michelle rhee

dc superintendent (and former ohioan) on the ahjumas/school reform:

Rhee attributes her directness to her roots. “Korean people are not the most tactful,” she says. “I grew up with Korean ladies who’d say, ‘Gee, you’ve put on some weight.’ It has for as long as I can remember driven me crazy when people beat around the bush instead of saying, ‘Look, I need you to do this.’

colleges as identity incubators

The first accredited four-year Muslim college/seminary in the U.S.–a work in progress, but surely only a matter of time, maybe even within the year. Articles here and here.

re: minority serving institutions

In a representative sample of all institutions receiving grants, the largest proportion of grant funds—43 percent—went to improving academic quality. One Native-Hawaiian-serving institution renovated laboratories so old, the report notes, that they were used as a set for the television show Lost to represent a laboratory from the 1950s.

Thirty-four percent of the money went to improving student-support services like tutoring, remedial courses, and academic counseling. Twenty-eight percent went to institutional management. One Alaska Native-serving, two-year institution established four full-time financial-aid positions, the report says, after the college had previously used its bookstore manager as a financial-aid counselor.

http://chronicle.com/article/Report-Recommends-Better/48556/

rural brain drain

http://chronicle.com/article/The-Rural-Brain-Drain/48425/

sorry #9

UT Austin will now only auto-admit for students in the top 8% of their high school class. Other TX publics will continue to auto-admit for the top 10%. (article here) Speaking of UT Austin, my pal Victor’s work is referenced in this article on the low # of Latinos in higher ed.

learning something new every day

I had no idea that Bill Clinton joined Phi Beta Sigma. Too bad he didn’t join Sarah Ihn at Black Greek Atlanta Picnic 2008.

econ at notre dame

http://chronicle.com/article/Notre-Dame-to-Dissolve/48460/

michael moore

It’s funny that he’s described as an “anti-cultural ambassador.” And who knew that David Brooks was such a Taylor Swift fan?

the elusive dream

Am reading Korie Edwards’ (Ohio State sociologist) book “The Elusive Dream: The Power of Race in Interracial Churches.” She talks about how multiracial churches, despite (relative) demographic diversity, often uphold practices that are normatively White. Basically they engage in this delicate negotiation of figuring out how to satisfy some very different types of people (which churches, even the racially/ethnically homogeneous ones, have to do, but of course diversity related to identity categories can complicate things even more). What’s interesting (to me) is the demographic shift that the church underwent. The church hired a Black senior pastor and the # of Black congregants rose. On one hand, Black congregants actually felt that the senior pastor and the worship style of the church often were not “Black enough,” or that they largely catered towards keeping White folks comfortable. On the other hand, as the church attracted more Black congregants, there was the push and pull dynamic, and more Whites eventually left the church. In one part, Edwards describes how it even played out in the church youth group; White families talked about deciding to leave the church because there were some tensions around the predominantly Black youth group. Complicated stuff…

On a semi-unrelated note, I really enjoy teaching and my students. For the time being, hahahaha. Stay tuned.

(Really, they’re great)

kristof on saturday!

I have no idea why Miami isn’t plugging this more (or maybe they are…but I don’t see many signs). Kristof is speaking here on Saturday evening. Woohoo!!!