In this first full episode of Every Voice Matters, Dr. Sherri Rochel sits down with Michelle, an educator from the Anoka-Hennepin School District, at a moment of deep uncertainty for teachers.

At the time of this conversation, educators in the district are working without a finalized contract, continuing under last year’s salary while facing a 22% increase in insurance costs, with a potential teacher strike just days away. Classrooms remain open. Students are being taught. But the strain is real.

Michelle speaks candidly about:

• What it’s like to teach amid ongoing contract uncertainty

• The emotional and professional toll of feeling unheard

• Why teacher exits are rarely impulsive — and often inevitable

• Her own exit strategy and the founding of Parents for Good, a 501(c)(4) organization focused on advocacy, accountability, and meaningful reform

• What parents, school boards, and communities often don’t see — but need to understand

This conversation isn’t about blame.
It’s about listening.

Every Voice Matters exists to create space for honest dialogue among the people most impacted by education policy — teachers, students, parents, administrators, and school leaders — because lasting change doesn’t happen without understanding what’s happening inside our schools.

🎧 New episodes drop every Friday

📣 Interested in sharing your story?
Email “Talk to Me” to Sherri.Rochel@outlook.com
or visit educationthatmatters.net/reform

If education matters to you — this conversation does too.

Point of Clarification:
During this episode, a reference is made to potential district budget cuts. Upon review, the correct figure discussed in negotiations is approximately $22 million, not $80 million as stated in the conversation.

We are sharing this clarification in the spirit of accuracy and transparency. The broader concerns discussed in the episode — educator uncertainty, rising costs, and the emotional toll of working without a finalized contract — remain unchanged.

Thank you to Michelle for flagging this, and to our listeners for engaging thoughtfully with these conversations.

— Dr. Sherri