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Why are we connected? Seeking your input.

May 1st, 2017 · Comments Off on Why are we connected? Seeking your input.

Photo Credit: Select Mgt Co

Photo Credit: Select Mgt Co

Fifteen years ago, I left the classroom because I had a different vision of schooling.  Since that time, I have developed a curricular program, implemented a school model via a chartered contract with the local school district, published a book about the school’s successes and challenges, conducted doctoral research on my philosophy of student power and empowerment, and designed The Empowerment Network ( a non-profit geared to provide educational services beyond the four-walls of the schoolhouse).

And, I did all of this under the business umbrella of PBS Development, LLC (PBS).
Unfortunately (or fortunately), I am not an academically trained business woman.  So while PBS served as the payment structure to finance those projects, it did not provide the best business model.
This year, I decided to finally give PBS the attention it needs so that it can properly fulfill its mission.
And, that is where you come in.
Part of the PBS makeover is to better understand the connections that I have built over the years.  During my time on social media, I have learned that several of you have been faithfully engaged with my work and have connected me to yours! While my total community consists of almost 5,000 followers, there are about 50 (1%) of you that I think best understand what I am about.  So you are the ones I want to learn from.
Are you willing to complete a 10-15 question survey so I can learn more about you, your philosophy, and your connection to my work?
If yes, please inbox me a “Yes” message on one of the sites below and I will send you the link.
You can find me at…
  • Website: info@pbsdevelopment.com
  • Twitter: ejuc8or
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angela.dye
  • Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-dye-ph-d-13a88615
If no, then please feel free to send me a “Not at this time” message and I will completely understand!!
Either way, I thank you for being a part of my network and helping me to grow.
Angela

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Blogging with Political Purpose

October 31st, 2016 · Comments Off on Blogging with Political Purpose

blogging-w-political-purpose

Photo Credit: Nakiea Nakiea (Flickr)

I got up to write this morning but I have been so out of the writing game that I feel overwhelmed by the absence of momentum.  In the search for distractions, I decided to read through unpublished poems and essays that I have written.

From this, I realize that I don’t really have to write anything new.  I actually have text that I can publish weekly for the next few months.  But where?  Where will I publish them?

And then I realize that I still have a branding problem.

You see, I spent this summer thinking through my marketing strategy.  And, I really thought I had made some real progress.  In general, I acknowledged that I had three platforms for producing content and was able to successfully outline a theme for each.

But, in not knowing what to do with the unpublished text I discovered this morning, I realize there is still confusion.   There are overlapping areas that make me question the distinctiveness of each platform.

I read somewhere that bloggers should have multiple blogging sites to allow their blogs to really cater to a specific audience and serve a specific purpose.  So what do I do now that I see that there are parts of my work that cannot be partitioned into the boxes that I have made available?

One answer could be to cross post these pieces.  But, I am not sure about this.  I still need a primary platform to give direction and frame to the message.  I need to honor the uniqueness of the platform… the message and the followers.   Even in the overlap– or even better, especially in the overlap— I need to give these pieces meaningful relevance.

To solve this dilemma, I finally launched a new platform I had been considering for a while:  Mary Mariah.  I knew that I needed a place to talk through the personal and sociological intersections of my work with empowerment.  I believe the absence of this platform caused confusion on how to thematically protect the other three, especially when the parts of the business that constitute the work (the work of empowerment) does in fact overlap.

Please find some time to go check out Mary Mariah.  In that PBS Development is about personal development as much as it is about business and school development, I truly believe my personal journey with empowerment (as my business and my deep spiritual conviction) can be helpful.  To others also on a journey of trying to live out that which is professed, I hope my story (and my struggle for transparency) can offer insight and encouragement.

In the meantime, I am excited by the heightened clarity that will come through my other blogs as the result of Mary Mariah. And, I look forward to capitalizing on the opportunities that an interrelated, multisite blogging platform will render.

In closing, let me share a quote from the first Mary Mariah post.

(My personal intersections with empowerment) is the impetus of the blog, more so than my love for politics.  It is a deep conviction that empowerment is not a text book experience nor is it one that stands alone.  It is one where all of us must come face to face with resistance (some more than others) and all must submit to the vulnerability and the learning curve that come along as companions.

Hopefully through the blog, others will be encouraged to embrace their personal intersections and ultimately, clarify their brand as I have.

Owner/Senior Consultant

PBS Development

www.pbsdevelopment.com

www.empowermentstartshere.net

 

Executive Director (Interim)

The Empowerment Network

www.empowermentnetwork.org

Comments Off on Blogging with Political Purpose Tags: Blogging · Business and Marketing · Personal Empowerment · Sociological Questions ·

The Purpose, Passion and Principle of the Volunteer

October 24th, 2014 · Comments Off on The Purpose, Passion and Principle of the Volunteer

In a LinkedIn conversation about the abuse of unpaid interns, Dr. Angela Dye (the Interim Executive Director for the Empowerment Network) had this to say…

I am a strong supporter of both paid and unpaid internships as I believe they each offer a special function in the life of the developing practitioner. The key word is “developing”. When an individual needs more experience, needs more exposure, or needs more references, an internship (paid or unpaid) has incredible value. And, in the world of activism and advocacy, the unpaid nature of volunteering is priceless as one does not have to compromise principle for paycheck (which is often the case when one is placed in an employee-status and put on payroll).

Now, in terms of an established practitioner (which I still believe can find value in volunteering), whether or not one works for free is based on his or her self-worth, his or her purpose, and his or her principles. It is an issue of the individual…not necessarily an issue of the industry. And, it is not simply about what talents one brings to the table. It is also about what resources. Employers pay for value and in the nonprofit world, they need more than just “talent”.

I don’t say this to be snarky or insensitive. I say it to empower those out there seeking “employment” to get real, get a strategy, and think about how to increase one’s competitive edge. As a seasoned and proven practitioner in my field, I still volunteer…and I also rely on other volunteers to join me in my efforts. Volunteerism, as both the volunteer and the volunteer director, serves as the catalyst to my purpose as an urban educator as I have found very few organizations with a payrolled position that will allow me to effect the type of educational change that marginalized communities really need.

Before going, I would like to say that I get it. I understand passion and purpose… lol, and I also understand the purpose of a paycheck! Here are final thoughts for encouragement and empowerment:

1. Start your own nonprofit. There is so much power and purpose in fueling your own dreams.
2. Develop grant writing skills so you can bring both talent and resources to an organization.
3. Rethink your approach to job searching. Instead of applying for jobs, go out and network. With the right connection, someone may be willing to create a job just for you. I know, this has happened to me several times as a volunteer and as an employer of paid positions. With the right fit, miracles begin to happen.

Best wishes to all trying to walk through this narrow-hallway of passion and purpose. Not easy, but don’t compromise your talents nor your vision!

Dr. Angela

 

Comments Off on The Purpose, Passion and Principle of the Volunteer Tags: Commentaries/Responses · Jobs/Opportunities ·   · · · · · ·

Be a Part of the Solution! Empowerment Starts Here

August 9th, 2013 · Comments Off on Be a Part of the Solution! Empowerment Starts Here

PBS Development, LLC is a business dedicated to social entrepreneurial projects that will empower, liberate and transform disadvantaged communities. We currently have our hands on two: 1) Coalition for Black Female Educators and 2) The Empowerment Network. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or visit our webpage @ www.pbsdevelopment.com. While we were legally formed in 2007, we are really just getting started! Of course educators are always welcomed; however, we specifically need people with experience in 1) project management; 2) IT; 3) business law; 4) community organizing and/or 5) nonprofit management.

Comments Off on Be a Part of the Solution! Empowerment Starts Here Tags: Jobs/Opportunities ·   · · · · · · · · ·

What I Learned About Behavior Management… I Learned from My Mother in Second Grade

July 2nd, 2013 · Comments Off on What I Learned About Behavior Management… I Learned from My Mother in Second Grade

I was in second grade and would frustrate my mother because I could not seem to put my undershirt on the correct way. I always had the tag in the front (which was supposed to be in the back). She would fuss and fuss but no matter how much she yelled, I just could not remember to put my clothes on the right way.

One day, she created a system and made a deal with me. She told me that she would give me a quarter for every time I correctly put on my clothes. I was excited about the challenge and the opportunity to make money. Every day that I put the shirt on correctly, my mother put a check on a daily list that was posted on the refrigerator (each check represented 25 cents). After a month, I had earned approximately $7 .50 as the system had created a consciousness in how I got dressed in the morning. Through this structure, I was able to develop a new behavior.

Ormrod (2008) addressed this issue of behavioral change as an extended adjustment in how one makes mental associations.  My mother used a daily reward system to change my behavior by providing a daily reinforcement to her expectations and it worked!

This experience influenced my teaching style later when I became an educator. I have designed a daily management system that immediately identifies when students behave in a way that meets the classroom expectations and immediately identifies when they behave in a way that violates them. Just like my 2nd grade experience, students are able to adjust their choices when there is immediate recognition of that behavior and expectations are reinforced.

Teacher Tip: No amount of yelling is going to get a child to change their behaviors.  Create a system that builds students’ consciousness and allows them to make informed choices.

~Angela Dye

 

To learn more about our behavior management system (which also blends behaviorism with constructivism), please visit our curriculum page.

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Who’s Talking About Liberation?

June 23rd, 2013 · Comments Off on Who’s Talking About Liberation?

Question:  Who is most comfortable with talking about liberation… educators or social scientists? Academics or practitioners?  Believers or atheists?  People in the community or people outside of the community?

Last week I had an opportunity to meet with a social black activist/educator who has about 1000 FB friends.  I wanted to know how her followers responded to her very direct posts about race and black power.  We ended up questioning the percentage of followers who were licensed educators and the percentage of those who were from the social sciences.  Interestingly we discovered and included an additional category into the analysis… community members.  She said it is from this category, the community, where she has had the greatest level of dialogue.

The conversation made me think about an observation that I have had since undergraduate school where I was a double major:  social science and education. In a glaring way, I noticed a distinctly different thought process and commitment to inclusive, yet diverse perspectives that separated individuals of one program from the other.  I guess it is the social scientist in me today that now has me intrigued… who is most comfortable with talking about liberation? Where would I mostly find people who are just as willing to reflect on the issues of liberation (and oppression) as they are to engage in what they perceive to be the solution?

 

Do you have an answer?  Please share your opinion on our Facebook page.

Written by:  Angela Dye, M.Ed.

 

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The Politics of Respectability and Student Empowerment

March 27th, 2013 · Comments Off on The Politics of Respectability and Student Empowerment

Question: What actually are “respectful” or “acceptable” ways that students can express their individuality as well their sense of group identification?

Such a question is grounded in the notion of “the politics of respectability” which has been often used by several highly respected scholars that I follow. I am interested in this phrase partially because of my doctoral research with critical theory and social power. However, my life’s work with student empowerment gives a more personal meaning to the phrase.

Question rephrased… who controls the right to determine what is respectable? And, what is the process (cultural or political) by which such determination is made?

My student empowerment framework requires power to be shared with learners which ultimately, by way of the 2nd principle (Dye, 2012), activates their “voice, choice, and dominion” (p. 57). While there is a growing appreciation for student power, such appreciation remains philosophical as the application of such power is stilted when adults come face to face with students’ “Innate Power” (the 2nd principle)… students engaging in their natural drive to use voice, choice, and dominion.

When the ideals of student empowerment come into conflict with adults who try to restrict this power to their level of personal comfort (especially when students sometimes act in a way that causes them discomfort), it often falls under the umbrella of politics… or, the politics of respectability. Adults then begin to use their authority to define what is respectable (or not) and restrict the humanity of the children in which they seek to empower.

Here is a thought… in a democratic (not autocratic) space, the power to define respectable behavior is shared with those who will be judged by such a standard. In the case of student empowerment, defining and applying a standard of respectability cannot be done in the absence of student power. Students must use their voice, choice and dominion to partake in the political process of defining what is acceptable behavior.

There are a total of 7 power sharing strategies within my empowerment framework. However, please know that to really engage in student empowerment, adults cannot take on this mission in an al a carte fashion. To do so frankly limits their humanity and is NOT empowering!

For more information about student empowerment, 7 principles of empowerment/innate power, and the politics of respectability, please click on the appropriate words as they have embedded links.

Please come to our Facebook page to post a response and join the discussion!

Dye, A. (2012). Empowerment starts here: Seven Principles for Empowering Urban Youth. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group.

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WUWM-Talk Radio: Charter Schools and Student Empowerment

February 14th, 2013 · Comments Off on WUWM-Talk Radio: Charter Schools and Student Empowerment

“It’s been about (three) years since the Preparatory School for Global Leadership closed its doors in Milwaukee. The school was started by teacher and school administrator Angela Dye with the goal of implementing a progressive vision and model for educating urban youth. But along the way, Dye found many challenges blocking her path. And while she felt that the school model had proven successful in the context of its students, she ultimately closed the school.  Since then, Dye has gone on (to) pursue a doctorate in education and has reflected on the experience with the PSGL in a new book called Empowerment Starts Here: 7 Principles to Empowering Urban Youth. She tells Lake Effect’s Stephanie Lecci that educating students is more than just teaching them to read and write – it’s about empowering them with information.  To do so, she says educators are obligated to find new ways to teach urban youth using progressive principles.”

The above excerpt was taken from WUWM, Milwaukee Public Talk Radio, 89.9 (January 20, 2013) For the full story and radio interview click here.

For more information on the progressive strategies that Angela Dye uses for student empowerment click here.   As always, if you want to share your views on this interview or any other article posted on our website, please go to our Facebook fan page: Empowerment Starts Here.

 

 

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School Reform that is Culturally Relevant

January 16th, 2013 · Comments Off on School Reform that is Culturally Relevant

At a basic level, those that argue for cultural relevance take what is good from two schools of thought, from traditional education in the concrete push for measurable achievement and from critical education in the pragmatic push for contextual relevance in the act of teaching and learning. However, at its most significance, culturally relevant pedagogues make a case for education as a civil rights movement where achievement is not only about capitalism, it is about social justice.

As argued by Ladson-Billings (2009), Dantley (2005) and Delpit (1998) education reform is not just a bottom up endeavor. It is also top down. It is about understanding the pulse and priorities of the people being served and ensuring that education agendas, policies and standards reflect their priorities. As a result, a redefined scope of achievement that transforms the sociopolitical status of disadvantaged communities… in real time (where it is contextually relevant in the present tense) … and is concrete and measurable needs to be incorporated into the close the achievement gap campaign.

Let’s not just close the achievement gap! Let’s close the perception gap as pertaining to how achievement is defined and pursued…especially for those communities that are at a socioeconomic disadvantage.

For assistance with culturally relevant programming and professional development, contact us here.
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References:

Dantley, M. (2005). African American spirituality and Cornel West’s notion of prophetic pragmatism: Restructuring educational leadership in American urban schools. Educational Administration Quarterly. Retrieved from http://eaq.sagepub.com/content/41/4/651.

Delpit, L. (1988). The silenced dialogue: Power and pedagogy in educating other people’s children. Harvard Educational Review, 58(3), 280. ProQuest.

Ladson-Billings, G. (2009). The dream keepers: Successful teachers of African American children. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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Empowerment Message Goes to Racine

January 11th, 2013 · Comments Off on Empowerment Message Goes to Racine

Angela Dye, the CEO of PBS Development, LLC. and author of the book “Empowerment Starts Here: 7 Principles to Empowering Urban Youth” will be speaking at the SOAR conference to parents and educators.

  • Workshop 1: The Empowermet Framework as Culturally Responsive Teaching (10:3 a.m.).
  • Workshop 2: Parents as Agents of Student Empowerment (1pm).

If you are in the area, come learn about the instructional value of student empowerment! It is not too late to register!

 

 

Click here to see what their local newspaper had to say.

 

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