Reading and writing are essential tools for success in life. Imagine how you would survive, make a living, or even make purchases at the grocery store without basic reading and writing skills. In order to be successful in today’s technology age, students will need to know how to communicate on all platforms. Students will need […]
equity
Posted inHigh School
Pronouns: The Least We Can Do for Students Who Identify As Transgender or Non-Binary
Discomfort For Solidarity In a recent staff equity meeting, the concept of staff responsibility in gender pronouns came up. It seemed that everyone there had at least one student who used pronouns that didn’t necessarily align with the sex they were assigned at birth. And, they all fully supported the importance of honoring student’s pronouns […]
Posted inEquity
Separate But Unequal in Education: The Evil Stepsister of Separate and Equal
Rodney Walker is an African American U.S History teacher at a public school in Virginia. He is also an author specializing in alternative history and has published two novels. He speaks French and has spent four years teaching in North Africa. The notorious “Separate but Equal” doctrine may not have passed the litmus test of […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Are Teachers of Color Valued in School Districts?
“I hope I can show The Outsiders movie virtually through zoom this year!” Teacher A remarked at the meeting. “I know, that is the highlight of our kids’ year; they absolutely love reading this book and watching the movie,” Teacher B replied. My two colleagues (white females) discussed a book read by our middle […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Beyond George Floyd: Making a Difference—Access, Application, Admonishment
Guest Writer: Archie R. Wortham, Ph.D., Professor of Speech “Equity doesn’t mean equality.” I am the product of a segregated school. I saw people sprayed with fire hoses; removed from lunch counter sit-ins. I used second or third handed textbooks. I was black, back then a Negro, but my ‘negro’ cousins and I went to […]
Posted inDo The Work
Do the Work: Equity Symposium for Teachers
On September 12th, we have our first virtual symposium of the year, “Do the Work: Equity Symposium for Educators” as we carefully examine race, equity, and privilege in K-12 schools. This work comes after a widely successful series of Facebook Live Discussions where thousands of educators talked about various issues related to equity in schools […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
[Opinion]I’m Tired: The Cultural Burden of a Being the Token Assistant Principal
“White people can be exhausting.” That’s the first line in Austin Channing Brown’s book titled, I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness. While this line is most likely jarring for some, I must say, as an African-American woman in a space of Whiteness as an Assistant Principal, it is true. Embarking […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Equity in Action: Mitigating Unconscious Bias In the Classroom
In this heightened political atmosphere, our society seems to be replete with instances where white people are being caught on social media being or acting in an overtly racist manner. It seems our Facebook or Twitter feeds will have on a daily basis some video of a white person treating an African-American, Hispanic, or member […]