Join our conversation with Pete Mercier as we discuss the recent shooting of a sixth grade teacher that made national news. Pete taught in the school district where this violence occured and offers his unique perspective on the situation. Kevin, David, and Pete discuss school violence, accountabilty, discipline codes, and defend schools administrators who are also stuck in the middle of a systemic failure quickly becoming out of their control. As the Teacher Retention Issue rages on, we begin to touch on some of the solutions to the problem from the perpsective of the people leaving education in droves.... the teachers. Today's panel discusses specific changes to the teacher observation system that empowers all stakeholders, provides honest and helpful feedback, is fair, and will be a huge step forward in retaining and attracting great teachers.

Guest Bio: Pete Mercier was a high school music teacher for 16-years. He is a two-time teacher of the year who left education in 2022 to pursue a career as an Instructional Designer. His passion for creating music lead to a passion for developing learning experiences. Like many teachers, returning from the COVID crisis to the continuing terrible treatment of teachers, Pete decided that his love for his amazing wife and two fantastic boys was more than enough to propel him toward a successful career outside of the classroom.