Episode 126: Revamping Higher Ed

In this episode, Dr. Almitra Berry discusses her vision for redesigning higher education to prioritize equity and address the critical educator shortage crisis. She outlines key focus areas such as ensuring equal access and outcomes, implementing culturally responsive curricula, dismantling systemic racism, and reforming funding and resource allocation models. Dr. Berry also emphasizes the importance of leveraging technology, strengthening community partnerships, and engaging in policy advocacy to create a more just and equitable higher education system that serves all students.

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Transcript

Unknown: 0:00

If you're a parent, teacher or school leader and you're sick and tired of the frustration, anger and unfair treatment of children at high risk in our public schools, then perhaps it's time for all of us to do something about it. In this podcast, Dr amitra Berry brings you tips, tools, strategies and tactics to build successful solutions while touching, moving and inspiring all of us to transform our schools so that every child thrives. Here's your host, Dr Bay,

Dr Almitra Berry: 0:37

welcome back equity wars. You have tuned in to another episode of the three podcast, and I thank you for being here. Big shout out, as always, to our new members on the Patreon channel. You can join us there too, and no matter how you're tuning in, make sure you smash that subscribe button and share your subscriptions. Help grow this channel and spread our message of educational equity to an international audience. Today, I want to talk about a question or answer a question that was asked by a follower on Tiktok again. I love your questions. Let me know what you want to hear about. This listener asked if I was leading the charge in redesigning higher education, what would be the my focus, given current legislation, well, given where we are right now, and I wanted to wait until after the election before I answered this question. It's it's challenging. I'll just say that. So my response today isn't just a thought experience or thought experiment, my friends, I've not had my coffee yet today. It's a crucial conversation that we need to have, especially as we face changes, potential changes in this political landscape that can significantly impact our education system. Now, if you did not listen to the episodes I did on Project 2025 go back and check those out, because this is what we're facing. But higher ed, let's start here. The educator future shortage crisis in our nation is it's a crisis. It is affecting both our K 12 schools and higher education. So in K 12, we're looking at a shortage of about 55,000 vacant teaching positions nationwide. If you figure every teacher has 25 to 30 kids, you do the math, 55,000 vacant teaching positions nationwide, and an additional 270,000 270, a quarter of a million, more than a quarter of a million teaching posts that are filled by under qualified educators. Higher education isn't faring much better with a growing shortage of qualified faculty across disciplines. The American Association of University Professors reports that over 70% of instructional positions in higher education are now off the tenure track, often filled with adjunct faculty with limited job security and limited resources. Now there's nothing wrong with being an adjunct, but you're paid less, you have little little security, you may have no benefits and you have fewer resources. The root causes for this are multifaceted, low pay, lack of resources, increasingly stressful work environments. These things are driving educators away and deterring new talent from entering the field at all levels. In fact, there's a recent survey done that found only 18% of Americans would encourage young people to become k 12 teachers and the pipeline for future professors is similarly strained. Now this crisis isn't unique to the United States. Globally, UNESCO reports that 44 million additional teachers are needed by 2030 that's just five years down the road, folks, 44 million additional teachers are needed to achieve universal primary and secondary education. The situation in American schools and colleges is particularly concerning, not just because I am an American, it's concerning as it it's impacting our students ability to learn every day, reducing individualized attention and creating instructional disruptions as we re imagine higher education, we have to address this critical sort of shortage of teachers, qualified educators across the entire educational spectrum, recognizing that challenges in K 12 directly impact the pipeline of students entering higher ed. Number of students entering higher ed is going to impact the number of educators we have coming out on the other side of that affects the quality of instruction and research, not just research and education, but research that shapes our future. Educators and our future leaders. So for all of you listening, especially those of you who are educators in K 12 and higher ed, understanding the future of higher education is vital because it directly affects how we prepare our students for their next steps. If you're a parent or an advocate or a board member, your voice is in shaping this future is invaluable. The decisions that are made in higher education today will ripple through our entire educational ecosystem. If we don't have the professors in higher ed, we will not have them educating teachers qualified to serve in our classrooms. If we don't have teachers qualified to serve in our classrooms, we will have poor instructional outcomes for the children that we have. You see that cycle that just goes on affecting generations to come. So as I have my thought experiment, I'm not thinking just about minor tweaks here and there, I envision a complete redesign that would put equity at the forefront ensuring that every single child, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to thrive in Higher Education if that is their choice, their choice. Redesign is especially critical as we face the challenges, as I've mentioned from Project 2025, and what this Trump administration will do to education, not for it, but to it over the next four years, and the possibility of a future administration that may not prioritize the needs of a marginalized communities we already know. We already know that the incoming Trump administration does not prioritize the needs of marginalized communities and will do nothing but marginalize them even further. So I'd like to imagine that I have a magic wand. If I had a magic wand, what would I do? How would I reshape higher ed to be more inclusive, more equitable and responsive to the needs of all students? Let's think about it. If I had that magic wand to redesign higher ed, here's what I would do, first again, equity at the forefront. First and foremost, I would wave that wand to make equity the bedrock of our entire higher ed system. Now here's what that would look like. One there would be equal access and equal outcomes with a wave of my wand, we'd make sure that every single student, regardless of race, socioeconomic status or their background, has equal access to quality education and the support that they need to succeed. I'd implement targeted programs for the for first generation college students, for students of color and those from low income backgrounds, no more provision gaps. No more provision gaps. Every single child, well, young adult entering college would have the resources they need to thrive, and I think about that one, especially as I have a grandson who's now actually chosen his number one, made his number one choice for college, but it's just getting into and you know, midway through his junior year now of high school, getting ready to get those applications in, I know what he faces, and he's got like me and a family that's, that's that's got the background to support him, but I think about those kids who don't. So my number one, equal access and outcomes. Number two, culturally responsive curricula, another wave of my wand, right? And our course content and our teaching methods would reflect the diverse experiences and perspectives of our student body. This isn't just about adding a few multicultural texts to a syllabus. It's not adding a single course or making a course available in multiculturalism. I'm talking about fundamentally rethinking how we teach and what we teach to make sure that every single student sees themselves represented in their education, culturally responsive curricula. The third thing would be dismantling systemic racism. Yeah, I saved the heavy list heavy lift for the last here in this section. So again, this would be a major swish of my magic wand, but this would take every ounce of energy I have and actively work to dismantle systemic racism in our institution. Positions, I'd implement anti racist policies, promote diversity and faculty hiring and leadership positions and create truly inclusive campus environments where every single student feels valued and supported. All right, that's my first big section, equity as a foundation. Three Waves of the one, equal access and outcomes, culturally responsive curricula and dismantling systemic racism. Second, sort of big bucket would be about funding and resource allocation. So point my little wand or my big wand at our funding models. Here's what would change. First equitable funding like poof, we'd have equitable funding models that prioritize support for underserved communities, no more relying solely on property taxes or outdated formulas that perpetuate inequity in K 12, because that is what fuels or what supports or does not support who goes on to higher education? Okay, so we've gotta to fix what's happening in higher ed. You also have to fix what's happening down in K 12 second wave, robust financial aid. You know, frankly, I think that college should be free for every child that is deserving to go. We're one of the few countries where where secondary education is not available, more widely, not secondary higher education. So again, wave my wand right. Create a comprehensive scholarship program and financial aid opportunities for students who are from underserved communities. No more crushing student debt, that is just like another form of slavery. You finally get out of school, but you have so much debt that you are working just to pay off your student loans. And if I go back to the teacher shortage, because teachers are so low paid that for them to have student debt that is not 100% forgiven after they teach for one year. It's just ridiculous. So again, it's not just about what's happening in the schools, it's it's all of the politics and policies that surround it, but getting that financial aid and a way for people who have the the desire and the the the the the drive to thrive in college should not be held back. They should not be held back because of crushing financial debt. Okay, third one here is student support, another sort of little flick of the wand, and we would invest in support services that address the holistic needs of students in higher ed, mental health services, food security, housing assistance, because we know that students cannot focus on learning when their basic needs are met. And while for me, yeah, I can look back at college, and I think about those days where my roommate and I would be sitting under a blanket together because we couldn't afford to turn on the heat, where we had to ride our bicycles to the grocery stores because we didn't have cars. We were riding our bikes to the laundromat because we have a washer and dryer, the things that we went through, yeah, driving, not driving, riding our bikes across town, because this one grocery store had macaroni and cheese on sale, five boxes for $1 right? So, yeah, I can look back at that now and laugh, but it certainly didn't help my GPA while I was in college, so having holistic support systems is key, all right. Third big bucket, curriculum reform, waving my wand over curriculum number one, we need diverse perspectives, so I would make sure that our curriculum incorporates diverse perspectives and experiences across all disciplines, no more one size fits all. Western centric education. Forget that second, critical thinking and social justice. And again, given the incoming administration, social justice is something that we need more than ever, and what I fear will be quashed more than ever before, and in ways that, frankly, scare the hell out of me, but I would emphasize critical Thinking and social justice education to prepare our students to be engaged citizens in a diverse world, engaged so that they understand the implications of a vote, the implications of not being educated about what's on their ballots and more. But that right now is just. Weighing heavy on me. And then third, it's about academic freedom. Another wave of my wine and I would protect academic freedom and make sure that any attempts to censor or ban books or academic materials that challenge the status quo just could not ever happen again. Another major fear, weighing heavy on me, right now, all right, my third, fourth big bucket. Mine for I think I'm on my fourth big bucket technology. Let's talk about technology and accessibility, aiming my wand in another direction now, digital equity number one, so wave that one ensure equitable access to technology and internet resources for every single student bridging a digital divide. Number two would be flexible learning. Now we have come a long way. There. We have digital learning. We have online we have complete online universities, right? But there we still we need more or better wave that one develop flexible learning options that include more online and hybrid models to accommodate a diverse the needs of or diverse needs of many students, all our students. And then third would be tech support, because if you've got that digital equity, if you've got flexible learning, you have to have comprehensive technology resources and training to make sure that all students can fully participate in their education that is so rooted in digital environments. And then next big bucket, community engagement and partnerships beyond the campus borders, develop some community connections, fostering stronger connections between the institutions of higher education and the communities that surround them in the communities that they serve. Number two would be lifelong learning, creating pathways for non traditional students and lifelong learners to access higher education. And then the final switch in this area, developing equitable internship and job placement programs, making sure that all students have access to career opportunities. One more big bucket would be policy advocacy and resistance. I would use my magic wand to strengthen our advocacy efforts, building coalitions that are powerful, coalitions with other educational institutions and advocacy groups to present a united front against harmful policies like the ones that I'm sure we're about to face. What about student and faculty engagement? Engaging Students and faculty and grassroots activism and policy making processes, higher ed should be an incubator for activism and understanding the policy world that our students are living in, that we all are living in. And then a final flick would be about developing clear communication strategies to educate the public, public education, educating the public about the importance of educational equity and the potential impacts of proposed policy changes. Universities as incubators, remember equity warriors. This redesign isn't just about making higher education better, it's about creating a more just and equitable society. By focusing on these key areas, we can build a higher education system that truly serves all students and prepares them to be engaged critical thinkers in our diverse world. Now I know I don't have a magic wand. None of us do, but that doesn't mean that we're powerless. So here are three things that you can do right now to start making a difference. Number one, wherever you are and whatever you do, continue to advocate for inclusive curricula, push for curriculum that reflects diverse perspectives and experiences, recommend diverse text, invite guest speakers from underrepresented groups, or create assignments that encourage your students to explore diverse viewpoints. You can do that in higher ed. You can do that in K 12 right now. Number two, you can start building community partnerships. Reach out to local organizations, businesses and community leaders to create those internship programs, mentorship opportunities or guest lecture series. These partnerships can provide valuable, real world experiences for students in higher ed and help bridge that gap between academia and the community. And then, number three, engage in policy discussions, stay informed about local and national education policies. Yes, attend school board members meetings. Attend school board meetings, speak to school board members, write to your representatives and participate in public forums. Your voice matters in shaping the future of education equity warriors, there has never been a more critical junction in our world, the time for action is now again. I may not have a magic wand, but we all have something even more powerful, and that is our collective voice and determination. So I want to challenge each of you to take at least one concrete step this week towards creating more equitable education system, maybe that's having a conversation with a colleague about inclusive teaching practices, or reaching out to a local organization about potential partnerships, or maybe just sharing this podcast and giving them food for thought. And don't forget to share your experiences and ideas with our community, engage with me on social media, share your successes, your challenges and your questions. Together, we can create a powerful network of educators and advocates working toward a common goal. So if you're passionate about this topic and want to dive deeper, I invite you to subscribe to my Patreon channel@patreon.com forward slash 3e podcasts, and becoming a patron, you'll get access to additional content, extended discussions and a community of like minded equity warriors. Your support will help us continue these crucial conversations and expand our reach. Remember, change starts at the local level. Get involved in your community, attend those school board meetings, join your parent teacher associations, or volunteer at local education nonprofits. Your involvement can make a real difference, and let's keep this conversation going. Share your thoughts on redesigning higher education. What would you do if you had my imaginary magic wand, what challenges do you see in your local context? By sharing our ideas and experiences, we can inspire and learn from one another, creating a ripple effect, a positive change in our education system. And then join me again next episode, unlike my Tiktok viewer who asked this question, if you've got one text, it to me. DM me. Look in the notes below for the link. I want to hear your stories. And remember, don't worry about the things you cannot change. Change the things you can no longer accept. And that's a wrap for today's episode of The 3d podcast. Now here's how you can make a real difference. First, smash that subscribe button. It's free. It's easy, just do it. Second, share the show with anyone you know who cares about education. And third, consider becoming a supporter of the show. Together, we're not just talking about change, we're making it happen. Make a donation today to be part of that mission and change, and I'll catch you next time.