Living Education eMagazine Summer Edition XXI by Forest Of The Rain Productions

Living Education eMagazine A magazine that discusses education in our everyday lives Vol. XXI

eConvocation Address By Dr. Roland NuĂąez Director of Operations Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

What the Foo Fighters Among Others Teach Educators

Full Parent Partnership Cristina Rodriguez Chen, Ph.D. Akweta Hickman, Ed.D. Translated to Spanish

How is illiteracy linked to our everyday lives?

eCommencement Address By Dr. Dawn Lindsay President Anne Arundel Community College

Congratulations class 2019

Authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corner Book Spotlight

Moods of a Lake and Selected Poems Neil M. Noble Book Summary There is art that one can touch and feel. There is also art that one can only experience through reading, seeing, or hearing. As an exceptionally creative poetic force, Neil M. Noble blends all these elements to create multidimensional poems. Each poem has a greater depth and breadth than they would individually. Moods of a Lake conveys hints of an underlying mystical component that creates yet another dimension to this beautiful, farranging work. You might even consider this work to be intriguingly spiritual. If you appreciate the challenge of mentally engaging ambiguities and implied deeper messages, especially when combined with visual art, then you will love this book. This book represents nearly a half-century of Neilâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s unique poetry. Listen to Author Neil Noble discuss his book and how his father influenced his art

Dr. Tom Granoff Founder and CEO: The Granoff Corporation Making the Transition from Coursework to Dissertation: 22 Distinctions/Differences

Living Educational View Forest Of The Rain Productions

CONTRIBUTORS Lyn Walden, EdS, EdD, PhD What do you Are There Commonalities That Doctoral Learners Present When They Contact You for Coaching? Page 16

Karen Gross, Esq. @KarenGrossEdu

What the Foo Fighters Among Others Teach Educators Page 20

Mel Hawkins @melhawk46

Black Students Victimized An Obsolete Education Process! Page 24

Doctoral Candidates Staying Committed â&#x20AC;¢ Dissertation Page 45

CONTRIBUTORS Rufus Lott, III @lott_edu

Well, Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x;s a Dumb Rule! How Rules, Relationships, and Responsibility Intermingle Page 29 In Spanish Page 50

Dr. Ayize Sabater Full Parent Partnership Page 31

Daniel Blanchard @dan007blanchard

Practice Kaizen- The Japanese Version of Self-Improvement Page 33

CONTRIBUTORS Lynne Morgan How is illiteracy linked to our everyday lives? Page 36

Catherine Nwosu Student Safety Page 39

Cristina Rodriguez Chen, Ph.D. Akweta Hickman, Ed.D. Ideas for Parents do Over the Summer to Help Students Return Ready for School

Page 48 In Spanish Page 50

CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Everett Myers Dr. Michael Robinson What Does the Closure of Argosy University Mean to the For-Profit Higher Education Landscape? Dr. Michael Robinson Goes One-On-One with Dr. Everett Myers Page 55

Dr. Melissa Patton The Value of On Academic Achievement Page 58

WELL WISHERS Audrey Artist, Ed.D. Steven Baker Dan Blanchard Helen Oliff, PWNA PR Dr. Karsonya “kaye” Wise Whitehead Dr. MarQo Jusreall Patton

PHOTOGRAPHY Kelly Alexander Dr. Stephen Peters Dr. Nereida Quiles-Wasserman Holly Marker

eConvocation Address for the Class of 2019 Director of Operations Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Dr. Roland NuĂąez I would like to congratulate the 2019 graduating class for this phenomenal achievement and defining moment in your lives. I am encouraged to see bright minds joining the workforce and shaping our society with the knowledge and skills learned through their education. When I was invited to share this address, I thought for a while about what I wanted to share. After some thoughtful reflection based on my personal experiences, I wanted to share some practical advice. I have worked in higher education for many years at several universities. I have worked with phenomenal students who have graduated from each one. During my conversations with them, they all had a similar question that they would ask me after the adrenaline rush from graduating went away: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now what?â&#x20AC;? I thought back to my graduation and found myself asking the same question. In a higher education environment, where there is a structured sequence of events predicated by a layered curriculum or degree plan, students are given set external goals and milestones toward which to work. After graduation, those external goals or milestones go away. At this point, a graduate has the option to set more external goals by attaining another degree (a strategy which I used multiple times), but eventually, it is crucial for a graduate to learn to create those goals internally. After graduation, it is typical to feel like you have hit a dead end. There is no more pressure coming from looming deadlines and rigorous coursework, so graduates may find themselves with more free time than they know how to use. Without a test for which to study, or an assignment to complete, what else is there to do except to look for a job? I want to take this opportunity to remind you that just because you have graduated, it does not mean that you have lost all the skills and talents you developed while in school. Just as you took the time to learn more about the world and your field of interest (researching, experimenting, and contributing to the body of knowledge), you now can do it on your terms. While getting a job and building a career is important, do not let that be the only avenue where you use your abilities. You have much to provide the world but doing so will take some internal motivation to set your goals and create your milestones. To achieve this, I recommend two things to do immediately after graduation. First, I encourage you to relax! If you start to feel guilty for not being as productive as you were as a student, remind yourself the amount of work that you put to get here and that it is okay to relish the moment. Use this time to spend to relax! If you start to feel guilty for not being as productive as you were as a student, remind yourself the amount of work that you put to get here and that it is okay to relish the moment. Use this time to spend it with your family and friends who supported you

throughout your journey. Treat yourself to a vacation and allow yourself to decompress. Once you have given yourself this time, the second recommendation I have is to take a macro level view of yourself. What I mean by this is to look back at the last few years when you were a student and evaluate who you were when you started your program and who you became when you finished it. Reflect on the hobbies that you took while in school. Reflect on the courses that particularly inspired you. Reflect on the work that you completed that made you think was something worth doing again. Create a list of these experiences that you enjoyed and that you would love to replicate. Now take this list and brainstorm how you can turn it into short-term projects that you can complete after graduation. I used this strategy after graduation and it allowed me to achieve things I never thought I could or would. For example, I took a creative writing class in school and realized that I loved to write fiction. I made it a goal to write and publish my novel. In two years, I was able to publish a mystery thriller called Halls of Ivy, and years later turned it into a series by publishing a second and third installment. I also learned that I had an entrepreneurial mindset, often starting programs from scratch at my university. I decided to use my interest to open a mobile entertainment company, where I would travel to homes, schools, and churches in my local neighborhood and set up inflatables and laser tag games for events. Years later, the business grew into a full-fledged family recreation center that is enjoyed by many. I set these goals outside of my regular career as a higher education administrator. These projects allowed me to use my college education in ways outside of the ordinary expectations. They allowed me to feel fulfilled as an individual, while also providing joy to others who benefited from these projects. Each of you can make a mark in this world with the unique traits that define you. While I believe that everyone has the ability to do so, only a select few act on it. These select few are the ones that we hear about on the news leading change around the world. Instead of seeing a formal education as the main driver to success, they use it as just one tool in their toolkit towards a bigger project. As a 2019 graduate, you have been given the tools to do something amazing. Use this time to decide what you want to build.

eCommencement Address for the Class of 2019 President Anne Arundel Community College Dr. Dawn Lindsay I want to extend my congratulations to all of the graduates of 2019. Each of you had a dream. You dedicated yourself to achieving that dream. You challenged yourself; you persisted; and you attained. Your accomplishment is impressive and I applaud you for reaching this milestone. You deserve much recognition for your achievement as you have worked hard and likely given up time with family and friends to reach your goal. No doubt you will want to celebrate with them as they share in your excitement at having come this far. I want to recognize the many sacrifices you have made for the reward you have now gained. I also want to recognize that you did not arrive at this place alone. You received support along the way from teachers, staff, family and friends. Consider those who took time out for you, no matter what area they worked in or what role they played. Perhaps it was a friend who reached out when you missed a class; a teacher or administrator who asked about what was going on in your life outside of the classroom; maybe it was a parent or family member who noticed when you were down, when you were struggling or when you werenâ&#x20AC;&#x;t at your best. Perhaps they provided words of encouragement or simply a smile. So often there is someone, or maybe even more than one, who played an important role on your journey.

With their help and your dedication, that journey has opened up even wider. Your future is ahead of you. While you followed one road to this point, you have many more possibilities and directions to consider. As you look ahead, think about what you have done, how you have prepared yourself for the future, and some of the many benefits you have gained along the way. Your experience has exposed you to different types of curriculum, providing different perspectives and approaches. Your academic background includes learning how to look at issues critically, to engage in analytical debate and in the process to consider diverse points of view, thoughts and ideas that at times may have made you uncomfortable. You have learned the value of honesty and teamwork. You have developed a strong work ethic. You have shown that you are dependable and responsible, and have taken initiative. In the process, you have expanded your communications and interpersonal skills. All of these are attributes that may not be listed on a syllabus but are part of what you have experienced and learned in the process.

Know, then, that you move ahead with a strong set of skills and a solid knowledge base, not only in academics but in all of the attributes I just shared. You are more prepared to be successful in both your professional and personal lives. Do not forget that you now join the ranks of lifelong learners, so I encourage to keep learning and growing. Having a growth mindset is important in any work you do, but research shows that the greater your education, the greater your earning power. So there is a concrete monetary reward for advanced learning. Also, doors that were previously closed seem to open up as you pursue your interests, express your talents and apply your learning. I want to acknowledge, too, the many people who use their talents to give back to their communities. Year after year, I have the great pleasure of seeing graduates who have discovered their gifts and in turn, shared – and continue to share – those gifts with others. From launching new businesses to caring for others in one of the many health professions to solving engineering problems to lifting people‟s hearts through the performing and visual arts. Each new class of graduates seems to surpass the previous in their creative application of what they have learned and what they can accomplish.

Now that is your challenge and my charge to you. How will you serve others through the talents you have uncovered and the skills you have begun to develop? The world needs you, and you are now poised to answer the call. Moving forward, I encourage you to take on assignments that no one else jumps at and that will make you valuable to others. Take risks. There is no other way to innovate. It is the only way to grow. I also urge you to find a mentor or even mentors. The advice gained from experienced leaders and those who can “show you the ropes” will benefit you for years to come. A mentor can help you widen your perspective of the field or profession, provide objective advice and offer encouragement. You will also gain connections and expand your professional relationships. Along the way, keep setting and resetting goals. Aim your sights high and as you check one goal off, set your sights even higher.

I am so excited for you. Every spring as we watch the flowers bloom and the earth renew itself, it is truly a joy to see students do the same thing by reaching their full potential. I have every confidence that with the foundation you have laid, you are just getting started. And, yet, you are well on your way. Again, congratulations! Take the time to celebrate your success. This is a huge accomplishment. The accolades you receive now and in the future are well earned. I wish you continued success in the future.

Class of 2019

Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2019. You have reached another milestone in life and should be proud of your accomplishments. As you reflect on the years of hard work, commitment and determination that you have invested, be sure to keep your eyes focused on your personal and professional goals and aspirations. Remember, that your future lies ahead of younot behind. Keep forging ahead! ~ Dr. Audrey Artis, Ed.D.

What do you Are There Commonalities That Doctoral Learners Present When They Contact You for Coaching?

Lyn Walden, EdS, EdD, PhD

Over the past 25 plus years, I have noticed commonalities with doctoral learners who contact me for coaching. (Doctoral candidates usually just contact me for editing or qualitative analysis. If they make it past IRB and Quality Review, they most always understand what is required to finish.) Doctoral learners are often confused why their position paper is rejected. We all have issues in life that we believe are important. However, a dissertation is not the platform to use against some perceived wrong. A position paper is biased; the results are on the first page of the proposal. Examples of position papers are (a) school principals are too demanding and are condescending to staff. (b) The police treat minorities unfairly. (c) Transformational bosses treat their employees better than transactional bosses do. In these examples, the doctoral learner just wants to make a point. The results are given on page one. These papers are full of biased remarks. Doctoral learners will always have these papers rejected. However, if a learner is willing, these papers can easily be changed to research papers. Significant and benefit society: Often, I read proposals that are well written but have no significance. A dissertation must show that their research study has significance to society. Example: I have a beautiful deaf cat and if she manages to get outside, she would have no way of detecting danger. I would have no way to call her. This is quite significant to me; however, I doubt few people would find this study worthwhile. A dissertation on the perils that await a deaf cat is only significant to a handful of people. Gap in the Literature: Cigarettes are linked to cancer. Yes, this is a significant problem, but this issue has been researched ad nauseam. If you put "cigarettes" and" cancer" in the search bar for EBSCOhost, I imagine you would be amazed at the number of articles written on this subject.

There is no gap in the literature here.

Literature Reviews are often rejected because the learner just wrote a glorified book report. A research paper must contain detailed information from several peer-reviewed articles. The learner then must synthesize this information. A Literature Review must contain peer-reviewed articles similar to the learner's proposal. Then, the learner must explain this similarity. Most universities require a minimum of 50 peer-reviewed, current (published within five years of the date the dean signs the dissertation) articles in the Literature Review.

You can use this however you want: Earning a doctoral degree is dependent on more than just intellect and desire. The core requirements needed for completion include the ability to write well, think critically, follow directions, and dedicate the necessary time and energy. In a report prepared for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Conley (2007) noted, "Writing may be by far the single academic skill most closely associated with college success" (p. 4). However, I am astonished by the number of doctoral candidates who lack even rudimentary writing skills or even have an elementary grasp of statistics. Without these two skills, pouring money and time in the pursuit of a doctoral degree is a futile endeavor. Q. How long do you think it takes to write a dissertation? A. Several factors cause the time to vary widely. Some universities have faster turnaround times in Quality Review and IRB than do other universities. Some mentors and committee members are speedier than are others. Some mentors are more demanding than are others. The dean or the formal editor

can hold up the process. Writing the dissertation is not what is so time consuming; in my opinion, waiting on or satisfying the demands of others is what is so time consuming. If all things fall in place and no unexpected challenges occur, I would venture an approximation of nine months to a year to write and move a dissertation through the process. With this said, however, 15 to 18 months is not an uncommon time commitment. Of course, stopping or taking a break will stretch out the time. Not following directions to the point of obsession will lengthen the time. Not understanding the dissertation must be perfect and ensuring this perfection will greatly lengthen the time. Not keeping track of references will lengthen the time. Many variables exist that make this a difficult question to answer. Q. How long does each step of the process take and can it be hurried?

A. My advice is to submit a product as close to perfect as possible at the start of each dissertation class. Most classes are eight weeks in duration. If you consider a one to two-week turn around for every correction that must be made, just add up the weeks: Two to three revisions by your mentor equals four to six weeks assuming you make the corrections expeditiously. Both committee members typically need to review your work after your mentor allows you to submit to them. Assuming one to two revisions from committee, adds another two to four weeks. Submission to Quality Review (either for your proposal or for your dissertation) can take two weeks to a month. IRB can easily take a month or two. The pilot study and collecting data add another month to six weeks. Analyzing data and writing up the analysis can take two weeks to a month. The dean and formal editor can add another month to your journey. Trying to schedule your oral defense can take upwards of a month. Now, just add up the weeks/months. However, please notice, in this breakdown, I have not mentioned the time you will need to write, conduct research, or edit your dissertation.

My advice is to keep a log of all changes asked by your mentor and committee members and make 100% certain that you adhere to all their recommendations. Do not submit a hastily prepared draft. Take your time and submit perfection each time. Do not sit idle when your paper is with a committee or with your mentor. Keep moving, keep polishing, keep preparing for the next step. Do not waste a minute.

Wives Share Their Thoughts Why It Is Important for Their Husbands and Other Males of Color to Share Their Challenges and Victories!

A powerful book all men of color should read

What the Foo Fighters Among Others Teach Educators By Karen Gross, Esq. @KarenGrossEdu One of the mistakes we make in education, and in life in general, is that we see some issues as hugely important when they are not, and we see other issues as trivial when they are deeply important. This inversion allows us to be easily thrown off our game so to speak. And, there are two recent examples, both in the sports arena, of where something trivial has been blown way out of proportion with loads of attention and something serious has not been taken sufficiently seriously and has not received the attention it merits. My message to readers: educational leaders need to step it up and avoid wimping out – on both identified issues. Let‘s start with a story that has generated considerable interest, when it deserves no interest except to reflect on the foolishness of the NCAA. Foo Fighters, a well-known hard rock (grunge) band with aging musicians, was playing in May 2018 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. (I had to listen to them just to confirm their existence and their ages since they are not on my music radar screen). Before the concert, I suspect in an effort to relax, the band members started a pick-up soccer game and invited some soccer players from the University of Kentucky (male and female) and their coaches to participate. (There were two games.) It happened to also be the week before exams at the University. Thus, the pick-up game occurred at a time when NCAA rules prohibit players and coaches from working together. So, an NCAA rule was violated, the university self-reported the infraction and the players were sanctioned – albeit it mildly in that they did not miss a game.

Now, here‘s what I don‘t get. Why would anyone spend even a nano-second thinking about this as something bad and violating an NCAA rule? Players die or get concussions or get cheated out of an education or get paid or get hooked up with hookers and the universities get off lightly. Those are real infractions. And, sure, serious practices the week before exams may be unwise unless you think, as do I, that physicality relieves the tension and stress of exam preparation. The sin here: college DI players playing pick-up soccer with band members between ages 46 and 59? Please. So, just to be sure I wasn‘t missing something, I checked on the backgrounds of the band members to make sure they were not professional soccer players in disguise, giving the Kentucky players and coaches some extraordinary advantage in conference play and requiring some serious coaching intervention. I wanted to make sure the coaches didn‘t need to actually coach. OK, the band members are in good physical shape; they biked around town in Lexington but serious soccer players they are not Why wouldn‘t we, instead of sanctions, think about making lasting memories for these students --- and this sure qualifies if you are a young person. (Notice they were going to a concert before an exam and that isn‘t prohibited. Years from now, these students can tell their children and grandchildren and friends that they played soccer with the Foo Fighters. And for the record, lest one think there is any academic connection – Foo Fighters does not stand for food fight (as in the movie Animal House); no, it stands for a military term used to refer to unidentified flying objects. And yes, the band was involved in a fracas involving AIDS, where they supported a nonbeliever in the disease. They weren‘t angels to be clear. Here‘s the educational lesson: we need to keep our eye on the ball --- focusing on what really matters and ignoring what is trivial, even if it breaks some rule. Now to the opposite situation, a real one in which we have not spoken up loudly enough. Everyone is familiar, more or less, with the professional football quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, who refused to stand for the National Anthem. He was protesting police violence and racial inequality. This behavior isn‘t

new; it dates back to 2016. Other players started to follow Kaepernick‘s lead. This led, to be kind, to reverse protests, people thinking the players were disloyal to America. Unpatriotic. The President chimed in support of the team owners. Many veterans sided with Kaepernick, asserting they found for the very right he was exercising.

scared to do so. Here is a chance to speak up and out on issues that matter: finding a passion and believing in something bigger than oneself and sticking by principle even though the risks are high. One would think religious colleges could get on this bandwagon.

Then, there was the issue of Kaepernick not being offered a job by a single NFL team and the accusation that he had been, in essence, black listed. To be sure, it seems as if at least one NFL team actually did consider a try-out (at least for a bit) but long story short, he was and still is unemployed as a football player.

Aren‘t these precisely promoting what are essential purposes of education: helping students find their passion, establishing a set of beliefs worth fighting for like the greater good and becoming leaders?

But, with the help of NIKE, who made him the center of a new advertising campaign, Kaepernick has not fallen off the proverbial planet. No indeed. The campaign, a celebration of the ―Just Do It‖ advertisements, appeared on television for the first NFL game. The wording on the ad: ―Believe in something even if it means sacrificing everything.‖ For Kaepernick, the ad is referencing his belief in equality and need to curb police brutality. The ad has power. Before the NIKE advertisement, some high school and college players followed the Kaepernick lead, with mixed results. Some protests were permitted while other athletes were booted from teams. We can debate the intrusion on student-athlete First Amendment rights and whether institutions are making the ―right‖ decision regarding kneeling at sporting events on their campuses. What I want to address here is the recent effort of a few universities to ban or consider banning NIKE products for their athletes, in essence terminating their relationship with the company. I assume they are not banning students who are not athletes, or who are athletes and not on a field, from wearing NIKE. I can‘t think of a protest that makes less sense. Why do that? Why aren‘t the administrators not listening to student voice, assuming of course that students favor retaining NIKE as a provider of athletic clothing and as a sponsor? And, where is the outrage among other college leaders when their peers seek to ban NIKE? Missing. College and University presidents have an opportunity to use their bully pulpit although many seem too

Whether institutions can ditch NIKE with impunity and without penalty is a legal issue but that is not my point here. To be sure, if the school had no contract, that‘s a different issue altogether. An (as in one) article in InsideHigherEd, one of the key media outlets in education, had 39 comments on this topic as of the date of this piece – and I read every one. Where are the educators, especially presidents, speaking out loudly about standing up for principle? Where are the educators speaking out loudly about the difficulty of holding to ideals in the midst of controversy? Where are the educators talking about what we value and why? For me, the latter issue makes the Foo Fighter incident pale. And it leaves me wondering why leaders are so reluctant to fight hard publicly. Leaders are missing an opportunity – a vastly greater one than punishing students in a pick-up game.

Apropos of that, don‘t get me started on Serena and people who think she overreacted to losing a game in a Grand Slam Final. Just for the record, start by looking at changes made to Michigan State Alumni Magazine to avoid too much ―negativity‖ surrounding sexual assault. We have teachable lessons coming at us in all directions. We are, to use a phrase from the name of a Foo Fighter album, wasting light.

Class of 2019

“Graduates from the Class of 2019-- Congratulations! Now is the time to create your opportunity. Keep in mind, opportunity does not always knock, sometimes you must build your own door. Good luck!” Steven Baker, College Park Academy’s Middle School Principal

Black Students by Victimized An Obsolete Education Process! By Mel Hawkins @melhawk46

Conventional wisdom suggests that the reason why so many black boys and girls fail in school is because of poverty, discrimination, and segregation. That same conventional thinking blames poverty, discrimination, and segregation for the schoolhouse to jailhouse track

that makes young blacks almost 6 times more likely to end up in jail or prison than their white classmates. It is the same for the fact that blacks are more than six times more likely to be victims of murder and almost 3 times more likely to be killed by police. We also lay blame, at that same altar,

for the fact that income levels of black families in the U.S. are more than a full third below the incomes of white families.iv What if there is a different reason for these travesties? What if the reason why so many Americans of color live in poverty and are powerless in the face of discrimination and segregation is that they failed at school; not the other way around? What if poverty and segregation exist, in the wake of discrimination, because so few children of color leave school with the knowledge and skills necessary to help them overcome discrimination and make a life for themselves. I suggest to you that the failure of multiple generations of black children have left us with communities full of men and women who are entrapped in the cycles of poverty and hopelessness. As a result, they do not get the justice they deserve, nor do they enjoy a fair share of the American dream. This reality also allows millions of other Americans to justify, in their

minds, the bitterness, resentment, and bigotry that divides us a nation. We may not be able to legislate a change in their hearts, but we can force those Americans to find someone else to blame for the resentment and rancor that poisons their hearts, minds, and souls. It is a chicken versus the egg conundrum to be sure, but what we choose to believe about the unpleasant realities in our lives has an enormous impact on our ability to overcome them. When we blame our bad fortune on other people or some external power and consider our problems to be beyond our control, we feel powerless and hopeless to do anything to change our fate. Consider a simple question after examining this data: According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also

known as the Nation‘s Report Card, which is a project mandated by Congress and Administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), less than twenty percent of black 4th grade and 8th grade students achieve at a level of academic performance that the NAEP has defined as ―Proficient or above‖ in both Math and Reading.V This is significant because the NAEP defines ―Proficient,‖ among other things, as having: “demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter . . . [and] application of such knowledge to real-world situations, . . . .”VI

In other words, a student is not ―proficient‖ in a subject matter unless he or she can use it in the real world. If that weren‘t disturbing enough, the data go on to show that, of black 12th graders, less than 20 percent are proficient in Reading, and less than 10 percent are proficient in Math. No wonder so many young black men and women are unable to overcome the challenges of poverty, discrimination, and segregation. No wonder so many of these young people return to their communities, bereft of choices. The simple question I ask readers to consider is: “Do black children perform so poorly in school because so many of them are incapable of learning?” I reject such a notion, categorically; I imagine you do, too!

Consider an alternate possibility. “What if the reason so many black children perform so badly is that the education process is poorly designed to help them overcome the disadvantages imposed on them because they are poor and black?” I would choose the latter possibility? How about you? If we elect to buy-in to the first suggestion, that black children are incapable of learning, then we truly are both hopeless and powerless to alter

the reality of poverty, discrimination, and segregation in America. If, however, we choose the second question the appropriate follow-up question is monumental: â&#x20AC;&#x153;If the education process is poorly designed to meet the needs of black and other disadvantaged children, why are we content to sit by, year after year, and allow whole generations of children to be chewed up and spit out by an education process that is incapable of meeting their needs despite the valiant effort of public school teachers?â&#x20AC;?

behind a powerful new idea, we can change the world. We can, finally, bring to life the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the other heroes of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. Given what is happening in the White House, we dare not delay action! Please join me in this mission.

I suggest to you that the existing education process is obsolete and beyond repair and that public-school teachers are as entrapped as their students. All the incremental improvements in the world will not enable a Model T Ford to win the Daytona 500. If we want better outcomes, we must reinvent an education process that, not only gives these children the education they deserve and so desperately need, but also gives American society a generation of young people to whom the future of our nation can be entrusted.

Reinventing the education process is a simple human-engineering problem that I have endeavored to solve. I have created an education model focused on success and crafted around the work of our teachers and students. I invite you to examine my model at http://www.melhawkinsandassociates.com/educa tion-model-white-paper/. I also ask for your support in bringing this vision to life. All the protests, complaints, and demonstrations we can organize will not fix what is wrong with our country. If we truly want to bring about transformative change, we must rally around a positive idea and take it to the American people, starting with those who are most affected by the challenges we face and who are desperate for a place at the table. If men and women of color, and the organizations that advocate for them, would join forces with well-meaning public-school educators

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/graphs/raceinc.htm

https://www.statista.com/statistics/251877/murdervictims-in-the-us-by-race-ethnicity-and-gender/ iii

https://www.statista.com/statistics/585152/peopleshot-to-death-by-us-police-by-race/ iv

http://blackdemographics.com/wpcontent/uploads/2018/08/African-American-Income1967-to-2016.png v

https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/guides/

NCES Glossary

vii

NCES

Living Education Everyday

Have you ever scolded a student to hear, "Well, that‘s a dumb rule!‖ Then, your frustration level rises, and you begin to think, "Why don't they just follow the rules?". Rules play a very special role, not only in society but throughout the fabric of our school system. If a student breaks a rule, there must be a consequence to teach the student a lesson, enacting a process that sets the school administrator, teacher, and most importantly the student down a path of failure. When this archaic understanding of the enforcement of rules happens, and behaviors don‘t change, educators all over the country are left feeling frustrated and powerless because expectations aren‘t met, behavior doesn‘t change, and there doesn‘t seem to be a viable solution to the school discipline problem. If it is our goal as educators to move toward better solutions and changed behavior, we must first address the biggest misconception plaguing our profession, and it is rooted in the word DISCIPLINE. As a former middle school administrator who transi tioned from the classroom to the front office at the age of 28, I was thrust into an unknown world. When I was given my WalkieTalkie and keys to the building, by default, I became the campus disciplinarian. I was now responsible for changing the behavior of my students who broke the rules or persistently misbehaved by enacting sequences and matrices that ultimately led to them being excluded from campus. I was forced by policy, law, or protocol to rely on the three archaic tools of behavior management given to every administrator who has occupied the role of

Well, That’s a Dumb Rule! How Rules, Relationships, and Responsibility Intermingle Rufus Lott, III @lott_edu

disciplinarian; In School Suspension, Out of School Suspension, and some loss of privilege to change the behavior of the students who were causing the most disruptions to the learning environment. When those things didn‘t work, I was forced to re-issue those said consequences in longer durations, or with more frequency. Doing this over and over again, experiencing student behavior recidivism, and chasing a solution to an ever-growing problem, I set out to understand the true meaning of the word DISCIPLINE. Typically, in education, the word DISCIPLINE has a very negative connotation. When we think of the word discipline, we usually think of consequences (In School Suspension (ISS), Out of School Suspension (OSS), detention, punishment, etc.). But the true meaning of the word discipline is simply to teach or to train. It is rooted in the word discipleship. This meaning makes perfect sense in the context of a ―discipline referral.‖ Instead of the discipline referral being the beginning of a process that

ultimately will lead to a consequence or punishment, the referral should be designed in a way to teach and train the student, who is experiencing a behavioral breakdown, to live up to the behavioral expectations. That teaching and training of the student cannot be done in isolation, but rather as a collective effort between the person who has submitted the discipline referral and the student who is breaking the rules. This is where the violations of rules must become violations of relationships. If our goal in schools is to build, maintain, and sustain relationships, then every violation of rules can be broken down to a breach of relationship. For instance, if two individuals have a positive, long-lasting friendship and one friend decides to steal something from the other person anger, frustration, and distrust by the victim, inhibits their ability to maintain their friendship. Stealing, which we will consider the rule, has now become a part of their relationship and it is up to the two friends to decide how to get stealing out of the middle of their relationship so that they can figure out how to forgive and to move forward amicably. In school when a student becomes disrespectful or uses profanity toward an adult or another student, we must ask what the status of the relationship is and what has broken down where profanity or disrespect has become a part of it. When we see rules for more than inanimate objects written on the wall and see the violations of rules as violations Continue on page 46

Full Parent Partnership Ayize Sabater @AyizeS

Many have recently returned to school. With that return, many schools hope that this year, parents and/or families will be involved with the school in a greater way than in past years. However, the question is `how are schools positioning themselves to be in full partnership with parents?' I begin by pulling from the work of Auerbach (2010) to define `full parent partnership'. In discussing a power-sharing relationship between educators and parents, Auerbach presents an assertion that forms the basis of this essay's discussion of full parent partnership. Full parent partnership is described as "respectful alliances among educators, families, and community groups that value relationship building, dialogue, and power-sharing" (Auerbach, 2010, p. 729). This presents a picture of full parent partnership, which includes not only parents but any that serve as the student's care-taker(s), and features a two-way respectful teamwork approach between parents and educators. Goodall and Montgomery (2014) present a model where parents move from superficial involvement to deeper levels of engagement. This essay /

posits that Goodall and Montgomery's second level on the continuum further helps to inform this idea of `full parent partnership'. Goodall and Montgomery's (2014) work, describes a second level within their relational continuum, which features a two-way "dialogue between parents and [school] staff" and educational interventions occurring after "jointly planned and [sometimes] led by parentâ&#x20AC;Śconsultations" (p. 407).

Indeed, the works of Auerbach and Goodall and Montgomery offer some important concepts (such as respect, teamwork, power-sharing), which support full parent partnership. To be clear, full parent/family partnership is different from the deficit-based `parental involvement' model that far too many educators regularly utilize as their standard operating procedure. The deficit-based parental involvement' model often has educators superficially involving parents in pleasantries such as bake-sales, or `donuts with dad' gatherings or if parents volunteer, then they are principally seen decorating the bulletin board (Auerbach, 2010). This `scratch the surface' deficit-based `parental involvement' model holds that parents are empty vessels and that schools must fill them up with ways to be `involved' in their children's education. This is the â&#x20AC;&#x2014;banking concept' of education, which was discussed concerning students by Paulo Freire in his watershed book Pedagogy of the Oppressed and I am broadening that concept by indicting that it also applies to how many educators relate to parents (Freire, 1968). Freire (1968) continues that educators, many wellintentioned, attempt to do `for' the students instead of engaging in the learning process `with' students. Again, I am extending Freire's ideas to parents and I am asserting that this is how many educators, also, relate not only to students but also to parents. However, on the contrary, educators who are interested in full parent partnership realize that the idea of doing `with' parents is one of three key elements of that `full parent partnership.' The working `with' parents framework idea asserts that educators support, encourage and include parents in decision making roles that relate to their children's learning and the overall school. The working `with' parents framework concept

supposes that educators have the visionary leadership that is willing to set the tone, tempo and is willing to share `power' with the parents. In short, willing leadership is the second key element to full parent partnership. If leadership values the knowledge, experiences, and potential of parents then that leadership may be willing to invest in parent engagement. The final element is the resources. Educators and parents need to allocate resources to enact this teamwork approach and the resources to evaluate this full partnership model. By putting resources to fully support, encourage and train, then educators are attempting to position parents to participate fully in their child's learning as well as the decision-making processes within the school. Together these three elements (visionary leadership, a working `with' parent framework and dedicated resources to enact and evaluate full parent partnership), hold the potential to truly involve parents in greater and transformative ways. Now, parental involvement is a topic that I have researched extensively but moreover, I have recently been moved to testify before Maryland state legislatures to advocate for â&#x20AC;&#x2014;full parent partnership'.

For the last eighteen months, Maryland policymakers have been engaged in a process of recalculating the state's public school funding formula. This process is known as the Commission on Innovation and Excellence, or it is also known as the "Kirwan Commission" (named after the Commission's chairman, William Kirwan). This is a critical educational matter because in Maryland this Commission is expected to recommend that elected officials allocate two-three billion dollars per year for funding the state's public schools. While I am not advocating for billions, I am recommending that policy-makers allocate a minimal but dedicated funding line-item for ‗full parent partnership,' because my research demonstrates that this may help to positively transform the educational landscape. I write this essay, at the start of this school year, to share some thoughts about some effective ways that schools might engage parents in the learning process, but moreover, I write to ask that others to consider joining me by contacting their local policy-makers to advocate for ‗full parent partnership'. Positive educational transformation, according to the legendary educational researcher Ron Edmonds, is possible when society "encourage[s] parents' attention to politics as the greatest instrument of instructional reform extant…" (Edmonds, 1979, p. 23). References Auerbach, S. (2010). Beyond Coffee With the Principal: Toward Leadership for Authentic SchoolFamily Partnerships. Journal of School Leadership, Vol. 20, 728-757. Edmonds, R. (1979). Effective Schools for the Urban Poor. Educational Leadership, 15-24. Freire, P. (1968). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: The Seabury Press. Goodall, J. a. (2014). Parental involvement to parental engagement: a continuum. Educational Review, Vol. 66(4), 399-410. Wasserman, D. a. (2018). Toward Authentic Family Engagement with Counter-Narrative and SelfDetermination. Journal of Underrepresented and Minority Progress (JUMP), Vol 2 (1), 32-43.

改善 Practice Kaizen- The Japanese Version of Self-Improvement Daniel Blanchard

@dan007blanchard

Helen Keller once said that there was no such thing as security in this world. “Security doesn’t exist,” she said. Well, I know Helen Keller was an amazing woman who did some remarkable things, and if she said that security doesn’t exist, and basically that everything you have can be taken from you tomorrow, then she’s probably right. However, no one is perfect; after all, we’re all just mortals, right? And my Granddaddy once told me that everything should be questioned or at least thought about. So here I am thinking about it. Hmm… What if some kind of security does exist… What form would it be in? And where would it be? I got it! If security ever existed, then I think it might have been ironically in the post-WWII Japan in their newly acquired culture of Kaizen. After WWII, Kaizen became a way of life for the badly damaged Japan. At this point in history, the Japanese were living in a war-torn country where even General MacArthur couldn’t count on being able to make a phone call when necessary. And if the General of the U.S. Army who was in charge of rebuilding Japan after WWII couldn’t count on being able to make a phone call, then obviously there was some real problems, right? The solution to their problems came in the form of Kaizen. After WWII the Japanese knew Continue on page 44

Author’s Corner Book Spotlight

And I Don't Surrender to Stigmas and Judgments Miriam Whitehead-Brice @INWARDACTS This is a book of my memoirs. I wrote this book for freedom's sake. It is also for that person who thinks that there is no hope in their situation. I am encouraging someone for life. Be a productive member of society, and please know, whatever you go through in life should not affect your purpose. It should refine it. I am an example of ―Life After Diagnosis.‖ I have been through some rough times but, the word ―through‖ means there's an exit.

Just because you're graduating college, it doesn't mean you're done reading books and learning. Formal schooling only gets our feet off of the ground. The self-learning and self-assigned homework that follows our formal education are what will fly us to where we want to be in this world, doing what we want to be doing in making this world a better place for our children someday! Daniel Blanchard

How is illiteracy linked to our everyday lives? Lynne Morgan The link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure.‖ Huffington Post Hello. My name is Lynne Morgan. I am a retired Spanish teacher from the town of Hopedale, Massachusetts. During my 30 year career, I wrote the curriculum for teaching Spanish to elementary aged children which included third graders. I was surprised to learn that a third grade student, who could not read by the end of third grade, would become a high school drop out! The other side of the coin was a child, who read at grade level by the end of third grade, had a 99% certainty that he would never be incarcerated.(Reading Horizons.com) This was disturbing to me, so when I retired I decided to write a book about a dog named Crackers to entice children, especially third graders, to read. After all, everyone loves a puppy and this puppy helped my husband and I raise our family and was a special dude. Anyway, the book (CRACKERS) was well received and I ended up writing two more. (CRACKERS, FBI and other adventures) and (CRACKERS and HIS FRIENDS) The third one, published in 2018, won top prize in the children‘s category from Mill City Press. I continue to speak and read wherever I can. I am happy to inform your readers what I have learned about literacy and illiteracy. It is difficult to know where to begin concerning the subject of illiteracy and our everyday lives. Let‘s start from the beginning. Let‘s start with children and their first day of school. Children arrive on their first day of school eager and smiling. Some of them will have come from backgrounds very different from those classmates sitting next to them. Some of these children will have come from parents, or parent, who cannot read. These children most likely will have not had the experience of being read to or being taught how to read. These children are already at a disadvantage because they are behind before they even begin. As the teacher begins to be aware of the students‘

abilities, they are divided into reading groups. Children are savvy and they soon learn that the red birds are the ―smart kids‖ and the blue birds are the ―dumb kids.‖ This is when the blue birds begin to lose their self-esteem and the red birds begin to feel really good about themselves. Perhaps this is where bullying begins. The importance of reading to children before they enter school cannot be over emphasized. The benefits go beyond reading. Every parent should be aware of the self-esteem that will grow in the child who is read to. The child is aware of the love that is shown by the parent who takes time out of a busy day to read to his child. The sound of the parent‘s voice, the pronunciation of the written words, and the intimacy of the setting are strong indicators to the child of how important he is to his parent. It becomes a treasured time together. The psychological influence that comes from a parent reading to a child is profound. The intellectual evidence shows that children who read at home or are read to at home have a higher success rate in school according to the National Center for Educational Success. These children will be further ahead and more relaxed. These are the children who will want to go to school. The disadvantaged child will rarely be able to catch up because of the economic background and illiterate heritage he comes from. Billions of dollars have been spent on reading programs for these children but illiteracy continues to grow at a staggering rate. Entire cities with high illiteracy rates face a declining economic prospect. The Houston Chronicle reported that, due to illiteracy, America suffers ―$225 billion lost annually because of unemployment, lack of workplace productivity and crime.‖ To better understand this, let‘s return to the high school dropout who couldn‘t read in third grade. He looks for a job but can‘t find one. He gets involved with people in his same situation. He commits crimes and is incarcerated. Did you know that 90% of high school dropouts are on welfare and 85% of delinquents who appear before a magistrate in court are illiterate? If he is a she, she often becomes pregnant and is alone. (US literacy statistics) Continue on page 44

UNPLUGGED Miriam Whitehead-Brice @INWARDACTS

Sharing the Lessons of Life While Living, Thriving and Loving with HIV

Founder of the grassroots organization called SYSTEM. She is explosively impacting the lives of those who need to hear the experiences of people overcoming what is trying to overwhelm them. Miriam says, â&#x20AC;&#x2022;The purpose-filled possibilities in lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s situations, circumstances, and diagnoses are endless!" The 54 year old, Wife of twenty years, Mother of three, Grandmother of four, Author, Inspirational Poetess, and Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, wholeheartedly believes that there is Life After any Diagnosis. She declares "people affiliated with SYSTEM will become dynamic and more productive forces in their communities living their best lives!"

Living Education Everyday

Student Safety By Catherine Nwosu @CatherineNwosu Let‘s talk about student safety. As an educator, we begin every teacher Fall back to school orientation with student safety trainings. We discuss what to do in the event of a ―lockdown‖ or ―BuildingMode‖. In 2018, as schools, we must have a plan for fire, medical, and active intruders. Every month our students practice these drills, alongside with fire drills. For those who may not be familiar with safety terminology, a lockdown drill is a practice drill in the event that there is an active threat inside of our building. For each lockdown drill, we must lock the doors, cover the windows, and instruct students to hide and be silent. In the United States of America (USA), it is now the norm to practice these emergency practices to prepare students for such an event. These practices occur in rural and urban schools alike, at all levels, from elementary to high school. With my parent hat on, there is no greater responsibility a school can have than to keep my children safe. As scary as this conversation is, I am in support of anything that can be done to prevent school shootings. I have two young children and for me, it terrifies me that some of the solutions that have been proposed involve arming educators with firearms. In my opinion, this is not and should not be the answer. While educators are by and large wonderful, thoughtful, loving people, they should not be asked to carry firearms as well. What if a student got a hold of the firearm the teacher has in her possession? Or worse, what if a teacher used a gun against a student for disciplinary reasons? Beyond creating school safety measures to prevent school shootings, educators must also create a school environment where children feel safe and are happy to go to school every day. School safety also includes having a plan in place to deal with trauma that may occur outside of school hours. As an educator who works in an urban setting, my colleagues and I deal with the emotional

trauma that children are subjected to as a result of gun violence. At the National level, the conversation centers around the impact of gun violence on children while students are in school. But I believe that is the wrong topic of discussion. I believe the conversation at the federal level should focus on the impact of gun violence on children during school and after school hours. As an educator, I like to share a few case studies related to my personal experiences with students that I have had the privilege to work with. All names have been changed to protect the students and their families. In spring 2016, I served as a proctor for a group of 5th-grade students for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC) assessment. This test is a standardized test and is administered nationally. I did not know these students well because I normally work with a different grade level. In approximately two weeks, I had the opportunity to build relationships with this group of students. One Monday, I came in to work with this group and asked the students about their weekend. The response was generic, except for one of my female students. For this scenario, we will call her Zora. She put her head down and began to cry. She seemed genuinely upset. Without calling too much attention to her, asked her to step out so that she could talk with a leader. I told her that if she wanted to talk, we could talk after the PARCC session. Zora left the room, gained her composure, and returned to the testing session. After the test, she asked me if shrapnel could kill someone. She asked me this question in such a way that was very straight forward. The tone in her question was as normal as if she wanted to know the color of the sky. I told her that I wasn‘t positive, but I was certain that it would likely cause injury, but not kill. Zora then proceeded to tell me that her Dad was caught in a drive-by shooting over the weekend. Apparently, she overheard her mother talking about the shooting over the phone. Zora was concerned because she wasn‘t supposed to know that this occurred. She hadn‘t had the opportunity to talk to her father and wasn‘t sure how he was doing. While this child‘s story will not end up on national news, I believe it is important to bring into this conversation because gun violence doesn‘t just impact children when they are inside the school building. It also doesn‘t just impact children when they are directly involved, it impacts them when it involves an adult that they care about. I would urge legislators to engage children on this issue and ask students what would make them feel safer both inside and outside of school. I am confident that these children are wise beyond their years and would have logical answers. After the National March for Our Lives demonstration in Washington, DC in March of 2018, the Kojo

Namdi Show hosted a town hall meeting. The show included students and focused was on gun violence in Washington, DC. Students and community leaders were invited to attend. I, too, attended this event, which was later broadcast on the radio. During this event, we discussed the real life situations that impact children in urban settings and how to navigate the issues related to gun violence and safety. One African American 10th grader, we‘ll call him ―Andrew‖, shared his story with us. Andrew stated that to get to school on time, he had to catch multiple buses. It was dark in the morning when he left for school and dark in the evening when he came home. Andrew traveled alone to and from school. On one occasion, he was robbed and held at gun point. Andrew complied and gave the person his wallet and phone. While Andrew walked away physically unharmed, he lost his ability to feel safe in his travels to school. After speaking with his family, they agreed that he should carry a knife on him as protection, for safety reasons while going to and from school. The high school that Andrew attends has a zero-tolerance policy for weapons. It also has metal detectors. The first time he had the knife, it was confiscated and a mandatory parent meeting was held. Unfortunately, there was no solution proposed for how to keep Andrew safe on his commute to and from school. Andrew‘s parents gave him their blessing to continue to carry a knife for protection. At a future date, he was suspended for his subsequent self-carry. In that same town hall, students were asked to stand if they know someone or if they had personally been affected by gun violence. Nearly every young person in attendance was standing in a room of about 40 teenagers. Students were then asked to stand if they have lost a close friend or family member to gun violence. Approximately sixty students were standing. This experience was heart- breaking. There hasn‘t been a school shooting in Washington, DC in recent memory. That leaves me with the question ―Why is our focus on preventing school shootings?‖ Shouldn‘t the question be ―How can we reduce the number of shootings and violence that occur outside of the school setting?‖ or ―How can we support young people who are facing these challenges?‖ When we think about education policy, we must

involve all stakeholders in the discussion. Otherwise, we may be attempting to solve the wrong problem. Perhaps the problem isn‘t gun violence in school. Perhaps the real problem is much larger than that and encompasses both school and community prevention. It seems that the most important voices missing from this conversation on school safety on a national level are our young people, particularly our students from urban communities. Until our legislative level mirrors that of people from all walks of life, our young people in urban America will not have an appropriate voice in this conversation about gun violence, as it relates to schools and the communities where these students live. Across the US, our main focus should be student safety, especially for parents, educators or legislators. After all, if a child isn‘t safe, they cannot show up and learn. They cannot interact with adults or their peers in a way that will enable them to thrive. We should also think about the impact that our policies have on students like Andrew. How can we all come to the table to solve the issues of safety inside and outside of our schools? I believe we can do it together. But we still have a long way to go, considering equality in education and inclusion of the urban student experience. Our children, from all walks of life, all age and demographic groups are hurting. They are crying out for help. If we don‘t listen, we are missing key opportunities to support these children. Gun violence and school shootings have a lot in common. It‘s about time we become intentional at looking at how the two are related. If you‘d like to connect with me, you can email me at cbnwosu@gmail.com Or you can find me on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinenwosu/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catherine.nwosu Twitter: https://twitter.com/catherinenwosu

Living Education Everyday

Class of 2019

“Graduates, congratulations!! Remember that the degree you just earned is a ticket simply to play the game—now you must work the degree! Serve people and maximize opportunities from this point on! You’re built for it!!” Dr. MarQo Jusreall Patton

How is illiteracy continued from page 36

Literacy is essential for a successful economy. There can be no hospitals, pharmacies, grocery or clothing stores without literacy. There can be no doctors, nurses, teachers, lawyers‘ scientists or entrepreneurs without literacy. Literacy is essential to our economy, our wellbeing, our relationships, our lifelong learning, our livelihood and much more. It is frightening to note that technology may be producing a decline in critical thinking and analysis. Children are not reading for pleasure like they use to. They put down their books and pick up their smart phones, iPads, iPods, and connect with social media.

Certainly, we cannot do without technology. But what are we to do about the stagnant state of literacy in our country today? Here are a few more statistics about illiteracy from www.literacyinc.com. One child in four grows up not knowing how to read. 16 to 19 year old girls at poverty level and below with below average reading skills are 6 times more likely to have out of wedlock children who in turn will have below average reading skills or none at all.

   

46% of adults cannot understand their prescription labels. 50% of adults are unable to read an 8th grade level book. 33% of high school grads never read a book after high school. 19% of high school grads can‘t read.

I repeat, what are we to do about the stagnant state of literacy in our country today? I think it will take more than a series of books about a dog named Crackers, but I will continue to do my small part. I hope someone out there will find the answer to solve this epidemic. Lynne Morgan www.crackerslmorgan.com https://twitter.com/LynneAuthor “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn the more places you’ll go.” Dr. Seuss

Practice Kaizen continued from page 33

things couldn’t go back to the way life was before the war. They were going to have to rebuild a bigger, better, and more productive, peace-loving nation. Their goal was to do this, not through a militant culture as they had done in the past, but rather through a culture of humane, constant little improvements. This new way of life for the Japanese was going to be more than just a typical system of quality management, checks and balances, and improvement, but more of a way of actually thinking, acting, living, and even the breathing in and out of a higher quality of life for everyone. Everything about the Japanese culture in the post-WWII era would be about living a life of improving a little bit every day in everything that they did. And you know what? It worked! It worked so well that this tiny war-torn island of post-WWII eventually took on the super power of the United States again, but this time not on the battlefield but in the automobile factories. Amazingly, within a short time after WWII, Japan has successfully secured its place as a world power to be reckoned with in the automobile industry. By the 1980’s the giant international powerhouse, the Ford Motor Company, knew they were beaten, not just by Japan but also by other U.S. automakers. Thus, Ford hired Japan to come over to the U.S. and help set up our own Kaizen system in the Ford factories. And you know what? It worked! Within a very short time, Ford had regained its top position among U.S. automakers. Imagine that… If a tiny war-torn islandcountry where you couldn’t even make a phone call after WWII can go from the student to the teacher of a powerhouse Continue on page 46

What do you believe are the biggest reasons doctoral candidates stay ABDs and not become PhDs? What advice would give to help me not make those mistakes?

Many of you were hazed before allowed into a fraternity or sorority. Well, that hazing was peanuts compared to the hazing you will endure in the dissertation process. If you submit a perfectly written paper with absolutely no errors the first few times, your mentor will still make you change things, revise, reword, redo. This is simply part of the process--accept this, hold you head up, and say, Thank you for the beating. I will back this time tomorrow for another beating. If nothing else, you can say (respectfully), Sir, you told me to use a MANOVA on such and such a date. Please explain why you want me to use ANOVA now (or something similar).

By Lyn Walden

Doctoral Candidates

you have. Do not use software to format your references. You might not be able to use software in residency. Save yourself some embarrassment-memorize the basics of APA.

staying committed â&#x20AC;˘ dissertation

More than any other reason, I definitely believe the biggest downfall is not following directions and not staying committed. These issues will keep a candidate from his or her goal. If a candidate will simply follow all (every tiny) direction given orally, in print (read the manuals), or in residency, he or she will finish barring any unforeseen circumstance. The second reason for non-completion is laziness or disorganization, whichever word you prefer. You must stay the course and keep the dissertation foremost in your thoughts and actions to finish. Partying and socializing must take a back seat. Set a goal of two hours each day or 14 hours (minimum) each weekend and stick to itregardless! Next, I would say pride stops many from completion. You are going to

I would have to say a poorly selected or hastily accepted mentor is another reason for failure. Do not select a friend to be your mentor nor allow the university to assign a novice mentor to your dissertation. Select your mentor as carefully as you would select a spouse. Once you have a mentor, do research on him or her. Read every dissertation he or she has signed off on. Then stay with that person. Fight the system if they try to make you switch mentors. If you have a tough, professional, knowledgeable, seasoned mentor, you will go twice as far, twice as fast. Respect your mentor--never, ever submit less than your best if you want respect. In addition, your mentor is always right--regardless of what I or any other dissertation coach says. Learn APA! How in the world can you expect to write a 100 page or greater dissertation without knowing at a minimum the basics of APA (or MLA, Harvard, etc.)? Keep the manual with you and read it every spare minute

Finally, expect and plan for expenses other than tuition and books. No one person can know everything there is to know about a dissertation-especially not a first-time dissertation author. Save money or set money aside for experts. Have a statistician check your chapter one before you get too deep in the process. If you are not skilled at writing and do not know APA like the back of your hand, hire an editor before submitting for IRB or Quality Review; of course, do the same before you submit to the dean. Purchase a year's worth of service with Grammarly.com. Run every page you write through this software even if you have an editor. Grammarly is not a substitute for an editor; it is just another way to help you finish faster. Hire a dissertation coach or seasoned PhD to read your work several times during the process. You will need to hire a transcriptionist and possibly someone to code your qualitative work unless you are a skilled typist and know the software. Hire a statistician for your quantitative work even if you are good with stats--have him or her double check your work. Do not be penny wise and pound foolish. A few expert opinions along the way will save you at least one quarter and possibly a couple of years. What does one-quarter cost? approximately $3000-$6000.

Plan on spending this amount on experts. No, I am not saying hire, me, I am saying hire experts with a proven track record. Practice Kaizen continued from page 44

like the United States, and Ford can regain its market position in the 1980‘s, then what is possible for you if you practice Kaizen every day? Hmm… Makes you wonder about your true potential, doesn‘t it? like the United States, and Ford can regain its market position in the 1980s, then what is possible for you if you practice Kaizen every day? Hmm… Makes you wonder about your true potential, doesn‘t it? Now teens, go learn, lead, and lay the way to a better world for all of us. Every day live a life of Kaizen! Maybe someday you too will replace the teacher! And once again, thanks in advance for all that you do, and all that you will do… Dan is a school teacher who is a bestselling and award-winning author, speaker and educator who has appeared in over 100 television and radio shows, as well as some of the world's top podcasts. Learn more about Dan at www.DanBlanchard.net Well, That’s a Dumb Rule! Continued from page 30

of relationship, we then give those rules heartbeats and feelings because accountability will reside in how they choose to redeem themselves to the individuals and relationships that they have violated. This requires us to change our mindset and understanding of how our consequence system works and to develop protocols and opportunities for students to participate in opportunities to make situations right, and ultimately hold themselves accountable. But how can that happen? When a basic school rule is broken, many educators walk the path towards a consequence asking themselves questions such as; What rule was broken? Who broke the rule? What punishment should be given? Instead, we should be taking a more progressive approach that leads towards accountability by asking questions such as: What happened? Who has been impacted by what occurs? What can be done to make things

right? These questions are rooted in the basic principles of restorative practices and lead towards meaningful accountability while preserving and keeping the relationship with the student at the center of every interaction. Every violation of a rule can be boiled down to a breakdown, or breach, of a relationship. This is why we must be careful to build, maintain, and sustain positive relationships with students so when that relationship breaks down, we can now go back and discuss how the rule has impacted the relationship, and what needs to be done to make the situation right? Instead of hearing, "That's a dumb rule," students are now more apt to accept responsibility, which results in the ultimate goal of the word DISCIPLINE-to teach and train.

Living Education Everyday

Ideas for Parents do Over the Summer to Help Students Return Ready for School Cristina Rodriguez Chen, Ph.D. @tampagirl70 Akweta Hickman, Ed.D. @AkwetaHickman Summer is finally here. The kids are excited to be out of school and at home. They are happily spending their time away from school sleeping, catching up on their favorite television shows or possibly playing video games with their friends. While unstructured activities seem relaxing for children, they offer fewer opportunities for them to engage in enrichment and academic activities. This lack of structured instructional time leads to what is known as the summer slide. Summer slide or summer learning loss, as it is often referred to, is a common phenomenon experienced by children. During the summer months, students can lose as much as two to three months of reading and math skills. Academic regression is common among children that are not engaged in academic is off periods. The result of this loss of skills means that teachers will have to spend a considerable amount of time at the beginning of the year reviewing skills that children may have forgotten over the summer. Even though children are off during the summer months, many parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; schedules have not changed. As a result, parents can find themselves stressed about making sure that their children are not victims of the summer slide. There are things parents can do to ensure that children are having fun and learning at the same time. There are many things that parents can do to ensure that their children do not fall victims to the summer slide. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s essential to keep children on a schedule, limiting their time on the computer or on video games. Setting boundaries on the amount of time children spend on the computer, or video games is crucial. Without these limits, children will lose track of time, and before you know it, they have spent the entire day sitting and playing video games. However, there is an alternative. Parents can use the computer and video games to build instructional skills or enhance the gaming experience through writing activities. Parents can use the Premack Principle to increase their childâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s likelihood of completing a non-preferred task. The Premack principle is a theory often used in schools to ensure students the probability that a student will complete a task that the student may not enjoy, such as reading or writing. The teacher gives the student an If-Then situation. For example, if you complete your reading assignment, then you can have 10 minutes on the computer.

Parents also use the Premack Principle, often without realizing it, when they ask children to eat their dinner (low probability behavior) before eating dessert (high probability behavior). One way to use the Premack Principle for during the summer is to provide your child with an If- Then situation. If you write an essay about the fun of using the computer (gaming experience), then you can play video games for an hour. The idea is to increase the probability of the child completing a writing assignment to gain access to the desired activity of playing the video game. Parents should also ensure that their children maintain healthy sleeping habits during the summer. Children should maintain a similar bedtime routine during the summer as during the school year. Keeping this schedule will assist children as they transition back into their school routines without too many glitches. Additionally, parents should also limit the number of snacks children eat during the day. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s easy for humans to get into ruts when we have too much time on their hands. Sometimes, we eat out of sheer boredom and not due to hunger. Keeping healthy snacks, such as fruit, readily available for children, is helpful. Meal preparation is also an opportunity for families to create together. As children grow older, sharing the responsibility of assisting with meal preparation is a fabulous way to learn the nutritional values of food and how to plan out meals. Including activities like grocery shopping also gives experiences as learning opportunities that are effortless and part of daily living. If you have time, perhaps take the children to your local library. Many libraries offer summer programs for children at no cost to families. Some libraries provide arts and crafts as well as story time. Children can also go to the library to find great books to read or perhaps play a game of checkers or chess with other children, even adults. Librarians can also be a great resource to parents

looking for enrichment activities for their children. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;t be afraid to ask the librarian about summer activities. Social interaction with others creates direct and incidental learning experiences that are important for children to build vocabulary and understanding of the world around them. Another great resource to help children maintain their academic skills is the internet. There are plenty of websites that offer academic enrichment in the form of games. These games keep children engaged, interested, and help to reduce the effects of summer slide. Often children become so interested in the activity, they do not realize they are actually doing academic tasks. When you are looking for interactive games for your children to play, be sure to look for age-appropriate games. One word of caution, before you allow your children to play games online, be sure you have reviewed the content of the website to ensure it is appropriate for your child. Summer is a great time for children to enjoy a break from school. However, it is essential that we keep children involved in engaging activities that will help them maintain their academic skills. Remember talking to your child and using daily experiences of the family life can serve as a great instructional tool to continue the academic focus throughout the summer. Have a great summer filled with relaxation and learning.

Ideas para Padres de Familia Durante el verano para Ayudar a los Estudiantes a Regresar Preparados para la Escuela Cristina Rodriguez Chen, Ph.D. @tampagirl70 Akweta Hickman, Ed.D. @AkwetaHickman El verano finalmente está aquí. Los niños están emocionados de estar fuera de la escuela y en casa. Con gusto pasan el tiempo fuera de la escuela durmiendo, mirando sus programas de televisión favoritos o posiblemente jugando videojuegos con sus amigos. Aun las actividades sin estructura parecen ser relajantes para los niños, ofrecen menos oportunidades para que se involucren en actividades académicas y de enriquecimiento. Esta falta de tiempo de instrucción estructurado conduce a lo que se conoce como pérdida de aprendizaje durante el verano. El deslizamiento de verano o la pérdida de aprendizaje de verano es un fenómeno común que afecta a los niños. Durante los meses de verano, los estudiantes pueden perder hasta dos o tres meses de habilidades de lectura y matemáticas. La regresión académica es común entre los niños que no participan en período académicos durante el verano. El resultado de esta pérdida de habilidades significa que los maestros tendrán que dedicar una cantidad considerable de tiempo a principios de año a revisar las habilidades que los niños pueden haber olvidado durante el verano. A pesar de que los niños están fuera durante los meses de verano, los horarios de muchos padres no han cambiado. Los padres pueden sentirse estresados para asegurarse de que sus hijos no sean víctimas de perdida académica de verano. Hay cosas que los padres pueden hacer para asegurar que los niños se diviertan y aprendan al mismo tiempo. Es esencial mantener a los niños en un horario, limitando su tiempo en la computadora o en los videojuegos. Establecer límites en la cantidad de tiempo que los niños pasan en la computadora o los videojuegos es crucial. Sin estos límites, los niños perderán la noción del tiempo y, antes de que se den cuenta, pasarán todo el día sentados y jugando videojuegos. No obstante, hay una alternativa. Los padres pueden usar la computadora y los juegos de video para desarrollar habilidades de instrucción o mejorar la experiencia de juego a través de actividades de escritura. Los padres pueden usar el Principio de Premack para aumentar la probabilidad de que sus hijos completen una tarea que no prefieren. El principio de Premack es una teoría que se usa a menudo en las escuelas para garantizar la probabilidad de que un estudiante complete una tarea que tal vez no disfruta, como leer o escribir. El profesor le da al alumno una situación de si-entonces. Por ejemplo, si completa su tarea de lectura, entonces puede tener 10 minutos en la computadora. Los padres también usan el Principio de Premack, a menudo sin darse cuenta, cuando le piden a los niños que coman su cena (comportamiento de baja probabilidad) antes de comer el postre (comportamiento de alta probabilidad). Una forma de utilizar el Principio de Premack durante el verano en darle a su hijo una situación de "Si y Entonces". Si escribes un ensayo sobre la diversión de usar la computadora (experiencia de juego), puedes jugar videojuegos por una hora. La idea es aumentar la probabilidad de que el niño complete una tarea de escritura para obtener acceso a la actividad deseada del juego de video.

Los padres también deben asegurarse de que sus hijos mantengan hábitos de sueño saludables durante el verano. Los niños deben mantener una rutina similar a la hora de acostarse durante el verano como durante el año escolar. Mantener este horario ayudará a los niños a regresar a sus rutinas escolares sin demasiados fallos. Además, los padres también deben limitar la cantidad de bocadillos que los niños comen durante el día. Es fácil para los humanos entrar en rutina cuando tenemos demasiado tiempo en sus manos. A veces, comemos por puro aburrimiento y no por hambre. Mantener bocadillos saludables, como frutas, disponibles para los niños, es útil. La preparación de comidas también es otra oportunidad para que las familias creen comidas y bocadillos saludables juntos. A medida que los niños crecen, compartir la responsabilidad de ayudar con la preparación de las comidas es una manera fabulosa de aprender los valores nutricionales de los alimentos y cómo planificarlos. Incluir actividades como la compra de comestibles también brinda experiencias como oportunidades de aprendizaje sin esfuerzo y que forman parte de la vida diaria. Si tiene tiempo, quizás lleve a los niños a la biblioteca. Muchas bibliotecas ofrecen programas de verano para niños sin costo para las familias. Algunas bibliotecas ofrecen artes y oficios, así como tiempo de cuentos. Los niños también pueden ir a la biblioteca para encontrar excelentes libros para leer o quizás jugar un juego de damas o ajedrez con otros niños, incluso adultos. Los bibliotecarios también pueden ser un gran recurso para ayudarles a buscar actividades de enriquecimiento para sus hijos. No tenga miedo de preguntar al bibliotecario sobre las actividades de verano. La interacción social con otros crea experiencias de aprendizaje directas e incidentales que son importantes para que los niños desarrollen el vocabulario y la comprensión del mundo que los rodea. Otro gran recurso para ayudar a los niños a mantener sus habilidades académicas es Internet. Hay un montón de sitios web que ofrecen enriquecimiento académico en forma de juegos. Estos juegos mantienen a los niños comprometidos, interesados y ayudan a reducir los efectos de la diapositiva de verano. A menudo los niños se interesan tanto en la actividad, que no se dan cuenta de que realmente están haciendo tareas académicas. Cuando busque juegos interactivos para que jueguen sus hijos, asegúrese de buscar juegos apropiados para su edad. Antes de permitir que sus hijos jueguen juegos en línea, asegúrese de haber revisado el contenido del sitio web para asegurarse de que sea adecuado para su hijo. El verano es un buen momento para que los niños disfruten de un descanso de la escuela. Sin embargo, es esencial que mantengamos a los niños involucrados en actividades atractivas que los ayuden a mantener sus habilidades académicas. Recuerde que hablar con su hijo y usar las experiencias diarias de la vida familiar puede servir como una gran herramienta de instrucción para continuar el enfoque académico durante todo el verano. Tenga un gran verano lleno de relajación y aprendizaje.

Class of 2019

Class of 2019 Kudos to all the 2019 graduates who are completing high school and college this semester! We wish each and every one of you the very best as you transition to your new life. Let your dreams be your guide, and remember to encourage those around you to finish school as education is a cornerstone to a better quality of life. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Partnership With Native Americans, and the American Indian Education Fund program Helen Oliff, PWNA PR

Tamia Hughes Elsinore High Graduate June 5, 2019

¿Alguna vez le ha regañado a un alumno y escucha: "¿Bueno, esa es una regla tonta‖? Luego, su nivel de frustración aumenta y comienzas a pensar: "¿Por qué no siguen las reglas?". Las reglas son muy importantes, no solo en la sociedad, sino en toda la estructura de nuestro sistema escolar. Si un estudiante rompe una regla, debe haber una consecuencia para enseñarle una lección al estudiante, estableciendo un proceso que el administrador de la escuela, el maestro y más importante, el estudiante toma pasos en un camino de fracaso. Cuando este entendimiento arcaico de la aplicación de las reglas sigue y no cambian los comportamientos, maestros por todo el país se sienten frustrados e impotentes porque las expectativas no se cumplen, el comportamiento no cambia y no existe. Parece que no es una solución viable para el problema de la disciplina escolar. Si nuestra meta como educadores es avanzar hacia mejores soluciones y cambiar el comportamiento, primero debemos abordar la idea errónea más grande que aflige a nuestra profesión y está arraigada en la palabra DISCIPLINA. comportamiento de mis alumnos que rompieron las reglas o persistentemente se comportaron mal al promulgar secuencias y matrices que finalmente los llevaron a ser excluidos del campus. La política, la ley o el protocolo me obligaron a confiar en las tres herramientas arcaicas de la gestión del comportamiento otorgadas a cada administrador que ha ocupado el rol de disciplinario; Suspensión en la escuela, suspensión fuera de la escuela y cierta pérdida de privilegios para cambiar el comportamiento de los estudiantes que causaban la mayor parte de las interrupciones en el entorno de aprendizaje. Cuando esas cosas no funcionaron, me vi obligado a volver a emitir esas consecuencias dichas en duraciones más largas o con mayor frecuencia. Haciendo esto una y otra vez, experimentando la reincidencia del comportamiento del estudiante,

¡Bueno, esa es Una Regla Tonta! Cómo se Entremezclan las Reglas, las Relaciones y la Responsabilidad Rufus Lott, III @lott_edu

y buscando una solución a un problema cada vez mayor, me puse a entender el verdadero significado de la palabra DISCIPLINA. Típicamente en educación, la palabra DISCIPLINA tiene una connotación muy negativa. Cuando pensamos en la palabra disciplina, generalmente pensamos en consecuencias (suspensión en la escuela, suspensión afuera de la escuela, detención, castigo, etc.). Pero el verdadero significado de la palabra es simplemente enseñar o entrenar. La palabra está arraigada en la palabra discipulado. Este significado tiene mucho sentido en el contexto de una "recomendación de disciplina". En lugar de que la referencia de disciplina sea el comienzo de un proceso que finalmente conduzca a una consecuencia o un castigo, la referencia debe diseñarse de una manera que enseñe y capacite al estudiante que está experimentando una ruptura de comportamiento, para estar a la altura de las expectativas de comportamiento. Esa enseñanza y entrenamiento del estudiante no se puede hacer de manera aislada, sino como un esfuerzo colectivo entre la persona que ha presentado la referencia de disciplina y el estudiante que está rompiendo las reglas.

dividirse en una ruptura de la relación. Por ejemplo, si dos personas tienen una amistad positiva y duradera y un amigo decide robar algo de la ira, la frustración y la desconfianza de la otra persona, inhibe su capacidad para mantener su amistad. El robo, que consideraremos la regla, ahora se ha convertido en parte de su relación y depende de los dos amigos decidir cómo salirse del medio de su relación para que puedan descubrir cómo perdonar y moverse. Adelante amigablemente. En la escuela, cuando un estudiante se vuelve irrespetuoso o usa la blasfemia hacia un adulto u otro estudiante, debemos preguntarnos cuál es el estado de la relación y qué se ha descompuesto donde la blasfemia o falta de respeto se ha convertido en algo aparte. Cuando vemos reglas para más que objetos inanimados escritos en la pared y vemos las violaciones de las reglas como violaciones de la relación, entonces les damos latidos y sentimientos a esas reglas porque la responsabilidad residirá en la forma en que elijan redimirse a las personas y relaciones que tienen. violado Esto requiere que cambiemos nuestra mentalidad y comprensión de cómo funciona nuestro sistema de consecuencias y que desarrollemos protocolos y oportunidades para que los estudiantes participen en oportunidades para hacer que

Aquí es donde la violación de las reglas debe convertirse en violaciones de las relaciones. Si nuestro objetivo en las escuelas es construir y mantener relaciones, entonces cada violación de la regla puede

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a few institutions willing to accept former Argosy students however to my knowledge they are programs that have programmatic accreditation, i.e., Psychology. I’m not very confident other students will find alternatives acceptable and most will simply walk away from their educational pursuits with student debt sans a degree…..a terrible outcome!

What Does the Closure of Argosy University Mean to the For-Profit Higher Education Landscape? Dr. Michael Robinson @DrMikeRobinson Goes One-On-One with Dr. Everett Myers @ReenieHOO

Q What does the closure of Argosy University mean to the For-Profit Higher Education Landscape? Especially given just four years earlier Corinthian Colleges were forced to shutter their doors because they also lost access to Federal Financial Aid. The continued closure of For-Profit schools in the higher education space (there is a distinction for the truly vocational educational aspects of for-profit programs) bodes well for the future of higher education however the students caught up in the malfeasance of the for-profit sector will ultimately pay the price for their ill informed choices and the unwillingness of the DoE to step up sooner and curb the clear abuses taking place in the for-profit educational space. Q. How does the failure of Argosy University impact current and past students? Current students will scramble to find alternative educational programs and transfer credits among various institutions is notoriously difficult; not because it is difficult to assess the quality of the prior courses but rather it’s a money issue especially for graduate programs where the number of credits are usually far less than for an undergraduate degree. There are

Past students, depending on their sector of employment, will have difficulty securing certified academic transcripts which are sometimes required for additional educational pursuits along with certain employment opportunities. Had the DoE approached the For-profit sector in a business-like manner they would have created a reserve that would have been funded by the for-profit institutions to deal with situations of forced closure etc. Moreover, a sensible rule would have required for-profit institutions to have articulation agreements in place with other institutions of higher learning to ease the pain of a closure and provide for a teach-out in the event of closure. Instead, the DoE focused on rules that could easily be skirted and no policies/procedures in place to protect the students. Q. How difficult will be for Argosy University students to transfer to other programs? There are a few institutions willing to accept former Argosy students however to my knowledge they are programs that have programmatic accreditation, i.e.,. Psychology I’m not very confident other students will find acceptable alternatives. Students will have to find alternative institutions which may not accept the majority of their prior course work if any at all, and most will simply walk away from their educational pursuits with student debt sans a degree…..a terrible outcome! Q. Research is clear, students that attend forprofit higher education institutions tend to take on higher debt in their efforts to earn a degree. What happens these students now? Indeed, the proprietary sector does cost more, the educational outcomes are less, and the monetary outcomes indistinguishable from the traditional educational sectors. . Unfortunately, the DoE has indeed let these students down by

not being much more proactive in establishing policies and implementing a mechanism to protect students. As stated previously, reserve accounts to fund/reimburse students in the event of a closure, articulation agreements to provide teach-outs, and closer scrutiny of the financial accounting for student aid. I’m sorry to say, most will simply walk away from their educational pursuits with student debt sans a degree…..a terrible outcome! Cómo se Entremezclan las Reglas Continued from page 54

las situaciones sean correctas y, en última instancia, ser responsables. Pero ¿cómo puede suceder eso? Cuando se rompe una regla escolar básica, muchos educadores recorren el camino hacia una consecuencia que se hace preguntas tales como: ¿Qué regla se rompió? ¿Quién rompió la regla? ¿Qué castigo se debe dar? En su lugar, deberíamos adoptar un enfoque más progresivo que conduzca a la rendición de cuentas haciendo preguntas como: ¿Qué sucedió? ¿Quién ha sido impactado por lo que ocurre? ¿Qué se puede hacer para hacer las cosas bien? Estas preguntas están arraigadas en los principios básicos de las prácticas restaurativas y conducen a una rendición de cuentas significativa al tiempo que preservan y mantienen la relación con el estudiante en el centro de cada interacción. Cuando cambiamos el enfoque para manejar los comportamientos de los estudiantes, y nos demoramos en comprender la raíz central de un problema, es más probable que guiemos a nuestros estudiantes hacia una responsabilidad significativa donde experimentan cómo su comportamiento está afectando a otros. La responsabilidad significativa sobre el castigo es la clave para reducir la reincidencia y avanzar de una manera práctica y que satisfaga las necesidades de todas las personas involucradas. Cada violación de una regla puede reducirse a una ruptura o ruptura de una relación. Esta es la razón por la que debemos tener cuidado de construir, mantener y mantener relaciones positivas con los estudiantes, de modo que cuando esa relación se rompa, ahora podemos volver y discutir cómo la regla ha impactado la relación y qué se necesita hacer para que la situación se desarrolle. ¿Correcto? En lugar de escuchar, "Esa es una regla estúpida", los estudiantes ahora son más aptos para aceptar la responsabilidad, lo que resulta en el objetivo final de la palabra DISCIPLINA: enseñar y entrenar.

Congradulations Class of 2019

Words of Wisdom to the Class of 2019: You are the ones that we have been waiting for to help us to change the world. We need your brilliance. We need your knowledge. We need your creativity. We need your energy and we need your solutions. You are brilliant. You are talented. You are an untapped genius in motion and you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are the best of what we have to offer and now we need you to use everything you have to help us to save the planet, save the world, and save ourselves. Karsonya "Kaye" Wise Whitehead Associate Professor, Loyola University Maryland Radio Host, Today with Dr. Kaye, WEAA 88.9 FM

The Value of

Sports and Its Impact On Academic Achievement

Dr. Melissa Patton @VKSBrevard

I was never a strong student. I struggled, tremendously – But I was comfortable in my letterman‘s jacket, my varsity accolades patched neatly on my jacket. My confidence drove holes into the mondo surfaced track - I ran that oval effortlessly. Senior year I was voted ―Most Likely to Become a Professional Athlete‖ and that next fall I made the 5.5-hour trek to Drake University as a scholarship athlete. My lack of self-assurance was evident as I sat with my teammates on NCAA signing day at Drake University - I was preoccupied with thoughts of what if I can‘t do this and what if I flunk out, what if, what if, what if..

My story is not unique; countless athletes meet their match on the basketball court, the field, or in my case the track. There are several factors that heighten one‘s ability to overcome the hurdles of reaching academic achievement. The studies have shown that the sense of belonging to a team increases the likelihood that an athlete will persevere through difficult times. In most situations, student athletes must keep a certain grade point average (GPA) to stay eligible. If their GPA dips lower than the required number it can put an athlete in jeopardy of losing their position on the team, due to their ineligibility. Most athletes are motivated to be steadfast in keeping their grades up to resist the burden and embarrassment of becoming ineligible. In my case, college sports helped me wrap my head around what it meant to be organized, prepared and meet deadlines – which ultimately lead me to academic achievement. I remember a candid conversation with my coach in his office after practice one day. His words were harsh and direct, threatening to ―send me back to junior college, if I didn‘t get my act together‖. My GPA at the time was lower than it should have been, and my eligibility was on the line, so his conversation with me did not surprise me. I remember experiencing so many different emotions, and as I walked out of his office, I had a plan. I immediately went to the store and bought a laptop and began to teach myself how to write things down and use a calendar. On track meet road trips, I always brought my laptop, and any and every chance I got, I worked. I fell in love with the fulfilling feeling I got by turning assignments in on time. I was even more satisfied in how my grades began to go up. I graduated from Drake on the Dean‘s List and I was hired my senior year to teach freshman athletes the importance of time management. Without adversity knocking on my door, I would never have needed to change my academic methods. I have spent every year of my life post undergrad as a higher education administrator, and tenured professor. I have seen almost every level of the collegiate system and I have mentored countless students and faculty in how to academically persevere and overcome. For so many years it was extremely fulfilling, until recently. I felt there was another level – very similar to the feeling an athlete gets when they experience catharsis or when they have achieved a personal best. There is always another level. I love that about sports, and how that entices an athlete to go to their next level. There are risks in going to a place that is unknown, but there are risks in all great things in life, and with those risks come additional lessons that can ultimately propel that person to their next destination. My next level was leaving higher education to try out my newly acquired Ed.D. status as the President of Victory Kid Sports, an organization that impacts children through sports, by using sports as a vehicle to increase confidence and self-esteem in the classroom. Victory Kid Sports was not birthed by accident, I believe it lays the foundation necessary to not only reach academic achievement but to also have positive role models emulate prosocial support. It is easy to say you can do something, but when it is modeled for you every day, and a blueprint for success is mapped out - it makes the learning curve that much easier.

Living Education Everyday

CONTRIBUTORS’ BIOs. Dr. Lyn Walden Dissertation Coach, Qualitative Analysis, APA Editor With more than 30 years‟ experience teaching at the university and high school level, Dr. Lyn Walden has helped hundreds of individuals through the dissertation process, and she has written several books to help her clients understand the confusing dissertation process. With a background in special education and educational leadership, Dr. Walden firmly believes every doctoral candidate can graduate if he or she has the proper materials. Dr. Walden fully understands the frustrations of doctoral candidates who struggle to meet the exacting requirements of university checklists and rubrics and the conflicting instructions of different chairs, professors, committee members, IRB representatives, and the dean's people. An active member of the Professional Editor's Network, Dr. Walden is a professional dissertation editor who specializes in APA and university specific manuscript editing. She is also a member of the National Academic Advising Association and holds Six Sigma Generation IV™ certification in coaching. With her 25+ years of dissertation coaching experience, she has helped doctoral candidates from universities from all over the world. Karen Gross, Esq. Author @KarenGrossEdu Karen Gross author, educator and higher education consultant based in Washington, DC where she serves as Senior Counsel for Finn Partners. She also taught in Spring 2016 at Bennington College (VT) and sit on the Advisory Council of the Penn Center for MSIs at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. Ms. Gross also work as a Senior Fellow on College Promise, part of the non-profit Civic Nation. For 8 plus years (until 12/31/14), she was the President of Southern Vermont College, a small, private, affordable, four-year college located in Bennington, Vermont. Mel Hawkins Author @melhawk46 Mel Hawkins, BA, MS, MPA, devoted the first thirty years of his career to organizational management serving as a supervisor, administrator, human resources professional, chief operating officer, consultant, and small business owner. This wealth of experienced was gained in the justice system at the local government level, in healthcare, and private industry. As a management consultant specializing in organizational management and development, leadership development, human resources, and strategic planning Mel served clients in local government, healthcare, private industry, and not-for-profit service agencies. For much of that time, and up until recent retirement, Mel was certified as a Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR) by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Human Resource Certification Institute. Mel and his wife, Chris, also owned and operated a Karmelkorn Shoppe at a local shopping mall.

CONTRIBUTORS’ BIOs. Rufus Lott @lott_edu Founder of LOTT Educational Consultants Mr. Rufus Lott III is the founder of LOTT Educational Consultants and lead consultant specializing in the area of Restorative Practices in schools. Most recently Mr. Lott served the North East Independent School District in San Antonio, TX as the Assistant Principal of Edward H. White Middle School. Mr. Lott played an instrumental role in the development, and implementation of restorative practices as an alternative method to deal with managing student behavior. This innovative, whole school approach model was the first of its kind in the state of Texas and has been considered the blueprint that many campuses across the state of Texas are following. Mr. Lott has 12 years of experience in public education in elementary and middle school as a classroom practitioner and administrator. As a former administrator Mr. Lott‟s passion is rooted in social justice and working with educators to better serve diverse student populations. His focus is on teaching real-life, applicable, strategies that are essential for educators to utilize when working with both students and teachers. Today, he teaches restorative practices to teachers and administrators as an alternative method to exclusion, and as a means to build positive relationships and strong communities through dialogue using the circle process. Mr. Lott received both his Bachelor‟s and Master‟s Degrees from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He graduated as a member of the Urban School Leadership Cohort (USLC), which is a nationally recognized preparation cohort, that prepares educational leaders for the principalship, by using practical, theoretical, and research based approaches to promote social justice in urban school districts. Dr. Ayize Sabater Entrepreneur @AyizeS Dr. Ayize Sabater is a dynamic social entrepreneur, author and twenty-year veteran educator. He has co-founded several non-profits, including an independent school, an award-winning non-profit organization and a D.C. Montessori Public Charter School. Mr. Sabater is an alumnus of Morehouse, the Wesley Theological Seminary and Morgan State University. He also has completed Montessori primary assistant training. Daniel Blanchard K-12 Educator and Educator @dan007blanchard Dan Blanchard has done his homework. He‟s been an inner-city school teacher and athletic coach for 20 years and has a passion for teaching, inspiring, and working with teens. “It‟s tough for a lot of kids today. They don‟t always have someone they can talk to. I started writing the Granddaddy books for kids who have questions, or really want some guidance, but don‟t have anyone around them they feel comfortable approaching. I speak because it isn‟t fair to expect kids to know how to become leaders and citizens without help. It‟s up to us to help them.” As an award winning author, speaker, educator, and life coach, Dan shares real-life lessons and inspiring stories with audiences of teens, adults, educators, and sometimes a mixture of all three. His goal is to positively influence the way we think about what is possible, regardless of how old we are.

CONTRIBUTORS’ BIOs. Catherine Nwosu Bio Catherine Nwosu is the Director of Extended Learning. She joined DC Prep in 2011. Prior to this role, Catherine served as a EEC preschool teacher and afterschool leader. Prior to working at DC Prep, she served as an AmeriCorps WNY Tutor Coordinator for Journey‟s End Refugee services - assisting them with English, education, and resettlement. Catherine is also a former 2018 candidate for Prince George‟s County Board of Education. Catherine holds a BA from Ashford University. Catherine is also a wife and proud mother of two children Jabari (8yrs) and Caroline (2yrs). LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinenwosu/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catherine.nwosu Twitter: https://twitter.com/catherinenwosu Dr. Akweta Hickman @AkwetaHickman Executive Director of Special Education Dr. Akweta Hickman has been working for more than two decades as an educator of which 15 years have been in district leadership roles. Her career has focused in organizational leadership with a specialization in special education. Hickman has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies with a specialization in Special Education from Tarleton State University. A Masters‟ Degree in Educational Organization & Administration from Dallas Baptist University and Bachelor of Science in Education from University of Central Arkansas. For the past three years Hickman has worked for the DeSoto Independent School District as the Executive Director of Special Education. Within two years she guided a team who improved student performance on indicators of the Performance Based Monitoring Analysis System for students with disabilities. Prior to DeSoto ISD she worked for Crowley Independent School District as the Elementary School Special Education Coordinator. “I‟m extremely excited and pleased with our selection of Akweta Hickman,” Associate Superintendent of Academics and Social and Emotional Learning Lisa Goodnow said. “We are fortunate to get a person with the depth and breadth of experience and knowledge in Special Education.” Dr. Cristina Rodriguez Chen @tampagirl70 Founder and CEO Teaching and Learning Connections Dr. Cristina Rodriguez Chen is a highly credentialed, bilingual (Spanish speaking) professional educator, with over 22 years of experience in the areas of Bilingual/ESL, General Education, Gifted and Talented, and Educational Diagnostician PK-12, Generic Special Education PK-12, and 30 Hour Training for Gifted and Talented. She is certified as a Texas Registered Professional Educational Diagnostician and Nationally Certified Educational Diagnostician. She received the Outstanding Graduate Student in Educational Psychology at UNT in April 2015. Special Education. Dr. Chen received her Ph.D. from the University of North Texas. Her area of concentration is Mild/Moderate Disabilities. Her dissertation topic focused on culturally competent evaluations for special education. She was a special education coordinator for 12 years and a Director of Special Programs for the past three years.. Ms. Chen has presented at state and national conferences on varied topics related to students with disabilities and cultural diversity. She holds certifications in the following areas: Administrative Certification: Principal, Special Education K-12, Classroom Teacher Generalist EC-4, Classroom Bilingual Generalist EC-4, Classroom

CONTRIBUTORS’ BIOs. Dr. Everett E Myers @ReenieHOO President at Myers & Associates, LLC Since his retirement from New York University-The Center for Global Affairs, Dr. Myers established Myers & Associates, LLC which provides senior level training and consultancy to major Chinese and Vietnamese financial institutions. Prior to his retirement from NYU, Dr. Everett E. Myers served as Clinical Assistant Professor at the Center for Global Affairs. He served as the Coordinator of the Private Sector concentration. Dr. Myers was awarded the Paul S. Lomax (Doctoral) Award from New York University for Scholarship and Leadership and in 2014 he was awarded the Outstanding Service award from the School of Professional Studies at NYU. In January 2015, Dr. Myers was appointed a U.S Fulbright Scholar-Vietnam National University-University of Economics and Business (Hanoi, Vietnam) and in 2016 a U.S Fulbright Specialist at Thai Nguyen University (Thai Nguyen, Vietnam). Lynne Morgan Author Lynne Morgan is a retired Spanish teacher from the town of Hopedale, MA. She holds a Master‟s Degree in Education and a Certification in Instructional Technology. During her 30 year career, she wrote the curriculum for teaching Spanish to children in grades 3 through 6, was chairperson of the foreign language department, advisor to the Class of 1995, and acknowledged five times by her students for „excellence as a distinguished teacher‟ in Who‟s Who Among America‟s Teachers. Literacy is important to Lynne and she supports its causes in many ways. Lynne‟s concern about literacy was an inspiration for her to write this series of chapter books about a dog named Crackers. Dr. Melissa Patton @VKSBrevard President, Victory Kid Sports Dr. Melissa Patton is an impassioned educator as well as an innovative, thriving entrepreneur who has devoted a lifetime to assisting people to better understand their purpose and potential through the vehicles of education, business development, and guidance aimed at personal and communal empowerment. Education and service to persons and communities are values that have shaped her many commitments.

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