About the Author

The author is a white Anti-Racist, Social Justice Advocate. She seeks knowledge and truths surrounding the interconnections of the historical and contemporary issues of racism across the globe.

With knowledge and truth comes responsibility. As a woman who is part of the dominate white culture and a citizen of the world, there is a responsibility to share information that will

lead to a more culturally humble society.

The author at times reacts in an emotionally charged manner but does so with a

good heart and from a good place.

The author is of the belief that there is only one race label and that is the Human Race.



January 14, 2014

Pennsylvania ChapterNameplate of the National Association for Multicultural Education.


16th Annual Conference

April 11-12, 2014

CONFERENCE THEME:
Occupy Education: Empowering the 99% 

The New Year began with many new an exciting possibilities for the up coming year! Presenting at the 16th Annual Conference for the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME), is indeed a distinct honor! Obviously I am a tad nervous because I want to represent  the topic with reverence and respect. The following is a short blurb (short for me) about the issue at hand that needs to be a major focus in this country.
The disturbing “school to - prison pipeline” social science phenomena continues to occur across the country.   Whether it is the disproportionate rate of children of color who are being placed in the child welfare foster care system or who are disproportionately more likely to be suspended or expelled from school, there appears to be common denominators attached to each phenomenon. The majority of these children are African American/Black, students living in poverty, and those with special needs.  
The outcomes for African American/Black children involved in the child welfare foster care and public school systems, appears to coincide with the disproportionate rate of African American/Black youth, who become involved with the juvenile justice systems and then move onto the adult criminal prison system. Exploring the causality which impacts these outcomes, is a crucial part of developing a resolution. 
Across multiple sectors, professional systems are not producing results as good as they can be. Although well meaning, professional belief systems dominate families and attempt to take over their responsibilities and this has proven to be ineffective, with the youth suffering the consequences. This is also detrimental to the family system but can be changed by working differently with minority youth and families.
Families know their families best and need to be the voice for their family group. Empowering families and their cultural communities to join together as a collective group in the decision making process, is the first step in remedying the identified concerns. Only then, can the family group collaborate with schools and government mandated agencies in order to create a respectful, culturally responsive, family centered, and youth focused solution to the issues impacting the youth.The most difficult aspect is modifying the professional belief systems  in regard to how we work with families. Turning over the actual decision making responsibilities to the family is a form of giving up institutional control. 
Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) practice is strength based, culturally responsive and family centered approach to decision making. Its roots originated in New Zealand to address the disproportionate rate of Maori’ children placed in the foster care system thereby ultimately at risk of losing their cultural identity. The FGDM practice was then applied to the Juvenile Justice system in addressing criminal behavior and community restitution.  
FGDM is an engagement practice which can be implemented within the school system and/or community, in addressing disciplinary as well as a variety of  other issues by focusing on non-punitive responses to misbehavior, with the goals of strengthening relationships, increasing personal responsibility, and problem-solving from a strength based and solution focused perspective.
FGDM is a  decision and case planning construct highlighting a values driven process. In continuing to dismantle institutional racism, implementing a family and culturally based decision making process, will strengthen important democratic principles.
"Power can be taken, but not given.       
The process of taking power is empowerment itself"
                                               ~ Mike Doolan
             
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