Tag Archives: obama

Sotomayor and the Future of Catholic Schools


Posted by ajlovesya

There are many things about Sotomayor that people are discussing; her background as a Latina from a poor family in the South Bronx is a source of both inspiration and criticism.  However, I have yet to see a focus on her Catholic school education and the implications it has for school choice and Catholic schools.

Catholic schools were created to serve the disadvantaged and continue to do so to this day, yet their history, challenges, and successes are largely unknown.    For example, in NYC, where 11% of students attend Catholic schools, a letter was recently sent to all Catholic schools by the Archdiocese of NY celebrating how Catholic school students outperformed public school students on the New York State English Language Arts Exam (again). We also know that students graduating from Catholic high schools in NYC have a 98% college attendance rate.

Well, I know this.  I know this because I work at a Catholic school and am a product of Catholic education so this information is shared freely among those in the Catholic circle.  But of course the public wouldn’t know this because in the growing discussion about school choice, Catholic schools are absent.  The debate is generally about charter schools and when Catholic schools are mentioned it is to highlight how many of them are closing.

The issue facing Catholic schools is largely a financial one stemming not just from competition from other schools (many of whom have adopted an approach to teaching that Catholic schools have been using for years) but also from lack of public support and awareness of the work we do.  We know that New York City cannot absorb all of the students suddenly without schools yet little is being done to ensure that their families have access to the schools that they wish to attend.

When Obama sent his daughters to a private school, discussions about the state of public schools—especially in DC—became more intense.  Now that we have someone heading to Capitol Hill with a catholic education under her belt, will new conversations take place?  Will Catholic schools have a greater presence in the school choice debate?  Will their successes and challenges be discussed with the public at large?  I hope so—many children and their families are depending on it.

Interesting reads:

Can Catholic Schools Be Saved?

To Save NYC’s Catholic Schools

Catholic-School Closing Tragedies


It's All about the Attitude: The Importance of Young People


Posted by ajlovesya

Every month my development fellowship has a meeting to discuss what is happening at our schools. Yesterday, Dr. Timothy McNiff, the Superintendent of Schools for the New York Archdiocese, the largest Catholic School system in the country, attended our meeting to hear our experiences. At the end of the meeting, he offered some words of encouragement:

“If there is one thing we learned from Obama’s State of the Union Address is the importance of attitude. At the end of the day this is a people business and we are selling an attitude. Young people bring the vitality that is necessary to keep people focused and engaged. So don’t quit, stay the course, and kill them with kindness.”

Half the battle is changing people’s attitudes. From an educational perspective, when I work with students, getting them to believe that learning is important and there is a huge world outside of their community that is available to them is one of my first tasks. Of course there are real and tangible issues that affect our goals and beliefs. However, optimism requires you to see past your environment’s short comings and focus on opportunities.

In other words, we wouldn’t get very far if we didn’t believe that we could go very far.

When the optimism of young people is met with remarks that our positive attitudes are rooted in naivety, I wonder if these people ever reflect on how far they could’ve gone if they didn’t believe that they could and should achieve more. To echo the words of Rosetta Thurman, another emerging leader, “What if Somebody Had Told MLK He Couldn’t Lead?” After all he was only 26 years old when he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Optimism takes the shape of a movement when it’s on the ground floor:

  • Persistence: Staying committed to getting the job done regardless of what comes your way
  • Resourcefulness: Assessing and acquiring whatever is needed to get the job done
  • Collaboration: Working with others who share your vision

Of course,  more is necessary. Attitude, as I previously mentioned, is half the battle. But half is a pretty big portion. Instead of striking young people down, why not provide guidance? Why not discuss ideas and ways that they could be improved? Or why not let us learn by doing?


Strengthening Your Network: Lessons from Obama's Party Style


Posted by ajlovesya

I came across this great article from Politico via Michelle Obama Watch about how the Obama’s frequently host informal gatherings with simple foods and limited discussions about politics in an attempt to “make sure organic relationships trump political maneuvering.”

When it comes to building your network, I very rarely hear discussions about the importance of developing genuine friendships. The emphasis is usually on seeing what resources you can each provide for each other. However, in reflecting on Obama’s approach to strengthening his circle, I wonder what are the professional benefits to developing organic friendships?

Your relationship will last longer: When you establish a common bond your relationship will have a solid foundation and will evolve over time. The best mentors and allies are those who make a commitment to you and your overall growth which takes time.

People learn more about your style: While we may try to separate work and life, in many ways work can be a reflection of who we are. In a genuine relationship you learn about how people work and what environments would be best to suit their talents. As a result when advice is given it can better match your talents and style.

You are forced to think about your goals: People who know you and are invested in you are more likely to hold you accountable and push you. No idea goes unchallenged or unquestioned so you always know you’re moving in the right direction.

How else can genuine friendships help you professionally?


Obama and the Promises of Racial Equality


Posted by ajlovesya

barack-obama-bw1The words “history,” “change,” and “hope” have made their rounds in virtually every media outlet around the world in an attempt to describe President Obama. We feel good as a country knowing that we have made a huge step forward. It takes a lot for a nation to elect someone from a group that it has for so long despised and abused. His election should not be taken lightly in that regard yet it should not be taken as a signal that we are now a completely equal society. I have loved his campaign, his election, and his swearing in because of the conversations that have been sparked.

So I’ll say right off the bat that I have several problems with the idea of a color blind nation. The main one being that the notion is insulting. There is nothing wrong with the color of my skin and the identity attached to it. It is not a burden or something to overcome. Additionally the task of creating such a society is frequently thrust upon people of color. Obama has made no such promises of closing the racial gap that places black Americans at or near the bottom of every measure of social progress yet somehow we expect him to. How many white presidents have had such a lofty task?

Yet for better or worse, the black American experience is now front-and-center of the American experience. Which issues will come to light? Will discussions of critical issues stop being labeled as “airing dirty laundry” and finally be seen as necessary for progress? Every time I hear the phrase “dirty laundry” I have to remind people that perfection is not and should never be a requisite for fair treatment under the law and that policies should never be crafted under the guise that a group has no agency.

With that said, we need to realize that change is about the process not just the product. It is not about creating a color blind society; it is about acknowledging the fact that problems exist and committing ourselves to addressing them. What I think many black leaders fought for and continue to fight for is the recognition that the issues facing black Americans are real, urgent, and unequivocally American, not sideline issues and not simply examples of cultural failure.

So as we begin the Obama administration, I hope we continue these conversations and ecnourage new ones.


My Idea for Change in America: New Core Literacies for Schools


Posted by ajlovesya

From Change.org:

President-Elect Obama says he wants to hear ideas from all Americans, so we’re taking him up on his offer. Submit your ideas for how to change America, discuss with others, and vote for your favorites.

The “Top 10 Ideas for America” will be presented to the Obama Administration on Inauguration Day. We will then build a national campaign to advance each idea in Congress, marshaling the resources of Change.org, MySpace, and our dozens of partner organizations and millions of combined members

My idea: New Core LIteracies for Schools

If there is one thing we have learned in the past year is that the old standards of learning (the three Rs) are no longer adequate. We face new challenges–from climate change to growing international debt–and it’s time we prepare our students to face these challenges.

I propose we redefine literacy to address the new issues that we are facing and prepare our students become competent and competitive citizens.

  • Environmental literacy: Being environmentally literate extends beyond recycling and using better lightbulbs.  Increasingly, reducing our reliance on foreign oil and our consumption is becoming a matter of national safety.  So what does it mean to be green?  How can we redesign buildings, cars, cities, and policies to reduce our impact on the enviornment and on other communities while still growing?
  • Legal literacy:  My favorite quote regarding government is “People shouldn’t be afraid of their government, governments should be afraid of their people.”  Too often we are unaware of the various laws that impact our lives and as a result we dont know how to make demands.  Education is key.  What are your rights? What is the legal process when it comes to issues like crime and voting?
  • Financial literacy:  Whereas a year ago we could bury our heads in the sand when it came to financial issues, the growing financial crisis makes it critical that we know the financial ins-and-outs of our government and ourselves. and What does it mean on personal, state, and national levels to have a balanced budget?
  • Technological literacy:  While I appreciate the applause given to my generation for its usage of the internet and social media, that’s only a small step.  We not only need to increase access but also increase awareness of the different ways technology can be used: math support, foreign language support, and allow us to design, connect, and think differently.  What software and hardware are changing how we live both online and offline?
  • Media literacy:  When ever it comes to making any kind of personal change– the first suggestion is to cut out the media.  Why?  Because we are encouraged to consume and be, well, ignorant.  What images impact how we view ourselves and interact with others?

Each type of literacy requires the creation of new knowledge that students must share with their community. Students will master the basic skills of reading and writing and build critical thinking skills. The emphasis is on hands-on engagement, collaboration, and creating new ways of looking at issues. 

The literacies can be combined.  For example media and technological literacies can combined so that students think critically and create new kinds of media using visual and audio recording and editing equipment.

I am currently doing a social media and social issues workshop with students that I work with. Students select a social issue of personal importance, conduct research, interviews, and community service to get different perspectives on their issue and make suggestions on how to solve their issue. They chronicle their learning on a blog which enables them to share their learning with others.   Ami Dar, founder of idealist.org, was so impressed with this idea he offered to work with the kids to emphasize how young people can bring about social change.

I envisioned the literacies be implemented in Obama’s “Promise Neighborhoods”: modeled after the Harlem Children’s Zone, which provides a full network of services, including early childhood education, youth violence prevention efforts and after-school activities, to an entire neighborhood from birth to college.  

I worked for the Harlem Children’s Zone in TRUCE, which is their media literacy program for high school students.  The students examined media issues (I focused on presentations of manhood and womanhood) and had to create a video/audio response to what they were learning.  So clearly this can be done!

So what do you all think?  What are some challenges to implementation and scale? 

If you like, please VOTE FOR THIS IDEA and if you have comments, start the conversation over at Change.org!