Late last month, TASA announced the launch of The Heart of Ed All, our new podcast coming this fall that will feature conversations with the people shaping public education in Texas. As we get ready to record our first episode next week, I want to share why I believe these are conversations worth having — and stories worth telling.
Having a podcast is kind of cliché nowadays, so why am I adding yet another to an already crowded field?
My answer is that public education is all about heart, and yet too often the stories of our leaders, our work, and our place in society get lost in the noise of political divisions and toxic social media. I want to provide one small voice that elevates the conversation and speaks honestly about public schools — our leaders, our successes, the challenges we face — while providing inspiration and hope to those who serve in the noble profession of public education.
The heart of every community lies in its public schools. Every child can attend. Every taxpayer supports them. They are accountable and transparent to the entire community. They are often among the largest employers in town, and our schools are one of the few places that can bring an entire community together. Go to any football game, concert, or talent show, and you can see every part of the community represented — all rooting for the same team and all supporting the kids. There is nothing else quite like it. Public schools are the heart of our communities and part of the very fabric of our nation.
More than that, some of the biggest hearts in a community belong to those who choose to serve children. Educators and education leaders are mission-driven people who have chosen work centered on helping young people learn, grow, and realize their potential. They serve their communities in countless ways. They show up when natural disasters strike, and they show up every ordinary day to serve their students.
The children we serve are not data points to us. They are human beings with unique talents, dreams, challenges, and potential. Educators see them as individuals and pour themselves into helping ensure a bright future for each child. The work can be both gratifying and heartbreaking, but having a big heart is a requirement.
Public schools are also at the heart of our democracy. When Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that all people possess unalienable rights, including “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” it expressed an idea that changed the world. Few things equip young people to pursue those ideals as powerfully as a strong education. The American Dream is made possible in large part because every child has access to a public education, regardless of the circumstances into which they were born.
The Texas Constitution makes the connection between education and self-government explicit. Article VII, Section 1 declares:
“A general diffusion of knowledge being essential to the preservation of the liberties and rights of the people, it shall be the duty of the Legislature of the State to establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.”
Our founders understood that representative government depends upon an educated citizenry. Strong public schools don’t just prepare individual students for their futures; they strengthen the communities and democracy we all share.
Working in public education has been such a blessing to me personally and professionally. For more than 35 years, I have had the opportunity to see great teachers, principals, superintendents, and board members do an exceptional job of serving the children of our state and helping ensure a bright future for us all.
Too often, the heroic stories, perspectives, ideas, and innovations of public school leaders get lost in the noise of social media and divisive politics. If every citizen could see up close what I have seen in our public schools over all these years, I believe they would be proud.
There is no way any one voice can overcome all the negative voices and narratives about public schools. But one voice is what I have. And I want to use mine to elevate yours — your stories, your work, and your profession. That is why we are launching The Heart of Ed All.
Through this podcast, I hope to amplify the stories and voices of those who have dared to be “in the arena” during challenging times — and to remind all of us what lies at the heart of public education.
I am looking forward to recording the first episode next week and sharing it with you in early October. Who will be our first guest? … Please follow The Heart of Ed All wherever you listen to podcasts to find out!
-TASA Executive Director Kevin Brown, Ed.D.
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