But the borders don’t look like the ones on the map, mami

By José Luis Vilson This week, NYC public schools start classes, at least for a day until another four-day weekend starts and kids really start coming in to school next Monday. In my classes, I’ve usually had students labeled as ELLs (English Language Learners), and they’re one of the hottest sub-topics...

September 7th, 2010 | Education, Featured, Latinos | Read More

Latino and ELL students in the new educational landscape

By Delia Pompa To help about 5,000 of the nation’s most troubled schools, the Obama administration is offering competitive Race to the Top funds to districts that lift their caps on charter schools. This approach is just one part of a larger strategy to reverse the decline of failing schools in...

September 7th, 2010 | Education, Featured, Latinos | Read More

A case for nationalized standards in education

One of the laments frequently echoed from the halls of higher education is that students are too often unprepared academically upon entering college. Students who have successfully completed their high school curricula and exit exams frequently find themselves mired in semesters of remedial college preparatory...

August 17th, 2010 | Education, Featured | Read More

Don’t blame the dropouts, blame the outdated education system

During the past few weeks, a number of blogs have chimed-in on the recent National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) dropout report, which highlights the large number of Black and Hispanic/Latino students who fail to graduate from high school each year. According to the Alliance for Excellent...

July 8th, 2010 | Education | Read More

Closing the educational gap

Latino families have the highest workplace participation rates in the country. In most recent years, they have worked more hours per week than other Americans. Their median family income is higher than that of Black families, but only because they tend to have more adults working in each household. The...

July 8th, 2010 | Education, Featured, Immigration, Organizing Latino Immigrants for Social Justice, Politics, Racial Equity, Talk About Race, US | Read More

When things unsaid, say a lot

By Monise Seward “Negroes have no control over their education and have little voice in their other affairs pertaining thereto…The education of the Negroes, then, the most important thing in the uplift, of the Negroes, is almost entirely in the hands of those who have enslaved them and now segregate...

June 24th, 2010 | African Americans, Education, Featured, Racial Equity | Read More

Class of 2010: A single mother’s reflection on race and education

It’s graduation season. All the grades will soon be in. College acceptance and rejection letters have arrived, and after a year or more of test prep classes, SATs, recommendation letters, financial aid documents, and dozens of college applications and essays, many families can breathe again. While...

June 9th, 2010 | Education | Read More

Cyber racism on college campuses

Originally published on Racism Review Racism on college campuses these days often spreads through email or via popular social networking sites, such as Facebook. This new medium for racist expression is forcing universities to reconsider what it means to provide a safe space on campus for all students. ...

May 4th, 2010 | Education, Featured, Talk About Race | Read More

A Race to the Top or a Crisis Revisited? Recession, state and local budget deficits threaten public schools and equity in education

Earlier this week, facing a $53 million dollar budget deficit, the City of Cleveland’s Public School district announced it would be losing nearly 10% of its entire staff, resulting in 800 layoffs and the loss of 545 teachers. Losing more than 800 staff will be devastating to a high need district (in...

April 29th, 2010 | Education, Featured | Read More

A standard for system failure – Racism by ‘no change’ in public education

By Charles W. Grimmett, Detroit Public School Teacher, Retired Public schools in the black community are victims of institutional racism. They are under attack on the issue of falling academic achievement. Their educational professionals are viewed as incompetent and incapable. These views of inner-city...

April 20th, 2010 | Education | Read More

The quest for cohesive education policy for undocumented immigrants

Too many undocumented, U.S. raised, immigrant students are turned away from postsecondary education. Undocumented students face various federal, state, and institutional policy obstacles in their attempts to enter postsecondary education. Specifically, undocumented students who have resided in the U.S....

April 13th, 2010 | Education, Featured | Read More

Why “No Child Left Behind” fails under Obama, too

Originally published in Newsone The recent education reforms to No Child Left Behind proposed by the Obama Administration sadly perpetuate a flawed testing policy that will continue to leave our children behind. I have no problem with tests. Testing, when employed effectively, can be an appropriate...

April 1st, 2010 | Education | Read More

Black and Latino men pouring out

Stepping up and doing more to keep them in the academic pipeline On Friday, March 19, 2010 I presented at the Urban Male Conference sponsored by the College Now program, held at Baruch College of the City University of New York. There I presented to young men from 9th through 11th grades about navigating...

March 24th, 2010 | Education, Featured | Read More

Texas Education Board’s ideological bullying: A reflection

I waxed a bit nostalgic over the past few days as I continue to read story after story reflecting on the great Texas Textbook debate, and the criticisms over its Republican resolution. I attended , circa 1982 (at the time, it was in one of the poorest school district in the nation). Social Studies was...

March 19th, 2010 | Education | Read More