Governor Beverly Perdue has been a trailblazer in education -- she's an advocate for greater use of technology in classrooms. Before her political career, Governor Perdue worked with children, as a public school teacher Florida and Georgia. She began her political career in the North Carolina House of Representatives, before going on to serve as a state senator and then lieutenant governor. In 2008, she made history after being elected as North Carolina's first female governor.

Governor Jim Douglas has been in politics since the moment he graduated from college, having been elected to the Vermont House of Representatives at the age of 21 and becoming the House Majority Leader by the time he was 25. He went on to become Vermont’s Secretary of State, Treasurer, and eventually governor, serving four two-year terms from 2003-2011.

Secretary Margaret Spellings began her career in education in Texas with an education reform commission and has never looked back. Some highlights of her career include serving as President George W. Bush’s US Secretary of Education from 2005-2009 and as President of the University of North Carolina system. Today Secretary Spellings is President and CEO of Texas 2036, an organization focused on providing a stronger future for the State of Texas. We talk with her about her career and the state of education today.

Former US Secretary of Education and current Maryland Gubernatorial Candidate John King has always been upfront about his firm belief that public education saved his life. In this episode, Secretary King shares why he believes that, talks through his many roles in the education field – teacher, administrator, commissioner, and secretary among them, his concerns about the education system today, and his decision to run for governor.

MC Belk Pilon is prominent in the field of education philanthropy, particularly in higher education. As president and board chair of the John M. Belk Endowment, MC oversees initiatives that are critical for many students in North Carolina to succeed with their postsecondary goals. In addition to her work at the Belk Endowment, she serves on many boards of organizations focused on higher education attainment, including myFutureNC and College Advising Corps.

Governor Phil Bryant grew up in rural Mississippi during the civil rights movement. Until the fourth grade he struggled in school due to undiagnosed dyslexia. He went on to a political career that began in the Mississippi House of Representatives, and ended with a successful run for governor. During his time as Governor, he established evidence-based early childhood programs, increased teacher pay and support programs for incoming teachers, and worked to increase the number of teachers with National Board Certification.

Karol Mason is a powerhouse in the legal field, having served as United States Assistant Attorney General and head of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs during the Obama Administration. Today Mason is the president of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and oversees the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice, a partnership between John Jay and other academic institutions across the country.

Secretary Arne Duncan is the longest serving US Secretary of Education, having served under President Obama from 2009-2015. He talks about the many influences in his life and doesn't hold back on current affairs.

This episode was recorded on March 17th, the day after the shootings perpetrated against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We are sharing resources below that may be helpful in processing the violence.

Self-care:

• 8 Ways to Care For Yourself When a Tragedy Is In the News
• Resources For The BIPOC Community During The Chauvin Trial
• Mindfulness support from CASEL

Learning:

• Follow the work of Black Visions as they reimagine safety in Minnesota
• Read about the history of anti-Asian prejudice and violence in the United States
• Review the community-based alternatives to calling the police in your city to help offset the impact of over-policing
• Read about the white supremacist origins of policing

Take Action:

• To take action on Police Brutality: https://mashable.com/article/donate-black-lives-matter-end-police-brutality/
• To take action on API hate: https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-to-help-asian-communities-2021.html
• To take action on gun control: https://blog.greatnonprofits.org/9-organizations-making-progress-towards-gun-control/
• To support all matters related to civil liberties: https://action.aclu.org
• Research to Address Student and Educator Wellness for Partners: https://casel.org/teacher-resources/