We invite all Maryland educators to join us this fall in our Implementing a Culturally Responsive Practice professional development workshop. In this three day (Oct. 13, Nov. 10 and Dec. 8) workshop you will gain the skills and knowledge needed to implement and develop as a culturally responsive educator. Participants will: gain a thorough understanding [...]
During the 2015-16 school year, the William J. Watkins, Sr. Educational Institute partnered with Southwest Academy (Baltimore County, MD) to conduct our year long Cultivating a Culturally Responsive Practice teacher training. We worked with a core group of teachers from across a variety of disciplines to assist in their growth as culturally responsive practitioners. The [...]
This post is based on a roundtable discussion I participated in at the 2015 African Heritage Studies Association Conference in New York City, NY. My oldest son, Akil Parker, was also a member of that panel speaking on his experience as a math teacher. Introduction This paper is a reflection on my more than 30 [...]
Click here for the Fall/Winter 2015 Newsletter
Through a generous donation to The William J. Watkins, Sr. Educational Institute, Inc. we have partnered with Southwest Academy Middle School in Baltimore County to provide seven teachers with our year long "Cultivating a Culturally Responsive Practice" teacher training. Our philosophy that the most important relationship as regards student success is that between the teacher [...]
In July of 2015 we visited Banner Academy in Chicago, Illinois for a site visit to observe how teachers were preparing to implement a new instructional model that The William J. Watkins, Sr. Educational Institute, Inc. is considering using in our Third Millennium Schools. The Inquiry Bridge model is an integrated approach that focuses on [...]
Baltimore’s Black community has been fighting for adequate public education for our children since the Baltimore City Public School system was established in 1829. Many of the issues we were fighting for in the 19th century we are still struggling to acquire today. Initially we merely sought access to the public schools. While we paid [...]
This pamphlet is a useful set of guidelines for parents to use for effectively engaging with their child’s school. It is written in easy to read plain English without a bunch of educational jargon. The overarching idea of the handbook is that parents want their children to attend the most effective school they can. The [...]
The Woodrow Wilson Foundation held its Teaching Fellows Convening in Chicago this year. Dr. Brian C. Morrison, Founder and President of the Watkins Educational Institute, along with Dr. Travis Bristol conducted a very productive workshop on “Creating a Culturally Responsive Classroom.” The workshop focused on helping pre and early service educators understand what culturally responsive [...]
