{"id":6365,"date":"2021-07-05T10:17:37","date_gmt":"2021-07-05T14:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/issues\/uncategorized\/the-justice-league-of-education\/"},"modified":"2021-07-20T16:21:22","modified_gmt":"2021-07-20T20:21:22","slug":"the-justice-league-of-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/issues\/summer-2021\/the-justice-league-of-education\/","title":{"rendered":"The Justice League of Education"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Justice League of Education<\/h1><\/div><\/div>
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At 溏心vlog免费B站, Domingo Morel \u201998, Soljane Martinez \u201998, Tammy Warner \u201999, M.S. \u201906, and Matthew Buchanan \u201998, \u2014all first-generation college students from underrepresented communities\u2014became friends. None planned to be educators. But they all found themselves drawn to education, finding there a sense of purpose and a cause\u2014the fight for equity and social justice\u2014that needed their particular superpowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Soljane Martinez \u201998<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the fall of 2019, a Brown University forum brought together a group of Rhode Island equity advocates, educators, and leaders to examine the shortage of teachers of color in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the panelists and guests were three of my friends, all 溏心vlog免费B站 alumni, and myself. As tends to be the case in Rhode Island\u2014and at 溏心vlog免费B站\u2014circles of friends often overlap and we all came to be friends through our involvement in campus organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reuniting at this moment in time at a forum like this, I was struck by the fact that, although none of us had studied education at 溏心vlog免费B站, we had all ended up with successful careers in education and we were all wholeheartedly dedicated to improving the educational system and developing equity and social
justice within it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before 溏心vlog免费B站, we\u2019d each battled racism, poverty, and low expectations. At 溏心vlog免费B站, we learned the power of advocacy\u2014a power we\u2019ve since wielded within education, each in our own way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

High School Principal Matt Buchanan\u2019s Superpower:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CONVICTION<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Buchanan believes all students can learn and aims to help educators understand the best way to help them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"溏心vlog免费B站<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In 1994, Providence native Matt Buchanan \u201998 received an envelope from 溏心vlog免费B站\u2014a letter of congratulations from the Talent Development (TD) program. \u201cI cried. That was the first time I really felt like college was for me,\u201d says Buchanan, now principal of Hope High School, on Providence\u2019s East Side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t really begin to think about college until my senior year. I was recruited by Gerald Williams and Brian Scott from Educational Talent Search,\u201d a program that identifies potential college students from disadvantaged backgrounds and helps them succeed in higher education. \u201cIt was history from there. I can\u2019t thank those two men enough for believing in me and assisting me in the entire college process,\u201d says Buchanan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI arrived at 溏心vlog免费B站 in the summer of 1994 as a broke Black kid from the projects\u2014unprepared academically, financially, and socially for college.\u201d Friends and the TD program\u2014which helps recruit and retain Rhode Island students from disadvantaged backgrounds, the majority of whom are students of color\u2014got him through that first summer and the subsequent four years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe made a pact to make sure we successfully finished the summer program, and we supported each other. Three out of four of us \u2018made it\u2019 through the summer. We were roommates. My friends allowed me to be myself, and we were there for each other. They were my ultimate rock.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buchanan intended to major in education, but his plans changed. \u201cI had taken a human development and family studies (HDF) class during the summer and loved it, so I switched my major. I also took an Africana studies class and loved that, as well. I learned through my TD advisor that I could minor in Africana studies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TD proved to be Buchanan\u2019s biggest support system at 溏心vlog免费B站. \u201cTD was\u2014and is\u2014a family to me. They believed in me when I didn\u2019t believe in myself. They made sure I was ready for life after college. Because of TD, I had the best college experience ever,\u201d he says proudly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

溏心vlog免费B站 provided other opportunities for Buchanan: \u201cI was a four-year member of Uhuru SaSa (Freedom Now) and that was amazing,\u201d he says of 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s first and oldest multicultural organization, established in 1972.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buchanan has many vivid memories of 溏心vlog免费B站, but two days stand out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • June 21, 1997: \u201cOn the way to a Beach Boys concert, I met my wife, Diana Figueroa \u201902, who was a freshman. Here we are 24 years later, married for 18 years with three beautiful children.\u201d<\/li>
  • May 17, 1998: \u201cMy graduation from 溏心vlog免费B站. The look on my family\u2019s faces, especially my mom, is something I will never, ever forget.\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWithout their unwavering support and dedication, there\u2019s no way in hell I would be where I am,\u201d says Buchanan. \u201cMy experience on that campus provided a sense of belonging. Those were by far the best four years of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Twenty-three years later, Buchanan\u2019s journey has taken him on a road as winding and unpredictable as state Route 138.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cA lot of educators don\u2019t believe our students can learn, and that is a huge problem.\u201d
    \u2014Matt Buchanan<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After 溏心vlog免费B站, Buchanan held myriad jobs in education, including: guidance counselor, financial aid counselor, director of programming for foster children, and advisor and college counselor at The Met High School. He even returned to TD as a tutor for five years. In 2014, he became vice principal of Nathanael Greene Middle School in Providence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Buchanan\u2014who most recently served as principal of Hope High School in Providence and will serve as the principal of Somerville High School in Massachusetts, beginning this summer\u2014has always been focused on equity and “empowering white educators to fully embrace our Black and Brown students and all that comes with them, and empowering students to advocate for themselves,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cEducation is critical to the success of our Black and Brown students. Too many white educators come at our students from a sympathetic\u2014as opposed to empathetic\u2014standpoint. Our kids need the mindset of educators to change. A lot of educators don\u2019t believe our students can learn, and that is a huge problem,\u201d says Buchanan, who considers himself to be \u201ctough but understanding,\u201d because of his shared experiences with his students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He also acknowledges his role as a parent. \u201cI am fully engaged in my children\u2019s education,\u201d Buchanan says. \u201cI communicate my expectations with my children and also with their teachers. I know what questions to ask, how to advocate for my children, and I have the ability to hold educators accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As a parent and an educator, Buchanan hopes to have a long-term impact on the education of young people. \u201cI hope my legacy is doing what\u2019s best for students\u2014using data to make decisions that serve our students and families,\u201d he says. \u201cI want my legacy to be that I have done whatever it takes to guide these students to greatness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Buchanan holds an M.Ed. in educational leadership from Rhode Island College.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    Professor Domingo Morel\u2019s Superpower: <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    INSIGHT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Morel sees, helps others understand, and works to improve the educational and political systems that discourage students of color.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One of the friends Buchanan counted on at 溏心vlog免费B站 was Domingo Morel \u201998.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Their paths crossed at Central High School, when Morel\u2019s family relocated from New Jersey to Rhode Island the summer before his senior year. \u201cAlthough I knew that I wanted to go to college,\u201d Morel says, \u201cas a first-generation college student, I had no idea what the admissions process looked like or if I met admissions requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"溏心vlog免费B站<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Like Buchanan, Morel, a native of the Dominican Republic, also credits Gerald Williams with helping him immensely. \u201cDuring the early part of my senior year, in his position with ETS, he registered me for the SATs, which I had not taken, and eventually helped me apply to several colleges, including 溏心vlog免费B站\u2014through the TD program,\u201d says Morel. In 1996, Williams became an academic advisor for TD. He became the director of the program in 2000 and still serves in that role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Morel, who is now an associate professor of political science at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, admits he was not a stellar student during his early years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI always received average grades and I felt misunderstood by my teachers. I remember my teachers constantly focusing on behavior concerns, although I never demonstrated behavioral issues,\u201d Morel recalls. In fact, he cannot recall one teacher who he feels recognized his potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt was always frustrating to me. I felt that my teachers did not view me and my friends as intelligent and capable of going to college,\u201d says Morel, who is Black and Latinx. He says he experienced \u201cculture shock\u201d when he began at 溏心vlog免费B站 in 1994.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt was my first time attending classes and living in a community where people of color were not in the majority. Eventually, my roommates and I adjusted and made friendships that help sustain me today,\u201d Morel says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Like Buchanan, Morel changed majors early. \u201cI initially wanted to study marine biology,\u201d he says. \u201cBut it only took one class for me to realize that it was not what I really wanted. I decided on HDF because I wanted to do something related to counseling.\u201d He, too, credits TD for providing \u201cthe greatest source of support and mentorship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Morel planned to attend Howard University to pursue a master\u2019s degree in social work after 溏心vlog免费B站, but financial constraints changed that plan. He joined the admissions team at Rhode Island College for four years before returning to TD, this time as an academic advisor and recruiter, where he stayed for the next seven years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI do not believe that our politics and education systems are designed to provide positive educational experiences for students of color.\u201d
    \u2014Domingo Morel<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    During that time, Morel became involved in a number of community organizations, including Latino Dollars for Scholars. He also co-founded the Latino Policy Institute, which stimulates public policy discourse by examining and communicating the Latino experience in Rhode Island \u201cWe helped get in-state tuition for undocumented students attending the state institutions of higher education in Rhode Island and published a report on the state of education for Latinos in Rhode Island,\u201d he shares proudly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Morel completed his Ph.D. in political science at Brown, and in 2016, he joined the political science faculty at Rutgers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Morel, who met his wife, Lisa Abreau \u201901, when they were both students at 溏心vlog免费B站, has two daughters. Did his views on education change when he became a parent? \u201cI don\u2019t know that they have changed,\u201d he says. \u201cHowever, my daughters are not growing up in poverty, as I did, and they attend a public school system with the resources to provide its students with a positive and rewarding education experience. Seeing how their educational experience is vastly different from mine\u2014and from that of so many others who live in low-resourced communities\u2014inspires me to continue my work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI do not believe that our politics and education systems are designed to provide positive educational experiences for students of color in our country and in Rhode Island,\u201d says Morel, who served as a local member of the Johns Hopkins team responsible for the 2018 report on the Providence Public School District, which prompted the state of Rhode Island to take over the school district in 2019\u2014a takeover he opposed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Despite the current state of education, nationally and locally, Morel maintains a positive outlook. \u201cI think our greatest power is the ability to bring people together to address the challenges our communities experience,\u201d he says. \u201cMy wish is that we would be able to do more of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Morel holds an M.A. in counseling from Rhode Island College, an M.A. in political science from Brown, and a Ph.D. in political science from Brown. He is the author of <\/em>Takeover: Race, Education, and American Democracy, which examines the implications of state takeovers of school districts in racialized communities.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    Commissioner Tammy Warner\u2019s Superpower: <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    OPTIMISM<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Warner\u2019s personal educational experience gives her a unique perspective and fuels her belief that education can change lives.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    College was not an option for Tammy Vargas Warner \u201999, M.S. \u201906; it was an expectation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cMy parents drilled this into me and my brothers as we were growing up. As the oldest, it was almost my duty to be the first in the family to go to college and become \u2018someone great.\u2019 It was a lot of pressure. However, in all honesty, it was as much my dream as it was theirs,\u201d says Warner, the assistant commissioner of postsecondary education for the state of Rhode Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Warner\u2014who, like Morel, was born in the Dominican Republic\u2014witnessed, recognizes, and appreciates the long-lasting sacrifice her parents\u2014both professionals in their home country\u2014had to make when they moved their family to Rhode Island in 1984 to escape political turmoil, and began working in the factory assembly lines for minimum wage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI knew that I could not let them down,\u201d says Warner. She enjoyed learning, attending primarily majority-minority schools throughout K\u201312 in Providence. While there were a few positive experiences, \u201cmost of them were negative,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI was always a good student. But I was teased for being the \u2018teacher\u2019s pet\u2019 and I struggled socially. I became a cheerleader in high school to be more social, to try to fit in. It was enough to get by,\u201d she recounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When it was time to decide where to go to college, Warner, who was accepted to four of the five schools where she\u2019d applied, chose 溏心vlog免费B站\u2014the only in-state school. \u201cI chose to attend 溏心vlog免费B站,\u201d she says, \u201cbecause I knew that I would be part of a caring and supportive community through TD.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cMy dream was to become a pediatrician. During my first semester, I learned about the nursing program and it sounded like a more appealing path,\u201d says Warner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By the end of her first year, she learned she was pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cMy passion for college and for learning did not change when I found out I was going to become a mom\u2014actually it deepened my commitment to my education and gave me even more of an incentive to become a college graduate,\u201d Warner says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    TD was a source of support, but that wasn\u2019t the case everywhere. \u201cIt was as if some faculty were ready to write me off. One instructor told me that they were surprised I was still \u2018trying to do this.\u2019 They figured I would just leave school and get married. I remember that day like it was yesterday. It still hurts to think about how close I came to giving up when I saw that was what others expected,\u201d Warner recounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Still a full-time student taking general education requirements, but now with a newborn son, one of Warner\u2019s classes was developmental psychology\u2014in the human development and family studies program. \u201cThere were days that I had to take my son to class. The instructors were so understanding, encouraging, and supportive,\u201d she says. \u201cThey didn\u2019t mind that I brought my son, and, in fact, were happy to have him showcase some of the concepts and theories we were learning. I decided to change my major and study within that supportive environment, rather than have to fight to prove my worth at every step.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Warner also found support through involvement in the Latin American Student Association and time spent at the Multicultural Center (now the Multicultural Student Services Center).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By the time she graduated, Warner was a mother to a toddler, attending 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Providence Campus full time at night while working full time during the day. \u201cIt took me a bit longer to finish, but it was worth it. I was incredibly proud of what I accomplished and the future that I was creating for myself and my son,\u201d she says. \u201cI thought I would start my career with my diploma in early childhood development in hand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It turned out that the customer service job she\u2019d held for about a year before graduating would become a career. Her boss offered her a raise and offered to pay for graduate classes if she wanted to pursue an M.B.A. It was an opportunity she could not pass up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Four years later, in 2003, Warner was overseeing human resources in a small, local textile firm while taking business courses part time. \u201cI thought I had everything I wanted, but found myself wondering if I had settled,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A friend working as an academic advisor at the Community College of Rhode Island encouraged Warner to apply for an advisor position. She did. She was hired and soon began researching related graduate programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI loved the new job,\u201d says Warner. \u201cIt was incredibly fulfilling to work with adult students. I found that I could relate to many of these students\u2014students of color, single parents with small children, working professionals\u2014all looking to improve themselves in order to improve the lives of their families.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Warner quickly realized she wanted to work in higher education. She enrolled in the college student personnel master\u2019s degree program at 溏心vlog免费B站 the following year, where, after serving in advising roles at CCRI and 溏心vlog免费B站, and in an academic program director role at 溏心vlog免费B站, she served as assistant dean from 2016\u20132020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cMy work is fueled by my optimism in humankind, in our ability to respect and accept each other\u2019s differences \u2026 [and] work collectively for the betterment of our entire society.\u201d
    \u2014Tammy Warner<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Warner\u2019s unique educational journey fuels her belief that education is the great equalizer, affording individuals access to upward mobility, financial stability, and improved health\u2014for themselves and future generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Her firstborn, now 26, served as inspiration for her dissertation on college access. He decided early on that college wasn\u2019t for him, which came as a surprise to Warner. She later learned that negative classroom interactions had created academic self-doubt and anxiety in her son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt was the same story I had heard countless times from students of color I\u2019d encountered in higher education,\u201d says Warner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When she learned that her son shared those experiences, it became personal. It was the push Warner needed to dive deeper into researching a more complex phenomenon: racial microaggressions in the classroom environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt is not something humans are born with,\u201d Warner explains. \u201cRather, it is a behavior, a mindset that is learned and reinforced in a variety of systemic ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cMy work has only just begun,\u201d says Warner, who is now Rhode Island\u2019s assistant commissioner for postsecondary academic and student affairs. \u201cMy work is fueled by my optimism in humankind, in our ability as a people to someday learn to appreciate our individual strengths, respect and accept each other\u2019s differences, lean on our similarities to build community, craft shared goals, and work collectively for the betterment of our entire society. I think my belief in people is part of my legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Warner holds an M.S. in college student personnel from 溏心vlog免费B站 and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from University of Massachusetts, Boston.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    And My Superpower:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    FORESIGHT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    I see a future in which all students have the support, skills, and tools to have a positive and successful educational experience.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My mother is a high school graduate, my father earned his GED by taking night classes when I was a baby, juggling his blue-collar job and young family. My parents raised me and my sister with a simple mantra: \u201cEducation is the key that will open any door of opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In our home, like Tammy\u2019s, it was expected we would attend college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I spoke only Spanish until I began kindergarten. I quickly mastered English and excelled academically. Despite moving quite a bit, including to Puerto Rico during middle school, I maintained a college-track attitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"溏心vlog免费B站<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    I was 6 when I decided I wanted to be a surgeon in the U.S. Navy. Then I discovered I wasn\u2019t a big fan of swimming. Language and writing came naturally, so I chose another career: news anchorwoman. I would attend college with this goal in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In 1993, I attended a college fair in New York City. There were three people manning a 溏心vlog免费B站 table\u2014Victor Capellan \u201992, M.S. \u201996, M.A. \u201902; Henry Remolina \u201993; and Henry Ponciano \u201997, M.S. \u201911. I stopped to inquire about journalism programs. That moment sealed my college fate\u2014and those three people became lifelong friends to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After a visit to campus I knew 溏心vlog免费B站 was where I wanted to be. It also seemed far enough from home to allow me to come out from under a strict upbringing. Back then, Rhode Island seemed a world away from New York City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    溏心vlog免费B站 provided support in some unexpected ways. For instance, admission officer Frank Santos Jr., who called my home after reading my admission application, became my \u201c溏心vlog免费B站 dad.\u201d One of my first stops when I arrived on campus was to meet him. I ended up landing a work-study job in the Office of Admission with Santos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    His care and encouragement kept me at 溏心vlog免费B站 when the challenge of going from city girl to rural college girl seemed too much. I missed the hustle and bustle of the city and hopping on a subway at any time of day or night. At 溏心vlog免费B站, I was without a car and felt alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I joined clubs and met people who have become family in the 27 years since. I became a tour guide, a student senator, president of the Latin American Student Association, and eventually the editor-in-chief of The Good 5 Cent Cigar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And I did something I swore I\u2019d never do\u2014I pledged a sorority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sigma Lambda Upsilon\/Se\u00f1oritas Latinas Unidas Sorority Inc. was not your typical pledge experience. The culturally based national organization was the perfect mix of philanthropy and discipline\u2014best described as Girl Scouts meets military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We wore uniforms, walked in formation, and practiced social probation\u2014no partying or hanging out in between classes. It was all business: academics and community service. We were still new on campus, and many at 溏心vlog免费B站 weren\u2019t ready to see a group of women exhibiting such discipline. We endured nasty comments and harassment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The women who became my hermanas<\/em> (sisters) have been there for me for everything\u2014weddings, funerals, births, educational growth, and career promotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    溏心vlog免费B站 was a transformational time in my life. Like Princess Diana of Themyscira\u2014Wonder Woman\u2014I had to blend into society outside of my homeland. I acclimated to new people, customs, and traditions, and learned skills that have served as my arsenal over the decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    While I didn\u2019t become a news anchorwoman, I became a journalist on a different track\u2014print. I landed a job at The Providence Journal straight out of 溏心vlog免费B站 before heading back to my Themyscira, New York City, as a personal finance reporter for The Wall Street Journal in 2000. A year later I changed tracks again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I was accepted to the New York City Teaching Fellows Program, which called upon people in diverse careers to bring their skills into the highest-need schools in the city. I simultaneously earned my master\u2019s in education while teaching third and fourth grade in Brooklyn, the same borough in which I\u2019d attended high school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cAll students should have the chance to receive the best educational services, resources, and opportunities\u2014regardless of zip code or skin color.\u201d
    \u2014Soljane Martinez<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Just four months prior, I\u2019d left The Wall Street Journal to pursue my master\u2019s and begin teaching. Our offices were located on floor 11 of One World Financial Center\u2014ground zero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The pain of 9\/11 was too much. I decided New York City was not where I wanted to raise children once I had them. I completed my master\u2019s and looked to Rhode Island to put down roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In 2003, I joined a young charter school in Providence: Highlander, where teachers, students, and parents were a team, a family. I stayed 15 years, almost giving birth to my youngest in the school\u2019s halls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I honed my teaching craft, reconnected with 溏心vlog免费B站 friends, and built networks, evolving as an educator and social justice advocate. I specialized in World War II, genocide, and Holocaust studies\u2014a passion inspired by a course taught by Professor Robert Weisbord at 溏心vlog免费B站. In 2014, I was selected as one of 25 teachers from around the world to travel to Poland to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, an experience that changed my perspective on life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After many years teaching, I wanted to impact students beyond the classroom. That led me to the Principal Residency Network, which prepares aspiring leaders to champion educational equity and innovation to improve student achievement. As if that wasn\u2019t enough, I concurrently enrolled in Johnson & Wales’ Educational Leadership doctoral program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    From 2016\u20132020, I committed myself to my doctoral work. While completing my doctorate, I was a classroom teacher, a dean of culture and students, and an elementary school principal, finally starting my own educational consulting business. On Friday, March 13, 2020 (as if that isn\u2019t enough of a dance with superstition), I successfully defended my dissertation, hours before the state, and essentially the world, shut down operations due to COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Currently, I\u2019m the education coordinator at the Annenberg Institute, where I coordinate Brown University\u2019s K\u201312 engagement programs, facilitating partnerships aiming for equitable opportunities for Rhode Island\u2019s underserved students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My 溏心vlog免费B站 education has been the catalyst that has sparked every professional opportunity I\u2019ve had. It has allowed me to serve students, families, and entire communities. I hope that the legacy I leave behind for my children\u2014and for all children\u2014is one of transformation, equity, and opportunity. All students should have the chance to receive the best educational services, resources, and opportunities\u2014regardless of zip code or skin color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Martinez holds an M.Ed from CUNY, College of Staten Island, and an Ed.D. in educational leadership from Johnson & Wales.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    I\u2019m proud to be part of this incredible group of educators. We were brought together at 溏心vlog免费B站, where our shared commitment to transforming education and our successful careers were launched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Individually, the work we do has enabled us to impact the entire education spectrum\u2014from K\u201312 to academia, and from policy to practice. A principal inspiring young adults, a commissioner overseeing academic program quality for Rhode Island\u2019s postsecondary education, a faculty member bringing to light a failing system and providing a framework for improvement, and an education coordinator helping bridge the needs of districts with the resources of higher education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fueled by conviction, insight, optimism, and foresight\u2014and by our collective faith in the power of education\u2014my fellow educators and I stand united and firm in our beliefs and actions: We will always fight to conquer the injustices of inequitable education. \u2022<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Soljane Martinez \u201998 shares the stories of how she and three of her 溏心vlog免费B站 classmates are battling the injustices of inequitable education.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":6414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[301],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-summer-2021","architecture-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6365"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6692,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6365\/revisions\/6692"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}