No-Zero Grading Policy Trend

I absolutely disagree with a no-zero grading policy for students!!!!!!!!

I imagine that the people who support this ridiculous policy also support the idea that every kid on a sports team deserves a trophy - NO THEY DON'T!

We're supposed to teach our children/students how to be successful upon completion of their secondary education, but we can't teach them that if we are constantly lowering our standards.

I believe that if a student does not meet the deadline, that student has demonstrated disregard for the deadline, therefore that student needs to understand that their are consequences for not getting work turned in on time.

What do we think will happen when that student becomes an employee somewhere and they don't meet deadlines set by their employer?  Employers speak in the language of money, if they miss out on making money because an employee missed a deadline, that employee has lost their job. 

This is what a no-zero grading policy will create, a culture of students who become employees, who feel that the rules don't apply to them.

Students who feel that the rules don't apply to them can easily become criminals who feel that the rules don't apply to them.  Is this what we want?! NO!!!!!

This may be what the prisons and jails want, but as an educator, this is not what I want to teach or be taught to my students.

We must teach our youth to be on time, to read everything, to ask questions, to meet deadlines, and to accept the consequences of their actions with dignity and understanding.

The no-zero grading policy will teach them the opposite.

Are You Going Above And Beyond For Your Students?

I can remember as a student in grade school, having several teachers take the time to listen to me, get to know me, and provide me with insight about opportunities that would further my interests in life.  Teachers don't do this anymore and there is nor excuse for them not to.

In my profession, as an Academic Advisor/Admissions Counselor, within a higher education institution, I have many responsibilities that I must tend to without making any excuses for not being able to get them done.  My primary responsibility is to coordinate a dual enrollment program for the county I work in, which means overseeing the recruiting, application, and admission of well over 400 high school students.   Because I work at a small community college, I also handle admissions for traditional students, where I see anywhere from 15 to 20 students every single day.  I could complain, I could also make excuses for why I can't help them right now, but I don't because I understand that I have a wealth of knowledge to share with them and if I don't pass it to them they may not be able to get it from anywhere else.

So then why are some teachers not making themselves available to the student they serve?  Is it because they have families?  Is it because they've worked all day and they're tired?  Or is it because their job is to teach, not provide advice or counseling?

I have much respect for teachers, but I also care about the student, and if a student is reaching out to an educator for help, we should go above and beyond to help them.

As educators, we've accomplished so many things that our students are hoping to attempt: graduating high school, attending a college or university, creating and building their resume, applying for a job in their area of expertise and earning their own money.  We can help them visualize their dreams and we can help them try to reach those dreams, but we have to be willing to give a little more of ourselves and our time.

If you are an educator and you came into this field hoping to get rich, please do your students a favor and go find a different career field.  Students Matter!

Why Discriminate Against African-American Hairstyles?

The other day I was casually scrolling through Facebook when I saw an article about a high school, in the state of Kentucky, that discriminated against hair styles that are predominantly worn by African-American students.  Sigh......here we go with this issue again.

The Traditional school, as it is called in the school's title, explicitly stated that no "cornrolls", dreadlocks, large afros or braids would be allowed........apparently those types of hairstyles caused a distraction from learning.

Really? A distraction?  Who's distracted? Have complaints been made about a student's hairstyle?

I was really disappointed after reading the article.  What that school policy said to me was that any hairstyle worn by an African American is unacceptable, causes distractions and is not welcome in that Kentucky school. 

Isn't that sad?  Of all the so called "distractions" that take place on school campuses, on a daily basis, a person's hair is a major distraction.  That Kentucky school board is full of it and the board members who voted on this new school policy should be removed from their positions.  What are student's hairstyles distracting anyone from?  All the mandatory testing that goes on in our public schools? 

There are so many issues going on within our public schools such as:

• Students who can't read are being passed to the next grade and are often allowed to graduate.  
• Teachers salaries are being determined based off of the test scores of their students.
• Students aren't allowed to eat because they owe the school money or because they lost a textbook.
• Bullying 
• Inappropriate student/teacher relationships

Instead of trying to control how students look, try worrying about why he/she is getting ready to graduate when they can't even read.  Worry about why certain students don't have access to the internet, in order to complete homework assignments, when they leave school for the day.

There are so many other distractions that go on within our public schools, why are you focusing on hair?

Have You Thought About What You're Willing To Sacrifice To Chase Your Dreams? - Cierra Griffin

I spent about 1 to 2 hours in my office, trying to help a young man realize the necessity in chasing his dreams.

A lot of the students I assist on a daily basis are afraid to chase their dreams because of the environment they come from.  What do I mean when I say "Because of the environment they come from"? 

For example, he comes from a family that believes in working hard, on one man's job and then retiring from that job, but his interests are no where close to what his family wants him to do.  His family thinks he should go earn a degree so that he can be successful. 

Raise your hand if you believe that having a degree doesn't guarantee success.  A degree will get your resume reviewed.  A degree with some experience will get you an interview.  The technique you use to sell yourself will possibly get you the job. 

But what if you don't want a degree?  What if you don't want to work a regular 9 to 5?  What if you're a man, who wants to become a Fashion Stylist, but everyone looks at you and thinks that you should be playing football or basketball?

Ultimately, I told the young father (yes, he has a child) that he has to figure out what he's willing to sacrifice: Is he going to sacrifice his dreams and settle?  OR  Is he going to sacrifice his current, comfort situation?

He left my office thinking.  I could see the wheels spinning in his brain.

Knowledge Is Better Shared

The Civil Rights movement of the 1960s was very successful in that people of color were finally able to exercise their rights, as citizens of America, and have federal law backing us.  This movement opened so many doors, for all American citizens, moving forward, and I appreciate every drop of blood, sweat and every tear that was shed during that time.  Because of the selfless human beings who marched for me to have the rights I have today, I can be great and enjoy the fruits of their labor and suffering.  However, somewhere along the way I think the ball was dropped as far as continuing to educate the next generation on the importance of the movement and staying involved.

I believe that education is the key to any and everything that humans do.  For example, if you've never purchased a home before, you're more than likely going to educate yourself on how the process works so that you have a better understanding of what you're getting yourself into.  Likewise, people of color, especially those of us who have African ancestors, should be knowledgeable about the struggle of the movement so that we could understand how to successfully get past things that are currently happening in America.  I believe that those who fought for my civil rights did a courageous thing, but I don't feel that the later generations have been educated enough about what happened back in the 40s, 50s, and 60s.

What I think has happened is that now there are millions of people of color, who have "made it" and now they do not want to risk their positions, their money, their accomplishments, to walk this road that has come into view yet again.  It's as if people have said, "I've got mine, now you get yours."  The knowledge and understanding activists had then, has not been transferred to us now.  Don't get me wrong, we have activists here and there, but I believe that there are so many who are missing the message.  I believe there are so many people who are uneducated about what's going on in the world and I think it's because the first generation did not properly, successfully educate the next generation.

The Cops Think I'm JUST ANOTHER N*GGER - Regardless of my educational background........

This post isn't necessarily about education, but I hope to tie it in.

In the past 2 or 3 days, a person of color, a black person was killed by a police officer.  One of the gentlemen was killed while restrained by officers, for apparently selling compact discs at a gas station.  The second gentleman was killed as he reached for his wallet to get his driver's license, which the offer had told him to do.  There are many things that can be said about a man selling cds, at a gas station, but nothing can explain why a trained officer killed him.  The second man, what can be said about his situation?  He was a law abiding citizen, he was obeying the officer's order to retrieve his license.  He didn't have a criminal record.  He was complying to the orders of the cop.  He was a hard worker.  Yet, he was still murdered, in cold blood, in front of his fiancee and a 4 year old child.  Again, I say, damned if we do, and damned if we don't.

I recently posted my first live feed on Facebook and I was doing it because I was in another city, on vacation, taking an early morning stroll and I didn't want to come in contact with a trigger happy police.  In my video I discussed the fact that I'm highly educated, because of my bachelor's and master's degrees, but regardless of the degrees I earned, when a cop sees me, all he sees is the color of my skin and that's enough to make him kill me or rape me or both.

I listed to Ms. Castile's interview on CNN and she discussed how she taught her children to respond to the police; she taught them well, but well wasn't enough to keep her son alive when he encountered a trigger happy cop.  So what do we tell our youth?!  I work with children of color every day, I constantly push education on them, but what's the point when I know that they're not safe outside of the classroom? 

As a group of people, people of color, especially people who look like me, we can never catch a break; NO matter what we do.  You can have money, but if the cops don't know who you are, to them you are just another n*gger.  You can be a professor at Harvard or Yale, but to the cops you are just another n*gger.  You can be a hard working, public school cafeteria supervisor, with a concealed carry permit, but to the cops, you are just another N*GGER! 

Our justice system needs an overhaul, the cops need better training and cops who break the law need to be punished accordingly........because I'm tired of being JUST ANOTHER N*GGER.

Students: Worry about YOUR education, not your friends, they have parents for that.

I had one situation where I was signing students up for their fall classes and two of those students were best friends, who wanted to sign up for the same classes, so that they could kick it together, you know.  Well, one of the students did not test well, so this student could only take two classes, while the best friend had the option of taking a variety of classes.  Now, in my mind, I'm thinking that the friend who could take whatever, would do just that, but in an effort to make the other friend happy, this student limited the amount classes they would take in order to be with the best friend.  As an educator, I was completely shocked and I did everything possible to try and get this student to reconsider, but nothing worked and they still have the same schedules.

I wanted the student to understand that sometimes you can't help another person get on your level, but that doesn't mean you have to get on their level, let them worry about their academics and you worry about yours. I asked the student this question, "If you were accepted into Yale and your friend was accepted to the local community college, would you stay behind to make that friend feel better about their academic situation or would you go on and handle your business?"  The student's eyes grew wide and I could tell they understood where I was coming from. 

Students, just because your friend can't take AP Chemistry with you doesn't mean that you shouldn't take it. It doesn't make you less of a friend because you're on another academic level than your friend is and if they truly are your friend, they wouldn't care that you're in honors and they're not.