Category Archives: Education

And good riddance

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to Betsy

It was that you were the opposite of qualified, an early example of the Trump administration’s elitist disregard for the very role of government agencies themselves. You sailed into the Department of Education as if sailing into port on one of your yachts, buoyed by your belief that public schools are a “dead end,” your declaration that government “sucks,” and your family’s hundreds of millions of dollars donated to Republican causes.

this article sums it up nicely, but knowing that she’s going back to hole that she came from really makes everything that much sweeter.

Questions Regarding Trump’s “Skinny Budget” for Education

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Trump has proposed what is being labeled a “skinny budget” with intense cuts (more than $8 billion) for the US Department of Education. Here are some questions that my colleagues and I have pondered regarding the impact on all levels of education, education professionals, and most importantly children and adult students. Feel free to comment with responses as well as additional questions. More information on the budget cuts can be found here NPR On Trump’s Skinny Budget

1. How will the “private school choice program” impact public K-12 schools across the nation?
2. What will be the impact for charter schools?
3. How will the decrease in Pell Grant funding at the Higher Education level impact current college students, perspective college students, families of college students, and colleges and universities?
4. How will the $1 billion funding for Title I impact the high-poverty schools that it is “intended” to support?
5. How will the the cuts to after-school programs impact children, parents, and families?
6. How will the cuts to teacher professional development impact teachers, schools, and students?

Missouri school fight felony

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If we allow children to be charged with felonies for fighting at school, we are opening up the floodgates for hundreds of thousands more incarcerated individuals. Disproportionate numbers will continue to include: girls/women and boys/men of color.
http://allblackmedia.com/2016/12/missouri-law-makes-grade-school-fight-felony/

Dr. Carla Hayden to become the new Librarian of Congress

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Carla Hayden

Photo from Google.com

Dr. Hayden will officially become the next librarian of Congress. Although President Obama nominated her in February, the vote was just recently passed by the Senate.

Dr. Hayden was the former head of the Public Library system in Baltimore, and also formerly served as the President of the American Library Association.  More on Dr. Hayden and her new position can be found here NPR article

Illinois, their budget and higher education

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The Illinois Legislature has been locked in a budget stalemate with Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) since last summer. Rauner sought a 31.5% cut to higher education, but legislators wanted to limit the cut to 8.6%. In the meantime, schools have received no funds from the state government, nor have students who rely on state-awarded Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants.

To keep their doors open, schools are deferring maintenance, redistributing funds designated for special projects, laying off staff, cutting sports teams, and considering cutting academic programs.

This is really sad. It’s a microcosm of what’s happened in the country nationally. Two sides fighting over things that do not effect them directly, but they are personally invested in, to the point of where they cannot (or will not) compromise.

And those most ill equipped to endure this kind of high level gridlock, get nothing out of it but suffering. The people who’s lives are being stymied could care less about the ideological battle that politicians are waging, and just want to be able to go to class, tend to the work of educating students and maintaining and operating a university.

This once again shows what our leadership has devolved into, they are so wrapped up in their “anger and ideals” that they are unable to agree on the the basic premise that regardless to how they feel about work still needs to be done. And they’re not getting it done. Most of the time, one’s boss is more interested in the task being completed than anything else. With this kind of failure to carry out their duties, all these “leaders” should be replaced for people who are fit for government, because these people are not.

 

notes: eab

Reflections on Racism: PWIs and minority students Part I

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Photo from the NY Times

Photo from the NY Times

It has been about a week since the  incident at Texas A&M University. As I read more about how the incident is being “handled” I wonder why there is still such a lack of proactive education and awareness on diversity and inclusion at PWIs (Predominately White Institutions)?  Like many institutions, A&M has diversity officers and a multicultural/diversity office- and like many institutions, they do well in handling situations that occur on campus and impact the campus community. But one thing that I have also seen and experienced (as a higher education professional who has worked at multiple PWIs), is a lack of campus-wide education and awareness regarding diversity and inclusion in a way that impacts more than just minority students, faculty, and staff.

Implementing initiatives to attract, recruit and admit students of color, means nothing without initiatives aimed at retaining and supporting them. And now we have reached a point where the support must include educating non-minority faculty, staff, and students about how to understand and work with them. Celebrating Hispanic Heritage month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and having organizations for black, hispanic, international, and asian students is not enough. Especially, when members of these organizations make up most of the participants at their events, programs and educational workshops. It is great support for these students, and a celebration of their cultures. But…as I have observed, there is a lack of a white (and particularly a white-male) presence at many of the events, programs, training sessions, and workshops related to cultural competence, diversity, and inclusion.They are preaching to the choir.  Continue reading →

Brown University: $100M Diversity Plan

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google.com

google.com

Brown University released a statement regarding a plan they have drafted to invest $100M over the next decade in diversity efforts to address racial and ethnic injustice, and promote diversity and inclusion efforts on campus. Providence Journal

Personal Reaction: A Fear of Teaching

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Photo credit- www.buzzhourly.com

Photo credit- www.buzzhourly.com

Last week my brother sent me a link to a post (Urban Edge Post) by a former Texas teacher and school administrator Kristi Rangle. In the post, “I was a teacher. I’m worried my daughter will follow in my foosteps” Rangle described how her daughter grew up watching her as an educator, and helping her at school events and decorating her classroom. She goes on to describe her daughter’s surprise at disapproval of her interest in a career in teaching. Rangle expressed,

“The state of teaching has taken some unexpected twists and turns that would make any parent concerned about it as a career choice for their child.” Like many educators, Rangle fears that if her daughter becomes a teacher, she “like many other teachers- will be scapegoated as the reason public education is failing.”

Rangle raises some interesting points including: not addressing the decline and turnover of teachers in public schools; using quality teaching as the number one excuse for student’s academic success; the heavy burdens that teachers endure; and the lack of financial support. I found this post interesting for several reasons. One, my mother is also an educator in Texas, in an urban school district. She was a public school teacher for over 20 years and is now an administrator. Continue reading →

“Qatar out of our schools”- Arabic Immersion in Texas

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Arabic 1

Last week was the first week of school for many K-12 and college students across Texas. In Houston, last week was the first week of school for HISD’s new Arabic Immersion Magnet School. Though the district and superintendent Terry Grier were proud of the new school and its potential unique educational value for students, some Houstonians opposed and protested the opening of the school.

On Monday August 26th, students and parents were welcomed by protesters who believe the school’s half Arabic, half English immersion structure to be “anti-American.” The Arabic Immersion school is not the first immersion school in the district, but it is however the first that has been met with such opposition. In 2012 there were no protesters at the site of the opening of HISD’s Mandarin Immersion School.

According to the Chron.com, “Arabic was the second most common language other than English spoken by HISD families last school year.”  The Arabic-speaking population in the greater Houston area has increasingly grown since 2009 to over 20,000 people. Also, Houston is the nation’s energy capital, and most people believe it is beneficial to have graduates who can speak multiple languages, in particular those popular among countries included in the energy industry.

On August 26th, there were about 30 adult protesters outside of the school, who held signs including phrases such as “Qatar out of our school,” “American Schools American Kids,” and “Everything I ever cared to know about Islam was taught to me by Muslims on 9-11-2001.”

As expected, many people including school officials took to social media (twitter) to voice concerns, opposition, and support of Arabic Immersion education as well as increasing immersion programs across the district.

Personally, I think immersion programs are a huge benefit to students, families, society, and the business industries. It is unfortunate that students, teachers, and parents were subjected to this ignorance from the “protesters.” There signs indicate a lack of knowledge regarding the current and growing diversity in Houston…
Arabic 2 Arabic 3 Arabic 4 Arabic 5

 

Photo and Information Sources: The Houston Chronicle

34 Year-old President at Shaw University

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Dr. Tashni Dubroy will become the next president of Shaw University this August.

Dr. Dubroy is a native of Jamaica, is 34 years “young”, and will be the 3rd female president of the university. More information and a video regarding this news can be found here: I AM Jamaican