Journal of a Black Teacher

Disclaimer: This article does not mention the vice president or former president by name, nor do I mention Black Greek organizations, community leaders, or celebrities. This editorial opinion is a practice of higher-order thinking, or what some might call ‘nuanced,’ meaning to look into blind spots for discovery, truth, and facts. By Don Allen, Ed.S., M.A. Ed., MAT (written for educational purposes) In the wake of Tuesday's presidential election, our communities are broken, far more than we will ever want to admit. A Black woman, an apex of feminism, strength, free will, and determination, was denied the top seat, in the top spot, in the top country in the world. This historic opportunity moment, pregnant with the promise of progress, was squandered, leaving in its wake questions about the fissures within the Black political landscape. While nobody has the answer, valid philosophical questions must be asked to understand the structures at play. In a period of increased racial con

  By Don Allen, M.A. Ed./MAT - Entry: J ournal of a Black Teacher May 26, 2023 Today, I am frustrated.      I’ve worked for the last seven years to understand the data-driven defeat of some of our most reputable educational institutions. When I write ‘defeat,’ it does not mean the system is not functioning at some level; you have buses, students, passing bells, teachers, social workers, counselors, administrators, and such with an output that might not meet the core ethics of society’s expectations for a well-rounded education system (creating Minnesota’s Best Workforce ). I could be wrong. Maybe people don’t care? I don’t hold any of the power; if I did, the conversation would look different. To be honest, I do not understand the current rules about being just fine with less and inefficient with what you have. Processing the Twin Cities' educational information for understanding and critique is very different from simply blaming the school systems for the recent uptick in teenage

  Written by Don Allen, M.A. Ed. /MAT Economically Disadvantaged Students K-12  According to a study done economically disadvantaged students are the ones that mostly belong to a household that meets the income standards for free or reduced-price meals. This is because they live in poverty. This information about the economic status of individual students has been a result of county data on scholarship information and post-secondary options information. Economically disadvantaged children have a hard time succeeding in school. Most of the students in this state tend to drop out of school and choose a low-paying job because it is hard for them to keep up with their well-off peers. They become a center of ridicule because they cannot be able to afford to dress in fashionable clothes or even pay a fee for an educational trip (Thompson).  There are various reasons as to why there are economically challenged students, first is the income status. Poverty either situational or generational ma