Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Riding Lessons

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Riding Lessons:

Riding Lessons

Eh? What's that, sonny...?

Funny thing happened in first day of summer session. My students went around the table and introduced themselves and said the usual about what they do; where they teach; goals and passions. One student says, "I give writing lessons out in Oswego."  My interest is perked. I ask, at what school do you teach writing? Student responds: "No not writing -- RIDING LESSONS."  She's taking a few needed ed courses to become a certified riding instructor.

Lots of friends and colleagues gathered at the Ayers/Dohrn home yesterday to give a nice send off to Kevin Kumashiro who is leaving Chicago to become Dean of the Ed School at San Francisco State. Our loss is definitely S.F.'s gain.

Kevin is currently professor of Asian American Studies and Education at  UIC. where he was formerly Chair of Educational Policy Studies, Interim Co-Director of the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy, and Coordinator of Asian American Studies. On the national level, he is the president (2012-2014) of the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME). Here in Chicago, he is a foundin