HGSE Personal Statement

The keynote speaker, Dr. Anthony Graham, is a professor and dean of the College of Education at North Carolina A&T. As a scholar, Dr. Graham presented his research on African American adolescents and more at various international, national and state conferences. During his tenure as a professor at North Carolina A&T, Dr. Graham has published a variety of book chapters and co-authored a book. The great speaker has written grants totaling approximately $10 million. He has also created numerous initiatives to increase the number of racial and minority students. He was recently recognized by the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club Inc. Dr. Graham’s messages share optimism, critical consciousness and more that inspire the minority mindset to be successful.

The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children by Gloria Ladson-Billings was a great resource in thinking about how I would work toward influencing my staff, and the school community as a whole, to engage in discussions about equity. Most notably, she advises us to “acknowledge the race and culture of your students and try to weave it into your teachings” and to “foster a sense of community”. I am lucky to work in a school that was founded and lead by a woman of color for the last 6 years, so equity conversations are not as awkward as they may be in some other schools. In light of recent travesties of justice that have occurred in the US over the past year, these conversations have the potential to become more high-stakes

The argument proposed by researchers is that an alternative theoretical perspective centered on racial analysis could better inform leadership practices that improve the educational outcome for students of color (Brown, 2005; Gooden, 2012; Gooden & Dantley, 2012; Gooden & O’Doherty; Lopez, 2003; Young & Laible, 2000; Young & Lopez, 2011). Gooden and Dantley (2012) suggest that the use of CRT by school leaders can provide a prophetic voice that self-reflects to create agenda’s to change racist practices and policies. A prophetic voice is underscored by identification of injustices based on race and culture and the engendering of creating an agenda to change recognized injustices. Moreover, other scholars believe CRT can help identify and challenge majoritarian educational politics (Lopez, 2003; Aleman, 2009); help school leaders develop a praxis to confront issues of race and racism (Stovall, 2004); challenge the prevalent race neutral (Brown, 2005) issue of colorblindness that influences discrimination, bias, and inequity (Beachum, Dentith, McCray, and Boyle, 2008). Given these points, then, the discussion and use of CRT in school leadership needs to permeate all levels to be seen as a viable alternative and useful lens to provide equity for students of color and of low-SES.

Chapter 3 is based on a participatory action research (PAR) project carried out with African American and Latino/a high school students whose school was closed by the district citing low performance on test scores and declining enrollment. The chapter describes the process of forming the intergenerational and multiracial PAR team and chronicles why students objected to the decision to close the school. The chapter offers an object lesson in why stronger opportunities for student voice and participation are needed in the struggle for educational

Twenty-seven students enrolled in an Educational Leadership Program at Sacred Heart University conducted this research. As post-graduate students, and veteran educators aspiring to leadership positions, we bring a wealth of practical experience through our service in a wide variety of public school districts in Connecticut. As educators who care deeply about the quality of education for all public school students in Connecticut, we are driven by a deep desire for social justice. Creswell (2013) stated that social justice theories involve, “…advocacy/participatory theories seeking to bring about change or address social justice issues in our societies” (p.23). As educators, we recognize the importance of school funding levels that ensure all

With my future college education, I am determined to achieve change in society by inspiring minorities to pursue a higher education and closing the school-to-prison pipeline. Today in society, minorities are not really expected to go to college, but instead, are expected to go to prison or work minimum wage jobs throughout their life. I want to inspire people by changing their mindset and letting them be aware that they are the future advocates for change.I want to show that backgrounds should not be the roadblock to future success and prove that there are numerous amounts of opportunities. During college, I plan to become a tutor for the Advanced Via Individual Determination program which encourages students to continue their education. After

Teaching HFE in schools and the community help children to develop effective managing skills for daily life challenges. It aims to change the student’s negative behaviors, attitude and lifestyle habits. This prepares them with knowledge and skills for healthy living, and also to cope effectively with issues they are facing. The primary aim of the HFLE is to equip students with the skills to cope with some of life’s challenges and make wise choices. They are able to realize that the consequences of choice define their future and they can make better choices.

This country that we live in, the United States of America, has a reputation as being the "land of opportunity." Foreigners and native-born citizens regard this land as the pot of gold at the rainbow's end for those individuals who wish to make a life for themselves through hard work and perseverance. Yet for many minorities and economically disadvantaged people, the dream is unfulfilled because the educational opportunities that they need are unavailable. The universities are as unreachable as top- shelf merchandise in a warehouse without ladders or lifts. They are no less unwelcoming than heavy steel doors slamming shut in the face of a visitor. The selections from The Presence of Others: Voices that Call for

The target publics are the students, educators, parents and school officials within the Washington, D.C. area. A summary of the opinions and findings from the interviews that were given to students, parents and educators provide insight for minority education in Washington D.C., and provide strategies on how to bridge the education gap and improve stakeholder engagement. These target publics are minority students, parents, and educators in the Washington, D.C. public school system. The interviews were held on September 27, September 29 and October 3, 2016 as face-to-face short interviews. The parents interviewed were a Hispanic mother and an African American mother. The students interviewed included an African-American student and a Hispanic student. These parents were selected for the interview because Hispanics, as well as African Americans, make up the majority of minority students in Washington, D.C. who living in low-income communities with schools lacking resources. I gained lots of insight from the interviewees and their candid opinions on the subject matter.

2040 the projected ethic status of student population within the public education sector suggests that children of a minority status will make up more than half of the student count. Most recently the United States has implemented several strategies in regard to holding the public education systems accountable through testing, yet negates the detailed evaluations of issues concerning diversity and the need for cultural competence in a classroom setting. As the lack of consideration is becoming more and more evident a necessity is driven to effectively address issues of diversity and to establish objectives to meet set goals. (Ford, 2010)

In the past 60 years, initiatives such as the Civil Rights Movement, A Nation At Risk, No Child Left Behind, and A Race To The Top have worked to improve curriculum and instruction so that students’ may become productive, contributing members of

This program will be one step of many towards my goal to be not only an education policy advocate, but also a future Political Science professor. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, about 4% of professors are black in the United States, but less than 1.5% are black women. I have never had the opportunity to take a political science course from any woman or person of color. I have experienced in depth discussions of Western Europe and sweeping generalizations of the politics in Asia and Africa. A global leader loves and respects all people and is passionate about doing so. Global leaders look beyond their own community and educate themselves on the obstacles of well being affecting the world as a whole. This experience will allow me to teach political

In my position as a vice president of curriculum programs, I visit many diverse educational settings in public and charter schools, both large urban and small rural districts. Daily, I face issues of race, gender, culture, socioeconomic class, and disability. Because I work with diverse students and a multicultural workforce, my reflection regarding powerful social and cultural influences leads me to two different conclusions. The first is that many children in the schools I visit are disadvantaged. They are born into immigrant and transient families and live in communities that rank in the lowest socio-economic strata in the country.

My hometown of Lawrence is a vibrant immigrant city, with its proud roots now riddled in poverty and corruption. The poverty level in the city is one of the highest in Massachusetts, violent crime has been on the rise for years, and the high school dropout rate is more than 50 percent. Growing up, many of my classmates struggled with schoolwork as a result of the language barrier and lack of funding for transitional bilingual education programs. Countless children, with limitless potential, eventually learned to see the futility in participating in a system which had abandoned them. I was lucky enough to be accepted into Bellesini Academy, a school which provides support for low-income, at-risk inner-city students and helps its students gain acceptance into private college preparatory high schools on scholarship. Without this opportunity I am not sure what would have become of me. I would not have been able to attend the Groton School and may not have been blessed with the opportunity to attend Boston College. My experiences in the Lawrence education system continue to shape my views on the importance of education, while inciting my political consciousness and engagement in my community. I plan to further study education policy in graduate school and, hopefully, be able to attain extensive knowledge of government policy in order to improve the education standards in my hometown. I would love to be a member of my City Council after obtaining my degree. In general, I know

In education it has become clear that there is one main problem that has a serious effect on our nation as a whole, and that is the achievement gap. This problem is obvious in college admission rates, graduation rates, suspension rates and test scores. Five years ago I was able to be a part of a team at a middle school that allowed us to sit down and discuss the issues facing our students at our medium sized K-12 charter school. This focus team eventually led to my role as a leader on our PBIS Implementation Team.