MSAN

Minority Student Achievement Network National Conference Fall 2017

Early on in my internship, my mentor teacher invited me to chaperone with her to the MSAN National Conference. Farmington Public Schools is one of the 26 other districts across the nation that is actively taking a stance for closing the achievement gap for students of color. Each district sends 2 students from each of its high schools to serve as representatives to develop action plans to dismantle the achievement gap. As a district, I accompanied 8 students to Cleveland, Ohio for the conference which included guest speakers, visits to Kent State University, Case Western Reserve University, and the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.

MSAN provided my students an amazing opportunity to connect with students across the country, addressing issues of race, gender, class, language and other barriers they felt were negatively affecting the achievement of black and brown students. Being outnumbered by all the eager, enthusiastic and passionate students, I was inspired by their determination to actively chip away at the various disenfranchising policies that they believe deter them from success. Each district was responsible for developing an Equity Action Plan that was their own individualized plan to address academic inequity in Farmington Public Schools. Students discussed, evaluated one another's opinions, planned and eventually began to write their Action Plan. For FPS, my students believed that the best way to narrow the achievement gap is to provide hope for students in academia (HBCUs and beyond) and in the workforce. By planning and creating a career and college fair, my students hope that students of color will be inspired by the black excellence they see in the various professionals that come to visit Farmington Public Schools. Representation is key.