By Félix Pérez Native American students in Washington who want to wear tribal regalia at their graduation ceremonies should be heartened by two recent actions, one by the state legislature and the other by the state superintendent of public instruction. The state House of Representatives, on a 95-1 vote, passed a bill Feb. 12 that “expressly acknowledges that students … Continued
By Félix Pérez, photo above of Alaska Native teacher Kristi McEwen with Native dance paraphernalia. Information about Native Americans is either completely absent from public schools or relegated to brief mentions, inaccurate portrayals or negative stereotypes, concludes a groundbreaking analysis of state efforts to deliver high quality, contemporary and tribally specific educational content about Native … Continued
By Félix Pérez Speaking on the marble steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, Karina Alvarez bore down against the on-again, off-again snow and rain on a raw November morning. It was as if the San Antonio, Texas, elementary school teacher, using a firm and measured delivery, wanted the nine justices hearing arguments inside the court … Continued
By Félix Pérez Image courtesy of MDGovpics Ghouls, ghosts, gremlins and goblins will soon be flittering among us. Children, students and adults alike will celebrate Halloween in all manner of costumes. Some zany, some clever, some scary, some funny, some that push boundaries, and, unfortunately, some that objectify and degrade a culture or community The … Continued
Every day, educators, administrators and students carry with them attitudes and beliefs that may affect their understanding of a situation, their interactions with others, and their decision-making. If these beliefs are colored by negative stereotypes or biases, they can lead to misunderstandings and an unhealthy school climate, if not outright hostility or conflict. Acknowledging, understanding … Continued
Reports from the FBI, school administrators and advocacy groups that track hate incidents indicate that white nationalism, hate speech and other forms of bigoted extremism are on the rise across the United States. Because schools are hubs of our communities – and often the center of interactions among students of diverse races, ethnicities and religions … Continued
By Félix Pérez In what is being described as an “overly ideological” overreach that could stifle academic freedom, the U.S. Education Department has threatened to strip the funding of the Duke-University of North Carolina Consortium for Middle Eastern Studies. Tinisha Shaw, a member of the first cohort of teachers to go through the yearlong program, says the criticism … Continued
BY MARY ELLEN FLANNERY Today, in a legal brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, the National Education Association urged justices to protect the thousands of educators who rely on a federal immigration policy known as DACA to shield them from fear and deportation. The Trump Administration’s inhumane termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in … Continued
Kevin Adams and Gerardo Muñoz, creators and hosts of the podcast “Too Dope Teachers and a Mic,” have an on-air energy and rapport that might lead you to think they have known each other since childhood. But if it were not for one student they each taught at different schools, they may have never crossed … Continued
Recent Executive Orders and ICE raids have caused fear and confusion in immigrant communities. Here’s how you can make a difference for your students.