$250,000.1 billion dollars. And $50.

Happy Sunday!

Grab your favorite mug, fill it with your favorite coffee, and enjoy today’s newsletter ☕

As we head into the second full week of February, let’s take a moment to celebrate the contributions that African-Americans have made not just to the U.S but to the world: George Washington Carver helped pioneer the concept of systematic crop rotation that helped restore nitrogen into soil which in turn provided additional cash crops for farmers; Garrett Morgan created the modern stop light that is ubiquitous at intersections around the world; and Henrietta Lacks, whose immortal cells have contributed to many breakthroughs in the medical research field, has saved an estimated 10 millions lives.

Simply amazing.

$250,000 wasted on attempting to “Wake” kids up

The concept of woke in recent years has been a very loaded word thanks to the political climate in the United States. What we have to understand about being woke is that it has been circulating in the black vernacular for many decades, as far back as the 1920’s. Woke was used within the black community to encourage each other to pay attention to the system that they existed within and how that system was used to oppress them. It continued to shape itself and evolve with time keeping a more positive meaning. If you want to read more about the history of the word woke, you can read it here on How Woke Went From “Black” to “Bad.”

The Woke Kindergarten was implemented at Glassbrook Elementary School in Haywood, California at a time students were struggling in their core subjects: Math and English. To be somewhat understanding of the mission of Woke Kindergarten about their views on American history in regard to how blacks and other minorities were treated and oppressed, this is something kids should be educated on in understand American history. There is nothing wrong with pointing out the flaws, the mistakes, the failures, and all the other unsavory aspects America endured. Valuable lessons can be learned so as not to repeat them again.

The founder of Woke Kindergarten stated:

It is important for a school district to understand what it is your students need. There is a time and place to have discussions on controversial subject matters about American history such as discussing the impacts of slavery decades after abolition and how that affected future generations African-Americans, to the now more accepted view that genocide was committed on the people that inhabited this land before the “settlers” had arrived, to the unjust internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. Kindergarten should not be this place. Kindergarten should be a time in which young minds should be learning the fundamentals they need to be successful in their academics. When your school only has 4% of students proficient in math and 12% at grade level in English, that money could have been spent on better resources to help struggling students.

It is challenging enough for teachers to teach in their classrooms, and to become embroiled in a controversial cultural issue just adds to the everyday level of stress teachers already have.

As a teacher, how would you feel if you had to implement something like this in your classroom? 

Read more about it here in the San Francisco Chronicle

Billion-dollar boost to education

Governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, introduced an infusion to the education system that totals $1.1 billion. That is massive! $900 million will go toward what Governor Shapiro dubbed the “adequacy formula.” What this means is that the money will be used to make sure all schools have the necessary resources to meet their student's needs.

$50 million will be used toward special education and $30 million towards pre-K programs. Funds will also be used to continue universal free breakfast and the food services program during the summer months.

The budget will also go towards creating a $1.5 billion fund that includes $300 million to fix up school buildings.

The budget proposal also looks to address the challenges students have after high school:

This is certainly an ambitious proposal. If successful, other states might follow Governor Shapiro’s lead. $1.1 billion may sound like a lot, but we have to remember this is an investment in the next generation and also the economic future viability of this country.

Or would a billion dollars be better spent on building stadiums for the local sports team? It is obvious which one of the two is a better investment, right?

Paying kids to not miss school

Ohio is working to pass a bill that would provide a monetary incentive for students to attend class, HB 348. Toledo Public School experienced a 42% absenteeism rate which is sixteen points higher than the state average. The money would be disbursed in both rural and urban communities targeting a randomly selected group of students where absenteeism is high. It will go toward kindergartners and ninth graders.

Students would receive $50 a month as long as they maintain a minimum attendance rate of 90%. Parents would also be incentivized; if students maintain the minimum 90% attendance rate, they will receive $150 at the end of each quarter. If students maintain that rating throughout the year, they will be rewarded $500.

For high schoolers, the plan includes $250 for students who graduate high school. There are two additional incentives on top of that - maintain a 3.0 and students will receive an additional $250, and if a student maintains a 3.5 or higher, they could receive up to an additional $500.

There are those that oppose this bill with Republican State Rep. Josh Williams stating:

Should states be involved in helping students that some would argue should be the parent’s responsibility? And is what the state does and what parents should be doing mutually exclusive?

Closing Bell

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On this day in 1990…

Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years of imprisonment for resisting the South African apartheid state. He led the African National Congress in a fight against the inhumane treatment of Blacks in South Africa. Mandela went on to be the first Black, South African head of state becoming president in 1994 until 1999. On December 5, 2013, Mandela died at the age of 95 surrounded by family at his home in Houghton.