EdPost

As over a thousand Black educators head to Philly to convene and build collective power at #BMEC2024, we look back on a conversation with Dr. Charles Cole on agency for Black parents from last years convening.

Dr. Tony Watlington, Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, joins the show to discuss the importance of building a diverse, high-quality teacher workforce and why representation is so important for our kids. He shares his background and passion for creating life-changing opportunities for students and his vision for making the Philadelphia's school district the fastest improving in the country. He emphasizes the importance of valuing and supporting all school employees and highlights initiatives to address the decline in the teacher pipeline. He also discusses the need for effective recruitment and retention strategies to find and support effective educators. #EquityInEducation #PoliticalDisillusionment #RacismIsReal #FightForChange #VoiceOfTheVoiceless #AngryAndInspired #BlackPowerMoves #BMEC2024 https://lnkd.in/ejw8CSfP

#TheNewNiagara Movement is here to shake up ATLANTA! It’s about time someone told it like it is… With a powerhouse featuring @citizenstewart, @selmekki, @civilwright, and the one and only #DrCharlesColeIII… this crew is diving deep into the brutal realities of #Blackeducation in ATL and they’re not sugarcoating a damn thing. In this exclusive convo, the crew sits down with Anthony Wilson II - Executive Director of @edequityatl, to talk real talk about finding your voice and navigating political disillusionment when the system seems rigged. What about those who’ve lost hope? Those parents, those young folks, who’ve been told their whole lives that it’s just too much to fight against? The ones born into poverty, stuck in poverty—and it feels like no matter what they do, the system’s stacked against them? Yeah, we’re talking about you. If you’re tired of the way things are, start somewhere. The political game may be rigged, but you still have the power to flip the script. And these conversations? They’re just the beginning. #NewNiagaraMovement #ATLBlackVoices #EquityInEducation #PoliticalDisillusionment #RacismIsReal #FightForChange #VoiceOfTheVoiceless #AngryAndInspired #BlackPowerMoves #BallotBoxRevolution https://lnkd.in/eYbjcerB

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This #FreedomFriday, let's talk about public school success and what it takes for our kids to succeed. Join Christopher Stewart and Sharif El-Mekki in discussing everything from Montessori education to year-round schooling.

Our CEO Christopher Stewart and the #FreedomFriday squad talk culture, leadership and the way forward. Ismael Jimenez Sharif El-Mekki

Researchers found that among books that won major industry awards, such as the Newbery or Caldecott medals, child protagonists were depicted with lighter skin than their adult counterparts. The findings underscore the longstanding lack of children’s books written by BIPOC authors and featuring BIPOC characters. These stories face institutional and systemic challenges at every stage of the publishing and distribution process, keeping books off shelves—and out of reach from the young children who would benefit most. By failing to encourage equal opportunities for writers of color in the publishing industry, and by otherwise limiting children’s access to diverse bookshelves, we teach children of color that their stories and their experiences are not valued by the world around them. We tell them they aren’t adventurers, detectives, and heroes. We create a world far less vivid than the one that children’s book authors create for white children – while simultaneously limiting white children’s understanding of experiences different from their own. https://lnkd.in/eACAZnV8

Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison's words would have made her a literary giant no matter what, but her position as one of our country's 'most-banned' authors gives her an arguably more important distinction: as a teacher of a progressive and critical citizenry. Take a look at this sample of banned Morrison books and you'll notice a pattern: “Beloved” has been challenged in many places across the United States. Challenges cite violence, sexual content, bestiality and racism as reasons for removing the Pulitzer Prize-winning work from curricula. “Song of Solomon” was banned from (then reinstated in) the curriculum of a public high school in Michigan on social and sexual grounds. “Sula” has been banned for its sexual themes. “The Bluest Eye” has consistently landed on the list of most challenged books, cited reasons including, sexually explicit material, graphic descriptions, disturbing language and an underlying socialist-communist agenda. “Paradise” was banned from the libraries of Texas prisons. The reason cited for banning was that it, “Contains material that a reasonable person would construe as written solely for the purpose of communicating information designed to achieve a breakdown.” https://lnkd.in/gXcd3upM

Racist, xenophobic attacks from political "leaders" have become commonplace. But, they have real-world implications for our kids. Christopher Stewart, Ismael Jimenez, and Sharif El-Mekki discuss on #FreedomFriday

Some conversations are hard but necessary. On the latest #FreedomFriday, Christopher Stewart, Sharif El-Mekki and Ismael Jimenez discuss gun culture, the psychology of a child willing to kill and the safety of our youth.