News

News about the program and our honorees

Math and Social Justice? Sacha Kelly Makes It Real

Sacha Kelly, whom we honored in 2009, has been recognized by the Math Teachers’ Circle 4 Social Justice (MTC4SJ), an organization that puts the spotlight on math teachers who promote social justice.

What does mathematics have to do with social justice? Ms. Kelly explains it this way:

“There are social justice issues that appear to have nothing to do with math. But math is inherently a part of how some of these injustices are designed and perpetuated. By addressing these issues and learning the mathematics behind them we can create the change that needs to happen.”

Applying Math Concepts to Societal Issues

Ms. Kelly is a math teacher at the Academy of Science and Innovation, a magnet high school in New Britain. CT. In teaching algebra and geometry, she shows students how mathematical concepts can be used to address various societal issues.

  • Policing and race? Understanding can be achieved by describing categorial data.
  • Inequities in education? Apply a concept called least squares regressional line.
  • Does gun control work? To find out, think about regression inference.
  • Treating stroke? The hypothesis test for two means can provide insight.
  • Is climate change real? Try using a concept called inference for matched pairs.
  • Who’s better: LeBron James or Michael Jordan? Percentiles and Z-scores could provide the answer.
  • How much money do social-media influencers make? Interval for a mean will help clear this up.

In addition to teaching algebra and geometry, Ms. Kelly has helped create an SAT prep and enrichment class as well as an intervention program for students struggling with math.

Celebrating People of Color in Science and Math

Her classroom walls are dedicated to celebrating people of color within STEM to allow students of color to see themselves represented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.

She also mentors a group of future educators enrolled in the CT Teacher Residency Program, which aims to bring more people of color into teaching. She also tutors future teachers to help them to pass the Math Praxis exam, which aspiring teachers must pass to earn certification.

Ms. Kelly was part of MTC4SJ’s inaugural Summer Stars cohort in 2021 and was one of the authors of the Mural Mathematics lesson.

“I loved being part of the group,” she said. “It allowed me to dedicate time to building the social justice curriculum that I and other like-minded educators can use as a resource in our classrooms.

Sacha Kelly is one of the artists who created this street mural in Hartford to make a plea for social justice.

Street Art for Social Justice

The teacher has made a name for herself as an artist who incorporates math into her art. She has worked on multiple Black Lives Matter murals to support the BLM Movement in Hartford, Bloomfield, and Windsor. One of her art pieces is displayed in the New Britain City Hall.

Sacha Kelly participated in the creation of this mural at Bloomfield Town Hall.

Entering the World of Social Justice Math

Ms. Kelly has long brought concepts of social justice into her teaching of mathematics. This reflects her background as a student of color who saw first-hand the under-representation of Black teachers in the public school system, particularly in the STEM field.

“I had phenomenal teachers of color who inspired me to give back by becoming a teacher,” she said. “I have been able to view the public education system from both sides–as a student and an educator. My experience has taught me the importance of drawing from my racial and cultural background in the classroom. Incorporating social justice issues into my teaching came natural to me because the societal issues that my students care about are on my mind as well.

Supporting Academic Achievement

“As I have Incorporated social justice into my classroom, I have seen students reflect on their mathematics abilities and realize they are stronger than they initially thought,” she said. “This realization also extends into their academic achievement overall. I have seen my students become more likely to continue education after high school and hopefully enter the STEM field after being exposed to social justice in math class.

“For students, this exposure is important because the content allows them to see themselves as change agents in society,” she added. “I have seen students realize that by learning the mathematics behind these civic issues, they can create the change that needs to happen. They realize that they can utilize math in a way that can directly affect their lives.”

  • Woody Exley

2 Scholars Honored, Sen. McCrory Named Diversity Champion

The Alma Exley Scholarship Program honored two UConn students and cited State Senator Douglas McCrory as its first Diversity Champion in a virtual celebration on April 5 attended by more than 50 supporters, public officials, and educators including previous scholarship recipients.

Receiving scholarships were Saraya Lewis, a junior secondary English major, and Tamashi Hettiarachchi, a master’s student in chemistry education. Read more.

Saraya Lewis
Tamashi Hettiarachchi

The Alma Exley Scholarship Program honored Senator McCrory as its first Diversity Champion, in recognition of his accomplishments in advancing educator diversity in Connecticut’s public schools.

State Senator Douglas McCrory

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, a 1998 recipient of the Alma Exley Scholarship, congratulated Ms. Lewis and Ms. Hettiarachchi by video.

Dr. Miguel Cardona

Long-Time Advocate

Senator McCrory has long been an advocate for greater diversity in the educator workforce in Connecticut. He has been an eloquent spokesperson for educator diversity.

He has represented Hartford, Bloomfield, and Windsor in the State Senate since 2018. Previously, he served six terms in the state House of Representatives.

He is the father of important legislation to bolster minority teacher recruitment and retention. Last year, he led bipartisan approval of legislation implementing a variety of initiatives to promote greater educator diversity.

Zoom session brings together supports and public officials.

In 2019, as Chairman of the Education Committee, he was instrumental in crafting and passing legislation implementing the inclusion of African American and Latino American studies – first in the nation — and he continues to work to update and improve the state’s school curriculum.

Diversity Initiatives

Over the years, Senator McCrory has supported a variety of diversity initiatives. He was instrumental in:

  • The creation of the Teacher Recruitment Policy Oversight Council. The council is developing strategies for educator diversity and cultural competency instruction for teachers and future teachers.
  • Legislation ensuring fairness in teacher certification and to streamline certification of bilingual teachers.
  • Supporting a law several years ago to require school districts to hire at least 250 new minority teachers and administrators per year. Over the past five years, school districts hired more than 1,900 new minority educators.

         An educator for 30 years, he has served as a teacher and administrator in Hartford Public Schools and currently is in a leadership position at the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC).

 

Meriden High School Honors Nadine Rosa

Nadine Rosa has been named Teacher of the Year at Oliver H. Platt High School in Meriden for 2021-2022.

Nadine Rosa

Students ‘Bring Me Joy’

“I put my heart and soul into teaching, and it’s wonderful to be appreciated and recognized,” she said. “My students are the reason I get up every morning. They bring me joy. They make a difference in my life, and if I can make a difference in their lives, it will benefit not only them but all of us in the community as well.”

Ms. Rosa, who grew up in Meriden, began her career at Platt High School in 1995 as a paraeducator. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Southern Connecticut State University. The Alma Exley Scholarship Program honored her in 2004 when she was pursuing her master’s degree at the University of Saint Joseph, and she became a special-education teacher in 2007.

At least two other Alma Exley Scholars have been named Teacher of the Year at their schools, Desi Nesmith, when he was teaching at Mayberry School in East Hartford, and Ollie-Rubiah Williams Oliver, a teacher at the Farmington Valley Diagnostic Center.

Platt Principal Dan Corsetti presented Ms. Rosa with the award in a ceremony at which he unveiled a banner recognizing her as Teacher of the Year. He also read laudatory comments from her colleagues who had nominated her for the honor.

Nadine Rosa with the banner honoring her as Teacher of the Year

Promoting Equity

Ms. Rosa is a member of the Platt Equity Team and represents her school at meetings of an affinity group for educators of color in Central Connecticut. She is also active on the Ninth Grade Team, which supports students as they make the transition from middle school to high school.

As an active member of the Positive School Climate Club, she has taken the lead in posting huge hallway displays for the celebration of Hispanic Heritage, Black History, LGBT History, Women’s History, and Diversity Month. Teachers said the displays helped to create a positive climate in the school during the pandemic.

Display in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month created by students and teachers led by Ms. Rosa

The display for Hispanic Heritage Month features an image of U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, a former Meriden teacher and administrator. When Secretary Cardona was interviewed by a Hartford TV station, he arranged for the interview to be conducted in front of the display.

Secretary Miguel Cardona being interviewed in front of the Hispanic Heritage display

Financing Giveaways

As part of her efforts to promote a positive school climate, she used her own funds for giveaways to students such as T-shirts (which she made), books, and water bottles. Subsequently, the school system established a small budget to continue the giveaways.

Being named Teacher of the year has resulted in recognition for Ms. Rosa beyond the school. The Meriden Record-Journal interviewed her during Hispanic Heritage Month and produced a live Facebook interview.

One of the perks of being named Teacher of the Year is a reserved parking space in front of the school.

“I’m honored to be named Teacher of the Year,” she said, “and I’m grateful for this recognition from my colleagues.”