College bound or Vocational Education?

Why is there a distinction between college-bound and technical school students?

Whether someone is fixing my car or operating on my heart, I would like to know that both of them have the critical thinking, literacy, and problem-solving skills to handle the situation effectively.

We are brought up to believe that one job is more important and more valuable than the other. Yet each job requires a level of skill that takes talent and knowledge. I don't want the "lesser than knowledgeable" person working on my car anymore than I want a "lesser than knowledgeable" person working on my heart.

Maybe I'm exposing my own biases here. The biases that were passed on to me were never stated anywhere, but they were understood. In the rural town I grew up in, it was easy to see who was heading "somewhere" and who wasn't. Kids were labeled based on their subject choices once in high school. Choosing shop class meant that you weren't on a college track and would end up being a mechanic or some other "low-level" job. There was a stereotype associated with the vocational classes offered.

Why is that?

How does the path to college vs. the path to vocational school get such different respect? Both paths need a degree of competency. I would like to see our schools offering that same level of competency to ALL kids so that no matter what choice they make they are equipped with the intelligence to be efficient and effective at their job.

Unfortunately, it's the children of color who disproportionately get tracked and labeled into the vocational classes once the education system has failed them. That is not beneficial to any of us.

We need to do a better job of educating ALL children so that each child is able to make his/her own choice as to what they want to be when they grow up.

For more on this, read here: Career Skills said to get Short Shrift

Accessible Administrators

Speaking *to* parents is a job. Speaking *with* parents is a talent.

I, along with two other parents from our After-School Academy, attended the Dallas Achieves meeting at North Dallas High School. I suppose the meeting was meant to inform. As the meeting started, the school board member welcomed everyone and expressed his appreciation for the "wonderful principals, teachers, and kids." One of the parents with me, fairly audibly to those of us sitting around her spoke up to say, "and PARENTS!"

The school board member went on to talk about how "the community needs to be involved and they (as if the community wasn't sitting in the same room) need to be more informed." It was at that point I got worried that we were in yet another high level meeting where parents are talked at and not listened to.

The first 45 minutes of the meeting was dry, with a power point with small words I couldn't read. The presenter spoke very high level and over our head, "We just bought back $4 mil in bonds. ...We will have a 'wireless overlay.' ...We have our 21st Century grant." I really don't think the parents cared much about the district patting themselves on the back. The parents were there for more basic reasons...their children.

Finally, they opened the floor. From that point forward, I was impressed. Parents were allowed to submit questions via a card or they could speak at the microphone. The two parents I was with voiced their concerns:

Parent 1: I would like teachers to contact me when a problem arises...not wait until two or three problems arise. If they would contact me, I could deal with the problem the first time! The school needs better communication with the parents.

Parent 2: We just moved into the Dallas district from Richardson. My girls were good students. Now, all of a sudden, they are going down hill. One of my children is a special needs student. I would like to know what programs are available through the district that I could get her into. I would like to know for both of them what the school is doing to improve because I don't want my girls getting out of high school not knowing how to read, write, and add...*if* they even make it that far. I don't want them being a statistic and dropping out because they can't do the work and don't have the skills.

I was impressed with the way the principals from North Dallas High School and a few middle schools responded. (I don't know where the principal from our elementary school (J.W. Ray) was...and that concerns me). The principals listened and addressed questions. They assured us they would contact us to follow up if we submitted a card. But more importantly...

Dr. Eduardo Hernandez, principal of North Dallas High School, gave us all his cell number and encouraged ALL of us (elementary, middle, and high school parents) to contact him at any time via phone call or text. Texting will allow him to get back with us quickly, he assured us. He promised to respond as long as it was before 7:00. After 7:00, he requested that we respect the time he spends with his own daughter.

Wow.

I spoke with him afterwards. He was just as personable then as he was during the meeting. He invited me to serve on their Site-Based Decision Making board. He said he takes it off campus to a Starbucks to make it more friendly for everyone. (Gotta love that!). Plus, I found out, he lives in my neighborhood--grew up there and now has moved back.

Dr. Hernandez has the talent of speaking *with* parents. I plan to work with him so that our After-School Academy for elementary kids doesn't stop at 5th grade, but works toward getting them toward the goal of college. To do that, I need to know where they are headed and what they need to prepare for now to get them ready. I believe Dr. H will work with us in that.

I would like to see more administrators be that accessible and neighborhood/parent friendly.

Dallas Mayor appoints himself?

Dallas Mayor Looks at Taking Over DISD

As the news broke that Mayor Tom Leppert was considering a take-over of the Dallas Independent School District, emotions start rising.

When asked for a comment, all Mr. Leppert would say was, "The statement speaks for itself. I'm sticking with the statement," he said, adding only that "in the end, the kids have to be the priority. We're having a lot of conversations."

However, some school board members are questioning his motives. "Why would he want to be in charge of the school district?" Lew Blackburn wondered. Other board trustees from the southern sector (a primarily African-American section of the city) are stating their concern about a mayor from the northern sector (a primarily White section of the city) running the Dallas district (which is primarily African-American and Hispanic).

I get the sense that there is some defensiveness and territorialism going on. But, the truth of the matter is, our district teeters on the edge of a downward spiral. Though blame has been freely placed on Superintendent Hinojosa, blaming people does not fix the fact that our school system is not doing well and our children are suffering.

In the past, I don't know that I would've been on board with a city take over. However, I think we need to consider our needs and our resources.

DISD hasn't been thought of as a quality district for quite some time. If Mayor Leppert is serious about making the children a priority, it doesn't matter to me what color he is or where he lives. Our children deserve better than what they're getting.

I actually like Hinojosa. I like his passion; I like his approach. However, just because he has the best in mind for the kids and may be a great educator visionary doesn't mean he's got great business sense.

What I notice in non-profit is that most of us come from social sciences fields. We have been taught to be social workers, ministers, educators, etc. We have not been taught how to create a business plan, develop outcomes, and have a solid sense of budgeting. Yet, we are expected to wear that hat. Even the president of the United States has a team of people to figure out the economic piece.

So...if a successful business man who graduated from Harvard and was the former CEO of Turner Construction is committed to education and can help us get our financial piece in order, why not take him up on the offer? I don't get the sense he's wanting to tell educators how to teach. I would hope he is willing to listen to the educators and work in conjunction with them so that we can have a financially viable and educationally strong school system.

Obama on education

The third challenge we must address is the urgent need to expand the promise of education in America.

In a global economy, where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity. It is a prerequisite.

Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma, and yet just over half of our citizens have that level of education. We have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized nation, and half of the students who begin college never finish.

This is a prescription for economic decline, because we know the countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow. That is why it will be the goal of this administration to ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education, from the day they are born to the day they begin a career. That is a promise we have to make to the children of America.

Already, we've made a historic investment in education through the economic recovery plan. We've dramatically expanded early childhood education and will continue to improve its quality, because we know that the most formative learning comes in those first years of life.

We've made college affordable for nearly 7 million more students, 7 million. And we have provided the resources necessary to prevent painful cuts and teacher layoffs that would set back our children's progress.

But we know that our schools don't just need more resources; they need more reform. And that is why...

That is why this budget creates new teachers -- new incentives for teacher performance, pathways for advancement, and rewards for success. We'll invest -- we'll invest in innovative programs that are already helping schools meet high standards and close achievement gaps. And we will expand our commitment to charter schools.

It is...It is our responsibility as lawmakers and as educators to make this system work, but it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it.

So tonight I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be a community college or a four-year school, vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma.

And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It's not just quitting on yourself; it's quitting on your country. And this country needs and values the talents of every American.

That's why -- that's why we will support -- we will provide the support necessary for all young Americans to complete college and meet a new goal: By 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. That is a goal we can meet.

That's a goal we can meet.

Now -- now, I know that the price of tuition is higher than ever, which is why, if you are willing to volunteer in your neighborhood or give back to your community or serve your country, we will make sure that you can afford a higher education.

And to encourage a renewed spirit of national service for this and future generations, I ask Congress to send me the bipartisan legislation that bears the name of Sen. Orrin Hatch, as well as an American who has never stopped asking what he can do for his country, Sen. Edward Kennedy.

These education policies will open the doors of opportunity for our children, but it is up to us to ensure they walk through them.

In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a parent, for a mother or father who will attend those parent-teacher conferences, or help with homework, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, read to their child.

I speak to you not just as a president, but as a father, when I say that responsibility for our children's education must begin at home. That is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. That's an American issue.

Click Clack Moo--a children's story of community activism

I've always loved the book Click, Clack, Moo. But when I went to the play at the Dallas Children's Theater, I had a whole new eye-opening reality:

Click, Clack, Moo is a great children's story about community activism.

After the cows and the chicken deal with a cold, drafty barn for a while, they decide to express their grievance and request electric blankets. However, when they try to communicate this with Farmer Brown, they realize they are speaking in a language he can't understand. They go back to the drawing board and gather together in their barnyard (community) meetings to figure out a different plan.

Since Farmer Brown didn't seem to understand them the first time, they decide to act it out in hopes that he will be able to see how cold they are. The message still does not get through.

Finally, during a community...I mean, barnyard...meeting, they discover an old, discarded typewriter. They realize that they have to communicate with Farmer Brown in a way that he can understand.

So they type.

They withhold milk and eggs.

They make him realize that they are an important part of his livelihood.

In the play, they are afraid they will get in trouble, but they persevere.

Duck appears to be a neutral party and, therefore, mediates (though in the play, he explains that he is a part of the barnyard meetings, too).

After some negotiation, the cows get their electric blankets and Farmer Brown gets the typewriter.

I suppose that could be seen as giving up their power (the typewriter)...but what they've already discovered by that time is that the power is within them. (which is why Duck then demands a diving board)

Race dialogue--"you can't go over it, you can't go under it. You've got to go through it."

Meet the Press doesn't have the small segment I want...and I can't figure out how to edit the video...so if you'll let the video load, you can go to 45:05 (near the end) to listen to Michele Norris's comments about Eric Holder's comments I posted yesterday.

I have edited the transcript below the video so you can read her words.

David Gregory falls into the same trap that I mentioned yesterday. By saying that the Attorney General shouldn't speak so openly about race, we reinforce his comments about us being cowards. I appreciated Ms. Norris's points.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

MR. GREGORY: In our remaining moments, I want to spend a couple minutes talking about Eric Holder, the attorney general, first African-American attorney general. And he gave a speech about the national dialogue about race in this country, or lack of thereof, and he used some charged language. And this is what he said.

(Videotape of Eric Holder speaking on Wednesday)
MR. ERIC HOLDER: Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as a ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and we, I believe, continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards.
(End videotape)

MR. GREGORY: And, Al, his point is that the dialogue about race in this country is too stilted and it doesn't happen, and that people are still afraid to have it. Was that the right way to invite people to have that conversation more freely?

MR. HUNT: I think that he's absolutely right on the history. I think he makes a very valid point. I think the attorney general should not be making that point. I think it weakens him in some, some of the tough actions he's going to have to take to deal with race. So I think it was a poor choice of words, even though it's hard to quarrel with his history.

MS. NORRIS: You know, that, that almost--what you just said, though, seems to confirm the argument that he's making, that if he talks openly about race that he can't deal with race. He seems to be saying that we need to talk openly about race. I think if he had said Americans are uncomfortable talking about race...that Americans are skittish of talking about race, we probably wouldn't be talking about it at this table right now.

MR. GREGORY: So, Michele, what happens now? Is, is President Obama, the first African-American president, is he or should he be a catalyst for this conversation? Or rather, does this conversation, in a more open way, have to happen around our dinner tables and in other more casual settings amongst all of us?

MS. NORRIS: Well, you know, I was speaking to--we did a segment on the radio about this this week, and one of the things that was said that I thought was so striking is when someone calls for a conversation like this, people like us sit at tables like this and we have this conversation. But the places where the conversation really needs to happen is where that conversation generally doesn't happen, because it's really difficult to talk about this. It's fraught with landmines. People are afraid of saying the wrong thing or the right thing, so sometimes they don't say anything. It's fraught with anger and resentment and guilt and the need for apologies...

MS. NORRIS: Can I say one thing, though? I think that what, what you see here is perhaps a slightly different view of the need for dialogue. And I hear two very different conversations. And in some ways they're coming from two different camps, from people of color and from Caucasian Americans. And when you talk about the need for, or the move toward a more post-racial society, you don't hear that so much from people of color. And it's almost like that, that ship is heading toward an iceberg, because from people of color what you're hearing more often is let's now have a more open dialogue about race.

MR. GREGORY: Let's not shut the dialogue off because...

MS. NORRIS: ...you can't go over it, you can't go under it. You've got to go through it.

What we don't know can hurt us

Above is the controversial image. A monkey is shot by police as they talk about finding someone else to write the stimulus package.

When I saw the cartoon, my first reaction wasn't as strong as my African-American friends. Because I am White, the image and the association did not and does not affect me like it does a person who is African-American. I don't have the context to understand or have the pain associated with being called a monkey in the most derogatory way. When I was a kid, if we were called monkeys, it was because we were acting silly.

So, with my background and context, I could try to deny that the monkey has anything to do with President Obama. But the monkey in the picture has nothing to do with clowning around...and it has nothing to do with an attack on someone (as some people are trying to connect it with the recent chimp "pet" who turned violent and attacked a woman). The cartoon is very specific in it's comments about about a stimulus bill. The word bubble and the chimp together in a cartoon don't allow us to disconnect the two.

I believe many of us who are White try desperately to deny and refuse to acknowledge our history. The reality is that White people have connected Black people with monkeys for a long time. If we don't believe that, we need to look into our history. As Kyra Phillips (CNN) found out, our history and the connecting of Black people to monkeys is all too real. You can see the of the dialogue with Kyra Phillips, Al Sharpton, and Jeff Johnson of BET here. She found the information in an article written by Rev. Buckner Payne in 1867 called, "The Negro: What is his Ethnological Status?"

We take up the monkey, and trace him...through his upward and advancing orders--baboon, ourang-outang and gorilla, up to the negro, another noble animal, that noblest of the beast creation. The difference between these higher orders of the monkey and the negro is very slight...and consists mainly of this one thing: the negro can utter sounds that can be imitated; hence, he could talk wtih Adam and Eve, for they could imitate his sounds.

I think it's important that we hear what people say. When Black people are telling us it's a racist cartoon, why are we so offended by that? Where does the defensiveness come from? Why not acknowledge their comments and their feelings and seek understanding so that even if we may not understand it, we can at least become more sensitive?

I am very impressed with Attorney General Eric Holder's response toward the cartoon. Yes, he called us a "Nation of Cowards" (which is the soundbyte that has triggered so much emotion) but he also challenged us to start a new conversation.

If we're going to make progress, we have to have the guts...we have to have the determination to be honest with each other.

Mr. Holder wants to make sure the Department of Justice and the Civil Rights division does its job. To do that, he plans to start with his own employees. Mr. Holder thinks it's important...

to not only commemorate Black History, but also to foster a period of dialogue between the races. Our history has demonstrated that the vast majority of Americans are uncomfortable with and would like to not have to deal with racial matters...

View Eric Holder's words (not just his sound bytes) below. I think it's important to hear it from him. He challenges us all to a new level:



As Holder implies, we are scared to have the conversation. We don't want to be charged with racism and we don't want to be indicted as racists. Mr. Holder is not accusing us of either. He is simply challenging us to seek a deeper conversation so that we can move forward with each other.

Our cowardice shows. As I read CNN's The Cafferty File blog, I recognized how our cowardic plays out. He asks:

Here’s my question to you: Do you agree with Attorney General Eric Holder that the U.S. is a “nation of cowards” when it comes to race?

I'm sure he doesn't realize that his question is a cowardly question. But I believe the bolder position Mr. Holder is calling us to is to acknowledge the comments...acknowledge the racism in the cartoon...and begin a deeper conversation. Asking us to side for or against Mr. Holder continues to pit us against one another. A better question would be,

"How have we been a 'nation of cowards' and how can we move beyond that?"

Instead of denying that there's anything wrong, let's open ourselves to ask, "What *is* wrong...with what I just said...with what I just did...with what I just drew?" It's a vulnerable position and the answer may be painful, but I find that people who offer these open-ended conversations aren't trying to hurt us; they are trying to help us see and understand what we can't.

As I watch Eric Holder and observe how President Obama handle different situations I began to notice something. To this point, what we've come to be proud of is when we have shades of brown in high level positions. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's a start. But what I see happening now is a true diversity. President Obama chose people of diverse skin tones, but he has also created a freedom in our country that starts from the top--a freedom to speak and a freedom to challenge what hasn't been spoken about and challenged in the past.

This new dialogue has the potential to challenge us to hear voices that we haven't heard before. It has the potential to challenge all of us to see things differently.

I am looking forward to this new day.

Black studies programs create a White frenzy

I read this story in the Houston Chronicle because I was interested in the topic.

The article was short and didn't offer much for me. Instead, what was more interesting was that it had received 193 comments, the very first one being,

"African American Studies" ???? Are there any "Irish American Studies"???? How about some "Italian American Studies" ???? Courses like this tend to exacerbate racial problems, not help. They tend to promote and perpetuate racial strife. Just read the first few comments and see if you agree.

So, I kept reading. (sigh) Same old stuff.

I guess the internet allows people to say directly and overtly what they think without the concern of looking someone in the eye and speaking to their face. I'm guessing the people who say these things probably don't know any Black people well enough to have the conversation with them anway. In a way, the internet is a good tool for this. Since we are a pretty segregated society, this allows Black people (if they even care to read this stuff) to affirm what they've always known existed (i.e. underlying racism, hatred, and scorn) and possibly even respond.

I don't get it, though.

Why is there so much pent up agression and anger about something as harmless as an African-American studies program? After I had written this blog, I came across another professor who shares my sentiment in his article, When are WE going to get over it?

I don't have a problem with an Irish-American studies program. Evidently, neither does Bridgewater University or New York University. Obviously the commenter and others I've heard with this same type of argument don't bother looking to see there are Irish American and Italian-American studies programs just like there are African American studies programs. Stony Brook University, Queens College, and others offer Italian-American studies. So yes, there are other cultural groups being studied in universities. Most reflect the region where they are located.

Even if there weren't Irish and Italian programs, why do White people get so bent out of shape when things like this come up? How many of these peanut gallery commenters are enrolling in the Irish American and Italian American programs? And why do they immediately begin talking about how if they had segregated themselves like that, they'd have been called racists?

The bottom line is if we incorporated other culture groups into our regular, on-going curriculum for *all* students throughout elementary, middle, and high school, we wouldn't need a program dedicated to the study of a specific cultural group to find out what the people from that group contributed.

And if we truly don't care what those other cultural groups did or didn't contribute, why are we so concerned and why do we raise such a fuss? Are we afraid that we might find out someone other than White people *did* contribute something?

The Wisdom of Melvin

Over the years I've had many inner city teenagers relay stories of teachers and administrators who discourage their dreams and encourage them to go to trade school because, "That's where you need to be."

I've always been frustrated by this. So, I try to take little opportunities to remind the kids that they have every capability they believe they have and should never let anyone tell them any different.

It was on one of these mini encouragement sessions that I began explaining to the kids that I am a college professor who teaches teachers. I stressed to them that the things they can do as a result of our technology class is more than most teachers. I went on to explain that because they were young and inquisitive they have endless potential in front of them and things we won't be able to teach them that they'll need to teach us.

I happened to mention that many of the teachers I teach resist technology. They refuse to even try. To which Melvin, so innocently replied with such wisdom that we should all heed:

"Miss Janet, if they don't want to learn then why do they want to be teachers?"

NaNoWriMo

Do you love to write?

Do you freeze up because you think you have to write something perfect?

Have you heard of NaNoWriMo? NaNoWriMo is about writing for fun, with no constraints. It's not about being good...it's just about getting something on paper. (you can edit it and clean it up later during NaNoEdMo)

NaNoWriMo offers a curriculum that is free for schools. Once a teacher signs up their class (which you can do by going here), they receive buttons, stickers, posters, and access to an interactive Web site intended to make writing fun. Teachers are not expected to grade their students on the content, or even necessarily read what they write. You can read more about it here.

Adults who want to sign up on their own can click here. During writing month, adults are expected to complete a goal of 50,000 words during that month. (Kids have more options of setting their own goals). The goal is writing...not being perfect.

If you're interested, but can't wait until the November writing month...or if writing a novel doesn't sound interesting, but writing song lyrics or plays, creating art, or editing your work that you already have is more your thing, check out these upcoming events:

NaNoWriMo-style Events Coming Up on the Horizon:
NaNoFiMo.org - National Novel Finishing Month (December). Goal: 30,000 words.

JaNoWriMo - January Novel Writing Month (January). Goal: 50,000 words, or whatever goal you set.

FAWM - February Album Writing Month (February). Goal: Write 14 original songs in a month.

NaNoEdMo - National Novel Editing Month (March). Goal: Commit to 50 hours of novel editing in a month.

JulNoWriMo - July Novel Writing Month (July). Goal: 50,000 words for a new or unfinished manuscript.

24 Hour Comics Day - (Changes annually, lasts 24 hours). Goal: Draw a 24-page comic in one 24-hour period.

Mad Challenge - (Varies). Goal: Complete a variety of point challenges issued by moderators, including writing 10,000 in 5 hours.

April Fool's - (April). Goal: Set a word-count goal for yourself and reach it by the end of the month.

NaPlWriMo - National Playwriting Month (November). Goal: Write a play in one month.

NaNoMangO - The artist's alternative to NaNoWriMo (November). Goal: Draw 30 pages of sequential art in one month.

NaNoPubYe - National Novel Publishing Year (Year-Round). Goal: Get that NaNoWriMo novel ready for publication!