Far too often, queer youth experience bullying at school and in other spaces merely for existing and expressing their authentic selves. Unfortunately, another queer teen has passed away after experiencing bullying at school for being non-binary. This episode is dedicated to Nex Benedict, an Indigenous, nonbinary youth who should not have had to endure the bullying that I believe caused their death. In this episode, we explore how discussing and learning about gender identity and diversity in early childhood may support young children to develop a respect for and acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals. Listen to how early childhood leaders Carla Blue-Norton and Diana Herrera are making their voices heard and supporting other early childhood educators in embracing practices that support young children in understanding gender diversity.

Content warning: this episode discusses topics of violence toward LGBTQ+ youth and suicide.

Make sure to check out the following scholars and resources who helped inform our conversation for this episode:

• AP News: A nonbinary student’s death after a high school fight has been ruled a suicide. Here’s what to know
• Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Definitions from the Human Rights Campaign
• Book Banning
• Anti-trans Bill
• Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation
• Next on 9 News with Kyle Clark: Colorado school district to replace Scholastic book fair with conservative-backed alternative
• NAEYC Article: Focus on Ethics: Gender Expression and Identity
• Children’s Books about Gender Identity and Expression

Want to connect with Carla and Diana? Reach out to Carla via email at cbluenorton@gmail and Diana via email at diana@dpp.org.

Want to connect with Julio? Follow him on Instagram at Juicy.J.86 or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/julio-alas-2573542a8/

Music Credits:

"Coffee Date" Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io, Produced By White Hot

A teacher's document banning slang from their classroom recently went viral on social media. Some people viewed this as language oppression, and in this episode, Julio discusses this topic with two educators - Vany Miramontes Marquez, the Assistant Principal at Charles M. Schenck Community School, and Alma Martinez, a 3rd Grade ELA-S Teacher and Senior Team Lead at Cowell Elementary School. They share their insights on what language oppression means and how educators can embrace linguistic liberation. Listen to their discussion and ask yourself if you are a language oppressor.

Make sure to check out these amazing scholars and resources who helped inform our conversation for this episode:

• Read this post that prompted this conversation for the show.

• Watch the Linguistic Justice: Black Language, Literacy, Identity, and Pedagogy video created by Dr. April Baker-Bell, Assistant Professor of Language, Literacy, and English Education at Michigan State University.

• Learn more from Dr. José Medina on linguistic liberation and follow him on TikTok!

• Read the following article to learn about ways educators can support children with different language variations in Teaching Reading to African American Children: When Home and School Language Differ by Julie A. Washington and Mark S. Seidenberg.

• Read Angela Valenzuela’s book, Subtractive Schooling to understand more about how this concept plays out for marginalized children in the US education system.

Want to connect with Vany and Alma?

• Reach out to Vany via her work email at v_miramontes-marque@dpsk12.net or at her personal email at vany.miramontes@ucdenver.edu or connect with her via LinkedIn at. Learn more about CMS Community School here.
• Reach out to Alma via email at alma_martinez2@dpsk12.net or connect through LinkedIn and Instagram. Learn more about Cowell Elementary School here.

Want to connect with Julio? Follow him on Instagram at Juicy.J.86 or on LinkedIn.

Music Credits:

"Coffee Date" Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io, Produced By White Hot

Many educators are familiar with the terms "culturally responsive" or "culturally relevant" when it comes to their teaching methods. However, the concept of being "culturally sustaining" may not be as well-known. In this episode, Julio and Liliana Flores Amaro, who is a Senior Instructor/Alternative Licensure Instructor at the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado-Denver, explain the practical application of culturally sustaining practices and why it is crucial. They also discuss Liliana's efforts to assist early educators in understanding culturally sustaining practice and pedagogy, as well as the positive impact of this work.

Make sure to check out these amazing scholars and resources who helped inform our conversation for this episode:

• Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Teaching and Learning for Justice in a Changing World by Django Paris and Samy Alim

• Gloria Ladson-Billings

• Geneva Gay

• Bettina Love

• Check out the film Reflecting on Anti-bias Education in Action: The Early Years
• Teachers as Policy Actors Forum

Want to connect with Liliana? Reach out to her via email at liliana.floresamaro@ucdenver.edu.

Want to connect with Julio? Follow him on Instagram at Juicy.J.86 or on LinkedIn.

Music Credits:

"Coffee Date" Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io, Produced By White Hot