Current issues in educational leadership

 

Current issues in educational leadership according to what is being discussed in this space this year:

1.     Equity and Inclusion: Promoting equity and inclusion remains a significant challenge in educational leadership. Disparities in access to resources, opportunities, and quality education persist across various demographics, including race, socioeconomic status, gender, and ability. Educational leaders must address these inequities and work toward creating more inclusive learning environments.

2.     Digital Transformation: The rapid advancement of technology has transformed the landscape of education, requiring educational leaders to navigate digital tools, online learning platforms, and data-driven decision-making processes. This includes ensuring access to technology for all students, training educators in digital pedagogy, and addressing concerns about privacy and digital citizenship.

3.     Teacher Recruitment and Retention: Many regions are facing shortages of qualified teachers, particularly in subjects like mathematics, science, and special education. Educational leaders must develop strategies to recruit and retain high-quality educators, which may involve offering competitive salaries, professional development opportunities, and supportive working environments.

4.     Educational Policy and Governance: Changes in educational policies at local, state, and national levels can significantly impact schools and districts. Educational leaders must stay informed about policy changes, advocate for policies that support their educational goals, and effectively implement new mandates while balancing the needs of their communities.

5.     Social and Emotional Learning (SEL): Recognizing the importance of students' social and emotional well-being, educational leaders are increasingly prioritizing SEL initiatives. This involves integrating SEL into curriculum and school culture, providing training for educators, and fostering supportive relationships among students, staff, and families.

6.     Financial Management and Budget Constraints: Educational leaders face the ongoing challenge of managing limited financial resources effectively. Budget constraints may require difficult decisions regarding staffing, programs, and resource allocation, necessitating strategic planning and collaboration with stakeholders to prioritize investments that will have the greatest impact on student success.

7.     School Safety and Crisis Management: Ensuring the safety and security of students and staff is a top priority for educational leaders. This includes implementing protocols for emergency preparedness, addressing issues such as bullying and violence, and promoting a positive school climate that fosters a sense of belonging and well-being.

8.     Professional Development and Leadership Training: Providing ongoing professional development and leadership training for educators and administrators is essential for improving teaching practices, fostering innovation, and promoting career advancement. Educational leaders must invest in opportunities for professional growth and mentorship to support the development of future leaders in the field.

These issues underscore the complex and multifaceted nature of educational leadership in addressing the diverse needs of students, educators, and communities. Effective leadership requires a proactive and collaborative approach to navigating challenges and promoting positive outcomes for all stakeholders in the education system.

 

Thoughts?

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Being ghosted after a professional interview

 

Let us assume you did everything correctly as far as interview protocol, let us assume you were a very strong candidate for the position; in other words, you did nothing wrong.

Something we must recognize in these phenomena of employers “ghosting” qualified candidates after an interview, is that a lot of the hiring managers are not professional recruiters, and sometimes professional recruiters are bad at their job. If you think about it, there really is no consequence to them for doing that, especially when so many people might be vying for that one position.

We are a in a different age where the golden and platinum rules of courtesy are not always applied, and the advice candidates must understand is that this will happens sometimes so just move on. Sometimes it is not that easy to move on.

This is an interesting article I am sharing on “ghosting”: https://www.vault.com/blogs/interviewing/3-things-to-do-when-you-re-ghosted-post-job-interview, and the last sentence is important.  It says: “you may never find out why a particular company ghosted you. But why would you want to work for an employer that shows so little consideration for candidates anyway?”

Know your worth, never give up, and for the who ghost just remember, one day this might be you.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

 

PS. I am not trying to be negative, but sometimes you just must stop excusing peoples’ bad behavior

A misconception of race topic

I will preface by saying I will be using the term “black”, “black people”, etc., for reference purposes only.

Are you aware that there are more black people outside of the United States than within?

Are you aware of the fact that there is no “black race” nor such thing as “black culture?

Some of you are puzzled at this point, so let me break down a few things for you:

·         United States culture does have a huge impact on how black people around the world are perceived, but it is not representative of all black people around the world; not even close

·         Contrary to popular beliefs, skin color does not make a culture

·         Identifying oneself as “black’ is a western concept and popularized and solidified into western culture

·         Most people with black skin around the world identify themselves by their kingdom, their region, or their people. For example: in Nigeria there are Yoruba people, Hausa people, Igbo people, etc. (there are many more, this is just an example)

Are you aware that within the small population of black people in the United States, that there Is not one culture either? The diversity is vast because it is a large country with many different influences.

Are things clearer now?

Do not expect you know anything about a person based upon their skin color, do not expect someone with the same skin color to have anything in common with you. Do not put people in boxes that fit your narrative, reject stereotypes, and labels that are designed to make you comfortable but not the other person.

Changing your mindset over this simple thing could open your world to people, experiences, and life that you have never experienced.

I am not saying you have to change, but I am saying that you cannot expect people to conform to your misguided perceptions, and not get push back; we all want to be valued, we all want out authentic story to be told.

Dr Flavius Akerele III

The ETeam

Non-Partisan Elections

There was a time at the local level, that all elections were non-partisan, political parties were not included at all, and quite frankly not needed. We have seen that creep away quickly over the last 15 years, and we need to go back to that.

Let’s take it a step further and suggest that we do that at more national levels of politics as well because party affiliations have simply divided people into three tribe, with two of the tribes on the verge of civil war and the third (really mixed smaller tribes) wondering what the heck is going?!

Between 1861 to 1865 we have had tribes fighting, and it led to a huge number of deaths, and we still have not reconciled that fight it seems.  There are still actual children of soldiers from that fight still alive today, collecting VA benefits.

Anyway, I digress, so let me put it in simple terms. I am tired of political parties going at each other in the way we are seeing now, nothing is getting accomplished, and remember the parties (tribes) are not the same now as they were after 1865, that is a simple fact.

People are voting the party without considering the candidate for that party, and a lot of these candidates are coming up short. Can you also imagine the money we could save without primary elections? How much good could be done with those billions of dollars in saving?!

Slavery does exist still, both literal, and in this case figuratively. Some of you are slaves to a political system that you do not even understand, really care about (you are just programmed to care), and it certainly does not care about you. Blind loyalty means the blind are leading the blind.

Notice how I did not mention political party names? I know each group is going to read this the way they see fit and understand, and that is ok because that means you have stopped posting your rhetoric on the internet for a couple of minutes to think.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Universities closing

Corinthians, ITT, and now Coleman. All oldish alternative institutions (same accreditor ironically), and the thing they also have in common is they are all closed. But guess who suffers? The student.

The money the students spent they will never get back, and the time they spent was wasted. Promises made, but not kept. This is a failing of educators and administrators for not paying attention to what they teach in their own schools. There are case studies being taught on what has happened to these schools, by these very schools teachers!!!

I have said it before and I will say it again: there needs to be a certification or training for those taking leadership potions in higher educational institutions. Seniority is no longer a valid reason to promote someone in today's educational environment.

What is your institution doing to make sure your administrators are job ready?

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III
The ETeam

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/corinthian-colleges-shuts-down-ending-classes-16-000-overnight-n348741

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/09/07/itt-tech-shuts-down-all-campuses

https://fox5sandiego.com/2018/07/26/coleman-university-to-close-at-end-of-current-term/

Sociopaths do walk among us

Sociopath: “a person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior and a lack of conscience”.

How to Spot a Sociopath: https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201305/how-spot-sociopath

Sometimes the simplest explanation is the one that is real, and too often we human beings are good at making excuses for other peoples’ bad behavior.

Sociopaths are real, they might not even recognize (or care) what they are, and in this day of social media, we seem to be letting them into our lives all the more rapidly.

Do not give up on people, but it is ok to take your time before letting someone into your life.

Slow down! Thoughts from an educator

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

U.S.A is still a young country

Jut a reminder that the U.S. is still a very young country, and we all know young people make mistakes. If you don't believe me, may I remind you that there are still some children whose parents fought in the civil war 150 years ago, STILL ALIVE!

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/…/141111-veterans-day-…/

There are still children whose PARENTS were slaves still walking this country!
https://www.currentaffairs.org/20…/…/slavery-was-very-recent

Food for thought....

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Anti-Social Media: the age of hate

“Social media is the collective of online communications channels dedicated to community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration”

Social: “living and breeding in more or less organized communities especially for the purposes of cooperation and mutual benefit”

The purpose of social media was help us get more connected, to share, collaborate, etc.; especially with people who lived far away. There is nothing social about the way we see it being used today:

·         Cyber bullying

·         Hate Speech

·         Shaming

These are just some of the daily things that happen on social media, and it seems like we are at the point where this kind of negativity is overtaking the positive aspect of what it was created for.

What is interesting is that people feel safe behind their computer screen, they say things to people virtually, that they would never say face to face. They feel powerful behind their anonymous keyboard personas, and unfortunately, even the most sane people can fall into this trap.

How many of you have commented on a post that was so outrageous you felt you had to say something? Did you change the poster’s mind? Did you truly feel better after commenting? Did you find yourself getting sucked into a back and forth cyber war?

The term “keyboard warrior” is recent, and it describes these cyber nuts who use the internet as their platform for hate. They have even infected our political discourse and debased it to the point where there is no discourse, just dysfunction. We cannot even have civil online conversations with other groups about the important things that affect us anymore!

I do not know what the solution is, but I know that ignoring an issue does not make it go away.

Remember the word social in social media, attempt to think of society at large when you post. This is not a kumbaya article, just a plea for sanity before we are all irreversibly gripped by madness.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

A black man undercover in the alt-right | Theo E.J. Wilson | TEDxMileHigh

Sharing today:

Curious about his haters, Theo E.J. Wilson did the only reasonable thing – he went undercover and joined their ranks. In this insightful and downright hilarious talk, Theo shares some surprising discoveries about both sides of the aisle. Slam poet Theo E.J. Wilson, a.k.a Lucifury, is a founding member of Denver’s SlamNUBA team, which won the National Poetry Slam in 2011. He began his speaking career with the NAACP at the age of 15 and has always been passionate about social justice. Theo is currently the Executive Director of Shop Talk Live, an organization that uses the barbershop as a staging ground for community dialogue and healing. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdHJw0veVNY

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III
The ETeam

Do you know why Americans died in ww2? An education question and statement

Do you know why Americans died in ww2? An education question and statement

In regard to Charleville, VA this week

http://abcnews.go.com/US/unite-rally-virginia-sparks-counterprotests-state-emergency/story?id=49176243

“World War II fatality statistics vary, with estimates of total deaths ranging from 50 million to more than 80 million. The higher figure of over 80 million includes deaths from war-related disease and famine. World War II fatality statistics vary, with estimates of total deaths ranging from 50 million to more than 80 million”

 “World War II (1939-1945) ... The roots of World War II, which eventually pitted Germany, Japan, and Italy (the Axis) against the United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union (the Allies), lay in the militaristic ideologies and expansionist policies of Nazi Germany, Italy, and Japan”. We were fighting fascism.

That is a lot of people.

Americans died fighting so they would not have to do that Nazi salute (all the axis powers used that salute by the way). Why the heck would you want to bring back that which so many AMERICANS died for? Nazism and its ideology, salutes, etc., is banned in Germany as well!

The AlT right are nothing but Nazis, that was proven this weekend. You might not mix with people of different skin colors, but if you consider yourself a patriot why the heck would you be using Nazi propaganda and rhetoric? WWII is very real to a large segment of the U.S population.

There is no excuse, no explanation that can clear this; as an educator and historian, I condemn this! As an American I condemn this! As a human, I condemn this!

That rally in Charlottesville had no place in the United States of America….

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

The far-reaching consequences of our criminal justice system

I learned something deep today: have you ever heard of “Collateral Consequences” in regard to the justice system? We all think we know how it affects people, but we mostly only know just the surface.

“Collateral consequences are legal and regulatory sanctions and restrictions that limit or prohibit people with criminal records from accessing employment, occupational licensing, housing, voting, education, and other opportunities. Collateral consequences most frequently affect people who have been convicted of a crime, though in some states an arrest alone—even an arrest that doesn't result in a conviction—may trigger a collateral consequence”.

“Some collateral consequences serve a legitimate public safety or regulatory function, such as keeping firearms out of the hands of people convicted of domestic violence offenses, prohibiting people convicted of abuse from working with children or the elderly, or barring people convicted of fraud from positions of public trust. Others are directly related to the particular crime, such as registration requirements for sex offenders, driver’s license restrictions for people convicted of serious traffic offense, or debarment of people convicted of fraud. But many collateral consequences apply to people convicted of any crime, without regard to any relationship between the crime and opportunity being restricted, and frequently without consideration of how long ago the crime occurred or the person’s rehabilitation efforts since. Collateral consequences with overbroad restrictions that offer no chance to overcome the restriction function as additional punishment and may discourage rehabilitation and ultimately increase recidivism”. 

“Collateral consequences are scattered throughout the codebooks and are frequently unknown even to those responsible for their administration and enforcement. They have been promulgated with little coordination in disparate sections of state and federal codes, which makes it difficult for anyone to identify all of the penalties and disabilities that may be triggered by a criminal record for a certain offense”. 

“While collateral consequences have been a familiar feature of the American justice system since colonial times, they have become more pervasive and more problematic in the past 20 years for three reasons: they are more numerous and impactful, they affect more people, and they are harder to avoid or mitigate. As a result, millions of Americans are consigned to a kind of a permanent legal limbo because of a crime they committed in the past”. 

https://niccc.csgjusticecenter.org/map/

It is calculated that the economy is missing out on approximately $87 Billion dollars a year on revenue because people with convictions are permanently labelled as criminals and cannot work due to these laws. Instead of someone being able to get a good solid job driving for UPS for example, they have to dig ditches for a living. Someone trained to be a barber cannot cut hair any longer because of this; about 40,000 collateral consequence!

I am going to quote something said to me today: “we as a society should not be counting recidivism rates as a measure of success, but rather, the quality of life of those who paid their debt to society”.

This is why criminal justice is a social issue: people should not be permanently labeled as criminals. If you believe this is true then you are not a true believer in justice, you simply believe in punishment.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

PS I should not have to tell you that the neighborhoods most affected by these rules are minority peoples.

The rumor and gossip mill has no place in education

Education is one of the most regulated industries in the United States, but I have always said that educators are big gossips, no matter what the level.

People get judged on popularity, seniority, and by whispers. I recently attended what I thought was a professional conversation about teaching, and one of the opening statements was “well I heard …about you”. You heard?!

We are supposed to be objective with our students, use rubrics, have learning goals, etc. How can we truly claim this if we cannot be objective with each other? Do you realize so many performance evaluations in education are based upon how the supervisor is feeling about you at that time, not about your performance for the year?

Unfortunately, we often treat our students this way as well. We judge them based upon student records, but we do not look closely at the records, just the juicy gossip. The teachers lounge in K12 is often full of negative student gossip.

Educators, we must do better if we are going to ever transform education. We are allowing non-educators to run us, because we cannot seem to run ourselves.

So, next time you feel like repeating that rumor, talking that trash, or judging someone on hearsay, let us practice what we teach the students:

·         Is this kind?

·         Is it true?

·         Is it necessary?

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Private Prisons Trample on American Values: An Educator’s Researched Based Perspective

What is a for profit company? “A business or other organization whose primary goal is making money (a profit), as opposed to a non profit organization which focuses a goal such as helping the community and is concerned with money only as much as necessary to keep the organization operating”

So, if this company is not selling its services or product, it goes out of business. But what if it product is prisoners? That means in order to make money it would need its jails to be full; all the time. Remember, the number one goal of a company is to maximize profits for its owners.

“The Corrections Corporation of America launched the era of private prisons in 1983, when it opened an immigration detention center in an former motel in Houston, Texas. Today the Nashville-based company houses more than 66,000 inmates, making it the country’s second-largest private prison company. In 2015, it reported $1.9 billion in revenue and made more than $221 million in net income—more than $3,300 for each prisoner in its care”.

“CCA and other prison companies have written “occupancy guarantees” into their contracts, requiring states to pay a fee if they cannot provide a certain number of inmates. Winn Correctional Center was guaranteed to be 96 percent full”.

“The two largest for-profit prison companies in the United States – GEO and Corrections Corporation of America – and their associates have funneled more than $10 million to candidates since 1989 and have spent nearly $25 million on lobbying efforts. Meanwhile, these private companies have seen their revenue and market share soar”.

These systems do not only get you while you are inside prison, they get you if you have court fines, hallway house, on probation. Once they have you in their system, they make it very difficult for you to get out, and the average working person will end up paying dearly to get out of the system. Over inflated prices for goods, garnishing your paycheck for the privilege of being forced to stay at halfway house instead of being allowed to go home, fines and more fines.

“The Fines and Fees That Keep Former Prisoners Poor” “States and counties have upped the amounts they charge defendants, saddling those getting out of jail with huge amounts of debt they have little hope of paying off”.

“Increasingly, jurisdictions across the country are assessing hefty court fines and fees, called legal financial obligations (LFOs), on defendants, requiring them to pay thousands of dollars or face more jail time, according to Alexes Harris, the author of A Pound of Flesh: Monetary Sanctions for the Poor. Harris talked to one woman who was a victim of domestic violence and spent eight years in the prison system for shooting the father of her son. She’d been assessed $33,000 in LFOs, but 13 years after her conviction, despite minimum monthly payments she made, interest had brought her debt to $72,000”.  

“Amendment I. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances”

“Amendment VIII Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted”

“Half of the world's prison population of about nine million is held in the US, China or Russia”. “Prison rates in the US are the world's highest, at 724 people per 100,000. In Russia, the rate is 581”.

Criminal justice reform in the United States would be one of the greatest things ever for human rights because, it is not enough to have laws of protection, what is needed is equal laws and true equal protection under the law no matter what your social status (or perceived status).

The state of incarceration in the United States, especially with the inclusion of the private prison system, is effrontery to American values, and all those who claim to love freedom, the constitution, and the United States of America, should be outraged.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Some references for your perusal

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/for-profit-organization.html

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/06/cca-corrections-corperation-america-private-prisons-company-profile/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/04/28/how-for-profit-prisons-have-become-the-biggest-lobby-no-one-is-talking-about/?utm_term=.a1ef45ea418a

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3520104/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/uk/06/prisons/html/nn2page1.stm

Are you truly patriotic? An educator’s thoughts…

The 4^th of July has just passed. So, the lingering of fireworks, flags, and people shouting “freedom” is still in the air. The 4^th of July is a day when people’s patriotism comes out full force, but like Mother’s Day, it soon fades back into the closet until the next year.

Why do you say that? I am glad you asked.

True patriotism does not take a day off, true patriotism is also not just loving “your” version of America but embracing everyone’s America. It means acknowledging the diversities of religion, culture, skin color, etc. It means accepting the fact that the country is far from perfect but you are going to try and make it better.

There are people who struggle on daily basis just trying to make it, so perhaps they might not feel like celebrating. Does this make them less American? Absolutely not! The beauty of the freedom the country is supposed to have means one size does not fit all, but we are all in the same big box.

So as you sing your patriotic songs, wave your flag, have your BBQ, etc., remember that true patriotism means recognizing the faults as well as the freedom. It means that you are embracing everyone’s America.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

Sharing an article 6/30/2017

'I don't know how to lead for equity, that was not part of my program'

Equity took center stage in the day two conversations at the Education Commission of the States National Forum on Education Policy Thursday. One resonant statement reflected how principal preparation programs didn't include equity components, meaning that now leaders are struggling to approach their work through an equity lens.

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education President Joe Garcia — who shared with the audience that his school counselors never once mentioned to him the idea of his going to college— said working harder to close achievement gaps from early education on through to higher ed is everyone’s work.

Read the rest here: http://www.educationdive.com/news/i-dont-know-how-to-lead-for-equity-that-was-not-part-of-my-program/446094/

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam

The truth about “black on black crime’ by Dr Flavius Akerele III

Truth:

·         Most crime happens between people familiar with each other. So, FYI, the so called “black on black crime’ is bullshit. If black people committed more crimes outside of their segregated zone they would be extinct. We know this because it is near impossible to convict LE or anyone for killing black folks.

·         “White on white crime’ is almost as high as any crime

·         Skin color is not a race or culture

·         Most crime happens in poor neighborhoods

·         Most black neighborhoods are poor

·         The United States is still a segregated society. There are black, white, Asian, Latino, and, etc. neighborhoods, true fact.

·         The crime rate in poor white areas such as Michigan and West Virginia where there are large concentrations of poor whites is just as high as the poor black neighborhoods around the U.S

·         Black people are only 13%of the nation, they could not possibly be responsible for all the crime, welfare abuse, and murder they are attributed to.

·         Black people are not inherently pre-dispositioned towards crime, no studies or stats show this

·         President Obama was not elected by black people, he was elected by white people (majority stat in U.S population). 13% of the population, even if they could all vote (which they cannot due to prison disfranchising) could not vote a president in. Simple math.

Stop talking shit and listening to false news

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam