EDUCA K16

This is truly inspirational! Roy Juarez shares with us his journey and insight into book, Homeless by Choice: A Memoir of Love, Hate, and Forgiveness.

An interview with educator and author of the poem-Identity, and his educator wife, share their heartfelt thoughts and experience as American teachers. Listen and share your thoughts.

This interview is an eye opener about high quality programs for linguistically and culturally diverse students. Listen to Dr. Pinkos and share your thoughts.

Dr. Benitez and Dr. Fernandez are two influential educators who speak about higher education with us. Listen and share your thoughts.

Listen to a renowned and charismatic leader and veteran. She passionately speaks about the importance of family engagement.

Dr. Pedraza’s interview informs us that it’s a good idea to have action oriented education in schools to succeed in home, school and life.

Did you know Ethnic Studies contributes to values, healing, empowerment and well-being? Listen to this dialogue and learn about issues with intersectionality. An interview with Dr. Angela Valenzuela, Dr. Abdín Noboa-Rios and Dr. Tony Baez. Raising awareness about leadership, advocacy in education. Ethnic studies and its importance.

In this interview our focus is on leadership development education. Marisa is a national leading expert, President of Mpowerment.

Carlos Jiménez Flores is a storyteller, poet, author and photographer. A Puerto Rican, born in Chicago, he struggled to assimilate into North American culture. he spent his early childhood in Puerto Rico and learned he was born in Chicago when his family returned on his eighth birthday. A product of divorce, living in poverty, English as a second language, surviving the violence in gang-infested neighborhoods, a high school and college dropout, he lived day to day believing it would be his last since he thought he would not make it to the age of 21.

He is a graduate of Roberto Clemente High School in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of the Windy City. He earned his associates degree from Wright Community College in 2002, where he made the Dean's List and was invited to become a member of Phi Theta Kappa which is the International Honor Society of Two-Year Colleges. He earned his bachelors in 2006 from Northeastern Illinois University, where he studied Human Resource Development and Sociology.

Did you know that many students in our public schools feel like they don’t belong and they drop out for many reasons. At the turn of this century Hispanics accounted for more than 90% of all immigrant dropouts.

Change is inevitable and growth is an option. Students need to be recognized by the assets they bring in order to feel at home in school and learn with ease. I have news for you listeners, some students who dropout of high school find their path. There is hope.

-Welcome to our listeners in the north, south, east, and west. We are EDUCA K16 Podcast bringing guests like you and me who have found their path. Today we have a special guest who brings a message to all of those thinking of dropping out-listen with love because he offers a wealth of knowledge and expertise to cultivate curiosity, provide educational advice and best practices to move this education conversation forward. Stay in the now with EDUCA K16.

-Shout outs to Jose Carlos from Vottles, post production, to DTO Music for our jingle, and to ArtereZone for our branding.

Listen to Dr. Azcoitia speak about the education challenges and being innovative. Did you know that many students in our public schools feel like they don’t belong? Did you know that all students need to be recognized by the assets they bring in order to feel at home in school and learn with ease? I have news for you listeners, some educators do not believe in their students and see them as an issue to the school’s overall ratings and performance. Is there hope in community schools?

-Welcome to our listeners in the north, south, east, and west. We are EDUCA K16 Podcast bringing distinguished guests with a wealth of knowledge and expertise to cultivate curiosity, provide educational advice and best practices to move the education conversation forward. Stay in the now with EDUCA K16.

-Shout outs to Jose Carloss from Vottles, post production, to DTO Music for our jingle, and to ArtereZone for our branding.

We give a heartfelt welcome to my co host, Dr. Abdin Noboa who has written the most recent books in the nation about Latinos in education in American history and the critical issues we face in the 21stc. Today, we have a distinguished guest Dr. Carlos Azcoitia, who brings a wealth of knowledge from his service in different educational roles in Chicago.

I quote former high school principal Diana Hernandez Azcoitia, reflected during Dr. Noboa’s interview doing research for his two books-“Our schools are still not culturally-relevant. We have a culture of incompetence when it comes to culture.” If this is the case, then no wonder in some schools students don’t feel they belong.

Audience, listen and learn from Dr. Azcoitia and what he has to share with us today about Community Schools.
Community Schools are not like every School in the neighborhood. You can develop community in every school.
-You have been a strong advocate for community schools. Yet, most of the public doesn’t know what this means. In simple terms, how would you define the concept of community schools? What is this about? How does it work?
“...the greatest influence in the student is the family and the communities. Well connected and aligned. Not just because you are open. Principals of Community Schools have to cross boundaries...the quality of the classrooms and what happens outside. The inclusion of families and community partners. What’s missing in the neighborhoods? Community Schools is about…sharing power, and dissenting energies, they take a look at instructional leadership and community partners. Process of evolution and ongoing quality…” Involved in quality of life of the community.
How do we know community schools are effective? What is the evidence?
Achievement Growth and taking a look at reduction in mobility and drop out rates and meaningful engagement of families by identifying community partners offering services to the students that are meaningful and you develop relational trust with its residents….How do you develop relational accountability? Internal accountability...

A community school is in the community for the community to utilize it, for the community to convene, and have access to the building -bringing them together…
The hub of the community is a center for progress---Saturday, Sundays, year round for leadership development...sports sometimes has to go outside of its building to bring the community in. For learning literacy, health and safety example-role of school, family, and community-crosses boundary and leadership...taking schools out of its walls...education is 24hrs a day…”the accident of birth should not be the determining factor of student success’’
Given what has been said about Latinos and education, how do you see the challenge of education for Hispanics? What may be blocking greater educational progress for Latinos?
Words of wisdom-
Graduation begins when you start in preschool. Gabriela Mistral-“Many things can wait but the children cannot because their blood and bones are being formed immediately.”

“Conversations about schools involve the power of Will, focus, and commitment.” Ronald R Edmonds

Did you know there are dual language public schools teaching in English and a second language? Did you know there are Magnet Schools that specialize in one area and they have criteria for entrance? I wonder Do all students have access to these Magnet Schools?

-Welcome to our listeners in the north, south, east, and west. We are EDUCA K16 Podcast bringing distinguished guests with a wealth of knowledge and expertise to cultivate curiosity, provide educational advice and best practices to move the education conversation forward. Stay in the now with EDUCA K16.

-Shout outs to Jose Carlos Vottles, post production, to DTO Music for our jingle, and to ArtereZone for our branding.
I am Sandra González interviewing educators with my cohost, Dr. Abdin Noboa who has written two books with a lens on Latinos in Education in American history. Welcome Dr. Noboa. Dr. Noboa is recording from Puerto Rico I am in the DMV and our special guest Kika Fernandez is in FL.
Welcome to you both.

Listeners let’s focus on the comprehensive state of education, we know poverty rates are not subsiding, and achievement highly correlates with income and race, 2/3 of all students are performing below the level of proficiency in reading and math per the 2019 NAEP results.

NAEP is The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) it’s the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas...

Sarita Brown, from Excelencia in Education is quoted in Dr. Noboa’s book Critical Issues of Latinos and Education in 21st century-under challenge #3 Gaps in Student Achievement,
“There are profound disparities in our society and so it stands to reason why there are achievement gaps in our schools.”

Tune in as Dr. Noboa, frames this disparity and achievement gap for us. Listen to learn about Bilingual and Magnet schools in Dade County, Miami, FL with our special guest Marta ‘Kika’ Fernández.

Welcome to our listeners in the north, south, east, and west. We are EDUCA K16 Podcast bringing distinguished guests with a wealth of knowledge and expertise to cultivate curiosity and provide educational advice and best practices to move the education conversation momentum forward. The pandemic took us to distance learning-more and more students are enrolling in online learning. Stay in the now with EDUCA K16.

-Last week we interviewed Tony Báez, MPS Board Member challenging the norms, a real mover and shaker.
-EDUCA K16 and our conversation continues to be higher education -this week with the two special guests Dr. Margarita Benitez and Dr. Ricardo Fernandez.
-Shout outs to Jose Carlos Vottles, to DTO Music , and to ArtereZone Welcome to our special guests...

Listen to Tony Baez as we learn about the resolutions and motions presented to the MIlwaukee Public School Board. All have been adopted and are now policy.

From Testing to Bilingual Task Force Resolutions, Mr. Baez works tirelessly to transform how MPS engages in learning.

The focus of Tony’s work has been advocacy and the transformation of learning, both at the K-12 and Post Secondary level.
“Learning has to be expansive for all; bilingualism is good for all; and the educational institutions like K-12 schools, postsecondary education, HSIs, Charters and others must make learning fun and engaging; they must transform themselves. They must shift away from the industrial models that have been used to date. They are models that correspond to a market-based, capitalist system that maintains inequality and racism. This is not rhetoric, they are facts that we must confront if we want to ensure better educational prep for Latinos in the future...”

We must work diligently from the inside. Did you know that connecting students as active participants of the communities is an important part of their education? Join our distinguished guest, Tony Baez who has been in education at various levels at different times. We tap into his insights and experiences. There is puzzlement why since the mid 60s Latinos continue to lag in National reports. Education is a reflection of the society in terms of equity and inequity. Tony’s approach is different-since before NCLB-He believes the standardized measures are not adequate measures. The suggestion that schools are to blame for everything in society is wrong. He talks about investments in schools and the punitive measures towards schools. He rejects the idea of the ‘gap’. “Standardized test is a reflection of racism.” Listen to Tony as he expresses the idea of reinvestment in schools and communities.

Did you know that if we want to see the future of the country, we can look at the bottom of the population pyramid -students who are 5 yrs or below and that percentage is what will show up in greater numbers in the near future projections? Learn about ethnic groups and their growth rates... 1 in 3 students are Latinx today. We need to understand history and the many diverse viewpoints about what high quality education is and how high quality education should be accomplished fo all.
Do you know when bilingual education started in the US? Understanding education issues is important for students, parents, and taxpayers. By being well-informed, we raise our level of awareness and we learn to contribute valuable input to the discussion- listen to learn to make better decisions about supporting education challenges or about making educational plans for your future.

Latino growth data is way higher. This is significant to our education conversation today.
Welcome to Educa K16, an educational podcast with the vision to raise awareness on providing high quality education via our public education system in the United States -we exist as a call to action to inspire our listeners’ involvement and to walk along with each of the stakeholders to advance an educational transformation and systemic change conversation and action.

Introduction of book author, Dr. Noboa Rios and a focus on what’s to come. Stay tuned weekly.