Author: Vesia Hawkins

Extremely passionate about education choices, fairness, and good football.
Black Community, Nashville

Nashville’s First Black Female Schools Leader Is Criticized For — Leading

I’ll make this brief. “Researchers found that when a group is shown photos of different people, black women’s faces were least likely to be recognized out of a group of white men and white women. Statements said by a black woman in a group discussion were also least likely to be correctly attributed compared to black men, white women, and white men.” Harvard Business Review … Continue reading Nashville’s First Black Female Schools Leader Is Criticized For — Leading

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Accountability, Nashville

Learning Heroes Help Parents Bridge The Gap Between Report Cards And The Truth

At a Friday morning coffee meeting with a new friend who works at a highly respected Tennessee education policy organization, I was happy to share information about a project I’ve been married to for the past year. Equally excited and bummed about the findings from months of research, one of the things that I had not been able to justify, I admitted, was that more … Continue reading Learning Heroes Help Parents Bridge The Gap Between Report Cards And The Truth

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Accountability, Nashville, School Choice

Charter School Operators Must Lead With The Survival Of Charters In Mind

Bernie. SMH. Two-time presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders separated from the fat pack of Democratic POTUS wannabes by [quite literally] taking a page out of the NAACP anti-charter school playbook and inserting it into his 10-point education plan. Two weeks ago, Sen. Bro. Sanders called for an end to the unpopular for-profit charters that are unlawful in most states. According to the National Alliance for … Continue reading Charter School Operators Must Lead With The Survival Of Charters In Mind

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Black Community, Tennessee

Tennessee: Replace Hate and Ignorance With Love and Tolerance, For the Children

In February, an 8th grade social studies class in (wealthy) Brentwood, TN was given a homework assignment for Black History Month that required them to “create a list of expectations for your family’s slave.” Shortly after the Brentwood incident, a school in neighboring Columbia, TN came under fire for an eager teacher who asked students “would you rather be a slave or shot and killed?” … Continue reading Tennessee: Replace Hate and Ignorance With Love and Tolerance, For the Children

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School Choice

It’s Been A Year For Metro Schools, Let’s Lift Up The Successes And Celebrate Like Crazy

I could write about any number of terrible issues going on in this city and state, but instead, I choose to revel in the deliciousness of what the month of May traditionally means for Nashvillians who attend, work, and support public schools. We show love to teachers, celebrate charter schools, honor graduates, and cheer for students moving to the next level. Today’s blog continues in … Continue reading It’s Been A Year For Metro Schools, Let’s Lift Up The Successes And Celebrate Like Crazy

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Tennessee

Tennessee Is A Hotbed of Hypocrisy and Hate, #CleanHouse

“I’ve been watching you, dad. Ain’t that cool I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you. And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are. We like fixing things and holding mama’s hand. Yeah we’re just alike. Hey, ain’t we, dad? I wanna do everything you do. So I’ve been watching you.” – Rodney Atkins At the close of the 111th legislative … Continue reading Tennessee Is A Hotbed of Hypocrisy and Hate, #CleanHouse

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Accountability, Black Community, Nashville, School Choice, Tennessee

Tennessee Clumsily Waltzes Into The World Of Private School Tuition Assistance

Say the word voucher without a hint of vitriol in the company of hardcore Democrats and you have effectively declared war. Last week, my timeline was littered with white people calling other white people racist in response to the Great Voucher Battle of 2019 at the Tennessee State Capital. I understand the anger, but, uh, some of the name-callers should absolutely refrain from pulling the … Continue reading Tennessee Clumsily Waltzes Into The World Of Private School Tuition Assistance

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