Teachers Voices

Teachers Voices
Jacksonville Education Fund

Educators were provided the opportunity to engage in dialogue about the educational status of schools and the established mindset that parents and community are responsible and accountable to the success of all students in Duval County Public School system.

Teachers Voices provided a powerful and dynamic academic “Think Tank”
of experienced and dedicated educators to share ideas relevant to educational success for students. This discussion was designed to engage an intellectual dialogue from professional educators, substitute teachers, business leaders, community stakeholders, and administrators.

These individual elements ultimately influence the instructional atmosphere of schools, to the responsibilities of parents and the involvement of the business community that also has a stake in
making sure future workers are prepared for the work place.

The morning engagement was hosted at WJCT Studios; educators and those in the public who have a strong desire to positively impact education participated in Teacher Voices, the first of hundreds of conversations that will make up the Jacksonville Public Education Fund’s ONE by ONE initiative.

Those in attendance were provided an opportunity to speak out about what parents, businesses, political representatives and the community should do, can do and should not do in support of schools. Not just what educators and administrators should be responsible? Rarely do teachers have the chance to openly talk about the challenges they face without being ridiculed and policies thrown at them. This is a volatile time for education; the community, politicians, parents and business owners must take time to listen to educators and renew their support and lift morale of educators.

When talking about educational matters many times teachers; these dedicated professionals who have years of instructional experience, curriculum development, technology skills, and classroom management experience are not asked their opinion when changes are being made and policies enacted. Legislative policies and procedures are thrust upon teachers without any consideration to the ramifications with increased work load, professional development and the impact it will have in the classroom.

Teachers Voices provided time to extend expertise and a voice beyond the classroom to advocate for making quality education equitable for all children and a priority in Jacksonville. Duval County Public Schools manages 177 schools and serves about 123,000 students. Each and every student deserves a high quality education. The school district is working to provide quality educational opportunities that help students to grow, but parents are responsible and accountable as well to help teachers.

Educators are trained professionals in their tasks teaching in the schools, but unfortunately too few educational successes are shared with the public. Graduation rates have increased over the years, reading, math and science scores have improved because of teacher’s dedication to press
forward despite challenges, threat of merit pay initiatives and continued changes in state assessments that do not allow for stability and consistency in the educational process.

There seems to be a disconnect by state legislatures that underfund education, they have not spoken to teachers about their challenges created by lack of funding, lack of support and lack of respect. Legislative representatives do not visit challenged school districts, challenged classrooms nor do they talk to challenged students to get a clearer picture of what is realistically happening in the schools. This creates a one sided and one size fits all mentality when addressing educational policies and procedures.

The discussions outlined what works in strong and consistant administration, professional learning communities (PLC’s), integration of technology, and professional development. Other considerations were the increase of vocational education geared for students who do not have aspirations of college and a major concern is that of equity in how schools are supported andoverall unity of the Jacksonville community.

At the end of the discussions participants were provided the opportunity to talk about their impressions of the first Teacher Voices. They were recorded for later broadcast by WJCT and expressed their feelings and hopes for education in Jacksonville, Florida.

Our schools are a representative of our communities, failing schools indicate failing neighborhoods, so it is the responsibility of the whole community to work together in unification to equally support
learning for all students no matter geographic location, zip code or economic level.

Stated by Tavis Smiley that can be applied to the importance of education not just as a local concern, but nationally, “the key to our democracy is education, an educated citizenry is important because it prepares our children for the benefits and burdens of our democratic society” (Accountable 2010).

Teachers help to build educated youth that will be future employees, business owners, tax payers and builders of our community.
It is beneficial to everyone that all children are academically
successful, graduates of high school and productive in society. The ramification of an uneducated society are paramount to economic
collapse and social decay. It is everyone’s responsibility to make
sure our teachers are supported, our schools are equitably supported
in monies and resources and parents are involved in making sure their children are prepared to learn.

Pictures can be found at: photobucket.com/teachervoices

The next Jacksonville Education Fund event is:
Student Town Hall Discussion
Saturday December 10, 2011 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
ONE by ONE Student Town Hall
Murray Hill Theatre, 932 Edgewood Avenue South
For more information on the upcoming student discussion.
Email events@jaxpef.org or call (904) 356-7757
Students, this is their opportunity to add their
VOICE to the ONE by ONE campaign.
This Saturday Town Hall meeting event features special
guest Al Letson, host of NPR’s State of the RE: Union and
a performance by ONEpush, the ONE by ONE youth street team.

Blogging While Black Tween and Teen

Blogging While Black Tween and Teen
By William Jackson, M.Edu

The opportunity for Black tweens and teens to write is making a transformation into the world of blogging. Although the styles of writing; narrative, persuasive, argumentative and other styles learned from formal education are used. The performance or execution of writing is changing. The art of creating digital content has shifted from paper to electronic design. Blogging at the “Speed of Thought” (Bill Gates) is being etched onto digital manuscripts that empower Black tweens and teens to be authors of digital content.

Now tweens and teens have a voice that can be heard across the blogosphere if they only exercise their writing talents. The integration of blogging into academic curriculums has shown that more work needs to be done in English subject areas to help Black tweens and teens to write with confidence, comprehension and creativity. The use of blogging provides a resource that encourages writing and develops creative literary talents in youth who have a desire to write.

Blogging allows the writer to create content that is personal and expressive. Blogging is understood as; original content designed to provide diverse information. A blog or weblog is no longer textual, but integrates graphics, music, video and other multimedia elements. These elements are manipulated by tweens and teens to weave digital stories.
Information online no longer is stale (static) in development. It can be dynamic (interactive) because of the infusion of a multimedia foundation that can bring about the “WOW” factor of writing.

Each tween and teen posses their individual writing traits, blogs are just as unique and individualistic. Rappers and musical artists share a creative talent that can be formed in blogging. Each using words to tell a story, Black tweens and teens should understand that blogging is representative of their ideas, personalities, passions and emotions.

Blogging goes beyond rudimentary (random) thoughts and feelings; although they are useful, digging deep in literary expression, transforming thoughts and personal experiences into meaningful expressions and lexis (words).Anthony Butler, Sr. (Executive Director) E3 Business Group states that, “tweens and teens can develop their identity through blogging,” and “youth need to develop their public voice. Blogging allows youth to create and grow that voice.” Youth can expand their voice in January 2012 in the first ever, Real Talk Real Change III
“Youth Rights” forum (http://www.e3businessgroup.us/gpage2.html). Youth are expected to blog about their perceptions about youth rights in their communities and share with E3 leading up to this powerful and empowering event on Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 5:30 p.m.
(http://www.e3businessgroup.us/gpage2.html)

This is why the use of video, music and the rich resources that technology can provide are important. Blogging thoughts transmitted through the use of expressive words, phrases, rhymes, raps, lyrical manipulations and the integration of youthful or generational slang,creating a “voice” as Mr. Butler stated that can be heard.

Blogging can be used to tell a story, share a feeling, express an idea, share a passion and start a movement. Words are powerful tools to start a revolution, change a country,create a constitution of ideologies that governs people.Black tweens and teens must understand; “to be a better writer a person must write every day.” There is a passion that many bloggers put into their blogging that sets them apart from just writers of words. Passionate bloggers write on what they perceive as blogging on a spiritual level or in a “Bloggers Zone.”

Bill Gates (Microsoft) stated that because of blogging people are “developers of (their own) content.” Separate from traditional news media bloggers add a dynamic to reporting of world events from the perspective of the “man/woman on the street” not guided by policies of news industry or corporations.

Tweens and teens should understand that their content is what makes their blogs unique and valuable.

Blogging content can be a ticket to college, creating an opportunity to an internship, or a career in broadcasting. The value of content information (CI) is to cultivate Black tweens and teens into bloggers that create relevant information worth reading.

Tweens and teens have the talent to blog, but may lack the knowledge, skill, confidence and courage. A part of blogging is accepting praise and criticism, so blogging can prepare tween and teen writers for real world exposure in writing.

The future is now, the Gutenberg Press created a paradigm shift in book production, the microprocessor created a shift in processing power for computers and the Internet has created a new shift in digital content. Tweens and teens will learn valuable skills that will be useful throughout life and applied in career choices.

Black youth can be reporters, journalists and publishers (digital) authors, but these opportunities will only be possible with writing skills. Minority tweens and teens are included in blogging; their voice can be spread but Black youth need to be Educated, Encouraged and Empowered, for the value of education and participation in community involvement. Instead of using rap to threaten, demean and use profanity why not use a tool that people will listen to in a format that opens minds and changes hearts for the positive.

Blogs are not complex they are about communication. What makes a good blog? One that gets read and in order to get read you have to start Blogging… So Black tweens and teens go forth and Blog..
More information can be found at:
HBCU Contributor -
Why Should African Americans Blog

Copy and Paste in a new browser:
Black Blogger Network - http://www.blackbloggernetwork.com/
Black Bloggers Connect - http://www.blackbloggersconnect.com/

Developing Blogs from students at Edward Waters College
Dionne Goodwin - Animal Kingdom - http://dee-animals.blogspot.com/
Tierra Frazier – On Acting - http://tierrafrazieronacting.blogspot.com/
Anthony Wines - http://g-1basketballprogram.blogspot.com/
LaShonda Mukes - http://mamamukes.blogspot.com/
Tierra Johnson - http://princesssyndee.blogspot.com/
Nikki Broadnax - http://nikkieslittlecorner.wordpress.com/