Ep. 35 "When Personal Policy Overrules Unconstitutional Policy: How One Teacher is Fighting for Her Students" - Guest Monica Gill

Monica Gill, a highschool teacher in Loudoun County, Virginia, encourages other parents and teachers to bravely counteract the problems they see in education. In partnership with the Alliance Defending Freedom, Monica has successfully opened a lawsuit to sue her school district for the inception of school board policy 8040—a policy that forces teachers to use a student’s preferred pronouns. She doesn’t believe in lying to children about their identity, and today she shares how she promotes best practices in the classroom despite the slow degradation of education over the last decade. Listen in to her conversation with Melvin on The State of Education to find encouragement for your next step in reclaiming education! 

Resources Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

• Check out the World’s Largest Legal Organization, Alliance Defending Freedom. This network is dedicated to protecting prized American issues, like free speech, the sanctity of life, parental rights, religious freedom, and more!
• Click below to access a recording of our panel discussion on LGBTQ+ issues in our schools: Pride, Pronouns, and Problems: Are Schools Making Your Kids Transgender? A Panel Discussion 

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Transcript

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Monica Gill Interview Transcript

[00:00-42:31]

ADAMS: Well thank you for joining us today on The State of Education. I hope our conversation will be insightful to you as we work to reclaim education and culture where you are. 

Now, we’ve all heard a lot about education in Loudoun County, Virginia; it’s been in the news for a year or more. Our guest today is Monica Gill, a history teacher [00:30] in a Loudoun County public school. She and two others have sued the school district over the school board policy 8040. 

Because her case is active, she is joined today by her attorney Logan Spena. Monica and Loga, welcome to The State of Education, we’re glad to have you today. 

GILL: Thanks so much for having us. 

SPENA: Thanks, Melvin. 

ADAMS: You’re welcome and we’re grateful that you’ve joined us. And we’re excited [01:00] to hear your story, Monica, and the victories and challenges you’ve faced as a teacher in Loudoun County but first, why don’t you start off by sharing a little bit about yourself personally and lead into what led you to become a teacher in the first place?

GILL: Sure! I have been teaching for 27 years, all in high school. I have always wanted to be a teacher. I remember being a little kid [01:30] playing school and I used to play teacher and make my brothers be the students and I actually would make them do work and grade it. 

I think that’s why they didn’t like school as much as I did, but I always loved my teachers and knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I knew I wanted to be a history teacher by the time I got to 8th grade. I had a history teacher who was phenomenal and had a huge impact on me. [02:00] 

From that point forward, I was just on the road to being a teacher and just how important it is to teach kids, not just the content of history and government, but also to have them know that somebody loves them. 

And that is the thing that I think the Lord has put on my heart the most. Particularly when I launched into my teaching career He really spoke to me and just said, “Monica, the most important thing for these kids to know is that someone loves them unconditionally.” [02:30]

So I try to make my classroom look very much like home. I make coffee for them every day so that it kinda smells like home. I have a little sign over my door that says, “You are loved.” I tell my students that I love them every day when they come in and when they leave. 

I write it on all of their tests and quizzes. They get a bonus question that says, Mrs. Gill loves you: A, true; B, false. And they know they should [03:00] put “true.” I know they think it’s funny at the beginning of the year. But I think at the end of the year they really do realize that I love them unconditionally. So that’s where I am. 

ADAMS: Awesome. So as a student yourself, were you in a public school, private school, or homeschool? Tell us a little about that.  

GILL: So I went to public school all the way through. I felt like I got a pretty decent public school education. Went to the University of Maryland for my undergrad [03:30] and George Mason for my master’s degree and have taught public school all the way through. 

And I’ve absolutely had a wonderful career. In fact, when I started teaching for Loudoun County Public Schools 20 years ago, I couldn’t wait to be a teacher for Loudoun County Public Schools—it had the best reputation for the best education. 

But in the last 10 years, I would say, I have watched that crumble and have been dismayed by that crumbling. [04:00] And finally, a few years ago, I was like, “I can’t be quiet about this anymore. I have to step up and stop the rot.” 

ADAMS: We are gonna go there! And you’ve shared a little bit about some of your philosophy of education, about the importance of kids feeling loved and cared for. But, in a nutshell for our listeners, [04:30] how would you sum up your personal philosophy of education as a teacher? 

GILL: Personal philosophy of education as a teacher, I would say is it’s important for kids to have content and foundational knowledge. But more importantly, our job is not just to teach these kids the dates and the facts. 

History and government are also a story and that’s what makes them compelling. So knowing [05:00] that story and getting them invested in that story, and that they’re part of that story, is also important. 

But also, education is every bit as much about teaching kids the basics of self-discipline, responsibility, and a good work ethic. And I’ve really seen an immersion in all of these areas, so seeing that is what has raised my ire. 

ADAMS: Alright, well I hear you. So let’s go ahead and jump in [05:30] a little bit. You’re in a lawsuit right now. Tell us about the school board policy 8040 that you’re in a lawsuit against. What is it about that and what demands does it make on you, and others in the school system, that you’re not ok with?

GILL: Well, let me have Logan talk about the specifics of it and then I’ll reflect on how it’s impacted me. 

ADAMS: Okay. 

SPENA: So you’ve probably heard Monica talk about [06:00] a whole range of different educational issues. And she, of course, is free to speak about that as a teacher and a member of this community. The lawsuit itself addresses a more narrow issue than some of the various educational issues that Monica’s alluded to. 

So policy 8040, in particular, says that every person (a student or members of staff at the school) has to refer to students that are either transgender or identify as gender expansive [06:30] with whatever names and pronouns that student specifies. 

That requires, then, people like Monica to express a message that they believe is false. For example, a student who’s male in sex actually is a girl. The message is essentially a person’s identity is the only thing that makes a person a boy or a girl. 

So because Monica and two other teachers object to being told to speak that government-approved [07:00] message, they filed a lawsuit under the Virginia constitution. Which, like the U.S. Constitution protects their right to free speech and free exercise of religion. 

GILL: Personally, as I watched this policy come to fruition, I first heard about it from Tanner Cross who is one of my co-plaintiffs. He was saying that they were looking at passing this pretty radical gender policy. 

And at that time, he and I knew [07:30] each other because we were already speaking at school board meetings about any number of issues that were going on in education, including that. And he said, “Look, they’re going to pass this.” 

So I was keeping my eye on it and finally, he said, “I’m going to speak at the next school board meeting against this because I think it’s wrong and it looks like they are going to pass it.” And he sure enough did. And all he said was, “I’m not going to lie to kids. This is wrong.” 

And simply for making that statement, [08:00] he was put on leave two days later. And as soon as I saw that, and Kim as well (the other co-plaintiff) we said, “We’re Christians too, we cannot let him stand alone and take all of these slings and arrows. We need to stand for our values as well.” 

So we joined him in the lawsuit and it affects all of us. I’m a high school teacher, Tanner’s an elementary school teacher, and Kim's a middle school teacher. [08:30] We all have dealt with kids who have gender dysphoria or claim to be transgender. In my 20 years in Loudoun County, I had a handful 10 years ago [and] more these days. 

But I’ve always had a good relationship with those kids who are LGBTQ. I’ve always been respectful and loving toward them like any other student and had great relationships with them. But I have never affirmed that a boy was a girl or that a girl was a boy. I just can’t do that. 

And if [09:00] I’m forced by this policy to call a student by a pronoun that is not in alignment with their biological sex, I’m essentially conveying to that student that gender is binary and that is just not true. 

Words have meaning and it also has a consequence. And so I can’t lie to these kids. I have to show them and be truthful with them. The best thing that we can do [09:30] to show love and respect for others is to treat them with enough dignity, to speak to them in words that are true, accurate, and in conversance with reality. 

And the reality is that every one of us has a word stamped inside of us, you know. It’s either XX or XY in the abbreviated version. If you take that abbreviation and you unravel it, you get the DNA code which is 3 billion letters long. [10:00]

And so I would say that how could we as human beings look at that word, the longest word known to humanity, and say, “There’s no meaning behind that word. There’s no author behind that word. I get to define for myself what that word means.” 

When we live like that, we’re living a lie. We’re living in rebellion against who we were designed to be. And so many of these kids I have who claim to be transgender, they will say things like, “Well I’m just trying to be my true and authentic self.” [10:30]

And my question for them is always, “Is that what’s really happening? Are you really trying to be your true and authentic self or are you in rebellion against your true and authentic self? Against who you were designed to be.”

So for all of those reasons. Because it’s harmful to kids, because it is harmful that I have to speak words that are government mandated and have my pronouns micromanaged by a government agency, it’s all wrong. It’s not what our kids [11:00] need, it’s not what our institutions need, it’s certainly not what teachers need. 

ADAMS: Absolutely. It’s interesting how we have heard for years, “Follow the science, follow the science.” And then all of a sudden science doesn’t matter anymore. There are no absolutes and I can decide for myself. [11:30]

And that doesn’t, however, equate with reality on so many different levels. And I think you stated it well in your own perspective that nobody should be compelled by the government, or really by anybody else, to speak something that you foundationally [12:00] believe to be untrue and ultimately not helpful to your student. 

We did a panel about a week ago, as we were ending the month of June. The title of it was Pride, Pronouns, and Problems and we had a great panel and discussed the transgender issue from many perspectives. [12:30] And for our listeners, if you missed that, you can go back to our site and you can find that and I think you’ll find it quite insightful from the different perspectives of our panelists. 

But back to our topic here right now. It’s interesting to me that many school systems seem to be more focused on policies related to [13:00] social and political agendas than they are on ensuring that our students are well-educated. 

We have massive problems like low reading scores and student discipline problems. It goes on and on. I mean, I talk to teachers all the time. I’ve been in education since 1982, okay. But what’s going on today is just [astronomical]. [13:30] And our whole society is starting to see that there are many things that are broken. 

So a lot of times we talk about what’s broken, and we need to in order to understand what’s going on. But in reality, we also have to be really focused on solutions. So talk to us just a little bit about your own experience as a classroom teacher with what's going on [14:00] in the school, in the classrooms. 

Not only yourself but your colleagues. Just speak broadly, out of your own perspective, but for so many teachers and the challenges that are being faced by teachers today. 

GILL Sure, well you are right. It is a really rough time in education right now. Because so much of education [14:30] is about ideology right now. And that’s what the Loudoun county school board has been focused on right now. They’re far more focused on things that are ideological than educational. 

And we’re seeing the harm that that is doing to our kids: whether it’s critical race theory or radical gender policies, they’re really having their impact because we’re not focusing on the things that are really important. And that’s kids being able to do the basics of reading and writing and arithmetic. 

And I’m seeing that. [15:00] As I said, I’ve been teaching for 27 years, 20 of them in Loudoun. When I first started teaching in Loudoun county, teaching AP courses and academic level courses, my students were fairly well equipped to be in my class. But this past year, I was really shocked at how far things have eroded.

I was teaching a course this year that I hadn’t taught in about 10 years, [15:30] and this is an academic-level course which means it’s supposed to be for the average kid who may or may not go to college. And as I was looking back at the materials that I used 10 years ago, I was shocked to realize that the students in my class this past year could not do that work. 

They would have been incapable of it. It wasn’t that the work was outdated or not any good, it was that they would not be able to do it. [16:00] And the reality is that of my students none of them who are in 11th grade were on grade level for reading. None of them. 

Most of them were about 8th grade in the 11th grade. But about a third of my students were on a 4th-grade reading level or below. And that is just tragic and I think it really is a testimony to this mentality that we’ve had that we don’t want to hurt a kid’s [16:30] feelings and it’s all about self-esteem and failure is not an option, so we just keep passing the kids on even though they don’t actually show mastery in the things that they need in order to be well-equipped or to do well in society and in jobs. 

But I’ve watched this erosion happen slowly. Many of my colleagues would comment on it all the time and it started maybe about 10 years ago when we were told that we couldn’t take points off if a kid doesn’t put their name on their paper. Because that’s grading behavior [17:00] and we can’t grade behavior we can only grade content. 

And so it used to be that I’d take one point off if a kid didn't put their name on their paper. And for most kids that only happened once. But now I’m not allowed to do this simple practice of teaching kids, as I said before, responsibility, good work ethic, and discipline. 

And so since I can’t do it, I have this corkboard in the back of my room now that’s just covered with no-name papers [17:30] that kids have to go and claim. And so there are other issues too. Like we were told we couldn’t grade homework anymore because it wouldn’t be equitable because some kids don’t have anybody at home to help them. So now we don’t assign homework anymore. 

Because something that’s not graded isn't’ going to get done. And then our county also did this… we have formative grades and summative grades. So a formative grade is something like classwork or homework [18:00] but it can’t be graded towards their final grade in the class. They can only be graded on what are called summative grades and that is a test, quiz, or project. 

And so the first question my students always ask is, “Is this formative or summative?” Because they’re doing the calculations, right? “If it’s not going towards my grade, I’m not going to do it!”

And that’s detrimental because they’re not doing the building blocks needed to get to that test and pass it. So all of this erosion for a focus on [18:30] ideological and social issues, we’re seeing, is having a corrosive effect. Not only on our kids' education, but we’ve spent all this time on these social things thinking it’s the answer to building better kids. And the truth is that our kids are not doing well. 

We have the highest anxiety levels and suicide ideation rates and depression. [19:00] And so we have to really take a step back and say, “Is all of this we’ve been doing the last 15 years, has it really been helping out kids?” I don’t think we could honestly look at that and say, “Yeah, it’s been more beneficial.” 

ADAMS: Yeah. You know, it’s interesting. For generations, it has been clearly understood that children do better when they have clear [19:30] parameters and clear expectations. They struggle when they don’t have those. And so whether it’s parenting or whether it’s in school when you lay out the parameters: what they can do and what they can’t do, what they have to do and where they have the option of their choice in engagement. 

When all of that is laid out at age-appropriate levels students thrive. Because it’s a safe zone. [20:00] It’s something they understand and they can flourish in that. But when there are no parameters and everybody’s just coasting along without expectations, without parameters, that creates a lot of anxiety and a lot of insecurity in kids. 

Because by nature, kids learn by watching others and by following role models. [20:30] And so what we’ve ended up with, unfortunately, is a system that has torn down all the walls and all of the brides and it’s like, “Okay, their life is out there ahead of you; make what you can out of it.” 

And what they need is coaching and help and mentoring and shepherding and guidance, [21:00] and—may I say—parenting? And those things are what make strong, healthy kids. So I’m throwing that in for free. 

GILL: You’ll get no argument from me. You’re preaching to the choir there. 

ADAMS: Okay. So here’s a question for you, Monica. How do you think education can be improved? And specifically, how can parents help their kids and teachers [21:30]  navigate these issues that are being grappled with right now? 

GILL: Well I think the most important thing is that, as a parent, you have got to be involved. You have got to be paying attention to what is going on in your students’ classrooms with your student's teachers. 

Through high school, I know that’s probably 7 classes and 7 teachers that you have to look out for. But you’ve got to do it. In this day and age, we cannot afford to be sleepy about it [22:00] and just trust that everything that’s going on is ok because I can guarantee you that probably, a lot of the time, it’s not. 

So be vigilant in talking to your kids about what their learning and then being sure that you’re also taking the time to unpack all of what they're learning with them and doing it in such a way that it girds your foundations for your kids and your belief [22:30] and your values. 

But then also you can’t just stop there. You’ve got to volunteer at your kids' school, you’ve got to go to the school board meetings, and you have to pay attention to the policies that the school board is passing. You’ve got to pay attention to the curriculum, volunteer to review the curriculum, and approve it. 

Be a part of that process. Because I think the education system has spent a long time living [23:00] in this bubble of [thinking] parents aren’t paying attention so [they] don’t have to be transparent. So that’s how they’ve gotten away with really pushing ideology and really pushing this ideological turn. So that’s an important part of it too. 

I would say also [that] if you decide you aren’t going to have your kid go to public school, that you’re going to homeschool or send your kid to private school, [23:30] that can be a good thing in terms of wherever there’s competition, that makes public schools better. So that is a good thing. 

But if you take your kid out of public school, that does not absolve your responsibility of being part of that process. I’ll tell you, I had a conversation with a friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in a while, I ran into him, and he said, “I just want to thank you for the things that you’ve been doing but I have to be honest with you: I feel like I’m responsible for what’s happening right now [24:00] because I took the attitude of, ‘Well, my kids are grown and out so I’m going to hand it over to the next set of parents; it’s their turn!’” 

And he said to me, “I will never not vote in another school board election or local election. I have been dismissive about this and this is not the way to go. We are where we are because so many of us have just said, ‘Okay, our kids aren’t in it anymore so we don’t need to pay attention.’” 

So whether your kids are up and out already or you are involved [24:30] in private school or homeschooling, the state is in control of public education and you are a citizen that has to have a say in that and needs to have a say in that. 

And you need to go and vote for your values and press for your values to be a part of the conversation. Because you know they are. So if they are, we need to be doing that too. 

ADAMS: Monica, thank you for saying that. That’s an area that is [25:00] so often overlooked. WE kinda expect parents of school-aged kids… you know it’s their responsibility, they are the first educators and it’s their responsibility to stay on top of what’s going on in your schools and with their kids. 

But I’m a grandparent, alright? How many grandparents do we have out there that the system is completely impacting their grandkids? [25:30] How about just regular citizens who are taxpayers? I mean, look, everybody who’s paying into this system—if they’re a property owner—they’re paying into this system whether they like to or not. 

And they have a voice and they should express that voice. Because by not being there at the table and by not expressing what their concerns are, we are actually helping [26:00] with the decline of our overall education system. Because we are citizens, we have the right, and I say the responsibility, to stay engaged. Because it is, in reality, our schools (and I’m going to add) our churches that shape the culture and everything that we have as a country. [26:30] So it’s critical that all of us are engaged in strategic ways.

Let me ask you this question. I’m sure it can be exhausting to stay engaged and effective as a teacher—it always has been and probably more so these days—so what is your advice to other teachers [27:00] who are navigating the same or very similar issues and find themselves discouraged? 

Let’s be honest: we hear a lot about Loudoun county on the news. But just next door is Fairfax county. They’ve spent the last how long as a school board debating what their pronoun policy is going to be. And it’s not just those counties, it’s all over [27:30] the United States where school boards and the system… some are doing better than others but it’s a systemic influence, it’s a systemic problem, and teachers all across the country are struggling with these issues. 

And one of the things they're struggling with is… okay, you and a couple of others stood up and said, “We’re going to fight back.” How many others are there that feel [28:00] just like you but they don’t have the courage or the security to stand up and fight back? They’re afraid for their jobs, they’re afraid of personal attacks. 

And these are really real things that have happened to people. I’ve talked to many of them. And they don’t agree with what’s going on, they want to see changes, they want to see better practices. And so my question for you [28:30] is: what advice would you give to teachers out there who want to see change, what to be at their best, but they're afraid? 

GILL: You’re exactly right. Where I teach, I have a lot of quiet support. Because they will say things like, “I respect what you’re doing and you’re so courageous but I can’t do it [29:00] because I can’t afford to lose my job.” And my quip back is, “I haven’t lost my job yet, and I’m doing it, so why can’t you?” you know?

It’s important that there be more voices because the more voices they’re aware of, the more change could actually be able to take place. If you’re silent, then that means that it just gives them the right to continue down this path and run rough-shot. And that’s not okay. 

So if [29:30] you’re going to stand up to bullies, you’ve got to stand up. And you have to say something. You have to be willing to pay the cost too. And I think ultimately, for myself, I think about in the end (in the eternal perspective) is it going to matter more whether I stood up for what was right and what was true or kept a job that had benefits. 

And there’s just no contest in that. And I think when you frame it like that for people [30:00] and they really start to think about it deeply, they will be willing to take those risks. And as they see other people taking the risks and being successful, then courage begets courage. 

So they’re willing to step up. But I would say to teachers, “Don’t fold over. You need to speak up at school board meetings, you need to speak up at your faculty meetings. You need to be a part of speaking against what’s going on here because if we don’t then it just continues to collapse.” [30:30]

I get it that it’s discouraging. You know, I have moments of being discouraged myself where I’m like, “I don’t even know if I can do this anymore. Or want to.” It’s so disheartening. It’s so heartbreaking to see the decay these kids are in emotionally, spiritually, and academically. 

And I’ll tell you, I had one such moment a couple of years ago at the beginning of the new school year. I was moving into a new classroom, [31:00] cleaning this classroom out and I was in such a low place and I was praying, talking to God, and just saying, “Lord, I don’t think I can do this anymore, I don’t want to do this anymore, it hurts too much.” 

And as I was praying and cleaning off this bookshelf, I noticed an old book kinda stuffed in the corner and I picked it up and I dusted it off. And the cover said Holy Bible. And I thought, “My goodness! What are you doing here?” So I opened it up [31:30] and on the inside cover it said, “Presented by the class of 1955”

And I was like, “Wow, this Bible had been a gift to my school from the senior class of 1955.” And of course, my cynical side started to kick in and say, “Oh look how far we’ve fallen and we never see anything like this today.” 

But I have to tell you, Melvin, the Lord got ahold of my heart and said, [32:00] “Monica, I did not give you this gift for you to judge this place. I gave you this gift so that you would know I have not abandoned this place and I have placed you here for such a time as this so be my salt and be my light.” 

And so to those Christian teachers who are out there I would say, “Don’t give up, don’t be discouraged. The Lord has not abandoned me, He has not abandoned our school children, He has not abandoned our public schools.” 

We have been trying to push Him out of the public sphere for decades [32:30] but He is still here and He is waiting for teachers like us and our Christian students and their parents to stand up and say, “No, this is the truth, this is the way, this is the way to walk. Let’s go.” 

SPENA: And in addition to both the moral courage of people like Monica and obviously the spiritual support from the Lord, there’s a great legal tradition that protects public employees including teachers. 

And so if you’re listening to this and you’re having a potential problem with your speech being restricted [33:00] or you’re facing punishment as a result of standing on your convictions, you should contact us at adflegal.org. 

GILL: And they’re wonderful! 

ADAMS: Yeah, excellent. You guys have done some tremendous work and continue to. 

GILL: I would say too, to any teachers who are concerned, not only as ADF here, but look at the parents around you who are rising up against this fight because I found that [33:30] it became even easier to stand up when I knew I had the support and cover of parents, right? 

So not only did the Lord just remove all my fear but then when I was like, “Protect me.” It was like, oh my goodness, I was just surrounded by protection from parents who were like-minded and hated what they were seeing going on. 

And then He sends ADF—which talk about being in a moment [34:00] when I am not getting anywhere. I cannot fight this fight by myself, it’s futile. Then to have an organization like ADF come alongside you and say, “Here we are with all the resources, knowledge, expertise, everything you possibly need to take this to the next level and be successful..” It was just a blessing from the Lord for sure. 

ADAMS: Yeah. And I would just add to [34:30] parents and educators out there [that] we are in a time of significant change. You look at what’s been going on in the last few years in education. Yes, we’ve been sliding and slipping down the wrong track, many of us feel. 

Yet at the same time, those people who stand up and say, [35:00] “This is not okay” the results that they are getting in the courts, through state legislatures, and on and on, are pretty incredible. 

And I believe that we will continue to see that. We’re seeing a lot of change happening at local school boards. And all of those things happen when citizens stand up for what they believe is [35:30] right and true and they simply say, “We’re not okay.”

We’re still blessed in this country to have a republic-type of government where we elect our representatives and those representatives speak for us and if they don’t, we can get somebody else who will speak for us. 

And so I think it’s important [36:00] for everybody to take heart, to understand that we are not too far gone. Some systems may be pretty far gone, but I tell you what when we have competition always tends to improve the quality and drive down the cost. That happens in every other industry and it happens in education. [36:30]

And so I just encourage parents and educators to step up, step out, don’t be afraid, don’t be vitriolic, don’t be angry, be intentional, educate yourself, learn what the issues are, speak kindly, but be intentional and be diligent. 

To those teachers out there who are afraid you’re going to lose [37:00] your job: you might. I hate to say that, but you might. But you know what? Other people in the news recently lost their jobs and the courts gave them back. And the same thing can happen to you. 

Here’s something else that you should consider: every quality teacher out there is in high demand. [37:30] Because it’s really hard to find good teachers, it’s hard to find really good employees of any kind, okay? But the reality is, people who do their job with excellence and who stand on principle and conviction, there will always be a place for you. 

It may not be where you are now, but it may be through some private school or some charter school or some [38:00] homeschool co-op or whatever, there is going to be a place for you. And so this is no time for us to back away. This is the time for us to step forward, to lean in, and to see the changes that we want for our children and grandchildren. 

And Monica, just real quick as we’re wrapping up here. First of all, there may be something else you want to say specifically, and you can take [38:30] that time. But what is one of the most rewarding moments you’ve had as a teacher in your career? 

GILL: Wow. There have been so many really great, wonderful moments. But I will tell you this year I had a pretty incredible moment with a student. At the beginning of the school year, I got an email from a student who said she was going to be in my class and she was not happy about having to be in my class. [39:00] 

She had seen me on the news and in the papers and she didn’t like my stance on things. She felt like I was ignorant and that my views were ignorant, that the world was a toxic place and [they] were essentially just not pleased about being in my class. 

And I sent her back an email, very kindly saying, “Thank you for telling me how you feel about this. [39:30] I just want you to know that I’ve been teaching for a very long time. I’ve been teaching all kinds of different kids from all kinds of different backgrounds and I know a lot about what diversity really means. And I just want you to know that I only have two goals for you this year. 

“One is to love and respect you, and the second is to hopefully teach you some history in a fun way. And I hope that you would just take whatever preconceived notions you have [40:00] about me and set them aside for now.” 

And so I made a point of sitting her right up front next to my desk and just spending effort as I could to engage in a relationship with her and to just show her that I loved her just like any other student. And this year for teacher appreciation week, I only got one card [40:30] and it was from her. 

And she said, “Mrs. Gill, you really are a great teacher. Thank you for being a great teacher and I hope that I have you again next year.” So coming from someone who was so displeased and disgusted at the thought of having to have me for a teacher at the end of the year saying not just that you’re a good teacher, but “I hope I get to have you as a teacher again” [41:00] that was worth… I didn’t need any other card for teacher appreciation week this year. That was it. That was the money. 

ADAMS: There you go. That’s an awesome story. And Monica, thank you for stepping forward and for working so hard for our and our communities, families, and country. [42:30] I know as a person of faith you do it for God as well. Thank you for that. 

And I’ll also just say to Logan and to your organization that you’re with: thank you for all the great work you guys do as well. And together, we’re going to keep working hard because our children deserve it [42:00] and we just have to bring the very best possible for them and for their future. And so, any final word? 

SPENA: I don’t think so. Thanks so much, it’s been a real pleasure, Melvin. 

GILL: It has been. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to be here. 

ADAMS: You’re welcome and thank you for joining us.