Ryan Rarick and Lauren Merkley close out this season of the Teacher Fellows Podcast by diving into the role of the Utah State Board of Education and why educator experience is vital in public leadership.

Their guest is Kacee Weaver, a Teacher Fellow and veteran Weber County educator with 20 years of experience across charter, district, private, and nonprofit settings. Now a candidate for State School Board District 2, Kacee shares what motivated her run: a desire to fix repeated systemic mistakes and a firm stance against rhetoric urging families to leave public schools—which she views as a vital community service.

In this episode, Kacee discusses:

• Bridging the Gap: How the Fellowship clarified the flow of policy from the Capitol to the classroom.
• Trusting the Experts: The need for instruction aligned with research and student development.
• Removing Barriers: Addressing the unique challenges faced by economically disadvantaged and multilingual students.
• Student Well-being: The urgent need for program stability and addressing Utah’s high suicide rates through family collaboration.

Kacee concludes with a powerful call for educators to vote and find their voices. To learn more about her platform, visit kaceeforutahschools.com.

LAYOUT:

00:00 Welcome and Banter

00:41 Season Recap and Catch Up

01:28 Why Teacher Voice Matters

02:26 Meet Kacee Weaver

03:43 Why Run for School Board

06:56 Teacher Fellows to Policy

11:04 Fixing Utah Education

15:20 Making the Case for Public School

17:45 Call to Vote and Speak Up

19:45 How to Support Kacee

20:22 Host Takeaways

25:38 Closing and Next Season

GUESTS ON EPISODE:

• 📍 Kacee Weaver | Candidate for District 2 (North Weber, Ogden Valley, South Ogden)
• 🌐 kaceeforutahschools.com
• 🅾 @kaceeforutschools

SOCIAL MEDIA CONNECTIONS:

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Teacher Fellows Website: teacherfellows.org

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Twitter: @TeachFellowsPod or @HSG_UT

Instagram: @TeacherFellowsPodcast or @hsg_ut

Facebook: @utahteacherfellowsprogram

Email us: socialmedia@hopestreetgroup.org

PART OF THE SHOW

Hosts:

• Lauren Merkley (insta: @lmerkles) -- Taught AP English Language and Composition, Creative Writing in Granite School District, 2020 Utah Teacher of the Year
• Ryan Rarick (insta: @raricks_room) -- Education Pathway Teacher for Washington Country School District, 2026 ACTE Region V Teacher of the Year

Executive Producer:

• Kayla Towner (insta: @itsteachertowner) -- Taught elementary education K-6th, Education Technology Specialist, Project Manager, Podcast Editor & Producer, and the 2023 Honors in Education Award in Administration and the 2020 UCET Outstanding Young Educator Award.

Info Drop Spokesperson:

• John Arthur (insta: @9thEvermore) -- Co-Director of the Teacher Fellows, 6th Grade Teacher in Salt Lake School District, 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year, 2021 National Teacher of the Year Finalist.