CAAAE Garners a $200,000 Grant from the Kellogg Foundation!
In 2010, the Kellogg Foundation launched a $75 million America Healing Initiative. One of its main goals is to abolish structural racism. There were approximately 1,200 applicants, but only 119 were funded. The CAAAE submitted a grant in partnership with the East Side Union High School District. Although we were not funded, we cultivated a relationship with the Vice President who created the initiative.
Fast forward. The CAAAE submitted a grant to seek general operating support so that we can move forward with the Consortium to Advance Equity in Education (CAEE) mentioned in this column a few months ago. We are excited about this support and will be reaching out to CAEE members in thenext few weeks to outline future plans!
CAAAE Highlights
About the Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation was established in 1930 by breakfast cereal pioneer W.K. Kellogg, who defined its purpose as "…administering funds for the promotion of the welfare, comfort, health, education, feeding, clothing, sheltering and safeguarding of children and youth, directly or indirectly, without regard to sex, race, creed or nationality.…" To guide current and future trustees and staff, he said, "Use the money as you please so long as it promotes the health, happiness and well-being of children."
The foundation receives its income primarily from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Trust, which was set up by Mr. Kellogg. In addition to its diversified portfolio, the trust continues to own substantial equity in the Kellogg Company.
Founder, President and Executive Director
California Alliance of African American Educators (CAAAE)
E-mail: countitalljoy@earthlink.net
Debra Watkins was born in Los Angeles and raised in Pomona, California. After her high school graduation, she studied in France for one year and earned a baccalaureate that enabled her to attend college in the country free of charge. Instead, she returned to the United States and earned a B.A. in English with minors in French and Psychology from Pitzer College in 1976. She then entered Stanford University?s Teacher Education Program and earned a Master?s degree in Education as well as Life-time Teaching Credentials in English, French and Psychology in 1977. A second Master?s degree in Counselor Education was granted in 1996. Debra has spent her entire career of 33 years in the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD) of San Jose. Debra taught high school English for 14 years, then helped start an alternative high school called Pegasus. After eight years at Pegasus, she coordinated Project WORD (Working On Refining our Destiny) - a pilot intervention program for African American students. While on an unpaid leave of absence from the ESUHSD, Debra worked one year as Director of Silicon Valley Service for a school reform organization called Partners in School Innovation.
She was responsible for coaching elementary school principals and teachers on how to close the achievement gap for black and brown students. After being away from the classroom for five years, Debra returned for three years and taught juniors and seniors. As of July 2007, she is the full-time Executive Director of the California Alliance of African American Educators (CAAAE), an organization she founded in 2001, as well as its president. Debra was also one of the founders of the Santa Clara County Alliance of Black Educators approximately 30 years ago and served as its president for seven years (1994-2001). In addition to running the CAAAE, Debra supervises and coaches teachers and tutors three days each week in an innovative program at Oak Grove High School that she designed for under-performing students of African ancestry and that is funded by an AT&T Aspire High School Success grant.
Adonai Mack is a legislative advocate for the Association for California School Administrators (ACSA). Mack advocates on behalf of members of ACSA in the areas of the state budget, special education, transportation, pupil services, preschool and other areas. Prior to joining ACSA, Mack was a legislative advocate at the California School Boards Association, where he focused on the issues of charter schools, facilities, retirement and professional development. He has also worked as an advocate for the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O'Connell and for the Governor Gray Davis in his Office of the Secretary for Education.
The son of former longtime Sacramento-area superintendent Carl Mack, Adonai Mack has been interested in education for most of his life. Having grown up in Davis, he attended Morehouse College in Atlanta before returning to the Sacramento area.
Mack, who has three children ranging from preschooler to graduating high schooler, spends his spare time on the executive board of the local parent teacher organization at his daughter's middle school. In addition, Adonai Mack serves on the board of a nonprofit that specializes in advocating for children with mental health needs.
Dr. Marie-Elaine Burns Dr. Marie-Elaine Burns, a native Californian, was raised in San Francisco. Dr. Burns earned her Bachelor's Degree in Broadcast Communication Arts, Radio & Television from San Francisco State University. Marie-Elaine earned her Master's degree in School Management and Administration and her Doctorate in Institutional Management from Pepperdine University, Malibu, California. Having worked in higher education for 35 years, she has worked at California State University-Dominguez Hills, Los Angeles Harbor College, University of Southern California, California State University at Long Beach, Hartnell College in Salinas, Skyline College in San Bruno, Foothill College in Los Altos Hills and currently is the Vice-President for Student Affairs and Services at San Jos? City College.
In addition, Dr. Burns is the Chief Executive Consultant for Mammoth Concepts, her educational consulting business. She has published articles and has given presentations and conducted workshops across the country and in England.
As Administrator, Child Welfare and Attendance (CWA) for the Sacramento County Office of Education provides school attendance, drop out prevention and truancy reduction services for thirteen school Districts in Sacramento County. Duties include coordination of county wide School Attendance and Review Board (SARB) with multiple resource agencies, community groups and school districts. Joe has also been a Principal of Court and Community Schools as part of fifteen years in the Sacramento County Office of Education.Previously, Joe worked nine years as an education administrator for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), (formerly Department of Corrections).
He was a Vice Principal and Principal at several California State Prisons and later became a statewide administrator of Correctional Education Programs. Joe begin his career as a Teacher for eight years in the former California Youth Authority now part of the CDCR.Joe earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Davis and Life Teaching Credential and Administrative Services Credential from California State University, Sacramento. He and lovely wife Yolanda have nine grandchildren.
Vincent Harris currently serves as executive officer for district accountability for Fresno Unified School District. He has been with the district for approximately four years. In this role, Harris leads the district's performance management system which includes implementing data dashboards at the district, school and department levels, facilitating the quarterly cycle of review process, monitoring the effectiveness of district improvement plans and recommending action steps for all school site plans. During his Broad Residency in Urban Education, Harris served as special assistant to the Chief Financial Officer for St. Louis Public Schools.
Harris came to the Residency from Kraft Foods where he served in various finance and accounting roles including senior finance manager, category finance manager, plant controller and operations team finance manager.
Previously, Harris worked for The Clorox Company as a senior financial analyst and at Bank of America as a credit analyst. Harris holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of California at Berkeley (Haas) and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Michigan (Ross).
Marsha Horsley is currently completing dual-degrees at Claremont Graduate University in the Arts and Humanities and Education departments. She is working under the direction of Dr. Gail Thompson, researching California's K-12 public schools that are successfully narrowing the academic achievement gap statewide for African American students.
She attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where she graduated summa cum laude from the college of Letters and Sciences. This fall she will be entering a PhD program in African American and African Diaspora Studies with an emphasis on standpoint-theory through a critical examination of popular culture and the (re)presentation of race and gender iconographies of Black bodies. Marsha has worked as a Case Manager in several care facilities for boys, homeless women and pregnant teenage girls and mothers. She teaches history, social science and media classes in California's secondary schools.
Dr. Patricia Terry hails from Memphis, Tennessee, and is a product of the Memphis City Schools. She completed her undergraduate degree at Rhodes College in Memphis, and earned graduate degrees at the University of Memphis (M.S. in biology) and the University of Mississippi (Ph.D. in Educational Leadership).
An educator since 1970, Pat spent 27 years in the classroom, primarily as a high school biology teacher. She also taught biology occasionally on an adjunct basis at the community college level. Her district level work includes curriculum development and science specialist providing professional development and technical assistance to teachers of science and mathematics under the NSF-funded Memphis Urban Systemic Program.
Employed by the California Department of Education since 2002, she has served as Educational Programs Consultant in various offices, with responsibilities including the support of approved providers of School Assistance and Intervention Teams (SAIT) assigned to state-monitored schools; the Lead for several technical assistance initiatives, including content literacy and a math and science program in the after school setting; and project monitor for state Mathematics and Science Partnership Grant awardees.
Currently, she is Administrator of the Educational Options Office, where she coordinates activities of staff providing technical assistance for the implementation of 13 alternative education programs and schools that serve over 500,000 students in the state. Pat has a special interest in promoting increased participation of African American students in endeavors related to science, engineering, mathematics, and science (STEM).
Marsha R. Dodson is an Educational Consultant and the co-author of the book Empowering Parents: A Guide to Taking Control of Your Child's Educational Journey. Marsha R. Dodson has travel throughout the country empowering parents, families, administrators, educators and communities on educational issues, parent/family empowerment and taking control of one's educational journey.
Marsha R. Dodson is the proud mother of Amber, Jason and Camry and she has been married to Michael Dodson for 24 years. Amber is a recent graduate of Florida State University where she earned her Master's degree in criminal justice and Jason is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University while Camry just recently graduated from Westview High School. Marsha received her BA in Journalism from San Diego State University.
Dr. Darlene V. Willis has travel throughout the country empowering parents, families, administrators, educators and communities on educational issues, parent/family empowerment and taking control of one's educational journey.
Dr. Darlene V. Willis is the proud mother of Phillip III and James and she has been married to Phillip Willis, Jr. for 22 years. Phillip III attends Sacramento State and James is a sophomore at Morehouse College.
Dr. Darlene V. Willis has served as an administrator at nationally recognized public and private institutions for more than twenty years. Her comprehensive experience also encompasses vocational and career guidance for the private sector as well as an array of school districts, giving her a remarkable knowledge base. This first generation college graduate holds a BA in Psychology, MA and a Ph.D in Organizational Psychology plus post graduate training at Harvard University.
