While most of the country has shut down, many Americans are facing a daily, impossible choice: Go to work and risk exposing themselves and their loved ones to the coronavirus, or stay at home and risk being unable to pay rent, buy food or support their families. Like medical staff, these individuals have been deemed…
There is an urgent need to report openly and clearly about the complexity of racial identity, inequality and racial bias and their deep roots in our culture, history and institutions. When race enters public conversation, however, racialized language used is often dehumanizing and inaccurate. How can we ensure nuanced and deeper story telling in covering…
By Alexis Canalos-Castillo, director of coaching, and Tanisha Pleasant, director of Accelerator Fund programs More than 30 people from across the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network gathered in Chicago last month to develop strategies to improve outcomes in school and in life for children and youth of color. During the Racial Equity and Inclusion Convening:…
In 2013, 50 public schools closed in Chicago — the largest mass public school closure in the history of the United States. Of the 10,400 students affected, 88% were African American. Last week, sociologist of education Eve L. Ewing shared insights from this event with Cradle to Career Network members gathered to deepen their work…
Guest blog post by Linda T. Francis, director of Success of All Youth. Oak Park, Ill., is an aspirational community, touted by residents as a diverse and progressive place where all people can live and thrive together. But despite efforts to promote Oak Park’s legacy of integration, ongoing discrepancies in student achievement tell another story:…
Preparing students for success is a critical component of the Literacy Lab’s Leading Men Fellowship program. Young men of color receive rigorous ongoing training in research-based early literacy intervention strategies that prepare pre-K children to be successful in school and later in life. Ten fellows — ages 18 to 24 — make up the Leading…
Last week was one of the most pivotal in my time at StriveTogether. We launched a Racial Equity Planning Team in partnership with individuals representing 15 members of the Cradle to Career Network. This group of amazing people has committed to develop an action plan for the Network to improve outcomes for black and brown…
When reflecting on educational experiences that shaped who I am, I must admit, I don’t readily think of my earliest experiences before the age of 5. However, after attending a conference at the University of Chicago last week, I’m now more aware of how those early language and learning environments affected my future. The 2018…
Have you ever heard of the Woke Olympics? It’s a competition where players, most of whom are white, “stay woke” by calling out instances of racism, especially those committed by fellow white people. So simply by naming racism publicly, you’re now woke. Anyone else see flaws in that logic? In real life, those of us…
Guest post by Ellen Belcher, communications director at Learn to Earn Dayton. Thanks to support from StriveTogether’s Cradle to Career Community Challenge and the Lumina Foundation, nearly 150 Dayton-area educators and community leaders recently participated in a two-day training on equity by the National Equity Project. Learn to Earn Dayton is a member of the StriveTogether…
Like so many others, I do this work because I believe that every child in our country should be able to reach his or her potential. The work is personal for me. I know what a profound effect education has had on my life. As a first-generation college student, I was able to achieve economic…
Imagine walking beside a river with a friend and seeing babies floating by you in the water. You jump into the water to pull the babies out, but every time you save one, several more slip past you. Meanwhile, your friend continues walking upriver. “What are you doing?” you exclaim. “Finding out who’s throwing babies…