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Betsy DeVos is our education secretary. Here’s what to do next.

On Feb. 7, 2017, Betsy DeVos was confirmed as America’s next education secretary. Resistance to her nomination was of historic proportions. Last week, two Republican senators — Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — broke ranks and announced they would oppose DeVos, leaving the GOP-controlled Senate at a 50-50 stalemate (all 48 Democrats…

By

Robbie Couch

On Feb. 7, 2017, Betsy DeVos was confirmed as America’s next education secretary.

Resistance to her nomination was of historic proportions. Last week, two Republican senators — Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — broke ranks and announced they would oppose DeVos, leaving the GOP-controlled Senate at a 50-50 stalemate (all 48 Democrats opposed her nomination). Vice President Mike Pence cast the tiebreaking vote.

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.

If you attended or have kids in public schools, DeVos’ nomination may be a tough pill to swallow. DeVos, a Michigan billionaire born into wealth, has never attended or worked in a public school — although her family has given the Republican Party about $200 million over the years. She’s also been a big proponent of school choice — a controversial free-market education method that allows public funds to be siphoned off to private, parochial, and even for-profit schools. It’s a strategy many education advocates have criticized, claiming it uses already scarce public school funds to benefit mostly upper-middle class and wealthy families, leaving the most vulnerable students and schools in even worse shape.

Admittedly, it was not a good day for many public school advocates. But now more than ever, American kids and schools need our help.

Here are 20 ways you can turn your anxiety over the future of public education into real action:

1. First and foremost, don’t feel hopeless.

Let your frustrations fuel your advocacy. Among President Trump’s controversial cabinet appointments, DeVos’ agenda may be the least popular among Americans. The resistance to her plans is alive and well.

2. Help fund a project that will make a difference on Donors Choose.

The platform gives teachers a place to crowd-fund classroom projects, allowing individuals (that’s you!) to help students, whether it be giving art supplies to students in California or providing iPads to kids in Brooklyn to boost their linguistic and social skills.

Photo via iStock.

3. If you can, get involved in the National Education Association.

The focus of NEA — the largest professional employee organization in the country — is to make public education high-quality and accessible to every student. There are many ways for prospective, current, and former public education professionals to join the cause.

4. Come midterm elections, don’t forget which senators voted for DeVos — many of whom received campaign donations from her family:

Steve Daines (Montana), John Thune (South Dakota), Ron Johnson (Wisconsin), Richard Burr (North Carolina), Jeff Sessions (Alabama), Roger Wicker (Mississippi), Roy Blunt (Missouri), Bob Corker (Tennessee), Michael Enzi (Wyoming), John Barrasso (Wyoming), Dean Heller (Nevada), Rob Portman (Ohio), Bill Cassidy (Louisiana), John McCain (Arizona), Richard Shelby (Alabama), Mike Lee (Utah), Ted Cruz (Texas), Dan Sullivan (Alaska), Cory Gardner (Colorado), Rand Paul (Kentucky), Deb Fischer (Nebraska), Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), James Inhofe (Oklahoma), Jim Risch (Idaho), James Lankford (Oklahoma), Jerry Moran (Kansas), Patrick Toomey (Pennsylvania), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Tom Cotton (Arkansas), Michael Rounds (South Dakota), Thad Cochran (Mississippi), Mitch McConnell (Kentucky), Michael Crapo (Idaho), John Hoeven (North Dakota), Pat Roberts (Kansas), Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia), Orrin Hatch (Utah), John Kennedy (Louisiana), Thom Tillis (North Carolina), Todd Young (Indiana), Jeff Flake (Arizona), Tim Scott (South Carolina), Ben Sasse (Nebraska), Marco Rubio (Florida), David Perdue (Georgia), Johnny Isakson (Georgia), Charles Grassley (Iowa), John Cornyn (Texas), John Boozman (Arkansas), and Lamar Alexander (Tennessee).

5. Think local.

You know your own community best. What local or regional organizations do the crucial work unique to the problems facing the public schools in your city? Reach out and ask them how you can get involved.

6. Donate to No Kid Hungry.

The nonprofit helps feed American schoolchildren so they can stay full and focused in the classroom. One $10 gift can provide up to 100 meals to a kid who could use it.

7. Support after-school arts programs.

There’s probably at least one group in your area helping teach art to kids outside the classroom — an opportunity that could help them in many ways for years to come. In Pittsburgh, for instance, free after-school art classes at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild Youth & Arts teach any kids in the Pittsburgh public school system skills in ceramics, design, photography, and more.

8. Share this video of Sen. Al Franken questioning DeVos’ support of anti-LGBTQ causes — and hold her accountable to do better.

Let the record show: Dollars from the DeVos family have gone toward horribly anti-LGBTQ initiatives, including gay (to straight) conversion therapy — a practice that’s  been deemed harmful by experts and is essentially a form of child abuse.

Despite her record, DeVos said during her Senate hearing that she never believed in gay conversion therapy and that she “fully embraces equality” for all students. Let’s hold her accountable to that.

9. Support your local libraries.

Libraries are great resources for our kids to learn outside the classroom (and they have so much more to offer than books). Get your library card, visit frequently, volunteer, and spread the word.

Speaking of libraries…

10. Create a Little Free Library in your own neighborhood.

Build a little library in your yard, stock it with some books, and let your neighbors enjoy. Ideally, it’ll turn into a take-a-book, give-a-book situation.

Learn more about how to pull it off.

11. Fight for more affordable and free higher education at the ballot box.

Despite what you may think of DeVos’ appointment, Americans increasingly support using public funds to ensure college is free or affordable to more students. Stanford University, for example, was cheered for guaranteeing students whose parents have a combined income of less than $125,000 would have free tuition. And San Francisco has also made waves for making City College free for residents.

Many state and local governments are also trying to make higher ed more accessible to more students. New York state may make its public colleges and universities free to attend for the vast majority of students. Stay plugged in to similar state and local initiatives in your own area.

12. Support the “nonpublic” schools in your area.

Nonpublic schools are, in fact, public schools for kids with moderate to severe disabilities that prevent them from attending a more traditional public school. The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act ensures schools like them exist for any family that needs it.

Considering DeVos’ nomination has disability advocates worried, the nonpublic schools in your community could probably use your support. Many host regular fundraisers and even need classroom volunteers.

13. Support the Kids in Need Foundation.

The nonprofit provides thousands of backpacks filled with school supplies to students in need every year, giving them the tools they need to succeed in class. (There are lots of groups doing similar work, by the way — if you do some digging, you may find a more local option.)

Photo via iStock.

14. Don’t forget that Open eBooks is a thing, and it’s spectacular.

Former President Obama’s ConnectED initiative helped get more than $250 million worth of fantastic children’s e-books online, available to any young person who wants to dive into a good read.

Because not every kid gets that chance.

15. Donate to First Book.

This nonprofit provides new books and other learning materials to kids and families in need. Since it was founded in 1992, the group has given away 160 million books and education resources.

16. Help tackle crime, nutrition, and education … with veggies.

The nonprofit Gardopia Gardens operates community gardens at schools in Texas, helping make nutritional foods more accessible to kids. It not only teaches them about nutrition and gardening, it lowers crime rates in the neighborhoods where it operates. Similar programs are offered at schools around the country — if your local school doesn’t already have one, why not look into what it would take to start one yourself?

17. Help make lunchtime a little more stress-free.

https://twitter.com/iSmashFizzle/status/806174214747291649

18. Support Publicolor.

Kids in New York City who work in the after-school program Publicolor paint beautiful works of art in schools in order to bring a splash of color to the spaces they share, build relationships, and learn valuable skills like commercial painting and positive work habits.

19. Stand up for immigrant students by supporting United We Dream.

The group had already been rallying educators to stand up to Trump’s agenda. Now, with DeVos’ nomination, its Educators Toolkit may be even more necessary.

20. Take matters into your own hands and run for a position on your local school board.

https://twitter.com/haleshannon/status/829029086735458304

All politics are local, right? Run for school board in your community and make a difference.

Let’s not sugarcoat it: DeVos’ nomination is a major setback for our public schools. But we can’t get complacent.

In ways big and small, our resistance to her agenda can make a better tomorrow for kids everywhere.

Photo via iStock.

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  • Brilliantly simple website gives users a small taste of what it’s like to read with dyslexia
    Website lets users experience what it's like reading text when you have dyslexia. – Photo credit: Canva Photos

    Brilliantly simple website gives users a small taste of what it’s like to read with dyslexia

    Try reading this text and your empathy for folks with dyslexia will grow by leaps and bounds.

    Robbie Couch

    Upworthy Staff

    If you stumbled upon Victor Widell’s website, you might think your computer was experiencing some technical difficulties. But you’d be wrong.

    The letters within each word on the site are scrambled and moving around erratically, and although you might be able to read each sentence if you slow down and focus, it’s no walk in the park.

    Widell designed it that way on purpose. It’s a glimpse into what someone who has dyslexia might have to deal with every day.


    dyslexia, reading, books, fonts, disabilities, developmental reading disorders, accessibility
    Dyslexia is underdiagnosed and very misunderstood. Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

    “A friend who has dyslexia described to me how she experiences reading,” Widell writes on his site which has spread far and wide across the Internet. “She can read, but it takes a lot of concentration, and the letters seem to ‘jump around.’”

    Seeing letters “jump around” is a common experience among (the very large number of) people who have dyslexia.

    The condition — which you might also hear referred to as developmental reading disorder (DRD) — isn’t a defect in a person’s ability to think or focus, nor is it at all reflective of someone’s intelligence (an unfortunate misconception).

    Dyslexia occurs when there’s a problem in the area of the brain that interprets language, as the National Library of Medicine points out. And it may affect more people than many of us realize.

    Dyslexia is still underdiagnosed and kids in communities of color are disproportionately affected.

    About 20% of the total population is affected by dyslexia according to The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, yet many remain undiagnosed and secretly battle this “hidden disability” without proper help.

    “While there are numerous curricula and programs designed to increase literacy, dyslexia is often overlooked when searching for causes of illiteracy,” the center explains, noting black and Latino students are more likely to go undiagnosed, seeing as the disorder flies even more under the radar in urban schools.

    Given that about 1 in 5 of people live with dyslexia, it’s no wonder Widell’s website is striking a chord with plenty of people online.

    His work to help nondyslexic people empathize with those who have DRD isn’t the first empathetic take on dyslexia to go viral though.

    Back in 2014, Dutch designer Christian Boer created a dyslexic-friendly font for folks like himself.

    The font, called Dyslexie, not only helps people with dyslexia, it also helps those who don’t live with it to better understand how similar-looking letters within a standardized alphabet can be a big bottleneck to those who do.

    dyslexia, reading, books, fonts, disabilities, developmental reading disorders, accessibility
    At first glance, Dyslexie doesn't look all that different from a regular font. By studiostudio graphic design – Fair Use

    The letters in Dyslexie may look like any other letters, but they have key characteristics, like exaggerated stick and tail lengths (on letters like “j” or “b”) and heavy base lines. These subtle but important factors help to differentiate letters that may seem similar in appearance to someone who has dyslexia.

    Take the letters “h” and “n,” for example. They sort of look a bit alike, right? Dyslexie’s “h” has a longer ascender and its “n” has a shorter one.

    “When they’re reading, people with dyslexia often unconsciously switch, rotate, and mirror letters in their minds,” Boer told Dezeen magazine in 2014. “Traditional typefaces make this worse because they base some letter designs on others, inadvertently creating ‘twin letters’ for people with dyslexia.”

    In the same vein as Dyslexie, Widell’s site aims to help those without the condition know what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes.

    Widell’s website, of course, doesn’t give someone the authority to know what dyslexia is like if they don’t have the disorder themselves.


    dyslexia, reading, books, fonts, disabilities, developmental reading disorders, accessibility
    Dyslexia is different for everyone. Photo by Matias North on Unsplash

    As The Independent noted, people who have dyslexia experience it differently and through various symptoms. Widell’s site can’t possibly simulate the one and only experience of someone who has dyslexia because there isn’t a one and only experience.

    Still, the outlet notes, it’s “a great way to give people a taste of the difficulties faced.”

    “Nothing will ever show [people who don’t have dyslexia] exactly how it truly feels to read while dyslexic,” one Redditor who claims to have the disorder pointed out about Widell’s site. “But this is damn close.”

    To learn more about how Dyslexie works, check out the video below:

    This article was originally published in 2016. It has been updated.

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  • Young artist who sold $7 million worth of paintings before she was 14-years-old
    Autumn de Forest – Photo credit: Autumn De Forest
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    Young artist who sold $7 million worth of paintings before she was 14-years-old

    You can see her talent in her very first painting.

    Evan Porter

    Upworthy Staff

    When Autumn de Forest was 5, she picked up a paintbrush for the first time.

    It wasn’t long before she was ready to show the world what she could do.

    After a year of practice, the then-6-year-old asked her father if he could get her a booth at a local art-in-the-park program. “People would come up to the booth, and they would talk to my father, and they’d say, ‘This is great!’” she said. “Apparently they thought it was Take Your Daughter to Work Day.”

    Almost everyone thought the artwork was her father’s. And when they found out that tiny Autumn was the artist, people couldn’t believe their eyes.

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    Autumn created this piece when she was just 5 years old. Autumn de Forest

    Soon, Autumn rose to national fame.

    When Autumn was 8, she was featured on the Discovery Health Channel. There was a slew of media attention in the years that followed. There was Disney. There was The Today Show. There was Wendy Williams.

    She was called a child genius, a prodigy, and an expert painter.

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    Suddenly, Autumn de Forest was everywhere.

    But not everyone was so accepting of the young artist and her work. Some people in the art world had … questions. Sure, she was good for a kid. But was her art actually good? Others wondered if the whole thing might be an elaborate hoax.

    Autumn decided not to listen.

    By 14 she developed a startlingly organized daily routine that went far beyond a 9 to 5.

    Somehow, as the focus on her age begins to wear off, Autumn’s work ethic and art only grow stronger. She said that most days, she’d wake up in her parents’ Las Vegas home at 7:30 a.m. After breakfast, she’d break out her supplies for a one- or two-hour painting session.

    From there, she dove into her school work. Most brick-and-mortar schools can’t accommodate her travel schedule, so she did the majority of her schooling online.

    Before dinner, it’s back into the studio.

    “That session can last much longer, that can be three or four hours when I really get into it,” she said. “Then I probably have dinner and go to bed.”

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    The results? They speak for themselves.

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    Her work has been displayed in galleries and exhibitions all over the world.

    Autumn held a public demonstration before a showing at The Butler Institute of American Art.

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    In 2015, Autumn received the International Giuseppe Sciacca Award in Painting and Art.

    The award took her to the Vatican for a private showing of her artwork with the pope.

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    She’s also worked with the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, headed up by Michelle Obama.

    As part of the program, de Forest traveled to underprivileged schools around the country and led painting workshops.

    Oh, and if you’re looking for some hard numbers to attach to Autumn’s talent, she’s got those, too.

    Her paintings raked in over $7 million at auctions by the time she was a teenager — fetching as much as $25,000 each — much of which has gone directly to charities and disaster relief funds.

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    At 22 years old now, what’s Autumn de Forest up to lately?

    A lot!

    The transition from child prodigy to respected artist has kept her busy.

    In 2017, the Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center in Hendersonville, Tennessee hosted a major solo exhibition for de Forest titled “Her White Room: The Art of Autumn de Forest.”

    That same year, de Forest was listed as one of Teen Vogue’s “21 Under 21.” In her profile she was praised for her talent as well as her commitment to art education.

    “In dis­advantaged schools, they consider the arts an extracur­ricular activity,” she told Teen Vogue. “It’s devastating, as there could be child prodigies in these schools, but they don’t know that they have this God-­given gift because they’re not given the opportunity because there’s nearly no art programs in schools.”

    In 2018, de Forest was featured in the music video for the song “Youth” by best-selling recording artists Shawn Mendes and Khalid. The video highlights exceptional young people working to change the world, including de Forest, Emma González, and Elias and Zion Phoenix.

    The video has over 17 million plays on YouTube.

    And of course, Autumn continues to share her absolutely incredible artwork on Instagram and in shows and exhibitions around the globe.

    The Autumn de Forest Foundation, helps her keep track of the kids she’s met throughout the years and to continue to help them with their art careers.

    A portion of the foundation’s money goes to a 529 account set up for the students while 10% goes to them directly.

    “A lot of these kids that I work with, they’re not very old, they’re in second grade, third grade, fourth grade. Maybe in 10 years, they may only have four or five thousand dollars but that could be the difference between them going to college or not,” Autumn told Teen Vogue.

    Autumn’s incredible rise in the art world is an astonishing feat for someone who’s still in her teens. But that accomplishment is easily matched by her generosity and commitment to helping develop tomorrow’s prodigies as well.

    For more information, visit the Autumn de Forest Foundation.


    This article originally appeared eight years ago.

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  • Teacher’s viral ‘baggage activity’ brought her students to tears
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    , , ,

    Teacher’s viral ‘baggage activity’ brought her students to tears

    What a beautiful idea.

    Annie Reneau

    Upworthy Staff

    Update from the author: I wrote a follow-up to this article sharing a trauma-informed perspective of the activity. You can read it here.

    Karen Loewe has been teaching for more than years. Clearly, all of that experience has given her a solid bead on what her students really need.

    The middle school English teacher from Oklahoma shared an activity she did with her students for the first day of school on Facebook and it’s gone insanely viral. In just three days, her post has already been shared more than 335,000 times.

    What has caught people’s attention is something we all have in common—emotional baggage. We live in an era of rising mental health awareness, but also increased social pressures to appear as if you have all of your sh*t together. For kids in the turbulent middle school years, whose their bodies, minds, and spirits are growing at breakneck pace, having a place to share their emotional turmoil can be incredibly helpful. But many kids don’t have a safe, supportive place to do that.

    Ms. Loewe’s classroom just became that place.

    Loewe shared a photo of a plastic sack filled with crumpled up paper, with the story of what transpired in her classroom:

    This starts my 22nd year of teaching middle school. Yesterday was quite possibly one of the most impactful days I have ever had.

    I tried a new activity called “The Baggage Activity”. I asked the kids what it meant to have baggage and they mostly said it was hurtful stuff you carry around on your shoulders.

    I asked them to write down on a piece of paper what was bothering them, what was heavy on their heart, what was hurting them, etc. No names were to be on a paper. They wadded the paper up, and threw it across the room.

    They picked up a piece of paper and took turns reading out loud what their classmate wrote. After a student read a paper, I asked who wrote that, and if they cared to share.

    I’m here to tell you, I have never been so moved to tears as what these kids opened up and about and shared with the class.

    Things like suicide, parents in prison, drugs in their family, being left by their parents, death, cancer, losing pets (one said their gerbil died cause it was fat, we giggled ) and on and on.

    The kids who read the papers would cry because what they were reading was tough. The person who shared (if they chose to tell us it was them) would cry sometimes too. It was an emotionally draining day, but I firmly believe my kids will judge a little less, love a little more, and forgive a little faster.

    This bag hangs by my door to remind them that we all have baggage. We will leave it at the door. As they left I told them, they are not alone, they are loved, and we have each other’s back.

    I am honored to be their teacher.

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    Seriously, what a fabulous idea. It gives students a chance to get their troubles off their chest and heart, but also maintain anonymity if they want to. It gives classmates a chance to hear what’s going on in each other’s emotional worlds, to understand what everyone is going through, and to know they are not alone in their struggles.

    Good teachers go beyond textbooks and curriculum, knowing that education is more than just acquiring information and memorizing facts. When students feel seen and heard, it’s easier for them to learn. And when kids have empathy for one another, a classroom can become a safe place for learning to take place.

    Well done, Ms. Loewe. Let’s hope other teachers and students benefit from your wisdom.

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  • 15 100-year-old photos that prove beauty is timeless
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    This album is full of exquisite photographs from around the world

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    A vintage post-card collector on Flickr who goes by the username Post Man has kindly allowed us to share his wonderful collection of vintage postcards and erotica from the turn of the century. This album is full of exquisite photographs from around the world of a variety of people dressed in beautiful clothing in exotic settings. In an era well before the internet, these photographs would be one of the only ways you could could see how people in other countries looked and dressed.

    Take a look at PostMan’s gallery of over 90 vintage postcards on Flickr.

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  • Florida teacher fired for giving zeros to students who didn’t turn in their work
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    Florida teacher fired for giving zeros to students who didn’t turn in their work

    The lowest possible grade that teachers can give students is a 50, even if they don’t turn anything in.

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    A Florida teacher has been fired for giving her students zeros for missing assignments.

    Diane Tirado has been a teacher for years. Most recently, she was an eighth-grade history teacher at Westgate K-8 School in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

    Diane recently gave her students two weeks to complete an Explorer notebook project, but several students simply didn’t hand it in. Since there was zero work done, Diane gave them zeros.

    She got fired for it.

    The elementary school has a rule called the “no zero policy.”

    The lowest possible grade that teachers can give students is a 50, even if they don’t turn anything in.

    A letter from fired teacher Diane Tirado
    A letter from fired teacher Diane Tirado Diane Tirado/Facebook

    It’s a rule that Diane, unsurprisingly, does not agree with. After she was fired for disobeying, she left her students a charming goodbye message on the whiteboard.

    “Bye kids. Mrs. Tirado loves you and wishes you the best in life. I have been fired for refusing to give you a 50 percent for not handing anything in. Love, Mrs. Tiado”

    The scale, as outlined by the school, reads as follows:

    A = 90 to 100

    B = 80 to 89

    C = 70-79

    D = 60-69

    F = 50-59

    Diane later shared the story on Facebook, hoping to spread awareness about the school’s policy.

    “A grade in Mrs. Tirado’s class is earned,” she said.

    “I’m so upset because we have a nation of kids that are expecting to get paid and live their life just for showing up and it’s not real.”

    Diane’s post has gone viral, and most commenters agree with her position – it’s not fair to hand out grades for work that doesn’t exist.

    “The reason I took on this fight was because it was ridiculous. Teaching should not be this hard,” Diane said.

    This article was originally published on 7.26.19 by our partners at Wimp.

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  • Tired of being humiliated, these girls fought the sexist school dress code. And won.
    Array – Photo credit: Deanna Wolf/Facebook
    , , ,

    Tired of being humiliated, these girls fought the sexist school dress code. And won.

    “In a way, you’re telling [a girl] that boys are more entitled to their education than she is.”

    Evan Porter

    Upworthy Staff

    Four middle-schoolers sat at the podium. Poised. Confident. Ready to challenge the Portland Public Schools board on its dress code.

    Four teenagers stand at a wooden podium at a school board meeting
    Four students from Portland, Oregon, testified in front of the board in May 2015 Image via PPS Communications/YouTube.

    AnaLuiza, a seventh-grader, told a story of a friend who was pulled aside one day for wearing a skirt deemed to be too short.

    The friend sat in the principal’s office for hours while the staff tried to get ahold of her parents. She missed important classwork, and worse yet, felt humiliated by the ordeal.

    “The only reason I go to school is to get my education,” AnaLuiza told the board. “When I get dressed in the morning, my intention is not to provoke or be sexualized. My intention is to feel comfortable in my own skin.”

    Sophia, also in seventh grade at the time, spoke last.

    “My problem with the dress code is that 100% of the students that get sent home are female. … In a way, you’re telling [a girl] that boys are more entitled to their education than she is. And I don’t think that’s acceptable.”

    They were absolutely right. Because if you’re a preteen or teenage girl in America, you can get a dress code violation for almost anything: showing your midriff, shoulder, collarbone, leg, bra strap, or, in some cases, for just wearing something as harmless as spaghetti straps.

    Girl with blonde hair wearing a tank top and sweater and jeans
    Stephanie Hughes of Kentucky was cited for a dress code violation for this outfit, which sometimes shows her collarbone. Photo by Stacie Dunn/Facebook

    Girls who violate their schools’ dress codes are accused of being distractions and are often humiliated in front of their classmates.

    They’re then either sent home to change (missing valuable class time) or forced to cover up with “shame clothes,” like old sweatpants that have been lying around the guidance counselor’s office for who knows how long.

    This has been a problem for years, and a particularly frustrating one to solve. Almost everyone agrees schools need some kind of dress code, but almost no one can agree on what that should look like.

    A girl at school wearing loose fitting shirt and black leggings
    Deanna Wolf of Alabama says her 15-year-old daughter missed an entire class period simply for wearing leggings and a loose-fitting shirt. Deanna Wolf/Facebook

    But now, thanks to these brave Portland students and a couple of key community members, we might finally be making some progress.

    The school board, to the surprise of many, agreed the dress code needed fixing. But that didn’t mean it would be easy.

    A committee was formed, including Sophia (one of the girls who testified in front of the board), parents, teachers, and other community leaders. Lisa Frack, president of the Oregon chapter of the National Organization of Women, and a parent, was one of them.

    Frack said some issues were easy to fix, like the ban on spaghetti straps. That was quick to go. Others? Not so much.

    There was plenty of back-and-forth. Are short shorts OK? How about cleavage? What about all of the subtle (and not-so-subtle) policies that unfairly target students of color?

    A girl in yellow shirt smiling at the camera
    Marian Wilson-Reed of Texas says her 9-year-old daughter was pulled out of class because school administrators thought her natural hairstyle looked like a mohawk, which was against the rules. Marian Wilson-Reed/Facebook

    Then there was the issue of enforcement. Although hopefully, with the new dress code, there would be fewer violations, the committee wanted to find ways to eliminate shaming and missed class time for students who broke the rules.

    Despite debate on some of these specific issues, Frack said, the conversation always came back to the same basic point.

    Some board members “felt like they wanted a little line in there reminding everyone that this is a learning institution. But that’s exactly what we’re trying to get away from,” Frack said.

    “We don’t want to link clothing and learning. … You can’t learn math better or worse whether you have a tie on or a collared shirt or a tank top.”

    “We’re going to basically have people covering what you have to do to not be naked.”

    The final approved dress code, one of only a few like it in the U.S., was a major improvement. But perhaps just as important was the conversation sparked by the process.

    Gone was phrasing that specifically targeted bare midriffs, “plunging necklines,” or “sexually suggestive clothing.” The new, gender-neutral code essentially asks that students wear a top and a bottom (or a dress), and that their clothes not show profanity or reference drugs.

    It’s pretty simple. But the conversations that led to this point were anything but.

    “It raised the issue of people’s discomfort with how girls are objectified in this country. Is it a solution to tell them to cover up?” Frack said. She even recalled some of the adult members of the advisory committee having trouble talking about things like breasts and sexuality with a straight face — which, she said, is part of the problem.

    For now, though, Frack just hopes this code can serve as a model to other districts looking to get with the times. Portland just rolled out the new policy in the fall of 2016, so it remains to be seen how it’ll fare — especially when the weather gets hot again.

    But so far, Frack said, all she’s heard from parents is how happy their kids are to be free to be themselves without judgment.

    This article originally appeared on 9.1.16

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  • Immigrants explain why they personally celebrate the Fourth of July each year.
    Some different perspectives on the American experience. – Photo credit: Photo collage created from Pixabay
    , ,

    Immigrants explain why they personally celebrate the Fourth of July each year.

    This is what patriotism is all about.

    Upworthy Staff

    Some 300 million people live in the United States. And over 40 million of them are immigrants.

    Now, some people might have you believe that too many immigrants might cause us to lose our identity as Americans or that we ought to be fighting and clinging to “the way things were.”

    But if you look around, you’ll see that more than 1 in 10 Americans were born somewhere else — meaning they have their own unique set of amazing experiences to share and their own amazing stories about why they’re here.

    They each have their own ideas about what being an American means to them, too. And they each have their own reasons for celebrating American independence on the Fourth of July.

    So if you want to feel proud, excited, and maybe even a teensy bit emotional about being an American, this one’s for you.

    Meet five immigrants from all over the country (and all over the world!) who are showing their American pride in many, many shades of red, white, and blue this year.

    Mexican American experience, traditional, celebration
    Traditional food the celebrate the Fourth of July. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@briewilly?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Chad Montano</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a>

    1. Nayeli Ruvalcaba’s Fourth of July is full of traditional Mexican food and mariachi music.

    Ruvalcaba, who was born in Mexico but moved to Chicago when she was 4, spent her early childhood in a mostly caucasian neighborhood called Lakeview. There, she says the Fourth of July was pretty much what you’d expect.

    “Everyone would be making ribs and burgers and mac and cheese. And my dad would be drinking Budweisers and Coors Light,” she said with a laugh.

    Nayeli with her parents.

    But when she was 16, she moved to a more diverse area of the city filled with families from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Poland.

    There, she says, their holidays are much more vibrant. Neighbors gather in the alleys and share their customs and cultures with one another. They sing along with music (her boyfriend, who is in a mariachi band, often gets the party going). They play games. And then there’s the food: Nayeli says she loves to chow down on delicious Fourth of July dishes like arrachera (a Mexican skirt steak), polish sausage, guacamole, and, of course, burgers.

    “I know it’s an American holiday,” she says. “Buteveryone has their own culture. You just mix it in with what everyoneelse does.”

    Nayeli and her boyfriend in full mariachi get-up!

    watermelon, English tea, mishmash of culture
    Celebrating with a U.K. twist on the Fourth of July. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@cajugos?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Caju Gomes</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a>

    2. Johanna Dodd and her family celebrate their Fourth of July the “old fashioned way” but with a small U.K.-based twist.

    A one-year work contract for her husband brought the Dodds to Connecticut from the U.K. years ago. 12 years later, they’re still here.

    The Dodds!

    On their Fourth of July, she says, “We tend to do what everyone else in town does. We’ll head to the fireworks display with our cooler packed full of food, and, occasionally, we’ll sneak in some alcohol.”

    Sounds pretty American to me!

    Johanna’s young daughter watches the fireworks.

    “The kids run around, there’s lots of glow sticks, lots of football (both kinds) being played, lots of fun stuff happening. As it gets darker, there’s the national anthem, and then out come the fireworks.”

    But there is one slightly British twist to the Dodds’ holiday: “We don’t really do the tailgating thing. We bring what we would call ‘an English tea.’ There’s watermelon, yogurts, cheese sandwiches. Kind of a mishmash of both cultures.”

    grilling, fish, Liberia, American experience
    Bringing home country traditions to the American experience. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@clintbustrillos?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Clint Bustrillos</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a>

    3. Martin Matthews says he never misses a Fourth of July parade and for a powerful reason.

    Matthews was 8 years old when he first came to America to escape a civil war in his home country of Liberia. One of his first memories? A huge Fourth of July parade in New Jersey.

    “I had never seen anything like that. The flags, the drums, everything. I remember watching in awe.”

    Martin with his wife.

    He returned to Africa later on but came back to live in America again when fighting broke out in his home country. And when he returned, that big parade stuck in his memory.

    “I always loved that about America. It was a place I could be safe. A place I could enjoy freedom,” he said. “To celebrate the independence of the United States holds a deep place in my heart.”

    These days, Martin is big on having barbecues with friends to celebrate Independence Day. There are a lot of burgers and hot dogs, but he’ll sometimes mix in traditional African dishes, too, like African-style kabobs, to introduce his friends to his heritage.

    “It’s a big thing in Africa for people to put fish on the grill, like the whole fish,” he added. “You put the whole thing on there. It was the first time some of my American friends had ever tried fish on the grill that wasn’t salmon.”

    But his favorite thing about the holiday is still the parades. “We get there early and wave our American flags. Every year I always wear some kind of American shirt. We sit there and watch everything. It’s my way of saying thanks to my adopted country.”

    cricket, India, celebrating holiday, University of Michigan
    Changing the rules to make it work. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@alken?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Alfred Kenneally</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a>

    4. Jay Pockyarath mixes cricket with an American-style barbecue on Independence Day.

    “Ever since I was in eighth grade, all I wanted to do was come to the United States,” he told Upworthy. After finishing college in India, he finally got the chance when studying nuclear medicine at the University of Michigan. From there, he married an American woman and started a family.

    “The thing that works [in America] is that it’s a meritocracy,” Pockyarath said. “July Fourth is a celebration of that, in my mind. Of independence. Of the freedom to succeed.”

    Jay, who was born in India, proudly flies an American flag outside his home for July Fourth.

    Pockyarath has lived in the United States for over 40 years, so it’s no surprise that his holiday celebration looks pretty familiar: steak, hamburgers, and hot dogs on the grill. To him, what’s really important is spending time with family.

    “Usually we make up games,” he laughed. “We play cricket — not the way it’s supposed to be played, but with a tennis ball. We make up our own rules.”

    American flag, Fourth of July, friends and family, decorating
    Embracing the traditions and bringing your own flare to it. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@genefoto?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Gene Gallin</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a>

    5. Natalia Paruz is originally from Israel, and she decorates everything in red, white, and blue.

    Natalia is now a musician in New York City.

    “First I came here with my parents [about 20 years ago] for a year. At the end of the year, they went back to Israel, and I wanted to stay here,” she told Upworthy.

    Now she works as a musician in New York City. And she absolutely, positively loves the Fourth of July.

    “It’s a really fun day. It’s a day where you can put politics aside. It’s a day for celebrating the joy of this country.”

    Natalia and her husband host friends every year for a big meal. “I love decorating the house for the holiday with the flags. There’s always a big flag hanging from the flagpole. In the back, that’s where I really go all out. Every tree gets some kind of decoration!”

    “We make hot dogs, hamburgers — how can you not?” she said. “We also make tahini, which is a traditional Israeli food. It’s made of sesame seeds and it becomes a paste and you spread it on pita bread. Our friends here love it.”

    Natalia says an overabundance of food “as if you’re going to entertain a bunch of soldiers” is a nod to her Israeli roots.

    This year, she’s going out with friends to watch fireworks. “I wear a T-shirt that has an American flag on it and a bracelet with the colors of the flag. If you’re celebrating, you might as well go to the maximum.”

    It turns out, celebrating America means different things to different people. And that’s kind of the point.

    In my mind, the only thing better than a Fourth of July party filled with burgers, steaks, beer, and fireworks is a Fourth of July party filled with all of those things plus Mexican food and African music and “English tea” and tahini and mariachi bands and more.

    So whether we choose to embrace the “American way” of celebrating Independence Day (red meat and fireworks) or to use it as a chance to celebrate the unique melting pot of culture that is our country today or something in between, I think we can all agree that the America we have now is already pretty great.

    This article originally appeared on 07.01.16

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  • A shelter made online dating profiles for 22 animals. The results are adorable.
    Array – Photo credit: Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash
    , , ,

    A shelter made online dating profiles for 22 animals. The results are adorable.

    Anyone who’s ever been on Tinder knows having a cute animal in the photo is usually a big hit. But what if Tinder profile photos only featured that cute animal? And what if, instead of a millennial would-be hooker-upper, it was the adorable dog or cat itself looking for true love? That’s an idea some…

    Upworthy Staff

    Anyone who’s ever been on Tinder knows having a cute animal in the photo is usually a big hit.

    But what if Tinder profile photos only featured that cute animal? And what if, instead of a millennial would-be hooker-upper, it was the adorable dog or cat itself looking for true love?

    That’s an idea some animal shelters are toying with.

    “We are always trying to come up with … creative new ways to get our shelter dogs out in front of potential adopters,” says Karen Hirsch, public relations director at LifeLine Animal Project in Georgia.

    Animal Profile created by Mark Wales Photo from Pixabay

    And experimenting with online dating for dogs and cats might just be working.

    The harsh world of pet adoption is extremely competitive: About 6.5 million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters every year, each seeking a good forever home. It’s too big a need for shelter operators to just sit back and hope they all get adopted.

    That’s why you see adorable dogs on display outside the grocery store, partnerships with Uber that will bring puppies directly to you for playtime, and aww-inspiring social media campaigns like dogs in pajamas.

    An estimated 50 million people worldwide use Tinder. So LifeLine and other shelters and rescues figure why not give it a shot?

    After all, people using online dating apps are already looking for love and companionship — just maybe a slightly different kind.

    Hirsch says they recently created profiles for 22 of their dogs and cats.

    Animal profiles are also showing up on Bumble, which is home to another 20 million users or so.

    Like sweet Duke here.

    Animal Profile created by Mark Wales Original photo from Pixabay

    Each pet is assigned to a volunteer who creates the profile and handles the conversations after a match

    “In a crowded shelter, pets often get overlooked, but on a dating app, the animal becomes an individual,” Hirsch says. “People learn about them and form a ‘virtual’ attachment.”

    Plus the witty banter is oodles of fun.

    For LifeLine, the experiment is still new. But Hirsch says people are responding to it incredibly well so far.

    At the very least, Tinder and Bumble have proven to be great for word-of-mouth awareness-building on the importance of adopting shelter pets. The animals are getting dozens of matches. Hirsch says there have been more than a few online adoption inquiries, as well as people coming into the shelter to meet their “match” in person.

    She also notes that one of the matches even became a regular volunteer at LifeLine.

    This new animal dating idea has another upside for apps — and the people using them, too.

    Dating experts are finding that people are getting burned out by online dating. Between “ghosting,” “cushioning,” “the slow fade,” and a bunch more of those annoying slang terms, humans out there are wondering if dating apps are even worth the effort.

    For romantic love, who knows?

    But now that you might just meet the dog or cat of your dreams, that’s not a bad reason to keep on swiping.


    This article originally appeared on 01.10.18

    Keep Reading →
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