CSUCI to host conference on equity in education

CSU Channel Islands will welcome educators, students and others to its campus next Rosetta Stone V3 weekend to work on ways to bring more equity to schools.The Camarillo university’s School of Education will host the Conference for Social Justice in Education on Saturday. The daylong event will include speakers from local schools, preschools, nonprofit programs and universities.The overall goal is to provide equal access to excellent educational resources, facilities and experiences for every student, according to conference organizers.“It’s an extension of the conversations we hosted last year,” said CSUCI assistant professor Eric Toshalis, one of four professors who put the conference together.Those community conversations included university professors, local educators, parents and others in schools, he said. They talked about issues such as how the federal No Rosetta Stone Spanish Spain Child Left Behind Act and other accountability policies affect local schools.People wanted to take the conversations further, Toshalis said, and make positive changes. The university hopes this will be the first of yearly conferences with local educators.While schools need to be accountable to the state, they also need to answer to students, families and local communities, Toshalis said. Using a social justice framework — working to increase access so every student can learn, regardless of socio-economic status, race or other factors — is one Rosetta Stone Spanish V3 way to make that happen.Arcenio Lopez, a community organizer with the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project, will help lead one of Saturday’s sessions and said he hopes to raise awareness about the Mixtec community and challenges its children face.From language barriers to discrimination from other students, Lopez said, some Mixtec children don’t feel connected to school. But as educators, counselors and others become more aware, Lopez believes their work will be more effective.“I’m happy they’re doing this,” he said of the conference. “It’s a good opportunity to raise awareness.”Other conference topics will include social justice in preschool classrooms, promoting justice through classroom talks, holistic accountability and drama in the classroom. Ventura schools Superintendent Trudy Tuttle Arriaga will give the keynote address.Toshalis wants people to leave with ideas they can put to use in their programs, classrooms or schools, he said. “My hope is that people [Rosetta Stone ] realize there are others in the community ... asking questions and working toward positive change.”