Rethinking policy advocacy: what rights do we actually have?
June 11, 2008
Let me preface this post by saying that I’m not a lawyer, nor have I ever tried to be one. The following is a lay person’s interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, so any/all lawyers are more than welcome to jump in and add to/correct this interpretation.
On the plane back from the National Conference for Media Reform, I had a discussion with a labor attorney who also attended the conference and was from Seattle. Among other things, he told me the following:
The Constitution only grants one right: the right to bear arms [the 2nd amendment]. Everything else described in the document is essentially a limit on the government, not the granting of a particular right.
I thought that was really fascinating if it was true. If that is the case, then we really need take a hard look at how we talk about our “rights,” and about how we defend, ensure, and advocate for those “rights.” By telling me this, he almost made me want to quit my job and apply to law school as soon as I deplaned. Read more
ATTN: ALL lovers of better education
March 13, 2008
Teachers are one of the most under appreciated professions in this country and not only should they be paid more, many teachers pay money out of their own pocket for supplies.
There is a site, www.donorschoose.org that seeks to make it easier to teachers to do their job. Here is how the site work; 1. Teachers make requests for materials and experiences that SHOULD be provided (but that is another story) 2. You as a donor choose to donate to the project of your choice and 3. Student’s learn more and you get a specialized note from the class that benefited from your donation.
I can’t tell you how many of my teacher friends have sent out emails asking help to pay for materials. This site is absolutely amazing and if you know of any teachers, let them know about this program and make it a point to donate TODAY.
Stay up fam,
Brandon Q.
When communities go to school…
November 11, 2007
For adults that do not have a background in education or counseling, their ability to directly help students is severely hampered. To counter this lack of community involvement inside schools, I want to present to you an idea I have stewed over for the past week.
The Unforgivable Sin
October 7, 2007
What is the unforgivable sin for a black man? One would think calling a black woman out of her name, but apparently hip-hop and Isaiah Thomas have taken the sting out of that one. It used to be taboo to participate in interracial dating, but even that has lost its bite.
Actually, it is something a lot less politically charged than that or is it? It took me 24 years to figure it out, but the unforgivable sin for a black man is…to be unemployed. I did not realize it, now I am faced with the looming prospect of unemployment upon completing my post-graduate studies. And as the song says, I am living under pressure.
Up until this point, I have tried to be a pretty responsible guy. I have done my best to be the Dream of Dr. King and what not. But apparently, I did not realize how quickly that accounts for nothing when you do not have a J-O-B.
The Abortion of the Female Scientist
August 28, 2007
It sounds like we not only need to save our girls, but we also need to debunk the myths of girls’ interest in science, technology, math, and engineering, which are literally killing girls’ desires to pursue these fields.
Here’s the most interesting quote:
The mentality of needing to “weed out” weaker students in college majors — especially in the more quantitative disciplines — disproportionately weeds out women. This is not necessarily because women are failing. Rather, women often perceive “Bs” as inadequate grades and drop out, while men with “Cs” will persist with the class.
I agree that this weed-out mentality is complete BS and is actually anti-competitive because it eliminates diversity in total competition.
Also, am I the only one to read this and think, “Man, the perceived bar for success is much lower for boys than it is for girls.” Perhaps those C-student boys should have been weeded-out too…
One Love. One II.
Education: A call for action!
July 1, 2007
The Supreme Court just struck a major blow for K-12 districts to conduct voluntary school integration plans. The opinion can be summed up by Roberts when he wrote, “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” Apparently, using race to bring people together is just as bad as using race to keep people apart. You can learn alot about how America by reading Supreme Court decisions. Nevertheless, the justices claim that they are not over turning Brown v. Board but that is essentially what happened. But this is less of a crisis than it is a call for action.
Education’s Open secret
June 5, 2007
I don’t have any kids but I know many people that read this site either will be mothers or fathers in the near future or already have young ones probably tugging at you right now. And as you consider different educational options, the lines are often drawn over to send your kids to public, charter, or private schools, with you choosing the best option available to your family. But as a New York Times magazine article by Elizabeth Weil so elegantly explains, perhaps a bigger factor in your child’s academic and social development may hinge greatly on your kid’s birthday and when they start kindergarten.
Moral School Reform?
June 1, 2007
If your family lived in a major city with a poor educational system, do you think it would be morally wrong for you to use a relative’s address that lives in the suburbs so your kids could access a higher quality education?
I ask this question because false address changes are probably the easiest way many parents access better schooling for their children. And for as much we want to see positive change for K-12 public schools, it is very difficult to ask a parent of a low-achieving school district to wait for these changes to take root. My hunch is that many people think it is bad, but permissible. Nevertheless, what does it say to our kids when we tell them to lie if and when they are asked where they’re from?
And let me flip the script, if you were living in a high-achieving school district and were asked to lend your address so the child of a relative/friend could access your school district, how would you evaluate whether or not to grant that request?
Stay up fam,
Brandon Q.
Student Loan Sunshine Act
May 9, 2007
The House of Representatives “overwhelmingly approved the Student Loan Sunshine Act on Wednesday in the wake of scandals that have implicated some of the country’s largest lenders and elite educational institutions.”
This is a welcome development when you consider that the average student debt load is hovering around 20,000, the last thing we need is private lenders putting the squeeze on colleges to distribute loans that in the end, put unnecessary financial burdens on students. The Senate is expected to follow suit when they mark up the Higher Education Act. This is a good day for students. You can read the act here.
Stay up fam,
Brandon Q.
Education in 2008!
April 26, 2007
|
