Integration for Teachers

On February 22, 2008, I read an article in the Star Ledger called Blackboard Battles. Sixty years from that date schools in New Jersey were integrated based on a new state Constitution that assured black and white students would attend class side by side. The same though was not true for their teachers! A few black students moved from their side of the building to the white side where white teachers taught them. Black teachers stayed on the black side of the building teaching black students who weren’t integrated. According to Wynetta Devore, who grew up in Metuchen, she never had a black teacher until she was in graduate school at Rutgers University in the mid ’70. (She went on to write her doctoral thesis on the education of blacks in New Jersey from 1900-1930.)

I did not think of this prior to this article. I just assumed teachers taught all students. I assumed wrong. Teachers were not integrated sixty years ago, along with their students. Two forces worked against their acceptance. One, black teachers were perceived as less qualified. Second, white teachers were fearful of their job security; these white teachers were fearful of the new competition for their jobs from the black teachers. I feel these African American teachers were robbed of the contributions to the education they could have given to all students. They were unable to share their culture. They were not treated fairly and their essence was questioned. It is very sad to me to read how New Jersey treated its black teachers; I am sure that is why it isn’t found in many current social studies books.

Spiraling Effect

Last week I read an article about tainted meat from a California meatpacking plant. I remember saying that it was fortunate that New Jersey’s students were not affected. Little did I know how wrong I would be. On Saturday, February 23, 2008 in the Star Ledger, I learned differently; 100 New Jersey schools that participated in the federal lunch program were affected. At least 126,000 pounds of ground beef from the Hallmark/Westland Meat Co. of Chino, California was shipped between February 2006 and this month to three processing plants in New Jersey. The meat was sold in the form of taco filling, cooked beef patties, frozen steaks, meatballs and beef barbecue nuggets, all of which are served in our local schools.

The state Department of Agriculture is working to notify the schools affected. Schools affected are being sent E-mails with instructions on how to identify any tainted product, how to dispose of it and how to record the disposal. The state put a hold on 143 million pounds of Hallmark/Westland beef on January 30. More than 50 million pounds went to schools nationwide. New Jersey State Sen. O’Toole said that this should suggest a review of the state’s regulation governing food recall.

I feel more frequent investigations by California and New Jersey officials would have shown that downer cows (cows which can not stand up) were being processed at this meatpacking plant. This is illegal. I feel the Department of Agriculture was negligent. The time frame for notifying authorities of the tainted beef (February 2006 to February 2008) is far too long. The students in our schools ate the affected meat. How much have the students already consumed? How many of the students complained of feeling ill and it was not diagnosed correctly? What is the state now going to do about informing the parents and guardians of this occurrence? How will the state prevent this for happening again?????

A Unique February 20, 2008

As I entered Jersey City on that day, there was traffic on the Pulaski Skyway, I stopped at Dunkin’ Donuts and listened to the radio. Little did I know it was not going to be an average day at St. Peter’s College? There was lockdown a little before 11 o’clock in the college. This stirs various mixed emotions in you, some pleasant and others not. Suddenly, you realize you live in a world where some people aren’t good. Their actions affect hundreds of innocent people; you feel violated. You question what your life will be like in 1 minute, 5 minutes and so forth. The students and staff were there for one another. The safety policy in place at St. Peter’s made sure the students and staff were safe and security and Jersey City Police went about securing our campus. This horrible experience will last with me for a long time but the kindnesses of the students and staff reaffirm that there is still kindness in our world.

An Unusual Fortune

I was reading the February 17th Sunday’s Star Ledger and came across an article titled “Campaign to Remember Crusading Editor.” Since it is Black History Month, I thought this article was appropriate to me as a Social Studies major. This article informed me, the reader about a former slave turned editor, T. Thomas Fortune. He was using the term Afro-American, before the turn of the century. He did not use the term colored or Negro. He used Afro-American because he wanted people to feel proud of his African heritage and being an American citizen.

T. Thomas Fortune founded a civil right organization that predates NAACP He was a crusading journalist who launched three newspapers. He published the New York Globe from 1879 to 1884, the New York Freeman from 1884-1887 and the New York Age in 1887 (This was still published until 1960.). These papers offered American Americans a global view. He urged African Americans to agitate change and equality throughout the world.

He lived in Red Bank, New Jersey, and is a native son. Efforts are currently underway to preserve his homestead, as a cultural center, which would celebrate the life of this 20th century journalist and be a beautiful location for special events. This would help with the renovations. According to the organization, Preservation for New Jersey, Fortune’s home was listed in May, as one of the Ten Most Endangered Historic Sites in New Jersey. This trailblazer’s one-acre homestead should be saved from predatory developers. There is currently a grass roots effort underway to save it. Legislators are being petitioned to assist in this effort. They are slow to come on the bandwagon because Red Bank is home to many not-for-profit agencies and they say Red Bank doesn’t need another tax-exempt property. We will have to wait and see how this unfolds. Will Red Bank looks favorably on this Fortune?

Story Telling

I recently became acquainted with the Review. It is a magazine sent to NJEA members informing them of new techniques and events happening in the world of education. One suggested strategy it offered was storytelling. The author, Jaymie Reeber Kosa in her story “Tell a Story” felt that this techniques works especially well, with students who do not listen, pay attention, or focus. Stories have been used to transmit values, engage the imagination and foster community. When storytelling is done effectively, storytelling silences the room and creates a space that invites every type of learner to participate.

Using stories allows teacher to communicate to those senses that students prefer when learning new information. Stories allow the students to visualize the events and engage their imaginations. Story telling does not rely on a student’s ability. Stories allow all students to enjoy and reflect on an idea. Story telling builds trust between students and teachers.

Use a story to introduce a unit or a new idea. Tell a story to illustrate how to do something properly. Use story telling to address a problem that you want to bring up in class. Tell a story to help students learn how to tell their own stories. Create a more inviting classroom environment by sharing your personal stories.

Before you begin storytelling, find a story that you enjoy telling over and over again. Get comfortable with this material. Play with the story. Tell it to an audience. Write it down in your own words to personalize it.

One Tough History Lesson

On February 8, 2008, I read an article in the Star Ledger, “Teens Try to Save School in Kenya”. Four years ago a group of students in Red Bank Catholic High School saw pictures of improvised children in Kenya. They gathered and did something! Their fund raising totaling over $10,000 and went to the Maryknoll mission in Kenya. The students hoped their donations would help operate a nursery school in the crowded slum of Kibera. The three to five year old children then would have a place to learn, run and play. They would be fed a hot daily lunch; this would fend off disease and blindness. The Red Bank students wanted to give these small children a chance at a future. Initially all e-mails back to the Red Bank students’ were uplifting.

Last month, the Red Bank students learned a harsh lesson. As Kenya exploded in political and ethnic violence following elections, the fate of their adopted school was in question. The last e-mail from the Maryknoll missionary described the riots and their causalities, stories of mass graves, rape of women and children and the burning of families in their homes, people displace and worldly good destroyed, except for what people could carry on their backs, limbs severed and individuals shot with poisoned arrows. The atrocities go on and on. Survivors are even afraid to venture out of their homes. Finally the students received word about the fate of their school from an AP reporter, the entire neighbor surrounding the nursery went up in flames but the nursery, miraculous survived but remains closed. Due the conditions surrounding it, it is questionable if there will be students in the destroyed neighborhoods to attend.

The students in Red Bank High School learned about political unrest in a real way. They became personally involved with children and their needs. They addressed those needs with hard work (fund raising for relief efforts). They learned that instability in a nation effects many people, including innocent children.

Road to Subbing

Today I received a list of criteria for Student Teaching in Jersey City from Dr. O’Brien. I first called Sagem Morpho, Inc. (877) 503-5981 or you can go on their website (www.bioapplicant.com/nj) to make arrangements for The Fingerprint Process. The application fee I paid was $78.00. I heading off on Friday to be official fingerprinted with my official photo ID. Seondly, I had to get two Postal Money Orders. One made out to The Commissioner of Education for a County Substitute Certificate, costing $75.00 in cash and the second for the State of New Jersey, costing $7.00 in cash. Learn from my mistakes, I did not bring cash to the post office and so a second trip on an even longer line awaited me. Thirdly, I made arrangements for my Official Transcripts to be sent to Mrs. Gevonder DuPree, Jersey City Board of Education, 346 Claremont Avenue, Jersey City, N.J. 07305.

Tomorrow, I continue the process. I have to call the J.C. Board of Education (201) 915-6242 between 10:00 am to 2:00 PM to make an appointment to return my completed application on a mutually agreed upon date. I must bring two forms of ID then. After dropping off the application at the Jersey City Board of Education, they will arrange a physical for me. If I fail to supply all information necessary, then there will be a delay processing my application.

My warning to you is, if you are going to teach, get your substitute license as soon as possible. Do not hesitate because you will be the loser!

A Helping Hand

I recently discover that Jersey City students Grades 2 to High School and their teachers have access to a uniquely differentiated learning in-depth research tool. Its programs are available in Spanish and English. It is Grolier Online. Students from Grades 2 to 5 have Grolier Online Kids. It includes The New Book of Knowledge, Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia American, La Nueva Enciclopedia Cumbre, America the Beautiful, Lands and People and the New Book of Popular Science. For Middle and High School students there is Grolier Online Passport with programs including : Encyclopedia Americana, Groliers Multimedia Encyclopedia, The New Book of Knowledge, La Nueva Enciclopedia Cumbre, The New Book of Popular Science, Lands and People and America the Beautiful.

It involves logging onto: http://go.grolier.com/jerseycity, entering in the User Name: jerseycity, entering in the Password: schools, selecting either Kids or passport (depending on your population) and clicking on a database you want to search. This program is easy to assess on your computer and is an invaluable tool, if I was fortunate to teach in Jersey City. It would also help me differentiate my learning. It would also be a very valuable source to extend lessons. On February 1, 2008, teachers in Jersey City were given a second orientation on it and were strongly encouraged to use this unique resource.