Sixth Generation of Civil Rights and Educational Equity

Sixth Generation of Civil Rights and Educational Equity – Podcast Episode 113 | Classnotes Podcast 113

Classnotes Podcast (September 21, 2012) Beginning with the Brown vs. the Board of Education Supreme Court ruling in 1954, this nation has passed through several phases – or generations – of tending to civil rights in education. We have moved from focusing on desegregation to equitable access for all students and later to systemic equity and accountability.

Bradley Scott, Ph.D., director of the IDRA South Central Collaborative for Equity, describes how we are now entering into a sixth phase that is challenging us to be more focused on rigorous curriculum being presented by highly qualified teachers under the supervision of dynamic leadership. He says that this new sixth generation is calling us to examine the quality, correctness and suitability of the inputs to produce different outcomes for all learners regardless of their differences. Bradley is interviewed by Aurelio Montemayor, M.Ed., an IDRA senior education associate.

Show length: 15:15

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Resources

Courage to Connect: A Quality Schools Action Framework™
Edited by María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D., and Christie L. Goodman, APR
http://www.idra.org/change-model/college-bound-determined/

Who’s Responsible, Who’s to Blame?
By Bradley Scott, Ph.D., IDRA Newsletter
http://www.idra.org/resource-center/whos-responsible-whos-to-blame/

Fulfilling the Promise of Brown vs. Board of Education,
By María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D., IDRA Newsletter
http://www.idra.org/resource-center/fulfilling-the-promise-of-brown-vs-board-of-education/

Contemporary Civil Rights Challenges of Brown vs. Board of Education: School Leaders Identify Current Issues
By Bradley Scott, Ph.D., IDRA Newsletter
http://www.idra.org/resource-center/contemporary-civil-rights-challenges-of-brown-vs-board-of-education/

Position is Everything – A Comment on Brown vs. Board of Education
By Bradley Scott, Ph.D., IDRA Newsletter
http://www.idra.org/resource-center/position-is-everything/

Equity Challenges Continue
By Bradley Scott, M.A., and Josie Danini Cortez, M.A., IDRA Newsletter
http://www.idra.org/resource-center/equity-challenges-continue/

A Different Kind of Will: Educational Equity and the School Reform Movement
By Bradley Scott, M.A., IDRA Newsletter
http://www.idra.org/resource-center/a-different-kind-of-will/

IDRA South Central Collaborative for Equity
http://www.idra.org/South_Central_Collaborative_for_Equity/

Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html?src=rt

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Show Notes

Bradley explains why we’re now in the sixth generation of civil rights. He describes what civil rights means in education and why it’s time to have a different conversation about how to provide true educational access to all students.

Bradley shares some of the structural and cultural barriers that still have to be overcome with parents and members of the community in order to achieve educational equity.

Bradley offers three key challenges for equity stakeholders:
Viewing the experience of education through an equity lens rather than a “deficit” view
Raising questions around how new policies can impact all learners equitably, regardless of their race, gender, language, economic status, or special need
Taking action so that what is done impacts all learners in a fair, equitable, and non-prejudicial way, enabling all kids to reach high levels of academic achievement.

Bradley talks about persistent forms of educational exclusion of minority students, as well as disproportionalities in disciplinary action, access to higher-level courses, and graduation rates.

Bradley shares some of his success stories in working with school districts to improve educational equity.

Bradley explains how educational inputs drive educational outcomes.

Aurelio and Bradley conclude that throughout the six generation of civil rights, a constant remains: To support student success and equity, schools must continue to adapt to meet the changing needs of families and children.

Resource Center