NEA Black Issues NEA Black Issues ConferenceConference

Jackson, MississippiJackson, MississippiApril 24-26April 24-26

Notes from John Scott, OEA member, Houck Middle School

Opening MessagesOpening Messages

•Leadership– We can’t lead from behind – get

out there and connect with your kids

– Don’t change who you are, you’re kids want to identify with you

•Finances– Watch the money, make sure it’s

going where it’s supposed to go

Key PresentersKey Presenters

Key PresentersKey Presenters• Kevin Gilbert, President MAE• Frank Melton, Mayor of Jackson, MS• Mary Welch, President JAE• Alice Hardin, Mississippi Senator• Lily Eskelsen, NEA Vice President• Terence Bolden, Little Rock Sch. Dist. Strategic Planning

Committee• Cory Wofford, NEA ESP Quality• Cynthia Swan & MCO Team

Lily Eskelsen

DIVERSITY

“If deliberate exclusion is systematically wrong, wouldn’t deliberate [inclusion] be systematically good?”

Lily Eskelsen

•Affirmative Action:– Businesses saw the value in a “new” market

– Post WWII– Major businesses contact Stanford University

about their colored MBAs – Stanford only had 7!

– Early on businesses sent black candidates to black areas and white MBAs to white areas. Sales did not increase, they went down.WHY DID SALES DECREASE?

Lack of diversity“Having two people on a job who think the same, means one of them is redundant.”

Teacher RecruitmentTeacher Recruitment

ChallengesChallenges Shortages: Nation wide need of ½ Shortages: Nation wide need of ½

million over the next 5 yearsmillion over the next 5 years Attrition: Working conditions a Attrition: Working conditions a

major factor in turnovermajor factor in turnover Diversity: Need for “Cultural Diversity: Need for “Cultural

Brokers”Brokers”

DiversityNational Statistics on

DiversityNational Center for Education Statistics 2008

• Students of color comprise 40% of the enrollment in public schools

• Teachers of color comprise 16% of faculties in public schools

Diversity•Cultural Brokers

…tend to be knowledgeable, sensitive, and comfortable with students’ language, style of presentation, community values, myths, symbols, and norms

Teacher QualityTeacher Quality

StatisticsStudents with strong teachers 3 consecutive

years made reading gains 54% higher than with less qualified teachers

Having strong teachers 5 consecutive years could eliminate the achievement gap between poor students and higher-income peers. (Hanusheck and Kain, 1998)

Closing the Achievement GapClosing the Achievement Gap

•C ultural•A bilities•R esilience•E ffort

• Research based suggestion to improve student learning

• Challenges to educators to meet demands while still offering quality instruction

• Includes additional resources for success with all students

C.A.R.E.