Yesterday I spoke at the PNSC welcome back event to introduce the launch of SEAN in our community. Here’s an overview of my remarks.
    SEAN is a new grassroots student organization dedicated to promoting college readiness for all and closing the achievement gap in our community.
    SEAN plans to collaborate with our BSU and the local NAACP. We are also focused on spreading awareness throughout the community, through this blog, our website, through public advocacy, as well as performing outreach to other minority students and families.
    SEAN is an impact organization, and here’s what we will be focusing on this year:
    First, SEAN will lobby to change the high school graduation requirements so they match what it takes to get into college.  Many people are held back by outdated graduation requirements that don’t prepare them for college, in English, math and foreign language.
    Second, SEAN will work with students on their college plans, with a focus on the freshman class, and reaching back to 8th graders for next year.  And we will help people to execute on their plan.  Many don’t know how to go about this, while others in our community hire expensive consultants.  We will work on this with the school guidance department so college planning is a reality for all of us.
    Third, SEAN will work on math achievement.  According to the statistics, many don’t get very far in algebra, and algebra is today’s civil rights issue. To address this we are promoting a program known as Stanford EPGY. EPGY stands for Education Program for Gifted Youth.  It is an accelerated learning program that offers math courses from levels of kindergarten math to college level math courses, but also has other courses available, including English, physics, music, and computer science at the high school and college levels.
    So that’s what SEAN is all about – students working on equity in education, graduation requirements aimed at college, and college readiness college planning, and algebra for all.