I’m so scared for my Black students. I can’t speak about any other demographic. I work with Black students every day and I am so scared about what I see. More and more they seem less and less interested in academic endeavors. We talk so much about having more technology in the classroom but today… Continue reading I’m So Scared For My Black Students
Last week there was a horrible shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. There are many important and hard conversations happening in our country about how to keep our children safe. Trump’s idea is to give guns to teachers. All the teachers I’ve spoken to and read about aren’t having it. America’s… Continue reading Thanks But No Thanks, I’m Not Carrying a Gun!
New York City schools are plagued with deeply embedded racist practices and ideologies. From the huge disparity in the amount of teachers of color hired in comparison to their White counterparts, to the lack of diversity and inclusion of the vast contributions of all groups, not just White people, to the building of this country… Continue reading A Culturally-Responsive Education For NYC Students Is No Longer Optional! It Is A Must!
Yesterday, a student asked a colleague of mine why there isn’t a White History Month. The student, who happens to be Black, asked the question with all seriousness. I didn’t want my facial expression to give way to the 20-floor drop that my heart took to the pit of my stomach as soon as I… Continue reading Why “Black Panther” Is A “Must See” For All Black Students
For the past few weeks, every time I see the cover of a local New York City newspaper there are reports of incidents of blatant racism and discrimination against students of color. This week, sadly, is no exception. According to an article published this Monday in the Daily News, Liriano [a teacher in the NYC… Continue reading Even During Black History Month, Teaching Black History Is Demonized.
His name is Malcolm Xavier Combs. Yet he was allegedly pulled out of class, berated, and told by a school administrator at his school— Christ the King High School in Queens, NY — that he can’t have “Malcolm X” on his senior hoodie sweatshirt. According to the Daily News, Malcolm Xavier Combs wanted the name… Continue reading His Name is Malcolm Xavier Combs, aka “Malcolm X” — Whether You Like It Or Not.
A recent Daily News article entitled “Why Won’t the United Federation of Teachers Sign Onto Black Lives Matter?” reports that, Last week, the union representing the teachers of nearly 300,000 black students rejected a resolution supporting Black Lives Matter in education, making it the only local teachers union to do so among the 10 cities… Continue reading Black Lives Matter. Black Students’ Lives Matter. Black Students’ Lives In NYC Matter: Wait, Hold Up, Not so Fast.
I don’t even know what to say after reading this article in the Daily News: Middle School 118 teacher Patricia Cummings shocked and traumatized children in her social studies classes when she singled out black students and told them to lie on the floor for a lesson on U.S. slavery — and then stepped on… Continue reading Black Students Matter!
A school is only as good as its administrators’ execution of their vision. It starts at the top. Building administrators — specifically, school principals — are the ones who do the hiring of teachers. So much rides on their cultural competence, and this factors heavily into the hiring of teachers of color — or lack… Continue reading When Diversifying Staff, It All Comes Down to Principals!
Warm demanding pedagogy and culturally relevant pedagogy also focus on the expressions of teacher care and respect of students, their home communities, and overall well-being. I read this quote and this question arises in my mind: How can a Trump supporter teach Black and Brown children and be a “warm demander” of those children? It’s oxymoronic.… Continue reading Education Is Too Widely Informed By The Mainstream White Voice
