Counterstories as a Tool for Empowerment and Educational Attainment

1. “Counterstories”
The Real Knowledge About
Going to College”
Counterstories as a Tool for Empowerment
and Educational Attainment
By
Patty Mendoza
Johnny C. Ramirez

2. Purpose
 Increased awareness regarding Chicana/o and
Latina/o educational pipeline and Community
College students
 Hidden Curriculum
 Counterstories as a tool for motivation and sense of
purpose
 Indigenous Learning Model
 SMART Goals
 Strategies and techniques for College retention
(Puente, office hours, STEM)

3. Critical Dialogue
 What are your feelings, concerns and perspective
on the issue of the “pink slips” in LAUSD?
 How do you think the “Budget Cuts” will affect
your education? How will it affect your
community?
 Why do you think students do not go to college?
 What is your motivation to go to college?

4. The System of Higher Education

5. Chicana/o Educational Pipeline
100
Ele m e ntar y School
Stude nts
46
Gr aduate
fr om High
School
17 26 9
Go to a Go to a
Enr oll in
Com m unity Colle ge 4-Ye ar
Colle ge Colle ge
1 8
Tr ans fe r s to a Graduate w / a
4-Ye ar Colle ge B.A. De gre e
2
Earn a Graduate
or Pr ofe s s ional
De gr e e
.2
Graduate w / a
Doctor al
De gr e e

6. Structural/Institutional Context:
Systems of Power
 Schools are not politically neutral.
 Schools are institutions that replicate the
social order within society.
 Institutional power is exercised in a manner
that dehumanizes bicultural students.
 Example: In LAUSD, 61% percent of
Chicano students are pushed out in the 9th
& 10th grade.

7. Institutional Power
 Meritocracy
 Intelligence Testing
 Tracking and Ability Grouping
 Teacher Expectations
 The Curriculum

8. Hidden Curriculum
 The concept that the hidden curriculum expresses
is the idea that schools do more than simply
transmit knowledge, as laid down in the official
curricula.
 School curricula include a socialization process
that teaches students to value the ideologies of the
dominant culture, while undermining their own
social and cultural backgrounds.

9. Deficit Thinking Model
 The Deficit Thinking Model, at its core,
posits that the student who fails in school
does so because of internal deficits or
deficiencies.
 Deficiencies in genetics, culture, class, and
familial socialization are all cited as the reasons
why low income people of color are incapable
of academic achievement and educational
attainment. (Valencia, 1997)

10. Deficit Framework Critical Frameworks
 Individual Deficiencies  Critical Race Theory (CRT)
 Latina/o Critical Race Theory
 Family Deficiencies (LatCrit)
 Experiential knowledge of
 Peer Deficiencies People of Color
 Ex: Counterstories
 Community Deficiencies  Commitment to social justice
 Majoritarian Story
Dropouts Pushouts

11. Counterstories
 Challenge the dominant culture’s view of
the Life experiences shared by students of
color.
 Experiential knowledge that frames students
of color possess as “Holders and Creators of
Knowledge”
 Indigenous oral traditions of storytelling

12. Our Counterstories
 Personal background
 Educational and life experiences which led to
College
 The struggles of being a college student
 Retention strategies and techniques that
successfully acquire our BA/MA degrees
 What we are going to do with our education in the
future

13. Motivation and Sense of Purpose
 The lives of Students of Color are experiential
knowledge
Ex: Sharing our critical self reflections
 Acquiring a college degree involved making
decisions that involved leadership, dedication, and
goal setting.
 Dreams for ourselves, family, and community
 Socio/political Consciousness

14. Indigenous Learning Model
 His/Herstory
 Consciousness
 Collective Will
 Regeneration

15. “Tree of Life”
Activity
 Branches are the goals
 Root is where you come from or the source of
your motivation (foundation)
 Trunk is your strength
 Hole is your difficulties
 Bark is your protection

16. S.M.A.R.T Goals
 Specific
 Measurable
 Action-Orientated
 Realistic
 Time Constrained
 Goals

17. “I am from…”
 You may begin by writing on these themes:
 Childhood possessions
 Foods
 Childhood memories
 Music
 Your neighborhood (scenery, people, description)
 Family memories
 Cultural heritage and/or social background
 Sayings, stories, jokes
 Beliefs, values, spirituality
 Your personality

18. Final Reflections…
 College Retention programs
EOP
Puente
Stem
 SMART Goals
 Counterstories are a tool for knowledge self
 Student voices & feedback
 Q&A

19. Thanks…
 Profesora Gomez
 MC students
 Our Communities