The current “system” of education does not work for the majority of students. The situation is worsening, battered by the pandemic that exposed the inner weakness of a structure and culture that does not support well-being and learning in the world in which we live.

Hallie Schmeling, South Milwaukee High School alternative education teacher, speaks with other educators at the Wisconsin Education Association Council's rally to support Governor Evers’ Education Budget on Saturday May 20, 2023 at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin.

Over the past decade, Hallie Schmeling taught in an educational model that integrates SEL and academic learning through a unique appreciation of the nervous system. This model understands SEL as a thread to be woven into the fabric of everyday school processes. My experience has allowed her to see how traditional education can be transformed to a space where all students are successful.

Teacher resignations are common knowledge these days. It’s like COVID itself. Nearly everyone personally knows a teacher or knows of teachers who have left in the past year—often abruptly. These days, students often have different teachers, unqualified substitutes—more and more schools are stress zones. It seems like no one wants to be a teacher anymore.

The Real Academy is South Milwaukee High School's in-house alternative education high school. Not every student learns the same way. Our top teachers, Hallie Schmeling and Joanna Rizzotto, connect with their students on a personal level.