'Equity in Education' Conference Set This Week At CSUSB Palm Desert

News from CSUSB Palm Desert Campus:

PALM DESERT, CA - Teachers, parents and students from three Coachella Valley school districts, as well as the San Jacinto Unified School District, will confer at the first “Equity in Education Conference” on Thursday, March 17, at Cal State San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus.

The conference, which will take place in the campus’s Oliphant Auditorium, is free and begins at 5 p.m.

The conference will bring attention to the disparities in student achievement throughout the Coachella Valley. Local elementary, middle, and high schools are measured every year with state-mandated tests, but many do not meet the achievement goals for all students. Schools that serve the largest population of low socio-economic students are among the lowest achieving in the nation. California test results show that the achievement gap is greater among students of color of lower socio-economic status.

Conference organizers are local school teachers who want to draw attention to these educational practices that promote fairness for all students regardless of gender, socio-economic status, or ethnic origin. The goal of the conference is to influence school officials in making better decisions regarding funds and the development of programs that have been proven effective in schools with similar demographics.

There will be three breakout sessions: “School Leaders for Social Justice” with Cidney Burrows, where participants will learn how school leaders can identify and implement essential strategies that affect social justice; “Disproportionality of Students of Color in Special Education” with Rob Pearson, where participants will learn about the disproportionality of students of color and language differences in special education; and a presentation by the Indio WIN Youth Opportunity Center with Amy Hertz and Jesse Vela, where participants will learn about the services that the WIN organization offers to 16-24 year-old youth to prepare them for adulthood and independent living.

The conference is being organized by graduate students and educators from CSUSB’s educational administration program.

Following the welcoming remarks, a keynote address will be given by Len Cooper, an educator for 14 years. During his tenure, he served as a teacher, vice-principal, principal, and ultimately as director of targeted student achievement. He developed programs and instructional approaches that focus on the academic needs of students, conducted staff development, facilitated committee meetings, provided teacher coaching, and evaluated classified personnel. He has a PhD in urban educational leadership from Claremont University; an M.A. in education administration from California State University, San Bernardino; an M.A. in education from Claremont University; and a B.A. in business administration from University of California, Riverside.

Cooper is currently an executive marketing director with People Helping People. He oversees an office with more than 50 licensed agents by providing mentorship and industry training. 

For more information about the “Equity in Education” Conference, visitwww.facebook.com/equityineducationconference.

The CSUSB Palm Desert Campus is located at 37-500 Cook St.