Educational Equity, Politics & Policy in Texas
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This blog on Texas education contains posts on accountability, testing, K-12 education, postsecondary educational attainment, dropouts, bilingual education, immigration, school finance, environmental issues, Ethnic Studies at state and national levels. It also represents my digital footprint, of life and career, as a community-engaged scholar in the College of Education at the University of..
"Last Night's DEI Dream: Art and a Change of Heart Will Save the World," by Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.
Educational Equity, Politics & Policy in Texas
2d ago
Last Night's DEI Dream: Art and a Change of Heart Will Save the World
by
Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.
November 2, 2024
Perhaps inspired by the Day of the Dead and my deep thoughts and prayers these days on ancestors, especially my late mother, Helen Valenzuela, I had a dream last night that I was on a search committee at a major public university in Texas. Our committee of 5 members of the faculty were to replace a departing provost. The provost is the head of the academic mission of the university. They are also referred to as the Chief Academic Officers of the university.
In my dream, she ..read more
Educational Equity, Politics & Policy in Texas
6d ago
Friends,
I really liked this Sunday, October 27th interview on Buelna News involving Drs. Alvarao Huerta and Fernando Guerra. It's cool to have a level-headed conversation of the Latino vote in light of the appalling racism exhibited by Trump and his supporters.
For a look at the latest anti-Latino rhetoric mixed with other racist, misogynistic rude, and crude disgusting remarks that were spewed at Trump's rally at Sunday's Madison Square Rally, check out my earlier post titled, Puerto Rico is No Joke: A response to the racist remarks made by Tony Hinchcliffe. And let's not forge ..read more
Educational Equity, Politics & Policy in Texas
6d ago
Friends:
Very good news and reason to be hopeful from Michelle H. Davis, writing for the LonestarLeft. The question is less about whether Texas will turn blue as it is about when this will happen. I certainly hope this happens in this election.
Data do suggest this real possibility. Perhaps Puerto Ricans can help us out here. According to 2021 data, there were 253,800 (see infogram) Puerto Ricans living in Texas. Relatedly, see my earlier post from this morning: Puerto Rico is No Joke: A response to the racist remarks made by Tony Hinchcliffe which points to just how important the ..read more
Educational Equity, Politics & Policy in Texas
6d ago
Friends:
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe has created a firestorm after telling a hugely offensive racist joke about Puerto Rico that that has appropriately and expectedly enraged Puerto Ricans. According to this NBC news article by Nicole Acevedo and Ignacio Torres, this has brought to mind just how incompetently Trump's handled the devastating impacts of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico all of which has sparked outrage and disgust by the Puerto Rican community.
The Trump campaign is trying to walk this back but the cat is out of the bag. I'm not seeing how the press is covering the ..read more
Educational Equity, Politics & Policy in Texas
2w ago
Friends:
To know why Ethnic Studies works, read these articles that explain why. I'm so glad that Dr. Eliza Epstein shared it with me and others while reminding us of our own struggle in Texas to advance Ethnic Studies citing, "'Never Without a Fight': How Texas Has Stood Up for Ethnic Studies, by Maribel Falcón.
Dr. Epstein also shares this in-depth, authoritative piece published by the National Education Association authored by leading scholar Dr. Christine Sleeter titled, What the Research Says About Ethnic Studies that is also great for the college classroom, together with works cited he ..read more
Educational Equity, Politics & Policy in Texas
2w ago
Friends:
Wanted to share my gratitude about winning this year's Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Association for Bilingual Education. Considering that I cannot be present, I shared this video where I accept this unexpected wonderful recognition. It acknowledges my dedication to #bilingual education and advocacy for Latino youth as having left an indelible mark in the ongoing struggle for our full cultural and language rights in the U.S. I couldn't be more humbled or honored. Wish I could be there this morning with everybody. Were it not for health reasons, I would be there.
View acc ..read more
Educational Equity, Politics & Policy in Texas
3w ago
Friends:
Many of us are waking up to regular news on the staggering devastation and wreckage of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. This morning, I woke up thinking about the 23 people who lost their lives, the hurricane's emotional and psychological toll, and the daunting task of rebuilding in those many areas impacted.
I was reminded of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, a category 5 hurricane, when immigrant workers were brought in to help rebuild the devastated areas. Similarly, undocumented immigrant labor played a key role in constructing Olympic Park in Georgia for the 1996 Olympics, as hi ..read more
Educational Equity, Politics & Policy in Texas
3w ago
Friends,
Re-posting this video and blog from 2019. History doesn't go stale after all. In contrast, it's very much alive and must be re-told to each generation so that we do not take for granted the sacrifices, wishes, desires, and accomplishments of our forbears to whom we owe so very much. ?
-Angela Valenzuela
Thanks to Dr. Rudy Rodriguez who reminds us that 2019 is the 50th anniversary of the original Federal ESEA Title VII legislation. Texas A & M University Professor Carlos Blanton cites the importance of bilingual education to European-origin groups like Czechs ..read more
Educational Equity, Politics & Policy in Texas
3w ago
87th Annual NAACP
Conference
Magazine
Write-up in the NAACP
Conference Magazine
Friends,
I have a lot going on at the home front at this moment. The short of it is that I have a rare form of face cancer and am focused on my health but also happy to report some good news.
Note: Feel free to visit me on my Instagram page @vlnzl for specifics.
This past weekend, I had the great privilege of attending and presenting at the 87th annual NAACP Conference in Corpus Christi, where I was honored with the organization's highest accolade, the Hero Award. I shared this distinction with ..read more
Educational Equity, Politics & Policy in Texas
3w ago
Good signs here in Texas that things are a-changing, but too early to suggest an outright shift when what's suggested in this Cook political report is a poll where voters are "leaning" Republican. I'll take it regardless and take this as a sign of hope that people want better leadership. It was shameful to see Cruz bank to Cancún while so many millions of others were left freezing in their homes in the memorable freeze in February 2021. Let alone his consistently ultra-conservative politics that don't represent how most Texans feel or what they think. In fact, he's part of the problem in turni ..read more