Teachers, Inclusion & Building School Success Together | Beyond Expectations Podcast Ep. 18

In Episode 18 of Beyond Expectations: Parenting Autism, Michelle Chabolla and Sean Dobson are joined by Gregory’s former teacher, Jill Brazil, to discuss inclusion, IEPs, parent advocacy, and the powerful role teachers play in a child’s success. Together, they share practical advice for building strong parent-teacher partnerships, creating supportive classrooms, and helping children with autism thrive both academically and socially.

This episode is proudly supported by Gregory's Special Creations.

Visit: http://www.gregorysgifts.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the podcast Beyond Expectations, Parenting Autism. Follow Michelle Chabot's journey of raising a child with autism, the challenges, victories, and rewards. If you're a parent, caregiver, or simply someone seeking to understand autism on a personal level, you're in the right place.

SPEAKER_03 0:20

All right, here we are with Beyond Expectations. And we have a guest today. We have Sean Dobson, of course, and Michelle Shabola. And Jill Brazil is joining us from Colorado. And Jill, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_02 0:34

Thank you. Glad to be here.

SPEAKER_01 0:37

Yes, welcome. Welcome, Jill. Thank you for coming. I'm looking very forward to hearing your story.

SPEAKER_03 0:43

Yes. So Jill entered Gregory's life. We were talking about it, I believe, when he was six, correct, Jill? Yes. First grade. However old you are in first grade. And I'll let Jill tell you the story from here on, her background, and how it all happened.

SPEAKER_02 1:01

Well, at the time that I met Gregory, I had been teaching for nine years. And my career lasted for 21 years. And we at that time I was teaching a one-two loop. And a looping teacher is someone that keeps the kids for two years. So you change the curriculum and you change the classroom, but their teacher and the kids stay the same. And for a while in education, that was believed to be really valuable because usually when you get a new group of kids, it takes, you know, a couple of months to get to know them and to get to know their ability. And the concept was that you could go be off and running that second year. And I was thinking about that and how it worked for Gregory because I really believed that it worked really well. He he was able to come back that second year, he knew what he was walking into, he knew the kids in the classroom, he knew me. And I did I looped, and then I had Michael then so after having Gregory for two years, then Michael came followed and had case teachers. So that's how our friendship started.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

Because as you know, Michelle you had you had Michelle as a class mom for four years and lived and lived to talk about it.

SPEAKER_02 2:30

Yes, years it really was uh a very positive thing, and a lot of the characteristics or the things that I would point out to parents of children with special needs, Michelle embodied because it's important to come in with a really positive attitude supporting the people, the teachers, and they had they were coming off of a bad year for Gregory in kindergarten, right, Michelle? I mean, you were you were pretty hesitant because his experience in kindergarten wasn't great, and that happens to kids. Some years they click with the teacher and some years they don't, but it was really important for Gregory to have a good year. And the way we structured the beginning of the school year was with back to school night, and the kids would come in and meet their teacher and see where their desk was before they walked into the classroom the first day of school. And Michelle and I were remembering that we had a special hook for Gregory and show him what hook was his and where he was going to be sitting, and all of that predictability worked really well for him, but it also works for any six, you know, first grader.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

I was thinking about was your classroom special these kids or was it integrated?

SPEAKER_02 4:07

It was it was a regular ad first grade classroom, and he was integrated into the class.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

And did he have a para with him at the time?

SPEAKER_02 4:18

You know, it always takes. I don't I we were trying to remember that. I don't remember if the first day of school the pair was in place. I bet I bet he was. But throughout the year, throughout the year, Gregory had a para in your yes, yes, nice, and as a classroom teacher, I always believed that it was a big benefit to have uh, you know, one or two special needs kids in your classroom because you get another adult, right? Otherwise, you're in that classroom with 20, you know, 25, 28 kids, and you're the only teacher. So if parents present that to the regular classroom teacher who may show hesitation, just pointing out that because my child is in your class, you get another adult, another teacher in the classroom. And that person always helps everyone, you know, they're not focused just on the child, right? For whom there's help, you know, therefore. So I always considered that a really big positive thing. And the years that I had that extra help were much better, and and then Michelle was always present and available and enthusiastic about helping in the classroom, and that bond, because I was thinking about this fact, you know, human nature is that if you feel supported by someone, you work harder for that person. And in my in my career, some parents were very supportive and positive, others not so much. And who do you think you're gonna work harder for? You're gonna like the children.

SPEAKER_01 6:17

Yeah, because that's a fascinating position to sort of way to position it because we've talked a lot about having to advocate for your child against some school systems that are not so helpful, not so friendly. And you know, we we could have given, or I could have given the wrong impression that you need to go in there kind of guns ablazing, but we really need to go in there understanding. I mean what you're saying is you need to go in there sort of understanding that this teacher is gonna be your partner in this and do everything you can to lift them up and support them, and not so much go in with an attitude of I have to be this sort of super over-the-top advocate.

SPEAKER_02 6:49

That's right, that's right. And it's the same concept where you sandwich something, right? So you you're sandwiching something with two positives, and then the suggestion that you have is gonna go over really well, and it's gonna be accepted, and and that applies to an ad a parent who is an advocate. You don't have to agree with everything, but you try to maintain a positive in most situations, and that's Michelle, because she has that attitude about life in general, and so um it worked it worked really well for me to feel supported and also get energy from that.

SPEAKER_01 7:35

So that's super that's super helpful advice for the for the families. So did so in 21 years, were there a couple of special needs kids? So when you're a first grade teacher, do you have the same kids all day? Or and so then so those kids uh I love the idea you stick with them for two years. So for the whole 21 years, did you have a group of special needs kids coming in every year?

SPEAKER_02 8:00

Some years I did, and some years I did not. It just depends on the population within the school, right? And but like I said, uh my favorite years were the ones when I did because you get more support, and also it's good for the other kids in the class, you can have lots of conversations about the differences between people, and you know, first and second grade is a perfect time to set that example for kids, and the other great thing, Sean, about Gregory, and I used to say, you know, these people came from Texas, from the South, where manners are just way more pronounced. I mean, when Gregory came into first grade, he was saying please and thank you and showing his appreciation, and he was a great example for the other kids in that way. You know, that's he was the role model for manners.

SPEAKER_01 9:07

Oh, that's that's it. Have you he he we so we had Gregory on, which was super fun, and uh and uh he corrected me because I said something about it, wasn't it great how the kids helped you? And he said, I helped them too. And that's kind of what you're talking about, is it? Every everyone got everyone got to learn something.

SPEAKER_02 9:28

That's right, and he was always excited and enthusiastic. And I do have a little story I like to tell about the looping concept because here we we, you know, we went through the first grade school year, all the kids knew they were coming back into the same classroom with me as their teacher, and all their classmates were known. But of course, the whole classroom looks different because you've now switched it over to second grade curriculum. And uh, I remember Gregory sitting down in his desk, very proper, looking around, you know, waiting for things to start happening, and he raised his hand and he said, Miss Brazil, I like your new classroom.

SPEAKER_03 10:22

The only one that noticed you're our car.

SPEAKER_02 10:27

And that's you know, he not only has an enthusiasm for life, he's very complimentary, generally speaking. Or he and and you know, back then in first and second grade, his everybody was learning to read, everybody was learning how to act in school.

SPEAKER_03 10:47

So he would learn how to talk, right?

SPEAKER_02 10:51

He was learning how to talk, but he was surging forward with that skill.

SPEAKER_03 10:57

Yeah, he was, it was great, yeah. Being around all those other kids was awesome, but we we did talk about Sean, which was pretty wild that Jill typically would have a first grade class that would come from her kindergarten, right? Kindergarten's in the same building, yes, here Gregory came from outer space, right? He came from a whole different school, didn't know him, didn't know us, and and we were talking about why she wasn't in the IEP meeting for Gregory. We still don't know why she wasn't there, but it's really not common, which it should be, for the next teacher to be in that meeting.

SPEAKER_01 11:39

Hold on a minute. This I'm I'm still learning about this individual education plan IEP thing, but you're telling me that the teacher that has that has to be like the one that teaches the plan is not there when the plan's made?

SPEAKER_03 11:54

No, no, it's uh admin, it's OT, it's speech, it's everybody else.

SPEAKER_01 12:01

And I did not meet her until this sounds like did you ever drive by a job on the highway where there's like one guy with a shovel and 10 people standing around advising supervising? That's what this that's what this sounds like.

SPEAKER_02 12:16

But we did learn, Michelle, and this is another good point. Because I was listening to your to Jane's podcast with you, and she was pointing out that it was the parents that she would encourage to invite the regular the education, the regular ed teacher.

SPEAKER_01 12:39

Absolutely, so that's another thing because we didn't know that back then, we didn't do that, and obviously you didn't know that because you were new to the whole system, and this is so cool because this is the whole idea of Michelle's podcast is to like make sure people don't have to have multiple years to learn the things that she learned. So you're telling me to put it in a nutshell, you're telling me that I think Michelle told me once before that the parent can kind of bring whoever they want to this meeting, right? You can you can bring your priest, you can bring your neighbor, you can bring whomever, right?

SPEAKER_02 13:12

I don't know if there's a limit, Michelle. Is there a limit to do they say you can invite this many people or anything like that?

SPEAKER_03 13:18

You can have whoever you want in there that's you know an advocate for you, obviously, that has a purpose, but yeah, but the but it's all but it's on the parent to invite the actual teacher that's gonna administer the plan.

SPEAKER_01 13:30

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 13:30

Well, that's a that's a I believe Valerie came with me during the transition. That uh one of the transmissions, Valerie happened to be in town during the transition.

SPEAKER_01 13:42

This is our big sister who's a who's a big deal.

SPEAKER_03 13:46

Everybody got to meet her. They just thought they'd met me.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

She's a big she's kind of scary, she's a big deal, and so that's what I was thinking. I was thinking I'd bring my lawyer for the from the stories I heard. Right, Jill's but Jill's saying don't do that. Jill's saying, like, hey, come in and be supportive and try to and try to be a positive force, or else you're gonna get institutional pushback and grind, and people will be on the defensive unnecessarily, right?

SPEAKER_03 14:11

And I never wanted Gregory where he wasn't wanted, that was for sure, and that's why I moved him. When I moved him, I moved him, right? I just I wanted him. Jill learned real fast, and you know, she taught first and second that you love them first and you teach them second, right? And they'll do whatever you want them to do when you show that when you get that connection with them, and she got that connection with Gregory immediately, immediately. It was it was fun, it was a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_02 14:38

It it is it was a lot of fun, and and I still have that connection, and you're right. If a child or a human being feels liked, they're going to perform for you way differently than if they feel some kind of dislike. I mean, I I my son Evan was is ADHD, and there were some teachers that just found him annoying, and if he felt that from the teacher, then you just were guaranteed a not so good year. I mean, it mattered that matters to kids for sure.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

Interesting because I was gonna I was gonna ask you, so how much training do teachers get to deal with with uh kids with special needs? And and is it any? I'm sure there must be some. And then in your 21 years, what did you do what did you figure out was missing that you had to sort of learn on the job?

SPEAKER_02 15:41

Well, the education that you get is you have to be in the classroom doing practicums. If you're going to be a special ed teacher, then a lot of it is focused on working with special ed kids. If you're going to be a regular classroom teacher, there is some exposure, education, and experience before you get into the classroom, but not a huge amount. And it's pretty much up to the special ed team and the parents who who are the child's advocate and know the child the best to give that education to the teacher, or you know, to at least help them get to know your child. And we were talking about that and how I don't remember meeting with Michelle before the first day of school. And I think if you have a child moving into a classroom, a good idea also is to offer or ask if you can meet with the teacher even during the summer before the school year starts, if you can get the contact information. I don't I don't know what the policy is, but just reaching out and having some individual time if you don't know the classroom teacher.

SPEAKER_01 17:00

And you have kind of it's kind of fascinating. We learned we learned recently about this letter of intent, which makes us cry every time we talk about it, because basically it's like a part of your will that describes in detail all of the things you do as a caregiver so that someone else knows where to where to pick up the ball. And we had an expert on on it, and she talked about things like you know, that don't seem like a big deal, I guess, to someone that's not living every day, but like the the menu, like the food, the processes, the the daily rigor of things that that that provide that sense of safety and security.

SPEAKER_02 17:36

But it just occurred to me there's no there's no analog to this that that is handed to a teacher that says this is my child, and this is what you would what I would hope you would know about them and kind of what to how to how to interact with them like that doesn't exist, like some sort of written well actually separate from the from the IEP plan that has been written with the educators and the parents input that before you get a child in your classroom, they'll come in and meet that that team of special ed people come in and meet with the regular classroom teacher and talk about how they think the placement is the your classroom is the right placement for them and what the child is like and what the goals are. And then on a daily basis with the with the paraprofessional, you're communicating those things as well because they're they have the detailed planner and are paying attention to each goal outside of the the regular classroom setting. So you get a lot of communication about what the goals are and what and what reasonable expectations can be.

SPEAKER_03 18:54

Well, that's that's pretty good. Wouldn't it, Jill? The one we were talking about. That would be great to have. Yes, just an outline to get into like food and area, areas of sensitivity, or just things that maybe bother him that you don't know bother him or her, right? That's why what just happened? That would be huge, yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:25

And that's what you're writing now, right, Michelle?

SPEAKER_03 19:28

Yeah, that's what I was supposed to be writing.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

That's what you're putting together now.

SPEAKER_01 19:34

Well, she has to write her letter of intent, but but we're gonna have to find we're gonna have to find a therapist to help her through that whole process of what all of us.

SPEAKER_03 19:44

This is gonna be awful, I can already tell. But yes, Jill, I'm supposed to be working on that. Thanks for bringing that to us.

SPEAKER_04 19:52

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_03 19:53

But it would be amazing as any teacher, any teacher, any grade, to just have a little paragraph or a little outline about, you know, he may need this or he might need that. I mean, anything can happen, right? Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 20:11

And here's what I do.

SPEAKER_03 20:13

Yeah, right. So if this happens instead of calling me, instead of making that phone call, but uh actually learning the child through this care guide that would follow him, you know, from day one through through school. That would be awesome. Yeah, there was a lot of people.

SPEAKER_01 20:33

It's also it's it's a it's a jump on this letter of intent, in essence, because every school year you're documenting these are the areas of sensitivity, this is the area, but not just the the IEP thing, but like, hey, these are the things that that this person really cares about. And this is because also help how to connect with them because we all have our own special interests, we all have things we relate to differently than others. But I think that would be amazing if the team if the if the parents did have the time to sit down and say, okay, if I was that teacher, what would I want to know to help me kind of navigate through this in the most effective way? So, Jill, do you have any horror stories? Like, like situations that you learn where you learned a lot in in a short period of time.

SPEAKER_03 21:12

You know, with no horror stories with my child, another child.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

Another anonymous, anonymous child.

SPEAKER_02 21:18

I remember I remember hearing that Gregory had some incidents when he when no, just when he got upset because someone was trying to make him do something that he didn't feel comfortable doing, but I don't remember that happening in my classroom with him.

SPEAKER_03 21:40

He made he made a para cry one time, John.

SPEAKER_02 21:44

I did make him cry.

SPEAKER_03 21:46

No, he made a he made a para cry. Oh one.

SPEAKER_02 21:50

Yeah, just because the the wrong approach was being taken.

SPEAKER_03 21:55

I think so.

SPEAKER_02 21:56

Yeah, I mean, because he was he was basically uh Cooperative enthusiastic student, but again, if he felt like somebody was upset with him, then that's when you're gonna get the worst reaction, right?

SPEAKER_03 22:12

And you're talking about connecting with him, Sean. He had a pair of um a gentleman that knew he was into Yu-Gi-Oh cards. I don't know if you remember Yu-Gi-Oh! cards and he carried them around. I don't know if you remember, Jill, he carried them around his pocket, and that's how he commute, you know, got Gregory to do certain things, or you know, they were, I mean, incentives. You can call them briberies if you want to. They were incentives, and it worked because he would do anything for those Yu-Gi-Oh! I was like, what's going on here? And he goes, Oh, I know what he likes.

SPEAKER_02 22:47

And you were okay with that.

SPEAKER_03 22:50

Oh, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, especially when they have a special interest that we were talking about. You want to uh make sure that that's okay, right? To have those and to move on and and to love things and be interested in things, not just you can't have that, you can't have that, you know. Let them have their interests because you never know where it's gonna where it's gonna lead them. You know, it can be a tasteful crystals, right?

SPEAKER_01 23:19

Yeah. Aren't Jill aren't aren't doesn't the does the teacher have to really be on the lookout for bullying and for and for sort of other kids misbehaving with a child with special needs? Did you run into that?

SPEAKER_02 23:34

I I mean there were some kids in our class that were a little more challenging than others, but I don't remember anyone really targeting Gregory because I mean just across your across your 21 years, kind of in a bigger spectrum of like how would you help a teacher think about like what what am I supposed to be looking for? And because you know kids are pretty clever, I'm sure it could be subtle if they if they like yes but yes, we quickly learn the kids in our classroom and come up with and you can see to a certain extent what children are going to be a chat be challenging adults having those are the kids that you do watch out for, you do watch out for, and you make sure you're paying attention to how they're treating others in the classroom, and then of course, recess and and lunch are those places when they're away from the classroom teacher, are when a lot of those things take place, the bullying, and so then you're you're hoping for great people on the playground, and those are also paraprofessionals who keep you in tune with what's going on, you know, social socially with the kids.

SPEAKER_03 25:00

Yeah, and that did happen with Gregory on the playground because he always he had a certain place that he went to, and every I'm thinking of every school, every grade, he had a certain place he went to at recess, and there'd always be some kid that knew that, and so they would race to that spot. Oh no, it would be such a big deal, and I'd be like, why?

SPEAKER_02 25:25

Right, and that's just a mean thing to do, right?

SPEAKER_03 25:29

Yeah, yeah. So you have to just kind of look out for those things, but uh that's with all kids, I guess, right? You just always gotta look out for it. It just you're just more protective of them because he, first of all, we've talked about this, really didn't clue into bullying. I'm not even sure he knew that was bullying. He knew somebody was in his place, right? But um they really can't take up for themselves, I feel like they just don't know how to express themselves and and it gets it can get out of hand. He he has said a few choice bad words. Somebody I've had teachers waiting for me on the school when I pulled up. Oh no, but uh not knowing, you know, he didn't even know what he said, but he did say right, yeah. He was upset, yeah, yeah, because he was so upset, and they were like, you know, we know he didn't mean it, but you might want to talk about them can't really sell it to school.

SPEAKER_02 26:23

I'm like yeah, and then as the teacher, you pair them up with the kids that you know they're going to the other child is gonna be. That's a great idea for parents, yeah, it's great advice, just even when you're lining up, you're making sure that and and that's good information for a parent to give a teacher if they know that so-and-so is a good friend and would be helpful in the classroom and giving that information ahead of time because otherwise you figure it out, you know, right, you make sure it happens, and helping, yeah, and and be very, very um adamant about helping in the classroom.

SPEAKER_03 27:10

I don't know if they do that a lot anymore. I think they still do, and being active in your school during the day and meeting the other students is huge, yes, even with typical kids, but especially special needs kids, they know the parents are around, they know they're being not watched, but you're there for them, and it it makes a huge difference at every age. I saw it at every age, yes.

SPEAKER_02 27:34

I agree, I agree, just being that advocate more than I hate to call these, I don't know what to say, with regular ed kids. I I'm I've also lost touch with the politically correct terms because I'd be careful, right?

SPEAKER_01 27:54

We don't want to say this is this is free space, you know. We're unregulated, Jill. We're totally unregulated.

SPEAKER_02 28:03

Okay, but yes, having having and going on field trips, whatever you can manage, because of course some parents are both working, so they have less opportunity. Jesse was always present in the classroom, but he wasn't there as often as Michelle because right, because it was like and back in those days you did you hadn't started working another job, right?

SPEAKER_03 28:28

Right. Now I was doing Gregory, and that was all I was doing, but uh it was fine, but I I totally agree. The more hands-on you can be at school, do it because the more the teachers know you, the more the other students know you. I think your child becomes more accepted, and the more you're willing to help them learn about your child, because I got asked all the time, why does he do this? Why does he do that? And then you would explain it to them. Someone's not there 24-7 to explain to these children why your child is being pulled out. Why can't he be do this with us? And you know, and you're you're trying to really help explain it because it it needs to be it needs to be explained to these kids. I really do.

SPEAKER_02 29:10

I think it's yes, yes, and by being the parent who who openly talks about that to other kids, it also educates the teacher about their particular child and helps them, you know, make it a normal thing.

SPEAKER_01 29:30

Right. It wouldn't it be cool to be the parent who's who gets the note from the teacher that their child is the one that the teacher places the special need kids next to in line because they know they have the empathy and the understanding. I mean, those kids, I hope they I hope they get their recognition. That's pretty amazing.

SPEAKER_02 29:45

Yes, yeah, and that would be a that would be a conversation that you have during conferences, right?

SPEAKER_01 29:51

That's that's amazing. This para thing that, yeah. Is is this para thing? We've talked about it a few times, Michelle. Is this para thing or Jill, is this the hack for a parent? Because you get paid to be a para, right? I mean, I don't think you're gonna retire on it, but you get paid something to be a para, right?

SPEAKER_03 30:06

You get paid a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 30:09

But but if it's but can you be the parent to your own child? Is that allowed?

SPEAKER_03 30:13

Well, that's how it started for me. It was actually in Jill's classroom. Um, I just told him, and Jill's right, in the very beginning of the very first day of school, he does not have a para. That funding has to come in first for them to hire a para. So where I walked into the school, um I want him in the classroom, I want him mainstreamed, whatever it takes, I will come up here as well until you find somebody, you know, that you can hire, and I will do that. And so that's what I did. I did that for first grade, and then they hire somebody, that person takes over, and then they were like, Well, what are you doing? And then they hired me, and I worked with other kids in the school.

SPEAKER_01 30:54

Oh, and you paired for other kids, and I paired for other school, and and so if someone wants to be a para, is it are there a bunch of things you have to do to qualify, or how does it work, or is it different for every school?

SPEAKER_03 31:06

I mean, the middle schools, high schools, everybody has them, and they're always looking for people. I feel it, don't you, Jill?

SPEAKER_02 31:12

I mean, it's because most often it's a parent with a child at the school who wants to have that job. Because as Michelle said, it's not a you know, it's not a high-paying job. So that's usually how you start out when your kids are at the school.

SPEAKER_03 31:29

Or some of the high school kids will, if they work a half a day or what, they'll come down to the elementary if they're looking at being a special ed teacher and they want the experience, they'll come down and help.

SPEAKER_01 31:41

And we know so you get like an like you get like an internship, right? Right. Oh, that's cool.

SPEAKER_03 31:48

So yeah, but no, they're widely, widely needed as far as I know. And talking to my niece, and you know, that's currently they're always looking for paras.

SPEAKER_01 31:57

Yeah, we have a niece that's a that's a principal, and she's still she's a principal these days, right? Yes, she knows.

SPEAKER_02 32:02

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, and you know, the the thing that I'm worried about because now I have grandchildren and I want to be able to volunteer in their classroom. What has happened since COVID is I don't see teachers getting parents as involved in the classroom as they used to, and I don't know how to put a finger on exactly why. It's just not I remember sending home a volunteer calendar every month and asking parents to sign up and having them sign up to read to the kids and welcome welcoming them into the classroom. And I haven't got the feeling that since we went through COVID, that that's as prevalent. I mean, even yeah, and I hope I hope we get back to it because it's so valuable. So valuable. The parents get to learn what's happening in the classroom, and I mean, even for seniors and people who want to be around kids. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:12

That's the that's amazing. So I think getting those matching those people, those opportunities is is such a cool thing. Maybe we have to work on Michelle, like trying to figure out how to do that. Because you know, for a lot of parents, they've got two jobs, they've got other kids, it's just not feasible for them to be a para.

SPEAKER_04 33:27

Right.

SPEAKER_01 33:28

But they're but like you said, people that are freshly retired, um, people who can. Um, you know, we know a lot of social workers, and this seems like something that they would be interested in. So we need to do a para-recruiting episode, Michelle. There you go.

SPEAKER_02 33:41

And that's another way that a parent could be an advocate by let's say you have two working parents who have limited time to get into the classroom, but they have the grandparents. And if they can bring up the idea and advocate for that with the teacher as extra help, then maybe we can get that cycle going again.

SPEAKER_01 34:04

Yeah, that would be great.

SPEAKER_02 34:06

So fearful, I don't know of what after.

SPEAKER_01 34:09

Yeah, getting that communication. Well, I mean, it's just it's a little bit foreign, right? It's like we we have a joint venture with the Austin Independent School District, and it's taken us years to figure out with everyone trying to help us figure it out, just to understand the rules and regulations about um, you know, how to have someone go work in the school. And it just feels intimidating because these school districts have become so big, you know, they're they're huge budgets, they're large staffs, and I don't think that's anyone anything wrong. It's just it's just a complex organization, and it's feels like it can be inflexible, right?

SPEAKER_03 34:40

Just because of the harder harder and harder to help the kids, well, and liability and you know, blah blah blah.

SPEAKER_01 34:46

So so we'll have to get one of our, but we're we're pretty friendly with um some senior people in the administrations of uh public schools. So maybe that's giving us an idea, Jill, to bring in more people from the education side to to share more knowledge, yes, and just tap into that, those seniors that are living 40 years beyond their retirement, and still have lots of energy, absolutely, and lots of knowledge and patience.

SPEAKER_02 35:15

Yes, right.

SPEAKER_01 35:16

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 35:20

Yep, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 35:22

Well, that's all right, fantastic, Jill.

SPEAKER_03 35:25

Don't you jill we can go talk forever?

SPEAKER_01 35:27

We could. Well, thank you for helping, Gregory. Thank you for 21 years of teaching, that's amazing, and thank you for coming on the show. It's been fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 35:35

Thank you. Thanks for doing this, and I'll help you come up with new ideas too and new people.

SPEAKER_03 35:42

Perfect. Let's do it. All right, okay. You're recruited, and you're gonna make exactly what I make.

SPEAKER_02 35:50

Last of a pair of good cause spread the knowledge, right? Okay, thank you until the next time. That's right.