In a panel conversation at the 2023 Teacher Training Institute in San Diego, Jeffrey Siminoff moderated a conversation with two educators in Southern California – Guadalupe Carrasco Cardona and 2022 Teacher of the Year Timothy Stiven, where they discussed what dignity meant for them at work in the classroom, the value of community and using their voice to “speak up and speak out,” and what administrators and decision-makers can do to effectively address these issues. Jeff Freitas (President, California Federation of Teachers) also shared remarks on challenges facing LGBTQ+ students and school faculty and staff.