What's Our Common Ultimate Goal?

Some comments were made in my BYU Ed Leadership law class last night in regards to multicultural education, specifically in regards to our Hispanic learners that have caused me to do some reflecting. I was reminded how important it is to keep in mind the goal we want to achieve for that goal or that vision should then influence all our decisions.

I'm beginning to sense that the reason we can't all agree upon what to do to improve the academic achievement of our Hispanic learners in particular is because we don't have a vision or if we do, we don't have a common one. That is the first hurdle we need to overcome.

If our goal is to improve the academic achievement of Hispanic learners then:

• It's not a "crutch" to provide Hispanic learners with bilingual education and other effective strategies and methods that research has proven works for them. (See NOTE below)
• It's not wrong for educators to focus on how best to teach groups of children as well as individual children. That is the role of an educator.
• It's important to focus on what students need to learn to realize the American dream and to have the skills and knowledge to be a contributing member of America's democratic society.

While improving the academic achievement of Hispanic learners is a worthy goal it is important to never forget the ultimate goal of education which is to build character. Academic achievement will be of little use to our Hispanic learners as well as all learners if all the knowledge and credentials accumulated don't make them better people.

NOTE:

Four studies published in the last two years. Number 4 is from the US government report.

1. Slavin, R. and Cheung, A. 2005. A synthesis ofresearch of reading instruction for English languagelearners, Review of Educational Research 75(2):247-284.

2. Rolstad, K., Mahoney, K., & Glass, G. 2005. The bigpicture: A meta-analysis of program effectivenessresearch on English language learners. EducationalPolicy 19(4): 572-594.

3. Genesse, F., Lindolm-Leary, K., Saunders, W., andChristian, D. 2005. English Language Learners in U.S.Schools: An Overview of Research. Journal ofEducation for Students Placed at Risk, 10(4), 363–385.

4. Francis, D., Lesaux, N., & August, D. 2006.Language of instruction, In D. August & T. Shanahan,(Eds.) Developing literacy in second-languagelearners, pp. 365-413. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

The Wisdom of the Cheshire Cat

The Cheshire Cat Message

"Which road should I take?" she asked the cat.

"Where do you want to go?" the cast asked helpfully.

"I don't know," admitted Alice.

"Then," advised the cat, "any road will take you there."

A conversation between Alice and the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll

So many people are so extremely busy--most often busy doing good things. The Savior himself "went about doing good..." (Acts 10:38). The Savior also had a vision--a purpose for his doing--and that was "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). Having a vision allowed him to not only do good but also to stay focused on choosing to do the best things amongst all the good things he could be doing.

Without a vision we can be busy doing many good things and never see results. In fact, we won't even know if we have arrived at a desired result. If we don't have a vision of where we want to be--what we want to accomplish--, any road filled with good things will take us to some place although it might not be the best place.

Our Own Personal "Hotel Rwanda"

On January 29, 2008 Paul Rusesabagina was BYU's forum speaker. Rusesabagina --often referred to as the Oskar Schindler of Africa--is the former general manager of the Mille Collines Hotel Rwanda which was made famous in the movie Hotel Rwanda. For 70 days in 1994 Rusesabagina sheltered refugees in this hotel saving the lives of 1200 people.

It is important to remember that these 1200 people were from a different ethnic group than Rusesabagina--people who were being called "cockroaches." Yet Rusesabagina was willing to be called a traitor and to risk losing his own life for them by standing against the prejudice and senseless violence. He felt that it wasn't the majority of people who hated each other so much as it was poor leadership that took advantage of differences in order to divide and conquer.

In his message at BYU he taught the importance of the following that he learned from his own experience:

• Dialogue: "The only thing that can bring people together is dialogue." "Instead of fighting violence and war with more violence, people should strive to increase dialogue." "Words can be the best weapon or the worst weapon in the human being's arsenal." "Whoever opens his or her mouth and is willing to discuss with you, you will always come up with an agreement. You will always come up with a compromise depending on how you deal with the situation." "As long as people don't consider each other, they will never get anywhere. As long as people are fighting for power...they will never get anywhere." Use verbal skills instead of resorting to violence.
• Hope: Never give up on hope.
• Stand up: "Stand up and do whatever you can to save the situation of the world." "Don't stand by. You can do something." "We should be aware of the problems and find our own solutions."

Rusesabagina entitled his presentation "Hotel Rwanda: A story yet to be told" because the story isn't over yet. Each of us can do our small part in making it a better story than it otherwise would be--not only for Rwanda but for our own corner of the world as well. As Rusesabagina says, "Whenever we think this is the end, I tell you, it is never the end. God always has a way to save his people."

Don't Be A Lobster

Yesterday I received an email from a dear Hispanic friend in response to a group we have formed to advocate for the improvement of the academic achievement and graduation rate of Hispanic learners. Her words, "To be honest I have so much hope that this project can bring the unity that is missing that I am even scared at my dream. I am trying not to get excessively excited since I know challenges will come but I have prayed for a long time asking for a miracle," touched my heart.

The word unity stood out. Not only do we need to unite across racial, gender, age, ethnic, and other boundaries, but there also needs to be more unity within. It has broken my heart to see the fighting and accusations that I have witnessed within the Hispanic community in my community.

I'm reminded of a story about lobsters in an open tank in a restaurant. A guest to the restaurant questioned the waiter about why the lobsters didn't crawl out of the tank and escape. The waiter answered that that would never happen because as soon as one lobster started to crawl out, other lobsters would pull him back down. Although we think of lobsters as solitary beings, they are really extremely social---They also hate each other. They are always kicking each other and fighting. Even worse, they are cannibals--they will eat each other!

Barclay says, "It is indeed, more difficult to congratulate another on his success, especially if his success involves disappointment to us, than it is to sympathize with his sorrow and his loss" and Maclaren adds, "To 'rejoice with those that do rejoice' makes a greater demand on unselfish love than to 'weep with those that weep,' because envy is apt to creep in and mar the completeness of joy."

Haven't we all witnessed people who make incredible sacrifices to reach out to those who are suffering who at the same time hurl ugly and painful accusations at those who are succeeding. How sad!

Way too often successful Blacks are called Oreos and successful Hispanics are called Coconuts--"acting white." Whites are not immune to their own kind of name calling. It is critical that we get past this kind of name calling if we are to help our young people of all ethnic backgrounds to enjoy the American Dream. In other words, we must unite and become one in our efforts.

It is also important to remember the words of Marianne Williamson:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that others won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

"Wisdom of Our Years" Documentary

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit the Calvary Baptist Church in Salt Lake City to see the premiere screening of "Wisdom of Our Years." It is a documentary about the experience of Blacks in Utah--their rich and hidden legacy.

Most of the seven men and women interviewed in the documentary came from the Deep South, escaping the harsh realities of the Jim Crow laws. Still it was hard in Utah because the discrimination and prejudice were subtler in Utah making it harder to know one's place and often didn't know the rules until it was too late. In other words, they had to learn to navigate de facto racism.

Yet, there was blatant discrimination and prejudice as well:

• Blacks were only welcome in Chinese restaurants
• Blacks had to sit in theater balconies
• Blacks could only use the public swimming pools one day a week--the day life guards weren't on duty
• Blacks could only live and buy homes in certain areas because of unspoken restrictions
• Available jobs for blacks were largely in domestic service or the railroads

What impressed me the most in the documentary was the courage, stamina, strength, and spunk of these people who were interviewed. They challenged the injustice. One kept applying for a job as an elementary teacher until she finally was given the job. She was such an excellent teacher parents of all ethnic backgrounds wanted her to be their child's teacher. Another couple purposefully bought a house, with the help of a bank, in an area where neighbors didn't want Blacks.

More than these qualities, though, I was impressed with their insights and advice to the younger generation:

• Trust in God
• Get an education
• Take advantage of all the opportunities now open to you
• Have faith in your own worth
• See opportunities in spite of challenges and don't use obstacles as excuses

My heart was touched as I sensed no bitterness. Rather they had a deep spirituality which probably helped them to overcome any traces of bitterness and that helped them to have this deep well of wisdom.

Phyllis Caruth, the executive producer of the documentary, said that education is the purpose of her film--"I believe that the key is opening your heart to other people, hearing their stories." It definitely educated me and opened my heart. I highly recommend it as a documentary that every Utahn (and people in the U.S.) needs to see.

Note: To request a showing, contact Phyllis Caruth at (891) 414-0501.

Learning From the Athletes

In a BYU Devotional speech on May 23, 1995 Larry Echohawk, a professor of law at BYU, told of a great lesson he learned from LaVell Edwards, his BYU football coach. Edwards would tell the team, "The most important thing to success is not the will to win. The most important thing to success is the will to prepare." Edwards taught his football players that they needed to work as hard as they could Monday through Friday so that when they showed up in uniform on Saturday they would be prepared to win.

Even though Ronnie Price, a Utah Jazz player, wasn't one of Edwards's BYU football players, he, too, has learned that lesson. He is Jazz's third-string point guard, who averages less than four minutes a game. Even though his minutes on the court aren't many, when he's out there he gives it all he has and has given the Jazz a needed boost more than once. "It's not about impressing anyone. It's about being a professional and having to my job when my name is called."

Price added, "...watching the game never hurts, especially when you're watching good players. I'm fortunate to have an All-Star point guard in front of me and also a great leadership guy also in front of me with Jason Hart and Deron Williams."

There are some important lessons to learn from Edwards and Price when we're feeling underused and underwhelmed:

• Continue to prepare for the "game," so that when the opportunity presents itself to "play," we'll be prepared to make a contribution.
• When we are called upon to make a contribution, give it the best we can no matter how small the contribution appears to be. "Give what you have--it may be more than you dare to think."
• Don't stand around waiting for accolades. I have a favorite quote that says, "Give the best you have and then go on without waiting for a response." If we stand around waiting for a response, we miss opportunities to give more.
• Find good "players" to watch and learn from them.

Learning From Colleagues

I once learned that whenever we are planning a "date" with a friend or colleague to think of something that we can share--a joke, a story, a book, a poem, a new acquaintance, a new idea, etc.--while we are with them.


Afer having lunch yesterday with a former colleague from Salt Lake City School District, Dale Rees, I was reminded of that advice. He brought something new to me. He shared three pieces of advice from a book that his wife had given to him which were:

1. Remember: It doesn't matter. My mother used to tell me this all the time when I would go on and on about how someone or something had been unfair to me. There are so many things in life that can ruffle our feathers if we let them, and in the big scheme of things, they just don't matter that much. So why waste our energy on them?


2. Remember: It isn't about me. If we can stay focused on the cause that is more important and bigger than we are, we can keep on going when the things get tough--and be like the Ever Ready battery bunny.
3. Remember: You don't always have to be funny.

Thinking about these three bits of advice reminded me of a 4th bit of advice that a colleague, Maurya Fox, lived by: Pick your battles. If we don't get caught up in all the things that don't matter that much, we'll have the energy we need to be serious about those that do matter a lot--those causes that are much more important and bigger than we are.

Thank you, Dale and Maurya, for teaching and enriching even when you didn't know it.

Learning From Mitt Romney's Bafflement

Governor Mitt Romney withdrawing from the 2008 Presidential Race has given rise to some thoughts..and how they relate to those who advocate for diverse learners.

During one of the debates when Romney was getting "beat up" by the other candidates, in particular Sen. John McCain, he had a look on his face that said, "Why are you doing this to me? Aren't we suppose to be talking about issues?"

My husband and I weren't the only ones to notice this. The next day, January 31, 2008, we read a comment by John Hinderaker that summed it up quite well by saying, "Romney doesn't know how to fight dirty like his rivals: Businessmen, in my experience, are generally more idealistic than politicians. Businessmen really do make deals with a handshake. No one would dream of doing that with Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi or the Clintons. Turning a businessman loose in the political world is basically a mismatch. That's the sense I get of McCain's reaction to having Romney as his last serious rival. McCain can poke him in the eye, knee him in the groin, and the rule-following businessman has no idea how to respond."

We could substitute the word educator for businessman and run into the same problem when educators strive to advocate for policies that will benefit diverse learners. I'm not suggesting that educators need to learn to fight dirty, but they do need to understand the rules of the political game so they can be effective advocates in the political arena.

The Example of John Edwards

How blessed we are to live in America! As we had the opportunity in Utah to vote for our favorite candidate this last Tuesday I was reminded of that.

I have been learning some lessons about people and leadership throughout this whole 2008 Presidential campaign. One lesson surprised me. It had to do with Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards. When he announced that he was withdrawing from the race, I cried--and I wasn't even going to vote for him. So why was I crying?

I believe that during his announcement that he was leaving the race was the first time it became clear to me that for John Edwards the Presidential race wasn't about him--it was about people, especially those in need. He had said in his campaign speeches that win or lose the Edwards family would be fine; his concern was for America. But the fact that he "walked his talk" and immediately focused his energies on Habitat for Humanity after his withdrawal solidified for me his sincerity that his campaign truly was about people.

In my eyes John Edwards has won. He may do more good for our country than the candidate who wins the Presidential Election. May he be an example for all of us--remembering that the causes in which we are involved are never about us....... And whether we win or lose a battle must never be an excuse not to get to work on what we can do to serve.

Keep On Trudging

Even though I am not a Mike Huckabee supporter, I do admire his tenacity as a candidate in this 2008 Presidential Campaign. He truly has an attitude of "It's not over until the fat lady sings." He may not win the Republican nomination, but he has definitely made his mark.


A similar attitude paid off for the Utah Jazz the other night in a game where they only scored 11 points in the first quarter. They just kept trudging along and ended up winning the game.


The Super Bowl upset with the New York Giants scoring a touchdown in the last 35 seconds of the game to win over the favored New England Patriots is another example of what can happen when one refuses to accept defeat.

Obviously there will be times when even our persistence and best effort won't result in a "win" as it may not be for Mike Huckabee. Yet, when one has been persistent in giving one's all, failure is not the result, no matter what the outcome. We have examples of people such as Thomas Edison and Abraham Lincoln who have taught us that.

We're All Busy

I once heard that when we tell others how busy we are, especially when we use it as an excuse for not doing something, we are insinuating that others aren't busy. The one thing that seems to be most time consuming in my life is following up with people who didn't respond to the first request for a response. It is especially frustrating when the person's response is needed before I can move forward on an important project.



Some things to keep in mind:

• Everyone is busy in one way or another although maybe not always with the most important things


• Everyone seems to find time to do the things they really want to do


• The busiest people, more often than not, are the ones who get most done (maybe because they don't waste time and energy telling others how busy they are!)


• It is courteous and polite and respectful of other people's time when one responds to an email or phone message within 24 hours


• Being on time to meetings is respectful. In case no one else is there to appreciate your punctuality, always carry reading and writing material. It will be amazing how much one can accomplish while waiting!

How we spend the 24 hours allotted to each of us each day defines who we are and ultimately our potential to meet the goals we set for ourselves and what we accomplish. It's really not about how busy we are.

Legislators Need To Be Compassionate

Article #3:

Legislators shouldn't punish immigrant children
By John Florez
Published: February 4, 2008—Deseret News

Religious leaders have said immigration is a moral and humanitarian issue and have asked we view it with compassion. It is a message that must not be lost on our Utah legislators, some of whom seem to be considering laws based on fear, rather than compassion, such as the one denying in-state college tuition for undocumented students.

Last week, Catholic Bishop John C. Wester said immigrants are part of the human family and should be treated with dignity. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has called for compassion regarding immigration and welcomes all, including undocumented residents. Our nation's policies have been based on humanitarian principles and promulgated by our religious institutions; we are viewed around the world as holding the moral high ground. Utahns, especially, take pride in upholding our "Utah values" of family, compassion and caring for one another.

We were taught in our schools that we live in the land of opportunity and that with hard work and sacrifice we could realize our dreams. Teachers made us believe in ourselves. I was one of those students — a son of immigrant parents — who had teachers that were tough but gave us hope and taught us to have big dreams. Now there is a new generation of students sitting in today's classrooms with teachers who tell them the same and still give them hope — to work, study hard and succeed.

However, some legislators appear eager to exploit the fear in those looking for vulnerable scapegoats, then use immigrants for political gain. They argue costs. Yet last week, on the House Education Committee's agenda, two bills were passed: One denies in-state tuition to motivated students who will contribute to society, which would have cost the state only $350,000; and the other appropriates $1.5 million for post high school education for prison convicts. The message: Commit a felony and you can get a college education.

Some legislators fail to see the negative consequences of their actions. They not only douse the dreams teachers have instilled in students but, most destructive, demean and marginalize those students. The result is that such policies relegate a group of motivated students to a lifetime of poverty, when they could contribute to our state. There may be another Bill Gates in that group.
What is at stake in the debate are the values that have made us the compassionate and moral society for which we take pride and others look to as a beacon of hope. Unlike past generations that built our country out of hope, some of our leaders today are trying to make political gain out of fear. Rather than working for the common good and promoting the principles we claim to hold dear — compassion, humanitarianism — some lawmakers seem eager to make scapegoats out of the most vulnerable group in our society, children who have no voice.

Our religious leaders have called for legislators to make policies that reflect our moral and humanitarian values, but lawmakers ignore those pleas, saying they are responding to the public's wishes. If that's the case, how come they didn't listen when they quickly gave $35 million for a soccer stadium and voted for school vouchers, both contrary to the people's wishes?
I like to think the average citizen wants to see public policies reflect the values we live daily and teach our children. But unless the legislators hear from all of us, it will be business as usual.

Every child deserves hope.


Utah native John Florez has founded several Hispanic civil rights organizations, served on the staff of Sen. Orrin Hatch and on more than 45 state, local and volunteer boards. He also has been deputy assistant secretary of labor. E-mail: jdflorez@comcast.net

Do What Makes Sense

Article #2:
Denying education to undocumented immigrants doesn't make sense
By George E. Brooks
Article Last Updated: 02/04/2008 12:12:59 AM MST
Salt Lake Tribune

For the past four years I have been working very closely with Utah students for whom House Bill 241 would virtually eliminate the chances of pursuing postsecondary education.

I understand that the bill's sponsor, Rep. Glenn Donnelson, R-North Ogden, believes that HB241 would help solve the very real problem of illegal immigration; that removing the benefit of in-state tuition will somehow motivate the parents of would-be students to relocate or not come here intending to take advantage of this system.

This rationale is fundamentally flawed, as is understood by anyone with firsthand experience with these immigrants. To imagine that the prospect of resident tuition for their children crosses the minds of persons immigrating to work in this state is to either misunderstand or just ignore the more immediate and material factors that actually drive immigration.

To be candid and specific, the majority of the students affected by this bill are children of undocumented immigrants, brought here as infants or children with no choice in the matter, and raised here. If college is even academically an option for them it is because they have gone to school here, studied hard and successfully integrated into their communities.

A child of undocumented immigrant parents has no access to the resources that would enable him or her to attend college paying non-resident tuition. So, essentially, denying in-state tuition sends the message that, hard work or not, they will find only closed doors after high school. Rep. Donnelson contends that closing these doors to these undocumented members of our community will somehow serve as an immigration enforcement strategy, and that those who are impacted by the bill will just finish high school and go home to their country of origin.
,
The reality is that, by now, these students are more American than anything else. Those students who are here, who have grown up here, are not going to go away, and denying them an education is neither in their nor the state's best interests.

The argument that resident tuition for these students puts any kind of undue strain on the state is false. In the 2003-2004 school year, the 117 students statewide who took advantage of this resident tuition cost the state about $300,000 in lost tuition, according to state System of Higher Education figures.

That same year 10,424 nonresident students paid $34 million in tuition and fees over the in-state rate. And when one considers the long-term benefits of having motivated, well-educated, well-integrated second-generation Americans, the cost becomes even more negligible in comparison.

Again, we are talking about students who did not choose to come here but are now making choices about what kind of Americans they will be. Denying them access to college education is morally wrong and civically irresponsible. ---

* GEORGE E. BROOKS is an adjunct instructor at Snow College's International Center and coordinator and instructor for the Snow/Sanpete adult literacy program.

Preserving Language Is Worth It

I read three articles this morning that are so important--one related to language and two related to in-state tuition for undocumented students. Below is the first.

Teaching American Indian languages in schools is a tool that educators say has been tested as a way
By Jennifer Toomer-Cook and Deborah BulkeleyDeseret Morning News
Published: February 4, 2008

Teaching American Indian languages in schools is a tool that educators say has been tested as a way of raising the achievement bar. To that end, the State Board of Education is seeking $275,000 to preserve and revitalize Utah's indigenous languages to help narrow achievement gaps.

Utah's CRT state test results show a 45 percentage point difference between the performance of Navajo and Caucasian students on language arts, 48 percentage points on math and 57 percentage points on science, according to data state associate superintendent Brenda Hales presented to the Education Appropriations Committee Thursday.

The Education Board wants to include San Juan and Uintah School District's Ute Indian population in the proposed program. The Northern Band of Shoshone, Goshute and the Skull Valley tribe would be included in the future, under the proposal, which came out of the governor's fall Native American summit, Hales said.

"Take a look year after year at low test scores and a 50 percent dropout rate, we have a whole generation of students we're going to lose if we don't start making immediate attempts to help them," Hales said.

Following a pilot program in San Juan School District where students were immersed in Navajo Language classes, the gap closed to 15 percentage points in language arts, 23 percentage points in math and 10 percent in science.

Forrest Cuch, director of the Utah Office of Indian Affairs, said culture is also at stake and that Utah's five native nations need to work together with the state and federal governments to preserve them.

"We're losing our languages," Cuch said. "The federal government has come forward and Utah tribes would like the state to come forward."

In addition to the language funding, Sen. Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake, said he's requesting $350,000 to partner with KUED on an educational program highlighting Utah's five nations — Ute, Piute, Shoshone, Goshute and Navajo.

Salt Lake City School District multicultural director Janice Jones Schroeder passionately lobbied this past week for money to fund the language program. Schroeder, an American Indian, said the language of her ancestors has been lost, and with it part of herself.

"The more you deny bills like this you deny us as human beings," Schroeder said. "We're tired of being marginalized ... Our kids are not succeeding nationwide, in Utah and the schools I work for ... because we've been denied those rights ... to be who we are."

Committee Chairman Sen. Howard Stephenson wondered whether language preservation was the way to go, or if $275,000 could be better spent otherwise.

"When it's not spoken in the home ... how do we expect to require those students or encourage those students to keep that language alive?" he said. "Is it a reasonable expectation? Is it going be a useful language, or is it going to be something 100 years from now ... it's still gone?"
Responded Schroeder: "To me, every human being is worth more than $275,000."

E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com
© 2008 Deseret News Publishing Company All rights reserved

In Remembrance of Quinn

It's with a heavy heart that I write today's "blog post." We are grieving at our house over the death of our beloved dog, Quinn, who died yesterday. Quinn's death has left not only a hole in our home, but a hole in our hearts as well---and we will always miss him.


Although we were never quite sure what breed mixture Quinn was, we bought him from the Utah Golden Retriever Rescue Mission. I feel in love with him the minute I saw him and couldn't imagine how anyone could give up a dog like Quinn. Yet, I was grateful that someone did so he would be able to come to our home.


He definitely had his quirks--and that is what endeared him to us. He could forecast the weather better than any weatherman. We knew when a storm was coming because he would start to shake and jump in the bath tub or hide under the computer table. He loved to give kisses. He persistently and stubbornly nudged us when he wanted something. In spite of the fact that he was a gigantic dog, he was a gentle as they come. His whole time with us was about being loved and loving us. He could have cared less about our physical appearance, our economic status, our religion, or how educated or smart we were.

One of the reasons I am having such a difficult time with this loss is because he was such a fighter until the very end. In spite of the fact that he was going downhill, he refused to give in and with every bit of strength he had left he made an effort to keep going--and keep going he did until the last few hours of his life. Thank you, Quinn, for this invaluable lesson! I will miss you and never forget you--you will be a part of my heart for all eternity.

Lesson: Our pets can teach us so much about how we as humans ought to treat each other and how to live our lives.

That Critical Elevator Speech

I was invited to attend a meeting yesterday with a group of people who belong to a nonprofit organization committed to the education of Utah's low income children. They are in the process of deciding where the investment of their energy and money will reap the greatest dividends.

As I participated in the meeting I was asked to name my top three priorities. This request along with a request to tell them in a short one minute speech what needed to happen, I was reminded how important it is to have an "elevator speech" that is ready to be articulated at a moment's notice.

An effective elevator speech is no more than 90 words long that can describe and sell an idea in 30 seconds are less-- it's a concise, carefully planned, and well-practiced description about the cause that my mother would be able to understand in the time it would take to ride up an elevator.

The fact that it is short in no way means it doesn't take a lot of thought and preparation. To be well crafted the following seven steps in the speech preparation could be helpful.

STEP ONE: Know your audience.
STEP TWO: Know the cause--Define precisely what is being offered, what problems are being solved and what benefits will come to the listener.
STEP THREE: Outline the speech--Use bullet points to describe step two
STEP FOUR: Finalize the speech--Write a sentence about each bullet point. Then tie all the sentences together adding additional phrases to make them flow, changing any long words or jargon into everyday language and cutting out unnecessary words until the final speech is no more than 90 words long.
STEP FIVE: Refine the speech--Decide on a "hook" to open the speech--a statement or question that will pique the interest of the listener and create a desire to hear more.
STEP SIX: Be passionate about the speech
STEP SEVEN: Make a request--At the end of the speech, ask for something.

A well crafted elevator speech is as important, if not more important, than a business card. In fact, it could be beneficial to have the elevator speech printed on the back of the business card.

Listening to Instincts

I am paranoid about driving in the snow. Therefore, when a winter storm watch was being announced yesterday for the very time I would be driving from Salt Lake to Provo for my education law class, I started to get nervous. Because it didn't look like snow--nor did it feel like snow--I kept checking the weather watch which kept reporting a 90%-100% chance of snow for the very times I would be on the road.

I had a gut feeling that I could get to class and get home before the snow came, in spite of what the weather watch was saying, but I didn't trust that feeling. I kept checking the reports because I wanted the reports to confirm my feeling before I made a decision. They never did so I didn't go.

For the first time in my life I actually wanted it to snow so my decision could be validated. As it turned out, my instincts were correct. It didn't snow until hours after I would have safely been home.

My husband reminded me that I was making the best decision I could, based on the information I had even though that information turned out to be incorrect. That's true. Yet, I discounted a very important source of information--my own instincts.

There will be times when the facts won't back up what our instincts are telling us as to what our diverse learners need, but we shouldn't discount those instincts or always wait until the facts back up what we feel. After all, our heart can tell us things our minds will never know.

Surprises And Lessons

Yesterday while doing a search at BYU's library website for articles for a paper I am writing for my education policy class, I had three surprises.

Surprise #1: Because I appreciate Gary Orfield's work, I was excited to see an article written by him Hispanic Education: Challenge, Research, and Policies that fit perfectly with the topic of my paper. It became even more exciting to read the article because it described so well what we are facing today and I found myself saying, "Yes! Yes! Wow!," more times than I can count. It wasn't until I had finished scanning the article that I noticed when it was written---November, 1986!!!--over 21 years ago, and it could have been written yesterday.

Surprise #2: Because one of the keywords for the search was "Hispanic," some articles came up that weren't related to my particular interest at the moment which was education. Yet, one article caught my eye titled Whither Hispanic Education? Even though it had both Hispanic and education in the title it became apparent while reading that it was talking about the fact that all is not well when it comes to teaching languages. It went onto say that some are even antagonistic towards the idea. As someone who is committed to the importance of teaching and preserving languages and because I am writing on language issues for my education law class, this article intrigued me as it described so perfectly our present day language situation and challenges. Upon finishing the article I checked the date to see when it was written, almost certain it must have been 2007. I literally almost fainted upon discovering that it was a Presidential address read at the 37th Annual Meeting of the AATSP (American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese), Chicago, December 29-30, 1955 !

Surprise #3: It was thrilling to find an article entitled Pulling together to close the Hispanic achievement gap and I could hardly wait to open it as the title had all the right words for the topic of my paper...and it was even written October 7, 2006! Then I noticed the author--Barbara Lovejoy! It was an article I had written and that had been published in the Salt Lake Tribune. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I agreed with the author!

I learned some lessons from these surprises: 1) The "fight" for policies, programs, procedures, places, and persons that will benefit our diverse learners is not something new but the "fight" must continue and 2) We never know when or where the work we do may appear and possibly make a difference.

Cast Your Bread Upon the Water

As I have listened to the presidential candidates over the last few months, I have been struck with a reminder how negative campaigning can come back to bite you. For instance, one of the reasons Senator Ted Kennedy gave for supporting Barak Obama was because of the Clintons attack on Obama. Another example is when some voters withdrew their support of Mitt Romney when he started criticizing John McCain rather than staying focused on his own message.

It is important to remember, though, that not only does negativity have its repercussions but so does kindness as the story below illustrates.


November 07, 2007
Cast Your Bread Upon the Water

One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you.

He said, 'I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.'

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.

Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, 'And think of me.'

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her.

The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase.

The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back.

The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: 'You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.'

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard....

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, 'Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.'

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I am convinced that "bread we cast upon the water" does come back to us. It may not come back from the person to whom we have bestowed the kindness, but it will come back...and the longer it takes, the larger the dividend.

Birthday: A Time To Reflect

Yesterday I celebrated my 60th birthday! Even though I don't particularly like the fact that I have now lived more years than I will live in the future, I like birthdays. It is a time to reflect upon the events, accomplishments, and growth of the last year as well as to ponder on what I want to accomplish and experience in the coming year.


I like using my birthday rather than New Year's to do this because my birthday is a milestone in my own personal life. Reflecting on my 59th year has not been an easy one, though, because it was filled with many painful disappointments and excruciating opposition which zapped much of my strength and left me quite weary.


A birthday --the start of a new year of my life--provides a time to refocus on my goal which is to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to help Him with His work to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man within my circle of influence. Therefore, I must allow Him to mold me in the way He chooses--and to prune that which is getting in the way. Molding and pruning are always painful although both are necessary to produce the desired fruit.


It is also critical to remember that opposition is not a bad thing. The LDS Prophet Joseph Smith learned that opposition grew as he became more valuable to the Lord's purposes. Albert Einstein understood this when he said, "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." Therefore, for those of us who desire to be great spirits and be an instrument in the Lord's hands to make a difference for our diverse learners, it should not be a surprise when we encounter opposition. In fact, if we aren't facing any opposition, we are probably not doing much to make a difference.