<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Margo Gross&lt;/strong&gt; is a national public speaker, educator, certified life coach, and Amazon bestselling author. Her work focuses on &lt;em&gt;DEI, belonging, equity,&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;culturally responsive teaching&lt;/em&gt;. She travels across the U.S. and abroad helping schools and communities better understand identity, student experience, and inclusive practices. Margo is also a former Teacher of the Year and is completing advanced leadership studies at Harvard. Her lived experiences—as a Black woman, mother, educator, and advocate—shape the insight and honesty she brings to her work.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, Tim talks with educator and speaker &lt;strong&gt;Margo Gross&lt;/strong&gt; about staying grounded in your values during a time when &lt;em&gt;DEI, inclusive education,&lt;/em&gt; and equity efforts are often misunderstood or pushed aside. Margo shares deeply personal stories about identity, hair, culture, and the emotional journey of finding and creating belonging.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The conversation explores how to build school environments where students don’t have to shrink or hide who they are, and why &lt;em&gt;disability justice&lt;/em&gt; must be part of any real inclusion work. Margo also talks about grief—grieving relationships that change when values no longer align—and the hope she still sees in people, community, and the next generation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They also dig into practical strategies for talking about DEI when the words themselves are controversial, how to define inclusion through &lt;em&gt;access&lt;/em&gt;, and why equity is about giving people what they need—&lt;em&gt;consistently and urgently&lt;/em&gt;. The episode closes with a fun mystery question about languages they’ve always wanted to learn.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Complete show notes and transcript: &lt;a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://mcie.org/think-inclusive/the-homework-machine-what-ai-is-really-doing-in-classrooms-1319-2/"&gt;https://mcie.org/think-inclusive/the-homework-machine-what-ai-is-really-doing-in-classrooms-1319-2/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Think Inclusive

Tim Villegas

DEI in Schools: Why Belonging Matters More Than Access with Margo Gross

FEB 5, 202667 MIN
Think Inclusive

DEI in Schools: Why Belonging Matters More Than Access with Margo Gross

FEB 5, 202667 MIN

Description

<p><strong>Margo Gross</strong> is a national public speaker, educator, certified life coach, and Amazon bestselling author. Her work focuses on <em>DEI, belonging, equity,</em> and <em>culturally responsive teaching</em>. She travels across the U.S. and abroad helping schools and communities better understand identity, student experience, and inclusive practices. Margo is also a former Teacher of the Year and is completing advanced leadership studies at Harvard. Her lived experiences—as a Black woman, mother, educator, and advocate—shape the insight and honesty she brings to her work.</p><p>In this episode, Tim talks with educator and speaker <strong>Margo Gross</strong> about staying grounded in your values during a time when <em>DEI, inclusive education,</em> and equity efforts are often misunderstood or pushed aside. Margo shares deeply personal stories about identity, hair, culture, and the emotional journey of finding and creating belonging.</p><p>The conversation explores how to build school environments where students don’t have to shrink or hide who they are, and why <em>disability justice</em> must be part of any real inclusion work. Margo also talks about grief—grieving relationships that change when values no longer align—and the hope she still sees in people, community, and the next generation.</p><p>They also dig into practical strategies for talking about DEI when the words themselves are controversial, how to define inclusion through <em>access</em>, and why equity is about giving people what they need—<em>consistently and urgently</em>. The episode closes with a fun mystery question about languages they’ve always wanted to learn.</p><p>Complete show notes and transcript: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://mcie.org/think-inclusive/the-homework-machine-what-ai-is-really-doing-in-classrooms-1319-2/">https://mcie.org/think-inclusive/the-homework-machine-what-ai-is-really-doing-in-classrooms-1319-2/</a></p>