As soon as I glanced at the title of the article a small voice came to mind that said “Whose schools? Our schools!” a chant that has been present at the countless rallies/protests/demonstrations. A chant that has also changed over time for me. I am no longer that high school student fighting on the front lines. I have transition from being “directly impacted” to “ally”.

Douglass-Horsford (2021) offerings “What is good for the oppressor is typically not good for the oppressed”, a concept I agree with. Douglass-Horsford (2021) goes on to unpack ideas about power and dominant racial groups that are in control of white power structures. I have mentioned in class before that folks (everyone) can stand in white supremacy/ uphold white supremacy. I think about our current NYC Panel for Education Policy (PEP) and how it has shifted over the last 15 years to include more folks of color. Yet, still upholding the same norms.

I too wonder if it is possible to develop a shared vision of education in the United States.

Yosso (2005) was an interesting read for me. Like August mentioned in her post. I often struggle with capital. I think much of it has to do with the historical context of the word capital and the ways in which Black and which Black Have been made Into capital and treated as capital gain. It was really interesting to see and read about the way Yosso (2005) described the CRT “family tree”. I wonder how might we as a class Identify a position ourselves within the same tree.

Today I presented at the CUNY faculty diversity and inclusion conference. It was a presentation done the highlight of the Five tenants of Critical Race Theory. It was interesting to hear CUNY faculty talk about how to challenge the dominant ideology through social justice framework. It was also interesting that it seemed folks did not want to name white supremacy culture as the dominant culture. Yosso (2005) Offered some interesting insights on social capital and during the presentation it was also interesting to see and hear how faculty talk about using social capital as a means for promotions. Overall I think the concept of social capital Means a lot into capitalism and I’ll also believe that folks have used social capital as a form and a means for resistanceI think I multiple truths here.

Rivera-McCutchen’s (2020) case study was a change of pace for me. I enjoyed taking a pause from the dominant narrative of failed schools and leadership (p. 2). The article offered some interesting insights since I am familiar with the school through some organizing work in The Bronx. I particularly enjoyed the section on entering the field since it was the first time I got to see this section on a research study. It allowed me to understand the positionality of the researcher but also remind me to include this on future studies (my own positionality).

There’s something about this concept of radical care that caught my attention and I am now identifying ways in which to include this concept in my work going forward. Not only for my dissertation but for my work as a scholar and as a social worker. I need to do some more reflecting to fully understand what captivates me so much.

the section on Embracing a spirit of radical hope really landed well this week for me. I am still making my way through Bell Hooks (2002) “Teaching Community” and the chapter i just finished was on hope. Perhaps at some point I lost hope in being able to make small change (or change in general). We can both topple a system, and create spaces for folks to thrive within the system.

I have hope now.

I have started to write something and deleted it six times already. I have so much energy and many thoughts/feelings/emotions coming into class.

In short, the Video on “Parent Power” (CEJ, 2012) is very near and dear to my heart. I remember the day this was filmed and the number of times I shared this video to the parent organizers in the Bronx. The some of the folks in the short film I have marched with, cried at rallies with, sat next to on the Bus ride to the NYS capital, and still follow on social media. I was a Youth Organizer around the time this with filmed with UYC. UYC and CEJ share the same office space and were both apart of The Annenberg Institute. I wish CEJ would make another video to show all of the amazing work Parents did during the NYC Student Metro-card fight soon after this video was made.

Rivera-McCutchen (2012) & CEJ (2012) both empathize the value of parent voice in education. Rivera-McCutchen (2012) & CEJ (2012) this a step further to suggest that parents engaging in the experiences of student is a key aspect to the students success. CEJ (2012) suggests that parents who engage in the negative aspects of student experiences (Lack of school resources, metal detectors, loss of programs). CEJ (2012) engages with parents through social-political-activism scope to make change happen. Rivera-McCutchen’s (2012) findings also suggest that knowing the social-political context that impact the lives of students is an important factor to grasp.

I’ve often said that engaging in organizing as a high school student has taught me things about life that I will use until my time on earth is done. Below are some questions I am sitting with

1. Why are school struggling to form parent associations?
2. How might the NYCDOE include parent voices as of of the Panel for Education Policy?

(Just realized my post was never published)

I started with Khalifa, Gooden & Davis (2016) and I had to pause a few times after reading particular sections. I first paused when they mentioned that culturally responsive leadership alone cannot solve the major challenges (p. 1273). My second pause after reviewing the definition of terms. Another pause came when reviewing the results and the section highlighting “challenging whiteness”. Each of these pauses happened because I had some inner dialogues with myself. Tilman (2004) was an absolute joy to review. I really enjoyed the historical context for 3 reasons: 1) I need to be aware of the historical context of multiple things in general, 2) Tilman (2004) offers the multiple complexities regarding segregation and Black families still valuing schools (an act of resistance), and 3). It provided specific info on the Black “principal in a pre-brown era” which is something I have not ever considered.

Some of the questions/thoughts I marinated on was:

1. What do I challenge the most? why?
2. How can providing a definition of terms for my own research make me a better scholar?
3. The notion of “a single answer”
4. Am I who I say I am?
5. How might I lean into Tilman (2004) more and draw connections to my research?
6. What about the term CRSL triggers me?

This weeks reading felt really smooth and on time. I was assigned Beauboeuf-Lafontant (2002) in another space and it was interesting to hear the dialogues. It was also interesting that the movie i decided to watch played on a number of themes highlighted in Wilson’s (2015) article. I am hoping to bring some of the thoughts I shared in other spaces to our class this week. Ideas such as

1. Black feminism v WOMANISM (why might folks choose one phrase over the other)
2. Hiring folks from the community to teach in the community
3. Women in the Black Panther Party/Oak Community School
4. Transformative Justice

I would also like to engaging in conversations on how might “mainstream, patriarchal notions of teaching” (p. 75) show up today at CUNY. As well as the possible connections to what Wilson (2015) described as African-American children enter schools having and to confront educators’ low expectations of their intelligence, academic potential and learning capabilities (p. 3).

Questions I would ask the class for this week

1. How many teachers (from K-12) did you have that were Black Women?
2. What subjects did they teach? Positions did they hold?

Ladson-Billing’s (2019) lecture explores the power in controlling a narrative and the ability to construct context that does not align with the lived experience of folks on the ground. The story Ladson-Billings (2019) shares about the conversation with the media surrounding the flint water crisis is parallel to the many stories that surround the School to Prison Pipeline (STPPL) and Student mental health. The context that dominants the narratives surrounding the STPPL is a co-opted (neo-liberal) story of “bad schools” and “bad students”. This completely excludes the lived experiences of student interactions with metal detectors (and more) and the effects on student performance and mental health (Dixson, 2017; Ladson-Billings and Tate, 1995; Wilson, 2014). The context to make sense of these facts lies within the everyday experiences of those directly impacted (Ladson-Billings, 2019). Dixson (2017) precedes Dixson and Anderson (2018) and offers some insights to activism in education particularly looking at BLM movements to disrupt systems of oppression within education. The disruptions primarily led by young people help to re-center the narrative not just on the targeting of Black and Brown students but the acts of resistance that follow (Dixson, 2017). The social movements and direct actions were a key part in creating restorative/transformative justice approaches to care in schools (Beauboeuf-Lafontant, 2020; Dixson, 2018; Dixson and Anderson, 2018; Wilsong, 2014; Wilson, 2015). Lastly, a quote from my mother comes to mind “I will tell you who you are once you tell me the company you keep”. This week’s reading list were mostly comprised of authors I am familiar with and sources I have already examined and covered. I feel like I am in good company.

Below are some thoughts/ideas/questions I am marinating on

1. How might transformative leadership inform critical care?
2. Reflecting on the Oakland community school founded by the BPP
3. What roles should social workers play in examining the STPPL?
4. Should I provide the full APA citation for sources I am brining into this post that are not listed as required readings for class?