Yesterday was a big day here at Scholastic! We announced the 2016–17 National Advisory Council (NAC)—a select group of leading experts in pre-K–12 education who will serve a two-year term as key advisors to Scholastic leadership and staff. Please join us in welcoming Scholastic’s 2016–17 National Advisory Council Members:
- Deb Delisle, CEO of Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
- Dr. Josh Garcia, Deputy Superintendent, Tacoma Public Schools
- Dr. Walter Gilliam, Director of The Edward Zigler Center in Child Development & Social Policy and Associate Professor of Child Psychiatry & Psychology at the Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine
- Chris Lehmann, Founding Principal, Science Leadership Academy and Assistant Superintendent, Innovation Network, School District of Philadelphia
- Dr. Karen Mapp, Senior Lecturer on Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Faculty Director of the Education Policy & Management Masters Program
- Chirlane McCray, First Lady, New York City
- Shanna Peeples, 2015 National Teacher of the Year
To kick off their term, NAC members hosted an exciting day of professional learning at Scholastic HQ yesterday with a focus on the theme, “Equity in Education.” Throughout the day, they participated in a panel discussion followed by breakout sessions discussing the importance of improving achievement for all students by removing barriers to learning. Check out these highlights:
Shanna Peeples: “Equality is everyone gets shoes. Equity is all the shoes fit. Teachers are the frontline soldiers working toward making sure all shoes fit. Part of that is innovation. I ask you to keep asking yourselves, what can you do to keep good teachers teaching? Provide them with what they need and show them how to innovate with what they have.”
Karen Mapp: “We have not looked in the mirror and studied our own biases, stereotypes and assumptions about the kids we say we want to help. Have we really thought about what it takes to move that agenda forward? Do we know what to do? Do you want to live in a world of illusion and ignorance or a world of truth? If you want to be a warrior for social justice, it means a lot of hard work.”
Josh Garcia: "We can’t take a piece of puzzle, reshape it, and try to put it back in. We have to rebuild the puzzle. We keep trying to solve this issue with small pieces when we don’t even agree on what success is for kids. We need to use data in an ethical manner, build systems and ecosystems in mental health and early learning, and challenge those among us who don’t do that.”
Deb Delisle: "I have a saying: 'Every student, every day, some success, some way.' That is equity to me. We need differentiation of resources and support structures for all children; it’s a human rights imperative."
Presenters and Scholastic employees shared their excitement on social media throughout the day:
Support READER'C CHOICE. Not just one book for 30 kids. Let kids choose. #nac16
— Preeti Chhibber (@runwithskizzers) May 19, 2016
"We have to elevate teachers' voices...teachers leave because nobody is asking them what they need." --> Deb Delisle #nac16
— Scholastic (@Scholastic) May 19, 2016
Had a blast giving the opening remarks at @Scholastic #nac16 earlier this morning. Honored to share the stage with some stellar educators.
— Brandon Dixon (@BrandonJoDixon) May 20, 2016
It's not my job to teach a child what to dream. It's my job to teach a child HOW to dream. --> Dr Joshua Garcia #nac16
— Scholastic Teachers (@ScholasticTeach) May 19, 2016
Keep an eye out! The 2016–17 National Advisory Council Members will be contributing to the Scholastic podcast, Scholastic Reads, and on our education blog, edu@scholastic. We can’t wait to tap into their expertise to explore important issues in education today!
