In this episode of The Exit Interview Podcast, Dr. Asia Lyons welcomes Jalisa Evans, an educator and organizer, to discuss her journey and advocacy for Black educators. Jalisa shares her unconventional path into teaching, initially aspiring to be a doctor before joining Teach for America and discovering her passion for education. She recounts her experiences teaching in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Los Angeles, highlighting the systemic challenges Black students and educators face, including literacy gaps, under-resourced schools, and anti-Blackness within educational institutions.
Jalisa describes her transition from classroom teaching to organizing, where she played a pivotal role in securing funding for neglected schools and advocating for better conditions. She emphasizes the importance of community, mentorship, and collective action in driving change. The conversation delves into the retention crisis among Black educators, the need for school districts and unions to address anti-Blackness directly, and the limitations of surface-level diversity initiatives.
Jalisa introduces the Black Educator Advocates Network, a nonprofit she founded to empower Black educators and transform policies that push them out of the classroom. She outlines the organization’s five guiding tenets for retaining Black educators: eradicating anti-Blackness, reconstructing time, educator autonomy, connection to community, and communal care. The episode concludes with Jalisa reflecting on the joy her young daughter brings her and a call to action for listeners to support the ongoing work of Black educator advocacy.
