What Does It Take to Educate Black and Latino Boys? American Reading Company and Keynote Speaker/Author Dr. Pedro A. Noguera Share Research and Ideas During May 22 Event

Championing the needs of Black and Latino boys in public school will take center stage when American Reading Company hosts a landmark event at its corporate headquarters (201 South Gulph Road, King of Prussia) on May 22, 2012. Keynote Speaker Dr. Pedro A. Noguera, author of The Trouble With Black Boys and Other Reflections on Race, Equity and the Future of Public Education, will address a gathering of more than 200 high-level educators, policymakers, and thought leaders traveling from 15 states, including Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Ohio, and New York.

In most American cities, dropout rates for Black and Latino males are well above 50 percent, and they are less likely to enroll in or graduate from college than any other group (Schott Foundation, 2010). The track record of failure by urban public schools to overcome the well-documented harmful effects of poverty on student achievement demands entirely new approaches to break the existing patterns of inequality.

“To solve this widespread crisis in public education, our school partners require coordinated efforts that draw upon government, community groups, nonprofits, and private business,” said Jane Hileman, Founder and CEO of American Reading Company. “Our aim for this event is to bring together these different groups to accelerate the design and implementation of transformative, effective solutions.”

Dr. Pedro A. Noguera, NYU Steinhardt professor, urban sociologist, education researcher, and author, will deliver a keynote address that shares his research and insights on strategies for educating minority boys. Dr. Noguera maintains that school district interventions must be 1) holistic and integrated; 2) evaluated regularly and modified based on new evidence to ensure effectiveness; 3) sensitive to ethnic, racial, and socio-economic differences among Black and Latino boys; 4) designed to avoid stigmatization while providing support; 5) considerate of both individual and institutional system levels of change; and 6) inclusive of the developmental systems of social support in order to create a context to sustain improved interpersonal relationships.

Dr. Noguera will also lead a panel discussion with notable educational leaders including Mr. Alberto Carvalho, Superintendent, Miami-Dade County Public Schools; Dr. Irvin Scott, Deputy Director of Education, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Mr. Ron Walker, Executive Director, The Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color; Mr. Kenny Gamble, music industry pioneer/Founder, Universal Companies and Charter Schools; Mr. Johnny Walker, Principal, Universal Institute Charter School; Mr. Stephen Peters, author, Do You Know Enough About Me to Teach Me?, The Peters Group; and student representative Mr. Emilio Garcia, graduate of the School District of Philadelphia.

According to Hileman, “With unrelenting focus, we seek to propel sustained academic achievement for every student, and we are grateful to Dr. Noguera for leading this ‘call to action’ event. Our goal is for our school partners to be able to take home actionable solutions to implement in their respective communities.”