No broken children—only broken systems, starring Kareem Weaver
Meet Our Guest(s):
Meet our guest, Kareem Weaver.
Kareem Weaver is an award-winning educator and community advocate with extensive experience leading schools and systems in district, juvenile justice, and managed-care settings. His advocacy is featured in the 2023 documentary The Right to Read.
Kareem has worked with the Council of the Great City Schools, the College Board, and the Ontario Human Rights Commission on literacy as a civil right. He has offered diagnostic support to districts, states, and educator preparation programs; presented at over 100 conferences, departments of education, universities, and community organizations; and led field visits for system leaders, all in service of bringing clarity to the literacy crisis and illuminating the most productive path forward so that all children have access to Full and Complete Reading, which is a Universal Mandate (FULCRUM). He is the current second vice president and education committee chair for the Oakland NAACP.
Meet our host, Ana Torres.
Ana has been an educator for 30 years, working in both the K–8 and higher education sectors. She served as an administrator and instructor at various public and private colleges and universities and as a bilingual and dual language teacher, dual language math and reading interventionist, dual language instructional coach, assistant principal, and principal in K–8 schools. Ana is currently the bilingual and multilingual specialist on Amplify’s product specialist team, and delivers literacy and biliteracy presentations across the nation. Ana’s passion and advocacy for biliteracy and multiculturalism has led her to educate leaders, teachers, and parents about the positive impact of bilingualism and biliteracy in our world.
Meet our Classroom Insider, Eric Cross.
Eric Cross is a middle school science teacher who hopes to someday be a lifelong educator, like the guests on Beyond My Years! In each episode, Eric connects with host Ana Torres to discuss her guests’ best insights gleaned from their long and rewarding careers in the classroom. Then, Eric talks about bringing some of their wisdom into his current classroom and busy life.
Transcripts and additional resources:
Quotes
“I’m at the age now where I really don’t have much patience for things that aren’t gonna make a difference.”
“We can busy ourselves doing a lot of other things, but when you learn to read, your life trajectory changes drastically.”
“Where do we want our young people to go? What opportunities, what paths do we want them to have access to? Reading is a gateway for life.”
“If you can’t grow people, what are you doing in a seat? If you’re an administrator and you can’t grow teachers’ practice, then you’re a manager, not an administrator.”
“Hope is wonderful, but that’s not a strategy. You have to be very specific about what you’re going to fix, what you’re going to address, and what you’re going to master.”
“There are no broken children; there’s broken systems.”
“Self-care has gotta be on the front of the agenda, not the back burner. Many educators, we just are so busy in the grind of teaching and learning, we forget.”
“ Being prepared in so many aspects of life outside of the classroom makes you better in the classroom.”