Episodes
Ep. 59 Michelle Williams: She Fought for Their Kids. Who Fought for H…
Send a text 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 bilingual stude…
Ep. 58 Disrupting the Status Quo: Dr. Letitia Plummer on Legacy, Just…
Send a text 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 your typic…
The Marlin ISD Controversy: When Speaking Up Becomes Punishable
Send us a text What happens when parents question school leadership — and the paperwork starts changing? In this of Ridgemont4’sFinest – The Podcast, we break down the federal civil rights lawsuit involving Marlin Independent School District and the allegations of retaliation that followed parents …
Ep. 57- The Power of an Informed Parent: Jessica’s Story
Send us a text 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 and…
Let’s Talk About Those TEA Investigation Letters
Send us a text 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 and c…
Episode 55: The Teacher They Can't Silence- Ms. Michelle Williams vs.…
Send us a text 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 breaks…
Episode 54: When the Strong Ones Break — Mental Health & Black Women …
Send us a text 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 : the …
Episode 53: Retaliation 101- Michelle Williams vs Mike Miles & HISD
Send us a text 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 just be…
Episode 52: HR IS NOT YOUR FRIEND-The Real Back-to-School Training Yo…
Send us a text 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 cases, p…
Episode 51: Pearland’s Trilingual Plug- Shanedria Wagner
Send us a text 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 happen…
Episode 50- The Real Before the Reels ft. Eddie B
Send us a text 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 accidentall…
Ep. 49: GET YO TEACH ON: WHO GETS TO BE THE FACE OF EDUCATION? w/SirK…
Send us a text 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) conference. Fr…
Episode 48: Before You Resign: What Every Texas Teacher Needs to Know…
Send us a text 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 termina...
Episode 47: IT'S A CROSSOVER!!! Brain Surgery & Teacher Benefits F***…
Send us a text 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 be...
S3, Ep7- When Two Teacher Influencers Link ft. Tiffiney Lee
Send us a text 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 deal...
S3, Ep6- The 2024 Wrap-Up Episode!!!
Send us a text 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) holida...
S3, Ep5: In Loving Memory of Malaysia: A Mother’s Fight Against Teen …
Send us a text 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 tragi...
S3, Ep4: When Love Turns Toxic-Understanding Teen Dating Violence
Send us a text 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 diff...
S3, Ep3: Dictators, Demotions, and Dollars-Inside the HISD Drama with…
Send us a text 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)...
Season 3, Episode 2: "Vouchers, Division, and Reclaiming Our Power as…
Send us a text 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 Ameri...
SEASON 3, EPISODE 1: WELCOME BACK!!!!!!!
Send us a text 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 a...
Season 3...NOW LOADING!!!
Send us a text 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 e...
S2, Ep20- HISD Union Leader Under Fire For Social Media Posts
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 dedi...
S2, Ep 19: All Money Ain't Good Money: The Human Cost of Educational …
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 educa...