Actor Ernie Hudson was not the prototypical good student. He was that underachieving kid who sat in the back of the class, never raising his hand, rarely participating.
But Hudson made a turn around and earned a master’s degree from Yale—a fact he attributes to the love of his grandmother—and the intervention of his teachers.
“You guys are the light in these kids’ lives,” Hudson said, as a rapt audience of teachers sat inside a lecture hall at Cal State LA listening to his life story. “It’s a really, really important role.”
Hudson, who has appeared in numerous television shows and films, including the latest Ghostbusters movie and the Netflix series Grace and Frankie, was a keynote speaker at the Better Together: California Teachers Summit. Cal State LA is one of 38 college and universities to host the second annual event, including many California State University campuses.
Teachers from across the city gathered at Cal State LA for a day of learning, sharing, and inspiration. Participants at the Cal State LA site included representatives of 33 school districts and 31 charters. The event provided an opportunity for educators to collaborate and learn ways to better implement the new California Standards. The summit featured two keynote speakers, TED-style EdTalks presented by local teachers, and Edcamp discussions.
Local EdTalk speakers included Alberto Vaca, an English teacher at Lincoln High School’s Academy of Environmental and Social Policy Magnet, and Leticia Ruiz-Dominguez, a special education teacher at Garfield Elementary School in Montebello. Ruiz-Dominguez spoke about inclusion for all students. She told the story of a student with autism.
“Keep in mind [all students] deserve a chance, the opportunity and your commitment,” she said. “They deserve to feel that they belong.”
Participants at Cal State LA and other sites watched keynote speakers deliver their remarks via livestream.
Keynote speaker Kelly Gallagher discussed the benefits students receive from writing. Writing generates deeper thinking, prepares students for college and for their careers and helps foster lifelong learning.
“The act itself is generative…it leads kids to aha moments,” Gallagher told the gathering. “…Writing is more important than ever before.”
Hudson was raised in a low-income neighborhood in Michigan. He described moments that teachers changed his life, including a guidance counselor in high school who saw potential in him. The counselor had him removed from the non-college track, to a track for students who were expected to achieve. Hudson’s experiences illustrate that even kids who seem disconnected want to be engaged by teachers.
“Believe me they can be reached,” Hudson said. “They desperately want to be reached.”
The summit was also a celebration of teachers, a recognition of “the sweet and challenging work of educating young hearts and minds,” said Cheryl Ney, dean of Cal State LA’s Charter College of Education, who provided opening remarks.
Organizers of the event include the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, California State University, and New Teacher Center. Participants were encouraged to continue the dialogue and sharing of ideas through Twitter chats, and the hashtag #BetterTogetherCA.
Photo: Cheryl Ney, dean of the Charter College of Education, addresses teachers at the Better Together: California Teachers Summit. (Credit: J. Emilio Flores/Cal State LA)
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Cal State LA is a university dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 27,000 students and 247,000 distinguished alumni, who are as diverse as the city we serve. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, Cal State LA has long been recognized as an engine of economic and social mobility. Led by an award-winning faculty, the University offers nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and the humanities.
Cal State LA is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, Billie Jean King Sports Complex, TV, Film and Media Center and the Center for Engagement, Service, and the Public Good. For more information, visit www.CalStateLA.edu.
07/29/16