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Nine states, D.C. win 'Race to the Top' school reform competition

by Annie Gldzhyan
Nine states and the District of Columbia are the winners in the U.S. Education Department's “Race to the Top” competition.

Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C., will receive grants, department spokesman Justin Hamilton said.

The purpose of the program is to improve schools and close the achievement gap.

We don't need celebrities to tell us what our children deserve

by DrBoyceWatkins
I sat in a room full of black people the other day, rubbing my dusty eyes to listen to a speech that would inspire me out of my sleep. The discussion was being led by Susan Taylor, formerly of Essence Magazine.  Susan was addressing the National Professionals Network, a group of African Americans who travel the world on cruise ships while forming lasting bonds with one another.  In between awesome concerts, extensive networking and amazing celebrity galas, I found myself staring down Susan as she helped me to reshape my purpose in life. 

Obama on 'offering our children the very best education possible'

by Annie Gldzhyan
President Obama addressed the Race to the Top initiative today at the National Urban League's 100th Anniversary convention.

Obama talked about how the economic crisis had an "especially brutal impact" on minority communities. He said education is an economic issue and his administration will take time to approach the nation's education system.

“I want us to build a culture where we idolize the people who are shaping our children's future. I want some teachers on the covers of some of those magazines -some teachers on MTV,” Obama said.

“I was on The View yesterday, and somebody asked me who Snooki was. I say, ‘I don't know who Snooki is but I know some really good teachers that you guys should be talking about’.”

"Resegregating" North Carolina's schools?

by Annie Gldzhyan
With the election of the nation's first Black president, are we going backwards or forwards? It's surprising for me to hear that a school has already decided to re-segregate their students. The idea of a "post-race" America is nowhere near reality...

A North Carolina school board has decided to shut down a decade-old busing policy focused on diversity. This controversy led to a rally Tuesday by the NAACP, students and parents who belong to the school community.

Chicago school's first class of seniors is all college-bound

by Annie Gldzhyan
Earlier this year, the Alliance for Excellent Education published a study stating that a high school diploma is the best economic stimulus. 
If this is so, what are the actual graduation rates among our black students? The graduation rate for black students is almost 50 percent. About half of all black students have and are expected to drop out of high school. But we can put a stop to this disaster.

Obama gives the commencement address at a Michigan High school

by Annie Gldzhyan
One Michigan school got President Obama's attention by winning the national Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge. The challenge encourages schools from around the country to help make the U.S. a world leader in high school graduation rates by 2020. The winner, Kalamazoo Central High School, exemplified what it takes to prepare students to meet Obama's goal. Their prize: President Obama as their commencement speaker.

Education Secretary challenges HBCUs to raise their graduation rates

by Annie Gldzhyan
The U.S. Secretary of Education has called on historically black colleges and universities to raise their graduation rates and take the lead in training a new generation of minority students — especially black males — to teach in public schools, The Herald Sun reports.

VIDEO: How kids view skin color

by Annie Gldzhyan
Growing up in such a diverse nation, children are bound to ask questions about race and skin color. So when is the right time to talk to kids about skin color? According to PBS, children acquire racial constancy around age 7 and 8. Around this time, children understand that a person's skin color will not wash off or change but will remain the same as they grow up.

It's significant that the message of race and skin color is age-appropriate.

First off, I want to show one last video, which I absolutely loved. An African American girl is asked what color she would want her skin to be and her answer to the question is just amazing.

Congratulations to Notre Dame's first black valedictorian

by Annie Gldzhyan
Education is our future. And so I want to congratulate Katie Washington, the first black valedictorian of the University of Notre Dame. This is a great milestone in the university's history.

"I'm so humbled by it," said Washington, a biological sciences major graduating Sunday, May 16 with a 4.0 grade point average.

"My mom grew up in a Gary housing project at a time when the world was saying, 'You're a black woman and there's so little you can do,'" Washington said. "Both of my parents were in situations where poverty was real. They were the underdogs, but they still fought and worked hard to change their lives and the lives of others."

School districts to slash nearly 275,000 jobs

by Annie Gldzhyan
The American Association of School Administrators has announced that a total of 275,000 education jobs are expected to be cut in 2011. The estimate is based on a survey of school administrators from 49 states CNNMoney.com reports.

"Faced with continued budgetary constraints, school leaders across the nation are forced to consider an unprecedented level of layoffs that would negatively impact economic recovery and deal a devastating blow to public education," AASA Executive Director Dan Domenech said.

The AASA executive director is right on the dot. This will, in no way, help our economic recovery nor our future. I think public education should be a high priority right now because it will dictate the success or failure of America's future.