WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.360 --> 00:00:06.280 It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS Boston's new video. 2 00:00:06.679 --> 00:00:09.960 Al thank you, thank you for my introduction. All and 3 00:00:10.039 --> 00:00:14.359 I work together on Saturdays most often. I am here 4 00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:17.320 filling in for Dan on Night Side for the next 5 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:23.800 three hours. And I'm going to tell you about my 6 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:31.199 next guest. And this is all in such small print. 7 00:00:32.679 --> 00:00:37.479 And see she's a pre professional pre K to sixth 8 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:47.479 grade teacher, administrator education one to six. She also, as 9 00:00:47.479 --> 00:00:50.600 well as speaking English, which will help me interviewing her, 10 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:59.560 she speaks Spanish and could translate with advanced proficiency. That's 11 00:01:00.600 --> 00:01:03.759 Clark and Treline. Clark, welcome to WBZ. 12 00:01:05.640 --> 00:01:08.000 Thank you so much, Morgan. Can you hear me loud 13 00:01:08.040 --> 00:01:08.359 and clear? 14 00:01:08.760 --> 00:01:15.159 Loud and clear, and thank you. And your background is 15 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:20.239 so intense. You did send a text, but the print 16 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:25.319 was so small Nancy had to use magic tricks to 17 00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:28.640 enlarge it for me so I could read it. But 18 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:33.640 let's talk about the conferences. There is a conference coming 19 00:01:33.719 --> 00:01:37.120 up in June later on in this summer. It's going 20 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:41.840 to be in Ghana. What are these conferences built around? 21 00:01:41.879 --> 00:01:47.159 I know they're educational, but what are they built around? 22 00:01:49.159 --> 00:01:52.159 Okay, well, again, thank you so much for having me 23 00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:55.439 on this evening. So, as you mentioned, I am a 24 00:01:55.519 --> 00:01:59.560 career educator, and one of the things that has been 25 00:02:00.359 --> 00:02:03.120 very important to me and my own growth and development 26 00:02:03.159 --> 00:02:07.040 as an educator as well as you know, helping be 27 00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:12.599 the next generation of educators is to to have professional 28 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:17.479 development opportunities to continue learning. And so I have a 29 00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:23.039 passion for that and I've obviously betten to many conferences, workshops, 30 00:02:23.080 --> 00:02:27.360 et cetera. And several years ago I began trying to 31 00:02:27.599 --> 00:02:31.520 present at these conferences on different topics that I have 32 00:02:33.479 --> 00:02:39.120 passions about or some levels of expertise. And so one 33 00:02:39.159 --> 00:02:42.919 of the the one in June actually is with an 34 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:48.400 organization called Black Women Education Leaders Incorporated. It is a 35 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:55.960 national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the contributions and achievements 36 00:02:56.000 --> 00:03:00.280 of Black women at all levels of educational leadership. I 37 00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:04.000 am currently the national president of that organization, so that 38 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:05.280 I am. 39 00:03:05.479 --> 00:03:05.680 Yes. 40 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:11.639 It was founded during the pandemic by Doc the Younger 41 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:17.039 basically on Twitter, started a Twitter account and grew it 42 00:03:17.080 --> 00:03:21.159 into an organization and incorporated it during the pandemic and 43 00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:22.159 I found it on Twitter. 44 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:26.599 Now I'm going to turn back the hands the time. 45 00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:31.319 I want to talk talk about you now, you and 46 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:34.680 I talked about this when we were setting up this 47 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:38.719 time for your interview with me. I'm going to talk 48 00:03:38.759 --> 00:03:44.719 about you in elementary school, junior high, high school, and college. 49 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:51.000 What was it about wanting to learn that made you 50 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:55.800 hungry to go into class the next day and pay attention. 51 00:03:56.280 --> 00:04:03.800 I know you attended city school and not all of 52 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:08.759 your classmates had that same drive. Why was that drive 53 00:04:08.919 --> 00:04:09.400 in you? 54 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:18.120 Great question? So I actually went to an elementary school 55 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:23.639 where the majority of the students were black African Americans, 56 00:04:24.040 --> 00:04:28.600 and many of our teachers were the same, and I 57 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:33.759 have to credit them with part of that drive because 58 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:39.279 they made learning fun, they made it interesting, they made 59 00:04:39.319 --> 00:04:43.040 it relevant to who we are, who we were going 60 00:04:43.079 --> 00:04:47.319 to become. And so I was always and looking for 61 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:49.519 the next thing, hungry for the next thing that we 62 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:53.120 were going to learn. And you know, so that that 63 00:04:53.240 --> 00:04:56.879 is connected to having great teachers. I mean, you know, 64 00:04:57.519 --> 00:05:00.480 kids will learn from people that they can late too, 65 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:03.879 and that they you know, if they liked them, that's 66 00:05:03.879 --> 00:05:09.399 a bonus. But being able to connect with my teachers, 67 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:13.439 my teachers and learning who I was learning, how I 68 00:05:13.639 --> 00:05:16.800 learned as a learner, that was really critical. And so 69 00:05:17.279 --> 00:05:20.720 you know, that really helped me to to think about 70 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:23.439 you know, wow, if these things are you know, if 71 00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:26.800 I love to read, I love to write, I love history, 72 00:05:26.920 --> 00:05:30.199 well maybe I can teach other people the same. And 73 00:05:30.279 --> 00:05:33.160 so that's that's where I kind of directed my life. 74 00:05:34.040 --> 00:05:36.399 At fourteen, I decided that I wanted to become a 75 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:39.160 teacher and a school leader, and that's kind of how 76 00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:40.120 I feared in my life. 77 00:05:40.680 --> 00:05:42.759 No, I'm going to tell you a quick story that 78 00:05:42.839 --> 00:05:48.040 doesn't relate except to the last thing you said. Growing up, 79 00:05:48.120 --> 00:05:52.199 I had a best friend. We went to nursery school together, 80 00:05:53.959 --> 00:05:59.680 a couple of different after school programs together, high school together, 81 00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:06.600 and he said to me his sophomore year, I'm going 82 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:11.519 to finish high school, go to college, and learn how 83 00:06:11.560 --> 00:06:16.079 to be a pharmacist. A declarative's statement, as simple as that. 84 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:20.240 And he did it. And that's to say, when you're 85 00:06:20.279 --> 00:06:26.000 fifteen sixteen years old, what you intend to achieve scholastically 86 00:06:26.079 --> 00:06:33.720 and do it is a very impressive thing. And I'm 87 00:06:33.720 --> 00:06:36.839 not going to say his name, but he and I 88 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:40.519 are still friends, not as close as we were back 89 00:06:40.600 --> 00:06:44.920 in the day, but we're still friends. And he and 90 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:50.639 I went out to lunch not even two months ago, 91 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:54.120 just to catch up with each other and for you 92 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:58.160 to say the same thing. For you to identify what 93 00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:02.439 you wanted as a career path, walk that path, stick 94 00:07:02.519 --> 00:07:06.879 to walking that path and achieving it says a lot 95 00:07:06.920 --> 00:07:07.480 for you too. 96 00:07:09.319 --> 00:07:09.920 Absolutely. 97 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:13.560 Now I have a break to take. I'm going to 98 00:07:14.040 --> 00:07:16.600 open up our phone lines and I want to tell 99 00:07:16.920 --> 00:07:21.040 I want you to tell people about these conferences, the 100 00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:23.720 one in Washington, which I think is in several weeks, 101 00:07:24.360 --> 00:07:28.160 and the one later on in the summer at Ghana. 102 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:32.160 If you want to call in and speak to Trelaine Clark, 103 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:36.519 please do six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty 104 00:07:36.600 --> 00:07:40.959 or eight eight, eight, nine, two nine ten thirty. Give 105 00:07:41.079 --> 00:07:44.720 recall I'm Morgan filling in for Dan Rey here on 106 00:07:44.879 --> 00:07:52.759 night Side time and temperature nine fifteen pt. Seventy three degrees. 107 00:07:53.879 --> 00:07:58.160 You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's 108 00:07:58.199 --> 00:07:58.759 news radio. 109 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:04.839 Back when I say we we're talking edgemaication to be 110 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:08.480 funny when they say that, all right, that laughter you 111 00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:14.160 here is from Trelaine Clark, and Tralaine tell me about 112 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:17.000 the upcoming Washington DC conference. 113 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:23.959 So the conference is held by Black Women Education Leaders Incorporated. 114 00:08:24.600 --> 00:08:28.680 And the title is the power of our presence, transforming 115 00:08:28.759 --> 00:08:33.240 Black women, transforming education for the future. This is our 116 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:37.480 first national conference. As I mentioned a little earlier, the 117 00:08:37.559 --> 00:08:42.840 organization was started in twenty twenty and we are having 118 00:08:42.840 --> 00:08:45.519 our very first conference. It is open to all, but 119 00:08:45.639 --> 00:08:50.360 the organization has planned it and is planned and all 120 00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:54.600 of the presenters are Black women at various levels of 121 00:08:54.720 --> 00:08:58.879 educational leadership. And it's going to be a phenomenal A phenomenal. 122 00:08:58.360 --> 00:09:03.399 Of that is there a platform of what as a 123 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:05.720 group you want to achieve. 124 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:12.759 So so one of the one of the things is 125 00:09:12.799 --> 00:09:17.399 that you know, if you look at education, these statistics 126 00:09:17.639 --> 00:09:23.039 about how how many Black women are in levels of 127 00:09:23.159 --> 00:09:27.679 educational leadership, whether it be uh serving in school based leadership, 128 00:09:27.759 --> 00:09:29.960 district leadership. 129 00:09:30.840 --> 00:09:31.080 Or. 130 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:35.799 Or school board, school committees, et cetera, the percentages are 131 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:41.600 are typically very low. And uh actually actually the percentages 132 00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:46.360 are slightly higher for black men in those similar roles. 133 00:09:46.799 --> 00:09:52.639 And really, you know, there are some unique challenges that 134 00:09:53.080 --> 00:09:58.120 many black women face either attaining those roles or remaining 135 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:02.879 in those roles. And so our organization and this conference 136 00:10:02.919 --> 00:10:07.600 seeks to provide opportunities for support for networking. 137 00:10:11.240 --> 00:10:19.320 Do we lose you Trilane Rob endeavor to get her back. Okay, 138 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:23.799 and I'm going to do several things well. Rob attempts 139 00:10:23.840 --> 00:10:28.840 to get the connection back with Trelaine Clark tomorrow on 140 00:10:28.919 --> 00:10:33.200 The Morgan Show. What am I doing? Oh, I'm doing 141 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:37.480 something very unique. The first hour, I want people to 142 00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:42.960 call in and give me trivia subjects because the following 143 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:46.120 week I'm going to pick one of those subjects, write 144 00:10:46.159 --> 00:10:51.679 fifty questions around that subject that I pick from your calls, 145 00:10:52.840 --> 00:10:58.840 and the following week we will do questions in trivia 146 00:10:58.879 --> 00:11:03.759 game on the thirty first, the thirty first of May, Trellaine, 147 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:04.360 are you back? 148 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:07.200 Yeah, I'm sorry about that. 149 00:11:07.200 --> 00:11:10.320 It's okay. So where did we cut off with you? 150 00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:18.759 I had just explained what the platform was and being 151 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:19.840 rationale for the. 152 00:11:19.799 --> 00:11:26.720 Conference and between black male educators and black female educators 153 00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:31.120 and how the men seemingly don't have it as hard 154 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:37.320 as the black females. Correct mm hmm, okay, yeah, why 155 00:11:37.480 --> 00:11:38.080 why is that. 156 00:11:40.600 --> 00:11:42.919 Not to say that it's not difficult? So I'll put 157 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:46.279 that out there, and again the numbers are still are 158 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:50.360 still relatively small, but it's a lot of it has 159 00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:53.200 to do with the word leadership. 160 00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:54.600 Okay. 161 00:11:54.759 --> 00:11:57.480 And you know when you sort of think about leadership 162 00:11:57.519 --> 00:12:00.399 and how you know, our society is struck shared. 163 00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:01.080 You know. 164 00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:05.639 You you often see, well leader, well, let's likely will 165 00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:09.440 be a man, you know, and so that that is 166 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:13.320 just a part of our our DNA, so to speak, 167 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:18.200 as a society. And uh, and oftentimes to what we 168 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:23.399 see in in educational leadership is that black men who 169 00:12:23.559 --> 00:12:29.559 do become teachers or who either become and become too 170 00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:36.639 leadership educational leadership via various uh, alternative certification programs, et cetera, 171 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:43.159 they often don't necessarily teach as long as black women do. 172 00:12:44.840 --> 00:12:50.120 They're often promoted faster. So there's there's a lot of 173 00:12:50.200 --> 00:12:55.559 different factors that come into play. And uh, it's it 174 00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:01.480 definitely varies geographically depending on what the population is in 175 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:06.399 certain parts of the United States in particular. But there 176 00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:09.600 are a number of things at play when we when 177 00:13:09.639 --> 00:13:13.000 we look at the disparities between black males and black 178 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:15.120 females in educational leadership. 179 00:13:15.799 --> 00:13:19.960 Okay, and this is just an observation. I have no 180 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:24.200 science to back me up. But why is it it 181 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:35.200 seems that black students morphing into black educators seem to 182 00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:38.600 have more on the ball going for them. From the 183 00:13:38.679 --> 00:13:44.120 South than their northern counterparts. And do you think do 184 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:48.799 you think I am did center on that or not 185 00:13:48.879 --> 00:13:50.679 necessarily accurate on that. 186 00:13:53.639 --> 00:13:58.519 I hesitate to say they think very specific on that 187 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:03.799 because I am a Northern While I do know many 188 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:09.679 educators in the southern parts of our country, I do 189 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:16.600 again think that demographics and the quality of the education 190 00:14:16.919 --> 00:14:22.879 in various places, the value that they place on educators 191 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:28.799 and having an education, all of that makes it makes 192 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:33.559 determines whether or not teaching and education is sexy as 193 00:14:33.559 --> 00:14:38.279 a career choice, you know, and as a profession. Yeah, 194 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:41.200 so it really it does have a lot to do 195 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:44.759 with you know, how much do you value you know, 196 00:14:44.840 --> 00:14:48.200 getting an education and then not just getting an education, 197 00:14:48.840 --> 00:14:51.840 but getting an education to actually do the same. So, 198 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:54.840 you know, folks, nobody gets anywhere without a teacher, right, 199 00:14:54.919 --> 00:14:55.799 That's what nobody. 200 00:14:56.919 --> 00:14:57.519 Nobody does. 201 00:14:58.440 --> 00:15:04.840 However, what we have though, is a lot of disrespect, disregard, 202 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:09.320 you know, low pay, all kinds of things that just 203 00:15:09.399 --> 00:15:12.559 say that being a teacher is not something that most 204 00:15:12.600 --> 00:15:16.759 folks want to do, and it can be really difficult. 205 00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:19.679 It is really difficult that the schools of education are 206 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:26.159 struggling across the country for students because folks are not 207 00:15:26.279 --> 00:15:30.440 looking to become teachers, so there's a lot of there's 208 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:31.960 a lot of concern about that. 209 00:15:32.919 --> 00:15:35.399 Now I'm going to share a story with the audience. 210 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:38.480 I shared this story with you earlier when we were 211 00:15:38.519 --> 00:15:41.559 coordinating the day and time you were going to be on. 212 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:45.759 I went to the C. C. Perkins School, which is 213 00:15:45.799 --> 00:15:54.000 on Saint Petol's Street, South End, and I entered into 214 00:15:54.039 --> 00:15:58.360 the second grade and I stayed in that school third grade, 215 00:15:58.559 --> 00:16:03.519 fourth grade, fifth grade, and sixth grade. And due to 216 00:16:03.559 --> 00:16:07.919 a quirk in they're teaching scheduling, you had the same 217 00:16:07.960 --> 00:16:12.159 teacher each grade for that year. My second grade teacher 218 00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:19.000 as well was my fourth grade teacher. Her name was Elwood, 219 00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:24.559 missus Elwood. I don't remember her first name. And this 220 00:16:24.639 --> 00:16:28.360 goes back about ten twelve years ago. I'm in a bank, 221 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:32.919 my bank in Chestnut Hill, and it was around Christmas, 222 00:16:32.919 --> 00:16:37.799 so they had a security guard in there, and obviously 223 00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:42.679 during Christmas they want to have a presence to keep 224 00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:49.679 somebody from doing a naughty act. And as I'm leaving, 225 00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:53.879 I knew all of the bank personnel, so two or 226 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:58.399 three voices, oh yeah, goodbye, Morgan, and the security guard 227 00:16:59.240 --> 00:17:03.759 a police officer stopped me and said, are you Morgan 228 00:17:03.799 --> 00:17:07.400 White Junior? No, are you Morgan White? And I said, 229 00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:11.200 I'm Morgan White Junior. And he said, my mother loved you. 230 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:15.920 I said, pardon me, and he said, my last name 231 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:18.119 is Elwood. Does that ring a bell? I said, yes, 232 00:17:18.839 --> 00:17:21.160 your mother taught me in the second grade and the 233 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:26.759 fourth grade. And he said, the most heartwarming thing to me, 234 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:30.680 My mother loved you and everything that you've done in 235 00:17:30.680 --> 00:17:34.640 the public, from writing books to being on the radio 236 00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:39.759 and every now and then on TV. My mother did 237 00:17:39.799 --> 00:17:41.839 the best she could to keep up with your career. 238 00:17:42.759 --> 00:17:46.640 And I said right back to him, she was a 239 00:17:46.680 --> 00:17:52.000 contributor to my doing all the things that I have done, 240 00:17:52.799 --> 00:17:56.480 and having the brain power to do the things that 241 00:17:56.559 --> 00:18:00.039 I have done. And I did not exaggerate when I 242 00:18:00.359 --> 00:18:03.319 of that story. That is the truth for all the 243 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:09.279 people listening right now, and for missus Elwood, Miss Nardone, 244 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:15.799 my homeroom teacher in high school, mister Fox my biology teacher, 245 00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:23.480 Miss Specter my junior high history teacher, and I could 246 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:29.640 keep going. They all made it interesting for me to learn. 247 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:35.559 And mister Forsyth in Earth science freshman year, he taught 248 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:37.960 me all about a Nansen bottle, what it was, what 249 00:18:38.039 --> 00:18:41.160 it did? It collected silt and I can remember that 250 00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:45.160 now from being in the ninth grade. What a Nansen 251 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:51.039 bottle did. These teachers instilled in me not just the 252 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:58.039 hunger to learn, but to excel and learn. And those 253 00:18:58.079 --> 00:19:02.799 of you who know me, and this is to you, Trellaine, 254 00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:07.279 because you saw me at the Esplanade I don't know 255 00:19:07.640 --> 00:19:13.160 ten twelve years ago, entertaining. For those of you who 256 00:19:13.240 --> 00:19:17.240 have seen me entertain using trivia, couldn't do it without 257 00:19:17.240 --> 00:19:21.200 the teachers that taught me. And on that note, I'm 258 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:23.759 going to take my break if you want to call 259 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:27.640 in six one, seven, two, five, fourteen thirty eight, eight, eight, 260 00:19:27.920 --> 00:19:30.960 nine to nine, ten thirty. Trelaine and I are going 261 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:36.240 to talk about another conference this summer in Ghana, and 262 00:19:36.279 --> 00:19:40.799 I'm going to talk about how that country's use of 263 00:19:41.079 --> 00:19:46.400 educators differs from the United States. Time and temperature nine 264 00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:55.519 thirty seventy three degrees. It's night side with Boston's News Radio. 265 00:19:56.240 --> 00:20:00.480 We are back. I'm speaking with educator and that's the 266 00:20:00.480 --> 00:20:07.960 best word. She has been dedicated to teaching and learning 267 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:14.640 more as she teaches. Her name, Trelaine Clark. You want 268 00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:17.839 to call in and chat with her. I won't stand 269 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:20.720 in your way six one, seven, two, five, four, ten 270 00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:24.839 thirty or eight eight, eight, nine to nine, ten thirty. 271 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:29.079 And you talked about the conference in watching in DC 272 00:20:29.880 --> 00:20:34.400 coming up in June. I know there's another conference later 273 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:40.720 on in the summer in Ghana. What is the perspective 274 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:46.279 to learning, teaching and learning in Ghana versus the way 275 00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:49.279 we do things in the United States, If there is 276 00:20:49.319 --> 00:20:50.400 a difference. 277 00:20:54.440 --> 00:20:57.119 Well, I of course, I guess I want to just 278 00:20:57.160 --> 00:21:03.440 say what the conference is. So it is through Ghana ASCD, 279 00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:08.680 which is an educational organization, and the conference is the 280 00:21:08.720 --> 00:21:16.640 International Educator's Summit twenty twenty five. It's held July eighteenth 281 00:21:16.680 --> 00:21:22.119 through the twentieth in Accra, the capital of Ghana. I 282 00:21:22.200 --> 00:21:25.559 went last year to the first conference. I presented there 283 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:29.720 and so this will be my second time attending and presenting. 284 00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:38.559 So this I think it's a little trys of talking 285 00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:41.799 about Ghana's education system. I'm still learning a lot about 286 00:21:42.680 --> 00:21:46.880 Ghana's education system as a whole. What I can say 287 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:53.519 is that through my interactions with Ghanaian educators during my 288 00:21:54.720 --> 00:22:00.480 trip last year, I was just so awestruck by how 289 00:22:00.920 --> 00:22:06.880 dedicated they are and how much they are willing and 290 00:22:07.319 --> 00:22:11.920 just hungry for learning and opportunities to do so, opportunities 291 00:22:11.960 --> 00:22:18.359 to engage with other educators. So there there are definitely 292 00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:22.519 a variety of challenges in Zhana, but what I felt 293 00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:27.640 the most strong most strongly was how much they love 294 00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:31.519 their students and how much they were willing to try 295 00:22:31.559 --> 00:22:33.640 to figure out how to make sure that they could 296 00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:36.920 get the best education they could provide them. And so 297 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:42.160 there are some resource challenges throughout the country in different 298 00:22:42.200 --> 00:22:47.480 parts of the country, things like access to internet, even 299 00:22:47.599 --> 00:22:54.559 access to to books, other types of technology, and and 300 00:22:54.599 --> 00:23:00.559 then even you know, environmental concerns, access to you know, 301 00:23:00.920 --> 00:23:03.640 clean water and those those types of things. But again 302 00:23:03.680 --> 00:23:06.559 it depends on where you are in the country. So 303 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:10.119 you know, the education system is there, it has it 304 00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:13.960 has been there, and there's lots of lots of educators 305 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:19.440 who are working to refine the system and ensure that 306 00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:22.599 that students are getting what they need. It's very highly regarded. 307 00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:28.559 Education is very important to to Dnean citizens, and so 308 00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:33.160 it's really it's really really admirable what they're able to do, 309 00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:36.720 often sometimes in the face of not having what they 310 00:23:36.759 --> 00:23:39.720 need in order to do to do the best they can. 311 00:23:40.119 --> 00:23:45.440 Is their school day time here in the United States, 312 00:23:45.799 --> 00:23:50.039 and it varies state to state, but usually your school 313 00:23:50.119 --> 00:23:53.839 day start at eight o'clock, maybe earlier some places, but 314 00:23:55.200 --> 00:24:00.000 between eight and three you're in school. Is it the same? 315 00:24:00.440 --> 00:24:03.440 Is it the same in Ghana? Do they do four 316 00:24:03.519 --> 00:24:05.640 days a week, five days a week, or even six 317 00:24:05.720 --> 00:24:09.599 days a week, because in different school systems around the world, 318 00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:12.200 those numbers fluctuate. 319 00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:18.319 Yes, they do fluctuate, and I'm not on one hundred 320 00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:21.880 percent sure how much that is the case. But they 321 00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:25.039 are in school for you know, I would say average 322 00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:28.240 five to six hours a day, very similar to okay. 323 00:24:28.440 --> 00:24:35.640 And most schools in the United States. Most schools don't 324 00:24:35.720 --> 00:24:38.559 have an issue with supplies. If you need a pen, 325 00:24:38.720 --> 00:24:43.079 if you need crayons, if you need a ruler, your 326 00:24:43.079 --> 00:24:46.519 school provides it for you. If you need a computer 327 00:24:47.799 --> 00:24:54.519 or support supplies for your computer, most schools have that. 328 00:24:55.440 --> 00:24:59.880 But you may it sound like in Ghana that necessarily 329 00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:00.799 isn't the fact. 330 00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:05.799 That is not always the case. That is correct mm 331 00:25:05.880 --> 00:25:11.200 hm okay. So they are are using whatever they can, 332 00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:15.319 sometimes slate boards and talk sometimes they have uh they 333 00:25:15.319 --> 00:25:19.119 do have notebooks and things that uh, you know, and 334 00:25:19.119 --> 00:25:23.920 and pencils. But a lot of times, again depending on 335 00:25:23.960 --> 00:25:31.119 how rural the school is, they may have limited resources. Okay, 336 00:25:31.400 --> 00:25:33.960 the school, the school where we have our where we're 337 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:38.400 having the conference, got a international school is one of 338 00:25:38.440 --> 00:25:45.000 the more heavily resourced schools in the country. As it is, uh, 339 00:25:45.720 --> 00:25:48.680 I believe that students have to apply for that school. 340 00:25:49.079 --> 00:25:49.920 And so that's school. 341 00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:52.359 The school is beautiful, It has a has a library 342 00:25:52.599 --> 00:25:57.720 and internet access and and other things. So it really 343 00:25:57.799 --> 00:26:00.519 just depends a little bit on where in the country 344 00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:02.200 it is located. 345 00:26:02.759 --> 00:26:05.039 And when is that You say, it's in July. 346 00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:09.720 July eighteenth through the twentieth, And I want. 347 00:26:09.599 --> 00:26:12.599 To take you back a year that this is your 348 00:26:12.720 --> 00:26:17.319 second year being a part of the conference. What was 349 00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:21.960 it like stepping up to that podium, looking out, seeing 350 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:26.440 all the faces focused on you as you gave you 351 00:26:26.480 --> 00:26:28.039 a speech? 352 00:26:29.000 --> 00:26:30.559 Well, I didn't. 353 00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:32.839 I wasn't one of the ones giving a speech. But 354 00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:37.839 I just did a workshop. Okay, so yeah, so it wasn't. 355 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:42.119 It wasn't in front of the whole the whole group 356 00:26:42.160 --> 00:26:44.960 of attendees. So I had a workshop and I had 357 00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:49.039 some participants there and it was great. We had a 358 00:26:49.079 --> 00:26:55.680 great conversation. My topic was on resilience and educators, and 359 00:26:56.599 --> 00:26:59.160 you know, there was a moment where I said, you 360 00:26:59.160 --> 00:27:03.079 know what am I going to teach and educators about 361 00:27:03.160 --> 00:27:05.960 resilience when this is sort of part of their DNA? 362 00:27:06.119 --> 00:27:10.000 And it occurred to me that you know, it definitely is. 363 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:12.640 It is a part of our DNA. For those of 364 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:17.160 us who identify as as black or African American resilience, 365 00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:18.880 it is just a part of who we are. So 366 00:27:19.279 --> 00:27:25.519 they had great conversation about that and keeping ourselves, you know, 367 00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:32.000 rested and invigorated and encouraged to continue in our work. 368 00:27:33.160 --> 00:27:37.079 I do not know, so I'm maybe speaking from ignorance, 369 00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:44.400 but are there any skirmishes on the outskirts of Ghana 370 00:27:44.559 --> 00:27:49.920 with their neighbors or their neighbors neighbors? Do you hear 371 00:27:50.160 --> 00:27:55.279 gunfire at night? Now? I know there are different warring 372 00:27:56.640 --> 00:28:02.880 segments all over Africa. Does Ghana have to worry about 373 00:28:02.920 --> 00:28:06.119 that or are they pretty much safe when it comes 374 00:28:06.119 --> 00:28:09.759 to their neighbors and how their behavior may be. 375 00:28:12.400 --> 00:28:15.880 You know, I don't actually know a lot about the 376 00:28:15.880 --> 00:28:20.759 political climate. I do feel like Ghana is a very 377 00:28:20.799 --> 00:28:27.440 safe I felt completely comfortable there, So yeah, I think 378 00:28:27.480 --> 00:28:31.359 that you know, every every country has its uh it's 379 00:28:31.400 --> 00:28:35.559 it's things around that, but I don't to my knowledge, 380 00:28:35.599 --> 00:28:39.960 I don't think that that is a significant problem. 381 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:49.039 And you felt safe attending the conference on your school property, 382 00:28:49.319 --> 00:28:51.000 you felt safe walking the streets? 383 00:28:51.079 --> 00:28:52.839 I did, Yeah, I did. 384 00:28:54.319 --> 00:28:58.640 And how do people from Ghana look at people from 385 00:28:58.640 --> 00:28:59.680 the United States? 386 00:29:02.559 --> 00:29:06.680 So again, it definitely depends on what region they are from, 387 00:29:06.799 --> 00:29:13.640 but oftentimes they're they there are assumptions about our our 388 00:29:13.920 --> 00:29:20.160 our wealth or our economic status, you know, sometimes assumptions 389 00:29:20.200 --> 00:29:24.519 about not even our educational status or even our own 390 00:29:24.640 --> 00:29:31.480 access to resources. And at the same time, you know, 391 00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:34.759 there's often that there's also somewhat of a reference to 392 00:29:35.160 --> 00:29:40.480 for for at least for educators, because of how we 393 00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:44.720 what we are, what we're able to do and accomplish 394 00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:48.079 because we have so many more resources. So they, like 395 00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:51.119 I mentioned earlier there, they want to learn and they 396 00:29:51.160 --> 00:29:53.640 want to hear more and find out more about what 397 00:29:53.680 --> 00:29:57.359 they can do with their students to uh to support them. 398 00:29:57.440 --> 00:30:02.839 So it's very it's it's very humbling and heartwarming. Those 399 00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:05.400 educators that I met were just fantastic. 400 00:30:06.079 --> 00:30:08.400 I'm going to take a break, but when we come 401 00:30:08.440 --> 00:30:12.480