Brittney Carey, M.A.’s Post

https://lnkd.in/eMFnjUqy   The book is great, highly readable, practical, and a much-needed call to action. The Call to Courage confronts all of us, whether in formal or informal leadership roles, with the need to counter the dysfunctional and polemic attacks on local schools and districts and to stand up for the core values of public education as being inclusive, equitable, and purposefully diverse.   Shelley and Luvelle are veteran superintendents who write thoughtfully and knowledgeably about keeping clear that public education is the DNA of an improving democracy through educating independent, knowledgeable, and open-minded citizens.

Public education is foundational to a successful democracy. Teachers, educational leaders, and communities are on the front lines of ensuring what is core to this nation: providing education for each child and ensuring students have the skills to think critically and thrive. COSA celebrates Dr. Sheldon Berman and Luvelle Brown for their work on this book. #COSAleaders #Publiceducation #Educationalleadership #Courage #Calltocourage

This is such a timely and important book for everyone who cares about public education and its role in protecting and preserving our democracy. Now, more than ever, it is imperative for everyone (not just those with formal leadership titles) to stand up and speak out. Berman and Luvelle elevate the reasons why and provide an important template for meaningful action that is respectful of diverse opinions by calling for dialogue over debate and being hard on the problems and soft on the people. Definitely a must read!

A recent book by Laura Meckler on the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, "Dream Town," takes a fascinating look at its repeated efforts over the years to promote equity in education. Despite a long history of integration, wide achievement gaps between Black and white students have persisted. As the book suggests, the reasons have to do with class as much as race--and with levels of parental education. Like most school districts across the country, it seems that Shaker hasn't been providing the kind of explicit, content-rich instruction that children from less highly educated families need in order to succeed academically. More in my latest post: https://lnkd.in/dTKYt_Ub

Teacher’s Day Tribute: Honoring the Unseen Efforts of Educators As students, we often overlook the immense hard work and dedication of our teachers. From early morning classes to late-night lesson preparations, teachers invest their time and energy to ensure each student receives the best guidance. They act as mentors, shaping young minds not only in academics but also in discipline and character. Most of the day is spent in school, and parents entrust teachers with the responsibility of moulding their children into responsible, well-behaved individuals. Teachers are the silent architects of our future, constantly striving to improve their students’ lives. Despite their tireless efforts, many teachers go unnoticed, and their impact is rarely acknowledged. In today's fast-paced world, students often lack patience and discipline, expecting quick results. It becomes a challenge for teachers to instil the right values when students are distracted by gadgets and social media. As a teacher, I feel deeply concerned that the essence of learning is shifting, and the mutual respect between teachers and students is fading. This disconnect needs urgent attention to ensure that education remains a transformative process. Many students fail to see teachers' efforts in grooming them, and some even resist this guidance. As a teacher, this can be disheartening, but our commitment to our students. Despite these efforts, a teacher’s work often goes unnoticed. Today’s students, in particular, seem to struggle with maintaining discipline, showing impatience, and paying attention to detail. The solution lies in rekindling the respect and value of teachers. Parents, students, and society must acknowledge the critical role teachers play in shaping the future. Educational institutions should foster stronger bonds between students and teachers, emphasizing mutual respect and understanding. #HappyTeachersDay, #RealHeroes #Salutetoeducators

ICYMI: Yoshua Simms, an early childhood education major at Cincinnati State and a Leading Men Fellow with The Literacy Lab wrote an op-ed for the Enquirer - Cincinnati and Kentucky highlighting the importance of representation in education and how it can empower young learners. Here's a powerful quote from Yoshua's piece: "We can’t shy away from this problem. In fact, we need to lean into it to come up with real solutions to help recruit more Black and brown males into the teaching profession. Those solutions should include collaborations with community organizations, educators, policymakers, colleges and universities and other institutions. The racial makeup of classrooms won’t change without a collaborative strategy. " Read the full article and learn more about Yoshua's mission here: https://lnkd.in/e-5bRSFU #RepresentationMatters #EarlyChildhoodEducation #TheLiteracyLab

Compassion is empathy in action! All It Takes are simple acts of understanding and grace. Meet Christina Fitzgerald, a California school district's Director of Curriculum and Instruction. She's a vocal advocate for teachers embracing the human side of their work. For her, it's essential for teachers to reach out to students on tough days, addressing the root cause behind behaviors. Fitzgerald also underscores the significance of curiosity among teachers. She believes that by maintaining a sense of curiosity, educators can effectively model compassion and authenticity, two qualities that students deeply crave. Ultimately, she asserts that genuine human connections form the foundation of a beneficial education. These values directly align with the themes explored in "Common Ground," the latest film by All It Takes. This docu-training film explores the complexities of the relationships between schools and their communities, shedding light on the challenges they face. Through candid insights and narratives, "Common Ground" reveals the critical role of empathy, understanding, and collective problem-solving in cultivating unity within educational ecosystems. By highlighting the significance of compassion, understanding, and the power of community, both Christina Fitzgerald and "Common Ground" advocate for a collaborative approach to addressing the challenges faced by our schools and students. Stream the series and learn more about amazing educators like Christina Fitzgerald at: https://lnkd.in/g59uVH6. #Agreements #UnityInDiversity #CommunityBuilding #ResilienceEducation #ActionOverEmpathy #StudentWellbeing #MentalHealthScience #EducationInsights #MentalHealthMatters #CaringEducators #BuildingConnections #EmpowerYouth #ChangeInEducation #InnovateEducation #Students #MentalHealth #EmotionalHealth #School #MentalHealthDialogue #EmpathyInEducation #EducationWithHeart #StudentSuccess #CalHOPE #CalHOPESchools Lori Woodley-Langendorff, MS, PPS

#representationmatters "Children need literature in their classrooms to provide mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors (Bishop, 1990). Mirror literature reflects students’ lives and cultures. Providing children’s literature in the classroom that reflects students affirms their cultures and experiences, helps them understand that their stories matter, shows them positive examples of what they can be and celebrates the importance of their cultural heritage. Literature that allows students to gain a view into the lives, cultures and experiences of people that they identify as different than themselves provides a 'window' into another part of their world. Window books can help foster positive intercultural experiences, increase empathy towards others, reduce prejudice and provide a platform for underrepresented voices and experiences to be celebrated. These windows help children get a glimpse of other cultures and build an understanding and appreciation for other ways of life in order to develop a multidimensional understanding of others (Yoo-Lee et al., 2014). Children’s understanding of the world should also be facilitated by utilizing diverse literature that acts as 'sliding glass doors' allowing students to meaningfully connect with lives, cultures and experiences other than their own (Bishop, 1990). These opportunities for learning can help children become more open-minded, inclusive in their worldview and confront ideas related to equity and social justice (Riley, 2016). Unfortunately, children’s literature has historically done a poor job reflecting the diversity of our country."

I agree with this 💯%.  Public Education should be trending towards finding innovative solutions to lift all students up to meet high expectations.  Sadly, the current trend is bringing expectations down to meet students where they are at. These policies can produce short-term benefits such as possible increased graduation rates.  However, this trajectory is causing longterm harms to these unprepared/undereducated students, American society, and the U.S. economy.  

As I prepare for spring term at OSU, I'm also thinking ahead to my fall course. This article from Facing History has me thinking, especially this quote: "When striving to teach for equity and justice, there can be a tendency to jump to action planning, figuring out which students need the most support, and trying to problem solve. However, the work of equity and justice requires deep critical reflection and introspection on the part of educators." I've been part of programs that want to identify a problem and solve it, but what I'm most interested in how we can create real change by starting with our pre-service and early career teachers. I'm looking for a good reading list for this spring. Any suggestions? https://lnkd.in/dTAPzXVr