What might MLK Jr. say to educators about COVID-19? | Cloaking Inequity

What might MLK Jr. say to educators about COVID-19? | Cloaking Inequity

WHAT MIGHT MLK JR. SAY TO EDUCATORS ABOUT COVID-19?

This is what I think Martin Luther King Jr. might have said about the pursuit of principles of justice and inclusion by educators in our current environment.

I have used his words almost verbatim with some modest embellishment.

In the midst of COVID 19, the world is a different place. Our nation, our state and communities are different.

 

It almost seems as if the world has been put on pause.

 

But we can’t wait to make a difference…

 

We are a special army, with no supplies but its sincerity, no uniform but its determination, no arsenal except its faith, no currency but its conscience

 

The words ‘bad timing’ come to be ghosts haunting our every move …Yet people who use this argument are ignorant of the background of our planning…they did not realize that it was ridiculous to speak of timing when the clock of history showed that communicates of color have already suffered one hundred years of delay

 

We can’t wait to make a difference in our community… In our state… In our nation… In our world…

 

The time is always ripe to do right.

 

Time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively…Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of [people] willing to work…and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.

 

So, you have my commitment to do right today and in the future. And in the words of Martin Luther King Jr:

 

We need a powerful sense of determination to banish… the narcotics of delay that could dull the pain of progress.

 

As we emerge from COVID 19 I hope that our communities become healthier, more just, more impactful and more united.

 

We can’t wait to make a difference. The time is always ripe to do what is right.

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What might MLK Jr. say to educators about COVID-19? | Cloaking Inequity

Russ on Reading: Why Johnny Can't Read, Part 4: Brain-Based Reading Disorders

Russ on Reading: Why Johnny Can't Read, Part 4: Brain-Based Reading Disorders

Why Johnny Can't Read, Part 4: Brain-Based Reading Disorders

The 4th in a series on vulnerable readers

Some children's brains have difficulty processing written words and text. Such children may have difficulty decoding words, reading fluently, and comprehending what they read. These reading difficulties are not related to level of  intelligence or creativity, and indeed, these reading disorders are often discovered when children's performance in reading is below expectation for their age and grade level. The estimates of the incidence of these brain-based disorders varies widely from about 2% to 20% of the student population, depending on what source you read. The International Dyslexia Association sets the number at between 15 and 20% of the population having "symptoms of dyslexia", which may include "slow or inaccurate reading, poor spelling, and poor writing."

The label many give these reading disorders is dyslexia. The label may be comforting to some, but according to the International Literacy Association, (ILA) the nature and causes of the difficulty, and even whether or not the label itself is helpful, are still matters that are under investigation. One problem with the dyslexia label is that there are many mythologies and misleading concepts surrounding the term. For example characteristics such as clumsiness, attention deficit, fine motor problems, creativity, or CONTINUE READING: Russ on Reading: Why Johnny Can't Read, Part 4: Brain-Based Reading Disorders

Sacramento City Unified School District teachers fired | abc10.com

Sacramento City Unified School District teachers fired | abc10.com

Sacramento city teachers fired, program ended as district works to avoid state takeover amid pandemic
Preschool teachers in the Sacramento City Unified School District were among 12 people fired last week as the district continues to address a $27 million deficit.

SACRAMENTO, Calif — Tamara Toby was laid off last week.

The preschool teacher in the Sacramento City Unified School District was one of 12 fired as the district continues to address a $27 million deficit that predates the coronavirus pandemic.

Of the 12 let go were Toby and two other teachers who were part of the Parent Participation Preschool program (PPP) a 72-year-old hybrid program that combines early childhood education with parenting classes.

“It's unique, and I would hope the district would want to continue something like our program,” said Toby, who worked in the program for 10 years. “And if not continue it, grow it.”

Unfortunately, that’s not likely to happen.

The adult education program costs about $440,000 annually to run but only collects about $160,000 in fees every year. Plus, despite caring for about 200 preschoolers, the program is considered an adult education program and is not eligible for supplemental funding from the district.

RELATED: Could California's budget shortfall mean education loses out despite being asked to reopen soon?

A district spokesperson told ABC10 in a statement that while it’s a “wonderful program,” it’s not one that the district has resources to sustain.

“Without a fee structure that would make it self-sustaining, we are unable to continue funding this adult education program,” the district said. “We are actively working with families to explore a fee structure for participants that would make the program self-sustaining in light of the district’s budget situation.”

Avoiding a state takeover amid a pandemic

In 2018, state officials announced SCUSD had a high risk of being taken over by the state. Since then, the district has worked to find ways to cut cost and reduce spending in an effort to avoid what seemed inevitable.

Last year, a state auditor’s report said that the district had financially failed in three main areas — teacher salaries, employee benefits and special education. The state auditor warned that if CONTINUE READING: Sacramento City Unified School District teachers fired | abc10.com

Free Internet Available To SCUSD Students

Free Internet Available To SCUSD Students

Free Internet Available To SCUSD Students

SACRAMENTO – Sacramento City Unified School District, the City of Sacramento, and Comcast announced a new effort to provide Sac City Unified families with free internet access. The new initiative, called Sac City Kids Connect, provides Comcast’s Internet Essentials program to qualifying low income families with internet access, provided they live in a Comcast service area. As part of the Sac City Kids Connect program, eligible families will be provided with a special code to access six months of free internet. The access codes will be provided in the coming weeks.

More information including eligibility requirements and instructions about how to sign up for the program can be found at www.scusd.edu/kidsconnect. The site is designed for use with mobile phones or tablets.

“Our mission to meet our students’ academic, social and emotional needs didn’t end when schools closed,” said Sac City Unified Superintendent Jorge Aguilar. “Lack of internet access is a barrier, even during normal times. In these extraordinary times, this barrier becomes all the more evident for many of our students, but especially our most vulnerable. We continue to work tirelessly to remove every obstacle that might prevent our students from reaching their educational goals.”

“The reality is that even in our Capital City many kids can’t connect to online learning because they lack access to the internet,” said Sac City Unified Board President Jessie Ryan. “An inability to access the internet should never prevent learning. This is why we are proud to launch this public-private partnership with Comcast and the City of Sacramento which will connect our kids to internet access and the opportunities they deserve. There are many uncertainties in this crisis, but what remains consistent is our commitment to supporting student success.”

“Here at the city one of our top concerns is making sure young people growing up in all of our CONTINUE READING: Free Internet Available To SCUSD Students

CATCH UP WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE)

NewBlackMan (in Exile)

CATCH UP WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE)

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NewBlackMan (in Exile)