This Week In Education: Thompson: Schools And Racial Profiling

This Week In Education: Thompson: Schools And Racial Profiling:

Thompson: Schools And Racial Profiling

by john thompson

What does the killing of Trayvon Martin have to do with the Department of Education's data collection which shows that black students are 3-1/2 times more likely to be suspended than white students?  Personal and institutional racism persist, as does bigotry born of a lack of communication.
One thing that the latest tragedy and the "school to prison pipeline" have in common, however, is that solutions to both can be found in the classroom.I would like to join with Jose Vilson, whose "Trayvon Martin and the Implication for Teacher Perceptions of Students," in the Huffington Post, affirms that, "Teachers can play a critical role in the move towards racial consciousness and, yes, harmony."  Vilson explains why teachers must listen to our students, and why we must find time in class for conversations that address our cultural perceptions and misperceptions.
The following is an example of one such conversation that I was privileged to witness.  Pat McGuigan, who was

Bruno: More "Divide And Conquer," Please

by Paul Bruno

Rick Hess had a great post last week pointing out that even if you think your debate opponents are wrong about an issue, that doesn't necessarily mean they're being unreasonable. He defends the strategic value of respecting your opponents' points of view because "[e]mpathy is ultimately the difference between cage-busters who implode amidst endless battles and those who, studying their Sun-Tzu, operate with determination and deliberation."
Hess illustrates the idea by describing why veteran teachers drive union opposition to compensation and seniority reform when those things might be to the benefit of less-veteran members. As it happens, that's the sort of difficulty Sun-Tzu addressed directly in The Art of War: "If [your enemy's] forces are united, separate them." And this raises the question - at least in my mind - of why reformers haven't adopted a divide-and-conquer strategy more frequently.
The overall merits of the particular reform aside, if it's true that younger teachers would be more open to, say,

Research: FLA & Hawaii Not Meeting Race Expectations

by Alexander Russo

There's a new report from CAP about state implementation of Race To The Topcoming out today.  The delays and overpromising we already know about, though there are new and updated details in the state reports.
The big headline is that two states -- Hawaii and Florida -- were found not to be meeting expectations.  Not New York.
Click below for the talking points.
Other findings:

• Race to the Top has advanced the reform agenda. We found that all the states that received a grant are now piloting or implementing a new teacher evaluation system.
• While progress is uneven, many states are largely on track with their Race to the Top commitments, making strong progress and meeting many of their initial promises. Under our evaluation rubric, most of the states appear to be meeting expectations.
• Every state has delayed some part of their grant implementation, and some observers worry about