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#108 - Leadership Institute + Reflections
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Jia Lin-Bothe, our Director of Family Empowerment, is in conversation with two special guests from SchermCo's family empowerment work. Keiba Young is a parent from one of our partner schools last year and attended the Parent Leadership Institute training in March 2023.
In this episode:
This episode features Keiba's insights and reflections from this powerful training. Arleen Vargas joins us from Innovate Public Schools to share more about the upcoming Leadership Institute, taking place April 11-13, 2024.
Check out Innovate Public Schools' work here: https://innovateschools.org/.
Parent Leadership Institute
Speaker 1Hey, it's Greg. This is the Square Pizza Pod cooked up by Shermco.
Speaker 2Hey everybody, welcome back to another episode of the Square Pizza Pod. In today's episode, jielin Boithi, who is our Director of Family Empowerment at the Shermco Foundation, is in conversation with Kiba Young, who is a parent of a student in the Charlotte-Mickleburg system, and Arlene Vargas, who is the Senior Director of Consulting and Training at Innovative Public Schools. The focus of this episode is sharing insights and reflections from the first-ever Parent Leader Institute East, which happened last March of 2023. You'll also learn about this year's Leadership Institute, which is happening virtually from April 11th through the 13th, and you'll also hear from Kiba Young and Arlene Vargas, who are guests from SHRMCO's Family Empowerment Work. We hope you all enjoy this episode.
Speaker 3All right. Well, now we are live. Hello listening audience. My name is Gia Lentoti, I am the Director of Family Empowerment at the Shermkill Foundation and today I have two lovely ladies joining me at our Four Pizza podcast.
Speaker 4So I will let Kiba and Arlene introduce themselves. Good morning or afternoon, sorry. Wherever you are, my name is Kepa Young and I'm a parent of a middle schooler here in Charlotte, mecklenburg, north Carolina.
Speaker 5And hello everybody. My name is Arlene Vargas, I'm the senior director of consulting and training team at Innovate Public Schools, and I'm joining you all from Seattle Washington. So good morning and afternoon too, depending on where you are.
Speaker 3So we got West Coast and East Coast All right. So today we're here to, if Kiva can, share some insights and reflections from our first ever PLI East that took place last March I can't believe it's been a year already and something very exciting that's going to happen. Next week, April 11th to the 13th, we will have our Leadership Institute. It will be virtual, so that's why we're here today. So a little bit more background Sherm Co Foundation we help schools with family engagement, family empowerment efforts and through that work I'm able to meet great people like Kiba, great people like Arlene, and we are able to do so much and I'm like so grateful for everything that they do.
Speaker 3Last year we had the first ever in-person East Coast training for PLI, the Parent Leadership Institute. We had 48 participants from 14 institutes, 12 states and seven of our parents from the SHRMCO work completed the training and then last February we had six other parents who completed this pli parent leadership institute. And parent leadership institute is actually being rebranded into leadership institute, so I'm going to pass on to arlene to share more about this yes, thanks, gia, ah, and I am.
Speaker 5I'm wearing the shirts that we gave out last year at our Parent Leadership Institute, as you mentioned, our first ever in-person event in the East Coast. And so we actually did rebrand to the Leadership Institute, so drop the P. Because we thought that parent wasn't necessarily an inclusive term for all the folks that pour into a child's life, right, and we wanted to make sure that the Institute was inclusive to those folks as well. And it is really about capacity building, right, pouring into parents, advocates, childcare providers, to make sure that they have the tools that they need in order to be successful, to create, continue to create, the change not only in their children's lives, but in the community that they serve. So we went ahead and rebranded as the Leadership Institute Does not. We're still very centered around parents. They're still the forefront of the program and very much a part of the work that we're continuing to do.
Speaker 3Yeah, arlene, tell us more about the Leadership Institute. That's happening. This episode will be dropped on Monday at noon on Eastern time, so I guess later in the week for the listening audience and for those who are live listening right now, it's next Thursday to Saturday, and how many people do we have joining us?
Speaker 5Well, as of yesterday, actually, at 5, 5 PM, we had 84 participants and so we're we're waiting to, to waiting to get those numbers live, so the folks that are watching this live. You actually got a special opportunity because registration is still open. It is open till tonight at midnight, so it closes at midnight on Saturday, april 6th, so you still have time to join. It is a bilingual event, so we will have training in Spanish and in English, within language, and it's a special opportunity to one really network with 84 parents, child care providers, advocates across the nation to talk about how do we advance their educational journeys right, and Kiba, I know you were a part of that journey right Last year when we did it in person and we also had the lovely pleasure of doing a mini Leadership Institute with Shermco parents back in February, and now we get to bring folks back and talk about their own experiences, about how they've used the trainings to build teams right, to build confidence right, because part of our trainings is not just about what are the tools of organizing that a parent or a child advocate might need, but it's also about really knowing that you have the power to change things.
Speaker 5School board members work for you, principals, work for you as well, right, and so as this person that's advocating for their child with their child. Um, it's really important for folks to understand the power that they have, um, and then the immense power that we have collectively, right, that's been a very big part of the feedback that we've gotten many years and our secret sauce, I believe, here at Innovate, that we do get parents across the nation together and they say, wow, you're dealing with the same things, right, you're dealing with the same things that you're dealing with in Charlotte, in California, right in Denver, and how are we all advancing together to create this change in our communities? So I'm really excited to see 84 plus. I'm trying to hit a hundred today, gia, I'm trying to hit a hundred, all right.
Speaker 3I will try to help you get there.
Speaker 5Bilingual parents.
Speaker 3Thanks, that's awesome. So again, the training is in Spanish. It's also available in English. It'll go on at the same time. So if you don't speak English, please, or if you only speak Spanish, parents are able to access training. You don't have to be a parent to join this training. So, and how do people register for this training, arlene?
Speaker 5well, they register through a link we can put in the chat. It's on the leadership institute website on innovatepublicschoolsorg, and so you can access the registration from there until midnight, like I mentioned. And what one of the things that I wanted to bring into the space is like how we do the trainings. Right, I think it is really important to do in-language training, especially in communities like the community that I grew up in, right? I'm a child of immigrants and I always had to translate and be that interpreter for my mom at a very young age, and so I'm happy to see that the world is changing a little bit. Right To have more spaces for her to speak her language and feel like she is a strong advocate for herself not just me, you know, as a child at the time and so we want to bring that experience into our trainings to make sure that parents and advocates feel safe.
Speaker 5Right To talk, to speak, to know that these services are actually available and that the curriculum that we teach is not jargony. Right, like these are tools that I know community members are using, and so our job here is to activate that pathway of how are you using your tools to create that change, right? So just wanted to lift that up as a part of the way that we do our training, and maybe Kiba can talk a little bit about that. I know it's a virtual training, but, man, we do our training and maybe Kiba can talk a little bit about that. I know it's a virtual training, but, man, we bring the energy. We bring the energy. You will definitely feel inspired, you will definitely feel moved and challenged. Right, it's not just all comfort, but we have to get uncomfortable in order to be greater advocates in the community and organizers as well.
Speaker 3Yeah, we'd love to hear more from you, kiba. How you know, it's been a year, but if you can think back to your Parent Leadership Institute experience, how was that like for you?
Speaker 4just to piggyback off of Arlene just insert Arlene's exuberance right here because that what drew me is that they were excited for others to learn and to get involved. For me it boosts my confidence and the know-how to get things done within my son's school. Prior to this training, I want to say it was a mini college course actually. It should be in all courses. Actually, long ago it used to be a home ec class that should be part of home ec and of course, there's no more home economics. However, I was activated by the information shared during the PLI experience to run for a position within a powerful political action committee here in Charlotte and this committee whose members consist of the Black elected officials, black abolitionists, business owners, black parents and Black media personalities living here in Mecklenburg County. So I had direct access to the policymakers. Before I was a standard member helping with the treasury, the finance part, but never did I think I could run for a leadership position to actually affect change. But this training meeting the other parents, it just accelerated my know-how or my energy to do more, especially when it was put in simple terms, easy to understand. Simple terms, easy to understand, easy to apply, being able to apply the theoretic with the practical is always important for me, or for parents period, being able to show us visually and in writing how we can get things done, and it's a matter of just. It could be as simple as hello. I would like to speak with you about what I see happening for my son and what he may need to advance or have access to X, y and Z. And so that course.
Speaker 4It wasn't a scary course. I wasn't hesitant Once I got in the class and you walk in and it's hello, glad you're here. I'm like, wait, they have too much energy on a Friday. But that's what we experienced and it was throughout the course people who actually care, who were able to demonstrate that they care. It's one thing to say you care, it's another one to demonstrate it as well. So that's what I appreciated about the training and the people that you did have on staff who were relatable. It was someone I probably went to school with it, that girl next door. Um, it's, it's cool to have a PhD, but it's also cool to have a PhD in lived experiences.
Speaker 2So, yeah, I had a good time.
Speaker 5I keep. I just wanted, oh man, I'm like transported back into this time. I mean that that's like what keeps me in the work 15 years later, right, is like really seeing parents, people, leaders in the community like realize, like wait, I have that power to change things. That was me too, right? I as an organizer, I didn't know, I didn't know that I had that power within me. I started to just be like, yes, like you can do it, you can do this, and I really felt like I was taking that back seat a lot, and so it did take me even a personal journey to realize like, oh, I need to take my own seat at the table in order to to do this right.
Speaker 5Um, and, and what you're you're talking about, kiba, right, is that self-interest piece. It's radical, right, it's radical to have a conversation with someone nowadays in this individualistic society, not not just like hey, how you're doing right, but like hey, like this is how it's impacting me. What do you want? What's your legacy? What, what makes you angry? All of these things, like, all of those questions, are very radical. Um, and so we, we do disrupt. That's why I said is it's a little uncomfortable sometimes. It's like we do disrupt this like system, right, that we've lived in for years, right, that, um, we don't necessarily hold a mirror to ourselves up a lot, right, and so, um, I'm, it warms my heart. People they're like, oh, wait, what's going on? Um, because, yeah it, it should have that reaction like, wait, this is different, right, this is different right, this is something else. So I'm excited to shepherd 84 plus parents next week in the same journey Kiba.
Speaker 3Yeah, sounds like so. You know, kiba, parents like you, parents like Keturah, parents like Serena that you know, keep me in this work. That, hey, I need to find more parents to come to these trainings and they can do more, because you guys are in a day-to-day like I don't have kids, I don't. There are things that I don't know what's going on, but you guys, you as parents, you know exactly what's going on and you know how well we need to teach you how to advocate, but you can advocate for your students, and that's the meaning of all of this. And something else, arlene, to your point, I had to learn it's OK to be angry, it's normal to be angry because we're not OK with the current system, and that's why we need to build this power collectively and change, make great changes.
Speaker 5Yeah, well, I think that that's like the beauty of the work that I'm currently doing at Innovate, because we get to work with 20 plus states to do just that right To activate and organize alongside our partners. And specifically, shrmco Wanted to give you all an amazing shout out that out of those 84 folks, like you all are bringing 20 plus. I keep seeing registrants. So I'm like, yes, shrmco is killing it, and so that is the beauty of it, is the long-term impact that we get to see across the nation, because we're very clear, like we, we always say it takes a village to raise a child. That's true nationally.
Speaker 5Right, we have to be working in partnership. We have to be building up communities together, right, um, and capacity build so that, like, all children win um, and so that's like the really exciting piece and I've told Gia this many times like really having that special place in my heart with Shermco in particular, because I see I get to work closely with the coaching piece of like seeing how parents are, like having those light bulb moments and being, like you know, challenging me too. Right, it's not just a one-way street. I used to be a teacher, so I Kiba when you said, like it's good to have a PhD in lived experience. Yes, I've learned way more from the kids that I used to teach my own parents than I ever did from a book I read. That I used to teach my own parents than I ever did from a book I read Right, and so that's also keeps me into the work that it's always. It always feels like I'm learning something new and alongside I'm getting pushed by the folks that we organize with.
Community Leadership and Political Engagement
Speaker 3Yeah, and you know, kiba, you may not know this, but Arlene and I we chat quite often. I'm always like do you know Kiva's doing this great thing? Oh my gosh, you know what Kiva's doing and I'm just like so amazed and I'm so happy I get to share this, like all this stuff you've been doing, kiva, maybe let me give you the floor to tell the audience of all the great things you've done this past year, like oh my gosh.
Speaker 4So currently I am finishing my two-year term as the third vice chair of the Black Political Caucus. My title changed at work from resource director to department director. I attend more community events to network with policymakers. I am a member of the Mecklenburg County Superintendent Parent Advisory Committee and the Superintendent Strategic Planning Think Tank and then yesterday, vice President Kamala Harris made a visit here in Charlotte and I was there to hear about her actions that she's taking in response to climate change. So I'm in places where policy making is happening.
Speaker 4I can step right across the aisle and speak with the House of Representatives for my community and the city council for the at-large community, and being able to speak directly with the school superintendent and being in the same space of my son's principal who, when I was explaining my experience with PLI and how I learned to organize and how I learned to learn information, getting data about what the parents really wanted, and just being contacted by someone within the school, which was SHRMCO, to say, hey, we're here, we're planning this event. Would you be interested? And not only would you be interested, what are your thoughts on it? That had never happened for me as a CMS parent and being able to share that information in these think tanks, bring into the forefront. Hey, shrmco is an organization you should look at because not only did they help organize our parent-teacher association kind of collaboration, sending us resources that were community-based, free or deeply discounted information that parents like me could use because you are a working parent. However, if there are opportunities where I didn't have to pay for tutoring because this organization offers tutoring, that would free up so much money for me to either save it or in my reserves or do something else with my son.
Speaker 4So things like that, the little things, those little nuggets that I'm not certain if it was made up randomly or if it's part of their curriculum or guidelines. However, I've used that community resource letter to share to our 255 plus membership of the Black Political Caucus and they all love it. They share and share and share it because there's information about scholarships, about summer camp, jobs, economic development opportunity just a wealth of information that's happening here in Charlotte, where we do not have a one-stop shop place to receive resources because everyone and everything is doing something to improve our community, but having that in one place and me being able to share it with the policymakers so they can know that, oh, this is happening, oh, I need to take interest. And being able to have that contact information readily available where parents don't have to do a deeper dive to get to the information, that one click that right there. That did it for me, and I'll be forever grateful for PLI and SHRM code because it actually it changed my life. Not that my life was as boring, but now I live a more active and productive life and not only am I helping my son, I'm helping other kids by default Because, again, as an organizer, I can only organize for my self-interest and what's important for me and I can maybe guide another parent or perhaps they see the outcomes from what I'm doing and inspire through that.
Speaker 4However, I know that what I want for my son and it can be universal and I just go on that and get things done. And it's been happening. I haven't had any problems. I've been getting phone calls from the school for asking. It's a wonderful thing, because normally it takes a while to penetrate the school system from the teacher, from the teacher to the front office, from the front office to the superintendent's office. Now I just have that direct access. Who does that? Within a year, like it just happened, and I'm happy about it, and it's because of you all. Kiba, you did that in a year. A troublemaker or something.
Speaker 3Yeah, kiba, you did that in a year, less than a year.
Speaker 4Yeah, I was really motivated by it and I know I had commitments that I was supposed to do after I left the PLI training and that was to have one-on-one conversations with the parents that we I networked with and I did have a few, but then I was able to leverage that to get in that committee where the policymakers were and and from that I have access to them. Plus, whatever event we have, it's normally on the news, it's in the newspaper. So, again, more exposure to the issues, the challenges and the highs of what's happening in the communities. I believe I'm in a happy and safe place right now. I need to disrupt a little bit more by this being that season, that that the election season, and I look forward to doing something. I don't know what, how I'm gonna rumble it up, but it's coming.
Speaker 5I haven't gotten that far yet I feel I wish there was like reaction buttons. I just wanted to put some hearts up, right, because that's yeah, a year can change a lot, six months can change a lot, and so that's what you did, kiba you took a stand to disrupt.
Speaker 4I mean it was the energy I felt like it was. I was kind of I didn't have a choice because it was so much information and I knew it was. I'm like I can do that.
Speaker 4I could pick up a phone. I have a cell phone, I have a house phone, I have a work phone and I have an email, those free tools that I can use to to get the message across, and it it, everything I did. It worked. I mean, everything worked. I got quick responses and mainly the response was I did not know. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Speaker 4So it's not that the school does not want to help. Is that they were, were not in the know. You know, you don't know till, you don't know. You know what I'm saying, but yeah, but anyway, if I could revamp or even if I can enhance the PLI program, because you have so many different courses that a parent could take within those days that you have us and we had to pick and choose, I would have rather taken all the courses that you offered. So if it meant extending it from the two days to four days, I was willing to do it.
Speaker 4And actually that the subject matter, the history of education oh my God, I love that and I wish it was a longer session on that. But that was so helpful because you were able to see how far education has come. You were able to apply what happened in the past present and then what could possibly happen in the future, which is the future is us and we can make it how we want it to become, because we have that people power, we have those relationships. So if I could do, could do anything, I would all the courses everybody takes, all the sessions and I don't know, that's just me being greedy, but it's always good to learn new stuff and be full not gluttony, but just full of information so that I can have those tools to communicate with those leaders or policymakers, so that we can affect change.
Speaker 5Listen, kiba, I'm going to tell you we were talking internally to some of our staff members and who have been here for eight plus years with you, know we were talking about next week and they were like man, every time I go to Leadership Institute I get something new, like it might be similar curriculum, it might be like similar breakouts.
Speaker 5And we do, you know, we do. I judge it up here and there too, because, based on our audience, obviously and I think that's the beauty of training, right is, every time you go through a power session, a one-to-one self-interest, talking about house meetings, you do get to see something new, a history of education too. And so thinking about Leadership Institute as this ground, not just to be in alignment with new leaders, but also for you all to get even more of your cup filled, right, see things in different ways. So I'd be interested, keeva and Gia, right, right, like a year later, what, what, what difference would um, what different things would hit you, um, in a leadership institute this year that maybe didn't last year, right, and next year, and so forth. So it is like this, this um, this ground for not just like new folks, um, but for folks who have been doing this for a long time as well.
Speaker 3Oh yeah, for sure. You know, to me this is election year, so there's definitely different energy in the room, right Doing the election year versus not doing the election year, and also the parents who are in the room. They make it a different vibe and you're able to organize with your peers.
Speaker 5Yeah, and speaking of the election year too, right, like I know that in the in, like the past couple years, folks have been more politically engaged, right. And I think that election years are even more critical on the local level. Right, Because if we see the trends, right, Everything that something locally happens and maybe the state adopts and then the federal government takes it over, right. Perfect example is like the Medical Care Act, right. So I think that there is this responsibility that we all have to talk to people, not necessarily about who you're voting for, but like what do you care about? Right, what issues do you care about? And start the dialogue there.
Speaker 5So, whether you're a C3 or a C4, election years or any political moment in the community is an opportunity to grow that base, to talk to people, to engage in meaningful conversations. Cause I will promise you, I've done some door knocking and people are just shocked like oh wait, you don't want anything from me. I'm going to the poll, right, Like that's the first thing they say. I'm like, no, actually, no, I'm just here to talk to you, I'm just here to have this conversation. So disrupting, again disrupting the system, to be like oh, you wanna talk to me about what I care about. Like you, sure you don't want anything from me. It's such a meaningful act. So I do like challenge all of us, election year or not, to like go door knocking with a buddy right, Be safe about it, but talk to people, right. Like I feel like we don't know our neighbors anymore. I knew the people where I grew up in New Jersey, but like in Seattle, I'm like hi, neighbor, you know, but who are we in this world? I think it's important to know.
Speaker 4I agree. I agree we definitely can do better with voter turnout. Our voter turnout was dismal. So that is actually. My next project is to see how we can get more people to vote, whichever way they're going to vote, but communicating more on a mass level when to vote, how to vote, doing some public service announcements to let the community know that register to vote and voting day is this day. Early voting is that day. Sharing resources on how to get to the polls if they need rides or I don't know, making phone calls. That's what I'm going to be working on soon because it is needed. We did poorly for the primary here in Charlotte, but I believe we can improve those numbers with the right communication, the right one-on-ones. Knocking on doors I wrote that down on my notes. Knocking on doors I'm going to do that. I'm shy in real life, but I'll try that. Knocking on doors and see how that works out for me.
Speaker 3I will try that too. I need to get to know my neighbors. Let's start there. I don't know what my neighbor's names are.
Speaker 4I don't either, and I feel so bad. I've been here for like nine years, I think.
Speaker 5I mean, hey, it's a common, it's a common thing. But like, yeah, step one, right, my mom always says, like she can't live like in a secluded community because she, you know, she's alone. And so she's like, hey, I want somebody to be watching out for me too, right, and like, again coming back to that idea where we're supposed to be in community, like, that is it, that's the natural form that we were born into. Yet in society, like, we've been taught to be individualistic, keep to ourselves, right, somebody's in the elevator, get on your phone, Get on your phone, don't pay attention, you know. But that one act.
Speaker 5Like what happens if, like, you just say, hey, how you doing? You just say, hey, how are you doing, have a good one, right, um, and get more inclined to, uh, take that leap and keep up. Um, I'm also shy in real life. I'm not going to lie to you, so I get it. I know you're like, uh, are you sure about that? But no, but I think that I I still have this approach of being curious, right, so that helps me through my shyness. It's like I am actually curious about this person that's sitting next to me, um, because they have a complicated life just like me right and I want to. I want to get to know um folks. So that's what helps me through my shyness uh and um, and then you know, then you, you're just naturally you um at the end of it.
Speaker 3but yeah, like being curious, I think is important all right, we're about to wrap up our podcast here. Arlene, do you have any questions for Kiba? Kiba, do you have anything? Because I know we're going to play some parts of this episode during the next Leadership Institute. So, kiba, do you have anything to share with the 80 plus folks who are going to be watching you?
Speaker 4Absolutely, for the folks that's watching me. Listen, you're gonna have a great time. A lot of information is going to be shared, network, network, network. Share your stories. There's someone in that group who needs to hear it, and if you don't want to share your story, you can call me and I'll listen.
Parental Advocacy and Team Building
Speaker 5But have fun, really have fun listen, but have fun, really have fun. Okay, but I actually have a question for you, for you too. Like we talk about the first revolution is internal spoiler alert for those who are coming to the Leadership Institute next week but we talk about that, but what? How did that resonate with, Like during and after the institute? Like what? What are some things that you, you feel like you had to wrestle with?
Speaker 4Yeah, just my shyness I had to wrestle with. And also, if there will be whatever I did, how would that affect my son? You know, and I wrestled with that, how strong did I want to come in, how soft I wanted to be. And then I was like, what's the worst that can happen my son not get educated? That's never going to happen. He's going to be educated, whether the public school does it or private school. So that's what I struggle with.
Speaker 4What would happen with my son going into a school where there's a mom who's not happy with what? The services that she's receiving, or even the communications that she's receiving lack thereof? That's the only thing I wrestle the way. I'm not afraid about anything else but my baby and he being a child and can only do so much, you know, I can only fight for him so much if I know about it. However, just how that would play out and I'm glad I did take that into mind because it did happen there was some blowback with him and me being able to identify what was going on contacting the right people to explain what may have transpired.
Speaker 4When I tell you that stuff went away just like that, I was like, okay, imagine if I was a scary parent and then just stop there as a scare tactic, but nah, no, that wasn't going to happen. But yeah, that was one of the things people need to take into consideration. How is this going to look for their children? Would this change the landscape of their education? Who's going to be placed in their life? What teacher who's going to be aligning with? Who may perceive themselves as my opposition, whereas I feel like we're partners if we're wanting to educate children or we're in the education field, and I know you care. I just need to know how much do you care that my child succeeds and wherever you lack? That's when I need to come in as a parent and make sure we close that gap, so that was my internal struggle, but now I'm okay.
Speaker 5It's small to a giant at this point. Amen, I mean, I have a follow-up, if that's okay for both of you. Actually, like I know I talked a lot about like it takes a to to raise a child. Being in community is important, but how did you all see the importance of building teams with all of this? Because, kiba, you talked about how you were like I can only do this much, right, um, why, why? How did you all see that the impact of building teams play out in the work that you now do, a year later?
Speaker 4For me it was more so. That united front, the power of numbers, the power of influence that comes with the people who are beside you. Actually, I knew about that, but but knowing about it and being about it and being in, in intertwined with it is totally different. So me saying hi, I'm kiba, I'm a parent okay, that's one person. But now I say hi, I'm kiba, that's one person. But now I say hi, I'm Kiba, I'm with the XYZ organization, who does XYZ, and we have 255 members, and I'm also with XYZ and we have this amount of people who I have direct access to.
Speaker 4This is our cause and it was more effective. It just made more sense Oops, it just made more sense. Coming with the numbers, the following and people tend to notice you when you have those numbers, a lot of policies are changed. When you have 10,000 people versus 10 people at a city council meeting or a school board meeting, it affects change. So it was very important. Actually, that's the muscle of it having the people. That's the muscle that's like okay, she means business and she can convince these people not to vote for us, or not to go this route.
Speaker 4So that's a game changer if you want something done, having those numbers. So that's how I knew it was important to get a strong team and even though I have this 255 people, those 255 people are attached to 245,000 residents here in Mecklenburg County. So, yeah, here in Mecklenburg County.
Speaker 3So like yeah, yeah, well, kiba, you spoke a lot about like just that power. That's great For me. It's more about yeah, I'm one person and I get tired. This work is tiring. This work is like I love what I do, but it is tiring. At the end of the day, it's hard work. Right, it's not hard work. It's hard work. Your heart has to be in it and I just need a cheerleader, like I could be the cheerleader. I need somebody else to be my cheerleader when I'm tired and that's how we just keep going.
Speaker 3That's what I see in building teams. I need somebody else to lean on when I'm not feeling my best today or, you know, just having that person.
Speaker 5I hear both of you right, like just one, the, the power that comes with um. Knowing that, like, for example, today, right, I'm not just Arlene. Right, I am a part of an organization Innovate Public Schools of 30 plus employees that get to work with 20 plus states across the country. Like, that is the power that I bring to the table. Right, and Kiba, you talked about that too right, it's not just about you, it's about the, the folks that you are representing together right across the table. Um, it does bring that organized people perspective, which is an important piece of power. Um, so like to build power. Right, we need that.
Speaker 5But, gia, also is the the point that you made is also important within those groups, right, how are we taking care of each other? How are we saying, actually, it's okay for you to step back right now, we got this because we are actually a team of 10 and 15. Right, it's not just a team of one um, so that sustainability piece is really important too, and that's like something that you know they say organizers are trying to organize themselves out of a job. Right, because part of it is we have to create, we have to make this work sustainable. It's long-term work, it is hard and hard work to build relationships, to get uncomfortable, to push back, to really hold folks accountable, but the beauty of it is that it works right.
Speaker 5It works when folks are faithful to the organizing cycle, to use their tools and what they've learned to win right. And the win sometimes is like man, this person who, like, would never public speak, is now like leading our action. Right, that's a big win and as much as like hey, we've passed this like $200 million budget right for tutoring. So like there's a range of wins, but we do have to celebrate all, and so that's why I wanted to take a moment to celebrate you both in the wins and the things that you all have done within a year and beyond. Right Like this just didn't start at the Leadership Institute right, it started way beyond that. So just really appreciate being a part of this podcast today with two powerful women.
Speaker 3Three. We're all three very powerful women. All right, we are on the square pizza pot, so I got a rapid fire question for each of you. What does square pizza remind you of?
Speaker 4Like a time capsule. You're reflecting on what happened and what's happening. That's what it reminds me of, that reflection where you can get to sit back and think about, okay, what really happened. Now that you're not in the class right now, you've had a chance to experience back and think about, okay, what really happened. Now that you're not in the class right now, you've had a chance to experience it and absorb it. I think of it as like a time capsule, a reactionary period of something that happened and what did you do afterwards? You know like COVID, covid happened and what happened afterwards. Or you know, the space shuttle went up and then what happened afterwards One of those piece, that, that one year piece. So that's what I look at it, as I'm not certain if that's the right answer, but that's what I see it, as a time capsule reaction.
Speaker 5I love that. I love that. I think, yeah, I think that we should just stop there, because my answer is very much based on the fact that I'm hungry. My answer was it reminds me of Detroit style pizza, Because Detroit style pizza is kind of a square, it's deep dished and so that's also what it reminds me of. But very it's been a reflective space. Square podcast a square pizza podcast has definitely reminded me of a reflective space, how it's important to step back and evaluate. But yes, I am also now thinking about Detroit style pizza.
Speaker 4And me too, now that you you've introduced it, I've never heard of Detroit style pizza Chicago.
Speaker 3I'm about to look it up yeah, everyone now go get your.
Speaker 5We should be sponsored by Detroit all right.
Speaker 3Well, thank you all so much for joining us.
Speaker 4Thank you for having me. I appreciate this opportunity to give my little reaction to your time capsule moment last year. This time I appreciate it. I'm a big fan, by the way, I'm a big fan of both of you. I talk about you a lot like as if you're my own family. It's good stuff, it's good to talk about good stuff, and it's given or I received it from good people, so it just works for me. So, yeah, thank you, you're welcome. You're welcome.
Speaker 5I'm also eternally grateful for both Gia and Kiba. I mean, kiba said it the best we're constantly talking about you all and not just talking in relationship, right. I think that's like also true, kiba, like that feeling of family, because we've been through an experience together, right, and we're committed together, so just really grateful to be a part of this experience with both of you as well.
Speaker 3Yeah, thank you both. You know I'm so excited for the 80 plus folks who are about to do the Leadership Institute training because, oh my gosh, I'm just excited and I can't wait to see what they are going to bring. And a year from now, like, where are we going to be? And also a year from now, kiva, where are you going to be?
Speaker 4You never know. You know feeling presidential now no, but yeah, we never know, you never know. You never know who would have thought. So, yeah, I think I'm in a good space to affect change.
Speaker 4I believe I'm in the perfect place to affect change and I'm activated and always if I see an opportunity to speak up or to bring someone in, I do, I do. I do leverage what I learned at PLI and I share information from Gia's newsletter as talking points. People think I'm so cool and so knowledgeable and I don't change that. I don't disagree with them, but it's because of Gia.
Speaker 3Well, I am going to leave it there on a great note now.
Speaker 1Thanks so much for checking out the square pizza pod making a few selfish requests. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave us a review on apple podcast. It helps spread the word about the podcast and share this with a friend. We appreciate it, thanks.