Media mention: Fields-Smith lends homeschooling expertise; Baker quoted in Washington Post
Faculty member lends homeschooling expertise to PBS News Hour
An increasing number of African-American families are choosing to homeschool their kids, and in a recent PBS News Hour segment, a University of Georgia College of Education professor adds her expertise on the subject.
More than 200,000 families across the country now choose to educate their children at home, nearly double the number from 2003. While white children still remain the majority of children homeschooled, the number of black children is on the rise, says Cheryl Fields-Smith, associate professor in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice.
Perceptions of, or experiences with, racism in public and private schools is one factor driving parents to make this decision. Others cite teacher expectations, overall school climate or the ability to create their own curriculum—with a focus on African history and heritage—as reasons to homeschool.
African-American parents can face more resistance from schools compared with white parents when advocating for their children, she added. “A lot of homeschoolers have had experiences in schools where the parents have tried to advocate for their children and they’ve experienced marginalization, and their child has experienced just not being able to be themself,” said Fields-Smith. “They’re painted as ‘troublemakers.'”
Watch the full story on the PBS website.
Baker quoted in Washington Post
A Notre Dame basketball player is pushing NCAA boundaries with her appearance on “Dancing with the Stars,” says a UGA College of Education faculty member.
Thomas A. Baker III, an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology’s sport management program, was recently quoted in an article in The Washington Post about college basketball’s latest hero, Arike Ogunbowale. The star of this year’s NCAA women’s basketball tournament has to draw a shaky line between her athletic abilities and the experience on a national TV show.
Could the decision to let her take part in the show signal the NCAA is ready to relax its rules against allowing student-athletes to profit from their names, images, and likenesses?
“The problem here with Ogunbowale is, where do we delineate her fame dancing versus her fame as a basketball player for Notre Dame?” said Baker in the Post story. “If she doesn’t hit that last-second shot, then she’s not famous, and she’s not on ‘Dancing with the Stars.'”