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Archive - September 2017

  • Equity and Justice
  • Let's Talk About It

Are Schools Seeking Black Overseers to Control Black Students?

September 27, 2017
by Kelli Seaton
10 min read
1 Comment

A very successful educator sent me a text not long ago that said that all of the deans in a particular school are Black males. It raised an interesting and perennial question: Why are so many deans Black men? Is managing school...

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  • Equity and Justice
  • Let's Talk About It

When We Send Our Black and Brown Students to College, What Happens?

September 25, 2017
by Sharif El-Mekki
3 min read
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As a principal, father, and community member, I know from experience that our youth continue to need support and advocacy once they go on to pursue their post-secondary goals. As excited as our community is to collaborate with...

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  • Let's Talk About It

What’s More Important, “Stranded Costs” Or Stranded Students?

September 20, 2017
by Sharif El-Mekki
4 min read
1 Comment

This is a guest post from Mr. David Hardy. It originally appeared on the Philly.Com and was reproduced here with his permission. Mr. Hardy is one of my heroes. He is the co-founder and retired CEO of Boys Latin Charter School...

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  • Let's Talk About It

If We Continue To Cut Our Arts Programs We Won’t Have Students Like Youssef Kromah and Philly Youth Poet Laureate Husnaa Hashim

September 17, 2017
by Sharif El-Mekki
5 min read
2 Comments

I write for my life Louis Armstrong wrote “my only sin is my skin.” My only sin is my pen. I wrote for my soul and for us all. -Dr. Sonia Sanchez We are only recently emerging from an age where schools cut the arts and...

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  • Equity and Justice
  • Let's Talk About It

Steve Biko Warned Us That the Most Potent Weapon of Resistance Is the Education of Our Youth

September 15, 2017
by Sharif El-Mekki
3 min read
1 Comment

“The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.” —Steve Biko Few things are more important than the fertile minds of our children. On the commemoration of the martyrdom of Steve Biko...

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  • Equity and Justice
  • Let's Talk About It

Having a Black Male Teacher is Everything to These Kids and One Group is Working to Make it Happen

September 13, 2017
by Sharif El-Mekki
3 min read
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I’m grateful that my friend and colleague, Erika Sanzi, wrote about our work at The Fellowship-Black Male Educators for Social Justice. She brings up a great point about our goals. We are obviously committed to Black...

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  • Let's Talk About It

Can We Talk About How Many White Women There Are in Schools?

September 11, 2017
by Sharif El-Mekki
5 min read
1 Comment

Tom Rademacher, an English teacher in Minneapolis, wrote a piece that reminded me of questions I have asked about the lack of teacher diversity and the stark imbalance of different voices in our schools. There is much to be said...

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  • Equity and Justice
  • Let's Talk About It

The Real End Game for Staff and Students

September 8, 2017
by Kelli Seaton
8 min read
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These experiences have given me reason to think more about what it means to be culturally responsive, not just as an educator but also as a human being. The first time I thought deeply about race was probably in high school.  I...

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  • Equity and Justice
  • Let's Talk About It

Here’s How Our Students Know It’s Time to Tear That Statue Down

September 6, 2017
by Sharif El-Mekki
3 min read
1 Comment

Last week I attended a rally to call for the city to tear down the statue of Philly’s former white supremacist police chief and mayor, Frank Rizzo. The statue is a worthy target. Rizzo was an avowed and violent white...

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  • Accountability
  • Equity and Justice
  • Let's Talk About It

Why Aren’t They Funding Our Schools? They Don’t Think We Can Learn.

September 1, 2017
by Sharif El-Mekki
2 min read
2 Comments

Last week we had one of three family orientations to launch the 2017-18 school year. One of the messages I shared with families was that their community school has almost one million dollars less today than it had 10 years ago to...

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