Today we’d like to introduce you to John Sigren.
Hi John, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have known I wanted to be a teacher since I was in 3rd grade. At first, I just wanted to teach because I loved history, but in high school and college, my motivation to teach grew more complex. I learned how democracy requires a well-informed citizenry who can analyze problems and create reasoned conclusions. I also learned about income inequality and generational poverty, and how important it is to have economic mobility to create a truly prosperous country. So, for all of these reasons, I started teaching right out of college, and I have been a high school teacher in Houston ISD ever since. I spent 11 years at Sharpstown International School in Southwest Houston, and the last two years at North Houston Early College High School in North Houston.
At both schools, I have taught Model UN, a program that allows students to reenact the actual United Nations by researching a countries position on a global topic, then representing that country in a simulated United Nations conference. MUN is frequently dominated by wealthier students, so I am pleased that I have been able to take about 1000 Houston ISD students from diverse economic backgrounds to conferences so far. Participating in these conferences gives students a chance to get out of the classroom, interact with students from different walks of life, familiarize themselves with global issues, and build self-confidence as they realize that they can debate global issues as well as any other student from any other background.
In addition to teaching, I have been involved in climate activism for the last four years. I am a group leader with the Houston chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, which advocates for national carbon pricing legislation. Carbon pricing would be the most meaningful legislation the federal government could pass to reduce greenhouse gas emissions immediately. I have also advocated for legislation to address climate change at the state level, and am currently working with Houston ISD to phase out styrofoam lunch trays and replace them with biodegradable trays.
In all of these efforts, my students have been involved as well. They will be impacted by the decisions that policymakers make today, so they should be part of these discussions. SIS and NHECHS students have met with their US Representatives, their state senators, an HISD board member, and a reporter from the Houston Chronicle to advocate for more sustainable policies. It has been a joy for me to watch them build their confidence and see that they can influence policy by speaking up and letting their representatives know what they want.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think anyone would argue that teaching is easy, so there have definitely been struggles. Trying to plan engaging lessons, grading, trying to find out how to motivate disengaged students, and constantly searching for funds for student trips are all exhausting. That being said, I think it’s worth it. My main motivation is to prepare my students to be successful after high school. I know that society is better if we give students skills and knowledge to be engaged, productive citizens, so that makes me want to keep going.
Climate advocacy is also a bumpy road. Climate change frequently gets displaced by issues that appear more urgent in the moment, so citizens and legislators tend to forget about the damage we are doing to our planet. On top of that, the spread of inaccurate information has led some to believe that nothing needs to be done to lower greenhouse gas emissions. However, persistence is key. Citizens’ Climate Lobby meets with everyone, and we listen and work to find common ground with citizens and legislators from across the political spectrum. I work with young people all day, and I have 2 young children at home, so I feel like I have no choice but to continue pressing forward. We’ve come a long way in the last few decades when it comes to how the majority of people view climate change, and if we continue to reach out to people, publicize the damage that climate change is already doing, and educate people on the damage it will do in the future, I know we can get the legislation that we need to protect our children.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
In my advocacy work, I have played a lot of different roles. At school, I lead our Climate Activism Club. This club has met with national Congressional offices to advocate for carbon pricing legislation, state-level offices to push for a bipartisan resolution recognizing the economic impacts of climate change, and district-level officials to advocate for Houston ISD to become more sustainable. In our club meetings, there is always something different to discuss. Sometimes, there is an upcoming lobby meeting to prepare for. Sometimes, we do community service, like plant trees or pick up trash. And sometimes, we work on fun stuff, like designing t-shirts or planning a pumpkin carving.
In Citizens’ Climate Lobby, I have led our grasstops and lobbying efforts. In grasstops, we meet with business owners and community leaders to ask them to support carbon pricing legislation. We have met with and gotten endorsements from small businesses, faith-based organizations, city council members, etc. In our lobbying efforts, we organize and meet with elected officials to discuss climate legislation they support. We generally meet with national officials 2-4 times a year, and I have probably taken part in about 30 of these meetings so far. We always work to tailor our message to the person that we are meeting with, making sure that we understand the main issues that are in their community. We also want to listen to elected officials and their staff so that we can understand the reasons behind their positions. That helps us build positive, productive relationships with Congressional offices.
In terms of what I am known for, I think I am dependable. I hope that students and other activists know that if at all possible, I will be there with them. High school is hard, and advocacy work is all voluntary, and I think it helps when others know that they’re not in it alone.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I have had help from so many different people. In teaching, my current administration at North Houston Early College have been incredibly supportive of our Model UN and Climate Activism Club students. We are very lucky to have such an engaged team. In addition, one former teacher in particular, Hany Khalil, helped me to understand the level of preparation it took to teach effectively. His work ethic and dedication to planning out the best possible curriculum for students totally changed my approach to teaching.
In terms of advocacy, anyone who has ever contacted their elected official to express their opinions is a hero for our democracy. I want to give a special shoutout to Joe Garfunkel, the current leader of CCL Houston, for his tireless efforts to make our organization organized and effective.
All the wonderful students I’ve taught deserve a lot of credit too. Every student is so unique, and it is a joy to get to know them and watch them grow. When there are students like the club officers I have worked with all of these years, who are mature beyond their years and dedicated enough to spend extra time to make club efforts successful, they provide motivation to keep our teachers going.
I also want to thank my wife. Whenever I have to stay after school or work late at night planning out some advocacy work, she has always been supportive of my efforts, and I couldn’t have been this active without her help.
