Black Boys and Their Durags: A Lesson for Teachers

My cousin and colleague in a neighboring district, Mrs. Malikah Upchurch, is out here schooling teachers on Black boys and their durags with this social media post right here. Read it. Then re-read it. Then pause before you whip out those pink slips, office disciplinary referrals, or whatever schools are calling them these days.

In her words... 

Random thought:

I need for everyone to understand how culturally significant durags are. Sure, they may look a little silly, but do you all understand just how important they are? I haven’t finished reading this most recent book yet, but the author wrote, “the little brown prince with a stocking cap for a crown.” I can appreciate the desire and determination to get “waves.” Whenever I’ve asked someone to remove their durag, it has only been to see their results and/or to clown them for not using product to support the process. Like, when you really think about it, it’s a beautiful process and people feel accomplished when they reach the point where they can brag about their waves. That is an important part of being a black boy. I’m here it. Now that we know just how important they are, just consider what you’re about to say the next time you tell someone to remove it. I know you all feel like the children aren’t representing appropriately, and policy is policy, but first give props to that kid for their determination. My son isn’t even consistent enough in getting his waves. When a boy gets them, that’s a major event. Should be celebrated - a rite of passage! “Okay, I see you, buuuut...” Just please don’t criminalize something so culturally significant (that’s especially important for those who look like them because some of our elders can be super harsh). 

That’s that. That’s my talk about durags. Feel free to chime in!

Courtesy of Malikah Upchurch

That "Public/Private" article...

I could sit here analyze the content of Jeremy Nowak's piece, What Do We Mean By Public and Private Today in the Philadelphia Citizen. I could type endlessly about the comparison of our schools where actual children are taught and cared for, to a few of the city's parks....downtown. But I won't.

I could discuss the major contrasts that exist between parks and people, but I won't.

I could discuss what I think a productive public/private partnership would look like. But again...I won't.

I want to do a little word count exercise instead.
The word "public" was mentioned approximately 16x.
The word "schools" was mentioned about 18x.
The word "fund(ed)" was mentioned about 1x (and referred to charter schools when mentioned).
"Children" was mentioned about 2x.
"Students" about 1x.
"Young people" about 1x.
"Teachers" about 1x

Flemming, you're being silly. You're missing the point!! Just stop! You're making yourself look dumb! The "author's purpose" wasn't to discuss students and teachers and the funding of public schools!

The "author's purpose" was...

Better prepared...

In Philadelphia, we are quite used to "wintry" winters. Living in a temperate zone, we are not strangers to blizzards, snow storms, and various weather extremes from heat to cold.

This latest snow storm is at least the 6th or 7th of the season for us here in Philly. Though we know how to prep roads and preempt school closings---oh wait---school closings?? I digress...

It does seem that we are better prepared this time. Philadelphia's public schools announced a closing hours before the first flakes fell. Something that we are not used to. During at least two of the storms this season schools were open with half empty buildings, forcing emergency closings and four and five hour commutes back home.

This time SEPTA, our mass transit agency, detoured routes ahead of the flakes to avoid going into typical problems areas and to get commuters used to the new temporary routes. This "just in"....all bus routes will be suspended beginning at 10am this morning because of deteriorating roads!

This time teachers prepared students for the possibility of a 5-day weekend with Presidents Day being this weekend. My team and countless other teachers sent home enough work to last the equivalent an entire school week. I'm sure parents will appreciate their children having enough to do and not having to deal with "Bored Child Syndrome"

This time even Atlanta learned from the previous storm that embarrassed the city and kept people on roads for an entire day. Those who chose not to spend the night on the interstate abandoned their cars to walk miles to homes or hotels and return to their cars later. Children spent the night at school under the care of the same teachers who care for them during the day and who also get harassed by politicians and cooperate America.

What a winter! I don't like to complain, because I am not a heat person by no stretch of the imagination! 90+ degrees? No thanks!

The Nike Shirt Mix up!

So, Nike put out a shirt that placed an outline of the state of South Carolina, labeled as North Carolina with a pic of the symbol for the NFL's Carolina Panthers on it.

Some "radical" and "ideological" teachers could make the case that we should be teaching more than just reading and math. Perhaps, umm, I don't know, uhhh, maybe SOCIAL STUDIES!!!!!!!!

Here's the story
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/16/nike-carolina-shirt_n_3606417.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

World Famous........teacher?

Yes. Valerie Strauss writes of teacher, Rafe Esquith in the Washington Post recently as "the world's most famous teacher." You can read the interview for yourself and the title of his most recently published book.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/07/16/the-worlds-most-famous-teacher-blasts-school-reform/

The quote that I loved the most came after Strauss asked Esquith about the new common core standards:

"In my classroom, you still put a period at the end of a sentence....I don't need a new set of standards to make that clear to me."

And let the teachers' church say.......AMEN!