As a teacher, one of my most difficult tasks is to differentiate for the varying abilities of students in my classes. This year, one of my non-English-speaking students is Asian and deaf. Kanda just moved to the U.S. from Thailand, where she was taught the Asian Sign Language. This is different from the American Sign Language; just ask my interpreter,…
Category: Equity
Betsy DeVos on the Verge of Removing Civil Rights Protections for Students of Color
Let’s just call her Betsy DeVoid. Our secretary of education earns a name-change because of her predilection for voiding laws that protect our most disenfranchised students. First it was rescissions to the civil rights regulations that protect students with disabilities. Now it’s the 2014 Obama administration’s school discipline guidance, also based on civil rights law, that requires districts to address…
What I learned from Brandon about culturally responsive teaching
On the first day of Spanish for Heritage Speakers class, Brandon greeted me and Señorita Firman with more presence than most students. It was clear he was particularly kind, charismatic, and just cool. Despite having struggled in previous years with school, we didn’t let that inform our view of him. Both of us understand the impact of systemic racism in…
We shouldn’t be surprised by the power of parents
Just as women led the suffrage movement, Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta led the farm workers and Dr. King and African Americans led the fight for civil rights, low income families and families of color are leading a revolution to eradicate educational inequity in Aurora. Less than a year ago they initiated the battle for language equity—and this year, they’re…
Colorado Tried to Comply with ESSA But a Lawsuit is Proving Some Don’t Actually Want Every Student to Succeed
Just a couple weeks into the school year, six Colorado school districts and two education associations are still trying to stop a new law aimed at increasing the success of students in foster care. Yes, you read that correctly, and believe it or not, it gets worse. For added context, the Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires state departments of…