Resisting & Transforming
Policies, Practices & the
Riddiculum: Creating a
Pedagogy of Hope
Dr. Barbara Flores
2013 OABE Annual Conference
McMinnville, OR
HOMENAJE A
CESAR CHAVEZ
İSI SE PUEDE!
Just Some Statistics…
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“Demography is Destiny” Dr. Juan Andrade,
The Almanac of Latino Politics, 2008
80% of Latino population concentrated in 10
states
Latinos and African Americans together are the
majority in 48 of the nation’s 100 largest cities
From 1970 to 2006 Latino Growth has been at
387% Rate
By 2050 Latinos will comprise ¼ of the nation’s
population at 102 million people
The 2010 Census counted 50.5 million
Hispanics in the United States, making up
16.3% of the total population. The nation’s
Latino population, which was 35.3 million in
2000, grew 43% over the decade. The Hispanic
population also accounted for most of the
nation’s growth—56%—from 2000 to 2010.
The Economic Force of Latinos
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In 2008 Latinos had approximately $980 Billion buying
power in the United States
In 2013 Latino buying power is in excess of over $1.5
Trillion
Forty-seven percent of the nation´s purchasing power
and 50% of the Hispanic population are concentrated in
California and Texas.
Small Businesses Growing at Record Rate
CA, TX, FL, NY, IL, NJ, AZ, CO, NM and GA top 10 states
accounting for 81% of all Latino buying power
In the Salem metro area, the report pegs the Hispanic
purchasing power at $955 million, or about 11% of the
total for the area. That compares to a 5.7% rate overall
for Hispanic purchasing power in Oregon in 2011.
Oregon Latino Demographics
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Ten of Oregon’s 213 school districts
enroll 50 percent of the state’s Latino
students. Seven of these school
districts are in the Portland
metropolitan area, two are located in the
mid-Willamette Valley, and one is
located in Southern Oregon. These
school districts are Salem-Keizer,
Beaverton, Portland, Hillsboro,
Woodburn, Reynolds, Forest Grove,
Tigard-Tualatin, Gresham-Barlow, and
Medford.
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By 2020 38% of the Oregon population will be
Latino.
Based on current incarceration rates, about one in
six Latino males— and one in three Black males—
will be imprisoned at some point during their
lifetimes.
In 2008, a majority of Latino children in Oregon
lived in two-parent households according to
estimates by the American Community Survey,
U.S. Bureau of the Census.
In 2008 32 percent (44,280) of Latino children live
in poor families in Oregon
OREGON COMMISSION ON HISPANIC AFFAIRS
Report February 2010
The Economic Force of Latinos
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In 2008 Latinos had approximately $980 Billion buying
power in the United States
In 2012 Latino buying power is in excess of over $1.2
Trillion
Forty-seven percent of the nation´s purchasing power
and 50% of the Hispanic population are concentrated in
California and Texas.
Small Businesses Growing at Record Rate
CA, TX, FL, NY, IL, NJ, AZ, CO, NM and GA top 10 states
accounting for 81% of all Latino buying power
In the Salem metro area, the report pegs the Hispanic
purchasing power at $955 million, or about 11% of the
total for the area. That compares to a 5.7% rate overall
for Hispanic purchasing power in Oregon in 2011.
Transforming Latino Education—
Its Historical Background
Its Deficit Ideology
Its Insidious Politics, Policies,
Practices & Programs
Toward A Pedagogy of Hope
What is an IDEOLOGY?
Ideologies map the political and social
worlds for us. (Freeden, 2003)
 Ideologies are used to deliberately
manipulate those under its control.
(Mannheim)
 Ideological hegemony is used by the
dominant class to domesticate and
subordinate the masses. (Gramsci)
 Ideology is something that happens within
us and to us.
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Naming, Interrogating & Transforming
Deficit Ideology, Policies, Practices
and Programs Impacting
Bilingual/EL Children & Students
The Deficit Legacy
 The Demographic Imperative
 The Cultural Divide between
Teachers and Students
 Racist & Class Policies that Deny
Education as a Civil Right
 Bankrupt & “Backlash” Pedagogy
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Naming & Interrogating the Status Quo
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The Legacy of the Deficit View of Spanish
Speaking Children During 20th Century &
Beginning of the 21st Century
Tracking by Ability, Use of Invalid
Language Proficiency Tests, and High
Stakes Testing
Unequal Access to Curriculum,
textbooks, and Quality Teachers
The Dismantling of Public Education
through No Child Left Behind
Over 50% Dropout Rate for Latinos
Institutionalized Failure of Latino
Children
John F. Kennedy once said,
“For the greatest enemy of
the truth is very often not
the lie—deliberate,
continued and dishonest—
but the myth—persistent,
pervasive, and unrealistic.”
(Yale, 1962)
The Intellectual Presence of the Deficit View
of Spanish Speaking Children in Schooling
During the 20th Century by Decade
Decade:
1920’s
Problem:
Mental Retardation
Fallacies,
Myths &
Habitudes
“These children are
mentally retarded
due to their language.”
Decade:
Problem:
1930’s
Bilingualism
Myths, Fallacies & Habitudes
“Spanish speaking children do not
achieve in school because they are
bilingual.”
 “Learning English is difficult.”
 “Bilingualism and its effects upon the
reading aspects of language is a
problem.”
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Decade:
Problem:
1940’s
Change the Mexicans
through Education
Myths, Fallacies & Habitudes
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“The Mexican can be changed through
schooling.”
“The bilingual child’s language is a problem;
therefore, it is the only problem that the
schools have direct and complete control
over.”
“Because the Mexican children have a
language problem, they must be segregated.
Decade:
1950’s
Problem: Dual Handicap & the
Language Barrier
Myths, Fallacies & Habitudes
 “The school must compensate for
the Mexican children’s deficiencies
by providing a rich and satisfying
program.”
 “Bilingual children’s reading
problems arise generally from their
home situations.”
Decade:
1960’s
Problem: Cultural & Linguistic
Deprivation
Myths, Fallacies & Habitudes
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“Home and Language are the primary
causes of school failure.”
“The school must remedy the
deprivation of the Mexican Americans.”
“Before the child with a language
handicap can begin to read
successfully, he must command a
meaningful English vocabulary.”
Decade:
1970’s
Problem: Equal Educational Opportunity
for the Culturally & Linguistically
“Different” Child
Myths, Fallacies & Habitudes
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The “Limited English” (LEP) child must be
helped.
English language achievement is the only
yardstick for educational success.
Bilingual children must not mix their
languages. If they do, it means that they
know neither well. They are said to be
“alingual,” “nonlingual,” or “semilingual.”
Decade:
Problem:
1980’s
Semilingualism
Myths, Fallacies & Habitudes
“If children don’t learn certain concepts in
their native language, they will be
cognitively deficient when learning those
concepts in a second language.”
 “Semilingualism is determined by a score
on a standardized test.”
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Decade:
1990’s
Problem: These Children are At Risk
Myths, Fallacies & Habitudes
“These students come from dysfunctional
homes and need additional help.”
 “These children need to be reached early
so that they don’t fail.”
 “These children’s parents don’t care, can’t
read or write, and neglect their children.”
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Decade:
2000-2012
Problem: Lack of English
Myths, Fallacies & Habitudes
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“The inability to learn English prevents
‘these’ children from succeeding.”
“English Language Learners have
difficulty learning English as evidenced
on standardized test scores.”
“These children continue to fail in
school because they have been in
bilingual education and speak Spanish.”
Examining the Institutionalized
Policies and Practices of Failure
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Teacher perceptions and low expectations by
class, race, ethnicity, and language
Tracking by ability, test scores, and proficiency
levels
Labeling our children, e.g. LEPs, ELLs, CELDT I,
II, III, IV, Far Below Basic, Below Basic, Basic,
Proficient, and Advanced
The Insidiousness of High Stakes Testing, Exit
Exams, Use of Invalid Language Proficiency
Exams
Mandated, Scripted & Bankrupt Riddiculum,
Reading First Remnants---“Banking Education”
Unexamined Domestication of Colonized Minds
No Child Left Behind Debacle
Common Core Promise or Peril
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False promises, Under Funding
Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing-Reading First
Legislating the Dismantling of Public
Education
Corporate Hijacking of precious
Educational Funds (Testing & Textbooks)
Legislated Corruption, Lies & Fraud with
Impunity, e.g. Reading First Debacle
Institutionalized Abuse of Children & the
Demise of Public Education
Mandated Scripted Curriculum
(Riddiculum), “Teacher Proof” Textbooks,
and Empty Assessments (Fluency, Dibels)
Mandated, Scripted & Bankrupt
Riddiculum--- “Banking Education”
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Decodable Books/Reading First
REACH
LANGUAGE!
READ 180
High Point
One Size Fits All Riddiculum
Scripted Language Arts Textbooks, e.g.
Pearson’s Reading Streets, Houghton Mifflin,
Open Court
Pacing Guides
Reading Excerpts of Books INSTEAD of Real
Books!!!!!
Nonesensebegetsconfusion
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Mom has a pot
Mom has a hot
pot
Mom has a spot
Dad has a mop
Dad mops the
spot
What does she do with it?
Open Court
Decodable books,
Level B, Set 1
Doesn’t make any sense???
Why would she have one?
How did she get it?
What is my Dad doing with a
mop?
How can he mop a spot that
my Mom has?
Example of Decodable Text
As Bankrupt Riddiculum
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Characteristics of
Decodable Text
“Decodable text is
composed of words
that use the soundspelling
correspond-ences
that children have
learned to that
point…” (Grossen,
1997)
The /ă/ sound [cat and sat]
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“…decodable
text’ has two key
features that
distinguish it
from other types
of reading text:
a) it is composed
of words that are
considered
phonetically
regular
The /ă/ sound [cat and sat]
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…and b) those
words are
constructed from
phonic elements
that have been
previously
taught.”
(Allington, 2002,
p. 200)
REACH Example
 We
fill pots with clams.
 We fit lids on the pots.
 We can get the pots hot.
 That is how we fix a clam dish.
Invalid Use of Tests
Dibels
 Aims Web
 Fluency
 Nonesense Words
 Word Accuracy
 Focus on Decoding Only
 Phonemic Awareness in Isolation
 High Stakes Tests/ CCSS/
 PARC/SMARTER BALANCE
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Legislated Corruption-Lies & Fraud with Impunity
Reading First Debacle & the
Fallacy of Decodable Books
& Dibels/EDL
Decodable Texts are not
supported by ANY Research
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CLAIM: “…Research strongly asserts
that children benefit greatly from
direct, systematic decoding
instruction and that instruction should
follow with practice in decodable
stories” [Texas Reading Initiative, p.
8…citing Adams, 1990; Anderson el
al., 1985; Beck & Juel, 1992; Juel,
1994, and others]
Teachers in K-3 Use
“Reading Programs & Materials” that
are “Research” Based
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The OIG also found that several people
integral to Reading First’s development of
violating federal law by subverting state
decision-making when states approved local
reading programs deemed out of favor with
the department.
“Based on its research findings, the NRP
did not recommend any commercial reading
program—NONE.” (Garan, 2004, p.89)
Research Cited Does Not
Support Recommendations
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“No research studies were identified that
systematically manipulated the proportion of
words in texts considered “decodable” to assess
the efficacy of texts compromised of ‘some,’
‘many,’ ‘mostly’ or ‘exclusively’ words that could
be pronounced based on the lessons previously
taught.” (pp. 200-201) (Richard Allington, Editor,
Big Brother & the National Reading Curriculum:
How Ideology Trumped Evidence, 2002)
Research Analysis and Findings on the
Use of Decodable Texts in the
Teaching of Beginning Reading
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“We have carefully traced the research
citations noted in advocacy and policy
documents [e.g, Texas and California State
Departments of Education] to their original
research sources and we’re unable to locate
any ‘reliable, replicable research’
concerning the use of ‘decodable text’ upon
which these policy decisions are based on.”
(Allington, 2002, p. 212)
Conflicts of Interests
The Office of the Inspector General is
investigating the “conflicts of interests”
associated with Reading First Grants
whereby states have been told to adhere
to certain products e.g. Dibels, or they
would not be awarded federal monies.
 Update: OIG found gross misdeeds,
conflicts of interests, and violations of
federal policies.
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HOWEVER
The OIG September 22, 2006 Report
 “An inspection of the U.S.
Department of Education’s oversight
of the grant-application process for
RF finds that officials may have
stacked panels of grant reviewers
with advocates of a specific teaching
method and that federal officials may
have overstepped their authority in
advising states on the types of
materials and assessments they could
use as part of the $1 billion-a-year
initiative.”
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Report #5
on February 22, 2007
 “The
OIG found that the U.S.
Department of Education failed to
restrict federal employees’ and
representatives’ direction or
influence over curriculum and
assessment decisions as
prohibited by law.” (Education
Week)
Education Week 2/23/07
By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo
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RMC Corporation oversaw the National Reading
First Technical Assistance Center and its regional
centers at Florida State University, the University
of Oregon, and the U of T, Austin.
“The Education Department did not put in
safeguards against the contractor’s potential bias
or conflicts of interests, the inspector general
found. Some of the experts employed by
RMC…were connected to specific programs and
assessments, and may have served as advisors or
reviewers for states that included those products
in their applications.”
Sin Verguenza
Secretary Spellings dismissed the wrong
doing as “mistakes.”
 No one has been charged with criminal
action like fraud, corruption or conflicts of
interest.
 Lies, Fraud and Corruption with Impunity
appear to just be an everyday happen
stance
 Congress never took punitive action.
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READING FOR PROFIT
In 1995 the National Business Round Table issued
its Education Initiative where they made a 10 year
commitment to “reform the entire system of public
education.”
 “The Corporate Coup” of Public Education
by the High Jacking of the People’s Federal $$$
thru draconian legislation that increases profit
margins for Textbook and Testing Corporations
such as McGraw-Hill is obscene.
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The Arrogance of Power
Breeds Corruption
 Sanctions Lying
 Uses Bullying
 Rules by F.E.A.R.
(FlaseEvidenceAppearingReal)
 Manipulates the Rules
 Violates the Law
 Bankrupts Morality & Ethics
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After Interrogating these Insidious
Policies, Practices & Programs…
Then What?
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Replace Deficit Ideologies with the Truth-- “La
mentira dura hasta que la verdad llega.”
Boycott and/or Replace High Stakes Testing
Advocate for Authentic/Multiple Assessments
Demand Respect by Claiming It with Our
Collective Voices and Actions
Reclaim Our Democratic and Civil Rights thru
Our Collective Actions to use our Public $$ for
our Children’s High Quality Education and Make
Educational Equity a FACT of Everyday
Schooling
Go to the Streets, Descend on the Legislatures &
Congress in MASS! As in Wisconsin
HOW WILL WE TRANFORM &
CREATE OUR WORLD?
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By Restoring Public Education As a Human &
Civil Right in our Democracy
By Teaching for Equity, Social Justice & Civic
Rights
By Transforming Deficit Ideology & Resisting
the Riddiculum & Migas
By Valuing All Children
By Teaching to the Potential
By Taking Back Public Education & Our Power
to Allocate Our $$$$
By Embracing the Demographic Imperative
and the Shift in Power
Instead of Giving Power to…
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The Devaluing of Teachers’ and Administrators’ Social and
Cultural Capital, Let’s Use It to Inform Our Teaching and
Leadership;
The Dismantling of Public Education thru NCLB, Let’s
Dismantle and Replace the Debilitating Policies;
Divisiveness; Let’s Close the Cultural and Linguistic Divide
with United Voices & Actions;
“Blaming the Victim,” Let’s Take Responsibility for
Unmasking Racism, Classism, and Our Own Domestication
of our Colonized Minds
Waiting & Seeing, Let’s Collectively Engage in the People’s
Power to Act and Transform
Watching Our Kids “Fail,” Let’s Boycott NCLB, High Stakes
Testing, Mandated Riddiculum, the “short fall of state
Budgets,” and the RIFing of Teachers & Administrators!
Replace Debilitating Policies & Practices
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Instead of Organizing Teaching/Learning to the
perceived developmental levels, TEACH to the
Potential
Instead of the Riddiculum, Provide Access to Rich
Curriculum, Materials & Resources
Instead of Discrepant Quality of Teachers, Hire
Teachers Who Really CARE & Are DEDICATED
Professionals
Instead of Managers, Become Sustained &
Pedagogically Sound Curricular Leaders
Instead of a Lack of Huevos, Stand up for Our
Rights and Our Children’s Rights
THE PEDAGOGY OF HOPE
Walking the 4 Paths of the Warrior, the
Healer, the Teacher and the Visionary;
 Engaging the “daughters of HOPE”—
CORAJE Y VALENTIA;
 Leading with the HEART;
 Planting the seeds of HOPE To Reinvent
Our World for Social Justice, Humanity
and Civil Rights through a Public
Education
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Walking the Four Paths of the
Warrior, the Healer, the Teacher, & the Visionary
Angeles Arrien
The Path of the Warrior
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“Showing Up and Choosing to be Present” is a
principle that guides the warrior inside all of us.
(Angeles Arrien, 1993)
According to indigenous societies the developed
warrior shows honor and respect for all things
including ourselves.
Also, the warrior communicates effectively, sets
limits and boundaries, is responsible and
disciplined, and demonstrates right use of power.
Courage is present in Everyone‘s
Heart, Mind, Spirit, Will & Body.
Walking the Path of the Warrior
 A true Warrior/Leader is someone who
knows how to extend honor and
respect; set limits and boundaries;
aligns words with actions; and extend
responsibility into structure and
function in an empowering way.
The Right Use of Power
The Native Peoples of the Americas believe
that everyone has the “power” to empower
the self & others.
 When we use our power, no one can tell us
what can’t be done.
 When we believe in ourselves, we are less
likely to accept other’s negative
perceptions and ideologies of who we
really are and can be.
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“Dare to Dream the Impossible.”
The Need to Dream the Impossible Dream
from Alice in Wonderland:
 “I can’t believe that,” said Alice. “Can’t
you?” the queen said in a pitying tone.
“Try again, draw a long breath, and shut
your eyes.”
 Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying, she
said. “One can’t believe impossible
things.”
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The Imagination is more powerful than
just having knowledge.”— Einstein.
 “I
daresay you haven’t had
much practice,” said the queen.
“When I was your age, I always
did it for half an hour a day.
Why, sometimes I’ve believed
as many as six impossible
things before breakfast.”
The 3 Universal Powers
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The Power of Presence—choosing to be
present, showing up.
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The Power of Communication—courage to
speak up with integrity by meaning what
you say.
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The Power of Position —the willingness to
take a stand about beliefs, self, events,
situations, feelings.
The Principle of Reciprocity
“Es mejor dar que recibir.”
Walking the Path of the Healer
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Healing involves the principle of reciprocity, the
ability to equally “give and receive” and the
ability to connect
In order to maintain health and well being, we
need to maintain the balance between giving
and receiving. We need to do both.
Giving is a gift; Receiving is a Treasure to
Appreciate.
The Heart is Very Important
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Many native cultures believe that the heart is
the bridge between Father Sky and Mother
Earth.
Daily Heart check includes the following:
“Am I full-hearted, open-hearted, clearhearted, and strong-hearted?”
Strong-hearted means to have courage. The
French word for “courage” is “coeur.” It
means the ability to stand by one’s heart.
The PATH of the TEACHER
The way of the TEACHER is through
education whether through an established
school system or an apprenticeship,
teaching/learning is universal.
 The principle that guides the teacher is to
be open to outcome, not attached to
outcome.
 Teaching is a calling, a joy, a love.
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“The wisest mind has something yet
to learn.”—George Santayana
The Teacher has wisdom, teaches trust,
and understands the need for detachment.
 Wisdom is at work when we are open to all
options.
 “The mediocre teacher tells. The good
teacher explains. The superior teacher
demonstrates. The GREAT teacher
inspires.”--Wm Arthur Ward
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The PATH of the VISIONARY
When we follow the path of the Visionary,
we are able to make the truth visible.
 The principle that GUIDES the Visionary is
“telling the truth without blame or
judgment.”
 Taking Responsibility for Our Actions is
the path away from blaming Others
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Creative Purpose & Life Dream
Many Native Peoples hold the belief that
each individual is original medicine,
nowhere duplicated on the planet.
 Therefore, it is important to bring one’s
creative spirit, life dream, or purpose to
earth.
 May our collective Life Dream be Using
the Four Paths to design, work, and
succeed in the educational success of
our Latino Kids.
 “My life is my message.” Gandhi
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As We Walk the 4 Paths: Let’s
Remember These Truths
Many traditional indigenous cultures believe
that the Warrior’s way is to know the right
use of power with valentía;
 The Healer’s way is to extend love;
 The Visionary’s way is to express creativity
and vision; and
 The Teacher’s way is to model wisdom and
act.
 May We All Walk the Paths of the Warrior,
the Healer, the Visionary, and the Teacher.
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Taking Back Our Power
How do we expose lies? With the Truth-La Mentira
Dura Hasta Que La Verdad Llega.
 How do we reclaim our professionalism?
 With Dignity, Courage, Integrity, Honesty, and Self
Respect
 How do we revamp NCLB? By taking action at
the local, state, and federal levels
 How do we resist? Everyday in Defense of Our
Children’s Welfare & Our Sanity
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The Courage to Act in the Face of Adversity, in
the Face of Corruption, in the Face of Deception,
in the Eyes of Our Kids
We must expose the corruption, fraud, and
the lies behind NCLB;
 We must resist and transform the
Riddiculum behind Closed Doors while
Challenging the mistruths about
“scientifically based” dictums and
mandates;
 We must litigate, change policies and
practices that organize failure not success;
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And In the Hearts of our
Children’s Future, and our
Children’s Children
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We must take the lead in changing this mess,
one by one, geometrically it becomes a million
times a million;
We must find and use our collective voice/s at
school board meetings, at our local schools, at
the legislature, in our communities, in our
homes;
We must not lose sight of one of our collective
life’s mission-the quality education of our
children;
Parents, Teachers’ & Administrators
Voices, Beliefs, and Convictions
of Civil Rights
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“No child’s learning should be handicapped by
the fear and humiliation of learning a second
language in a hostile environment.”
“The ignorance and false beliefs about Latino
children must be replaced by the truth. The truth
that Latino children can learn and be successful
in whatever they do. Teachers & Administrators
are the ones who will make the change and break
these habitudes and myths so we can ensure
Educational Equity for ALL.”
Si tu no lo haces, entonces quien?
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We must invest in our children’s educational
futures by organizing, dedicating the time and
energy to do right by our children; to stand up
and deliver with ganas, coraje, y sabiduría.
We must join business people, attorneys,
researchers, civil rights advocates, community
based organizations, other ethnic coalitions,
government officials, firefighters, police,
nurses, other professionals, labor unions,
parents, actors, journalists in a concerted effort
to truly EDUCATE our CHILDREN.
SÍ SE PUEDE
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“Cuando vives en la frontera
people walk thru you, the wind steals your voice…
Living in the borderlands means you
fight hard to resist…In the borderlands you are the
battleground…
To survive the borderlands
You must live sin frontreras
Be a Crossroads.”
Gloria Anzaldúa, 1987
Borderlands/Las Fronteras
SÍ SE PUEDE
Si no luchamos para nuestros niños y
nuestros derechos, entonces ¿Quién lo
hará?
 Si nos dejamos, nos van a fregar más.
 Nosotros tenemos el poder, solamente
necesitamos buscar la valentía que está en
nuestros corazones y actuar con la
integridad.
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Muchisimas
Gracias,
OABE