Teachers of Tomorrow Program

SECTION 2. School Participants. School Participants shall consist of local school districts maintaining programs designed with an emphasis on, but not limited to, men, blacks and other minority Arkansans to pursue teaching careers. In order to be eligible to participate in the Academy each School Participant agrees to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (0 Provide a teacher Academy recruiting program to attract students of various ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds throughout the district into education careers
Address the acute need for teachers in the district, especially male and minority teachers, by attracting and nurturing at an early age those young people who demonstrate a desire or talent to become teachers through implementation of the teacher Academy
Seek funding for the teacher Academy through grants, endowments, and foundations
Provide the facilities and personnel for the teachers Academy, except for the Executive Director who may be provided through a grant, endowment or other foundation funding
Seek collaborations with racial and ethnic community organizations to provide incentives in order to increase minority enrollment in the teacher Academy
and Assure priority hiring for the teacher Academy graduates upon successful completion of college and certification by the Arkansas Department of Education. SECTION 3. University Participants. University Participants shall consist of local colleges and universities maintaining and providing programs designed to encourage Arkansans to pursue teaching careers. In order to be eligible to participate in the Academy each University Participant agrees to: (a) (b) (c) Provide scholarships through grants or other university funding for the districts students who graduate from the teacher Academy program and enroll in a University Participants College of Education based upon students unmet financial needs, high school preparation, and the availability of funds
Assist and coordinate dissemination of information about higher education scholarships and grants for teacher Academy students
Organize seminars to introduce parents and students to teaching which will include, but not be limited to, educational career choices, scholarship information, and test taking skills
-2-Teachers of Tomorrow Academy Organization And Operating Agreement i A TEACHERS TOMORROW "Helping The Best Touch The Future" A Joint Venture of Arkansas Universities and Secondary Education Institutions Recruiting Program Little Rock School District RECEIVED March 15, 1993 MAR 1 8 1993 Office of Desegregation Monitoring Mr. Horace Smith, Associate Monitor Office of Desegregation Monitoring 201 East Main Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 Dear Mr. Smith: As per our conversation, please find the enclosed information concerning the proposed Teachers of Tomorrow Academy for your review. I am looking forward to meeting with you on Monday, March 22, 1993, concerning the Academy development and procedures for informing the Court of this minority recruitment design. If there any questions prior to our meeting, please call me at 324-2080. For Excellence in Education, Robert Robinson Recruiting Coordinator rr Enclosures cc: Mrs. Ann Brown 810 West Markham Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 (501)324-2000(d) Award college credit as determined within the University Participants guidelines to each teacher Academy graduate who completes an approved teacher education course contingent upon the student earning a 3.00 average or better in each course equivalent to a full semester of college credit
and (e) Submit existing college credit courses or design, if necessary, new courses for Board and University approval for the Academy. SECTION 4. Admission of New Participants. In order to become and remain a participant in the Academy program, an interested party must agree to provide and maintain the programs required of a School Participant or University Participant, as the case may be. Interested parties shall be eligible to participate in the program upon approval of not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the Executive Board. SECTION 5. Expulsion of Participant. In the event a participant shall fail to provide those programs and level of assistance required for eligibility and such failure shall continue for a period of sixty (60) days following the participants receipt of Notice from the Executive Board of such failure, the Board, in its sole discretion, shall have power to expel a participant upon the vote of not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the Executive Board to expel said participant. ARTICLE m. EXECUTIVE BOARD SECTION 1. General Powers. The affairs, activities and operation of the Academy shall be managed by its Executive Board. SECTION 2. Number. Tenure and Qualifications. The number of the Executive Board members of the Academy shall be ten (10). Each member shall hold office for so long as he or she is employed in the capacity listed below or until his or her successor shall have been appointed and qualified. The Executive Board shall consist of the seven (7) individuals employed in the following capacities: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) The Superintendent of the Little Rock School District. The Superintendent of the North Little Rock School District. The Superintendent of the Pulaski County Special School District. The Dean of the College of Education or the Chairperson of Teacher Education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The Dean of the School of Education at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. The Dean of the College of Education at the University of Central Arkansas. The Dean of the School of Education at Henderson State University. -3-Organizational GuidelinesORGANIZATION AND OPERATING AGREEMENT OF TEACHERS OF TOMORROW ACADEMY (A Joint Venture of Arkansas Universities and Secondary Education Institutions) THIS ORGANIZATION AND OPERATING AGREEMENT executed and effective this 21st day of May, 1992, by and between the undersigned Arkansas Universities and Secondary Education Institutions in order to create a cooperative joint venture for the purposes hereinafter stated. ARTICLE I. PURPOSE AND PRINCIPAL OFFICE This TEACHERS OF TOMORROW ACADEMY (the "Academy") is organized as a cooperative joint venture whose exclusively educational purposes are described as follows: (a) To provide scholarships to students graduating from area high school magnet programs for teacher preparedness, create positions in participating universities teacher- related programs and provide seminars and assistance to teachers in the magnet program for teacher preparedness. (b) To receive and maintain a fund or funds of real and/or personal property, and subject to the restrictions hereinafter set forth to use and apply the whole or any part of the income therefrom and the principal thereof exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. (c) To have and exercise all powers, privileges and rights conferred by the laws of the State of Arkansas and all powers and rights incidental to carrying out the purposes for which this Academy is formed, except such as are inconsistent with the express provisions of any laws, rules or regulations otherwise governing the educational institutions participating in the Academy. (d) The principal office of the Academy in the State of Arkansas shall be located in the city of Little Rock, county of Pulaski. The Academy may have such other offices, either within or without the State of Arkansas, as the Executive Board may designate or as the business of the Academy may require from time to time. ARTICLE n. PARTICIPANTS SECTION 1. Participants. The Academy shall have two types of participants: School Participants and University Participants. -1-Preface The following pages contain organizational and fiscal responsibility guidelines for the Teachers of Tomorrow Academy, which is a consortium to recruit, support and develop outstanding minority and other students for the teaching professions. In greater Little Rock, as in most cities, the number of minority teachers is significantly out of proportion to the number of minority students in public schools. The shared vision for the Academy design is that it comprehensively and realistically assesses a number of elements in teacher development high school curriculum, motivation, an ongoing support system, family investment in the young person - and takes reasonable and effective steps to address those concerns. We have a high level of enthusiasm and preparation for this challenge. We are not only familiar with the mechanics, but also the spirit and vision of the program.Dr. Lawrence A. Davis, Jr. University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Post Office Box 4068 Pine Bluff, AR 71601 Dr. James Young University of Arkansas at Little Rock 2801 South University Little Rock, AR 72204 The undersigned on behalf of the founding participants, hereby state and certify that the foregoing is a true, correct and conformed copy of the Organization and Operating Agreement of TEACHERS OF TOMORROW ACADEMY duly adopted by the participants of said organization on the 19th day of August, 1992. _ Dr, C. Mac Bemd tudsei I Bobby G.^!
ster D] !unn Dr. Winfred Dr. T< t. Dr. James Young -10- 6lj^ A. SECTION 3. Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of the Executive Board shall be held on the 3rd Tuesday in the month of July in each year, beginning with the year 1992, at the hour of 10:00 a.m., for the purpose of electing Executive Board members and for the transaction of such other business as may come before the meeting. Annual meetings shall be held at the offices of the Academy without other notice than this Agreement. If a day fixed for the annual meeting shall be a legal holiday in the State of Arkansas, such meeting shall be held on the next succeeding business day. SECTION 4. Regular Meetings. The Executive Board shall meet bi-monthly or at such other regularly scheduled intervals as the Executive Board shall determine is necessary to conduct the Academys business. Notice of the time and location of such meeting shall be made in accordance with the provisions of Section 6 below. The Executive Board may provide, by resolution, the time and place for the holding of additional regular meetings without other notice than such resolution. SECTI0N5. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Executive Board may be called by or at the request of the Chairperson or any two Board members. The Chairperson shall fix the place for holding any special meeting of the Executive Board. SECTION 6. Notice. Notice of any regular or special meeting shall be given at least three (3) days previously thereto by written notice delivered personally or mailed to each member at his\her business address, or by facsimile transmission. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be delivered when deposited in the United States mail so addressed, with postage thereon prepaid. If notice is given by facsimile transmission, such notice shall be deemed to be delivered upon generation of the Proof of Transmission at die conclusion of the transmission. Any Board member may waive notice of any meeting. The attendance of a Board member at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where a Board member attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. SECTION 7. Quorum. A majority of the number of Executive Board members fixed by Section 2 of this Article III shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Executive Board, but if less than such majority is present at a meeting, a majority of the Board members present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice. SECTION 8. Election of Executive Board. If the election of Board members shall not be held on the day designated herein for any annual meeting of the Executive Board, or at any adjournment thereof, the Executive Board shall cause the election to be held at a special meeting of the Executive Board as soon thereafter as may conveniently be held. SECTION 9. Manner of Acting. The act of the majority of the Board members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Executive Board. -5-Each of the three (3) charter School Participants, the Little Rock School District, the North Little Rock School District and the Pulaski County Special School District, shall have the right to appoint one (1) at large representative to the Executive Board. To be eligible to serve on the Board as an at-large representative the person shall be employed by the district(s) in one of the following capacities: Human Resources Coordinator or Personnel Director, Director or Associate Director of Secondary Education, or Director or Associate Director for Desegregation. The at-large representatives shall serve at the discretion of the respective School Participants appointing said representative. The initial Executive Board shall consist of the persons named below: Dr. C. Mac Bernd Superintendent Little Rock School District 810 West Markham Street Little Rock, AR 72201 Bobby G. Lester Superintendent Pulaski County Special School District Post Office Box 8601 Little Rock, AR 72216 James R. Smith, Superintendent North Little Rock School District Post Office Box 687 North Little Rock, AR 72115 Dr. Charles Green, Dean School of Education Henderson State University Post Office Box 7636 Arkadelphia, AR 71923 Charles A. Green Associate Director Secondary Education Pulaski County School District Post Office Box 8601 Little Rock, AR 72216 Mable Bynum Assistant Superintendent Desegregation North Little Rock School District Post Office Box 687 North Little Rock, AR 72115 Dr. Calvin Johnson Teacher Education Chairperson University of Arkansas at Little Rock 2801 South University Little Rock, AR 72204 Dr. Jim Bowman, Dean College of Education University of Central Arkansas Post Office Box 5015 Conway, AR 72032 Dr. Walter Littlejohn, Dean School of Education University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Post Office Box 4068 Pine Bluff, AR 71601 Robert Robinson Recruiting Coordinator Little Rock School District 810 West Markham Street Little Rock, AR 72201 -4-9 SB Fiscal Responsibility SECTION 10. Vacancies. Any vacancy occurring in the Executive Board may be filled by the person accepting the employment position of the member creating the vacancy. If a vacancy shall occur other than by reason of the termination of the employment, for any reason whatsoever, of the Board member in the capacity described in Section 2 above, the member appointing such member or by whom such member is employed may appoint a successor to serve on the Executive Board. SECTION 11. Advisory Directors. The Executive Board may appoint one or more advisory directors who will not be members of the Board. Such advisory directors shall only act in an advisory capacity for the purpose appointed, shall serve at the sole discretion of the Board and shall have no power of final decision on any matters concerning the Academy. Advisory directors shall be selected from business, education and other civic leaders and parents of children attending school members institutions. ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS SECTION 1. Number. The officers of the Academy shall be a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, a Secretary and a Treasurer, each of whom shil be elected by the Executive Board. Such other officers and assistant officers as may be deemed necessary may be elected by the Executive Board. SECTION 2. Election and Term of Office. The officers of the Academy to be elected by the Executive Board shall be elected annually by the Executive Board at its annual meeting. If the election of officers shall not be held at such meeting, such election shall be held as soon thereafter as conveniently may be. Each officer shall hold office until his/her successor shall have been duly elected and shdl have qualified or until his/her death or until he/she shall resign or shall have been removed in the manner hereinafter provided. SECTION 3. Removal. Any officer or agent may be removed by the Executive Board whenever in its judgment, the best interests of the Academy will be served thereby. SECTION 4. Vacancies. A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or otherwise may be filled by the Executive Board for the unexpired portion of the term. SECTION 5. Chairperson. The Chairperson shall be the principal executive officer of the Academy and, subject to the control of the Executive Board, shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the Academy. He\She shall, when present, preside at all meetings of the Executive Board. He\She may sign, with the Secretary or any other proper officer of the Academy thereunto authorized by the Executive Board, any deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts, or other instruments which the Executive Board has authorized to be executed, except in cases where the signing and execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the -6-Participant appointing such representative. SECTION 3. Meetings. Meetings of the Committee may be called by or at the request of the Chairperson or any four Committee representatives. The Chairperson shall fix the place for holding any meeting called by them. SECTION 4. Notice. Notice of any meeting shall be given at least three (3) days previously thereto by written notice delivered personally or mailed to each Board member at his/her business address, or by facsimile transmission. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be delivered when deposited in the United States mail so addressed, with postage thereon prepaid. If notice is given by facsimile transmission, such notice shall be deemed to be delivered upon generation of the Proof of Transmission at the conclusion of the transmission. Any representative may waive notice of any meeting. The attendance of a representative at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where a representative attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. SECTION 5. Quorum. A majority of the number of representatives fixed by Section 2 of this Article V shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting, but if less than such majority is present at a meeting, a majority of the representatives present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice. SECTION 6. Manner of Acting. The act of the majority of the representatives present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Steering Committee. SECTION 7. Vacancies. Any vacancy occurring in the Steering Committee shall be filled by the appointment of a successor by the member who appointed the representative creating the vacancy. ARTICLE VI. CONTRACTS, LOANS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS SECnON 1, Contracts. Grants. Etc. The Executive Board may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents, to enter into any contract, grant applications, or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Academy, and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. SECTION 2. Loans. No loans shall be made by the Academy to its Executive Board members or officers. Any Executive Board members who vote for or assent to the making of a loan to a Board member or officer, and any officer or officers participating in the making of such loan, shall be jointly and severally liable to the Academy for the amount of such loan until repayment thereof in accordance with the provisions of the Arkansas Nonprofit Academy Act. No loans shall be contracted on behalf of the Academy and no evidences of indebtedness shall -8- be issued in its name unless authorized by a resolution of the Executive Board. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. SECTION 3. Checks, Drafts, etc. All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Academy, shall be signed by such officer or officers, agent or agents of the Academy and in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by resolution of the Executive Board. SECTION 4. Deposits. All funds of the Academy shall be deposited to the credit of the Academy in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the Executive Board may select. ARTICLE Vn. FISCAL YEAR The fiscal year of the Academy shall begin on the first day of July and end on the last day of June in each year. ARTICLE Vm. AMENDMENTS This Agreement may be altered, amended or repealed and new amendments, revisions or substitutions may be adopted by the Executive Board at any regular or special meeting of the Executive Board. ARTICLE IX. FOUNDING PARTICIPANTS The names and addresses of the founding participants and their duly appointed representatives are as follows: Dr. C. Mac Bernd Superintendent Little Rock School District 810 West Markham Street Little Rock, AR 72201 James R. Smith, Superintendent North Little Rock School District Post Office Box 687 North Little Rock, AR 72115 Bobby G. Lester Superintendent Pulaski County Special School District Post Office Box 8601 Little Rock, AR 72216 Dr. Winfred L. Thompson University of Central Arkansas Post Office Box 5015 Conway, AR 72032 Dr. Charles Dunn Henderson State University Post Office Box 7636 Arkadelphia, AR 71923 -9-Executive Board or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Academy, or shall be required by law to be otherwise signed or executed
and in general shall perform all duties as may be prescribed by the Executive Board from time to time. SECTION 6. Vice-Chairperson. In the absence of the Chairperson or in event of his\her death, inability or refusal to act, the Vice-Chairperson shall perform the duties of the Chairperson, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Chairperson. The Vice-Chairperson shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him/her by the Chairperson or by the Executive Board. SECTION 7. Secretary. The Secretary shall: (a) keep the minutes of the proceedings of the Executive Board
(b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law
(c) in general, perform all duties incident to the office of Secretary and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him/her by the Chairperson or by the Executive Board. SECTION 8. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall: (a) have charge and custody of and be responsible for all funds of the corporation
(b) receive and give receipts for monies due and payable to the corporation from any source whatsoever, and deposit all such moneys in the name of the corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as shall be selected in accordance with the provisions of Article VI below
and (c) in general perform all of the duties incident to the office of Treasurer and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Chairperson or by the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall be bonded for the faithful discharge of his\her duties in such sum and with such surety or sureties as the Executive Board shall determine. SECTION 9. Executive Director. The Executive Board shall have the authority to appoint an Executive Director to handle the day to day operations of the Academy and oversee its projects. The Executive Director shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him/her by the Chairperson or by the Executive Board. ARTICLE V. STEERING COMMITTEE SECTION 1. General Purpose. The general purpose of the Steering Committee shall be to make recommendations to the Executive Board, to seek and make application for grants on behalf of the Academy following approval of the Executive Board, and to take such action as may be delegated by the Board from time to time. SECTION 2. Number. Tenure and Qualifications. The Steering Committee shall consist initially of fourteen (14) persons. Each member of the Academy shall have the right to appoint two (2) representatives to serve on the Steering Committee. Each representative shall serve at least one (1) year, after which that representative shall serve at the sole discretion of the -7-/=^/^ PCSSD PULASKI COUNTY SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 1500 Dixon Road/P.O. Box 8601 Little Rock, Arkansas 72216 (501) 490-2000 RECEIVED May 6, 1993 MAY 1 0 1993 Office of Desegregation Mcniloring Mr. Sam Jones/Ms. Angell Whitten Wright, Lindsey and Jennings 2200 Worthen Bank Building 200 West Capitol Avenue Little Rock, AR 72201-3699 Dear Sam and Angell
Thank you for reviewing the video and other materials related to the Teachers of Tomorrow Program. A committee met on Friday, April 30, 1993, to discuss this program. The following attended: Charles Green, PCSSD Billy Bowles, PCSSD Charles Ferriter, Principal, Sylvan Hills High-PCSSD Michael Nellums, Coordinator for Teachers of Tomorrow Mable Bynum, NLRSD Jim Morris, NLRSD Robert Robinson, LRSD " Jessie Rancifer, UCA It was the consensus of the Committee, in keeping with our m-to-m transfer policy, that white students from LRSD and NLRSD not be eligible to participate in this program in the 1993-94 school year. The rationale being that the program is housed at Sylvan Hills High, a PCSSD school. It was also the consensus of the Committee to ask the attorneys of the three districts and the Joshua lntervenors( Chris Heller, LRSD
Steve Jones, NLRSD
Sam Jones, PCSSD
and John Walker, Joshua Intervenors) to confer and advise us of any legal possibilities concerning these students participating in future years. 3. Expenditures. PCSSD shall pay such expenditures on behalf of the Academy as are approved by the Executive Board. Provided, however, for expenditures less than $500 the PCSSD may make payment thereof upon the approval of the Executive Director. Any expenditure in excess of $500 will require the countersignature or authorization of a voucher submitted for such signature executed by either the Chaiiperson, the Vice-Chairperson or the Treasurer of the Academy. 4. Reporting. PCSSD shall provide the Executive Board with monthly accounting of the receipts and expenditures of the Academys funds, including the integration of any funds held by University Participants. University Participants holding funds directly deposit^ with it shall provide monthly reports of the receipts and expenditures to the PCSSD within five (5) days following the end of each month. Additionally, the Academy shall make reports of the receipts and disbursements available to its Participants not less often than quarterly, or at such other interval as the Executive Board may determine is needed. 5. Audits. The PCSSD shall submit the Academys funds to an audit at such time, or times, as deemed necessary by the Executive Board. The PCSSD shall provide such assistance and information as reasonably requested by the auditors in reviewing the gross receipts and expenditures of the Academys funds. 6. Compensation For Services. Initially, the PCSSD shall receive no compensation for its services in handling the Academys funds. However, at such time as funds are available, the Executive Board, in its sole and absolute discretion, may award the PCSSD compensation to cover the additional administrative costs, if any, incurr^ in administering the Academys funds. In the event an independent agency or organization is engaged to handle the Academys funds, such agency or organization shall be entitled to receive such compensation as agreed upon by the Executive Board and such agency of organization. Provided, however, in no event shall the fee paid by the Academy for the administration of said funds exceed one percent (1 %) of the gross receipts of the Academy for any fiscal year. 7. Bond. The PCSSD and any University Participant handling Academy funds shall furnish proof of the existence of a fiduciary bond covering such employees handling the Academys funds in such amount or amounts as the Executive Board deems necessary and with a bonding company acceptable to the Executive Board. 8. Amendment and Modification. This Statement sets forth the fiscal responsibility policy adopted by the Executive Board effective as of the date of the Academys formation. As such, it constitutes a statement of policy and not a binding commitment of the parties. The Executive Board may, at such time or times as it deems appropriate, amend, waive, modify or extend all or any part of this fiscal responsible policy. gardaer | tMciupol -2-TEACHERS OF TOMORROW ACADEMY FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY POLICY This Policy adopted this 19th day of August, 1992 by the members of the Executive Board of The Teachers of Tomorrow Academy (the "Academy"), a joint venture of Arkansas universities and secondary education institutions created under an Operating Agreement dated May 21, 1992. WHEREAS, certain Arkansas universities and secondary education institutions have combined to form a cooperative joint venture whose exclusively educational purposes include scholarship assistance, the creation of university-teacher related programs, the recruitment of students from various backgrounds to pursue teaching careers
and WHEREAS, the Academy anticipates applying for and receiving grants from public sources as well as funds from university and school sources
and WHEREAS, the Academy desires to create a policy for the handling of such funds to provide for the administration of the funds in an efficient manner. NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing reasons, the Executive Board hereby creates the following policies with respect to the fiscal management of the Academys resources: 1. Deposit of Funds. Except as otherwise provided in this statement, all funds for the Academy shall be deposited with the Pulaski County Special School District (the "PCSSD") so long as the PCSSD is a School Participant (as such term is defined in the Operating Agreement). The PCSSD shall hold and account for all Academy funds as a separate and segregated appropriated fund balance on its books and records separate and distinct from its general fund. In no event shall the Academys funds be obligated for, or subject to the payment of any obligation of the PCSSD or any claims of any creditors of the PCSSD. The PCSSD agrees to hold such funds and administer them pursuant to the provisions of this policy statement. Academy funds deposited directly with a University Participant may be held and administered by such Participant as a separate and segregated appropriated fund balance apart from the University Participants general fund. Such funds shall constitute a component part of the Academys funds and shall be accounted for and administered in the same manner as the funds held by the PCSSD as set forth herein. 2. Guidelines For Expenditures. The Academys funds shall be administered by the PCSSD in accordance with the guidelines currently used by the PCSSD. The foregoing notwithstanding, in the event the Academy should receive a grant or funds from a source which mandates guidelines different than those currently used by the School Participants, then to the extent such guidelines conflict with the School Participant guidelines, such specific guidelines shall be deemed controlling.Mr. Sam Jones/Ms. Angell Whitten May 6, 1993 Page 2 This letter is from my hand but written at the request of the committee listed above. Please inform us as soon as possible of your legal interpretation. Sincerely, Billy J
Bowles Assistant Superintendent for Desegregation ch c Mr. Bobby Lester Mrs. Ann Brown Mr. Chris Heller Mr. Steve Jones Mr. John Walker Members of CommitteeIN WITNESS WHEREOF, this policy was adopted by the majority vote of the Executive Board on the 19th day of August, 1992, TEACHERS OF TOMORROW ACADEMY BY: Secretary ATTEST: Chairperson gardner I iMcii.pol -3- PLERgs poer PLERSE poer POSmCW TITLE: QUAUFICATICtJS: REPORTS TO: JOB GOAL: PULASKI OOUNTY SPECIAL SOWL DISTRICT ctan'iETED poemcN rvmiart.e July 28/ 1992 FACTLETAIOR FOR TEACHERS OF TOC^ROW ACADEMY (ONE YEAR TEMPORARY POSITICN) Valid Arkansas secondary or K-12 certificate with certificaticn in one of the following areas preferred: Supervisor, Principal, Administrator. Minimum of Three (3) years' successful teaching experience at the secondary level Three (3) years' experience in planning and coordinating instructional programs Ooiputer literate in Word Processing, Spreadsheet and DeskTcp Publishing application. Building Principal/Executive Board for Teacher of Tanorrow Academy To serve as the leader in the attainment of the philosophy , goals and objectives of the Teachers of Tcmorrcw Academy, designed to attract and introduce students to teaching as a career. It is a collaborative project of the three Pulaski County School Districts and fcur institutions of hii^er education with a proposed opening of fall, 1993, at Sylvan Elills High School. PERFCRMRNCE RBSPONSTBTT.TTTES: 1. Plan, organize, and conduct planning phase of the Teachers of Tanorrow Academy. 2. To produce a curriculum and develop strategies for inplementaticn of the Academy. 3. Plan for stciff training activities which utilize college based personnel within the project and vhich offer staff develcpment opportunities for college/public school instructional teams. 4. Collaborate with university teacher educators and subject matter specialists in developing an innovative curriculum coipicnent which integrates canc^>ts and skills from Ehglish, social sciences, and professioned. teacher educaticn. 5. Ejplore options for alternative college course delivery at the- Academy. 6. Develop and irplement policies for recruiting and selecting students. 7. Establish introductory level courses at the secoidary level which will transfer to college. 8. Involve tusiness and community resources in planning and support to the Acadeny. 9. Organize site visits for personnel frcm institutions of hii^ier education and public schools to examine existing programs. 10. Provide inservice for the tearhers selected to teach the Acadeny curriculum. 11. Serve as liaison between the hone, public schools, and participating institutions of higher education.Facilitator for Teachers of Tororrow Academy con't. 12. Serve as ad hoc member of the steering camiittee. 13, Assist in the securing and allocation Academy budget, of funds that will be used to finalize the 14. Secure major funding through grant writing. 15. Implement the program within the guidelines of the District 's Desegregation Plan. TE35MS OF EMPIOYMEOT
Salary Range: Teacher Salary Schedule Term of Contract: 202 days per contract EVALUATION: - Placement depends i^jcn education experience year. (TEMPORARY 1 yr.) and Performance of this job will be Board's policy on EvaluaSon 5 S?JSi SrS2?^ Provisions of the .^iPPLICATICW PROCEXJRE: Interest^ and qualified application form to: applicants should sumbit a cccpleted District Gary Miller ^istant Superintendent for Personnel Pul^ County Special School District Post Office Box 8601 Services Dittle Rock, Arkansas 72216 In-district applicants Office, Ext. 226. may activate their personnel file by calling the Personnel APPUCATICN DEAnr.TNP! August 11, 1992 I^^s THE POLICY OF THE FUIASKI COUNTY OPPORTONITTES WITHOUT REGARD SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT TO TO RACE, CDLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN TXT TTTIO ______________f provide B3UAL S^yiCES, FINANCIAL AID, AND mpLOYMENT ^^MPPOy AND ADIVANCE WCMEN addressed To the director' - , RELIGICN, SSX, AGE, and ACTIVITIES, EDOCAncW TIT . DISIkICT WTT J, f>E\KE SPBCTAT blacks and handicapped PERSONS OF DESEGREGATION. EF'IURTS TO B2UITY CCNCERNS MAY BEi I i ifs S'l? I IB ii ife 1 V.' ij if II li iiSi | ii liE'l !! Si 'sita&b w a R
Si ( ''1 a it 106 The Dreamkeepers members and district administrators, or because they saw it as a way to ingratiate themselves with their superiors, her principals attempted to apply subtle forms of harassment. She received many of the students that no other teacher wanted. I suggested to Lewis that maybe these students were assigned to her because of a principals confidence in her ability to work with them, whereas her colleagues could not. Lewis gave me a look indicating that I might be out of touch with the reality of urban schools. In the spring of 1983 Lewis seriously rethought her decision to teach. She knew she still loved being in the classroom. Further, because of her reputation as an excellent teacher, many parents requested (and even demanded) that their children be placed in her class. Thus administrative attempts to stack her class with "troublemakers were thwarted by these concerned parents who saw that Lewis offered a special intellectual opportunity for their children. But she was weary of her battles with the district and school board. She felt as if she were working two jobs
and her night job was affecting her performance on her day job. One piece of good fortune for Lewis was a friendship with a colleague who had gone on to become an administrator in the district. Now a principal, her friend told Lewis about the Bay Area _U riting Project and suggested that Lewis and another tTacher^tal^ advantage of the seven-week program, which was offered at the University of California at Berkeley. Because none of her other colleagues were interested in giving up seven weeks of their summer, Lewis faced no competition for the scholarship offered. Today Lewis credits this experience with renewing her en- thusiasm for teaching
1 cant tell you how that experience changed me. It's not so much that the philosophy was radical or revolutionary. In fact, it was kind of like a recognition that the way I thought about teaching was all right. It was the intellectual activity, you know, the thinking. Because I wasnt bombarding my kids with worksheets, I think some of the other teachers thought I wasn't working hard. But I was trying to get at their thinking, to remind them that they could think, that think-^fe * ^S. J f^^Gi n: 3.r. O' :k L^- *> 'V'- J? > -^A^^''?^'-4i- '' ,< ' sfifi i .SMA ''^if
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i-K :'i- & iWASsfet&^7 =1^ 9^ i y'-teS^-v c JOHN w. Walker, p.a. Attorney At Law 1723 Broadway Little Rock. Arkansas 72206 Telephone (501) 374-3758 FAX (501) 374-4187 REG ,0 JOHN W. WALKER RALPH WASHINGTON MARK BURNETTE AUSTIN PORTER, JR. OCI 1 5 October 14, 1993 Oliice ci DesegfegS'''^" ' W,oniior
ri3 Mr. Price C. Gardner Friday, Eldredge & Clark 2200 Worthen Bank Building 72201 Little Rock, AR Dear Mr. Gardner: Your letter of October 11, 1993 is absolutely unacceptable. I plan for Dr. Betty Dickson to be present at all meetings of the Teachers of Tomorrow Academy as a representative of Joshua, irrespective of whether the meetings are labeled executive committee or steering committee. I also remind you that the Joshua Intervenors must be integrally involved in whatever planning or decisional activities that are undertaken the of pursuant to Desegregation Plan. I am at a loss to understand why there is such a big issue about excluding our presence at a program which was developed by our representative. Dr. Dickson, in the first place. Her participation, it would seem, would be invaluable were good seem. faith of the District evident. Because the District appears willing to spend large sums of money on this issue, as evidenced by your employment for purposes of writing this letter, would you kindly share your time billings and those of your co-counsel regarding this matter with me by return mail along with your anticipated charge for your work. you are unwilling to do so pursuant to this request, I will be happy to make the request under the Arkansas Freedom of Information If Act. May I hear from you today by return fax so that if necessary, there will be no delay by me in my pursuit of this Would you also tell me specifically matter before the court. whether Dr. Henry Williams concurs with your letter. Very truly yours n W. Walker JWW:js cc: All Counsel of Record Dr. Betty Dickson Dr. Henry Williams Ms. Ann Brown III1 1 Culturally Relevant Teaching 107 ing was allowed in school. I and totally restructured came back here in the fall , tny class around writing (and later literature) and I had the research to back it up. en rny study began, Lewis was in the seventh year of her ' Cl 1 m 1111 T*_ _i_ _ ' Sladen brought new permutations to her idea.s and her .nf.. .J S' kind of education the to her ideas and her thinking about the community required. sixth observations, I visited Lewiss - _ yade class regularly but randomly, that is. I went th^r. every randomly, that is, I went there week but at varied times. I felt that a^pe.iog at di different moods o{ the classroom. appearing at different times the studv^Jn 1? participation in Although " week. Aitnougn Lewis s teaching schedule (of rZad ' J ^cumscribed by a predictable .... t^ath, science, and so on) literacy teaching was more likely in the that year: mornings. .Mv field notes describe my first visit ^^ived at the school at 8:45 on Thursday morning. The school grounds lawn was freshly were quiet. I noticed that the the school year. I stopped at the cut, a sure sign of the beginning of and speak to the principal. The that the principal was ' main office to sign in secretary informed me had been unable covering a class because they to get a substitute. As I walked through the inner courtyard I . pal talking with two black girls who looked about twelve years old. He seemed t^ b ing-or perhaps counseling-them. The noise ie he class next to Ann Lev^iss was high. Students noticed the vice princi- to be to be reprimandnoise level of r i. talking, the teacher was shouting. I noticed the trast when I walked into Anns class, which usually quiet. The students them read aloud. The class was were con- was un- were listening as one of studying Charlie Pippin by year old African American girl who attempts to win *1 [-rjLi>'v. SK 14 Ktifl w 4- 7 /- // -oa 6 s1IWSK^ $ Ws sate Culturally Relevant Teaching w Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken winged butterfly. ItsSi 'fe Langston Hughes J'M tern 'sSS3 Chapters Three through Five offered a look at culturally relevant teaching practices through teacher interviews and classroom obser-vations. In this chapter I offer more contextualized examination - , . , , ' --------v.vaiiiiiiamjii ot the activities of four classrooms, three in which culturally relevant teachin!o Will was practiced and one in which it was not. The con- ----- X AIV. V-tJll- text tor two of the classes is a reading lesson and for the other classes it is a math lesson.
!,hm "'Ts a ii 1 OjT^Foras on Literao^' One o[ the critical national indicators of educational progress (and national development) is the literacy rate. Amove and Graff assert 5t that national literacy campaigns are not unique to the twentieth on this page is from T/ie Panther and the Lash by Langsit on Alfred A ^nn'^951 by Langston Hughes. Reprinted by permission of fred A. Knopf, Inc. and Harold Ober Associates Incorporated. Pl 102 i f II fl Er- r! j: H tS lit a is a fit 'i' 4' 104 The Dreamkeepers and his two sisters attended. By the time my father was in what was considered to be fourth grade, he had learned as much as his older siblings who had stopped attending school to help with farming chores at home. In an attempt to escape the harsh discipline of his stepmother when he was about 12 years old, he and an older brother ran away from home to live with an adult sister in Philadelphia. By the time he arrived, school was but a distant memory. He kept up his reading with the newspaper every day and the Bible every night. When I reached junior high school, my father would thumb through my textbooks and read them as if he actually found them interesting. n B 1: The next section of this chapter describes culturally relev
ant Si 3: .V 'W' B C'S' 5>' ' ii' -Aii j. iEiSSas literacy instruction in Ann Lewiss and Julia Devereauxs class- rooms. They make literacy a communal activity and demonstrate ways to make learning to read and write a more meaningful and successful enterprise for African .American learners. Ann Lewis: -4 LitercEcy Revival In Chapter Three, I provided a "snapshot view of Ann Lewis. To reiterate, Lewis is an Italian American woman in her midforties. Active in school and community politics, she has lived most of her life in the largely African American community where she teaches. Some of the older teachers and administrators in the district were her teachers. Lewis remembers herself as less than an ideal student: I grew up in the community and my greatest desire was to teach here, basically because I spent so much time with quality teachers and those teachers encouraged me to teach. As strict as those teachers were with me, they pushed me to do what was right. I was a difficult child in class and thats why I started teachingto give other so-called difficult children a real chance. w I, Wii til (51 I'Eir 1
pij'ji Lewis did not take a traditional route to teaching. Having married soon after high school, she began her adult life as a homes^ s? I
v.' I Culturally Relevant Teaching 105 maker, mother, and wife. But the breakup of her marriage meant that she needed to work to support herself and her children. She secured a job as a teachers aide in a local elementary school. Her decision to work in the schools came in the early 1970s, at a time when schools and school districts described as economically disad- vantaged received additional state and federal funds to hire com- munity people, particularly parents, as paraprofessionals. Familiarity with both the school and the home culture made the teachers aides a special resource. Students and parents who were intimidated by the formality and cultural barriers between themselves and the school s more formal staff often sought out the teachers aides for assistance and support. Aware that teachers aides were an important resource and that turnover among the teaching staff was on the increase, the school district proposed and implemented a program to encourage the aides to attend the local community college, transfer to the state university, and then enroll in the universitys fifth year teacher crednation program. With a critical mass of teachers aides enroll- ac- ing in the program, the district, in conjunction with the community college, could offer courses in the school district so that the aides were able to keep their jobs. Lewis was among the first group of aides to take advantage of the program. Although many aides enthusiastically began the district- sponsored program, time and circumstances kept most from completing it. Lewis was one of the few who endured and completed it. She began as a certified teacher in the district in 1977. By 1983 Lewis had built a reputation in the school district for her assertive, even aggressive, advocacy of teachers rights. She had been elected president of the teachers association and was a self- appointed watchdog for the school board, attending every meeting and taking public issue with positions she felt were not in the best interests of the teachers. Not known for her diplomacy or tact, she often locked horns with board members and school administrators about what she perceived as violations of the teachers contract. This kind of behavior is risky in a small district such as Pinewood, where board members and district administrators can have an inordinate amount of influence on the day-to-day running of the school. Lewis felt that, perhaps because they shared the feelings of boardCA' Culturally Relevant Teaching 103 century, many charismatic leaders have used literacy campaigns for salvation, redemption, and re-creation. They suggest that in the twentieth century, especially since 1960, literacy has been seen as a process of consciousness-raising aimed at human liberation.' National literacy campaigns have been a part of the social and political fabric of such countries as Brazil, Cuba, and Guineau Bissau. However, the aim of literacy campaigns in the United States has been individual and personal advancement. Nightly public service messages on television exhort citizens to sign up at local libraries and schools for reading instruction. An explanation of this trend is presented by Ferdman: In a society tending toward homogeneity, It IS easy to think of literacy simply in terms of specific skills and activities. Given broad cultural consensus on the definition of liter- so IS acy, alternative constructions are either remote or invisible, and sc literacy becomes a seemingly self-evident personal attribute that is either present or absent.^ But Ferdman further contends that in a multiethnic society the cultural framework for literacy mustbe cons^d. thus in citing deCastell and LuESTT^TaTT^SiHS^ut that being literate has always referred to having mastery over the processes by means of which culturally significant information is coded. The following passage is central to Ferdmans argument: In a culturally heterogeneous society, literacy ceases to be a character- istic inherent solely in the individual. It becomes an interactive process that is constantly redefined and renegotiated, as the individual transacts with the socioculturally fluid surroundings. In the context of this study of culturally relevant teaching, the construction of literacy among African Americans is especially important. Gadsden contends
For African .American learners, in partkular, literacy has been an especially tenuous struggle, from outright demal during slavery, to limited access in the early 1900s, to segregated schools with often outdated textbooks well into the 1960s, tomany might arguemarginal acceptance of their culture i, in and capacity as learners even into the 1990s. 4 My father completed only about four years of formal schooling. His school was a one-room classroom that he, his four brothers, sit
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-r t: li! 114 The Dreamkeepers lesson and whether the students mastered those skills, she reviews some skills at the end of the story' review. its ! w sa a J Si ilhu One morning, Devereaux introduces the lesson by saying. Today were going to be reading about the first woman jockey. She directs the students attention to a word list on the board. The following words are there: influence, atmosphere, outlet, developing, demonstrate, concentrate, and "'equestrian. The students first attempt to define the words in words of their own and then use their glossaries. As they pronounce the words, Devereaux reminds them to sound them out phonetically. own She then begins calling on the students in round-robin fash- ion to read the story aloud. They seem eager to get a turn. She tries to divide the reading selection up so that everyone gets a turn. Who havent I heard from today.? she asks. Two hands go up. She calls on these students next. The entire class reads the last graphs aloud in unison. Throughout the reading she asks of recall questions. The even boring. two paraa variety entire experience seems rather ordinary, I am anxious to talk to her about what shes doing. I know it seems old-fashioned but I believe the students benefit from the structure. Its as if it were important for them to know what comes next. I have children in here who other teachers told me could not read. Heck, they told me they couldnt read. But I look them squarely in the eye in the beginning of the school year and tell them, you will read, and you will read soon. I tell my entire class we all have to know how to read and its everybodys responsibility to make sure that everyone learns to read well. I pair up the better readers with the poorer ones and tell them that the pair gets a reading grade. They are allowed to do any number of things to help each other read. Although the school doesnt want us to do it I let them take their readers home. I also use some of those old, out-of-date basals as at-home readers for them. All stu- dents have a reading log in which they list what they read aloud to their parents the night before. The par-t- Ki Culturally Relevant Teaching 109 Ann: this? Do you know anybody who ever feels like 11 Ca/uin
Me! Ann drew a Venn diagram to represent similarities and differences between Calvin and the character in the story. You have your own video of your entire life in your head. Every time you read, you can get an image of how the story connects with your life. Do you want to get back to the story? Yeah!, the class says in unison. A third boy began to read. When he finished, Lewis said, Close your eyes. Lets put on your video. She then re-read a section of the book describing the mother in the story. How can you relate this to your life? One of the African American girls commented "Thats just like when I kiss my mom. Students took turns reading passages from the book. For some, this was the first chapter book theyd read in school. Some of these slower readers had trouble with some of the words. Lewis encouraged them and urged other class members to help. Remember, were all a team here. Weve got to help each other. When Charlene (an African American girl) asked a question about a dispute the main character had with her father, Lewis suggested the students roleplay to understand better. Two students struggled a bit with the role-play. Two others gave it a try and got a round of applause from the rest of the class. After the role-play Ann asked, What do we know about Charlies dad? The class erupted with excitementmany wanted to contribute. Lewis began to develop a character-attribute web on the board. As the students became more excited, she encouraged them to settle down by explaining which part of the brain they were using. Were not in the limbic [she pointed to a bulletin-board diagram of the brain], were in the cerebellum. Lets not deteriorate into rep- '.'S !- i U'
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><! rt! 108 The Dreamkeepers the approval of her father, a decorated Vietnam War veteran who has buried all his feelings about the war within him. The girl feels alienated from her father and wants to find a way to reach him. Ann and her students were about twenty pages into the book. There were twenty-nine students in the class (twenty African Americans). When the student who was reading finished, an African American boy, Jerry, asked, Is she [the storys protagonist] going to stay eleven years old in this book? Lewis responded with a question, What about in Driving Miss Daisy? Did the main character stay the same age? Students (in unison): No. Ann: Jerry: How do you know? Because she was using one of those walkin things when she got old." Ann: A walker? Jerry: Yeah, and then she was in the old folks home. Ann: Can you see without a video? I .tk'Sj ^1 Bi fi I f via R: 3!' Wife Calvin (another African American boy): Yes, you can see when youre reading. So well see how old Charlie is in the book! Ann reminded the students about a previous discussion about connotation and denotation and said, Remember we said hungry makes you think one way but famished makes you think another way? Calvin asked if the discussion could go back to talking about the book and Ann encouraged him. She got feelings her dad doesnt understand and he got feelings she dont understand. I I Culturally Relevant Teaching 115 4 I i
1. f ents sign the logs. I award prizes for completing the reading logs. You may have noticed how quiet things got when the reading lesson began. Im pretty easygoing about a lot of things, but I keep my reading time sacred. i] 1 t i ! Devereaux does a number of things to encourage reading. She has her own Book of the Month Club. Each month, Devereaux announces a book to read. Up to ten students may sign up to read it. She often purchases the books with her own money. The book club meets to talk about the book on their own time-at lunch with the teacher, in early-morning hours before school, or after school. No grades are given for participation in the club. Its reward is intrinsic. The proof of Devereauxs pudding is indeed in the tasting. She suggested that I select her most difficult student, Michael, look at his cumulative file, and then listen to him read. Michaels file was two inches thick. He had been in a series of foster homes. His natural mother was a drug addict and had neglected him. Every teacher from first grade on had recommended that he be placed in a special day class. Everyone agreed he could not learn to read
he lacked the requisite skills and needed remedial attention that no one had the time to give him. I asked Michael if he was willing to read something to me. His face lit up. He selected a book entitled The Trouble with Tuck from the shelf. It was a story about a girl and her dog. Although his reading was halting, Michael employed phonics skills and decoded the words that were not familiar. I asked him how long he had been such a good reader. Only since I been in Miz Devereauxs class. Why is that? I asked. I dont know, she just told me that I could read if I wanted to and she was going to help me want to. She said you cant stay in her class if you dont read. I want to stay. Michaels reading partner was Jabari. Devereaux selected him because she knew that Jabari was very competitive and would personally take on the challenge of helping Michael to read. She supplied the pair with a variety of high-interest books about sports I 1 f 1 - f 7.- t- I, 5 r R t i110 The Dreamkeepers st i! 'iSS' 1 ! R- 'S! ! a id 'iW II zbik IS II wi 11 B'Hl 3 y i| iBK?r tilian. Okay, you now have two minutes to talk with someone about other attributes of Charlies dad. When e two minutes were up, many students contributed to the attribute web. Ann filled the board with the student responses and shouted, That was perfect! Youre a perfect class. If youre perfect raise your hand! Twenty-nine hands were in the air. Over the course of the next several months, Charlie Pippin became the centerpiece for a wide range of activities. One group of students began a Vietnam War research group. One group member who assumed a leadership position was a very quiet Vietnamese girl whose relatives had fought in the war. She brought in pictures, maps, letters, even a family member to talk to the class about Vietnam. In the book, the main characterCharliehad made origami to sell to her classmates. Lewis taught her students how to make origami. She introduced them to Eleanor Coerrs Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. A second group of students researched nuclear proliferation. They asked Lewis to rent the video Amazing Grace, which is about a young boys and a professional athletes stand against nuclear weapons. The entire study took place against the backdrop of an impending war between the United States and its allies and Iraq. Several of the students decided that, like Sadako, they could make paper cranes to symbolize their opposition to war. In a way, the students believed that their efforts might even prevent the war. Although Lewis gave them no extra time to make their cranes, they found many opportunities to do so. By January 15, the date that then-President George Bush had set to move into Kuwait, Lewiss class had folded and hung up in their classroom window 1,039 paper cranestiny paper birds that stood as a symbol of their commitment to peace. It is interesting to note that Lewiss reference to the parts of the brain, and later class discussions about learning taxonomies, grew out of her own experiences at that time
She was taking a graduate course and shared much of her learning and experiences with the students. She brought readings and the language from her graduate studies into her sixth-grade classroom. The students S II I'l -f 112 and speaking were III 'ill IWi 'fe xfi li M Qli! KO The Dreamkeepers , . , community activities that Lewis believed all students could participate inand they did. Julia Devereaux: "Gimme that old-time [religion] teaching. would be closely matched teachers in -B 1:^ <i IlW i W!
P ::U5i tc s fe & W- (S fi sa cP is w {fl " controlled study Devereaux and Lewis on more variables than any other two my study. The two women are the same have lived in the school age and both community most of their lives. They at- tended the same state university (at different times) and mentary, junior high, and senior high school classmates. In 1988 Devereaux succeeded Lewis as president of the teachers were ele- Althoucxb presiaent ot the teachers association. Although weary of both the internal and external politics of the president. in her first term as The two obvious differences between the t.. ^ic unnor ..n. this d, *a, Devereaux is African American Lewis IS white and that Devereaux believes two that are impor- in direct reading instruc- whoir.""'"'' - committedTo whole-language approach to literacy. a Devereaux teaches . . ^he district that has made commitment to training the teachers in a method espoused by a tv#n AC , a iiiculuu espoused bv a b i" Chicago who esubliched her own school for inner-city students. It is a no-frills, approach to teaching and learning. This basic-skills phasizes phonics as the books in no-nonsense approach emappropriate way to teach reading. "Classic the European and African American of the curriculum. Devereaux transferred because of its philosophy
she sent to Chicago to receive tradition are a part voluntarily to this school was one of eight teachers the school training in this pedagogical approach, evereaux s family has always been munity. Her parents worked hard to a mainstay of the com- raise family there. Her father 1 Ui ------ a laiiiliy L _ brought the family to California from Louisiana in the 1950s'He began work as a night custodian at a retail store and later became , ----------------------- OUW4C auu la a bail bondsman. Her mother began as a window dresser retail store and at another her fathPr assistant manager. Eventually father opened a grocery store where both parents worked. Later,'i 1- Culturally Relevant Teaching 113 he studied for and earned his real-estate license and today is a well- respected realtor in the community. Devereauxs family is active in the local Catholic church. Devereaux herself leads a Girl Scout troop. But her family is also known for a series of tragedies it has suffered. Both Devereaux and her sister were victims of violent crimes. Both have worked hard to put the trauma of the assaults behind them. During the three years of my study, Devereaux taught fourth grade, however, she has taught every grade from second to eighth. Her classroom is a beehive. Students always seem to be all over the place, except when it is reading time. Devereaux convenes the class for reading at 9:00 a.m. During the first twenty to thirty minutes of the day, the students may be involved in a variety of activities, including games, journal writing, handwriting, and spelling assignments, while Devereaux ties up loose ends, collecting monies for various projects or field trips, ordering books and materials, checking papers, or visiting with students. But, at 9 oclock all this activity comes to a halt. Each of the twenty-five students in Devereauxs class this semester pulls out a basal reader and places it on top of the desk. Twenty-one of the twenty-five are African American, four are Latino. There are fifteen girls and ten boys. Devereaux s reading lessons seem almost scripted. She begins with a phonics drill. A student goes to the front of the room, takes the pointer, and begins the drill by pointing to the chart above the chalkboard. The student points to the letter b-. Beating drum, beating drum, ba, ba, ba, she says. The class repeats in unison. She continues, B sounds, bound. What does bound mean? One student raises his hand and says, Bound means to leap. The drill leader continues the drill through the consonants. Although this is a fourth-grade class, the words and terms they are asked to define seem sophisticated: they include justice, kinsman, fatigue, depositor, lay waste, preserve, reunion, and veranda. There is a high degree of participation in the drill. The drill leader calls on many different students. At the conclusion of the drill, Devereaux thanks her and moves to the front of the room. She asks students to recap the last story they read. Depending on which skills were emphasized in theCulturally Relevant Teaching 111 seemed eager to hear about what she was learning and to enjoy the vision of her as a student and of themselves as "graduate students. Thus during this year I witnessed a class of students engaged in reading, writing, and speaking activities with increasing levels of competence and confidence. One of the hallmarks of Lewiss class was the intellectual leadership demonstrated by the African American boys. Although most of them had had previous problems, including poor academic performance, truancy, suspensions, recommendation for special-education placement, and at least one threatened expulsion, Lewiss class represented an opportunity for a new academic beginning. One of Lewiss star students, a boy named Larry, had had a particularly troubling history. Although he was short and slightly built, he was the oldest child in the class. He had been left back several times and was thirteen in a class made up of eleven-year- olds. He had been traumatized by the drive-by shooting of a favorite aunt. Other teachers in the school referred to him as "an accident just waiting to happen. None wanted him in their classrooms. Lewis referred to Larry as "a piece of crystal. Hes strong and beautiful but fragile. 1 have to build a safe and secure place for him and let him know that wethe class and Iwill be here for him. The school has been placing him in the kitchen junk drawer. I want him to be up there in the china cabinet where everyone can see him. By the end of the school year, Larry had been elected president of the school's sixth grade. He was involved in peer-conflict mediation and was earning As and Bs in every subject. He was among the academic leaders of Lewiss class. While Larry represented a special example of accomplishment, the classroom was a special place for all the children, including the nine non-African Americans. (They were Latino, Pacific Islander, and Vietnamese.) The work was challenging and exciting. The students were presumed to have some level of literacy, which formed the foundation for increased competency. Reading, writing. 3 1 Si it 1
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!! 122 The Dreamkeepers students came from professional homes-the homes of doctors, torneys, accountants, college professors. atIt was my unofficial policy not to visit my student teachers on the same day that I visited the teachers participating in my study I w tee! Ml it It would be too easy to make unfair comparisons between the perts and the novices. However, on exone particular day visiting both could not be avoided. After observing Margaret Rossi. I headed across the freeway to visit Alex Walsh. Although the physical distance between the two schools was less than five miles, in resources-personnel, material, and stu-dents- they were worlds apart. Walshs school was in a district that performed at the ninety-fifth percentile on standardized tests while the teachers in my study were working in a district that performed below the tenth percentile. When I arrived in Walshs classroom, the students *^'** eidssiuuHi, me stuaents were working on mathematics. The cooperating teacher was working with a group of twelve or thirteen students. Six or seven other stu- ---------------- UlilCl dents were working independently at their desks, and Walsh working at a table in the back of the was room with four boystwo white, two Latino. As I settled into a chair near Walshs group I <5W* 'sHf CT ' WSa to- .could hear him trying to explain how to change an improper frac-tion into a mixed number. None of the students seemed to be paying attention to him. Iwo of the boys were poking each other with pencils
another was listening to his Walkman (although he denied about why he had his hat pulled down it when questioned over his ears). The fourth te PC 'tr a 1^5 hl 1*?^ [itj iW Lli-'tb''? Bte ff- , . ------ - xuc luurtn boy was staring out the window. After Walsh finished his explana-iinn pencil-pokers to solve a problem The boy seemed to have no idea what to do. When asked if anyone could tion, he called on help, none of the others responded. Walsh another try. gave his explanation This time he stopped many times to reprimand the boys for P aying, giggling, and not paying attention. At the end of his explanation, he gave the boys three problems to solve. None of them was able to solve the problems. This stuff is stupid! remarked boy. Im not doin this, said another as he pushed his pencil toward the center of the table. The other boys laughed. Walsh said Okay, lets try doing the first ex-one paper and one together." He began ex- i Culturally Relevant Teaching 117 from both teachers literacy programs. In sum, these tenets include the following: 4 1 1. Students whose educational, economic, social, political, and cultural futures are most tenuous are helped to become intellectual leaders in the classroom. Both teachers direct a lot of their pedagogy toward African American boys. In Lewiss and Devereauxs classrooms it is cool or def to choose academic excellence. The teachers make the students culture a point of affirmation and celebration. This means that they have to work actively against the constant and repeated denigration of Africa, Africans, and .African Americans. By disrupting the notion of African American males as social outcasts, the teachers provide academic support for these boys and at the same time give the other students a new view of their fellow students. 2. Students are apprenticed in a learning community rather than taught in an isolated and unrelated way. The mention of this tenet here is a restatement of the idea, which is presented in Chapters Four and Five. Both teachers treat their students as if they already know something. Rather than teach skills in an isolated, disconnected way, the two embed reading instruction within larger contexts. Even in Devereauxs more structured approach, the teaching of skills is contextualized. come 3. Students real-life experiences are legitimized as they be- part of the official curriculum. Even though both of these teachers select literature for their students, they depend heavily on the experiences of their students to make the literature come alive. They are not writing on blank slates
instead, they are challenging conventional scripts by importing the culture and everyday experiences of the students into the literacy learning. 4. Teachers and students participate in a broad conception of literacy that incorporates both literature and oratory. What counts as literarily worthy is broadly defined in both classrooms. The students are allowed to ask their own questions and search for their own answers. By building on the students knowledge, Lewis and Devereaux are able to teach complex ideas and skills without worrying that they are teaching above the students reading level. IKI r |w
'I' SSI few 116 The Dreamkeepers and athletes, rap stars, Hollywood actors. Devereaux often found reading tasks for Michael, such as reading e daily bulletin, food labels, baseball cards, cookbook directions, the telephone directory, maps
she tried to help him see the purpose of literacy. Michael also learned to take advantage of Devereauxs passion for reading. He was quick to ask her if he could read instead of doing some other task and she usually permitted him to do so. After all, here was a kid that everyone said would never read. pi. I ra SB! IS' J ^5 tes H In third grade I was selected to go to the Reading Teacher. As I described earlier, the Reading Teacher was the person who worked with the accelerated group. As members of the special read- ing group we became a part of a special reading incentive program. We were rewarded for the number of books we read. To prove that we had actually read the books we said we had, we had to sign up for a "book talk with a teacher who had read the book. We scheduled these book talks during early mornings before school, at recess or lunchtime, or after school. It was exciting to sit down with an adult and talk about what we had read. We received certificates for reading twenty-five, fifty, or seventy-five books. If we read a hundred books we received a certificate and a pin. I did not rest until I got my certificate and pin. I reached that lofty plateau by the middle of fourth grade. i ifSU 121 SK :?>} J J s i-fl i! i as H PI I Lewis Versus Devereaux On the surface Ann Lewis and Julia Devereaux employ very different strategies to teach reading. In some ways their differences represent the larger debate about literacy teaching, that of wholelanguage versus basal-text techniques. However, beneath the surface, at the personal ideological level, the differences between these instructional strategies lose meaning. Both teachers want their students to become literate. Both believe that their students are capable of high levels of literacy. More specifically, several overarching tenets may be culledCulturally Relevant Teaching 123 plaining the steps needed to change the improper fraction. The boys were not following. Walshs patience wore thin. Look! he shouted. Im trying to teach you guys how to do this and youre not even paying attention. Unsuccessfully, the boys tried to stifle a giggle. That was the last straw. Walsh sternly ordered them back to their seats and assigned them a page from their texts. The boys grumbled that they did not know how to do the problems, but Walsh ignored their complaints and told them he expected to see the problems before the math session was over. He glanced up at me. His face was red, perhaps from anger, perhaps from embarrassmentor both. During our postobservation conference, I began by asking. Tell me what you taught today. Walsh started telling me what he had intended and referred me to his lesson plan. Yes, I commented, You seem to have had a plan that fit your intent, but what did you teach? Once again, he began to explain his intentions. He told me about how he had thought out the plan and how the boys had subverted it. I could see that, Alex, I remarked. But what did you teach' He looked at me dejectedly and sighed. I guess I didnt teach anything, he said. I nodded in agreement. Right, now we can talk about what went wrong. Clearly, it is not fair to compare Alex Walshs abilities with Margaret Rossis. Rossis seventeen years of experience should make her more skilled at teaching than Walsh. She has had the opportunity to make mistakes and grow as a teacher. And I am sure she has also had times when she didnt teach anything. However, juxtaposing the two sessions illustrates just how different experts are from novices. If Walsh could have observed any of the teachers in my study, perhaps he might have learned some of the following: 1. When students are treated as competent they are likely to demonstrate competence. Culturally relevant teaching methods do not suggest to students that they are incapable of learning. These teachers provide intellectual challenges by teaching to the highest standards and not to the lowest common denominator. In Lewiss class, the students were expected to do more than read for literal meaning. Their responses to what they read were even more important than parroting back what the author had writ-ft Pl w. -W 11 hl U/ nt' few- > iir is 118 The Dreamkeepers Using multiple teaching strategies ensures that every child develops his or her reading ability without being ridiculed or embarrassed. 5. Teachers and students engage in a collective struggle against the status quo. Both teachers help their students understand that societal expectations for them are generally low. However, they support them by demonstrating that their own expectations are exceptionally high. Thus they indicate that to prove the prevailing beliefs wrong, teacher and students must join together. 6. Teachers are cognizant of themselves as political beings. In the case of both Lewis and Devereaux, the political nature of their work is manifested in their teacher association activities. Both have developed a sociopolitical and cultural vision that they know they need to move away from cultural-deficit explanations for African American students low achievement levels and toward models of cultural excellence. They talk often with their students about the political nature of their work. The students are reminded that their progress toward cultural excellence is the mightiest weapon they possess to fight against a mediocre status quo. I I *' -! *> Si -'?fe I*j u: Math in a Culturally Relevant Classroom TO' .4.S we saw in Chapter Three, Margaret Rossi is an Italian .American woman in her midforties. She began her teaching career in the late 1960s, when she was a Dominican nun. She has taught in both private and public schools and in both wealthy white communities and low-income communities of color. When this study was being done, she was teaching sixth grade. She was identified by a group of African American parents as a very effective teacher. In an ethnographic interview Rossi revealed that she knew that her students characterized her as strict, but that she believed they respected her for being a demanding yet caring teacher. One morning, before an observation session, I met Rossi in the courtyard outside of her classroom. Although we exchanged pleasantries it was apparent that her mind was on the lesson she intended to teach. Earlier, she had talked to her students about the African origins of algebra
they had learned that the first definitive evidence of the use of algebra had appeared in the writings of Ahmes, an Egyptian mathematician who lived around 1700 B.C. or K if ii ill I III: I- I, 120 The Dreamkeeper with students who seemed puzzled or nisfi: oiWi^ 2
i deAlti ........ilii - u toC!' inC! In S^: I KB Bl 1 .......... tea a w! det ca&felif **sl 8 f traiS wE. i' me! it tea -Bis Aisftl Si ac it ftr '-' i 2. bK. fea. trafs:^!:: 3.i Wiite ft n confused. By asking a serie: of probing questions, she was able to help students organize theii linking about a problem and develop eir own problem-solving strategies. The busy hum of activity in her classroom was directec toward mathematics. Every so often, she would suggest a problen: and the students would work frantically to solve it. Each time sh< did this, a new set of questions and possible solutions came up. 1 was amazed at how comfortable the students seemed as the discussion proceeded. No one student or group of students dominated the session. Responses and questions came from all over the classroom. As I sat taking notes, I heard a student exclaim, This is easy! Others nodded their heads in agreement. Never missing an opportunity to make mathematics accessible to her students, Rossi used such expressions to make a comment that reminded them how intelligent and capable they were. At one point that morning, Rossi directed the students attention to a page in the pre-algebra textbook she had scrounged up for the class. Rather than assign pages in the text, she showed the students how the textbook representation of what they had been doing appeared different. Dont let it scare you, she urged. "You know how to solve problems like these. Rossi was thus assuring them that the good work they were doing in her class would carry through to district and state assessments
she knew that her students would be required to perform on standardized tests and that their performance might prove to be a significant factor in their mathematics placement the following year when they went on to middle school. On another level Rossi may also have been reassuring her students that what they were doing was legitimate. Because so much of this work was not out of a textbook, students (and perhaps their parents) may have wondered if they were doing real algebra. By 9:59 it was time to prepare for recess. For almost an hour and a half Rossi and her students had been occupied with mathematical problem solving. She never once needed to stop to discipline or reprimand a student. The few instances in which students seemed to be off-task were quickly remedied when Rossi or another student posed a problem that brought their attention back to the discussion. Rossi told the students how proud she was of the way sa Culturally Relevant Teaching 121 they had worked. She also told them that they were doing work that some eighth graders couldnt. At 10 a.m., twenty-six happy sixth graders marched out to recess. Rossi smiled but she had a look of sadness in her eyes. She turned to me after the last student had left the room: Theyre so smart but so few teachers recognize it. Im so afraid they will meet the same fate as last years class. We work so hard to get them into algebra and then they go to the middle school where theyre treated like they dont know anything. Last years students were so bored with the math they hadit was actually arithmeticthat they started cutting math class to come back over here for me to teach them. When I explained that I couldnt teach them they just stopped going to math class altogether and failed for nonattendance. Telling Isnt Teaching I have described the classrooms of Ann Lewis, Julia Devereaux, and Margaret Rossi as examples of best practices. In this section, I describe a lesson carried out by Alex Walsh, one of my own student teachers. Walsh was a twenty-two-year-old white student enrolled in a prestigious teacher preparation program. His student teaching assignment was in an upper-middle-class, predominately white community known for its excellent public school system. Alex was looking forward to the experience. He had been assigned to a sixthgrade class. His cooperating teacher was active on many district committees and had requested a student teacher who was comfortable taking the initiative and working independently. The class would probably have been characterized as an open classroom. Students worked at their own pace and in cooperative groups. One student who had cerebral palsy was mainstreamed into the class
a full-time teachers aide worked with her. There were no African American students in the class but it was a culturally diverse class. The students represented several language groupsSpanish, Japanese, Chinese, Arabicbut all were fluent in English. Many of the Bl--------------w Culturally Relevant Teaching 119 earlier. They learned that, much later, the Greeks had contributed to the early development of algebra. Rossi felt that the setting of the context was important for motivating her students to learn algebra. She attempted to make them see that it had clear relations to their own heritage. There was no reason for them to think of it ,S as foreign. As she said to me, tongue-in-cheek, Its not Greek to them! Rossi gave her room key to one of her students and asked her to go in and take care of some housekeeping chores. When the bell rang the students filed noisily in. They settled down after they entered the room and took their seats. At 8:35 Rossi greeted them with a cheery good morning and the students responded in kind. What followed the good morning greeting was a whirlwind of activity. perhaps too complex to explain fully here. However, 1 will attempt to summarize what transpired. The entire time I observed her class that morning, Rossi and her students studied mathematics. Although they were engaged in problem solving through algebraic functions, no worksheets were handed out, no problem sets were assigned. The students, and Rossi, posed the problems. Observing from a pedagogical standpoint, 1 saw Rossi make the lesson. She contin- a point of getting every student involved in the lesson. She continually assured them that they were capable of mastering the problems. They cheered each other on and celebrated when they were able to explain how they arrived at their solutions. Rossi s time and energy were completely devoted to mathematics. Taking attendance, collecting lunch money, and all other tasks were handled by students in an unobtrusive, almost matter-of-fact manner that did not interfere with the mathematics discussion. Rossi moved around the classroom as students posed ques- and suggested solutions. She often asked. How do you know? to push the students thinking. When students asked questions, Margaret was quick to say, Who knows. Who can help him out here? By recycling the questions (and consequently, the knowledge) Margaret helped her students understand that they were knowledgeable and capable of answering their own questions and those of others. However, Rossi did not shrink from her own responsibility as teacher. From time to time she worked individually tions rShortage Continued from Page 1A ucation statistics show that the state now faces a shortage of teachers because fewer college students are choosing teaching as a profession. said Suzanne Mitchell, project director for the Teacher Qual- : ity Enhancement Grant Council. The council is made up of representatives from the Higher Educa- I raiiauira iiuiii me riigiier isauca- tion Department, the state Department of Education, public and private colleges and universities and the Arkansas Education Association and legislators. As of December, the state's 18 colleges and institutions, graduated 1,459 students with bachelors degrees in education, about 300 fewer than in 1996. While only 760 Arkansas teach- ers SS, that Z^edS ft* number rose to 1.191 last year, and . n'p-p, 969 retired between July 1, 1999 and Dec. 31.1999. Donna Zornes. director of the state Education Department's professional licensure unit, said the state doesn't have data on exactly how man.v certified teaching openings there were at the beginning of school, or exactly where those openings were, but she knows that there were as many as 15 cies in some districts. vacan- I can tell you that as a general rule of thumb we credential about 2.000 new teachers a year, but at the same time we're looking to fill about 3.0(W vacancies." she said, i We anticipate that its going to be ! a tremendously problematic area ' for districts to staff those vacan- cies in the next few years. "I don't want to say that it's going to be a crisis but it is going to be a problem." Karen Buchanan, superintendent of the Lee County School District. said that district neared crisis mode last fall. At the start of school. 12 of the district's 138 certified positions were unfilled. As many as eight of those positions were left by teachers who retired. Buchanan said, while the others moved away to take other jobs. I have an experienced staff, and I expect at least a third of my staff to retire in the next five years. she said. Buchanan said two teachers who retired in June 1999 agreed to come back for the 1999-2000 school year, temporarily filling vacancies in math and science. Theyll be gone next year, and those positions will have to be filled." she said. We don't have I any prospects yet." Principals have expected teacher shortages in areas of math, science, foreign languages and wiui uuie kocks most experi- special education because thej eiiced teachers making $46871 51 have been tough to fill in the past. ' " But now theyre concenicd about a Gadberiy said Little Rock i,s fairly competitive" in other areas, with Little Rock's most experi- new problem. onl}' $10 a day below the eight cities' average and $44 a day befow the highest paying city, Memphis. Little Rock teachers in the highest . '.'s fall was the first time wo ............... liad noticed shortages in areas like paid category make Lloiceusiioia ges 111 categoiy more than early childhood education." said their countei-parts in Baton Rouge. Cummins, the Education Depart- Oklahoma City. Tiilsa and Wichita . . . . , Richard Hurley, director of the In the Lee County district, three Little Rock School District's Hu- of the vacancies were for elenien- tary school teachers. Establishing and emphasizing - .............. ................--vv.uuo uuii. tuiioKes programs like Future Teachers oY Finding new teachers is diffi- in smaller, cconomicall.v de- America and Teachers of Tomor- cult, according to Buchanan, be- pressed" areas because teachere "dddle, junior high and cause the district can't compete pay is better in Little Rock schools **8*' schools to help students un- with districts in neighboring states than in districts in those area,s He ------------- mat offer higher salaries and hir- i said district officials are looking ing incentives like free housing for into offering incentives similar to a limited time, low interest rates those offered b.v other states, in- on ear loans and signing bonuses. eluding signing bonuses and more We have gotten creative in credit on the pay scale for teaehina eluding signing bonuses and___ pa,v teaching experience brought to the district. The number of j ears of experience ----------------------------from other districts recognized on ing to let them live rent-free for at L-ittle Rock's pa.v scale is now some places, she said. Buchanan said the district recruited two new teachers by offerleast a year in part of a districtHurley said administrators are ___ also looking into offering tuition District administrators are also reimbursement for graduate stud- considering an arrangement with a ' local coniiiiiinity college to share a welding teacher. But the district's creativity is limited by state funding, she said. Im not sure that without some state inteiTention we're going to do anything else about this in the fu- At the stale level. Zornes said, ture," she said educators have been aware of a .lirady Gadberiy, special assis- I shortage crisis for lant to the superintendent of the Little Rock School District, said of- ficials in that district are looking at competing cities for recruiting strategies. Gadberiy has determined that the starting salaries of Little Rock teachers are lower than those in eight cities the Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce considers competitors of Little Rock in potential growth in industiy and economy. Teachers hired in Little Rock with bachelors degrees and no experience are paid $23,135. Gadber- rj said. Thats $4,800 less than "TTiiit we lose ibem primarilv be a...-- ------- . cause theyre under-supported." she said. New teachers are typically given less desirable students and less desirable duties. We know Ihat bj^providing them with more starting teachers in Tulsa, the next lowest of the eight, and $9,000 less than in Austin. Texas, the highest of the group. Teachers in Baton Rouge, La.
Memphis: Nashville. Tenn.
Oklahoma City: Shreveport
and Wichita. Kan., also start their careens with more money than those in Little Rock, he said. The American Federation of Teachers estimates the average salaiy for a teacher with a bachelors degree and no experience in Arkansas is $21,000. the second lowest of 13 states in the southeast region of the countiy. Of those states, only Mississippi pays teachers less to start, with salaries set at $20,630. Beginning salaries for teachers in the Pulaski County Special and North Little Rock school districts are .$21,248 and $21.4.55. respectively. man Resources Department, said the district recruits from colleges depressed" areas because teachere' than in districts in those areas. He capped at seven, he said. ies to teachers who accept emplov- ment in Little Rock. "The more education you have, the more you make, so sooner or later they will want to go back to school and the tuition would be niore appealing to them." he said. a "We have been planning for quite some time to combat the problem." she said. We did hear rumblings of the problem about five years ago. but we didn't expect it to happen so quickly.'' Districts not only have to re- ciuit more teachers to avert a crisis. but they have to find a way to keep teachers on the job once they are hired. Zornes said. Nationally, one half to one-third of all new teachers leave the profession in the first three to five years. Nationwide statistics show support we can decrease the num- ber of teachers who leave the fession." pro- A pilot mentorship program for new teachers will begin next fall in some school districts in Arkan- sas. pairing experienced teachers with ones new to the profession The mentors, who would be tiained and paid, would advise teachers in the fii-st three years of , their careers. The program would be Mitchell said she will speak about a model for the mentorship program when she shares prelimi naiy recommendations made b.v a task force formed in October to as sess teacher retention and recruitment with members of the legislative oversight committee Thureday, The task force's recommendations to attract people to the teaching profession include: Raising salaries. derstand the importance of teach- ing as early as possible. Creating a state teacher recruitment office to provide a central lo- cation in Arkansas for people looking for teaching positions anv- where in the state. The group also suggests finding ways to encourage paraprofessionals and teachers' aides to get teaching degrees. They obviousl.v are interested in the field already, and they stand to earn more mone.v with a teaching certificate." Mitchell said. At the same time more people are deciding against teaching in lieu of other more lucrative professions. state standards for becoming licensed to teach are becoming more stringent. Beginning in 2002. students giaduatiiig from college may only apply for initial licenses, good only for one to three years, rather than for pennanent one.s for six or 10. Witli an initial license, a teacher nia.v get a salaried job but must demonstrate classroom skills within the initial licensing period to qualify- for a standard certificate. Rich Nagel, associate director of the Arkansas Education Association. acknowledges that stricter licensing requirements might seem to worsen a shortage of teachers bv discouraging some people from entering the profession. But lowering standards just to fill positions would be counter-active to improving education, he said. That would be an awfullv short-sighted strategy to take with public education." Nagel said. "You wouldn't want to do that with brain surgeons or with airline pi- loLs wh.v would you want to do that with the people who educate3: Culturally Relevant Teaching 125 numbers) taught them that instruction was not that important and that it could be used as a form of punishment. 4. Real education is about extending students thinking and abilities. At no point in my student teachers lesson did he assess what his students already knew. By building on some success starting with something they had already masteredhe may have been more successful in engaging the students in the skills he intended to teach. As it was, his students decided that what he was talking about had nothing to do with them and he was unable to make the necessary connections. In contrast, Lewis, Devereaux, and Rossi move their students to newer learning after establishing what they know and are able to do. Rather than a "drill-and-kill approach to knowledge acquisition, their approach makes student learning a more contextualized, meaningful experience. 5. Effective teaching involves in-depth knowledge of both the students and the subject matter. The limited nature of the student teaching experience made Walshs ability to build the necessary relationships between himself and his students difficult. If they knew more about one another, the children would have developed a greater commitment to learning because of their commitment to their teacher. Lewis, Devereaux, and Rossi know their students well. They know which ones respond to subtle prodding and which ones need a more forceful approach. For them, good teaching starts with building good relationships. Rossi knew that one of her students was considered a candidate for special education. However, she believed that it was important to include him as a part of the class and hold him responsible for meeting high standards. To ensure that these expectations did not frustrate him, she spent more time with him, guaranteeing incremental success. Devereaux knew that Michael had a troubled home life. She knew that his poor reading ability was tied to the problems he confronted at home. So she worked to fill his school day with literacy experiences. By calling on him to readdirections, daily messages, and recreational materialsshe cemented her relationship with him while he built his knowledge base and skills. This chapter provided three examples of culturally relevant teaching in the basic skill areas of reading and math. Although each ii III ii 1111111'1 Illi..mmf 124 The Dreamkeepers ten. As they read books, Lewis asked what they thought the text meant and what connections they could make between the text and their own lives. Although Devereauxs reading class __ _ ou sutured, the intellectual challenge was still there. Devereaux expected all students to become literate and she provided a variety of vehicles through which the students could develop their literacy, decision to i " was more struc- Rossis use challenging mathematics to motivate and teach her students proved to be an excellent way to improve both their mathematical skdls and their conceptual skills. Doing algebra allowed them to build upon their competence and develop the confidence to meet even higher intellectual challenge:!S. 2. When teachers provide instructional scaffolding," dents can move hom what they know to what they need to know. In the classes of all three teachers, students are allowed (and encour-aged) to build upon their Stu- W own experiences, knowledge, and skills to move into more difficult knowledge and skills. Rather than chastise them for what they do not know, these teachers find ways to use the knowledge and skills the students bring to the classroom foundation for learning. The focus of the classroom as a must be instructional. Al- I-M though a classroom is a complex and dynamic place, the primary enterprise must be to teach. In culturally relevant classrooms, instruction IS foremost. Even when Lewis was reprimanding the students, she i, in-ii was Si (O' P II h' ji instructing (explaining different parts of the brain). Devereauxs insistence on a sacrosanct reading period is her way of letting the students know that the time cannot be violated, not even by her personal relationship with them. Rossis fast-paced, chai-lenging mathematics leaves behavior. The and students everyone. no room for off-task, noninstructional message that the classroom is a place where teachers engage in serious work is communicated clearly to Walshs students did not take him seriously. Perhaps his i: ability to be effective with them came in part from his status student teacher
however, I have seen student teachers who are capable of managing a class. Walshs group of students set their sights on durupnng his lesson
they were learning not to learn. Walshs ecisions to send them back to their seats with assignments they could not do (such as changing improper fractions in-as a are cap-to mixed r<ir. >> K H Iii i-4 126 The Dreamkeepers iSiii (v.- J-'fS ft f. JijfJT 1 S-..-1 - 1 -?5..\- ( 1 S ,1 ib-t! r 1 I -t < 1*^1 !
ii iSlHii -2. J.iiJd6!: : -tJ ''55t>U ffii i teacher has her own distinctive style, all share some essential qualities that were absent from the student teachers practices. Despite his seemingly more desirable school environment, which resembled his own background, his effectiveness was compromised by the combination of his inexperience and his more assimilationist teaching orientation. Like many novices, the student teacher struggled with organizing students for instruction, but he also struggled with what he considered teaching to be. In his mind, teaching was the same as telling, and he did not question the hierarchical relationship he was attempting to establish between himself and the students. He assumed that the relationship between the students and himself was a one-way relationship: He would instruct
they would learn. He failed to treat them as if they knew anything and showed little enthusiasm for the material. He could not situate the lesson in the students experience. For all of his efforts, his attempts to teach the students were futile. He gave up in frustration, believing the students had relinquished their privilege of being taught. In the next and final chapter I consider what may lie ahead for culturally relevant teaching. I examine ways in which it may become a part of education classes and help all teachers, regardless of their race or ethnicity, to become more effective teachers of African American students. V' {eiiJ 3< 111 1 'sea kci )l i! i I' H I
?3 JB ! >4 SO 5>' 'As: (1 V . 3 1 ii s Arkansas Democrat "(CrtzcUe TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22. 2000 More teachers retiring than coming in School districts, education officials expecting serious shortages across the state " BY KIMBERLY GILLESPIE ARKANSAS OitMtH RARiAZiii l l
The number of teachers retiring is going up each year and the number of students studying education is going down. It doesnt take a math whiz to know that equation adds up to a deficit. School districts across the nation are experiencing teacher shoitages, said Woody Cummins, deputy director of the state Departnient of Education, and Arkansas is no exception. With the age of the teaching population in our slate, its reasonable to project or anticipate a more serious shortage here as well, Cummins said. Its a little early at this time to say exactly when the major shortage will reach a higher level, but I think its fair to say that there is an existing shortage and we anticipate the shortage to increase in the next three to five years. Ill Pulaski Countys three public school districts, about 31 percent of the teaching force is expected to retire within the next decade. Thirty-two percent of the Little Rock School Districts 1,999 teachers are over 50, and in North Little Rock, 27 percent of the school districts 721 teachers are over 50. In the Pulaski County Special School District, 18.4 percent of the 1,386 teachers are over 50 years old. Arkansas Retired Teachers ASr sociation data show that the average age for teachers retiring from schools in the state was 61. The statewide average retirement ag$ for each year from 1994 to 19^ was 59, and from 1987-93, the ave^ age retirement age was State Department of Higher Ed- See SHORTAGE, Page 5A Teaching in Arkansas The number of teachers reaching retirement age is rising across the state, and there arefew^r college graduates stepping up to take their placed. Many who do enter the teaching pmfession leave within the first five years. Educators in the state ate looking into wa)s to prevent a statewide teacher shoilagefivm leaching crisis levels within the next 10 years. F Siumher ofhacctilaureute degrees in ediicaiinn awarded by .irkiinsas insiitiitiDiis of higher eihicaiinii. 2.000 1.500 1.000 500 0 Current percentage of teachers iner SO. Little Rock I School District Over 50: 32% Pulaski Coimty Spectai School District Over 50: 18.4% North Little Rock School District Over 50: 27% 1J15 1^557 1,532 1,459 '94-95 '95-'96 96 '97 '97-'98 '98 99 fcjr'jiij'* - Stanher ol .Arkansas teachers who retired because of age or long-ierni ser\ice. Figuivs are per fiscal year. July I - June JO. 1.200 925 000 864 776 760 1,191 969 I i I 400 0 ! SOUACE. Arkansas Relired Teachers Assoaalw '94-'95 '9S-'96 '96-97 '97-98 '98-'99 July 1, *99- Dec. 31, '99 i 1 Atkansas Oemocrai-GazetteTUESDAY, MARCH 16,1993 Program to recruit teachers will benefit three county districts BY DANNY SHAMEER Democrat-Gazette education Writer The Teachers of Tomorrow ! Academy has started to recruit interested students. The academy is a grow-your- own program to help the three Pulaski County public school districts find teachers, espe- ' cially minorities. The academy opens this fall at Sylvan Hilts High School. Pulaski County students may ap- ply by March 24 for the program, the first of its kind in the state. Because Sylvan Hills High is in the majority-white Pulaski County Special School District, ! black students will be the only eligible applicants from the Lit- tle Rock and North Little Rock districts. Whites from Little Rock and North Little Rock are ineligi
ble to transfer into the Pulaski County Special district under the majority-to-minority transfer plan. The transfer regulations are part of the Pulaski County school desegregation case. Michael Nellums, the acad- emys director, said the pro- gram wilt give students who are interested in becoming teachers an opportunity to earn college credit for education courses while still in high school. They will also get help finding scholarships and other grants to attend one of four public universities in Arkansas the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, the University of Central Arkansas at Conway and Henderson State University at Arkadelphia. In return, the students will make plans to work in one of the three districts for three or five years after they receive a bachelors or a masters degree in education. Nellums said that up to 85 students will be accepted into the program the first year 60 incoming sophomores and 25 i incoming seniors. Two education courses will be available for incoming 10th- graders: Cultural Awareness and Issues in Education. Seniors will be able to take at least one course. Introduction to Education, and possibly an i education internship., ! 1 I I
This project was supported in part by a Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives project grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Council on Library and Information Resoources.