EverbodyLuvsRaymondsEdBlog

I recently read an article penned by Frederick M. Hess and J. Grant Addison . Like most articles I read, I went into it with the best of intentions. Quite frankly, both authors have put out substantial bodies of work. Hess and Addison remain highly respected in their respective fields. I went in optimistically. Hess and Addison immediately rail against anti-racist approaches to teaching. The article compares "anti-racism" to being "anti-crime" or "anti-medicine." I'm not sure about anyone else, but I'm certainly not anti-crime or anti-police. But approaches to how law enforcement police minoritized communities have long been a question presented by raced people. 

I recently read (with great reluctance) an article written by Robert Pondiscio titled "anti-racism" is misguided. Can I still teach Black children? The short answer is no, but for the sake of argument, I'll go through my usual triggers when people try and "shock jock" and minimize the importance of anti-racism in schools.                                                                      20 Years of Stellar Service  I'll start with the good. Mr. Pondiscio has spent the last 20 years in high-poverty schools in the Bronx in Harlem. He believes in high expectations for all students and that academically and behaviorally, we must have a high bar for Black and Brown kids (all kids, for that matter). By pointing out, we must have a high bar for Black kids behaviorally gives me racist undertone vibes. It's as if Po...

Firstly, because this is an education blog, we have to keep its education to some degree. I saw an interaction between a teacher and a student in one of my education groups. It was disheartening because the response was pretty adult-centered. I'm not taking away the need for teachers to unplug. Teaching is a challenging job. Sometimes the difficulties of the job carry over into our daily lives.  But when our interactions with kids align with this interaction, it makes me question why we do this work. Is police reform going to happen? That's the million-dollar question that many of us are pondering. While lawmakers decide to undertake police reform legislation, many of us continue to fear for our lives. I'm a law-abiding citizen for the most part. Occasionally I might do 1 mile over the speed limit, but for the most part, I try and live my life according to the laws that govern citizens.