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Showing posts with label Bridging The Educational Gap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bridging The Educational Gap. Show all posts
Monday, May 8, 2017
Monroe's Meetup: Charter Schools: Are YOU choosing excellence?

  • Posted on Monday, May 8, 2017
"Whether created by parents and teachers or community and civic leaders, charter schools serve as incubators of innovation in neighborhoods across our country." - President Barack Obama

Charter schools were developed according to three basic values: opportunity, choice, and responsibility for results. Charter does often times mean choice, I do agree with that. However, given the age of accountability (test scores, teacher evaluations, and school grades) we have to know what it is that we are choosing. Are you choosing less testing, less number of kids in each classroom, less rigor, more diversity, and lower expectations?
Check the article below: 

Romano: Schools of hope is just one more gimmick set up to fail in Florida

Let's DIALOGUE! As parents we just have to do our research about the choices that we make. Every choice has a consequence: positive or negative. So drop a note below. Tell me your thoughts about charter schools. Does charter EQUAL better?

Signed,

Monroe


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Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Monroe's Meetup: Holding Schools Accountable

  • Posted on Wednesday, April 27, 2016
As school accountability and school choice increases, districts should not be surprised to see that schools will become more segregated as our more affluent citizens flee to “better schools”. So do all children deserve a great education? Yes! Is linking school grades that are based on student performance that is correlated sometimes with poverty to teachers' evaluations and livelihoods make the most sense? Probably not. So what are districts going to do to balance or equalize the movement that is causing the most voiceless children to be stuck in the most destitute schools with the ineffective teachers?
Yes, one solution is to provide incentives for the most effective teachers to come to struggling schools. Yes, money is the first step. The next step would be to ensure that the school culture and climate is one of high expectations. I, for one, believe that our children will rise to the level. Another thing that helps is to provide extensive support and professional development to both teachers and students to ensure that the learning environment is one that is culturally responsive and engaging to all students.
So, kudos to the district for taking the first step [read it: Pinellas Pay Bump For Teachers]. Now we need to make it part of the larger plan to put the most effective teachers in front of our children every. single. day.
Love,

Monroe

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Sunday, April 10, 2016
Natasha's Nuances: Pinellas Pay BUMP For Teachers

  • Posted on Sunday, April 10, 2016
According to The Tampa Bay Times [read the full article here: Pinellas proposes pay bump up to $25,000 for teachers at struggling schools] Pinellas is now offering to increase the pay of teachers up to 25,000 a year to teach at the struggling schools in the district. 
This doesn't mean that any and everyone will be chosen just to fill the slots. These educators would have to reinterview for their jobs at Campbell Park, Fairmount Park, Lakewood, Maximo and Melrose elementaries as district leaders look to recruit top talent from other areas of the county and outside its borders. This will allow for the district to filter out those who are just looking for a pay increase and are not truly looking out for the best interest of the deserving students at these failing schools. IF you're just in it for the money?
The five schools, which are predominantly Black, were the focus of a yearlong Tampa Bay Times investigation. A resulting series called "Failure Factories" documented the schools' decline to some of the worst in the state after the School Board abandoned integration efforts in 2007, then failed to provide the proper resources. Yep. They left our poor babies to fend for themselves.
2007 was so long ago but I want to push forward towards a brighter tomorrow. I'm excited that these kids will finally receive the education that they deserve...which will help to eliminate the school to prison pipeline narrative that has been thrust upon them. Here are some of the Highlights of the district's school reform plan:

  • Pay increases of up to $25,000 in bonuses and extra instructional time.
  • Longer school days for students and teachers.
  • Teachers and administrators must reinterview for their jobs.
  • New assessments that give real-time feedback to teachers.
So if you're interested in this AMAZING opportunity please, by all means, contact the Pinellas County School Board (via their website) and express interest.

Natasha Marie



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Friday, April 1, 2016
Monroe's Meetup: State Assessments Coming Soon...

  • Posted on Friday, April 1, 2016
With school grades and 2014-2015 FSA achievement levels being released last week. School and districts are preparing to take state assessments next month. Please do your part to ensure that your child is ready for the big days. It is just like the Joe Clark speech on 'Lean on Me'. 
"And now I've got a message for those people out there who've abandoned you and written you off! Can you hear me? Can you hear me? GOOD! You are NOT inferior! Your grades may be. Your school may have been. But you can turn that around and make liars out of those bastards in exactly one hour when you take that test and pass it and win! So here's what I want you to do. When you find your thoughts wandering? I want you to knuckle back down and concentrate! CONCENTRATE!"
Several parents have come to me and asked about ways to support their students as we head into testing in the next month. Preparation is KEY. Here are some steps to follow to ensure that your kids are equipped with every tool possible to level the playing field. 
  • Log onto the site http://www.fsassessments.org/students-and-families/practice-tests/
  • Level the playing the field:
    • Children are familiar with the format, they can focus on the content.
    • Put the games down and practice 1 -2 hours a week.
  • Partner with your teachers about your child's strengths and weaknesses at school.
  • Make sure there is a sense of urgency at home related to the test.
It is going to take everyone, the school and the family, to ensure that your child does their best. 

Good Luck!

 Monroe
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Monday, February 1, 2016
Monroe's Meetup: To Be Young, Gifted, AND Black

  • Posted on Monday, February 1, 2016
NPR recently posted an article on their website entitled 'To Be Young, Gifted, and Black, It Helps To Have A Black Teacher' [Read it: here]. Yes, I do agree that this may help…to an extent. I believe that the outcome is definitely based upon the teacher (Black or otherwise). However, I will say that this may impact Black girls differently from Black boys. There's less of barrier between a young Black girl and her White female teacher than a young Black boy which also tends to translate into their confidence in and out of the classroom.
This reminds me a post that I recently made on social media after receiving my Ph.D in the mail. It finally felt real. I posted "This is what public education at its best looks like! I have many people to thank for my journey against all odds. But today, I think about the key elementary teachers that poured INTO me..." I went on to thank my Pre-K, fourth grade, and sixth grade teachers whom I was so fortunate enough to come across during my lifetime which catapulted me into the bright future that I have today.
Yes, granted, 2 out of 3 of the teachers that I mentioned in my post were Black: Pre-K and 4th grade but it takes so much more. So while they are working on labeling our children (more often than not it's correlated to behavior) what can we do to ensure that they may be considered for gifted?
Here is an example of where we stand currently:

 Gifted stats for a central school district in Florida.

  • There are 4149 gifted elementary students. 1876 (45%) of the 4149 are boys.
  • 270 (7%) of whom are Black. 
In theory, this percentage should be closer to 23%. 131 (49%) of the 270 are boys. Should you be satisfied with these types of statistics?
In the last meetup we addressed why grades aren't always a clear insight into your child's intelligence and/or abilities [Read it here: Monroe's Meetup: Why Grades Don't ALWAYS Matter].
Again, partner with your child's teacher to ensure that you are enhancing your child's strengths and weaknesses.
Consider private testing at a facility outside of school. That will be the best $150 you've ever spent (worth 12 years of wearing "gifted" label - PRICELESS). This will also ensure that your child is comfortable and confident going into the test.

 Signed,

 The mother of a "gifted" Black boy.
Monroe

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Monday, January 18, 2016
Monroe's Meetup: Why Grades Don't ALWAYS Matter

  • Posted on Monday, January 18, 2016
As report card time comes around, please be sure NOT to accept these grades at face value. In addition to the report card, talk to your child's teachers about their strengths and weaknesses.
Grades are not a true indication of what your students knows....they are EXTREMELY classroom teacher biased. We can all remember doing that one extra credit assignment to bump that B to an A, right??? Does that really mean that we learned more content? NOOO!
You've never thought about it in that sense, huh? Well State assessments (for Florida) are 10 weeks away...this is the time that students should be in buckle down mode, as you ensure that you partner with your teacher to talk about STANDARDS based strengths and weaknesses. If you're taking notes you should be like this by now:
Recall, this is NOT about what little Johnny got on the classroom worksheet or what his report looks like:
The state standardized tests are not written with us in mind so we have to study specifically for them. Here is a link to a practice assessment. PLEASE GO OVER THIS WITH YOUR CHILD(REN):
https://login6.cloud1.tds.airast.org/student/V134/Pages/LoginShell.aspx?c=Florida_PT

 Have your child begin to practice and go over the test content. Essentially, the goal is to remove as many barriers as possible by providing familiarity with the test, item format, etc.
The more you talk about it at home and reinforce the school-home partnership, the better your child will do. We want them to feel comfortable participating and answering questions in the classroom. It's up to US to even the playing field!

 -Monroe
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Monday, January 4, 2016
Natasha's Nuances: Positive Teaching and Role Models

  • Posted on Monday, January 4, 2016
In this day and age teachers are trying any and everything to reach and teach this generation. I recently saw a video showcasing the self proclaimed #RCAStyle dancing of the students of The Ron Clark Academy, with their school's co-founder, Ron Clark, in tow. It was entertaining and a positive representation of what we hope our kids have to look forward to each and every day. But there was sooo much negativity in the comments. Like...
I, for one, have been guilty of taking issue with the "great white hope" narrative wherein an "angel" in the form of a Caucasian American swoops in to save "the poor little Black children" without whom they wouldn't know reading, writing, or arithmetic. So I understand how and why that can grind someone's gears. But I've also learned to do RESEARCH before jumping to outlandish conclusions so I did research on Ron Clark (the teacher in the video) and learned about his amazing academy, a private charter school in Atlanta that mimics Harry Potter (who wouldn't LOVE that), and I accepted the video at face value. Especially since they're doing this on a SUNDAY.

What do we make of this "great white hope" narrative though? Why is it so prominent in the media and seemingly in our communities? You see all of these celebrities adopting Black babies and movies like 'The Blind Side' and it makes you wonder "Has a Black person ever helped a less fortunate White person?" Or better still "Has a Black person ever helped another Black person?" I mean, why are we always being "saved" or perpetually painted the victim? I know this isn't true but it certainly feels like the media and the entertainment industry portrays us that way. So what can we do about it?
Personally, I've had this long standing dream to open up an academy, much like RCA, that focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) but for K-12. That's how I want to reach our kids. I want to make both parents and students accountable for their education and ultimately their livelihoods. I especially want the academy to be a place where our kids are not only taught at a gifted level but where they are also taught by those who look like them as well (and no that does not mean that white people are banned from being either teachers or students. Relax, reverse racism crusaders. I'm just creating a safe space for us but everyone is welcome). We need more Black teachers.
Representation MATTERS. Monroe, a new addition to the site, recently posted in the "Monroe's Meetup" section how important teachers are in a child's life, especially early on [read: Monroe's Meetup: Why Teachers Matter]. It gives you hope, a sense of pride, and a positive image unlike that which is portrayed in the media. When I look at shows like 'Gossip Girl' and they're having "Ivy Day" where all of the Ivy Leagues come to recruit I want those opportunities to be given to us as well. Not just sporadically but so that it becomes the NORM. I worked diligently for the National Society of Black Engineers and our youth programs gave me such hope for us and the future. It boils down to opportunity. The only thing that separates POC from superior education is opportunity. I want to help bridge that gap.

Natasha Marie
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Monday, December 28, 2015
Monroe's Meetup: Why Teachers Matter

  • Posted on Monday, December 28, 2015
Public education was created and built to  balance out society (if you work hard and study, you can attain the "American Dream"), that no matter where you are from, all children deserve equitable (not always equal) educational opportunities.
Research says that the most effective tool in the classroom is the classroom teacher. Classroom teachers are supposed to teach and empower and tap into unrealized academic potential. Supposed. To.
Student outcomes and lives can be directly correlated with their interactions with the classroom teacher. We can all think of the 1 or 2 or even 5 teachers that made a huge difference in our lives and we would not be the same without them.
So is it just luck? That maybe our Black students will get a "good teacher" or even "great teacher" to tap into unrealized potential? Or should it be systemic? Should all teachers (to be considered effective) realize the potential of all students (White, Brown, Black and Blue)? Before you answer...
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." ~ Frederick Douglass When we don't offer equitable education to all of our students, then we will spend even more dollars in the long run repairing a system of broken men (prison system), and this JUST happens to disproportionately affect Black men.

-Monroe


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