RALEIGH (February 17, 2023) – More than half of North Carolina’s 100 counties have lost population since 2010. Those who live in fast growing metropolitan areas like Raleigh, Charlotte, or Wilmington seldom grasp the poverty and lack of opportunity that exist just a few miles from their homes. Yet, instead of boldly focusing on these and other difficulties… READ MORE
Universities and DEI, Part 2: What’s new?
The exquisite irony in our polarized scenarios is that universities have had DEI-like entities and official statements about university commitments to civil rights laws in place for decades. The stationery in the UNC President’s office has declared institutional support for equal opportunity and affirmative action since the early 1970s. Perhaps the words have changed to… READ MORE
Universities and DEI, Part 3: Draconian options and board duties
The draconian hand of a central university board and the “nuclear option” of legislation or loyalty oaths or policy statements prohibiting what are, or are thought to be, inappropriate questions are not helpful here. We could benefit from less meddling by university boards and much less micro-management by our legislatures. Recruitment of top administrators is… READ MORE
In-state tuition for immigrants: ‘Like anybody else’
RALEIGH (May 18, 2022) – It’s 2022. And even amid an economy that demands educated workers, North Carolina still has a rule that creates a barrier to higher education for an entire class of people. Undocumented students brought here by their parents – even if they grow up in North Carolina and graduate from a… READ MORE
LatinxEd Fellowship: ‘Together, we’re stronger’
CHAPEL HILL (November 4, 2021) – When there aren’t many folks like yourself in your field, it helps to have some support. That’s what the LatinxEd Fellowship builds: A network of Latinx educators across North Carolina who share experiences and strategies through summer retreats, online workshops and webinars. “I feel like I’m seeing things unfold… READ MORE
Dreaming of more teachers of color
CHAPEL HILL (November 4, 2021) – It’s so important to have someone who looks like you at the front of the class. That’s what the DREAM program – Diverse and Resilient Educators Advised through Mentorship – aims to provide in the Durham Public Schools. DREAM is a partnership between the School of Education at UNC-Chapel… READ MORE
LatinxEd: ‘Freedom to create a better future’
CHAPEL HILL (October 21, 2021) – The college admission process is complicated as it is. Just imagine trying to navigate it in a new language: Acronyms like SAT, ACT and FAFSA1 to translate. Schedules for new tests and varying deadlines for applications to different schools. Those are just some of the barriers the children of… READ MORE
‘A strong Latina woman’
CHAPEL HILL (October 21, 2021) – In high school in Hamlet, college seemed a long way off for Camila Perez. Perez was undocumented until she was 15 years old, she says in the accompanying video. “So thinking about college kind of seemed like a far concept, just because I knew I would have to face… READ MORE
Somos Carolina: ‘A family’
CHAPEL HILL (October 21, 2021) – Helping Latinx students prepare for college isn’t just about filling out forms. It’s also about helping them feel comfortable with themselves. And that’s what Somos Carolina (We Are Carolina) is all about. “I would describe it as a family – it’s an organization that helped me feel less alone… READ MORE
SUMMIT: A critical conversation on Latinx education
CHAPEL HILL (October 12, 2021) – The 2020 U.S. Census revealed that Latinx people now account for more than 10% of North Carolinians – and if Latinx students don’t succeed, North Carolina won’t succeed. But a virtual summit Wednesday and Thursday will discuss the current state of Latinx education in North Carolina and ways to improve… READ MORE