very extroverting.
(27:11):
And the others, you know, they all hated it after me,
And I was like, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry. I'm
wonderful now, but I but I agree with my mom
that was was hold, you should never compare kids the
same family. But no, but you're right. I had opportunities
that it was really great. That's why I was so
mad because then I went from a great elementary to
(27:35):
what college? Did you high back? Then? Horrible high school?
So high school was just a business for me. Okay,
I'll take these classes, get through it, and then I'm
going to go to college. I mean, it was just
it was just it was very I didn't like mine.
I didn't care for high school. So I was like,
but my other schools I enjoyed going and it was
like fun. I love my teachers. And I got to
(27:56):
a high school where it was it was gang ridden,
gang infested, teachers were checked out. It was a whole thing.
And I and I and when I got to college,
I realized, Luckily I come from a family of academics.
They all are just anybody's and says we were big,
voracious readers. Luckily I had that on my side. I'm thinking,
(28:17):
what if I didn't have my side, what if I
didn't want My family was just like, I don't care.
They to college, and that's a that's a shock. We
get to college. It's a whole the world, folks, where
they really forced you to, like, you know, work for
you for your education. Luckily I had so I was
okay to go in there and I was able to
do it. But I can only imagine the folks you
were like, oh what what I got? Read a thousand
(28:39):
pages by tomorrow. I was that kind of stuff where
I was able to I was able to handle it,
but I had friend who couldn't handle it. We couldn't
handle it all.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Well, just think about it.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Although we lived in the projects, no, I shouldn't say although,
but we lived in the projects, and like I mentioned earlier,
the packing houses are in Nebraska, so the projects were
strategically placed. If this is the projects, this is the
packing house, and there's just the street between, So that
(29:12):
tells you why I don't eat meat today. But in
our home we had Britannicas, we had Britannica jrs. We
had Bible stories. Think about what books, if any children
have in their homes today, because they're going like this, No,
(29:33):
I don't, right, and they don't have to read, So
why are we curious that our children can read today?
The challenge is there's this poster that I saw one
time and it said ten things to do to improve reading.
When you catch on, I want you to join me.
Number one, read number two, read number three, read four,
(30:00):
read number five, read read, read read ten.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Things to improve reading. So if we're not reading, then
we're not improving it.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
And as parents, if we don't have access to things
for children to read, and the public library is the
perfect spot.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Fore, yes, yes I have a library card and there's
no excuse I do too.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
We're proud I do. That's renee. I know adults my
age who don't read books. And I'm talking I mean nowadays.
I mean they got audio books, they got you know kid,
they all they don't read nothing. I'm like you and
(30:46):
I said, it's not a book that comes out. You're
thinking I want to read that. No, am I talking
about Warren Piece, and shit, I'm saying, there's like little
little books and me, I got books everywhere, girl, I
got books everywhere. I'm reading. I'm reading like ten books
at once. Right. Hello, But I know friends who have
one of my really good girlfriends, I love it. But
she's a wonderful person. I love her pieces. But I
always use an example. I was like, she's she has
(31:10):
She says, since high school she has never read a book.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
And that's not a surprise. That's not one of those
that I go, you.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Understand, But I'm saying, it's just so just just I don't.
I don't. I don't understand. I mean, I just don't
understand absolutely.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
And now that people aren't reading the newspapers, no, then
even that little bit of third grade, fourth grade reading
is not happening.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Yes, yes, oh my god, what newspaper? Oh my god,
my mother. So it was just at the little side note.
So my stepfather made he rested pec. He passedway two
years ago. He was older than my mom, so he
died in like eighty five. So he they'll get the
newspapers sent to their house every day, and some day
it's the big tick paper. We go to the coop.
We'll coupon folks. That's right, fulks can do it. But
(31:56):
the paper will come for us La Times. That was
the paper. So we would get it, and then also
would go to the store and get the and here
it's cut the waves. It's like the Inglewood South May Waves.
Black Ben's read it as we get both of those.
And and literally he would sit and we used to
get a section and we'd all read our sections. I'm
(32:17):
a sports guy, so I read a sports section. He
read the auditorials whatever, and we'd read. And also just
like looking at the different like he liked old cars,
look at the class of fives or cars and things
like that. It's like but it was something he did
every every night. Paper came every night I come to visit,
I'd bring a paper in and here you go. So
when he died, I was like, well should I get
(32:37):
the paper coming? I go, maybe why not? It wasn't
expensed to be that I have it once a month,
but I said, you know, maybe why not just remind
you for me? And I wanted her because now she
has no husband to be with all there together all
the time. I said, maybe good for you. Mind you
of him. She's a void. We like, we're like reading
if the wind not well, after a while the paper
was like this. Then I'm like, where's the pay.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
That?
Speaker 1 (33:02):
So not for lack of trying, the paper went away,
the paper itself. Basically, it's a it's a sheolving for herself.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Absolutely. Well, I have one joke. I can tell you.
It's not a joke because I can't tell jokes. I'll
tell you. I'll tell you that I have comedic timing.
Often I can't tell the joke.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
But something that was funny to me is that my
great aunt would always get the newspaper daily and she
would go to the last page every time. And I
finally asked her one day, Auntie, why don't you start
at the front and go to the back. Oh I
got to look and see if I may be obituary
this morment. Yeah, that's so she would look.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
To see whose funeral she had to go.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
That's you.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Yes, So now you don't know somebody died until somebody
talks about them by accident or sends them a birthday card, and.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
They've been done.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
I found out on Facebook last like some might die
Oh no Facebook, And I was like, oh my gosh,
I to my other girls. So and so's gone. Well
I just saw her last month ago. Well she's gone now,
and yeah, you don't know anymore. The paper to me,
I remembering my grandmother. Yeah, when I was when I
was growing up, she would come stay with when so
(34:16):
I was cover to stay with us, and earlier morning
was our tied together. My grandma Midcy and she worked
in downtown La. She was she was a worker. And
my grandmother was like four foot nothing were sixteen. Sheels,
had a wig, she had hair and also be well
she had hair folks, but she always wore wigs to work.
So she I'll get up early in the morning, it's
(34:37):
like six in the morning. I'll get up with her.
She'd have coffee, a cigarette hanging out her mouth and
she coming up the wig. He think it's all nice,
and had the paper. I it's my favorite things. And
she was thinking. I was like I was in high school.
She's like, okay, you get a little bit of coffee.
I'm like, I said that naball hooked coffee. She'd have
coll said, I won't get hooked right, Oh, it'll be
fine with her. And I was sitting with her and
(35:00):
she would test because she always she was very a wordsmith.
And I'm mom, I'm an next spelling bee champion, thinking
very much. I have my trophies over here. But she
was always test. She always said to me, before you
speak the slang and have fun with words, you have
to know the language. That was always your thing. No,
(35:21):
the language. Then you could play with it and have
fun with it. It just stick to my brain. So
we go over words, and she would tell me a
certainly said and while she sigarette hang out her mouth
and he's drinking a coffee and she's like coming out
that wig and getting ready, and I just I remember
those times. I wonder, and I wonder because I mean,
education was not just at school, as you said earlier,
(35:41):
it's also at home. And I wonder how many kids
today do not have that at all? I mean, yes,
to me, go why I think it was snugging, like,
forget all of that part. It was a bonding moment
between me and my grandmother. And she still was helping
me teach me stuff, get the coffee and all that.
Just she was teaching me something. We don't have it.
(36:05):
They we're probably dewey, not really.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
No, look at the example that I had, I used
to well, I used to have an asthma. I don't
claim it anymore, okay, but my mother used to go
like this, I hope you don't start smoking when you
grow up. And then I say, well, you know, children,
(36:28):
watch what you do in addition to listen to what
you say. So the example is, don't do as I do,
do as I say do. So what's the likelihood most
children that don't have other medical problems are gonna do
as their parents did.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
And that's our challenge.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
The parent is not reading now, the child is not
reading now. Their children will not read unless somebody picks
up the banner. And that's where educators have to step in. Yeah,
and I have the tools to make certain that they
get it.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
Yeah. Yeah, that's that's the thing. That's what it is.
And I just but it's always been with my kids.
I was always involved, and their mothers were too, were
always very much. We knew it was a collaborative effort
because it's in school, it's at home, it's in the community,
it's it's all. It all comes together. And my kids
grew up in Sacramento, California, which is a nice, little
(37:21):
small community and it's very I will say this about
I'm not a fan of Sacramento High Claude. My clawed
my way out of there personally. But but but school wise,
it was very diverse. There's my kids from mixed ray
so it was very much a mixed rece community there,
and they really had some good schools and some really
(37:43):
good teachers as they're coming up. So I for me,
I was always happy to be involved because they would
make sure the parents were. This is the nineties. I
guess they made us really involved. My grandkids were younger,
same thing they go. They go to a really good preschool,
really good elementary school. They are the same. So there
(38:03):
are I know there are places that are doing this
and they're very committed to their to their to the kids.
I also know the bureaucracy that's going on out there.
We can't ignore it. We just can't ignore it. And
it's just it's affecting our kids. But through through programs
that you said being cut, You're right, the first programs
(38:23):
cut are always arn't the areuse somebodies are cutting sports programs,
Sports again just as important, right, feel Also you learned
if I hadn't played sports, I don't even know if
I would learn was like to be a team player,
what it's like to delegate, what it's type, what it's
like to come up and play. I guess sports are
important to you. I know classrooms are getting are crowded now,
(38:47):
they're banning books. There's all kind of there's a lot
of stuff out there. So I want to ask you,
doctor Renee, what is some advice you might want to
tell people in the face of all this kind of adversity.
You know, what kind of positive rights would you give
people out there?
Speaker 3 (39:04):
I would say to know that you are in control
of your thoughts. You put negative thoughts in there, you're
going to get negative results. You put positive thoughts, you're
going to get positive thoughts. There is a saying that says,
if you don't know where you're coming from, you can't
(39:26):
figure out where you're going.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
Where are you right now?
Speaker 3 (39:29):
The challenge is we have to be able to make
certain that people are thinking. And thinking is so critical.
Thinking is so critical. You mentioned athletics just a few
minutes ago, But then if we look at the different
ways that people learn, those students who are athletes probably
have a comfort zone with the bodily kinesthetic intelligence. The
(39:51):
two of us may have a comfort zone with logical,
mathematical or verbal linguistic because we like to write. Somebody
else might have a comfort zone in musical with So
if we look at all of the intelligences that's diverse,
then we have to make certain that we meet the
needs of those children who have different types of learning.
And that's back to that traditional versus transformed classroom settings.
(40:15):
There is hope, but parents have to know. I mean
they have to know that they're the child's first teacher.
I participated in instrumental enrichment, which is cognitive mediation or thinking,
and the challenge is the thinking part. If I don't
give you the answer to the question. For example, back
(40:37):
when I was teaching, they had the teacher answer key
at the back of the book. You could find all
the answers. Well, now the internet is the teacher's answer key.
We are not required to think. So the thing that
I would say for people is to make certain that
they encourage their children to think. Don't let them ask
the question Mama, what's today and you say Wednesday? Instead
(41:01):
cognitive mediation, Mama, what's today?
Speaker 2 (41:04):
What was yesterday? What do you think tomorrow will be?
Based on this, what do you need to do about
such and such and so and so.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
So.
Speaker 2 (41:12):
We should not be the answer key for our children.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
We should be the people who are mediators for our
children and say ask questions as as opposed to providing answers.
Ask questions, ask questions. Ask me any question. I'm gonna
ask you another question so you can solve that problem yourself,
because it will require you to do the thinking and
not me. That's the example that I use often. If
(41:36):
I'm a third grade teacher, and I'm the one who
does all the talking, the one who does the talking
is the one who does the learning.
Speaker 2 (41:45):
So I don't become the smartest third grade teacher.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
I become the smartest third grader because I've been talking
that third grade stuff for however long I've been teaching.
So the children have to be the ones that are
doing the teaching. And if you look get that coat in,
you can overcome anything. It has to be fun, it
has to be easy, it has to be transformational. It
has to be cooperative. We didn't come in here to
(42:09):
do this by ourself, and it has to be ongoing.
You can't tell me something one time and think I
got it.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
You have to practice.
Speaker 1 (42:18):
I agree with you one hundred thousand percent. I use
it all the time right now with my nieces and
nephews and grandkids, even my mom. I'm curing my mom
and her functions are slowly going, and I wouldcourage. I
always say that what they can never take away from
you is your education. And I agree with you. With thinking.
(42:40):
I think we've become lazy thinkers. And I'm always pushing
for Okay, so sound that word, uncle James, how do
I say it? Will? Sound it out? Sound with sound
it out together? And this is that The other day
with my nieces, she got it. See that's what But
(43:00):
we just go So it's just because, Okay, I do
want to preface this a little bit. I'm not trying
to be judge to parents. I'm busy. I know you
have ten thousand things. You're trying to make money. It's
hard out there for a panther. They say it's hard,
it's hard. I get it. You're out there. You're tired.
I could be a parent right now. I'm tired. I'm like, no,
(43:21):
not this age. I'm not a no parent. So I
get it. You're tired and you're trying to get through
today and everything coming at you, and but you still
you chose me a parent. I still have to make
that hard choices of engaging with your children. And for me,
I'm a caregiver for my mom, it's like having a
(43:42):
kid again. I'm choosing a caregiver. So I choose to say, Okay,
girl wrote that song from let's that's thing that's like.
I try to push her to think because I feel
like that's that's what's getting And I said a word
lazy that I stand by that statement. We're becoming lazy
thinkers in this country. I feel like I don't have
to agree with you on everything. I don't have to
(44:04):
what's been the same side. But I'm still gonna encourage
you to think right, think for yourself, look at look
into things, read like it's I still feel like that's
that's our last thing we have. We lose our minds
aft to renee, then what's left.
Speaker 3 (44:22):
Some of us have lost our minds, and some of
those persons persons are our decision makers.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
It comes back to who is leading.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
For example, in right back to that same comment about
if I'm focused on the children, everybody in that system
is focused on the children. But if we're not requiring
them to think and just fell in bubbles, then nine
times out of ten they're not gonna get it.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
But I'm gonna say this, folks, I care. It's my shelf.
All some midterm election things are coming up, starting to
come I get by ballots here in La the ver fourth.
I always say it starts locally. So I'm just saying,
folks out there, if you're parents or a person in
the community, really look over those superintendent spots. We'll look
(45:16):
over those boards spots. They're not just on the ballot
just for for you know, giggles. I mean, there's a
reason why they're on there. So looking at something you
can get whether you can do go online, look up
that person's see what they're doing, who they're talking about,
We're on social media, see what's going on. You have
to I'm like, please. I mean, because she's right, it
(45:37):
starts with the top down. It just always has. And
so if if these po folks are in these positions
to make these decisions, are making the best decisions for
your school district, for your schools, that it's on you.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
Yeah, that's saying think globally a locally Yep.
Speaker 1 (46:02):
It starts with the local stuff. Tell you, folks, who
is your mayor, who is your who is your this start?
Who is your who is your representative? Who is your congressman?
You said, Earli, who's your congressman? Like? Are they representing you?
Are they really doing what's well for your for your district?
And mean them they remember they worked for you, they
(46:24):
worked for us. That's kind of their public servants.
Speaker 2 (46:29):
Did When you say that word one more, I think
we almost forgot.
Speaker 1 (46:34):
They are public servants to serve the public.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
That's why something that that's something they need a reminder on.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
I agree completely, re fresher course, reminder, every everything, everything
on that one. And I just and I don't know,
and I just and also I'm gonna say this to
you guys. You know I'm a man of a certain age.
I mean, look young and youthful, but a man of
a certain age. Yes, we will really good. You know
you're a black dough correct. But here's the pain. Also,
I've been hearing this from some of my older people.
(47:07):
Don't do this. Well, I'm old, so too late anyway,
why should like I get, never give up, don't get
do not just go Well, I'm a certain age, she cares. No,
still care, still care? And it almost like what doctors
that do more than care? Still get involved? You can
if you can't be able to, don't you say, well
(47:29):
that's I'm them Now I'm done. No you're still here.
Speaker 3 (47:34):
Well, I have to tell you what my favorite uncle
Okay said when he was asking what does he do?
What's his secret for longevity? And you know, he was
eighty nine working on ninety in a couple of weeks.
And you know how those older seniors are back in
(47:54):
the day, they would have a little chuckle.
Speaker 1 (47:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (47:58):
So his thing was like, as a matter of fact,
when you wake up, you get up.
Speaker 2 (48:05):
Don't just lay there, Get up and do something.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
And that has been my motte. Plus I've added get
up with the purpose. What are your intentions for today?
If we cannot figure out what our attentions are for
the day, then we're on default.
Speaker 2 (48:24):
Wake up, brush your teeth, go to job, come back home.
Wait for Friday. Oh, Friday's here finally, Oh oh no,
it's gonna be Monday.
Speaker 3 (48:31):
Every day you should be facing and laser focused on
your purpose.
Speaker 2 (48:36):
If not, you're wasting a lot of time. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (48:41):
All right, I'm gonna end also, because that's that's that's
a good way to end there. I was gonna add
my friend, I can say my friend Tony Basil. Maybe
that's Laura. He's a choreographer, dancer. Vicky was a big
hit she had. Anybody knows that she knows. I interviewed
her at I think she was seventy four, so if
she's still around, but I did like it sony four
on my show, and she had said, never forget the
(49:03):
little kid within, thank you. That's why she's still youthful.
That's why she can still dance in her eighties because
she doesn't forget the kid within. And I think that
applies to us here too. Absolutely, not forget your kid
with the kid of you within and what you needed,
and that means these kids needed to Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (49:26):
I would say one additional thing.
Speaker 3 (49:30):
When I finally got over the trauma that I experienced
and I got some help, I was thirty seven for
something that occurred when I was four, so all of
that time, so at thirty seven, I want you to
know that one year from now, in two months, that
would have been half of my life.
Speaker 1 (49:50):
Ah wow, So it.
Speaker 3 (49:52):
Means that's why I'm where I am now. And I'm
the purpose pusher because I don't want anybody to take
thirty seven years to do anything unless it's all good, right, right,
right right?
Speaker 1 (50:04):
You know, I love it. What can they find? You?
Got you now? If they want to talk to you.
Speaker 3 (50:10):
My telephone number, and I'm still a phone kind of person,
and I do answer my phone.
Speaker 2 (50:15):
It's sixty one nine five one four six zero three five.
Speaker 1 (50:24):
That's a Sean Diego number.
Speaker 2 (50:25):
I know that number, it certainly is.
Speaker 3 (50:27):
And then I have to share with you what my
website is, but I have to do it in a
rhythmic pattern because we remember rhythms. And so it's a
time for Peace, and peace is spelled p E A
C three E p E A C three E, which
(50:48):
stands for a propensity in education with an academic curriculum
centered on culture and equity.
Speaker 2 (50:54):
Three c's dot com. I'll put that Time for Peace
dot com. But it's p E A C three E.
Speaker 1 (51:06):
Yes, I love it. I love folks. Thanks for being
on the show. You're welcome back anytime that you're back
on again, anytime.
Speaker 2 (51:15):
Okay, still recording. Y'all heard that I have witnesses, and.
Speaker 1 (51:21):
You guys know, I don't find nobody on I don't
like that. I like her. That's that's the truth.
Speaker 2 (51:26):
That's a compliment and I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
Folks. I'm James Jr. A lot of help dot com.
It's for two t's lot l O T T like
Ronnie Lott and all the lots. So yes, a lot
of help dot com James Jr. Everywhere. Extra connections on Facebook.
We again as always ended these shows. Connections is very important.
What I do affects you, where you do affects me,
(51:53):
whether we know each other or not. And I believe
that ripple effect is everywhere. So let's make some good
ripples's let's have some good ripples out there and have
some good effects because we do need that in the
world today. And that's making a big way, good way,
good wave. And I'll see you next Wednesday for another episode.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.