10pm to 6am is a lonely time just about anywhere, but especially in this new home. Utter silence engulfs the kitchen and the laundry room as families dream of their children in their arms. My job is to fight off the nightmares of worst case scenarios; I work the night shift. I act as the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny, but just spectacularly ordinary instead. You spilled milk all over the table at dinner? You bet your bottom dollar that it will be cleaned, straightened, and smelling like bleach by the time you head to the kitchen for your first cup of coffee. Out of laundry detergent? Not for long- overnight staff to the rescue! The first few nights were lonely, but by the third or fourth week, you come to appreciate the silence rather than drown it out. However, it is nice to have a few friends along the way, singing songs of encouragement. My country line-up serenades me as I wipe away the messes and stresses of the day. I brew a fresh pot of coffee and remember that my biggest job is to make sure that everything smells clean and fresh. I open the blinds, fluff the pillows, and as the sun peeks over the horizon, I head home and pray that today is a great day for my favorite families.
As you can tell, I've been on a huge poetry kick. Here's one inspired by our activity in class:
I’m from the top floor corner room Where not even a cool summer breeze could save me from the heat And the cold of winter nipped at my toes (until my dad installed central heating a month after I left, of course) I’m from fresh scabs covering my knees and elbows (the most victorious wounds coming from first place in the neighborhood roller blading races) And two or three drawers full of grass-stained clothes That my mom didn’t mind me wearing to church because God gave us these resources to use, and we may as well show it I’m from seven-minute intervals of loathing as I practice my cello (knowing that, if I wanted to, I could play much better But refusing to, because my mother would NOT reap that satisfaction) And moping in silence once her footsteps finally faded, listening for the stern “I can’t heeeeear you” I’m from miles upon hours upon late nights of traveling to sporting events And orchestra concerts And volunteer retreats And other miscellaneous extra curriculars that would be “good for me” I’m from a 2005 Black Ford Ranger And the joke “are you sure you don’t live in this thing?” Due to the fact that I kept, at any time, seven to ten outfits in the back With accompanying shoe, accessory, and make-up options Because the twenty-minute drive to either parent’s house to pick something up was, To say the least, annoying, so I was always prepared I’m from late night pond hockey sessions Fighting through numb fingers and burning lungs because the score was 9 to 9, and there was no way I was letting my little brother win I’m from Saturday cleaning days as a kid, scrubbing toilets while throwing a tantrum And Sunday morning cleaning as a hungover teenager, filling my dad’s Svedka bottle with some water and scooping up forgotten Jello shots to cover my tracks (You really didn’t expect me to throw parties while you were at your girlfriend’s?) I WAS from the church Christmas play spotlight and the center of the youth group until one day, the spotlight faded and my friends left me And I was tossed out with my little brothers, being accused of my parent’s divorce So now I’m from a new ownership of faith; a new place for my heart and soul to be At home I’m from 45 minute drives to the beat-knick town of Le Sueur, Minnesota which, Much to the amusement of my friends, Was not a trip to a very French sewer system; it really wasn’t that clever of a joke to begin with, but I would laugh lightly every time it was said I’m from Miles, Miles, Crocodiles And Addison Regina, Po-Po Perina And Ally Cat and Buster and Elly Jelly Coco Ba All with accompanying theme songs, all rights reserved for my mother (and no, I did not receive a nickname OR theme song, because apparently 1992 was not a creative year for her) I’m from family movie nights every Sunday That my dad would only attend if we watched the movie “Armaggedon”, meaning I have watched Bruce Willis’ acting far more times than any one person should I’m from broken love, but love nonetheless And those fine fractures in my heart In our hearts will always remind me of Where I’m from. Recent Update: I was recently accepted to the Teach for America 2015 Corp Member class! I am so excited!
“Oh, you…you applied to Teach for America? That’s nice, I guess.” “Hmmmm, I always figured you would do something different, I suppose.” “Well, I won’t tell you my opinions on that corrupt organization, but if that is what you want to do…” “Ah, I get it! You’re going in to change the organization from within, right?! …Right?” If you are a College of Education student that has even briefly thought about joining Teach for America, an AmeriCorps organization that sends high-achieving college graduates into low-income schools to serve their students and communities in an attempt to eliminate educational inequity, you have heard several variations on those phrases, accompanied by some sort of scowl or look of mild to moderate disgust (Teach For America). I have experienced this response first hand with greater frequency as I have continued to be selected to continue onto the next round of interviews for TFA. Now, I understand that Teach for America has its flaws; no program that is attempting to bridge a gap as deep and as wide as the achievement gap in America’s schools has figured out the perfect recipe. However, (adding something that I just can’t put into words right now UGH SCHOOL), so Teach for America is a great option for passionate, determined student leaders, especially education majors. I’m going to be addressing some myths and concerns surrounding TFA, the preparation that they provide their corps members, and how why this is a great option for someone like myself- someone who had already planned on going into education. Concern #1: Students in these schools deserve more than some lofty college student who has had less than five weeks of training before stepping into some of the toughest classes in the United States. This claim, in reference to Teach For America’s trademark training program for their corp members, is accurate, fair, and all-around the greatest debate that I have had with myself about this organization. While this statement does not only apply to our low-income students, as it should apply to all students, the need for highly-qualified, trained teachers in our low-income communities has become more apparent. Teach For America enrolls their corps members in the “Institute”, which is a five-week crash course on everything they will need to know about education. Corps members get the opportunity to teach students, as well as learning methods of learning, teaching, and curriculum development. To an education major, only having to do 20 hours of in-class practice sounds ludicrous. How in the world can you learn all of the important aspects of teaching in just four weeks? Several former educators and developers of future teachers decided to dive right in and find out just how terrible this program is, only to find out that…well, it isn’t. Alexander Sidorkin, former educator who has served as dean at two Colleges of Education, and Lisa Moberg, an 18-year veteran in education who has taught throughout all elementary grades, both attended separate institutes (on their own accord) and took the time to blog about their experience afterward. Sidorkin (2012), who’s institution was beginning to partner with Teach for America, attended the Summer Institute in New York City. Early in his blog, he admits that the world of education and Teach for America often butt heads, mostly do to this idea of a condensed training. However, Sidorkin had this to say about his experience with Institute: “Yes, TFA members teach only about 20 lessons over the course of the 5 weeks to small classes of 6-15 children. But every single lesson plan is critiqued ahead of time, and every lesson is observed by at least one experienced teacher; often by two or three. Every lesson observed by a TFA mentor is analyzed and critiqued in an hour-long one-on-one session. …The whole thing has a feel of a boot camp, and it is not just a superficial comparison. The military discovered the value of short and intensive experiences a very long time ago. We observed a few lessons taught by the corps members. Were they perfect? Not at all, but they were darn good for someone in the second week of one’s teaching career; definitely better than my first few weeks of teaching.” Moberg (2013) expressed having a similarly positive experience, stating, “The level of purposeful questioning and thought-provoking conversations is insightful and inspiring to me as an educator and a lifelong learner. These higher-level critical-thinking conversations are springboards to how to engage the TFA corps members to internalize and apply the foundations of good teaching practices.” Both of these folks praise the Institute and conclude that educators should not be skeptical. As for education students joining the corps, they are not some inexperienced college student who decided to join Teach for America on a whim. They are trained educators that are ready to head to the front lines of education. They have spent four, five, six, or even more learning about education and how they will best be able to utilize their skills in order to effectively teach. For these corps members, Institute is a chance to refine those skills and focus on their leadership development. While one may still hold that a five-week program is not sustainable for the greater good of education, an education student is not affected by this setback because they already have prior training under their belt. So let’s check training off the checklist, shall we? Concern #2: The teacher turnover rate is downright unacceptable for these students. Turnover rate in our schools is a huge problem, whether you look at TFA or our high-need schools in general (Zhao, “Top 5 Reasons Why Teacher Turnover Is Rising”). Kasey Guin, a research coordinator within the school of public affairs at the University of Washington and co-author of several book chapters focused on the achievement gap, concludes in her research journal (2004) that the deterioration or organization, planning, and student/teacher trust that high teacher turnover promotes negatively affects student learning and perpetuates teacher turnover even further. It is difficult to retain teachers, either good or bad, when they are in schools where many of the problems may be outside of the classroom, as many classroom teachers in low-income schools face. How long could you last if you spent extra hours worrying not only about your lesson, but how you are going to feed little Johnny because he doesn’t usually get breakfast, or how to engage Patricia because she works nights so her brother doesn’t starve? Being a teacher is especially taxing in low-income communities. That is why the turnover rate overall, not including the inherent turnover in two-year corps terms for Teach for America, is a large problem. Teach for America uses the two-year term to draw interest from students who may not have thought about dedicating their life to education before considering Teach for America. With a two-year commitment, you could decide that you love education and stay with that school following the experience, or you could say that you tried it and you were not cut out for it. Teach for America admits that they do not have all of the answers, and they agree that turnover rates in those schools should be a higher priority (“Our Mission”). Education majors, however, already know that they want to stay within the realm of education. They know that they are passionate about these students in their low-income schools. They join the corps fostering a much more holistic understanding of the world of education than many folks joining the corps. These corps members are more likely to stay in education because that is what they were planning on doing prior to Teach For America. This is just a separate avenue in which they were able to find a job. Which brings me to the next point… Concern #3: If you’re an education major, you could just go get a job in a low-income community. There really is no need for you to go through all of this nonsense. For education majors, there are options in education outside of Teach For America in low-income communities. In the 2011-2012 school year, according to the U.S. Department of Education (2011), more than 56,000 schools around the nation utilized Title I funding. I know that there are “successful charter schools that do the same thing that would love my talent” (this I have heard from several educators, both at MU and back in Minnesota). I know these options all exist, and I appreciate the concern from those around me—I really do! However, joining Teach for America (or attempting to, at least) was not a decision made because that was the only access I could have to low-income communities that I am passionate about serving. It was about the leadership development that they provide for their corps members. It was about being a part of an organization that holds a deep commitment for serving those kids and those schools that may need a bit of extra help. It was because I believe that my skill set could best be used in this organization. For many education students, to be quite frank, this is about simplicity of an application process (why would you decide against an all-inclusive interview process that places you where you are most needed rather than sending in hundreds of applications?). No matter what the thought-process was, education majors know that other options exist; Teach For America just happens to be one of them. I am passionate about education. I have known my whole life that I have wanted to be a teacher, and no matter what route I take, I know I am going to do it. Teach for America is not a great option for everyone based on some of the arguments that were presented previously. However, I believe that Teach for America is a great option for education majors, and this is why I am pursuing my dreams with the support of TFA. Thank you. References Guin, K. (2004). Chronic Teacher Turnover in Urban Elementary Schools. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 12(42), 1-30. Moberg, L. (2013, June 12). My Summer with Teach for America. National Education Policy Center. Retrieved March 25, 2014, from http://nepc.colorado.edu/blog/my-summer-teach-america Our Mission. (n.d.). Teach For America. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://www.teachforamerica.org/our-mission Sidorkin, A. (2012, July 26). Learning with TFA. The Russian Bear's diaries. Retrieved February 25, 2014, from http://sidorkin.blogspot.com/2012/07/learning-with-tfa.html Title I, Part A Program. (2011, August 11). U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved March 21, 2014, from http://www2.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/index.html I have been reflecting a lot on my faith lately, and I was asked earlier to give my faith journey to someone. That was verbally, but I figured I would re-hash it in my blog. Some of it is redundant in terms of my content in previous posts, but it adds to my faith journey, so I couldn't just cut it out!
Though I would never judge the faith journey of anyone else, I whole-heartedly accept that my early journey in the church is pretty typical. I grew up in an LCMS church in the suburbs of Minneapolis (Edina, to be more specific). My mother, my two younger brothers, and myself were heavily involved with everything from volunteering for the Easter brunch to starring in the Christmas plays to serving meals at our sister church, Trinity First Lutheran, in North Minneapolis. I was the “goodie two-shoes church girl”, and I loved it. In that moment, my faith seemed so real because I was following all of the rules, but my complacency was probably so evident to everyone around me. However, in the spring of 2007, my parents got divorced, and my experience with the church completely changed. Many of the members of the church disowned us. My best friend’s mom said I was no longer allowed to play with her because I was the child of divorce. My church saw my brothers and I as the newly spawned children of a devil woman, despite our lack of fault in the situation. My only real connection to the church was my youth pastor, Audrey Duensing-Werner, who has been like a fairy godmother to me during my life, but she left to serve at a church in Topeka that same summer. I was lost and alone in a place that I used to call home. Throughout high school, I slowly but surely drifted away from my faith, sure that I did not want to associate myself with people who knew me so well but decided to reject me based on the decisions of my parents. I came into college with very little faith, and that was evident in my actions. I had spent the last two years of high school partying heavily and that translated pretty abundantly into my first few months of college. Luckily, God is SO good and brought me to one of my good friends, Brittni Kinney, who brought me back to Him. We had several heart-wrenching discussions about religion and her fire for Jesus was absolutely contagious! Within an instant, my life was brought back to the wholeness that I had felt before the divorce-fed chasm and has felt ever since. I was able to take ownership over my faith (one of the most refreshing and empowering things I have ever done), and I have been attending The Crossing, a non-denominational church in Columbia, ever since. My experience with the church has been rocky, at best, but my experience with the Church as a larger-scale community of folks who love Jesus and others has been beyond remarkable. Every day, I am pushed by fellow believers to work for good and let Jesus shine through every pore of my body with everything that I do, and I couldn’t be more thankful for those that I have met along the way who have shone me what “being the hands and feet of Jesus” really looks like. These folks have encouraged me to take daily time with God, and my favorite piece of my relationship with God is that I am in constant dialogue with Him. Though I do not underestimate the power of fully devoted, private, and focused prayer, there is just something special and enlightening about having an open conversation with God as you walk to class and go about your day-to-day activities. I also work hard to use daily devotionals. I love learning and engaging in thought about different perspectives, so I look into several devotionals a day to get insight on specific passages or trials in life. I will always be on this constant journey, figuring out how God fits into my life because, let’s be honest, all humans try to “fit God in”. However, as I continue to grow, struggle, then grow some more, I am constantly reminded that God cannot merely “fit” into my life, because He IS my life; He created it, He planned it, and He is running it. Lilacs begin to peak their noses out of hiding
“Is the snow gone yet?” They whisper to each other hoping the Groundhog didn’t overhear them Lavender and Ivory swirl along the walls Of a place that has known more beauty More sorrow More tears and more laughter More beers and memories captured Than any other place My bare feet, not yet prepared After eight months of cushioning from tundra-equipped boots Struggle up the treacherous incline of the driveway sprinkled with stones that were carelessly plastered into the ground. My fresh feet ache, so I move to the grass Not yet soft But just warm enough to be substantially more comfortable The homemade tree swing that In an awkward exchange Was mistaken for a noose Swings with the breeze, yearning for our childhood to return My fingertips graze the side of the beat up garage That was painted some shade that I could never accurately describe Because it is just that ugly. I feel the ridges and dents from basketballs and baseballs and punchs thrown Ebb out from the wood A breeze sweeps through my hair, brushing it back behind my shoulders I close my eyes and catch a wiff of my state You can smell those lakes no matter where you are Fresh, but not too fresh. The “ gazebo” (we never really knew what that word meant, anyways) Sits in the yard, abandoned, asking me to invite friends over for a Hawaiian themed birthday party The blue jay that hasn’t forgotten me since our incident in 1997 Perches in her nest in the southeastern corner of the ceiling And glares at me, reminding me to keep my distance. I look forward and see our red door, newly painted to cover all of the Wear and tear. And I’m home. “One of the saddest days of my life was when my mother told me Superman did not exist. I was like ‘what do you mean he's not real?’ and she thought I was crying because it's like Santa Claus is not real and I was crying because there was no one coming with enough power to save us” (Guggenheim, Waiting for Superman). Geoffrey Canada, an activist, educator, and CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone, spoke in the documentary Waiting for ‘Superman’ about the plight of our high-need schools and how these schools effect the communities that they serve, and he is absolutely right when he speaks on hope. In this day and age, education is key to success in the United States. However, I would argue that many of our students are being cut short in this world due to their quality of education, and these cut-off students are disproportionately minority students. In this paper, I hope to address a vital question: what is holding minority students back in their K-12 education and are we, as a country, addressing the needs of our minority students adequately? Are we providing the “Superman” that our minority students are seeking?
The United States officially desegregated public schools in 1954, when the Supreme Court “struck down the racially segregated school system that had been previously mandated by state law in much of the South” and “ruling that separate schools for white and nonwhite students are inherently unequal” in Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka et al. This decision, however, did not address segregation within school districts. The white middle class began their migration to the suburbs and, hence, the minority ghetto developed in many urban areas, making de facto segregation increasingly prevalent. This issue was addressed in the 1971 case, Swann vs. Charlotte-Macklenburg Board of Education, when the court help that the district serving the Charlotte, North Carolina area “had to integrate its schools, even if it required the busing of children” (Smith, pg. 7-8). Charles V. Willie states in The Education of African-Americans that this “desegregation is the most important enhancement to education in the United States in recent years” (26). However, this does not stand as the “all clear” for desegregated school districts. Many of our urban, high-poverty schools in America have been notorious for their consistently low test-scores, high drop out rates, and inability to meet state requirements. Our high-poverty schools also disproportionately serve minority students, with nearly 70% of students in these schools identifying as African American or Latino (Fact Sheet, NAACP). The dropout rates of African American students is nearly double that of their white counterparts, similar to other minority groups. Graduation rates of white students in every state was never below 70%, however, there were 15 states in the 2007-2008 school year with minority graduation rates below 60% (some as low as 48%) (State Comparison). One of the largest hindrances on the success of our high-need schools is the funding dilemma. In most cases, funding for schools come from property taxes, meaning that lower income neighborhoods are put at a disadvantage because they will be receiving less money from taxes. Additionally, our urban school districts serve mostly minority and low-income families. Thus, logically, schools that serve more minority students will receive less local and state funding than schools that serve less minority students. The amount of funding that a school receives can easily dictate its success. The more funding you have to use, the more resources you have at your disposal to promote student success. For example, a school with more funding could offer smaller class sizes, state-of-the-art technology, and the latest books to their students, all of which can be used more effectively to promote learning (“Factors in K12 Education”, 30). Due to these disparities in resources, our educational system is creating a ceiling for the success of our minority and low-income students. The financial dividends between inner city and suburban schools only grow larger as time passes as white families opt out of inner city schools and move to districts that will provide a “better education”. Mary Masterson, a mother of two who was interviewed on the topic of education in St. Louis, admits that she based her decision to move away from University City school district to Kirkwood school district based on the “reputation and economic class of the area.” In other words, she is “moving her daughters to a whiter, more affluent area so that they could go to school with kids from middle-class families”. As families such as the Masterson’s (middle-class, fairly affluent families) move away from inner city schools, the funding only goes down and the stigma of inner city schools being for minorities increases (Shapiro, 156). While the simple solution would be to get minority students into suburban schools and vice versa to even out the playing field, most low-income, minority families do not have the option of moving to a “better” school. Similar to Mary Masterson’s aspirations for her daughters, Latoya Milton dreamed of having her daughter attend Kirkwood schools, but she knew there would be sacrifices that Mary would never even have to think about. “I would not be able to have a telephone, and I could not be able to take car insurance probably, which is a law” Milton says, “I probably would never have a big house like I want, but I would do it for her education” (Shapiro, 157). Almost every family has the best in mind for their child and would switch to a better school in a heartbeat if the means were available to them. However, too many minority students are left to fend for themselves in “drop out factories” and other low-performing schools due to and status that they have no control over. Another hindrance to achievement equality in our schools among white students and minority students is the inadequate preparation of teachers for the disadvantages that minority students come into formal education with. For example, early literacy experiences prior to beginning formal education are key to “literacy socialization” in children. Children in high-literacy families tend to be exposed to more literacy artifacts and, in turn, learned to form “what” explanations, reason explanations, and affective explanations, all of which are types of answers they will need to form on tests once they enter school (Harris et al., 128). Additionally, there has been a strong positive correlation between preliteracy test scores in preschoolers and their interest in literacy, engagement in literacy experiences, and amount of time spent on literacy activities (131). The failure to read adequately coming into kindergarten is much more likely in poor, non-white, and non- native English speaking students. The number of literacy artifacts and the amount of time spent joint-reading and having reading promoted is much lower in most low socioeconomic status homes, many of which minority families fall under (Harris et al., 133). Thus, as children come into formal education, they are starting with a nearly blank slate for reading skills. Many teachers, unfortunately, do not have sufficient knowledge in language development, phonetics, and cognitive development, and consequently the importance of phonetic awareness, language abilities, and reasoning skills for reading. Many teachers “may incorrectly assume that the child just isn’t working hard enough or is not paying attention, when the real problem may be that the child needs some direct instruction in basic literacy knowledge” (Harris et al., 138). Because of pitfalls such as this from schools, many minority students fall behind right away and perpetuate the achievement gap because of a resource that, once again, was never afforded to them. The disproportion of under-qualified teachers in low-income areas compared to that of high-income areas is a subject for concern. The Association of Study for Higher Education found in their study, “Racial and Ethnic Minority Students’ Success in STEM Education”, that the increased exposure to unqualified teachers is a major factor in the growth of the achievement gap. According to the ASHE, “the percentage of teachers in high-poverty schools who are inexperienced is 20 percent, compared with 11 percent of those at low-poverty schools. In addition, “whereas out-of-field teachers teach 19 percent of classes in low-poverty schools, that figure is 34 percent in high-poverty schools.” Similarly, “White fifth graders were 51 percent more likely to be taught by teachers with a master’s or advanced degree than their Black and Hispanic peers” (33). Without a highly qualified teacher, students are put at a disadvantage before the semester begins. In Waiting for Superman, they explain that a highly qualified/highly effective teacher can help their students learn 150% of the material (they can push their students to more advanced concepts), while under qualified/underperforming teachers could teach as low as 50% of their content in a school year (Guggenheim, Waiting for Superman). The margin for the next year between those two students creates an unfair playfield for the rest of their educational career. This illustrates how important highly qualified teachers are in our schools, especially for the advancement of our minority students. Other examples of these innate disadvantages are the biases that teachers bring into the classroom about specific groups of students. Teachers may “lower their expectations because students are black, low income, fatherless, or poorly dressed”, meaning “African American students that receive the greatest brunt of disrespect and low expectations are inner-city African American males in the upper grades-dark skinned, speaking Ebonics, and trapped in remedial classes” (Kunjufu, 94). For this reason, teachers evaluations of students may differ based on a students race. Some examples may include students acting in a very similar way, but the teacher labeling them in different ways: the black student is “verbally and physically aggressive”, but the white student being “quiet, laconic”, or the black student having “no respect for private property; thinks anything in the class ‘belongs’ to him” and the white student “often shy about sharing; wants ‘one of her own’” (Pendergast, 78). These predetermined prejudices that are brought into the classroom are detrimental to a students learning and, ultimately, that affects the future of a student. If a student does not feel safe, challenged, or assured in a learning environment, there is no way they are going to want to continue learning. While students, on average, receive less positive affirmation directly from their teachers, this is because teachers often find that they need to challenge their white students more and “go easy” on their minority students. Since the minority students are not in an environment that allows for intellectual or personal growth and, as they get into higher grades, this leads to lower academic drive and achievement (Capizzi). My final argument for the disparaging educational gap for our minority students in the United States is the overwhelming lack of academically challenging opportunities for minority students. This refers slightly to funding schools, but also to the overall stigma that minority students achieve less than their white counterparts. Minority students are overwhelming tracked, or put on a class-planning course, to low-ability or remedial tracks, despite similar or better standardized test scores in comparison to white peers. Since these students are tracked into these courses all through elementary school, this ultimately lessens their mathematics and science skills coming into middle and high school. If a student does not have a firm grasp on advanced math and science concepts, there is a limit on their postsecondary choices, so this tracking ultimately alters a minority student’s postsecondary options (“Factors in K12”, 31). On top of the uneven tracking of minority students, there is a large void of Advancement Placement (AP) courses available at low-income, heavily minority-serving schools. Many urban schools do not offer advanced courses, meaning that students at that school do not have the opportunity to challenge themselves and prepare themselves for college exams. This, in turn, leads minority students to test lower than their white peers on college placement exams, leading to less post-secondary enrollment. Interestingly enough, even when AP/IB courses are offered as predominantly minority schools, many students choose not to take them because 1) they have been on the remedial track and do not have the knowledge quite yet to wrestle with the rigor of an advanced course and 2) they have not typically been represented in advanced classes. If someone doesn’t see another person like himself or herself in a new situation, they are much less likely to voluntarily enter into that situation. Again, the lack of rigor in their curriculum on the “lower” track leads to less success in college placement exams and, therefore, fewer placements into postsecondary institutions (“Factors in K12”, 32). In the past 60 years, the United States has come a long ways in our educational system. We are still progressing with initiatives like President Barack Obama’s “White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans”, giving solutions and actions that the White House plans to take to combat the achievement gap in the African American community. Solving the educational disparity for minority students goes beyond the school- it really looks at the socioeconomic issues of these areas as well. However, there are biases and outdated practices that can be addressed in our schools today, and new practices that address the differences in our diverse communities can be employed as well. Are we the Superman that students may need? Not quite, but we are working on it. As a future educator, I hope that I can be an agent of change in this particular area. Someday, education will be the Superman to all of those waiting for be taken far, far away from their current situation and to the dreams that they have been fostering since they were placed in it. Reference List Capizzi, C. (2012, May 3). Are Educators Showing A “Positive Bias“ To Minority Students – and Keeping Them From Doing Their Best?. Rutgers Newark. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www.newark.rutgers.edu/news/educators-showing-positive-bias-minority Fact Sheet. (2009, January 1). African Americans and Education. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from naacp.3cdn.net/e5524b7d7cf40a3578_2rm6bn7vr.pdf (2011). Factors in K--12 Education That Influence the Success of Racial and Ethnic Minority Students in the STEM Circuit. ASHE Higher Education Report, 36(6), 27-52. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from the EBSCO Host database. Guggenheim, D. (Director). (2011). Waiting for "Superman" [Documentary]. United States: Paramount Home Entertainment. Harris, J. L., Kamhi, A. G., & Pollock, K. E. (2000). Literacy in African American communities. Mahwah, N.J.: L. Erlbaum. Jackson, C. L. (2001). African American education: a reference handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, Inc.. Kunjufu, J. (2002). Black students-Middle class teachers. Chicago, Ill.: African American Images. Obama, B. (2012, July 26). Executive Order -- White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans. The White House. Retrieved May 6, 2013, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/26/executive-order-white-house-initiative-educational-excellence-african-am Prendergast, C. (2003). Literacy and racial justice: the politics of learning after Brown v. Board of Education. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press. Shapiro, T. M. (2004). The hidden cost of being African American: how wealth perpetuates inequality. New York: Oxford University Press. Smith, W. D., & Chunn, E. W. (1989). Black education: a quest for equity and excellence. New Brunswick, N.J., U.S.A.: Transaction Publishers. State Comparison. (2008, January 1). United States Education Dashboard. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://dashboard.ed.gov/statecomparison.aspx?i=e&id=2&wt=0 Willie, C. V., Garibaldi, A. M., & Reed, W. L. (1991). The Education of African-Americans. New York: Auburn House. (Awkwardly posing for a photo on my first day at Mizzou after at least ten trips up three flights of stairs with all of the heavy things- I should have picked a better helper than my mom)
I know I write a letters, but they are my fave, so they won't be going anywhere anytime soon. To the New Class of Tigers, First off, CONGRATULATIONS! You have just joined one of the greatest families EVER! And you may think that I am being facetious, but seriously, it's da bomb. One of the first things you need to learn about college is that it is NOT high school, much to your disbelief. Many folks have a hard time leaving the popularity and misguided hierarchies behind (especially if they had found themselves in a favorable place among that hierarchy), so I am just advising that you begin wrestling with that demon as soon as your possibly can. When you get to college, the world as you know it flips on its head in the most nonchalant manner. I didn't even realize it until a few months ago when I was reminiscing on 2010 Jess. You'll understand with time that this place has made you a completely new person if you give it the chance to. Don't be that guy/gal saying, "wow, high school maaan, the freaking GLORY days." Just...no. The second thing you need to learn is that ResHall life is the BEST. Never again in your life will you have a place where someone cleans your bathrooms and you get all the food you could ever want and you get to live next to a bunch of people you have never met before but become best friends with. You end up with some amazing stories. Embrace the Res-Life! There are always those people that are "too cool" for their hall, and trust me, no one thinks you're all that cool for skipping out on awesome opportunities (see first piece of advice). This brings me to my final point: "college re-creation" is not a myth. I've seen so many folks brush off the importance of being who you want to be in college because it has become cliched. In all reality, you have this once-in-a-lifetime chance to start fresh and develop the person who you have always wanted to become. While I agree that this advice has been beat to its very core, it has been repeated so many times because it is the truth. In high school, I stood by the wayside. I hated being at school because all my fringy friends went to another school. I was the rebel that could care less about what was going on, and deep down I actually was interested in my school work and cello and all of the things that I was doing. I'm sure you've felt that pressure, however, to be that person that you all of a sudden fell into, even if you are wondering, "why the heck did I say that?" Well, young one, now is your chance to stop asking yourself that question. Embrace whatever YOU you would like to embrace! Thrive; don't just live! That is truly what makes it the best however many years of your life. As you take your first steps on campus, begin your love/hate relationship with dining hall food, and learn the real value of sleep, exercise, and free time, remember to sit back every once in awhile and enjoy the view. My nostalgia might be kicking in, but it is unbelievable how quickly college flies by, so make sure to take advantage of every opportunity you are presented with. If there is an event, go. If there is professor you could see being a mentor, visit them right away. Even if something ends up being boring, irrelevant to your life, or not as beneficial as you were hoping, at least you went and learned what NOT to do. Work to make Mizzou your home each and every day (it won’t be too hard, I promise) and to make Mizzou and the community at large a better place to be. I hope you enjoy your 4…5…maybe 6 years at the most fabulous institution on Earth. With Tiger Pride, This One Old Chick A slow, meticulous tapping from the dance floor
Eyes lock, suspense heightens Your slow, meticulous tapping is the only rhythm necessary To strip back the callused skin of indifference cocooning my heart I want to become one with your rhythm, follow your tune Your notes, they call for me The grace and freedom in your hips speak Volumes of joy into my very being A timid stride toward your glow, you bring me in Eyes still locked, heart pounding Your liberated gyration and my curious adoration tell An elaborate story all their own Silence Not necessarily awkward Just Silent. Breaking the silence, I can hear your dance And it’s telling me to join. |