Ridgemont4sFinest's- The Podcast
by Ridgemont4sFinest
Welcome to Ridgemont4sFinest–The Podcast where we stretch out those 3-minute videos from TikTok and continue the unfiltered discussions around public education from the perspective of a veteran teacher. In each episode, I will share my insights and opinions on the issues that matter most to educators - from navigating difficult classroom dynamics to advocating for better funding and policy changes, this podcast will give you an inside look at what it's really like to be a teacher. But this isn't just a one-sided conversation - I will also be interviewing other teachers, education policy experts, and others to get their perspectives on what's happening in our schools. This podcast is a space for honest conversations and unfiltered opinions about the challenges facing public education today. If you're a fellow educator who's tired of feeling like no one really understands what you're going through, or if you're just someone who wants
Episodes
-
THESE KIDS DONE LOST THEY DAMN MINDS!
Send us Fan Mail SURPRISE! A LITTLE TAD FOR OUR OG LISTENERS! This episode is a little taste of Teachers After Dark, our Patreon-exclusive podcast! We decided to drop this one on the OG Ridgemont4'sFinest feed so y'all can get a taste of what we've been up to over there. If you've been missing...
-
TEACHERS AFTER DARK OPEN HOUSE: SPECIAL UNLOCKED EPISODE
Send us Fan Mail Before you hit play, a quick heads up... If you're one of my regular Ridgemont4'sFinest listeners, this is NOT our typical education, school district, teacher rights, or advocacy content. This is a special unlocked episode from my Patreon-exclusive podcast, Teachers After Dark....
-
Episode 61: They Fired Her Anyway… Now They’re Getting Sued
Send us Fan Mail Let’s not go all the way back to the beginning because if you’ve been following this story, you already know what led up to this moment. Let’s start at the part where a hearing examiner reviewed the evidence, recommended Michelle Williams be reinstated… and HISD still voted to...
-
Episode 60: Eff Up & Fail Up: Who Really Pays for the Mess?
Send us Fan Mail Before we get into this episode, let me say this real quick. When Nikki and I sat down to record this, we went back and forth on where this episode even belonged. Was this a Teachers After Dark conversation… or a Ridgemont4’sFinest conversation? And truthfully, it ended up being…
more -
Ep. 59 Michelle Williams: She Fought for Their Kids. Who Fought for Her?
Send us Fan Mail For the past two years, longtime Houston educator and union leader Michelle Williams has been locked in a high-profile fight with Houston ISD after repeatedly raising concerns about how the district’s new instructional model was affecting students — particularly emergent…
more -
Ep. 58 Disrupting the Status Quo: Dr. Letitia Plummer on Legacy, Justice, and the Fight for Harris County
Send us Fan Mail With the Tuesday election just days away, the future of Harris County hangs in the balance. In this high-stakes episode, we sit down with Dr. Letitia Plummer, the history-making former City Council member who resigned her seat to run for Harris County Judge. Dr. Plummer isn't…
more -
Ep. 57- The Power of an Informed Parent: Jessica’s Story
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I sit down with Jessica Campos — a Houston mom who took on HISD, filed a TEA complaint, won, and is now teaching other parents how to advocate for their kids without fear. Jessica’s daughter wasn’t getting the services promised in her IEP, and after being ignored...
-
Let’s Talk About Those TEA Investigation Letters
Send us Fan Mail In this mini episode, I’m breaking down the TEA investigation letters that so many Texas teachers have been receiving lately — the ones claiming you “may have engaged in conduct detrimental to the welfare of children” or “participated in a testing scheme.” I know how terrifying…
more -
Episode 55: The Teacher They Can't Silence- Ms. Michelle Williams vs. HISD
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Ridgemont4'sFinest-The Podcast, Michelle Williams returns to give us an update on her ongoing fight with Houston ISD after the board voted to terminate her contract at the October 9th board meeting. She explains what's next in her fight to clear her name and...
-
Episode 54: When the Strong Ones Break — Mental Health & Black Women in Leadership
Send us Fan Mail DISCLAIMER: BECAUSE OF HOW IMPORTANT THIS TOPIC IS, WE ARE CROSS POSTING THIS EPISODE FROM TEACHERS AFTER DARK TO R4F THE PODCAST--BEWARE OF SOME OF THE LANGUAGE!!! This week’s episode hits different. It’s just me and Nikki, and we’re digging into something heavy but necessary :...
-
Episode 53: Retaliation 101- Michelle Williams vs Mike Miles & HISD
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, I sit down with Michelle Williams, an educator and advocate who has no problem saying what everybody else is too scared to say about Houston ISD. Michelle lays it all out—how the district has slapped her with administrative leave more times than she can count…
more -
Episode 52: HR IS NOT YOUR FRIEND-The Real Back-to-School Training You Won't Get
Send us Fan Mail Forget the team-building games, icebreakers, and endless PD slides — this is the real back-to-school training every teacher needs but no one handed you. In this episode, we’re joined by Jay from The Human Resource — an HR Practitioner who has seen exactly how districts build…
more -
Episode 51: Pearland’s Trilingual Plug- Shanedria Wagner
Send us Fan Mail Black, fluent, and handling business — that’s Shanedria. She’s the founder of Spanish Etc. of Pearland, a tutoring center helping students succeed in dual language programs, especially when schools can’t deliver. In this episode, we talk about the teacher shortage crisis, what...
-
Episode 50- The Real Before the Reels ft. Eddie B
Send us Fan Mail I finally got to chop it up with the legend himself, Eddie B. You know, the teacher-turned-comedian who had every tired educator in the country crying laughing on their lunch break with his "What Teachers Really Wanna Say" videos on Facebook. Eddie walks us through how he...
-
Ep. 49: GET YO TEACH ON: WHO GETS TO BE THE FACE OF EDUCATION? w/SirKingB
Send us Fan Mail What happens when professional development starts looking more like a Pinterest board than a platform for real change? In this episode, we sit down with the unapologetic and always insightful Sir King B to unpack the controversy surrounding the Get Your Teach On (GYTO)…
more -
Episode 48: Before You Resign: What Every Texas Teacher Needs to Know About Fighting Termination
Send us Fan Mail ANOTHER TEACHERS AFTER DARK EXCLUSIVE/CROSSOVER EPISODE!!!! Subscribe to the Teachers After Dark Podcast here for access to ALL of our exclusive content!! If you're a Texas teacher facing the threat of termination, this is your reminder: you have rights — and you don’t have to…
more -
Episode 47: IT'S A CROSSOVER!!! Brain Surgery & Teacher Benefits F***ing You HARD!!!
Send us Fan Mail We are crossposting an episode of TEACHERS AFTER DARK here on the OG Pod because this is a topic that needs to be shared and discussed!!! Hey y'all! On this episode, it's me and the one and only Nikki. She's been MIA for a bit, but trust, she's got quite the story. Imagine…
more -
Episode 46: When Two Teacher Influencers Link ft. Tiffiney Lee
Send us Fan Mail This week we are joined by the "Church Announcement" queen herself, Ms. Tiffiney Lee. Tiffiney and I sit down and have a long awaited for convo about the ups, downs, and pure chaos of being educators. From dealing with school politics to navigating life outside the classroom, we...
-
Episode 45: The 2024 Wrap-Up Episode!!!
Send us Fan Mail In this special "off-studio" episode, the Teachers After Dark crew wraps up 2024 in style—over a breakfast I was bullied into cooking! Teachers LOVE bullet points, so let's get into: The best (and worst) holiday gifts we got from students this year. That insane pre-break checkout...
-
Episode 44: In Loving Memory of Malaysia: A Mother’s Fight Against Teen Dating Violence
Send us Fan Mail Continuing our discussion on Teen Dating Violence...In this heart-wrenching yet vital episode, I sit down with Quin Levy, a courageous mother who shares the story of her teenage daughter’s life, love, and tragic death at the hands of her boyfriend. While honoring the boundaries…
more -
Episode 43: When Love Turns Toxic-Understanding Teen Dating Violence
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Shannon, Licensed Professional Counselor of Hurt Speaks Wellness Center, to discuss the urgent issue of teen dating violence (TDV). We discuss what defines TDV and how it differs from adult domestic violence. We’ll explore the most common forms…
more -
Episode 42:Inside the HISD Drama with Ms. Michelle Williams
Send us Fan Mail This week, we are discussing one of the most embattled school districts in the country—HISD. Joining us is the bold and unapologetic Ms. Michelle Williams, president of the Houston Education Association (HEA), who’s been at the center of HISD’s whirlwind headlines. If you’ve been...
-
Episode 41: Reclaiming Our Power as Black Women Educators
Send us Fan Mail In this unapologetic episode, we tackle three major issues facing education today: the Texas voucher push, the unique challenges for Black women educators, and the presidential election that could reshape American education entirely. First, we examine Donald Trump’s presidential...
-
Episode 40: WELCOME BACK!!!!!!!
Send us Fan Mail As promised, WE ARE BACK! Welcome to Season 3 of Ridgemont4'sFinest-The Podcast! Catch up with the OG teacher crew as we get into all things the 24-25 school year! It has indeed, been whipping us all! We talk about what has been the most challenging things for us so far this…
more -
Season 3...NOW LOADING!!!
Send us Fan Mail Where Have I Been? Ridgemont4'sFinest Is Back! After a whirlwind few months of working on Teachers After Dark and Divorce Diaries, and surviving the chaos of back-to-school season with helicopter parents and extra-needy students, I'm finally back! In this quick teaser, I catch…
more -
Episode 39: HISD Union Leader Under Fire For Social Media Posts
Send us Fan Mail In case you missed the YouTube LIVE with HISD Union leader Michelle Williams, here's the audio for you. In this episode of Ridgemont4'sfinest-The Podcast, we are discussing the controversial case of Michelle Williams, a dedicated teacher and union leader within the Houston...
-
Episode 38: All Money Ain't Good Money: The Human Cost of Educational Policy in HISD PT2
Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to another episode of the podcast! We are continuing our conversation with some dynamic educators of HISD. In this episode, , Mrs. Muhammed and Mrs. Ebony, bravely share their experiences within Houston's education system post-state takeover. Mrs. Ebony pull back the...
-
Episode 37: All Money Ain't Good Money: The Human Cost of Educational Policy in HISD PT1
Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to another episode of the podcast! We are continuing our conversation with some dynamic educators of HISD. In this episode, , Mrs. Muhammed and Mrs. Ebony, bravely share their experiences within Houston's education system post-state takeover. Mrs. Ebony pull back the...
-
Episode 36:Silenced No More: Termination Hearing Verdict (pt.2
Send us Fan Mail In this latest episode, we sit down with Mrs. Muhammed, a resilient educator who has just emerged from a termination hearing within the Houston Independent School District (HISD). With the results now in, we discuss the aftermath of the hearing, the ongoing uncertainty she faces,...
-
Episode 35:--Silenced No More: Termination Hearing Pending (pt.1)
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we bring you the firsthand account of a teacher who is courageously confronting the systemic challenges within the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Despite facing termination for her advocacy, she refuses to be silenced as she shares her story of...
-
Episode 34: "Houston, We Have A Problem: Unmasking Educational Inequity in HISD"
Send us Fan Mail Join us for a candid conversation with Mrs. Jackie Anderson, President of the Houston Federation of Teacher (HFT), as we discuss the pressing issues facing the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and the broader implications for education in Texas. At the heart of our...
-
Episode 33 (Part 2)- The Madison High School Student Protest
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of our podcast, we continue our conversation with about the recent student walkout and protest at Madison High School, where students are pushing back against a new cell phone policy imposed by their school district, HISD, the district that has recently been taken...
-
Episode 32: The Madison High School Student Protest
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of our podcast, we dive into the recent student walkout and protest at Madison High School, where students are pushing back against a new cell phone policy imposed by their school district, HISD, the district that has recently been taken over by the state's...
-
Episode 31: A Chat with Dr. Qiana O'Leary, the Social Justice Educator
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we discuss the concept of radical education with the inspiring Dr. Qiana O'Leary, a seasoned educator turned principal, and now the founder of an education consulting firm. Dr. O'Leary shares her transformative journey, leveraging her knowledge and skillset to...
-
Episode 30:CPS Stories:The Realities of the Child Welfare System
Send us Fan Mail Continuing our conversation with B. Drake, a seasoned professional in the field of child welfare with years of experience. He goes deeper into the stories about kids finding their way through state custody and foster homes. In this segment he discusses the privatization of foster...
-
Episode 29: CPS Stories:The Realities of the Child Welfare System
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of our podcast, we sit down with B. Drake, a seasoned professional in the field of child welfare with years of experience. We team up to really get into the nitty-gritty of the child welfare system, swapping heartfelt stories about kids finding their way through...
-
Episode 28: No Role Modelz, That is Your Job!
Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another episode of Ridgemont4'sFinest-The Podcast. We are prepping to return to work after the much needed winter break and I have some of my teacher besties with me to get the conversation started. We joke around about our holiday shenanigans and I try to pry about...
-
Episode 27: A Chat with Dr. Byron McClure, the Black Unicorn School Psych
Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another episode of R4F- the Podcast and today we sit down with THE INCREDIBLE Dr. Byron McClure, a rare gem in the field of school psychology—part of the less-than-1% club of Black male school psychologists. We’re jumping right into his journey, starting with how he…
more -
Episode 26: (pt2): Loyalties Tested: Teacher-Parents and the Family First Dilemma
Send us Fan Mail We left y'all with a cliffhanger on that last episode, so let's finish it off!!!! Welcome back to another episode of Ridgemont4'sFinest-The Podcast. On this episode, I am joined by some teacher-moms as we discuss the chaos of being a loyal employee of a school/district where your...
-
Episode 25: Loyalties Tested: Teacher-Parents and the Family First Dilemma
Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to another episode of Ridgemont4'sFinest-The Podcast. On this episode, I am joined by some teacher-moms as we discuss the chaos of being a loyal employee of a school/district where your own children attend. How do you manage this juggling act without feeling like...
-
Episode 24- The Rhyme & Reason of Education Reform: Attorney Staci Childs
Send us Fan Mail In this long awaited episode, we get into the diverse and dynamic journey of Attorney Staci Childs, a remarkable woman who transitioned from the classroom to the courtroom. Staci, a former teacher turned attorney (and dope rapper), shares her insights and experiences serving on…
more -
Episode 23: "Sisters" in Leadership: Rising Above the Mean Girl Myth
Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another episode of Ridgemont4'sfinest-The Podcast. In this episode we are discussing the stories of black women teachers who have faced profound trauma under the guidance of black women principals. We will be taking some of my most recent a TikTok videos and turning…
more -
Episode 22 (part2) : Grading Standards and College Readiness-The Literacy Gap Dilemma
Send us Fan Mail We are continuing this episode with our college professors discussing the literacy gap and was they see from their POV. Our educators share their insights, experiences, and concerns regarding students' preparedness as they transition from high school to college. Are academic...
-
Episode 21: Grading Standards and College Readiness-The Literacy Gap Dilemma
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we bring you an extraordinary panel of educators. Not only are they high school teachers and college professors, but one of them, a local comedian, achieved viral fame after being recorded by her students. Our educators share their insights, experiences, and...
-
Episode 20: Building Black Girls' Mental Health--PT2
Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to another episode of Ridgemont4'sfinest-The Podcast, where we continue our important conversation about black girls and their mental health in the educational landscape. In this episode, we revisit and deepen the dialogue with a panel of accomplished black female...
-
Episode 19: A Bold Story Never Ends-Honoring the Memory of Kameron
Send us Fan Mail In this deeply moving episode of Ridgemont4'sFinest-The Podcast, we are honored to share the remarkable story of a family that turned their unimaginable grief into a powerful force for change. Join us as we get into the inspiring journey of a family who transformed their pain…
more -
Episode 18: Silent Struggles- The Rise in Student Suicides
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Ridgemont4'sFinest-The Podcast , we confront a deeply troubling issue that is shaking communities across the globe: the alarming rise in suicides among school-aged children, teenagers, and young adults. Join us as we shed light on this heart-wrenching topic…
more -
Episode 17: Black Girls and the Mental Health Mirror
Send us Fan Mail In this soul-stirring episode of Ridgemont4'sFinest-The Podcast, we discuss the often uncharted territory of Black girls' mental health. Join us as we explore the multifaceted aspects of their experiences, challenges, and triumphs, shedding light on issues that have remained in…
more -
Episode 16- Down For a Quickie?? A Quickie PD! (ADHD Teacher Edition)
Send us Fan Mail Get ready to get into some crazy conversations with a burst of energy and laughter in this episode of Ridgemont4'sFinest-The Podcast!Join us for a whirlwind of wisdom as a bunch of seasoned teachers spill the beans on their quirky, unconventional, and downright brilliant tips for...
-
Episode 15: WELCOME BACK!!!!!
Send us Fan Mail In this highly anticipated season 2 premiere of Ridgemont4'sFinest-The Podcast, I am joined by some of my teacher besties as we celebrate the start of a new school year over brunch and beverages. Shout out to Extraordinary Creations, Steel Kitchen for the delicious meal!! We get...
About this show
Welcome to Ridgemont4sFinest–The Podcast where we stretch out those 3-minute videos from TikTok and continue the unfiltered discussions around public education from the perspective of a veteran teacher. In each episode, I will share my insights and opinions on the issues that matter most to educators - from navigating difficult classroom dynamics to advocating for better funding and policy changes, this podcast will give you an inside look at what it's really like to be a teacher.
But this isn't just a one-sided conversation - I will also be interviewing other teachers, education policy experts, and others to get their perspectives on what's happening in our schools. This podcast is a space for honest conversations and unfiltered opinions about the challenges facing public education today.
If you're a fellow educator who's tired of feeling like no one really understands what you're going through, or if you're just someone who wants
Hosted by
Ridgemont4sFinest