Why Equality101 Exists
On my way to work Monday morning I was surfing through the radio stations to find something that would motivate me to start the week before Spring Break (a terribly difficult week for most teachers). I heard this on National Public Radio (NPR):
Duncan To Step Up Civil Rights Enforcement
Some of the statistics cited in this report are staggering, but by no means surprising to most educators:
African-American students are six times less likely to be college and career-ready in biology than their white counterparts, or four times less likely to be college-ready in Algebra. We see districts where only 3 percent of high school English language learners are performing at grade level in math and in English.
In addition the issue of immigration rights can get woven into this discussion as well:
Latinos, on the other hand, pose a very different set of civil rights challenges. Tom Saenz of the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund says in some states, Latinos can’t even register for school without proof of their immigration status.
In a nutshell, this is why we at Equality101 do what we do. We are striving for equal educational opportunities for all, and thankfully, we’re not the only ones.
About The Author
Amy
Amy Hoff, 24, is a high school English teacher in the greater Houston/Galveston metropolitan area. She earned her BA from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2007 and is currently looking into Masters’ or Ph.D. programs (and is welcome to suggestions on either!). She is a recent Texas transplant and finds adventure at every turn there. Outside the classroom she spends her time taking her dog Bella to the beach, cycling, traveling (most recently to Japan), cooking delicious food, learning how to surf, and soon will be taking on the adventure of restoring a craftsman-style house.
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