When Your Life's Work Gets Voted Out

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! Sherry McIntyre on Reinvention and Retirement. A single vote can erase a program overnight, even if it shaped a whole community for decades. That’s what happened to Sherry McIntyre, a Modesto, California teacher who spent 25 years teaching a World Religions class that was required for graduation in public school, a “first and only” experiment in religious literacy at that scale. When the school board moved to phase it out to make room for a required Ethnic Studies course, the loss wasn’t just curricular, it was personal. We sit with the tension that makes conversations about religion in schools so loaded and so necessary: how do you teach about faith traditions while honoring the First Amendment and keeping the classroom safe for everyone? Sherry’s answer is simple and hard to execute: Teach, not preach. She shares what changed for students when they replaced ignorance with knowledge, how the course held steady even in the 9/11 aftermath, and why she believes understanding world religions helps teens interpret conflict without defaulting to stereotypes. Then we widen the lens to midlife transition and retirement identity. If you’re known for one thing and that thing disappears, who are you next? Sherry talks about grief, courage, saying yes, mentoring other teachers, and stepping into a third act that includes travel and finally writing the book she’s been carrying for years. If you’re staring down a career change, a forced pivot, or a door that just slammed shut, this conversation offers a practical way forward: find the window, and climb. If it resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend in transition, and leave a review so more people can find The Mango Times. ⸻ Guest Information Sherry McIntyre is a longtime educator, thoughtful communicator, and TEDx Modesto speaker who has spent decades helping students wrestle with big ideas, questions, and worldview. As she steps into a new season beyond the classroom, Sherry brings wisdom, curiosity, and a candid perspective on identity, purpose, and what it means to navigate life when one chapter ends and another begins. Resources and Links Sherry's TEDx Talk: Dreams, World Peace and Freshman Music used in this episode: All music in this episode is licensed for use through Epidemic Sound. ⸻ IF YOU LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT THE MANGO TIMES, PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW BY... ✅ Send me a voicemail/text and let me know what you think. ✅ Share this episode with a friend RIGHT NOW! ✅ PLEASE LEAVE ME A REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS HERE. Support the show