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Diverse Conversations: The Difference Between Diversity and Equity

The nature of higher education is changing and the student population is changing at colleges and universities across the country. With luck, the promotion of equality in higher education will continue to engender equality in education – not only in terms of student access, actually, but in terms of employment. But how does diversity and equity work out in education – in the practice of teaching in higher education? Given the issues of equality and diversity within education, how, in today’s changing context, can we move on and teach these principles effectively? To grapple with this issue, I spoke to …

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Report: Developing worlds 100 years behind in education

The Brookings Institution reports that education quality and levels in developing countries are approximately 100 years behind developed countries. This global gap in education shows that in the world’s poorest nations, the average levels of attainment are at levels achieved in developed countries in the early 20th century. The good news is that in the past 50 years, the belief that schooling is a necessity has spread across the globe (thanks in part to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and now 90 percent of primay school-aged children are enrolled. Enrolling and progressing are very different things though, as …

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Education reform in New Orleans may serve white interests and not African Americans

pass or fail

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.** By Derek Black Adrienne Dixson (University of Illinois), Kristen Buras (Georgia St.), and Elizabeth K. Jeffers (Georgia St.) have released the paper, The Color of Reform: Race, Education Reform, and Charter Schools in Post-Katrina New Orleans, 21 (3) Qualitative Inquiry (2015).  They argue that By most media accounts, education reform in post-Katrina New Orleans is a success. Test …

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Survey: Internet helps education, hurts morality

The Pew Research Center has released results to a poll of relatively new internet users in developing countries that found the internet is viewed pretty favorably, particularly when it comes to education. Sixty-four percent of the respondents felt that the internet had a positive impact on education and 53 percent said the same for personal relationships. When asked the same thing about the internet’s influence on politics and morality, however, only 36% and 29% had a favorable view, respectively. When you look at the way the internet is utilized in America and other developed nations, I’d say these observations align. There …

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Should Bi-Lingual Learning be Required?

This generation of K-12 students is growing up in a society that is increasingly bi-lingual. Foreign language requirements have long been a core requirement for high school graduation and are also part of most arts-based college degree programs. Along with Spanish, languages like French and German are common options for students. But just how “foreign” is Spanish in today’s society? The U.S. Census estimates that there are 50.5 million Hispanic people living in America, and another 3.7 who are residents of Puerto Rico. This number represents a 43 percent increase in the recorded Hispanic population from 2000 to 2010 at …

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What MLK Jr. Teaches us about Servant Leadership

By @GwynethJones – The Daring Librarian  As an educator I was touched today by this article from Mr. James Perry, former candidate for the Mayor of New Orleans: “Among the most important lessons I’ve learned from Dr. King is the example of servant leadership. A servant leader is one who offers an inclusive vision; listens carefully to others; persuades through reason; and heals divisions while building community. It is easy to spot servant leaders. In a room where others are jockeying for attention, they are the ones listening to someone others might consider unimportant. When faced with a problem, they look for solutions …

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Report: Social programs keep child poverty rates from doubling

More children are living in poverty conditions in the U.S. than official numbers present, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Measuring Access to Opportunity in the United States Report uses the Supplemental Poverty Measure, a standard first implemented by the U.S. Census in 2011 that measures the impact of important social programs like SNAP and the Earned Income Tax Credit on true poverty rates. It also accounts for rising costs and other changes that affect a family’s budget. Unlike the federal “poverty level” standard, the SPM takes geographical costs of living into account. According to SPM measurements, without such social …

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Universities Must Help Create an Antiracist World

Universities have long been seen as important centers of learning, research, and knowledge production. They are places where young people can develop critical thinking skills and explore new ideas and perspectives. However, the world today is facing a crisis of racism and inequality that cannot be ignored. In order to create a more just and equitable society, universities must take a leading role in promoting antiracism. The first step in creating an antiracist world is to acknowledge and confront the legacy of racism in higher education. Many universities were founded in an era when racial discrimination was not only accepted …

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The Civil Rights Act of 1964: Everything You Need to Know

In the month of June, 1963, President John F. Kennedy asked Congress for an all-inclusive civil rights bill. His move was induced by enormous resistance to desegregation and Medgar Evers’ murder. However, Kennedy was unable to get this bill passed in Congress. Following his assassination in November, President Johnson pressed hard with a stronger version of the bill. Thanks to the support of Clarence Mitchell and Roy Wilkins, the bill was finally passed on July 2, 1964, after the Senate witnessed one of the longest debates in its history. The Civil Rights Act forbids discrimination on the basis of color, …

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The College Degree Attainment Gap Between Whites and Minorities is Getting Worse

The United States has long prided itself on being a land of equal opportunities where anyone, regardless of their race, color, religion, or ethnicity, can achieve the American Dream. Education has always been seen as the great equalizer, the path to upward social and economic mobility, and the key to success. However, the sad truth is that the college degree attainment gap between Whites and Minorities is getting worse, not better. Despite some progress in recent years, the educational divide between racial and ethnic groups remains wide, persistent, and troubling. According to the latest data from the National Center for …

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