Blog

During the recent presidential election, some blamed Latinos for handing President Trump a win in my home state of Texas—not because they voted for him en masse but because many did not vote at all. Despite record turnout, only 44% of Latino Texans who were eligible to vote cast a ballot during the 2020 early voting period, compared with 63%...
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In this time of uncertainty, teacher educators are faced with many unknowns and have had to quickly shift their coursework to online and hybrid formats. This has been a particular challenge for teacher educators who are working with teacher candidates in courses that require experiences in the field. Dr. Justin Burris, a clinical assistant professor in the College of Education...
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This blog is part of a series that highlights the strong SEL practices educators are implementing in their classrooms and schools, thanks to support from the NoVo SEL in Action grants. A young boy stands in front of a school auditorium, waiting for the students to quiet down. He’s slightly out of breath, having run to school because he was...
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Think back to when you were a student sitting in a math classroom. Did you believe you could excel at math? If you didn’t, you aren’t alone. Dr. Shequana Wright-Chung, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Mathematics Education at Brooklyn College at the City University of New York, shares that it’s a common belief and one that is often impacted...
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We are at a critical moment in public education in America as districts across the country address the dual challenges presented by COVID-19 and systemic racism. This fall, more than ever, district staff members have found themselves working collaboratively with educators, families and nonprofit organizations, to figure out the school environment and supports that students want and need. The systems...
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Authors: Sarah Beal (US PREP), Odette Clarke (New York City Coalition for Teacher Preparation), Cassandra Herring (BranchED), Chris Lozier (NCTR), Robby McGowen (IC4EP), and Calvin Stocker (US PREP) To improve educational outcomes for Black and Latino students and students experiencing poverty, we know we need outstanding teachers in every classroom. And high-quality teacher preparation is critical to ensuring new educators...
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This blog first appeared as part of the We Refuse to Lose series that profiles five cradle-to-career initiatives working to close racial gaps for students journeying from early education to careers.  A funder once asked me what it was like growing up in Tacoma, Washington. Reflecting on the 1980s and 1990s, I told him it was fraught with drugs and...
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For our fourth and final installation in our Spotlight on Teacher Diversity blog series, we sat down with Jason Terrell, Founder and Executive Director of Profound Gentlemen and Cheryl Thompson, the Director of Education Grantmaking at the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. Profound Gentlemen is a non-profit organization that engages current and aspiring male educators of color by placing...
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This content also appeared on the We Refuse To Lose website.  Like many young boys of color, I faced obstacles as I matriculated through schools. I am Black and an immigrant and was subjected to all the biases and discrimination that are rampant across our communities. I was an English language learner and was put in the basement of my...
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In my first two posts, I described how we at Jackson State University (JSU) transformed our clinical practice and our course curriculum to strengthen our teacher candidate’s experiences so they are ready on day one to successfully teach all students, especially Black, Latinx and students experiencing poverty. In this post, I’ll share how the process of collecting, analyzing and using...
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