Can't wait to read more on Foolish Careers. I am Tonya Whitaker, former community newspaper journalist (13 years), technical writer (1.5 years) and accounting assistant (2 years). In 2021, I have decided to concentrate on the miseducation of minority and underrepresented students in the education system. I live in the Dallas area and currently work as an part-time English professor at the local community college. Most of my students are Black and Latinx. They are current in high school seeking to get a jump start on their college and careers. Good idea on paper, but it exposes too many flaws that leads to minority students being stuck in college developmental classes. I foolishly believe that journalism is the best way to prepare K-12 students for future college and career aspirations.
Welcome, Tonya, it’s great to meet you. Lots of journalists in the early signups so I hope you can find a community here. Can you tell me more about students being stuck in college developmental classes?
Hi Timi, thank you for the welcome! Early in my college teaching career, I taught developmental reading and writing. Students end up in these classes because they didn't make an acceptable score on a college placement test. They are not allowed to enroll in college-level courses until they earn a passing grade in the course or re-take the placement test. Unfortunately, many of these students are students of color. These classes do not count toward their degrees, thus they are paying for non-credit courses at the college level. This means that high schools are not doing their part to prepare students for college-level work (math, reading, and writing). Many students get discouraged and drop out of college. There are several twists and turns to issue.
Hi Tami,
Can't wait to read more on Foolish Careers. I am Tonya Whitaker, former community newspaper journalist (13 years), technical writer (1.5 years) and accounting assistant (2 years). In 2021, I have decided to concentrate on the miseducation of minority and underrepresented students in the education system. I live in the Dallas area and currently work as an part-time English professor at the local community college. Most of my students are Black and Latinx. They are current in high school seeking to get a jump start on their college and careers. Good idea on paper, but it exposes too many flaws that leads to minority students being stuck in college developmental classes. I foolishly believe that journalism is the best way to prepare K-12 students for future college and career aspirations.
Welcome, Tonya, it’s great to meet you. Lots of journalists in the early signups so I hope you can find a community here. Can you tell me more about students being stuck in college developmental classes?
Hi Timi, thank you for the welcome! Early in my college teaching career, I taught developmental reading and writing. Students end up in these classes because they didn't make an acceptable score on a college placement test. They are not allowed to enroll in college-level courses until they earn a passing grade in the course or re-take the placement test. Unfortunately, many of these students are students of color. These classes do not count toward their degrees, thus they are paying for non-credit courses at the college level. This means that high schools are not doing their part to prepare students for college-level work (math, reading, and writing). Many students get discouraged and drop out of college. There are several twists and turns to issue.