It’s not a secret that a elementary and secondary school educators are notoriously underpaid, and in this episode, Educator Jonathan Santos Silva discusses how he’s pursued his career in education despite any and all financial pressures. Throughout this important conversation, Jonathan and Carl ultimately discuss the role of money as an expression of value and its relationship to purpose and community in life.

Jonathan Santos Silva got his start as an educator in 2010 at Little Wound School on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, as part of the Teach For America program, where he taught secondary math and called play-by-play for the school’s Athletics program.

That experience led him to his ultimate calling by founding the Liber Institute, an organization focused on developing the leadership capacity of Indigenous students, families, and educators from all over the country, helping them to ultimately transform the schools and communities that they serve.

Jonathan is also the host of Teach For America’s Changing Course podcast, a show where he speaks with students, teachers, and administrators at innovative schools to find out how they’re breaking down barriers to improve student outcomes.

Conversation Starter

In this episode, Jonathan and Carl break down the myth of being 'Self Made'. It turns out, countless people have been instrumental, even complicit, in any of the successes that we've had, including family, friends, colleagues, and teachers. Who is a teacher that helped you 'make it' to where you are today the most?