In a unanimous board vote, Shelby County Schools has voted to hire Joris Ray, the current interim superintendent, to take over the post permanently.
“It’s clear that there is a tremendous amount of support and I have the utmost confidence that Dr. Ray can serve in his role for all of the students of Shelby County, no matter whether they are in SCS, charter or ASD,” -Board member Michelle Robinson McKissack
Read more about the incoming superintendent at the Commercial Appeal.
New data is out from a report highlighting the college readiness of Shelby County Schools High schools students and the results are grim.
According to the report, nearly 6 out of 10 SCS high school students require remedial math classes before college, with that number being 4 in 10 for remedial reading classes.
Educator Marlena Little notes that this is a major problem: “Students who do take remedial courses actually do not mostly finish. You have about between a 20 and 50 percent of students who actually take remedial courses do not finish and complete their degree.”
Read more about the report here.
A recent story broke about a Duke professor stepping down after she asked her students to speak English 100% of the time. The students were heard speaking Chinese, which is their native language. In my opinion, the professor was wrong to tell students they should speak English 100% of the time. For starters, they are college students and feel most comfortable speaking in their language. Second, she cannot demand that someone talk a particular language especially when they are not talking to her.
What was even more appalling was the fact that she wanted to remember the students’ names and faces just in case they tried to apply there for a job after college. These students do not deserve to be blocked from a job they have not even applied for and on top of that just because they were speaking their language.
I think this professor could really learn from this experience. Although she may have her opinions about what students should do, it is not her place to tell what language they should speak. The college should look into any other professors that may have been involved in the situation or have expressed similar opinion as she did.
We live in America, in a mixing pot of different nationalities and cultures. This is country where people come because they want the freedom, the opportunity, and the diversity, but somehow it seems we have become a place where that is not possible. It is almost sickening to keep seeing people being singled out for who they are. I hope those students stay true to who they are and understand it is important to be comfortable in any setting they are in. I also hope the college has a conversation with faculty and staff members about how they accept all students.
School choice has gained ground in the eyes of education advocates over the years. Charters and vouchers remain a topic of debate but they are far less contentious than they were even a couple of years ago. However, there is one frontier of school choice that remains relatively unexplored and controversial: Schools that serve non-traditional students. Such is the case with Memphis’s Pathways in Education.
Pathways in Education is a non-traditional charter school that primarily serves students that for whatever reason didn’t succeed in a regular classroom setting. Many of the school’s students have children or other obstacles that prevent them from regularly attending school. Pathways enables those students to complete work online and come to school once or twice a week. Many of these students admittedly would otherwise drop-out or fail to graduate.
The problem that the school is facing is that according to the measurement system the state uses to grade schools, Pathways in Education is not a good school. Only 6 percent of students were on grade level in English Language Arts according to the state test last year. Other metrics were similarly bad.
But this is not a fair way to look at this school. Most of the school’s metrics are purely a function of the students that choose to attend the school in the first place. Obviously, a school that caters almost exclusively to students far behind academically or at-risk of dropping out would have lower scores. Those students wouldn’t be at the school if they were thriving in regular educational environments. This means that comparing this school’s results to another traditional school is at-best misguided and at-worst intellectually dishonest. We often default to comparing charter schools to traditional public schools, but as we push the boundaries and scope of choice-education, we will find that those comparisons don’t always make sense. And this is a clear-cut case where those comparisons don’t make sense.
The original purpose of school choice is to enable students and families to find a school that works for them. Given the anecdotal experiences of those involved with the program, it’s safe to say that Pathways in Education is working for some students. Those students should have the option of a learning in an environment that serves their needs.
Pathways is not a school for everyone. It is not meant to replace traditional public education schools and it certainly isn’t out to compete with them. It’s a school for the students who have been left behind and underserved in those environments. If we are truly ready to embrace the different types of schools that come out of school choice, then we have to be ready to embrace different types of evaluation as well. Let’s be honest, Pathways in Education isn’t going to be the primary option for most students, but it’s an option that needs to exist for some.
If you weren’t completely riveted by the information detailed throughout the Lifetime Network’s six-part documentary-series, Surviving R. Kelly, then I’d assume you may be probably void of human feelings.
As Lifetime Network’s website states:
In the ground-breaking documentary series “Surviving R. Kelly,” women are emerging from the shadows and uniting their voices to share their stories. Celebrated as one of the greatest R&B singers of all time, R. Kelly’s genre defining career and playboy lifestyle has been riddled with rumors of abuse, predatory behavior, and pedophilia. Despite damning evidence and multiple witnesses, to date, none of these accusations have seemingly affected him. For the first time ever, survivors and people from R. Kelly’s inner circle, are coming forward with new allegations about his sexual, mental, and physical abuse. They are now finally ready to share their full story and shed light on the secret life the public has never seen.
Given my obsession with documentaries as well as the music and styles of 90s culture, I was eager to view the series. And while I had definitely been familiar with some of the content shown throughout the series, because I am now much older, this time, the context was different.
During the three days the docu-series aired, I found my mind in a race of thoughts. I found myself holding my breath during segments, not truly realizing this until I felt myself let out a relieving exhale. And I couldn’t wait to further breakdown what I had witnessed with a few close friends who viewed the series; I was eager to hear their takeaways from the series.
And while each of the six parts left me with a sense of shock, sadness, frustration, even nostalgia (just from music and images), it truly was not until parts five and six that I began to feel the worst. Because up until the final night of viewing, each young lady involved, while they shared they were being “controlled” in some form, there always seemed to be the opportunity to leave and return to their home/families.
But with the introduction of the parents, things began to become more real for me because
Each time that black screen appeared and a new woman or child was introduced, my anxiety and discomfort soared.
And as it related to the parents’ testimonies, helplessness was what I felt most. It is very important for me to avoid being judgemental, but my one takeaway was the need to ensure parents are not so enthralled in their children accomplishing their perceived dreams that they ignore possibly clear signs of danger. The thought of not seeing or hearing from my child for three years is unimaginable, and now, an adult at 20 years of age, the Clary family reported this to be their reality after allowing their daughter, Azriel to seek mentorship from R.Kelly after, from their own words, several red flags. While they never blatantly said they may have been too eager and maybe didn’t use their best judgment when it came to ensuring their daughter(s) had been safe, it was certainly obvious.
The Clary family, unfortunately, chose to ignore R. Kelly’s past association with predatory behavior along with their own incidents of concern according to their own timeline of events:
By this time, Azriel had turned 18 and was an adult, so her decisions were her own.
And while I’ve heard some say their focus was one of greed, but based on the home videos made available of Azriel performing, and beautifully I may add, I choose to consider that these parents just wanted their daughter to be happy.
Watching those parents reach out to the Chicago PD for a wellness check within R. Kelly brick fortress of a studio, only to be told they had no ground to break down the door to enter and seeing them throw rocks at windows covered with iron bars, was just too much to handle.
So many times I thought about the regret that I KNOW they had; hindsight is always clearer.
So many times I thought about how many arguments they probably had amongst themselves about who was more responsible for this outcome. So many times I thought about the nightmares, the tears, and the sheer helplessness. So many times I considered the plight of wanting nothing more than for your children to see the manifestation of their dreams, but in this current world of instant gratification, overexposure and quick rise to celebrity, the likelihood to lose sight, is real. Too real.
It is beyond critical that we as caregivers and parents maintain a vigil watch on the influences of those we were put here to protect. One statement made by the Clary family that stood out to me was made by Azriel’s mother who shared that Azriel would “make her little threats” which basically forced her parents to go along with her desires to work with R. Kelly for fear of their daughter’s reaction. As caregivers and parents, we have to be willing take on the wrath of our children’s anger and disappointment based on our keeping them safe then to face the danger that is breeding out in the world. Because while the world and dangerous individuals can sort through and select from a multitude of expendable victims, our children are indispensable. And while they may not understand it at the moment, it is up to us to do our absolute best to maintain their safety as they navigate this often cold and cruel world.
Click here for resources from The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Click here for resources to prevent violence against women.
R. Kelly has the world fired up! I guess hearing the exact same rumors and allegations 20 years ago vs. seeing it on TV gives it more validation! Since his documentary has aired, why has his record sales increased?
As a mother, I am really appalled that so many people are defending and still patronizing him. People like him are given a pass because they are a celebrities. He continues to abuse and destroy so many young girl’s lives. Giving passes to people like him keeps criminals like him on a pedestal.
R. Kelly is a creative genius, but he has a problem and he needs help. What is sad is how many people sat back and watched him: his managers, friends, family, etc. and no one said a word. No one tried to protect the young girls. Maybe they did, but they didn’t try hard enough. Everyone was okay with it because of his status and financial gain.
The parents, his staff, friends, and his family have to be held accountable for putting these children in danger and not speaking out sooner. R. Kelly has to also see and accept his bad behavior choices. The young ladies went along with it because parents were excited to be connected with a celebrity. If some of the victim’s parents had reported suspicious behavior as it occurred or if they talked to their children letting them know how bad this situation could end, I’m pretty sure there would have been a different outcome. We need to have conversations with our sons and daughters about relatives, friends, and people they may encounter in life, no matter if they are a celebrity or not. We also need to let them know they can come to us if they feel uncomfortable or violated in any way; communication is VERY important.
When you’re black and excellent, institutionalized racism will say you cheated. After working her ass off to improve her score by 300 points, a Florida high school student is having her SAT score questioned and invalidated. On her first attempt, Kamilah Campbell scored a 900 out of 1600. Not satisfied with her score, Kamilah studied, attended tutoring, and took SAT prep courses to prepare for a retake.
She killed the retest and improved her score to 1230 on her next try, but her celebration was short-lived after what her attorney, Ben Crump, said is possible implicit bias. ETS, which manages tests, issued a letter stating, ” based on substantial agreement between your answers on one or more scored sections of the test and those of other test takers,” suggesting Campbell cheated to improve her scores. Crump believes the suggestion of cheating is tied to the belief that a young black girl could not have improved her scores as much as she did without some help from other students around her.
Even though the deadlines to apply to her school of choice, Florida State University, have passed Campbell vows to fight back. “They tell you that you need to practice and work and study to do better, but then when you do better they question it. They’re saying I improved basically too much,” said Campbell. She and her family and working with their attorney to urge College Board to review her test scores in time for Campbell to apply for FSU’s dance program.
The SAT is far from being culturally competent, but that does not imply that students of color cannot do well when taking it. This is not the first time College Board has had to deal with controversy over one of its tests. An investigation should be launched into these allegations as per its own guidelines; cheating is highly unlikely and near impossible when proctors and site administration follow test proctoring guidelines. What is more likely? Implicit bias. Kamilah Campbell should be celebrated for working hard to improve her scores, not penalized.
Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a safe and wonderful holiday. The break was much needed but lets face it, you missed us. I know, I know.. you missed reading about what’s going on in Memphis regarding public education. Well good news! We are back and ready to keep you informed!
Today Chalkbeat published a list of education stories you might have missed over the holiday break.
Click here to check them out.
Today I carry no title other than human being. Yes, I am a proud Black woman and a mom but I am still mentally reeling from and dealing with so many tentacles of raw emotion from my visit last week to the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. They represent America’s first national memorial dedicated to victims of racial terror lynching and a new museum dedicated to slavery and its legacy, lest we forget.
I remain mentally and emotionally charged from reading and “feeling” the many first hand accounts of the anguish of the Black mother during the era of slavery and segregation, of having her children snatched from her arms solely to fulfill another man or woman’s desire for lust, greed and hate.
As a result, I feel compelled to start off with a disclaimer quote to all the people, Black and White, who are silent and turn a blind eye to human suffering and oppression of others, particularly Black and vulnerable children.
Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe. –Frederick Douglass
Lest we forget, Black history is American history
I get it and the status quo gets it too. Literacy equals liberation.
As a Black mom, the more I learn about the educational system in America, the more I realize the extreme lengths the “existing structure” or status quo will go to keep Black parents and their children from accessing the necessary information and opportunity needed to access the promise of democracy. We strive to become self-sufficient, independent thinking and productive citizens but not everybody supports us in that quest.
Then and Now
There is a reason that southern plantation owners did everything they could, even post slavery during the reconstruction era, to keep books out of the hands of black families. White folks knew that in order to maintain their lavish lifestyle and position of power, it was imperative that Blacks never learn to read. Any access to information via the written word would spell big trouble for their racist way of life and so began the still common phenomenon of information and opportunity hoarding.
“From the first days of their freedom, Georgia’s freed slaves demanded formal education.
Now fast forward 100 hundred years to the Civil Rights era of 1954 to 1968. Black parents still had to fight for their children to be justly educated because, once again, white families hoarded the access to good information about educational opportunities that could lead to self sufficiency and success. This is precisely why Oliver Brown, a Black father, pastor and welder was the plaintiff in the 1954 US Supreme Court case Oliver Brown, et al. v. Board of Education of Topeka, which declared unconstitutional any state laws establishing separate public schools for Black and white students.
Upon further reflection, I realize there isn’t much said in America’s history books about what happened to the thousands of black teachers that once taught in these segregated schools of the civil rights era. And there lies the very clear unintended—or intended consequences—one’s perspective often depends on what generation of folks you ask – of Brown v Board of Education
This Ebony article entitled Sixty Years After Brown V. Board, Black Teachers Are Disappearing—Again speaks to the plight of the black teacher.
With the Brown case pending, Black teachers waited anxiously for the ruling on school segregation, with thoughts fixed firmly on their Black students. Would the case solve the wide racial disparities in facilities, funding and resources? Would Black students’ sense of ethnic identity and cultural solidarity suffer from desegregation? And lingering in the back of Black teachers’ minds: Would they be the collateral damage in the battle to integrate schools?
If truth be told about the Brown case, it wasn’t just the fact that whites and Blacks were educated in separate schools during the civil rights era, because we have had and still have majority Black schools successfully educating Black children. It was the lack of equal access to the resourcesnecessary to ensure a quality education in urban districts as compared to the abundant resources in white suburban areas.
That is why I can relate to the words of civil rights activist James Meredith.
If black people use their resources properly, they can become as competitive as any group in society – take control of our neighborhoods, our businesses, our schools, including our teachers. The only thing keeping black people from doing it is this idiotic idea about integration, about being racially balanced. –James Meredith
Now today, 64 years later, post Brown v Board of Education, Black parents are still fighting just as hard for their children to be justly educated. The status quo—aka information and opportunity hoarders—are doubling down on their efforts to ensure Black parents and their children are still denied, as much as humanly possible, access to the good information needed to gain access to the resources and the educational opportunities needed to live self sufficient lives while also having the ability to compete in the local and global market.
Do you remember Kelley Williams – Bolar, the Black Ohio mom arrested and convicted for sending her two daughters to school just a few blocks away to where her father owned a home, paid taxes and lived? There was only one reason for her choice to do that: she wanted a safe and quality education for her children.
Do you remember Kiarre Harris, the Black New York mom who was arrested and had her elementary school aged children taken away and put in foster care for several weeks because she notified the school district that she had chosen to homeschool. Why?
These are clear examples, throughout history and still today, about how far the status quo will go to deny Black parents access to their unalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. By blocking access to information, hoarding resources and opportunities, and telling us, again and again, that our Black children can’t learn and succeed in life unless they sit beside white children in the classroom.
Let us be very clear as Black parents. The status quo has left no doubtabout where they stand when it comes the safety, education and overall well-being of Black children – our babies are not seen as human beings therefore there lives do not matter!
So now it’s time for us as Black parents and human beings to stand, embrace our Black history because it is American history.
We, as a nation, must learn from history so as to not repeat the horrors of black human suffrage of the past.
And as for this Black mom, I am unapologetic in the fight for children rights, as a whole, because the whole child matters and where they live and their heritage does too! .
I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole. Malcolm X
This article was first posted on http://www.realtalkgwensamuel.com
A new study by the Tennessee Education Research Alliance highlights an issue with retaining teachers of color in the state. The report notes that not only are teachers of color underrepresented in comparison to the student body, but that teacher turnover for Black educators is much higher than their white counterparts. The study suggests schools should do more to hire and support teachers of color
But, there has to be more to this conversation and practice than just “hiring individuals that look like students…”
As I continue to wrestle with these statistics and the notion of hiring individuals to increase diversity among staff, I think we are missing the bigger picture and the opportunity to craft how exactly our vision of equity and our mission center around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Most recently, I’ve centered my work and studies around the work of equity and what that looks like in a school setting/learning environment. Here are the three strands that shape my thinking:
When I think about the educational settings in which I’ve worked, I keep returning to a few questions: How much do we level the playing field? How do we ensure resources are adequately distributed? How do we know/address the varying academic and social needs of students to help guide their success? These are all questions that require more than just some thought but strategic ways of application and figuring out what works best.
I wonder how much of equity is relational? It is obvious that time and trust goes into ensuring relationships are worthwhile and one can assume that in the learning environment, relationship building is extremely critical and necessary in hopes of being an effective practitioner. At least that’s what I believe. So, with the cultivating of those relationships come the realization of what students need. Equity is not seen as some unfamiliar phenomenon, but rather an obvious and organic occurrence that takes place as a result of a continual relational build. Maybe? Maybe not? This is what I’m currently wrestling with.
In Memphis, the population of students was always a majority of Black students, and we often didn’t feel it necessary or adequately equipped to even have such conversations around race, equity, diversity and in some cases, competencies. There was no preparation for making such a commitment as an educator and no gauge to measure our own racial consciousness.
Now we must ask ourselves, what exactly is our motivation behind placing more teachers of color in classrooms. I believe there is more to it than just the simple hiring of teachers. We should be ensuring spaces are created that are supportive of all teachers and that best practices that suit the needs of learners are utilized. These are the conversations that should be being held in a broader scope. Why is turnover so high in some places? I would argue the support pieces are not in place. We have not formalized what it looks like to fully support teachers holistically beyond curriculum implementation and standards teaching. I shared my thoughts in a recent blog post published by Ed Week and I’ll share similar sentiments here:
With these initiatives, the data is still startling. What about this system doesn’t appeal to teachers of color? I actually can answer that question by sharing my own perspective and truth. I made a personal and later public vow (after I resigned from teaching) that I would never (willingly) be a part of the problem. I wouldn’t lie to students via final grades reflecting their allegedly learned skills and competencies, and then pass them on. For students that couldn’t read, I wouldn’t simply excuse it. I would move beyond calling it out and help that student learn to do what others sometimes seem to brush easily past.
I will not look into the eyes of innocent faces and not try my best to properly equip them for futures that await them. So for this particular teacher of color, no amount of money and/or incentive could ever get me back into a classroom to pass on those lies and inequitable practices that I had to witness daily, and I still sadly observe and witness in schools across this country.