2015 Bronx Education Conference at CASA MS

Important - Ticket Instructions:

All attendees need to select 4 Tickets:

1) One Event General Admission Ticket

2) One Session #1 Workshop Ticket

3) One Session #2 Workshop Ticket

4) One Session #3 Workshop Ticket

Please make sure to select only one ticket from each workshop session. If you register for multiple workshops during the same session, we will need to cancel your order and have you re-register. Thank you.

Review the information below to help you decide which workshops you'd like to attend. Biographies are provided for each presenter.

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Overview

The 2015 Bronx Education Conference at Lehman College is a grassroots effort exploring the impact of race, class, and equity on student achievement and overall preparedness for college and careers. We believe that all children can achieve exponentially if we work collectively to create an atmosphere for them to do so. We aim first to create professional learning networks within the Bronx to meet the needs of all children. Second, we aim to strengthen our ability to apply the 21st century skills of creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking within our currucula. Throughout the conference we will explore how systematic institutional racism, social emotional learning, innovative pedagogy, and formative assessment inform our practices. We also aim to ignite a growth mindset in all attendees, as we believe education is the civil rights issue of our time.

Event duration 8:00am-3:00pm

1. Breakfast and sign in 8:00-8:45

2. Keynote Speaker 8:45-9:15

3. Panel Discussion 9:15-10:00

4. Breakout session 1 10:00-11:00

5. Breakout session 2 11:00-12:00

6. Lunch 12:00-1:00

7. Breakout session 3 1:00-2:00

8. Closing Remarks 2:00-2:20

9. Networking 2:20-3:00

Additional Notes:

• Specific locations of the activities have yet to be determined

• Anticipated Attendance: 250 teachers and administrators (160 confirmed thus far)

• 10 schools confirmed attendance

• Twitter #bxed2015

• 10-12 sessions available during each breakout

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Bree Picower

Assistant Professor at Montclair State University in the College of Education and Human Development

Dr. Bree Picower was awarded the Scholar Activist of 2013 by the Critical Educators for Social Justice SIG of the American Educational Research Association. Her latest book, a co-edited collection of essays called What’s Race Got To Do With It? How current school reform maintains racial and economic inequality is available from Peter Lang Publishers. Her first book, Practice What You Teach: Social Justice Education in the Classroom and the Streets explores a developmental continuum toward teacher activism. She co-edits Planning to Change the World: A Planbook for Social Justice Teachers published by the New York Collective of Radical Educators (NYCoRE) and the Education for Liberation Network. Her recent scholarly articles have appeared in Teachers College Record, Teacher Education Quarterly, and Race, Ethnicity and Education. She has taught in public elementary schools in Oakland, California and New York City. As a core leader of NYCoRE and founding member of the national Teacher Activist Groups network, Bree works to create spaces for educators to sharpen their political analysis and act for educational justice.

Panelists

José Luis Vilson

Math Educator

A math educator, blogger, speaker, activist, and author of This Is Not A Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education. He has written and spoken about education, math, and race for a number of organizations and publications, including The New York Times, Al Jazeera, CNN, Edutopia, and others. Learn more about José’s work at http://thejosevilson.com

Dr. Rosa L. Rivera-McCutchen

Assistant Professor in the Educational Leadership Program in the CUNY Lehman College School of Education

Dr. Rivera-McCutchen began her career in education as a Humanities teacher at Wings Academy in the Bronx. While working on her doctorate at NYU, she worked to support staff development at Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom HS where she also organized the Annual Small Schools Conference. Currently, Dr. Rivera-McCutchen’s teaching and research focus on the theory and practice of leadership in small urban middle and high schools in order to create socially just and equitable educational spaces for Black and Latin@ students. Her work has appeared in an edited book entitled Critical small schools: Beyond privatization in New York City urban educational reform, and in scholarly journals including Urban Education, Journal of School Leadership, The Urban Review and Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership.

Dr. Mark Naison

Professor of History and African American Studies at Fordham University

Mark Naison is Professor of History and African American Studies at Fordham University. He is the author of six books and over 200 articles on African American politics, labor history, popular culture and education policy. Dr. Naison is the founder of the Bronx African American History Project, one of the largest community based oral history projects in the nation and brought his research into more than 30 Bronx schools before his community history programs were pushed out by school closings and test based ratings of schools and teachers. A co-founder of the Bronx Berlin Youth exchange, Naison’s articles about Bronx music and Bronx culture have been published in German, Spanish, Catalan, and Portuguese as well as English and he recently published a novel, Pure Bronx, co-written with his former student Melissa Castillo-Garsow, and a book of essays called "Badass Teachers Unite." Naison has a long history of activism beginning with the Congress of Racial Equality and Students for a Democratic Society in the 1960’s, through community organizing initiatives in Brooklyn and Bronx neighborhoods, through more recent activity connected to the Occupy movement and the defense of public education. He comments regularly on education issues through his blog, withabrooklynaccent.blogspot.com as well as on LA Progressive, History News Network, and The Washington Post “Answer Sheet.” He has founded or co-founded three education activist sites on Facebook -“Dump Duncan,” “Occupy Teach for America” and the wildly successful “Badass Teachers Association.” Dr Naison also comments regularly for the BK Nation Blog on Education and Politics.

Mrs. Johanna Quinn

PhD Candidate on Race in Education

Johanna Quinn is a Ph.D. Candidate in the department of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her work explores public K-12 schools as sites of work and examines the daily work lives of school employees in an era of increased federal oversight and intervention in schools. She is a former New York City public school teacher and teacher trainer. She holds a bachelor degree in psychology (Columbia University 2003) and master’s degrees in sociology (University of Wisconsin-Madison 2013), international affairs (The New School 2009), and education (Mercy College 2006). She researches, writes, and presents on the intersection of race, class, and gender in the lived experiences of people working in schools.

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Workshop Presenters

Dr. Mark Naison

Professor of History and African American Studies at Fordham University

Workshop on Color Blind Perspectives

Can racism be cured by ignoring its existence? Dr. Naison will stimulate a discussion about how the insistence on color blind perspectives inhibits discussion on real issues affecting Bronx students, teachers and communities. Participants in this workshop will leave with concrete next steps on how to engage in these challenging discussions with their colleagues, families, and students.

Biography

Mark Naison is Professor of History and African American Studies at Fordham University. He is the author of six books and over 200 articles on African American politics, labor history, popular culture and education policy. Dr. Naison is the founder of the Bronx African American History Project, one of the largest community based oral history projects in the nation and brought his research into more than 30 Bronx schools before his community history programs were pushed out by school closings and test based ratings of schools and teachers. A co-founder of the Bronx Berlin Youth exchange, Naison’s articles about Bronx music and Bronx culture have been published in German, Spanish, Catalan, and Portuguese as well as English and he recently published a novel, Pure Bronx, co-written with his former student Melissa Castillo-Garsow, and a book of essays called "Badass Teachers Unite." Naison has a long history of activism beginning with the Congress of Racial Equality and Students for a Democratic Society in the 1960’s, through community organizing initiatives in Brooklyn and Bronx neighborhoods, through more recent activity connected to the Occupy movement and the defense of public education. He comments regularly on education issues through his blog, withabrooklynaccent.blogspot.com as well as on LA Progressive, History News Network, and The Washington Post “Answer Sheet.” He has founded or co-founded three education activist sites on Facebook -“Dump Duncan,” “Occupy Teach for America” and the wildly successful “Badass Teachers Association.” Dr Naison also comments regularly for the BK Nation Blog on Education and Politics.

Starr Sackstein

Workshop on Reconsidering the Role of Grades in the Classroom

Participants will consider the role of grades in their classes and reconsider other possibilities. Through activities and conversation, participants will see the inherent miscommunications of the traditional system. Learn ways to teach kids how to be reflection about metacognative growth.

Biography

NBCT, writing facilitator, ed reformer,JEA NY Director, lover of the written word, student press rights advocate, motivator of the college bound. Mom. #jerdchat #sunchat Check out my new book: Teaching Mythology Exposedhttp://bit.ly/1euSJkB. Star uses standards based assessment in her classroom and has thrown our letter and numeric grades. She doesn’t even use the word testing in her classroom. Learn more about Starr athttp://starrsackstein.com/.

We would love to have staff from your school's present as well. Get back to me! More details to come!

Terrence Robinson-Brown

Math and Special Education Teacher

Workshop on Implementing Authentic Real World Mathematical Practices into the Common Core Classroom

Participants will explore techniques and strategies for implementing authentic real world mathematical practices into the common core classroom. This workshop is designed for teachers of both general and special Ed students and are rooted in 21st century skills and universal design pedagogy. Mr. Terrence Robinson has a history of driving student achievement by using innovative pedagogy. Warning: No test prep here!

Biography

Terrence Robinson-Brown is a 14-year teacher with a specialization in teaching children with disabilities. He received is B.S. in Physics from Hampton University his M.S. in Special Education from The College of St. Rose. Mr. Robinson-Brown began his journey in education at the elementary level where he had the opportunity to teach all major content areas and serve as Dean Of Students in District 9. After eight years of service, he decided to take his talents to District 11 where he served as a middle school mathematics instructor, math chairperson, school demonstration teacher, and curriculum writer. Currently, Mr. Robinson instructs students in District 75 who are on the Autism Spectrum. His mission here is to master the correct use of the Common Core Learning Standards so that that are effective in guiding every student's learning process regardless of skill level or disability.

Alprentice McCutchen

History Teacher

Workshop: Untold Stories: How can the events of the past be used as a precedent for contemporary action?

Our students have tremendous amounts of questions but rarely do we systematically connect their personal and contemporary questions to those questions that were asked and answered in history. Subsequently this begs the question—how can we use historical phenomenon as a means to studying and redressing contemporary issues? In this session, we will use video, critical writing, project-based and backwards design models in order to elucidate how concerns of today have their antecedents in the past. Participants will not limit themselves to merely a venting session of just articulating contemporary and historical problems; we will also use our time to collectively develop action plans around articulated problems.

Biography

Al McCutchen received his B.A in history from Wesleyan University in 1996, with a concentration in African-American studies and United States history. He also holds an M.A in Social Studies from Teacher’s College, Columbia University and an M.A in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. Since 1996, he has been teaching history in the New York State Department of Education. Al has spent a good portion of his professional career using inquiry, debate, project-based learning and critical writing as part of his work to develop students who contribute to the thinking world. Al has also had the opportunity to develop as a student of history as well as enhance the processes of teaching and learning through traveling and studying overseas in places such as Egypt. It was there, while an undergrad, he attended the American University in Cairo to study european imperialism and ancient near eastern history. He has also volunteered with the International Youth Leadership Institute to conduct academic seminars for high school students. Through this program, he co-lead study trips to Egypt, Senegal, the Gambia, Spain and Morocco to study their history, languages, and the affects of European Imperialism in those respective areas. Most importantly, Al is also a husband and father of three girls.

Jason Starr, Esq

Civil Rights Attorney

Workshop: Restorative Justice: A Different Approach to Discipline

Overly punitive school discipline feeds the school-to-prison pipeline and contributes to the failure of New York’s public school system to educate the city’s most disadvantaged students. Research consistently demonstrates the

importance of keeping students with the greatest academic and economic needs in school. However, in New York black and brown students, English language learners, and students with disabilities continue to be pushed out of classrooms at alarming rates. The excessive use of these exclusionary punishments feed the school to prison pipeline and deprive our children and their communities of the great value of a free public education.

Restorative Justice in schools is a philosophy, set of principles and practices that help adults and young people in schools to both understand and respond to conflict. Restorative practices have successfully strengthened communities in schools, taught adults and students to take meaningful responsibility, changed classroom dynamics and improved school safety. This workshop will explore the foundations of restorative justice and introduce a basic framework that educators and activists can use to encourage their school communities to adopt a restorative justice model. Workshop participants will also examine case studies of several schools that have used restorative justice to drive transformational change in their school culture and significantly improved student academic performance in the process.

Biography

Jason Starr is a civil rights attorney and consultant focusing on educational equity and ending the school to prison pipeline. Currently, Jason is the Director of the Nassau Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union where his work centers on designing and executing strategic civil rights issue campaigns which include litigation, direct action advocacy, media relations, and community organizing. Prior to joining the NYCLU, Jason was a postgraduate fellow at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he chaired the law school’s Diversity Task Force. Jason also serves as the Chair of the Civil Rights Committee of the Nassau County Bar Association.

A former teacher, Jason has a special interest in education policy. He has presented workshops on the school to prison pipeline and conducted trainings for lawyers, elected officials, educators, and community organizers. He has also lobbied extensively at the local, state, and federal levels for legislation and policy that reduce the interaction between schools and law enforcement. Jason is also trained in restorative justice practices and provides support to schools and school districts seeking to implement a restorative justice program.

Jason graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Economics from the University of Miami and earned his J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. A native of South Carolina, Jason now makes his home in Brooklyn.

Jia Lee

Special Education Teacher

Workshop: Our Students, Teachers and Public Schools are More Than a Score!

High stakes testing doesn't just undermine teachers' power and creativity in the classroom. They create hostile learning environments for students and are often paired with gentrification and other attacks on working-class communities of color. Increasingly, across the state and country, school communities are resisting the way in which standardized tests effect teaching and learning conditions. Find out why thousands across the state and the country are refusing to take the state tests. Join the discussion with parents, teachers, administrators and hear from a former testing industry insider.

Biography

Jia Lee has been a Special Education Teacher in New York City public schools since 2001. She is a member of Change the Stakes, a grassroots coalition of parents, teachers and community members who are concerned with the destructive use of high stakes standardized testing. She is also a member of the Movement of Rank and File Educators, the social justice caucus and of the United Federation of Teachers and a co-founder of Teachers of Conscience, working with other educators to bring awareness to the inextricable link between teachers' working conditions and students' learning conditions. She recently testified before the U.S. HELP Senate Committee on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

Dr. Jessica Bacon

Assistant Professor of Special Education at Lehman College

Workshop: Teaching Practices to Mitigate the Overrepresentation and Segregation of Black Students in Special Education

A great deal of research in special education documents the disproportionality and overrepresentation of Black students in special education categories (Blanchett, 2006; Harry & Klinger, 2014). The Office of Special Education’s annual report to Congress in 2008 cited that Black students are 2.28 times more likely to be labeled as Emotionally/Behaviorally Disturbed and 2.75 times more likely to be labeled Intellectually Disabled as compared to all other groups of students combined (U.S. Department of Education, 2011). Furthermore, overrepresented minority students are more likely to be educated in segregated settings (Eitle, 2002). This problem of disproportionality and coinciding segregation has remained in the national spotlight for decades, yet little progress has been made. This workshop will begin by reviewing key data about which groups are most overrepresented in special education categories and prevailing literature documenting why this occurs. The presentation will then discuss the role that teachers and social views play in this process. Finally, the presenter will work with the audience to identify key methods of teaching and learning that can mitigate such issues including: fair assessment practices, inclusive education practices, universally designed learning, and differentiated instruction.

Biography

Assistant Professor of special education at Lehman College, The City University of New York. Dr. Baconteaches courses in both the Masters special education program as well as in the undergraduate disability studies minor. She received her Ph.D. from Syracuse University in December 2012. Dr. Bacon’s dissertation and recent publications have investigated the impact of the standards-based reform movement on special and inclusive education. Her investigation of standards-based reform is part of a larger research agenda, which focuses on critical and intersectional examinations of inclusive and special education systems through a disability studies perspective. She has integrated her research and service commitments by working closely with community members who are parent-advocates, self-advocates, teachers, and students with disabilities. She has also been enthusiastically involved in promoting policies and practices that advocate for the inclusion of people with disabilities within k-12 and higher education systems.

Antoinette Jenkins

Coach from ENYESE

Workshop on Close Reading of Complex Texts

The Common Core Learning Standards have made Close Reading of complex texts an integral part of the literacy classroom from elementary school all the way through high school. As educators committed to liberation and empowerment we are in the premier position to select texts and resources that meet the expectations of the CCLS while simultaneously encouraging our students to question power, consider their position and role in society, and act in their best interest. Participants will analyze a text for worthiness against the text complexity gradient, walk through a simulated close reading experience to align CCLS standards to a social justice unit, thereby, walking away from this workshop with an understanding of how to equip students with the skills and the critical thinking abilities to make a positive impact in their lives, their neighborhoods and their world.

Biography

In her 13 years of teaching, Antoinette Jenkins has strived to meet the challenges of scholars in both Brooklyn and Queens, NY. She has experience teaching both elementary and middle school scholars in both charter and district schools; mentoring first year teachers and she has also been a Data Driven Instruction Consultant with Kaplan. For the past 5 years, Antoinette has served as the Literacy Coach of East New York Elementary School of Excellence. She decided to return to the classroom during her 4th year at ENYESE in order to hone her practice and not lose her connection to what is really important – the scholars. She believes that coaches, staff developers, etc still need to keep their ears to the ground in order to be effective in their capacities. Early on in her career, she discovered a quote that ignited the development of her philosophy of education. It reads….

“ Children are the messengers we send to the future”

How do I propose we send them off?

Education should equip students with the tools to think critical. In education, there are skills that are taught in order to survive in today’s society. However, education should go far beyond lateral thinking. Education is not just about learning skills; education is what allows one to have choices. If a person can think critically, that person has the ability to advance in any subject area they deem worthwhile, to question and amend injustices, and participate in our dynamic, global society. An educational setting that is rigorous in instruction within a supportive and nurturing community, will allow all children to attain this kind of academic success, thereby, producing life-long learners. Again, I propose we send them off with skills and the critical thinking abilities to make a positive impact in their lives, their neighborhoods and their world.

Antoinette’s work with teachers on curriculum development, literacy content knowledge and pedagogy along with her work with scholars in small group and whole class settings all hinge on this philosophy – to teach in a way that scholars never feel that there is a ceiling on their ability. To give them experiences which continuously open up new doors.

Cristy Cuellar-Lezcano

Teacher from Heketi, Instructional Specialist

Workshop on Kagan Structures

Looking for ways to engage students in meaningful learning? This hands-on workshop will introduce you to Kagan Structures. Create full student engagement with Kagan Structures—simple yet powerful cooperative learning instructional strategies. Learn easy ways to use Kagan Structures as a part of every lesson, creating greater engagement, deeper understanding of the content, improved retention, collaboration among students, and greater joy for learning.

Biography

Cristy began her career as a teacher in Long Beach, CA, after graduating from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in Bilingual Education. In addition to being a classroom teacher, she also had the opportunity to write curriculum that supplemented the adopted reading program to support English Language Learners. She received her Master’s Degree in Linguistics from the California State University at Long Beach. After moving to New York City she worked for a non-profit organization as a reading specialist, working with students at a public school in East Harlem. She also worked at a charter school in the Bronx as a kindergarten teacher and as a Literacy Coach. She enjoys spending time with her family, especially showing her daughter the beauty and diversity of New York City.

Shivon Carrington

Science Educator from Bronx Math

Workshop on Student Choice

How might we use student voice and choice as a tool to greatly increase student achievement? Participants in this workshop will work collaborativelt to explore the ever daunting challenge of student engagement. Too often classrooms are "top down" and teacher talk leads the way. During our workshop teachers will learn specific strategies to transition from teacher centered to student centered classrooms.

Biography

A Science Educator, Tutor and Mentor. Graduated from St John’s University with a Degree in Adolescent Education 7-12 Biology and currently pursuing a Special Education Degree. E-portfolio: https://stjohns.digication.com/shivon_carrington. Facilitating a workshop on Incorporating Student Choice as means to increase Student Engagement.

Teachers Unite

Growing the movement for restorative justice in NYC schools

Teachers Unite will lead a workshop about restorative and transformative justice practices in schools, including their historical and political context as well as what implementation in schools can look like in partnership with youth & parents. We will model a circle process and share about ways to get involved in the movement for ending the school-to-prison pipeline in NYC and across the country.