The Fishing School’s Post

Just finished a draft of a chapter that is being submitted as part of a larger book project called “Critical Turn in Teacher Residencies” being published by Rutledge Publishing. Me and my colleague Dr. Kirk Roger’s are excited to be asked to contribute our research to the education field. As a theologian and scholar and now adjunct professor I’m humbled by the doors that are opening. Believe in your own genius! Some of the questions we are trying to answer are: How might histories of land and labor inform the building of residencies as place-based and provide space for coalition building? In what ways have residencies been centered on teacher disposition both in the recruitment and development of residents and mentor teachers? What frameworks exist to support this work? How do we select mentor teachers with caring dispositions? What assessment or characteristics exist to identify a caring disposition? Our research will center the voices and experiences of Black males as they navigate earning a teaching credential since most research does not amplify their stories. How have residents in other programs been engaged in participatory research?

Check out our newest report done with UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools - Love is the Foundation for Life: Schott Report on Black Males in Public Education

Black History Month - Scholarship Spotlight Rich Milner explains, “[T]eachers can and do improve when they allow students to help them examine, reflect on, and improve teaching practices....Addressing opportunity gaps is difficult work....But every single student in our schools should be viewed as a vessel of knowledge, knowing, and potential.” To learn more about how educators can both support and learn from their students, check out Milner’s book, Start Where You Are, But Don't Stay There: Understanding Diversity, Opportunity Gaps, and Teaching in Today's Classrooms. https://lnkd.in/eBDVDNaD

Excited to see these six powerful ways to embrace Juneteenth education! Education is key to understanding our history and fostering unity. Check out these insightful tips from Assistant Principal Tonette Honore: https://hubs.la/Q02Chd2F0

📚🖤 Ontario Schools to Include Mandatory Black History Education 🖤📚 Starting September 2025, Ontario will introduce mandatory Black history education for Grades 7, 8, and 10. Announced by Education Minister Stephen Lecce, this initiative ensures students understand the significant contributions and sacrifices of Black Canadians throughout history. Learn more about this important curriculum change and its impact on education! 🌟 🔹 Broader Educational Reforms: - Part of Ontario's broader educational reform, including new math and language guidelines and expanded teachings on the Holodomor famine and the Holocaust. 🔹 Significance: - Spearheaded by Patrice Barnes, this curriculum change aims to deepen students' understanding of Canada’s diverse heritage and the contributions of Black Canadians. 🔹 Community Involvement: - Developed with feedback from historians, educators, and the Black community to ensure accurate and respectful content. 🔹 Future Implications: - Fosters a sense of inclusivity and respect for diversity, preparing students to be informed and empathetic citizens. Read the full blog for more insights on Ontario’s new mandatory Black history education: https://lnkd.in/g_A_-QCM #education #inclusivity #BlackHistory #OntarioEducation #CurriculumReform #DiversityInEducation

Interesting study by colleagues, David Fullard et al that found: "Increasing the collegiate success rates of men of color is an important goal, as it provides for the economic empowerment of this population and supports social justice and equity...The fortified classroom is an immersive first-year experience that includes academic support that is built into the classrooms. Results suggest that supporting students through this program has a significant positive impact on course completion, term-to-term retention, and graduation rates." https://lnkd.in/gk_w4NC8

New Book Release: Amplifying Black Undocumented Student Voices Amplifying Black Undocumented Student Voices centers on the story of Dr. Felecia, Russell, EdD a Black DACA recipient, scholar, and practitioner, along with a qualitative study exploring the experiences of 15 Black undocumented students. This book highlights the invisibility and lack of belonging that Black undocumented students face within both the undocumented community and the United States at large. Through both a biographical memoir and a qualitative approach, Felecia interprets the experiences of undocuBlack students, a group seldom represented in the immigrant narrative, arguing that without visibility, undocuBlack students rarely benefit from advocacy and instead become targets of overcriminalization. This text offers an important new perspective for faculty, administrators, policymakers, upper-level undergraduate and graduate students, and readers interested in Black and immigrant narratives and the undocumented experience as an academic subject. Pre-order here: https://lnkd.in/g9Xk6Qzf Amplifying Black Undocumented Student Voices is available for preorder today with a 20% discount code (EFLY01). The publication date is Monday, April 15, 2024.

Economic development, quality of life, community building, and the growth of the business sector all begin with education. Just consider the Top 10 most important people in your life, how many were teachers? Name 5 teachers that made a difference in your life. Not including the educators I'm related to: 1. Mrs. Menees - Cathedral School 6th Grade 2. Mr. Rigsby - Cathedral School Boys Choir 3. My 7th Grade English Teacher at Forest Heights. Can't even remember her name. She left the profession. She took care of me when I really needed it. 4. Mr. Thomas - Forest Heights - 9th Grade Civics. 5. Dr. L.T. Williams - UALR - Black American History 1865 to Present Not mentioned but they matter - the entire faculty of Little Rock Central High, Class of '94! You know! Give back, get involved.

It's back-to-school season! Our newest blog post explores William Robert Valentine, a leading educator in the early 20th century, respected for his successful implementation of a combined classical and vocational curriculum for Black students in segregated schools. To learn more about William Robert Valentine, click the link here: https://lnkd.in/e_cEJ3H6

CALLING ALL AFRICAN-AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS!   Over Spring-Summer 2024, I am completing my doctoral dissertation research study at UNCC about African American High School Principals’ Perception of Academic Tracking and its Influence on Their Instructional Decisions, Student Self-efficacy, and Learning Outcomes.   I am reaching out to my network of Black/African American high school Principals who would be interested in participating in the study. The study aims to examine the perceptions of African American high school principals in North Carolina schools, who have been a principal for more than one year. My focus will be your perceptions of academic tracking and its influence on your instructional decisions, students’ self-efficacy, and learning outcomes. This study is unrelated to my current professional role within the North Carolina school system.    If you identify as a Black/African-American high school principal and are interested in participating in the study, please complete the survey request linked below. If you do not identify as a Black/ African American high school principal and/or have a network of African American HS, please share and repost this request in your network. Survey Link: https://lnkd.in/e-Ejg7DR