Recently, I worked with a group of middle school students on an extended-day literary magazine publication. We discussed potential careers that the experience could prepare them for. They answered magazine editor, journalist, news reporter, writer, blogger, etc. They also mentioned author, but there was visible disinterest in that choice.

I asked why. One student, who I will refer to as Jayden, told me being an author was not really for Black people. Again, I asked why. Jayden said... Read more here at Education Post.

I look forward to a day when quality and equitable educational opportunities for all students is not just a vision, but a reality. Until that day comes, I know I have an obligation to use my voice as a classroom teacher to inform legislator’s decisions and help drive progress in the right direction.

As a teacher, I am on the front lines of education and I’m able to tend to my kids’ social and emotional needs in addition to their academic development. Few people or professions have the exact experience or insight that teachers have. We know that our students are complicated and diverse; they have unique needs that deserve attention the same as any other. As teachers, we work every day to ensure those unique needs are met, and I think it’s time for our politicians to do the same.
​
My pedagogy on the importance of teacher voice is derived from my upbringing as a child in foster care separated from my parents and siblings.  That upbringing helped shape my understanding of words like community, support system, and safety as well as terms like unwanted, rejection, and biases. One of the things that helped me sort through the various emotions that seemed to swallow me at times was my schooling — its stability and structure and all of the proclamations from teachers that I was somebody. I needed to hear this because the rhetoric that I heard in my foster home was constant grumbling that I interpreted then as “you’re not expected to amount to much... continue reading at CT Viewpoints.

I think we can agree that all students are not created equal, right? Then why the heck would we choose to determine their intelligence and proficiency based on one standardized assessment? Simply put, that is foolish. If we are going to ensure that our children succeed, then we need to utilize various types of assessments to measure a student’s success. This is crucial for educators to have a complete picture of each child. Assessments are categorized into two groups… formative and summative.

​Formative assessments are tests that informally assess a student’s growth usually during instruction. These are essential because they allow us to progress monitor in real time a student’s understanding of a lesson, objective or concept. Formative assessments also allow educators to provide feedback and adjust their instruction when it is apparent that students are just not getting it. Examples of formative assessments include: 

1. Observation (ie: during peer discussions)
2. Student notes
3. Exit slips (ie: check for understandings/1-3 question quizzes)
4. Dipsticks (randomly selecting students to respond, thumbs up/down if understand or not
5. Questioning

Summative assessments are more formal and/or generalized tests that can conclude a final unit of study or grade level. Here is where you want to give students negotiables or options for their final assessment to ensure appropriate measurement of growth for all of our diverse learners. There should be an assessment that plays to student’s different learning strengths such as dramatization, visual, linguistic, etc. Examples of summative assessments include:

1. Negotiables (centered around unit objectives)
2. Final play or skit
3. ​Powerpoint Presentation
4. Poster Board presentation
5. Essays 
6. Create a video presentation

Non-negotiables: standardized- depends on district and grade levels (these are mandated standardized tests)

• CMTs
• SBAC
• SATs 

So why again do we need to use various assessments to test students and not just standardized assessments? 

1. Students learn differently and we are accountable for the growth of all students
2. To provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning
3. To get a holistic picture of a student’s ability
4. To progress monitor during lessons and adjust instruction in real time because...

Not all students are created equal.

​A Look Back 

Do you remember from School Leadership: Part 1 how toxic the leadership style from example 1 was to its school culture and student success? Here is a quick recap:

• Leader followed a closed-door policy
• Lack of communication
• No professional development or ongoing support for directives
• Leader not visible (absent + never visited classrooms)
• No self-accountability (blamed all other stakeholders)
• Inconsistent consequences
• No teacher voice
• Encouraged competition over collaboration
• Student scores significantly decreased despite newer building and more resources

​
Were you able to pick out all of the toxic cues? Yes, a frightening display of leadership. I have undergone leadership training from AmeriCorp, Leadership Immersion programs, national educational conferences and through the traditional University route. In doing this, I have had the opportunity to study various leadership methods, theories and practices from several different entities. None of them prepare you to lead with the type of leadership style described above. It leads you to wonder… What kind of administrative certification training did they receive? Perhaps these leaders are operating under outdated practices. Do they even like their field? Whatever the reason, they are toxic!

Toxic School Crackdown

So how do we improve a toxic school such as this one? Well, we need to implement a crackdown. First you... read more.

A Message to my unborn son...

Words of freedom are embedded into our American culture. We shout it from the mountain tops and proudly open with it at our good ole’ American baseball games, words such as… “Land of the Free.” The pledge of allegiance is echoed throughout the halls of schools across America which promises “liberty and justice for all.” But you will find that these words have different weight and meaning for diverse groups of people...  read more at The Huffington Post.

Originally published in The Huffington Post

Mayor Stephanie Rawlins-Blake mentioned that new things were happening and changes to 26 key policies in the Baltimore PD have already begun. She also promised more reforms were underway. But Laura Coates, former federal prosecutor, said it best:
 
“You have all these new things that are happening but what is not new is the 4th amendment. And apparently, according to this report, the 4th amendment does not exist in Baltimore… training does not mean you have to learn something new, you have to actually adhere to the 4th amendment.”

​Call to Action
 
The DOJ’s report only scratches the surface of patterns of discriminatory practices (view the full 163-page report HERE). While the spotlight is currently on Baltimore, the BPD’s practices are a microcosm of what’s happening across America. The deaths of unarmed Black men caught on video and shared through social media have ignited a movement. It has forced a national discussion on race, diversity and equity. In order to heal race relations between law enforcement and the Black communities they serve, we need to build trust.
 
How does the saying go? The first step to recovery is “admitting that there is a problem.” Well, now that we have done that... I ask that a similar report and investigation be conducted on all Police Departments across the nation. This level of transparency exposing the systemic racist practices and patterns of police departments needs to occur everywhere. In order to effect real change, an accountability system, which includes input from all stakeholders, needs to be implemented. Only then can we begin to heal racial relations and build trust. ​

Do you know what effective school leadership looks like? Well, below I describe two vastly different leadership styles that I served under during my tenure in the classroom. Both leadership styles take place in two distinct urban public schools in the same district.
​
School Leadership style 1 This leader operated with a closed-door policy and was not accessible to interact or engage in a professionally stimulating manner. This leader rarely visited our classes and was chronically absent. Directives were issued without any type of quality training or was not followed-up with ongoing support. There was a lack of communication amongst administration which caused great confusion. This leader would typically seek to place blame on anyone and everyone else (teachers, coaches, parents, etc.) but never held themselves accountable for anything. Consequences were administered inconsistently and a clear line was...   read more. 

During his 2016 Democratic National Convention speech, President Obama revealed some key leadership elements that transcends across career fields. Has he actually mastered or achieved these components of leadership himself? Well, the answer to that question depends on which side of the political fence you stand. There is a lot of controversy concerning his own practices during his administration at the White House, but that debate requires its own separate article. Regardless of how you may feel about President Obama, no one can doubt his accomplishments on the road to presidency or deny his ability to speak and inspire. He is a phenomenal orator, period. As I listened to President Obama’s speech, here were the 5 top leadership quotes that really resonated with me…

1. “Most issues are rarely black & white…. even when you may be 100% right, getting things done requires compromise.” 
2. “In order for progress to happen, we have to listen to each other. And see ourselves in each other. And fight for our principles but also fight to find... read more.

Account I: The Nice Guy Who Needs Digital Assistance
(True customer stories while working in the male dominated sales field of electronics)

A customer ordered a product a few days prior and wanted to know how long to expect it to be shipped to his house. I looked up his information and answered his question. Afterwards, we engaged in conversation. As our conversation wrapped up he excused himself saying, “it was great talking to you but before I go, I am going to ask your boss about these digital cameras if that’s alright (referring to the male associate with the same title).” My colleague tells him that I would be more qualified to answer his questions because photography is one of the things I’m taking up in college. The customer reluctantly begins asking me questions about SLR lenses, zoom and internal storage capacity. As I answer his questions he continues looking back and forth between me and the male associate still anticipating the answers to come from his mouth. By the time I get to his questions on SD cards and television & PC hook up he finally focuses all of his attention on me. He could tell that I was enthusiastic and passionate about the subject. Even though the customer was only there initially to look and learn, he confidently purchases the camera. The next time he comes to buy, he specifically looks for me.
So, how should you handle customers or clients wary of your abilities in comparison to your male counterparts?

Here are 3 best practices regardless of... read more.

MY PERSONAL STAKE

As a Black woman who grew up in Hartford, I know all too well the potentially fracturing effects of not teaching the Whole Child. I was mistakenly labeled as a special education student instead of having my social and emotional needs addressed. After discussions about my home life (being separated from my parents and siblings and placed in foster care), being taught social skills, ethics and coping mechanisms, I began to flourish. I was able to cope with my circumstances, become more socially aware, build relationships and learn how to problem solve. In my case, addressing the Whole Child meant reaching my full academic potential and pursuing a career as a teacher. I grew up experiencing the “public school” experience through the eyes of a minority student living in a poor socioeconomic community. I now have the opportunity to view my neighborhood school district through a teacher’s lens.  

OVERVIEW

I believe the one essential element all educators can agree on is that our mission is to educate our children and prepare them to be continuous learners and globally competitive citizens. All children should be afforded a quality education. Achieving this feat means setting high expectations, accommodating their different learning styles and tending to their individual social, emotional and academic needs or the Whole Child. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) puts out the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) every 3 years. According to the latest results of PISA, The United States is still being outperformed by a substantial amount of countries falling below the OECDs average in math, reading and science. Click here for latest results of the 2012 PISA.  

Low performance is tied to the socioeconomic status of our students... 

Originally published in Transforming Education. Read the rest of the blog here.