Money Talks
An Educator's Guide to Teaching Financial Empowerment
Diana Isern, financial educator and school leader, has dedicated 20 years to teaching, building financial literacy programs and collaborating with educators across the country. As financial literacy mandates expand across the US, she brings together her most effective strategies and resources in Money Talks, a jargon‑free, interactive guide for today’s educators. This hands-on book blends personal reflection, practical tools, and real voices from students, teachers, and community partners. It covers core concepts—from money mindset and credit building to investing and digital economies—all grounded in the RICH framework: Representation, Inquiry, Connection, and Holistic thinking.
Money Talks helps educators create authentic, engaging lessons that help young people see themselves as capable wealth builders and extend financial learning beyond the classroom.
HAVE A MONEY TALK TODAY!
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Early Praise for Money Talks
The RICH Framework
Four practices that shift financial education from what students lack to what they already carry.
Representation. Learners see themselves, their families, and their communities in the money conversation.
Inquiry. Questions come before answers. Educators start with what students already know and have already decided about money.
Connection. Financial learning is built on relationships, culture, and the people students actually talk to about money.
Holistic Thinking. Money is never just math. It's family, history, values, and what a person is building toward.
Together, they give leaders a way to teach financial empowerment that honors where learners come from and prepares them for where they're going.
Diana Isern, M.Ed., AFC®, spent 20 years in NYC public schools as a school leader and financial educator. She is author of Money Talks: An Educator's Guide to Financial Empowerment (Beacon Press, August 2026). Connect below!
Presentations