Courageous Conversations

Today I held a courageous conversation about race. I was honored to interview a young biracial woman. She shared her truth. In the upcoming months, I will be writing about my research and findings in the area of biracial and multiracial students. This is a topic that very few in the field of education have examined. I found most of my research in the field of sociology. It is time we educators begin to look at the fastest growing segment of the school population—mixed race students—and examine our understanding of these students, our strategies to teach them, and, most importantly, our own judgments of and responses to them. Mixed students put race in our face. What do you think?

Bonnie

The Perfect School

The responses to the newsletter about “The Perfect School” were rich and varied. Many who responded agreed with the teachers. One person said art should be included with the first suggestion. I agree. One educator asked why there was no reference to race relations when I had written that we were having courageous conversations during the retreat. Good comment! The answer to this question is that “The Perfect School” was a warm-up question before we began the courageous conversations about race. However, I agree that “positive race relations” or “strong relationships across races and cultures” is a necessary component of The Perfect School.

What do you think? What do we really need? Think inside the box; think outside the box, but share your thoughts . .

Bonnie

Educators Making Change

Tell us about someone you know who is making change in their classroom or educational community.

Creativity in the Classroom

Author and educator Mary Kim Schreck is writing a wonderful new book on transforming classroom practice using creativity. At a recent retreat, she shared her research on the negative impact of high stakes testing over the long run. Tell her what you need to be creative and learn rigorous, new content.