Dr. Dye has over 25 years of experience in urban education where she has practiced as a licensed principal and teacher in traditional and charter schools. Her expertise is in empowering disenfranchised learners for high levels of leadership and scholarship, using skills in organizational design and change management; planning and instruction; and assessments and student accountability. With degrees in education and social science, her core research currently centers on power, race, learning, and achievement. She is most interested in exploring the intersections of schooling and social justice; as well as showcasing the Empowerment Framework (Dye, 2012; 2014) as a culturally relevant approach toward student achievement. Presently, Dr. Dye is engaged in public intellectual work, community organizing and teacher training. www.empowermentstartshere.wordpress.com
A year ago, someone (let’s call her Amy) told me about a conversation she had with a school reformer. In short, the conversation was about why (and ultimately how) Black children need to be controlled. It was argued that on their own, they did not have the motivation or the character necessary for achievement. It … More Stop Giving Reform a Bad Name
This summer, Hulk Hogan lost his contract with World Wide Wrestling Entertainment because of his use of the N-Word in a racist rant caught on tape. As is the case when this word comes out of the mouth of some notable person, there ensues a conversation about the word… its etymology (origin) and its usage. … More When Students Use the N-Word
This summer, I wrote a piece in favor of the Senate’s modified version of NCLB (as it is currently up for renewal). I summarized its position in the following statement… In light of last minute amendments, the (Senate’s) final version maintains NCLB’s position to disclose student performance and expose gaps by way of standardized tests. … More Education Next Poll Results, ECAA, and State Level Accountability
A few years ago, when having breakfast with a former instructor (now friend), I told her with excitement that I had stumbled across the concept of critical pedagogy. After 20 years of unknowingly serving as a critical pedagogue, I was super elated to learn there were other educators out there with a similar passion and … More Critical Pedagogy: The Struggle and the Community
Last year, I was invited into a local radio station in Milwaukee to record my views on the state of Black children in Wisconsin. Here is what I said… In a statement about capitalism and democratic socialism, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr had this to say: You can’t talk about solving the economic problem of … More Is Education Reform a Matter of Cosmetics?
Earlier this summer, Diane Ravitch highlighted in a blog post several points made by Susan Ochshorn in her writing of Big Data and Little Kids. In short, an argument was made that a push for data based achievement creates casualties among students. While I have an affinity towards all children, my work as an educator … More For the Love of Data
While it has been a slow crawl, I am pleased to report that I have finally made it to 1000+ followers on Twitter (@ejuc8or). I am especially excited that with the growth in numbers, there has been a growth in my true (off line) network. Recently, one of my newer connections, Dr. Paul Thomas, wrote a … More The Power of Twitter
Part II of the series: The Need for a Deeper Dive Over the past few months, I have tweeted under the #biggerfish2fry umbrella arguing that I don’t want to pick sides in the polarized reform/anti-reform debate. I feel that each side has a compelling argument and each side has room for growth. But being challenged … More Reformers and Anti-Reformers: An Underwater Perspective
This post is the first of a two-part series. Recently, one of my favorite bloggers shared a reflection on the challenges of education reports. He argued that anytime education is in the publication’s title of the journal, you can count on there being an uncritical, fairly simplified review of the topic at hand. Aside from … More The Need for a Deeper Dive
Years ago, I was sitting in the computer lab with my best friend and she asked, “Why do you make all of your papers about black people or black issues?” As a college student, newly smitten with the learning process (because high school was a totally different experience for me), I zeroed in on her … More Black Lives Matter: A Charge to Make Learning Culturally Relevant
The Empowerment Network 