Jennifer Starves Her Dogs

Join Marc and Rachel for our second episode that focuses on IncludeIT, this year's conference theme.

Guest Jennifer Clouser, current ACPE Board President, joins to chat about inclusion in the work we do as technicians and leaders, and the development of the theme for this year's conference.

*Oh, and several hungry dogs.

Transcript

Marc (00:00)
Well.

Rachel (00:01)
So Marc, we're back for episode two. We didn't get canceled after episode one. That's one celebration.

Marc (00:06)
We didn't give people enough time to cancel us, so I think that's the game plan.

Rachel (00:10)
We still count it as a win, right? But I kind of need to know what's going on. We're both wearing our shiny. But you got to tell me a little bit about the like jacket and shirt combo. And I don't know if everybody will know the shirt. So you should probably like actually show what's on the shirt.

Marc (00:13)
That's true.

Well, ⁓ we were going to very shortly meet the creator of this idea, ⁓ but we'll kind of pause on that and introducing her. But this year's conference theme is Include IT And ⁓ as part of that, we were thinking, or she was thinking, ⁓ what could we do that would be a fun theme to go with Include IT like your personality and those types of things?

So it was settled on a time to shine. So we have basically settled on sparkles and shiny things. And this is my shiny jacket for the conference this year. Also doubles as a fun Seahawks jacket. And I have been wearing this thing everywhere. I wore it to an RTM. I wore it to CoSN. I wore it on a Lime scooter as I flew through Capitol Hill ⁓ at CoSN

But the other thing I'm wearing is just I was.

of like what kind of what shirt should I wear tonight so tonight I'm wearing my Marc shirt this is Marc if you remember during the raffle last year I was actually wearing this shirt too it just occurred to me ⁓ it's one of my favorite shirts so I thought you know personality it's ⁓ that's what this is about and

Rachel (01:38)
And when you're in a crowd, and I'm getting ready to bring our guest on the screen, but when you're in a crowd, what I have seen happen more than once now is people come up to you and say, whoa, is that your photo? Is that you on the shirt of you? ⁓

Marc (01:53)
Yeah, it happens. The other thing that happens with this jacket and I don't know if your sequin jacket, Rachel, is the kind that lays down like mine. ⁓ but people do exactly that. They just start touching you and it's not weird at all.

Rachel (02:07)
Yes. And like we talked about last week, always ask permission folks. All right. I'm going to bring our special guest as you do an introduction for a very good friend.

Marc (02:10)
Yes, boundaries.

Perfect.

Awesome. Well, ⁓ our guest this week is Jennifer Clouser. She is the now retired ⁓ executive director, From Auburn School District. I have had the pleasure of working with Jennifer for, I just did the math on this.

18 years, actually more, because I think I knew you when I was a TOSA too. So my entire time in Bethel, that I was in the technology department, and when I mean entire time, the entire time that I was there. And then my 11 years in Olympia, I have worked with Jennifer in, been in many meetings. We have, ⁓ we've known each other for quite a long time and Jennifer is our current ACPE president. She is the person who

developed the theme for this year's conference. And I know it's very near and dear to her heart. And without further ado, I would like to introduce Jennifer and let her give a little bit of history about her time with Auburn.

Jennifer (03:21)
Uh, thank you, Marc. Thanks, Rachel, for inviting me on. As we were talking about a little bit in the pre-show, as I made some life choices about a year ago, I ended up reflecting come September, thinking about it was my 35th school open.

with Auburn. I graduated from Auburn High School. I became an intern in my senior year ⁓ at the when it was the high school in the data processing department. When we were doing nine, ⁓ not nine track.

But the big real, ⁓ I was the one that did all of that on the operator system. I honestly was there, went away to college for a couple of years, and then a job opened up. I spent a couple of summers, summer work, and then I came back the following fall as a halftime.

operator technician type just to do all the grunt work around the office and never left. Which is is fortunate for me because it allowed me to be in a field that interested me since I was a little kid and also, you know, provide as a breadwinner for.

my family. So it's, I'm grateful for that. And also had a job that meant something, you know, ⁓ and that became more important. Obviously, the older when you're young, it's, it's not that way. But when I got older, it became more and more important. Why I was doing what I was doing. So, yeah.

Rachel (05:27)
having met you, um, Gosh, 15 years ago, I remember, think I bragged about Jennifer before I knew Jennifer very well in person. And it was because of the Ed tech tool review Google site that you had put together. Must've been 12 to 15 years ago. I mean, it's, it's not brand new. I think I was sharing it by 2015 with folks.

And it was just, it's remarkable. I mean, we pay big money for products that do this work that your team was doing and making available to those of us who had the link, Anybody could use your spreadsheet on how you were evaluating these products and they were approved or not. so Jennifer, from the very first day I met you

much you care has been the thing that has shined through so clearly from the very beginning. And as I think you mentioned that you and Marc sorry if I'm stealing your thunder on this one I think you mentioned that you listened to the first episode.

Jennifer (06:29)
Yeah,

Rachel (06:30)
you feel this ⁓ storyline, your storyline also coming through Derek's voice?

Jennifer (06:35)
Yeah, I really was. listening to both Shelby and Derek, but particularly Derek. His story in the way he matriculated up through his district is very similar to mine in that, you know, I

I never worked anywhere else. ⁓ Auburn is where I was at. And there's times when I thought, I should go do something else. it just didn't work out that way, which is totally fine too. Auburn.

was amazing to me and continues to be an amazing district. But yeah, he was a technician and I was an operator technician. I think I'm older than him. So I think he skipped over the time when I was coming in at 5am in the morning doing standalone backups on the VAX system that we had in the district. Yeah, Marc.

Marc (07:38)
That was before my time. That was ⁓ before my time.

Jennifer (07:42)
Yeah, it was fantastic. It was really fantastic. But you know, it was all up from there. ⁓

Marc (07:49)
You know,

I will throw out that while it wasn't Derek at the beginning, I had the pleasure of joining our South Puget Sound Technology. I think it has a different name now. Technology leaders group that we used to go to each other's school districts to have lunch once a month. Jennifer was always part of that. We would go to Auburn and that was when I was in Bethel and, know, they come to Bethel and we would go all over.

And Jennifer was always there at that time. Derek wasn't there.

I think he was a field tech. Well, I know he was a field tech then, but that was my first introduction to Jennifer and that group still meets once a month. We do it on zoom now instead of in person. But ⁓ what a vitally important group that she was part of in providing some leadership for lots of us and just a super collaborative space. I think which is again, the power of ACPE. That's not, you know, it just speaks for itself.

But that was my first introduction to Jennifer. And what I will also say, we always joke that, know, tech directors in K-12 kind of circle from, we go from district to district to district, but we actually don't. This is only my second district in 28 years. ⁓ Jennifer was in Auburn for 35 years. Derek has never been anywhere but North Thurston. ⁓ You look around the group of people that you see at ACPE, and we actually haven't moved that much. ⁓

And I think that also speaks for our dedication to the things that we do and what we believe in with public education. Sorry.

Jennifer (09:22)
I agree.

Yeah, it's sad because I'm not there. ⁓ But yeah, it's, it's amazing thinking about just how things came to be. speaking of the lunch meetings that Marc referred to. ⁓

I was sad that it continued to be over Zoom because I enjoy the in-person conversation, but I was happy also reflecting, as Marc was talking, thinking about it gave an opportunity for more to come when it was done over Zoom.

Rachel (10:00)
Jennifer, remind me when we talk about included and some of the things that are both heavy on your heart and that light in your heart and these stories, you've already touched on one that balance between.

You said I loved it when we were in person and we broke bread together. And by doing it on zoom, by doing it virtually, we're including people who can't make it to the in-person. And I think there's not wrong or right. Like how Oregon does its IT managers versus how Washington does its IT managers. The there's not right. Yes. That was my marker and my chip Marc Elliott. We're going to keep debating this.

But there's a benefit to both, right? And so finding that space that allows us to be inclusive, but also continue to deepen relationships is something that we are figuring out also. All jokes aside, The virtual is great because we do have more in attendance, but it's really great when we all drive over the mountain to the mid-valley.

And it's always just good conversation. So, but you've touched on something Christine Blouke another recently retired CIO on the East side of Portland. I think a lot of folks know Christine's name, if not Christine, she used to host the East side tech group for all of the tech folks in the Portland Metro area. And her favorite thing in the whole entire world is feeding people.

And so she would be baking pies and all of these things for days ahead of time. as I've talked to some of the folks in the Portland metro area, they're all like missing Christine's, pies for their tech meetings each month.

Marc (11:39)
So just a quick point. Rachel showed off a poker chip just a second ago. And there were two things. One year at the conference at the mountain, I think it was Joe said, somebody's ruining our chip economy. I think the only person we know who still has chips is Rachel. So we're gonna pretend that it was her. And the other thing is we're not bringing the chips back.

Rachel (12:00)
We're not bringing the chips back. And I had just been really lucky at the Blackjack table.

Marc (12:07)
I speaking of the conference and events, which is what we always kind of lead back to. ⁓ We have danced around the theme a little bit that was Jennifer's brainchild. ⁓ I would like Jennifer to kind of explain how we got to where we're at. And this is our theme logo right now. ⁓

Rachel (12:26)
those

listening that would be included.

Marc (12:29)
And a logo that I know Jennifer worked hard on developing and we went through a lot of different mockups, but really this is a time that I think I would like to hear Jennifer's process at developing this theme and what she envisions for a conference this year.

Jennifer (12:45)
Yeah, so ⁓ thinking about a year ahead of time was the amount of time it took me to kind of settle on what it is and also thinking I'm not sure how I can follow RockIT but let's go. ⁓ I wanted, especially as I departed Auburn and the feeling of having done

everything that I could for that work family, if you will, and put them in a good spot. I felt that we needed to continue the conversation as in the region about, ⁓ I'll say diversity, equity, inclusion, that may or may not be a welcome phrase,

But it's bigger than that. It's about including everyone who doesn't get to be part of the current conversation and what do they need. ⁓ It's all about ⁓ making sure that professionally, well, personally, it's about, you know, feeling like you fit in, in a group of people, which is basically, you know, the hugging icon.

that's behind Marc's head. Exactly. gives me the feeling of that's how whether you're a touchy person or not, because I'm not. But he did he did he was gracious and came to my retirement bash that was amazing, but to the icon, it's that everybody feels welcome in the space that they're in. If they're

Marc (14:12)
I did get to hug Jennifer at her retirement.

Jennifer (14:29)
just sitting having a quiet conversation if they're doing the electric slide if they're ⁓ just

Marc (14:38)
Don't encourage her.

Jennifer (14:40)
Yeah, but really, and also, you know, professionally using what we do as education technology professionals to inform who can we lean on in other spaces to make inclusive choices for, you know, everybody in our districts or agencies, including

Obviously, first the students, but also what do the staff need? What does the community need from us? ⁓ And how can we, who do we ask to get those voices? so that, it's really about all of those things together. So it's not one thing. It's about really opening the door and making it a big tent for everybody.

Marc (15:34)
And I'm curious, ⁓ I've heard you talk about diversity and its impact on your personal life, but professionally for what we all do with instructional, operational, educational technology, obviously that's a focus of the conference this year. How do you see those conversations occurring? what are we maybe hoping people to take away from the theme and in conjunction with what we do? Does that make sense?

Jennifer (16:01)
Yeah, I would say what was in my head and I felt as we work on our equity work in recent years and creating our shared understanding of some of those issues, for me professionally, I would like others at the conference to take away something. What can they do from their professional spot, wherever that is?

What can they do to make everyone feel welcome? You know, so if I'm a field technician and I'm ⁓ serving teachers, what can they do from their lens to make everyone feel welcome? You know, if they're technologists, ⁓ and what can we do as leaders? ⁓

to be inspired hey, if you're not talking to your special education team, talk to them. If you haven't talked to them, then that's a voice that you just start up a meeting, find out what it is that you can do to support those students, because they're experts.

and ask them what they need and partner with them. It was amazing in Auburn when we started this really impromptu collab between the technology group and the SPED team. And it was inclusive and eye-opening for me, for them too.

because we also had the opportunity, to tell people, know, ⁓ that's difficult because of different things and you just have shared perspectives. That's so valuable. Another thing I would want people to take away is we have power to talk to our

I'll say sponsors to our district vendors to talk to them about their products, to talk to them about any gaps that you see because we make purchase decisions and that matters and they will care if you keep bringing it up.

Rachel (18:24)
They care when we care.

Jennifer (18:26)
They care when we care, exactly. So we have power and we have a big bullhorn. So really what's near to my heart is, racial justice, inclusive thought, all means all, and whether it's professionally, whether you're a certificate or classified.

whatever side of the aisle that you're on, doesn't really, it doesn't matter.

Rachel (18:56)
Jennifer, is it okay if I jump in for a minute? So, I know from our conversation recently that we both feel the heaviness of the gap in special education funding and how to continue this work that is so vital.

Jennifer (18:58)
Yeah, it's.

Rachel (19:09)
And in my role as CIO at High Desert ESD, 60 % of our staff, actually probably more than that, are special education professionals. They're occupational therapists, physical therapists. They are vision specialists and hearing specialists. They are autism specialists, and they're all professionals, many of them with medical licenses.

In my early career, and I actually have a history like in my childhood and growing up that special education weaves through, but in my early career as CIO, it was when iPads were fairly new. This is dating myself as well, not magnetic tape Jennifer, but yeah, still feeling old now. I got to see many times over a few years.

as we were rolling out iPads as these tools that were pretty life-changing in many special education families. There's an app, I think it might still be the most expensive app in the app store called Proloquo Pro. I got to be in the room with families who for the first time had like very real evidence of

a child that has had so many thoughts in their head, And so many things to share with them that as a four-year-old or a five-year-old, they're finally able to do. And it's via this piece of technology. I'm not a person who is like, technology saves the world. But when you're in a room with a family and parents who are starting to hyperventilate to crying because they are finally communicating with their child.

that is powerful and that is this storyline of both the worry over special education funding, but also then bringing it more micro back to our role as technology leaders on the impact, right, when we figure out these tools and these solutions, whether it be Proloquo Pro or whether it be the language, the instant language translation.

devices and systems that are out now for language access and families. So I just want to say, hear you are just speaking my language right now and it's so close to my heart.

Jennifer (21:25)
Yeah, I was going to segue, racing forward into where we're at now with as easy as it is to pick up, you know, ⁓ when we're at Auburn welcome days. It's basically an open school. Everybody come and technology would have a table and talk about our program and things like that. And we would have translators roaming.

around the group because 500 families would come by and they would want information, not just us, there was like all kinds of district program tables and things like we could just the families themselves would walk up with their phone and ask their question, you know, in Ukrainian or whatever, and we would do the same or call our our translation line. ⁓ And those ideas of

things that technology can solve or bring closer and bring access. it's amazing. Language access is the thing that we talk to our SIS vendors about ⁓ as why aren't there

automatic translations available for report cards. Why do we have to do it for you? You know, things like that. And those are the things that we can affect and effect.

Rachel (22:53)
Yes, because they care when we care.

Jennifer (22:55)
That's right. Cut.

Marc (23:10)
I don't want to take it off.

Rachel (23:12)
Kidding.

Can you hear okay? ⁓

Marc (23:19)
⁓ that was hot.

Rachel (23:21)
Ha

Marc (23:22)
It's heavy and it's really padded. It's an actual disc. It's real mirror pieces that are glued onto a helmet.

Rachel (23:30)
It's fantastic. It's spectacular.

Marc (23:33)
Okay, much better.

Rachel (23:34)
So we talk about that racing forward, but it's in the context of not knowing if we're gonna have any money for gas for the race car. How are you all doing in Washington? I know we've got federal stuff that we don't have a lot of control over, but what's the Washington landscape?

Marc (23:49)
We are in and I guess our legislative session is in overtime at the moment. ⁓ One of the things at least the Olympia School District and I know some others might be Auburn included. have every year we go after special education funding at the state level in Washington. Well.

It doesn't matter with IDEA, any student with a disability gets services. That is, it's the law. But ⁓ in Washington, we get, we have a funding cap for how much money the state will actually give us for special education. So 30 % of the students in the Olympia school district are on an IEP and the state's cap is at 15%. So we are getting 50 % of the money that we should be for special education services, which are often expensive to be totally blunt.

So we're paying half of those special ed costs out of our general fund and that is a big impact on our budget. And I know there's some other very large districts that are in the same place. So we're hoping to see some change to the special education funding this legislative session, it remains to be seen. Jennifer, where was Auburn with that?

Jennifer (25:03)
I won't, I'm not going to be able to quote the exact percentage, but I know that, Auburn's, percentage of students on IEPs, was quite high. and, assuming that we, at the state level, since everything was capped at, 15%, that

Obviously has a direct impact on general fund for the districts and considering how much that's under stress recently in the last what two to three years as we reopened from the crisis and went into.

some funds falling away at the federal level, that districts started feeling the budget hurt and special education has never been funded enough ever. And we kept putting what we could. It was always something where we would market our education programs levy.

as hey, this is what the state does not pay for. This is what our kids need. We really need this levy because of the shortfall. So yeah, it's quite concerning, quite concerning.

Marc (26:22)
And I think in Washington, our audience ⁓ may be split on this one. I will be I will say this in a very selfish way from Olympia standpoint. sounds like the legislature in a very late night session either last night or the night before did prove a levy increase collection increase through property taxes. I don't know exactly what that looks like. I just skimmed a headline.

today this afternoon actually. And for districts that are wealthier that have an easier time passing levies, it's great news ⁓ for our districts that have a harder time at that have a poorer community that is not great news. That doesn't really help them much at all. ⁓ So it's it's bittersweet. I will say it's bittersweet. It helps us, but it doesn't help everybody.

Rachel (27:20)
You know, speaking the theme of the evening, right, is turning over some of these issues that relate to inclusion. I think those of us in Oregon were always like, ooh, Washington's levies are so cool. Right? Because we just get funded out of the general fund. But Marc you just dropped in something that I had not thought about before. So is there kind of a natural ⁓ inequity?

in Washington as a state because of the levies. I mean, you just said if you're in a wealthy district, this is great.

Marc (27:51)
Yeah, and Jennifer chime in anywhere on this. is the a few years ago there was a lawsuit. This the state legislator was legislature was sued ⁓ for not fully funding public education, which is the paramount duty of Washington's legislature.

Jennifer (28:08)
Yeah, it's in the state constitution.

Marc (28:10)
Yeah.

And that is the number one paramount duty of the state. And they were found ⁓ lacking that they were not funding it. So they went through this very complicated decision process called the McCleary decision. And ⁓ I will totally out her. But our past CFO was at OSPI at the time. And she helped actually write that ⁓ she was part of the lawsuit. And, you know, I think she would be the first to say that

Rachel (28:25)
I remember this.

Marc (28:38)
The spirit and the heart of the McCleary decision was great. And then it got twisted. Let's just say the example we use as our collection was was limited by over a dollar per thousand on property taxes. ⁓ And then the state levied their they put their own levy in place where they were taxing our families. Let's say they taxed them 10 cents on a thousand or something like that.

And we would see like six cents of it because the rest was going out to districts that were the poorer districts. And that is and to the credit of our school board, they came right out and said, that's equity. That's equity. We're helping people who have less than us because we we can and we can afford to do that. But I think it gets really rough when people start seeing their bottom line shrink and you're having to cut staff and having to cut programs.

And you're just kind of sitting there going, boy, I really wish we could get this back to the way it was. ⁓ And other districts are like, this is the best we've had it in quite some time. Yeah. You know, and there's just that struggle there. ⁓ And so I don't think the McCleary decision, in my opinion, was the greatest decision ever. I just think it was what they tried to do. And it had a lot of problems. And they're still trying to fix it.

Jennifer (30:01)
Yeah, Auburn joined on that lawsuit, as well as, you know, there was like 70 districts that sued, basically joined Seattle and went after the legislature and sued the state. I agree. The way they rolled out some of the methods to comply are not the best.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure they had educators making that decision, but I can say that since I'm not employed anymore. They might have. I don't know, but some of the things don't make any sense.

sorry.

Marc (30:39)
Okay, so I totally overlooked the fact that I work in the state capitol, so I probably shouldn't say these things because maybe I'll get a visit from a legislator.

Jennifer (30:48)
Yeah, and that reminds me back to our theme of ⁓ inclusion because that that tension of who has money and who doesn't, who can pass a levy and who can't, or who doesn't even try because they know

You know, there's there's districts who they never pass a levy, so they don't even bother because they know it won't pass.

And that creates inequity in a system where all students should receive the same education. It should be the same. And it's not, you know, you have rich districts and you have districts who barely get by. they get by with whatever the state gives them. And that's it. So not saying that

what is given out is small, it's lots of money, but it takes lots of money to educate. And then there's a whole technology levy conversation that we can just go into.

Marc (32:01)
I will. I mean, I will say that I saw more districts run their first tech levies the last couple of years than ever before because of the declining ⁓ levy rates and their ability to collect. think districts said, OK, we have to do this. We're authorized to do this. Now we have to do this because we've got to offset some of these funds to continue operating. And it was it was it was positive. I think I saw a lot of districts that thought they couldn't.

Jennifer (32:23)
Yeah.

Marc (32:30)
Pass a tech levy, actually pass a tech levy, which was great.

Rachel (32:36)
And those of us in Oregon are still sitting here gnashing our teeth and feeling, I'm sure there are the complicated parts of this as well as the upsides, but it always sounds really good to be able to actually have some dedicated tech funding.

Marc (32:53)
Come talk to us at the conference. Yes, you'll get all the dirty the ugly stuff.

Jennifer (32:59)
Yeah, and you know that tension of funding when I was it just makes me think of I'm looking at our rundown here and you know one of the things about funding that this you know district funding and agency funding is always topsy-turvy and when you have a district that is 84 % district discount for e-rate

Rachel (33:00)
Yeah.

Jennifer (33:28)
When I left, I'm looking at the threat to E-rate and as I was exiting, I said, you need to pay attention to this. we wouldn't have infrastructure. All that stuff that makes all the black magic and unnatural acts in the background.

that work, none of that would happen. I said, I need you to advocate, I need you to get loud.

Rachel (33:53)
when I explain it to our ⁓ superintendents, right? Like this is one of your bigger bills already and it's going much.

Jennifer (33:59)
Yeah.

Marc (34:01)
we should talk about this in the future about the importance of cybersecurity now being part of e-rate.

Sorry, my dog is freaking out about something.

Rachel (34:11)
So Marc has a dog moment right now. And Jennifer, we've seen your lovely pups in the background tonight. And I have a feeling that there's a dog named Monday, but Mindy when misbehaving in the Washington area also, who would be happy if one of your dogs was gassy tonight. Gassy. first episode.

Marc (34:27)
So my dog is always-

Yes, she always is. Rachel, remind me what I was gonna say.

Rachel (34:33)
talk

about the importance and the plug for advocacy at the federal level on e-rate and cybersecurity. And I think CoSN has a an easy sign up to send a letter to a congressman. I'm stealing your thunder, take it away.

Marc (34:39)
yes, okay.

No, I

didn't really have any thunder with that. I was just going to say ⁓ it's exciting that E-Rate's pushing forward with a pilot. I wish it wasn't a pilot. I think they should know full well that this shouldn't be a pilot, that this is something we should all be able to apply for. ⁓ And I think it would be a great episode at some point in time to discuss how a lot of us put our plans together, because I think almost everybody submitted. When I say everybody, that's the, you know, the

the we that is who is everybody. But ⁓ most people I think did apply and only a couple got it. But I think it's going to be hugely helpful. I mean, it was part of our budget conversation this year to say, yeah, we had funds in there for cybersecurity, but we are way over budget because when I planned this budget three years ago, just three years ago, it's exploded even more. Like we still need to buy more stuff to help protect our district. So.

I think that's a whole nother conversation that we can have some other time.

Rachel (35:47)
Yeah. OK, so moving this conversation into the theme. This is usually Marc's role to say, so tell me about the conference. ⁓ we have touched on the conference. But Jennifer, you're wearing a shirt tonight.

Marc (36:00)
Well, we've touched on the conference a little.

Jennifer (36:07)
Yeah, so the conference, ⁓ not only do we have a content theme for our conference, but we also have ⁓ something we encourage members to bring their true self to shine on. am one of those neurodivergent people. So

being all flashy is not necessarily my thing. However, I do have sparkles ⁓ and I will wear them at the conference. ⁓ So, but I bought a number of t-shirts that I will be sporting that are all themed. ⁓ This one actually says equality, ⁓ inclusion, diversity, equity, wins.

Let's see. What does it say? Yeah, equity never fails so ⁓ I have one that one that says an educated woman is a dangerous thing So and apparently via discord the women in technology group have have decided to wear a particular t-shirt on Thursday

Rachel (36:57)
Reading upside down is hard.

Marc (37:21)
I saw that.

Jennifer (37:23)
Yeah,

so so we will be I'll be wearing that one. ⁓ So yeah, it's for me, it's it's more about small statements with a little bit of sparkle. And that's the beauty of the conference is that folks bring whatever they got, you know, and if it's just their quiet selves, that's okay, too. And if it's way more than that, like Marc, that's also okay.

Rachel (37:51)
I

Marc (37:52)
I try not to draw attention to myself. ⁓

Rachel (37:54)
⁓

You also never lie. So, Jennifer, feel and I was so excited when you were starting to really refine this and dial in on kind of the visual or the theme part of this really ⁓ amazing ⁓ included idea and the heaviness of the conversations, but also the joyfulness, right? Yeah. Of how we're seeing it succeed in all places.

Marc (38:01)
Ever.

Rachel (38:26)
And so I just want to, while I'm sitting here in my ⁓ sequence, the goal is it's how each person shines, so part of that is just our spirit and who we are as human beings. But then there is this visual element and I, at least probably, 50 % of the people in my life, I think that the way that they would show up on an evening event is probably in their black jeans.

with their vans and their black t-shirt, And that is where they feel comfortable, where they feel seen, where they feel like they're showing themselves, They're shining. And so when you see Marc and I here in our sparkly jackets and Jennifer in her ⁓ women in tech witches ⁓ shirt, and all of these different possible visual themes know that the invitation is really that for those who are attending the conference, you wear.

what makes you comfortable.

Marc (39:23)
Yeah, I think I believe that Rachel and Jennifer today launched the discord portion. Yes, a little discord portion for the conference today. And the thing that I see in that every year since we've had discord and it's something when I reflect back on the conference every year, I we've all been to many conferences. This is the one that stands out that people find their people like more than any other conference. People find their people at this one.

And it's really interesting. I brought a programmer last year from Olympia. was his first time ever going and he came up to me he said, I have been talking to another developer. And I was like, great. That's great. And he's like, you have no idea how awesome this is. And ⁓ I was like, I guess we do shelter you guys a little bit. ⁓ Maybe you should get out more often, first of all, but that is one thing.

It's kind of to touch on Rachel's point of people who want to show up in their black jeans and their black fans and their black t-shirt or whatever it is you want to wear ⁓ I Feel confident in saying your group is at a ACPE It's at the conference. You will find your people there And and it's really wonderful to see it happen ⁓ in my opinion

Rachel (40:38)
Yeah, me too. And Jennifer, just brilliant, brilliant job of taking something that is important and serious and also adding sparkle and levity that do enhance a conference, right? When we're together for these brief days out of a very long school year each year. And so excited for the conference to see the theme come to life. I think you'll do sneak peeks of

on the keynotes in Discord maybe and sharing some information.

behaving perfectly.

Jennifer (41:14)
They're

being who they are because this is dinner time for them. they're being a little rambunctious because they clearly are abused and starving.

Marc (41:28)
All right, the title of this episode is Jennifer Starves Her Dogs.

Rachel (41:32)
if we can get a dog in every title for like the whole pilot, feeling a challenge.

Marc (41:40)
I'm up for it. Yes.

Rachel (41:43)
Jennifer, any closing thoughts, words that you want people to hear from your voice?

Jennifer (41:48)
⁓ I guess,

My hope is that people feel welcome. That is really all I would want. since this is my last conference, ACPE was always the conference where I could see to Marc's point was where my people were.

And so I think that our tent has grown ⁓ and I just want everybody to feel as joyful at the conference and throughout the year as they collaborate with each other and support each other in ⁓ these times that are, they're tough, they're tough, but we've got community. So that is what is.

most important.

Rachel (42:42)
Beautiful. imagine a better way to sum this up. Jennifer, thanks for bringing this topic, this theme, and the conference to us.

Marc (42:53)
Thank you for giving me an excuse to buy this jacket.

Rachel (42:57)
And for giving Marc an excuse to buy a jacket and to wear a disco ball