2012 Conference Program

OregonNAME
2012 Conference
Parkrose High School
April 21, 2012
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS:
CIVIL RIGHTS, POVERTY, AND
MOVEMENTS FOR EDUCATIONAL JUSTICE
Dear Conference Participants,
Welcome to the 5th Annual conference of the Oregon Chapter of the
National Association for Multicultural Education. This year’s
conference theme, “Taking Care of Business: Civil Rights, Poverty,
and Movements for Educational Justice” reminds us that there is
still much work to be done to ensure equity and fairness for all.
David Dennis, original Freedom Rider, will share lessons of
persistence and courage from the Civil Rights Movement to rally
our spirits, forces and competence to respond to the attacks on
public education that have targeted ethnic studies programs,
bilingual education, the academic freedom of teachers to select
appropriate texts to provide a historically accurate and culturally
relevant curriculum, and to eliminate the increasing gaps in
opportunities for students that have resulted in persistent
inequities and disparities based on race, gender, national origin,
poverty, disability and other characteristics.
We thank our conference co-sponsors: the Parkrose School District
and Superintendent Karen Gray and the Region X Equity
Assistance Center at Education Northwest. Thank you to a very
dedicated conference planning team: Jacqueline Duyck
(conference co-chair), Chloë Hughes, Yuki Monteith, Bonnie
Morihara, Markisha Smith, Bernd Ferner, John Lockhart, Sonja
Ljungdahl and Cornel Pewewardy. We appreciate the participation
of keynote speakers David Dennis and Donna Beegle, Lewis
Diuguid, columnist for the Kansas City Star, Ron Silver’s vocal
group, presenters, volunteers, Oregon NAME members and friends
in Portland who helped to promote this conference. Our chapter
appreciates the ongoing support from Bette Tate-Beaver, the
Executive Director of the National Association for Multicultural
Education.
Lastly, my sincerest thanks to each of you for attending the 2012
Oregon NAME conference. I encourage you to join national
NAME and select Oregon NAME as your local chapter and attend
our chapter meeting today. During the conference please
introduce yourself to me and other board members and share your
ideas for Oregon NAME.
I am confident that you will leave today’s conference with many
new strategies and resources to help you “take care of business.”
With hope for equity, justice and fairness,
Joyce Harris, Oregon NAME President & Conference Co-Chair
About Oregon NAME
The Oregon chapter of the National Association for Multicultural Education is
an active and growing organization with members across the state of Oregon
from diverse educational institutions, different academic disciplines, and
multiple occupations. As a chapter, our goal is to provide rich professional
development and resources in order to advance multicultural education, equity
and social justice. We urge you to get involved and share your ideas for
promoting multicultural education in our region and for contributing to Oregon
NAME in the future.
Oregon NAME Membership
Like all local chapters of the National Association for Multicultural Education
(NAME), Oregon NAME does not have membership separate from NAME. If you
join national NAME and select Oregon NAME as your local chapter, you
automatically become a member of Oregon NAME. We strongly encourage you
to join the National Association for Multicultural Education, the premier
multicultural education organization in the U.S., and to become members of
Oregon NAME at the same time. See http://nameorg.org/.
Oregon NAME Officers
President: Joyce Harris, Education Northwest, Portland
Vice-President: Chloë Hughes, Western Oregon University, Monmouth
Secretary: Jacqueline Duyck, Centennial School District, Portland
Treasurer: John Lockhart, Pacific University, Eugene
Communications Officer: Bonnie Morihara, Western Oregon University
Representatives-at-large: 4 positions are currently vacant
2012 Conference Planning Committee
Conference Co-Chairs: Joyce Harris and Jacqueline Duyck
Planning Committee Members: Bernd Ferner, Chloë Hughes, John
Lockhart, Sonja Ljungdahl, Yuki Monteith, Bonnie Morihara, Cornel
Pewewardy, Markisha Smith
2012 Conference Sponsors
Co-Sponsors: Parkrose School District, Region X Equity Assistance Center
Contributors: Intercultural Communication Institute, National Association
for Multicultural Education, Pacific University, Precious Knowledge, the
Movie, Rethinking Schools, Teaching Tolerance
Vendors
Barefoot Books, NAME, Rethinking Schools, Skipping Stones Multicultural
Magazine, Intercultural Communication Institute
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Conference Schedule Outline
7:30 – 8:30
Central Entry Foyer
Registration, Continental Breakfast, Vendors, Silent Auction
8:30 – 8:45
Atrium
Welcome to the OregonNAME 2012 Conference
8:45 – 9:25
Atrium
Keynote: Freedom Rider David Dennis; Vocals: Ron Silver
Group
9:30 – 10:15
Atrium
Keynote: Poverty Expert Dr. Donna Beegle
10:15 – 10:30
Break
10:30 – 11:45
Classrooms L1 & 2, A1-9 and B1-9
Breakout Session #1: Concurrent Presentations
11:45 – 12:15
Central Entry Foyer
Poster sessions, silent auction, vendors, book signing
12:15 – 1:00
Atrium
Lunch
1:00 – 2:00
Atrium
Keynoter Dialogue with Audience; Q&A
2:00 – 3:15
Classrooms L1 & 2, A1-9 and B1-9
Breakout Session #2: Concurrent Presentations
3:15 – 4:00
Afternoon Snack. Silent Auction Closed
Atrium
Taking Care of Business: Discussion on “taking it home”
4:00 – 4:15
Atrium
Evaluations, Silent Auction Pick-up
4:15 – 5:00
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Atrium
Oregon NAME Chapter Meeting. Members please attend
OregonNAME 2012 Conference Program
7:30 – 8:30: Registration, Coffee & Rolls, Silent Auction, Vendors.
Center Entry Foyer
8:30 – 8:45: Conference Welcome. Atrium
8:45 – 9:25: KEYNOTE: Freedom Rider David Dennis. Atrium
David Dennis is one of the original Freedom Riders of the 1960s. In a
speech at last year’s 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides he said, “The
spirit that sparked those rides hasn't gone away. The Freedom Riders are
alive and well as long as there is discrimination in this country, as long as
people are not treated equally.” He currently works with Bob Moses and
the Algebra Project to improve math literacy for youth, while continuing to
take his message of equality across the nation as a popular keynote
speaker. Mr. Dennis will share firsthand accounts of what worked and
what didn’t in the struggle for equality during the Civil Rights Movement
and will draw specific parallels between those lessons learned and the
present struggle to provide a high-quality education for all. Mr. Dennis will
be joined by Ron Silver, U.S. Attorney, Department of Justice, with some
civil rights images and songs during a portion of his presentation.
9:30 – 10:15: KEYNOTE: Poverty Expert, Dr. Donna Beegle. Atrium
Donna M. Beegle is a writer, speaker, and trainer whose life work is
focused on breaking the iron cage of poverty. She is the author of See
Poverty, Be the Difference and An Action Approach to Educating Students
Who Live in the Crisis of Poverty. Dr. Beegle has worked with educators,
justice professionals, health care providers, social service agencies, and
other organizations who want to assist students and families to move out
and stay out of the war zone of poverty. Dr. Beegle’s insider and
researcher perspectives combine experiences of growing up in the deepest
poverty in America, dropping out of school at age 15 to marry, obtaining a
GED at 26, and studying poverty all the way to a Doctorate in Educational
Leadership. She provides an exciting new paradigm for addressing
poverty’s impacts on education that will re-energize and provide proven,
practical tools for changing lives. More information can be found at her
Communication Across Barriers website at http://www.combarriers.com.
10:15 – 10:30: Break
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Breakout Session #1 – 10:30 to 11:45
INVITED PRESENTATION
Gaining Media Access for Multicultural Education: The Movement and
the Message. Room L1
Lewis Diuguid, Author and Kansas City Star Columnist
Multicultural education for years has suffered a losing battle in efforts to
win support from the public. It is largely mislabeled and its importance
misunderstood because proponents of multicultural education have been
unable to access the news media to win public support. However,
opponents of multicultural education have been extremely skilled at
gaining media access to denigrate all efforts to make preK-12 curriculum
inclusive. The session on winning news media access will explore ways in
which preK-12 and college educators can gain public support for
multicultural education and how it enhances students’ curiosity and
willingness to learn.
INVITED PRESENTATION
Donna Beegle, Keynote Workshop. Room L2
Dr. Beegle will follow up and further expand on ideas and strategies
introduced in her keynote.
INVITED PRESENTATION
Implementing a Culturally Responsive Framework – Parkrose School
District. Room A1
Yuki Montieth, Karen Gray, and Kathy Keim-Robinson, Parkrose School
District
Developing school district-wide cultural competence in a comprehensive
way can seem daunting. The Parkrose School District will discuss its
journey to implement an explicit, systematic framework to increase
culturally-responsive teaching practices.
EXTENDED SESSION: 10:30 – 12:15 Room A3
Precious Knowledge: Film Screening and Facilitated Discussion
Chloë Hughes, Western Oregon University
In Precious Knowledge, critically acclaimed film producer, Eren Isabel
McGinnis, chronicles a modern day civil rights battle in Arizona. Although
48 percent of Mexican American students currently drop out of high
school, Tucson High's Mexican American Studies Program has become a
national model of educational success, with 93 percent of enrolled
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students graduating from high school and 85 percent going on to attend
college. However, Arizona lawmakers are trying to eliminate the program.
Following the screening, audience members will discuss ethnic studies and
culturally relevant pedagogy as civil rights issues.
Releasing the Hostages: Negotiating Self-Expression from Urban Young
People. Room A5
S. Renee Mitchell, writer, teacher, author
We cannot teach imagination, but we can encourage students to use
literary skills to engage in social change. In this workshop, you will learn
how to use poetry in the classroom to help unleash students’ powerful
self-expression.
Becoming the Cultural “Other:” Pre-service Teachers Conduct
Ethnographic Projects while Studying Abroad. Room A7
Maria Dantas-Whitney, Chelsea Cotton, Haley Christensen, Maggie
Edwards & Anna Lehman, Western Oregon University
This presentation describes the course “Culture and Community in
ESOL/Bilingual Classrooms” held during a study-abroad program in
Argentina. We discuss an ethnographic project completed within the
course, which fostered critical reflection on what it means to be the
cultural “other.”
The Power of Imagery: The Effects of Native American Mascots &
Logos. Room A9
Luhui Whitebear, Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation; Che Butler,
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Join us to view the presentation that was given to the Oregon Department
of Education (ODE) regarding the use of Native American mascots and
logos. We will also be discussing current happenings around this subject in
the state of Oregon and nationally.
White Teachers Working with Students of Color: Lessons Learned in
the Field. Room B1
Ezrah Ereckson, Teacher, Glencoe High School; Kim Bliss, Teacher,
Hillsboro High School
What do white teachers need to know and be able to do to effectively
teach students of color? This session will explore what it means to
understand our own white identity and translate it into greater cultural
responsiveness in the classroom.
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Coaching from the Inside Out: Racial Equity Training Begins from
Within. Room B3
Kim Feicke, Oregon Center for Educational Equity; Carmen Urbina,
Parent, Community, Diversity Coordinator, Eugene School District
The work of creating equitable and excellent schools is fundamentally
about changing ourselves, and thereby our relationships with others. What
does this look like in practice and how does it shift equity-based
conversation and action in schools?
Building Student Engagement in Math and Science in High-Poverty
Schools. Room B5
Isaac Bass & Sonja Ljungdahl, Teachers, McKenzie High School
Students in poverty are generally alienated by schools from their promises.
Through our anecdotes and student testimony, we examine ideologies and
practices that enhance student engagement and learning. Participants will
also have the opportunity to apply these ideas to their current work.
Poster Sessions – 11:45 to 12:15
Foyer
11:45 – 12:15: POSTER SESSIONS, SILENT AUCTION, VENDORS, & BOOK
SIGNINGS. Central Entry Foyer
INVITED PRESENTATION
2012 Skipping Stones Honor Awards
Arun Toké, Editor and Publisher, Skipping Stones
Each year, we honor a group of exceptional multicultural and nature
awareness books with our Annual Skipping Stones Honor Awards.
Together, these books encourage understanding of the world’s diverse
cultures, as well as nature and ecological richness. They promote
cooperation, nonviolence, respect for differing viewpoints, and close
relationships in human societies. Check out the Skipping Stones Honors List
of best books to read for all ages. See www.skippingstones.org.
Institute for Democratic Education in America: What is Democratic
Education?
David Loitz & Darcy Bedortha, Institute for Democratic Education in
America (IDEA)
This poster presents an overview of IDEA’s regional and national efforts to
organize under the banner of democratic education. IDEA defines
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democratic education as learning that equips every human being to
participate fully in a healthy democracy.
Marginalized 4th Graders, Standardized Testing, & Meaningful Learning
John Lockhart, Pacific University
The poster discusses the presenter's and a teacher's work to get urban
fourth graders to study and present their world sociologically, historically,
and personally, amidst low expectations of their abilities and standardized
testing pressures to reduce meaningful learning.
A Teacher Educator's Toolbox: Supporting a Diverse Classroom
Community
Markisha Smith, Western Oregon University
“Culturally responsive teaching is defined as using the cultural
characteristics, experiences, and perspectives of ethnically diverse
students as conduits for teaching them more effectively” (Gay, 2010).
Being a member of a classroom community means being connected and
supported by others in a respectful relationship because together we are
stronger. (Sapon-Shevin, 2010). This poster session presents user-friendly
classroom community building activities that promote culturally responsive
teaching and learning. These teaching strategies that can be use to build
community not only within a college classroom, but also as a model for
helping novice educators make connections with students in PreK-12
settings.
Equity Assistance Centers from the 1964 Civil Rights Act to the
Present: An Historical Continuum of Assisting Schools to Create
Equitable Teaching and Learning Environments for All Students
Joyce Harris & Moses Wambalaba, Region X Equity Assistance Center
The Region X Equity Assistance Center located at Education Northwest in
Portland is one of ten regional centers in the nation. The centers were
originally created in the 1964 Civil Rights Act as Desegregation Assistance
Centers, and since the mid-1990’s became known as Equity Assistance
Centers. The Center addresses race, gender and national origin equity, and
assists districts to incorporate equitable policies and practices throughout
its programs and to comply with federal anti-discrimination laws. The
Center provides professional development and technical assistance to
public school districts at no cost or through cost share agreements. Staff
from the Region X Equity Assistance Center will be available onsite to
provide consultation, resources, and to assist you in requesting services for
your district.
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Say YES to Transformation… to Excellence and Beyond: Taking Care of
Business for Civil Rights, Social Justice, Educational Justice, Poverty,
and Protecting Children!
Da Verne Bell, Speaker, Trainer, Coach, Consultant
Rights, justice, educational equity, poverty, and protecting children
continue to be issues that need to be addressed! These issues are still
difficult topics. Yet if we “take simple steps” of being informed and taking
action, we can change our communities, workplaces, schools,
neighborhoods, the world, and ourselves for the better. See examples of
the type of training, facilitation and coaching that address these vital
issues.
Lunch – 12:15 to 1:00
Atrium
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
1:00 – 2:00: KEYNOTER DIALOGUE WITH AUDIENCE. Atrium
David Dennis and Donna Beegle will hold a spontaneous, informal
conversation on the intersecting influences of civil rights and poverty.
Question and Answer Session to follow.
Breakout Session #2 – 2:00 to 3:15
INVITED PRESENTATION
Rethinking Columbus: Biases Children Learn from the Columbus Story,
and Some Ideas on What We Can Do About It. Room L1
Bill Bigelow, Author and Editor, Rethinking Schools
The Columbus-discovers-America myth is the first time in the curriculum
that many children encounter different cultures confronting each other,
different "nations" confronting each other. Children begin to learn that
social inequality is normal. In this workshop, through slides of children's
Columbus biographies, participants will examine deep biases that are
imparted to students in literature and textbooks. We will also engage in
classroom-tested methods to equip students to develop their critical
reading abilities.
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INVITED PRESENTATION
David Dennis, Keynote Workshop. Room L2
David Dennis will follow up and further expand on ideas and strategies
introduced in his keynote.
INVITED PRESENTATION
Roosevelt High School’s Writing & Publishing Center and its Freedom
Fighters Exhibit. Room A1
Charlene Williams & Kate McPherson, Roosevelt High School; Rich
Christen, University of Portland; Jovany Romero & Jocelyn Loyd,
Roosevelt High School Student Leaders
We believe that writing is not only a gateway to and through college, but
also a profound mechanism for mobilizing young people to embrace
education as a central tenant of the civil rights movement. Learn how
Roosevelt has developed innovative partnerships with community based
organizations, AmeriCorps, and colleges to improve writing skills and write
and publish student work. Hear how students writing and speaking skills
developed as they captured the stories of local Freedom Riders and
Fighters through a book and public traveling exhibit. Attendees will walk
away with a new understanding about the intersection between social
justice, writing and youth voice, and educational access.
The Role of Teacher Observation in Reducing Overrepresentation of
Dual Language Learners in Special Education. Room A3
Megan Farnsworth, Southern Oregon University
Specific Learning Disability has never been clearly defined, increasing
subjectivity in special education identification and marginalizing students’
linguistic and sociocultural differences. Teacher observation is effective in
documenting language acquisition as developmental, thus reducing
overrepresentation of Dual Language Learners in special education.
Latino Students: More Than Meets the Eye. Room A7
Edgar Solares, Teacher, Beaverton School District and Portland State
University doctoral student
While socio-economic, cultural, and linguistic factors typically explain the
low academic achievement of Latino students, the threat of negative
stereotypes also plays a key role that must be understood and addressed.
Challenges and interventions will be explored.
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Beyond the Oregon Trail: Teaching Oregon’s Untold Racial History.
Room A9
Stephanie McBride, Portland State University; Tim Lang, Teacher,
Ockley Green School, Norrine Smokey-Smith, Indian Education Advocate
The racial justice group Uniting to Understand Racism developed the
Beyond the Oregon Trail curriculum guide for inclusion in 8th grade social
studies. Workshop participants will examine the curriculum, test-drive
learning activities, and discuss ways to incorporate lessons into their
teaching practices.
Multiracial Experience in Education. Room B1
Ethan Johnson, Portland State University
This session considers through reflection of personal experience what it
means to identify and be identified as a multiracial person in educational
settings. This session will also explore how social class, gender and race
shape the multiracial experience.
A “Real” Youth Movement for Social Justice: Narratives from an
Alternative High School. Room B3
Michelle Maher, Lewis & Clark College
This presentation covers courageous words from American Indian/Alaska
Native, Euro-American and Latina female graduates of Conservation High
School. Their creative cultural resistance offers a social justice model of
“real” relationships across established borders of difference and social
group affiliation.
The Role of Culture in Interactions and Communication. Room B5
Weiwei Zhang & Chris Ward, Oregon State University
This interactive session will use story telling from the perspectives of a
university educator and an international student to encourage discussion
regarding actions, programs, and policies to bring about educational justice
and equity for students from various cultures.
Toward a More Inclusive Curriculum: Introducing Issues of Equity to
Public School Students through Content and Community. Room B7
Heidi Pullen, Teacher, Milwaukie High School
This workshop invites educators to re-evaluate their curriculum through
the lens of equity, find meaningful and authentic connections to issues of
race and class, and learn strategies for building safe learning communities
that promote valuable student discourse.
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3:15 – 4:00: Afternoon Snack. Silent Auction Closed.
Taking Care of Business: Discussion on “taking it home.” Atrium
John Lockhart, Facilitator, Pacific University
A vision and strategies for continuing the movement. What is your takeaway?
4:00 – Evaluations, Silent Auction Pick-Up, Invitation to Oregon NAME
chapter meeting
4:15 – 5:00: Oregon NAME Chapter Meeting. Atrium
NAME members please attend.
http://OregonNAME.org
We hope you enjoyed our conference. Plan on attending
the 2012 national NAME conference in Philadelphia this
fall and the 2013 OregonNAME conference next spring.
Front cover illustration courtesy of:
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Thank you to our…
2012 OregonNAME Conference
Sponsors & Contributors
Equity Program/Region X Equity Assistance Center
Education Northwest
101 SW Main, Suite 500 — Portland, Oregon 97204
503-275-9153  503-275-0452 
For more information or to request training, visit our website
at educationnorthwest.org/equity-program
Parkrose School District
TEACHING TOLERANCE
A PROJECT OF THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER
A Multicultural Children’s Magazine
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