Children of Color

Democrats Won’t Dictate Where My Black Children Go to School.
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Democrats Won’t Dictate Where My Black Children Go to School.

nyschooltalkLeave a comment

This is a guest post by ShaRhonda Knott-Dawson, who currently resides in the west suburbs of Chicago with her two school-aged girls and her husband, Brian. She blogs at ShaRhondaTribune.com and ChicagoUnheard.org. This piece originally appeared on Education Post. “What you not gone do…”—An African American proverb Last month Democrats for Education Reform released polling… Continue reading Democrats Won’t Dictate Where My Black Children Go to School.

I Don’t Want My Children Around Those Type of White People!
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I Don’t Want My Children Around Those Type of White People!

nyschooltalk1 Comment

This post was written by Lamont Douglas, a father, advocate and blogger at Secondline. He resides in New Orleans, Louisiana where he has been a powerful voice for educational equity. For more NYST coverage of the integration uproar on the Upper West Side, see here, here, here, and here. Melba. Minnijean. Elizabeth. Ernest. Gloria. Carlotta. Thelma. Terrence.… Continue reading I Don’t Want My Children Around Those Type of White People!

Is Parental Engagement Necessary For a Child’s School Success? A Personal Story.
Accountability · Educational Equity · Finding the Right School · School Choice

Is Parental Engagement Necessary For a Child’s School Success? A Personal Story.

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Celia Scott Wickham wasn’t just an HHLA board member. She was also my mother-in-law. On Friday, February 16, 2018, Harlem Hebrew Language Academy Charter School (for those tracking such things, one of NYC’s most diverse public schools at 36 percent White, 30 percent Black, 29 percent Hispanic) dedicated the day to celebrating their neighborhood. Classrooms… Continue reading Is Parental Engagement Necessary For a Child’s School Success? A Personal Story.

Black Lives Matter. Black Students’ Lives Matter. Black Students’ Lives In NYC Matter: Wait, Hold Up, Not so Fast.
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Black Lives Matter. Black Students’ Lives Matter. Black Students’ Lives In NYC Matter: Wait, Hold Up, Not so Fast.

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

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.

What’s On Your Book Shelf?: The Importance of Diversity in Classroom Libraries
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What’s On Your Book Shelf?: The Importance of Diversity in Classroom Libraries

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

I was allotted some funds for the purpose of further developing my classroom library. Books are my happy place so I was overjoyed! I set out on the task with the express purpose of not only getting books that met the varying reading levels of my students, but also books that represented the cultures of… Continue reading What’s On Your Book Shelf?: The Importance of Diversity in Classroom Libraries

It’s Not My Kid’s Job To Make Your Kid’s Educational Experience Better
Finding the Right School · School Choice

It’s Not My Kid’s Job To Make Your Kid’s Educational Experience Better

Alina Adams1 Comment

The big buzz word in New York City education is: Diversity. On October 26, 2017, yet another plan was announced, this time promising to bring diversity to Lower Manhattan’s District 1. District 1 is already a choice district, in that families are not limited to a local zoned school, but can apply to any school… Continue reading It’s Not My Kid’s Job To Make Your Kid’s Educational Experience Better

Black Children Are Not Allowed To Be Children
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Black Children Are Not Allowed To Be Children

Vivett Dukes1 Comment

Black children are not allowed to be children. They are perceived by mainstream America, from out of the womb, as being armed, dangerous, and suspicious. They are constantly scrutinized, chastised, and over-managed. How many Black parents have had to sit their young Black child down and explain to them how to conduct themselves in public,… Continue reading Black Children Are Not Allowed To Be Children

You Call These “Public” Schools? Unconscionable Segregation in NYC’s Specialized High Schools
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You Call These “Public” Schools? Unconscionable Segregation in NYC’s Specialized High Schools

Dirk TillotsonLeave a comment

Segregation won another round in New York City’s most elite “public” schools. The admission numbers are out and they are pathetic. Black and Latino children make up 67.6 percent of the students in NYC schools, yet only 10 percent of the students were admitted to the selective high schools. And get this, only one—yes one—Black… Continue reading You Call These “Public” Schools? Unconscionable Segregation in NYC’s Specialized High Schools

How Do I Help My Children Feel Pride in their Heritage in the Face of Ignorance?
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How Do I Help My Children Feel Pride in their Heritage in the Face of Ignorance?

Mariana Lara Lennon1 Comment

(This is a story told to me by a devastated friend, struggling to make sense of this new America. He wishes to remain anonymous.) “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” This is far from the truth: I did not know racism until I came to this great country.… Continue reading How Do I Help My Children Feel Pride in their Heritage in the Face of Ignorance?

Cui Bono: Who Really Benefits From Dual Language Education?
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Cui Bono: Who Really Benefits From Dual Language Education?

Alina Adams1 Comment

Late last year I wrote about how the Upper West Side rezoning plan intended to desegregate a handful of elementary schools could end up resegregating them in a new way through the addition of a Gifted & Talented program to PS 191, currently serving over 70% Black, Hispanic, and Free Lunch students. Bringing in a G&T… Continue reading Cui Bono: Who Really Benefits From Dual Language Education?