Donna Johnson and Sherri Teer

00:02 My name is Donna Johnson. I'm 38 years old. Today's date is Wednesday, April 21st, 2021. I'm in Bossier City, Louisiana, and I'm here with my storycorps one. Small step partner, Sherry.

00:22 Hi, my name is Sherri teer. I'm 4 years old today is April 21st 2021. I'm in Shreveport, Louisiana and I'm here with my storycorps one small step partner, Donna.

00:40 Jealousy. Want to make sure I grew up and where will Texas unlike many other students in rural, Texas, attended High School, where being white make me a minority the demographic among students, both and race. And a fluency was very diverse. This experience shaped my life immensely. As I learned to Value people, for who they are, not what they are. This experience, was invaluable in extraordinary, to me because it home, I was immersed in a racist culture, which included violence speech and action.

01:18 So did you have questions for me based on that fire? Cuz that's actually had some for you based on yours to show me for me. Yeah, I am curious about first. I'd like to know where you went to school in Texas as not so there are seven hundred and fifty-two people in my town and in my graduating class, there were forty two kids. Something. It's really interesting about my town. Is it? I guess maybe 1928, I could be wrong on that date. There was a natural gas explosion and I'm proud of that explosion natural gas was not amused with the snow. So that actually really destroyed my town about over 200 children or were killed in the explosion, the school there exploded. And so that had an enormous of

02:18 Text on, you know, the community, the community really disperse after that explosion. So it went from being like, you know, a town with baby 10,000 people in it to, you know, much, much smaller. So, my town is kind of History.

02:34 That is very interesting coming here today. What were you hoping to get out of this experience of our conversation together? Or I really was interested in storycorps when I heard their mission of building Community really, you know, making connections.

02:56 I feel that I can be really close minded. To be honest with you when it comes to people who are different than me and just the political landscape that we've been living in from the last in the last few years, has really brought up some things in me that I'm not really okay with, you know, and I do think they come from just having that upbringing, that was, you know, it's really kind of being pulled in two different directions and I would really like for some of my old thought patterns, maybe about people that were different than me to change and for me to learn how to be a little more open-minded to other people. How would you describe your political spot down in your own words to where you are today?

03:42 I am a pretty, liberal thinker.

03:46 Compared to my upbringing, my friend group is extremely liberal and all of their politics, you know, and

03:57 That can sometimes be really difficult for me. For example, most of my friends are really for, you know, extreme gun control and I'm not because I did grow up and roll East Texas with, you know, a father and a mother who took me hunting on a deer lease, you know, so that kind of makes me really different than the group of people. But, you know, I'm surrounded with

04:21 So I just don't really, to be honest with you. I don't really identify completely with the ride and completely with the left or completely was being liberal or conservative.

04:34 Sounds like you're an independent. Do, you know, I would definitely say that's where I'm at. That's a really hard place to be. I can see that. And how do you think maybe your upbringing? We're like, you described in your bio. You were between two worlds. When you went to school, you felt as if you were the minority and then when you came home, you did you were an environment where racism was present. So could I could maybe that dichotomy of existence, create that independent thinker you are? Yeah, you know, I also

05:14 Also got a full plate academic scholarship to college. So I made him sit in there and I got a full scholarship to the school there and I double majored in Psychology and philosophy. So I just really became kind of a deep thinker, you know, and also felt really really violent, you know, of against a people who are different than me against the other and I was surrounded by people who were different than me and my family wasn't really experiencing being immersed in the same culture that I was and that violence in my home and seems so ugly compared to the camaraderie. I had with people at school, who were so different than me, you know, my school is really small. So we all have the opportunity to really get to know each other and that we were all involved in the same activities over and over again with each other, that make sense. Absolutely.

06:14 No, the people for who they are and my parents really didn't get to have that opportunity, you know.

06:23 Those people that you got to to be around in your parents at home. If you had to say and maybe it's one some or none of those individuals you talk about, who would you say is the most influential person in your life? And why?

06:44 Even if I have to, I have to hook, you know, my story is kind of complicated because the most influential person in my life is my father who you know, really displayed some pretty ugly behavior for me and my childhood and you know sharing some of his personal beliefs with me, but he also really in the field in me that I can do anything but I think I can you know, I have a lot of confidence, not really believe in myself and I've been really successful, you know, because of a lot of the other good things that he did and still in me.

07:20 That's amazing. It's crazy really. But I'm really beautiful. I guess in a way it is, every little girl should have a ability to find Value in the lessons from a father. So that's amazing with some of the things that you wrote. Let me see if I can get to that. So, you said, I am a mother of two.

07:53 Divorce that a divorced single mother in college administrator. I come from Blue Collar, Southern Roots. I believe in hard work and making your own way about pulling up your bootstraps. I have visions for the future of society in education.

08:10 They rely on a sense of Reliance accessibility, and Sweat Equity.

08:17 So I was a teacher for 15 years and Elementary School teacher and I'm so intrigued by what your Visions are for the future of education and Society solutely. I too was a teacher from Shreveport. Louisiana graduated from bird married and are men off the Texas. We went, we went to Wichita Falls Texas. There's an Air Force Base there. My finish my degree in education and I too was a high school English teacher. And, you know, life happens boomeranged back here to Shreveport Bossier. And as life happens, family, changes and dynamic go along with that switched professions from secondary, education to higher ed, and I could share a little bit about my

09:17 That made me ready to to make that change, having taught and small-town Texas. Then returning to Louisiana, where the demographic of student is very different than the small town that I was in in time. And that job that I came into I was teaching 9th grade repeaters. So, that would be an interesting student group. As far as maturity, the school I was in it was the demographics were such that I do with the minority though. I was a teacher but I was there to help. I was there to help the students. We just made me realize it was my heart couldn't take it anymore. Was the day that one of my students was arrested in my class.

10:08 This particular student was, when I taken to, I could tell he needed, help. He needed a little extra encouragement, keys and needed, school supplies. And so, I took it upon myself to take him under my wing, give him. Support cuz I could tell he wasn't getting it from anywhere else. If one morning, I was in front of the class teaching about Sharon's and the school resource officer opens the classroom during and came in and asked if he could speak with that student and he approached the students desk and proceeded to stay in the student up and put handcuffs on him in front of the 30 other students in that class.

10:53 And marched him out and close the door behind him. And there I sat with the rest of the students looking at me for answers. Like, I was supposed to know what just happened. The last thing they wanted to do was learn about Sharon's and that was the last thing I wanted to talk about. It. And I just knew then that I my heart couldn't take that choice to move to higher ed in an environment where I'm working with adults, not to say that. There aren't struggles that adult students face, but they're more independent than stay a night. Great repeater, where I'm a tempting to, you know, help mold them. So,

11:43 Yeah, that's that's kind of my experiences as a teacher and how my family last shifted and changed, but right from the Cherokee Park Elementary School in Colorado and Wyoming started teaching here in mooringsport. Then I moved those other places.

12:14 Anyway, when I came back to Shreveport, I started teaching at Cherokee Park Elementary School and I caught the 6th grade there and really can identify with what you're saying about those ninth graders.

12:26 I had a student whose probation officer came over and arrested in front of my sixth grade class, and I had a really a lot of other just disturbing experiences with the parents at the school.

12:54 Yeah, and those experiences definitely shaped how I feel about the classroom, the things that that the kiddos need, the things that those students need and said that Future Vision for Education that I was talking about. I think the pandemic, anything about this, you and I both had those experiences in the classroom and as much as it made us nervous in our hearts may be hurt for those students. They were living those experiences and during covid.

13:29 Who knows what they're learning experiences were like something. I thought about a lot because I've had experience teaching and very affluent neighborhoods. And then you know, the opposite working and up places that are just really stricken with prom and profit poverty is how different the education for those two groups of students needs to be. And what I saw is a teacher is the same exact curriculum being given a to each of these groups of students. Like, they're not being much different eation and what was going on and the difference, the different types of classrooms, you know, and I really didn't see that working very well at all like for an exam. For example, in the title 1 school. I feel like there needs to be more focused on teaching social skills and in a school in Colorado where parents are doing things like social, engineering or software engineering, you know, the parents have kind of a, a better educational background.

14:29 I just feel like those two experiences for students should be different. Do you see what I'm saying? Those things could be different. You know, that something like that. In a fair way. I haven't not. Not in the ways that you described a man is certainly, we attempted, you know, the teacher, we attempt to meet every student where he or she is in terms of what do they need academically, but socially, and for Progress beyond the academic classroom, how do we meet them where they are? I had a really good when you think about even Maslow's hierarchy of needs until students really understand how they interact with each other and are having their needs met. You know, they're not really set up for learning.

15:20 Yeah, that makes sense. I think there's sort of issue show up and higher education. They do sometimes in a college and a lot of times is about adjustment for this traditional student. How they adjust from, a water, hose being dependent. And in a home, where their supervision to more of an independent lifestyle that transition? How well, they adjust to self regulating. Yeah. I'm trying to get up and get to where you need to be on time. How you find your your next meal? And so if a lot, depends on how well student suggest also have the opportunity to work with non-traditional students, a great deal. And I stay non-traditional by and large. Those are adult Learners, who have

16:20 Maybe competing priorities, maybe they have children their caregiving for other family members. They have full-time jobs. There beyond the traditional college or not campus dwellers. If you will, and do the struggles. For those students are very real and and what I see it by enlarging that population is individuals who have lived and realized that the opportunities are still there and they're choosing to better themselves. And so that was part of my reason, switching to high red button, large the students in higher ed. Want to be a motivated or motivated. And they want to be at school. Where is in K-12?

17:16 So who's the one, who's really influenced you and your life? There's several several people who have influenced me. If I had to say 1 probably my mother is going to solid steady force in the very beginning and has instilled in me. A lot of the values that I have as an educator. I think my steps to help people whether that, that repeater ninth-grader or in a fifty-year-old adult, who's decided to finish your degree. They started long ago that that need to help others, achieve whatever it is that they're attempting to achieve my mom and still dad and me for sure. The sense of hard work. I do I come from a blue-collar family and why mom gave me that the heart to serve.

18:14 I think my dad's work ethic and his his constant Devotion to providing. And like I said, Sweat Equity gave me the drive to work hard. So hard. I will say this push so hard through work and school, you know, I mentioned life happens family Dynamics happen. I really feel like I focus so hard and far on work and not Sweat Equity that for a while. I neglected that nurturing side of myself that long had instilled and so kind of like you trying to find that middle ground between the two. That balance between the two things is somewhere that I'm trying to be right now.

19:10 That stuck out me to in your bio that you really seem to have an appreciation for hard work and I really do too and I find that sometimes if I feel that someone has more privilege than me or has been given things more freely than I have that I can get kind of a bit of a resentment toward them or till maybe a little less than, does that ever happened to you. And if it does kind of how do you deal with that?

19:38 Absolutely, it it does happen that we see good things happen to others around us than we think. Where is our good. I work just as hard or just as much for a while. I don't know. If you're familiar with the animal farm the novel, there's a character boxer is his name and his motto was I will work harder. I will work harder. And so, and I said, I was returning to school and choosing career paths, and be my friends and others around me who had already advanced and seeing the ways that they were finding those benefits. If you will that come freely to others whether earned or not. I thought I'd make my way by working harder. And I can say that work hard work does pay off and, you know, doctor

20:38 And as a divorced single mother. So sometimes we have no other option, but to work harder I try though, not to let it make me bitter toward those who have more. Because I know that a lot of people who get me and on that same person to them. They sent, I have more product to keep it in perspective. Right? I was actually thinking about that too as I was riding out the questions that I had for you and kind of reflecting like, you know, when I look back on my experience at Cherokee Park, I can really see how

21:19 Just people's perspective of me would be different, you know, based on their own experiences.

21:26 I think you have self-awareness in those situations helps.

21:31 Definitely said something about accessibility in education. Does that kind of show up in your work and secondary or in higher education? Absolutely accessibility if you think about the pandemic but there you were a kindergartener or a grad student. We were all thrust into the digital modality of teaching and learning that created this digital divide of The Haves, and the Have Nots and accessibility whether that's from a disability or socioeconomic hindrance, bringing education to everyone, regardless of where and who, and how they are.

22:22 It's a great equalizer. And so the more we can push forward to support educational attainment in those down, day school year, particularly when they're after even in a really liked, what you said, Sherry about, how can we individually eyes are educational experiences for those students who need more than just the academic content? Well, I really heard what you were saying. No about I think you said that you felt like your heart couldn't handle it with the 9th graders and you know, I'm in a transition right now. I recently, I resign my position as a teacher for a variety of reasons. And I'm actually really kind of struggling with that right now because, mainly, my heart has been in teaching because I really want the help and I valued my education so much and I, and you can see, why did because of what you do, you know, you've heard me say about my background, so it's really hurting. It's really just

23:22 It's heart-wrenching for me right now. I just really want to be a part of being a help. Like, I want to be in the trenches as they say, you know, I want to help as much as I can, but it is really, really hard. I can't go home with my students. I can't make sure my parents is parents help with her homework. I can't make sure they're getting the food. They need, you know, in the 15 years of just that stress can really wear on you. But like I said, it's hard to let it go because I so badly. Want to continue to help.

23:56 But I also want to just pursue some of my other dreams that are just really about me. You know, I absolutely know. I absolutely have an acronym that a mentor of mine shared with me. This is years and years ago, but the acronym is deep pot pots part of the solution.

24:32 But yeah, I would like to look and see what some of the other questions I had for. You were what, what do you mean by Sweat Equity, Donna? That's hard, work, Sweat Equity, you put in the the work and it's Equity. He would get a return on that in my life. Gosh, whether that was child-rearing my own education, my self-improvement that Sweat Equity, it pays off helping others through education and work and stealing trying to instill that same idea to up. You can do this and it'll be worth it. Is it has been a labor of love for sure. So, anything worth having is worth working for motivation, for wanting to do this?

25:32 What did you hope to get out of it? Well, this is very transparent. A lot of times when I listen to storycorps. I'm inspired by the stories that I hear and I was hoping for inspiration and a time where we need one small step to come together. I was also hoping to learn more about somebody to either think like me or differently from me because that's part of that one. Small step is being able to connect with others regardless of where they're coming from. Well, what a could you tell me a little bit about your political beliefs? Absolutely kind of similar to yours. I'm in an area where I have some beliefs. In some ways that I go about my living out, my belief system that are very conservative and nature yet others aligned with more.

26:32 Liberal stance and so somewhere in the middle, but I lean more toward conservative because that's based on the values that I was taught you in my home growing up and religion, played a large part in that order for me at least to Define what those beliefs and belief systems were.

27:11 So could you tell me about a time or just a situation where you felt misunderstood about bus someone else about your beliefs?

27:21 That's an interesting question to me. That is misunderstood by someone because of my beliefs are just in relation to your beliefs. I know that happens to me a lot because of being in the middle and just really feel misunderstood. I can see that you're probably feeling misunderstood on both sides. Yes, actually.

27:58 What's a a time? I was misunderstood about my beliefs. Okay, often know. I, I married my high-school sweetheart was a man, are had met a boy at school. And as soon as I was of age Android.

28:24 I married him. So I was 18 years old, but according to my belief system marriage and that commitment. I know that's what happened parcel to joining with someone. And so, my options based upon my belief, systems were either continue and Go off to college and leave this person behind or marry this person and we join lives. And we figure out how to move forward from there. And so, my family was supportive, my friends were not because how many 18 year olds like, for their friends? Getting married at eighteen. I wasn't super common. When we were growing up, right? No, no, not at all and you're interesting enough that me.

29:24 Best Buy for 17 years do time. Yeah. Yeah.

29:32 Right wrong or indifferent. I followed my beliefs and made that decision and there were those who supported at but then those who thought I was absolutely crazy looking back. I think I was absolutely crazy cuz I have an 18 year old son now and sixteen-year-old daughter and to think of them being ready for that type is scary, crazy and I are getting married. And you know, I I went right the college. It seems like we made, you know, I just, I did not enjoy living with my family and growing up with my parents, you know, so I just it was always one going to call it. I'm going to be very independent never been married. You know, I just

30:27 Really wanted to reveal from that. So I kind of went in a different direction. But now that I'm older, I really found myself getting back to kind of

30:37 You know, more of, I have much more appreciation for for the fact that I did grow up in. I guess I'm just going to say it bluntly. I feel really even though it was just a dysfunctional. I feel really glad that I grew up being a going to church, cuz there is so many things that I learned about that. I wouldn't have and, you know, just being involved in church is such a big deal in the community.

31:02 You know, so it is still very involved in your church. Well pre-coated. We're working back that direction now, Lily wasn't listening to you, being thankful for that. Grounding me to, we received growing up. It brings to mind. One of my very favorite quotes for my kids is my child. I wish for you to things to give you roots and give you one. And so it sounds like you have both. You have that grounded kind of mindset that you're sounding. Like you're thankful for now, but you were ready to head to head out and Take On the World on your own. Did they go to school in Shreveport or Bossier?

31:52 So when we returned from taxes, did a little homework on the schools and we landed in Bossier. For the reason of schools. They went to WT Lewis, greenacre an airline. But here's what's interesting. They both started at Airline high school and that high school has. Wonderful teachers that are the demographics are mixed is a mix of the city and both involved in sports and things as covid approach. My son, who is the oldest opted to jump into virtual High School through Bossier, high school and begin doing his course work online. So much. So he graduated a semester early. So he stayed against it and completed quickly my daughter saw and followed suit. She said to graduate

32:52 This December. She's only 16 so their educational experiences.

32:59 Are seven taxes them here in Louisiana? Some in the classroom, and now during the dependent MC virtual, but they excelled with that virtue. So good. So like, like we were saying meeting the students where they are the students of Jacob in. And I go into the virtual classroom really broke down the barriers where they had to stay on Pace and on point with all the other kids in the same room with them and they were able to get what they needed, so that they can progress at their own pace and some serious, have that experience, and then other stones,

33:38 Are you excited about your daughter will? Actually, it's not what I wanted to ask you. What I wanted to ask you is as a parent. Did you see a lot of differences in education that your kids are getting in Texas vs? Louisiana? Absolutely. Absolutely. When they moved from small-town taxes even to A-1 all the schools in Louisiana, and I'll if you look at educational ranking for working hard to improve that, but it is highlighted when you have kids who go from in a very strong performing school system into one of the lower performing states in the US so much do in the kiddos moved here. They were grade levels ahead. Yeah. I actually had the experience of I went for one semester two High School in Denham Springs, Louisiana, and those children were so much farther.

34:36 They were those classes were way behind what was happening in my classes in Texas and I guess ever since then that's just I guess when I really got interested in education, I really think that education is the answer to a lot of the social problems that are happening in Louisiana is poverty and when you look at the demographic around who is living in these poverty neighborhoods, like I just think we're doing such a disservice when I'm expected to teach the children at Cherokee Park, the same as the kids at W.T., Lewis, those kids at Cherokee Park. Need a whole different set of skills, and it is not impossible. Just so possible to make a difference. It's just

35:19 I just really wish I knew how, you know, and I wish there was like some kind of think tank here to develop ideas and ways to implement them. I just see so many students in places like, Cherokee Park with so much potential and it's just so not fair. When I went to a friend's house, whose children go to WT Lewis and I walked in her home yesterday. There were books everywhere. Her children came in bouncy and happy from elementary school and wild. Have you ever heard of the Matthew effect? The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Yeah. Yeah. They taught us that in graduate school and I just see that all the time and I just really wish there was a way to change that here in our community. And this is so interesting, hearing, you say that, share that that difference between the Haves and the Have Nots again, obvious with the co visit relations and then have knots when we look at it in higher ed their last of the Haves and

36:19 Have not and different campuses cater to different different Target audiences. And there's some college campuses that are all about that traditional college experience. There are colleges that are geared toward trains, like our community college system, in our state and then yet, again other institutions that may be a four-year institution, but are also gearing programs for those non-traditional students stuff. Like you're saying us, Think Tank how to meet those kiddos where they are. We have a think tank at the state level for adult Learners and it's called the adult learner. And I have the pleasure of being on that Community where we're attempting. And and this is the words of our University of Louisiana system, president to create the most educated population in the state of Louisiana history.

37:19 With this initiative called compete LA and so droopy Dale. And I are again, is, it is a labor of love and one of those opportunities to serve doesn't here at my heartstrings, like having a good thing. But we are marketing and strategic academic programs are reaching to those adult Learners in our state, who have some college credit, and no degree were knocking down. Those barriers for them to return mother that Financial or location or time were knocking down. Those barriers one at a time for them to do you work with the Louisiana to what is it called? The Louisiana Workforce Commission. I do I do some partnership work with them, but not a ton with Pete ale initiative.

38:18 I'm going to look into that. That's very interesting compete, la.

38:25 Yes, compete LA to create the most educated population. In the state of Louisiana history. We have $650,000 adults in our state with some college credit and no degree. And like you said, Sherry that education. Educational attainment is the 2/12 safety to a lot of positive life after working in that environment Cherokee Park. I met so many moms who were really struggling to get an education and to show their kids, but things could be better for them. But they were also single parents or they just didn't have. The means to pay for school to help your kids with your homework. You know, it just seemed all fit in Hopeless for them. So I just

39:17 I have just very pleased to hear what you're saying, and again, being a single mom that Sweat Equity as in their struggle, not down as barriers.

39:31 You know, I do not have any children. I have no idea what it's like to be a mother. It seems so hard when I was teaching. I just resigned my position about 3 months ago. I just had so much admiration for teachers. You could go home and be Mom's after basically being a mom all day. Because that's really what you are as a teacher, or your mom, your sister here. Like you're every woman that song is always stuck in my head. So I just have so much admiration for you. And you know, what do

40:04 Whether I'm sure you've instilled the importance of Education in your children, right, you know, it's interesting to this shift in education and how we're learning that we can learn and see differently both of my kids finishing up the way that they have through. Virtual means they are very hungry to learn but they want to learn things that are relevant and goes against a lot of the things that I stand for when it comes to designing curricula and degree plan, because that math major

40:49 It makes them more well-rounded to have that music station class. Now. Will they have to feel like our specific generation or generation? Maybe I feel like we're really being pushed into a huge transition in terms of work and education right now because, you know, I went into the school system after college and this was it this is what I'm going to do. And now that I'm out here, looking for a job. There's things like freelancing and

41:21 You know, temporary work and that's just how it's going to be. Now. It's kind of scary to transition into a world that it's not just, you work for this company and that's what you're doing until the very end. You know? Yeah, I think like you and I've called it institutionalized because my entire professional career, I have worked for a state, whether it was Texas or Louisiana, my ex-husband worked for the Department of Defense, our family and our livelihoods were institutionalized. It was safe if you will but now you're right. The opportunities are not necessarily all safe opportunities. We have to learn how to hone our skills and not just that we have to learn marketing week at the market ourselves, but that's got some applications for. I think what you just said about your son wanting to or one of your children, wanting to learn things that are relevant.

42:22 You know, I mean, it, that like, I got accepted into this program that I did, briefly that of the city of Shreveport offered for coding. You can learn how to write JavaScript and I got accepted into this program and, you know, just

42:39 Well, that is not for me. But you know what? I thought was amazing about it. As you can learn to write, JavaScript, never go to college. Just from this one program. I was taking and your steps to be a freelance coder for the rest of your life. And when I graduated high school in 1998, nothing like that. What's happening?

43:02 I'll see how that's that's very specific and very relevant to that one thing. You know, education is our minds that toward College in the necessity of it. Are you look at job postings, backwards, degree required more and more. I would anticipate that future of work. That is a thing. The future of work to train the direction of Steel base rather than necessarily those types of credentials. That's why I asked the post secondary level in college. Is it so important that we give those students relevant internships, practicums things that put the real thing that they're going to be doing in front of them in their hands.

43:54 Wow, not to not to completely abandon Theory because fairydrops practice and but yeah, it's it's going to be a changing landscape for sure.

44:08 I really like thinking about that in terms of higher education.

44:16 And if we could invite size pieces and these adult Learners, whether they have some college credit or not, or whether they're mid-career is looking for a career pivot, if the credentialing is Bitesize, then the apprehension is lowered and after completion or to make those switches and right, because it's say that there's kind of a shift and even Early Education to toward more Hands-On, more application rather than just

44:49 Siri, I mean, you know, so that's really cool. I'm just really excited and I'm excited. I got to meet a teacher who taught in shreveport-bossier to Princeton for a while. Okay. Well making that connection we can stay across the river since I'm in Bossier. Finding some common ground has definitely happened in emerging that K12 thoughts. That you have with some of these higher ed pieces. That was really interesting as applicable whether their little students are. Yeah, it is, they are always great to talk with you, Sherry. Thank you.