header_fwtitle ) { $css_title .= 'font-weight:' . esc_attr( $pheader_fwtitle ) . ';'; } if ( $pheader_title_color ) { $css_title .= 'color:' . esc_attr( $pheader_title_color ) . ';'; } if ( $css_title ) { echo '.penci-page-header-wrap .penci-page-header-title {' . $css_title . '}'; } if ( $pheader_line_color ) { echo '.penci-page-header-wrap .penci-page-header-title:before{ border-color: ' . esc_attr( $pheader_line_color ) . '; opacity: 1; }'; } if ( $pheader_bread_fsize ) { echo '.penci-page-header-wrap .container.penci-breadcrumb span, .penci-page-header-wrap .container.penci-breadcrumb a, .penci-page-header-wrap .container.penci-breadcrumb i{ font-size:' . esc_attr( $pheader_bread_fsize ) . 'px; }'; } if ( $pheader_bread_color ) { echo '.penci-page-header-wrap .container.penci-breadcrumb span, .penci-page-header-wrap .container.penci-breadcrumb a,.penci-page-header-wrap .container.penci-breadcrumb i{ color:' . esc_attr( $pheader_bread_color ) . '; }'; } if ( $pheader_bread_hcolor ) { echo '.penci-page-header-wrap .container.penci-breadcrumb a:hover{ color:' . $pheader_bread_hcolor . '; }'; } if ( $pheader_bgimg ) { echo '.penci-page-header-wrap{ background-image: url(' . esc_attr( $pheader_bgimg ) . '); }'; } if ( $pheader_bgcolor ) { echo '.penci-page-header-wrap{ background-color:' . esc_attr( $pheader_bgcolor ) . '; }'; } } endif; Thelma Ramsey Archives - The Village Green https://villagegreennj.com/tag/thelma-ramsey/ of Maplewood and South Orange Thu, 19 Oct 2017 20:50:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.4 https://villagegreennj.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/vg-fav-1.png Thelma Ramsey Archives - The Village Green https://villagegreennj.com/tag/thelma-ramsey/ 32 32 In South Orange-Maplewood, Leveling Inequality Persists for Black Students, Report Says https://villagegreennj.com/schools-kids/in-south-orange-maplewood-leveling-inequality-persists-for-black-students/ Wed, 18 Oct 2017 02:30:22 +0000 https://villagegreennj.com/?p=46301

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]]> Maplewood’s Thelma Ramsey Gets a Surprise on Dr. Oz Show https://villagegreennj.com/arts/maplewoods-thelma-ramsey-gets-surprise-dr-oz-show/ Sat, 17 Oct 2015 15:25:05 +0000 http://villagegreennj.com/?p=19092

  On October 7, the Dr. Oz show aired a segment featuring Morris Chestnut…

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Thelma Ramsey, Morris Chestnut and Dr. Oz

Thelma Ramsey, Morris Chestnut and Dr. Oz

On October 7, the Dr. Oz show aired a segment featuring Morris Chestnut — the handsome actor who first achieved fame for Boyz in the Hood — and Maplewood mom Thelma Ramsey.

The segment was set up by Ramsey’s manager and friend Kimberly Singleton. By day Ramsey is an education consultant and licensed speech pathologist (she currently is the principal of Sage Educational Consultants which currently has a contract with the South Orange-Maplewood School District), but, in years past, Ramsey worked as a standup comedian.

“My manager and friend Kimberly Singleton called me and said the Dr. Oz show was looking for someone who was a huge Morris Chesnut fan to participate in this quick game and the winner would win tickets to a screening of his new movie,” said Ramsey. “So they called and asked me was I a fan. I am a fan and I have been a fan since he was in Boyz in the Hood. ”

Thelma Ramsey audits Morris Chestnut's abs as Dr. Oz stands by.

Thelma Ramsey audits Morris Chestnut’s abs as Dr. Oz stands by.

In truth, Ramsey was selected as a bit of a reward for being a super fan: “They asked about my background. I told them I worked with special needs students but I am also a licensed speech pathologist. I worked with children with autism and preemies (when I worked in the hospital) and I feel that working with children is my passion. My other passions are my hobbies (i.e., I DJ and I do comedy). I also told them that this was a rough summer for me because I lost my mother. I am also a single mother. So all of those things, I guess, was an interesting story.”

The show was centered on “60 Second Life Hacks” and featured segments on organization and cooking. Morris Chestnut’s segment was a 60-second workout. Ramsey got to work out with Chestnut — and “audit” his abs.

How was that?

“Being on the show was amazing! There are a lot of people involved in planning segments and planning a 40-42 minute show. Morris Chestnut was a very nice man, and very personable. There are times when you meet celebrities and they are a bit arrogant and standoffish, he was not like that at all.” About those abs: “Forget six pack, it was more like the grates on a radiator!”

Regarding her comedy career, Ramsey said, “I started doing standup in 1993 and I have performed at Stand Up NY, Dangerfields, Caroline’s and the Boston Comedy Club,” said Ramsey. “I used to perform with a group of minority female comics called ‘Sistas Doin’ Comedy’ in NYC and the tri-state area.” However, Ramsey said that she doesn’t perform regularly right now as she devotes herself to her educational work and her son Owen. Plus, “Comedy clubs aren’t great places for women either.”

While Ramsey isn’t doing much stage work lately, at least locals can catch her on Dr. Oz. Watch the clip here.

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]]> Consultant Documents Racial Disparities in SOMSD, BOE Asks ‘What’s Next?’ https://villagegreennj.com/schools-kids/consultant-documents-racial-disparities-somsd-board-ed-asks-whats-next/ Tue, 25 Aug 2015 17:10:42 +0000 http://villagegreennj.com/?p=16836

  South Orange-Maplewood schools see students of color underrepresented in higher-level classes, and overrepresented…

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South Orange-Maplewood schools see students of color underrepresented in higher-level classes, and overrepresented in disciplinary numbers.

Such were the preliminary findings from Sage Consultants, presented to the Board of Education on Monday night. Sage Consultant Thelma Ramsey further told the Board of Education that school personnel don’t mirror the school population in terms of race.

Read Ramsay’s full presentation here.

The Board of Education hired Sage Consultants in partial settlement of a discrimination case brought by the ACLU. The Monday report had been expected in July.

Board members reacted with dismay to the findings, but generally without surprise.  Madhu Pai said, “I understand this and these numbers are familiar.  What are our next steps?”

Ramsey suggested, among other strategies, that the district increase recruitment and retention efforts for staff members of color.  Board member Johanna Wright applauded this effort, and asked James Memoli, former Acting Superintendent, to describe previous years’ initiatives. He explained that the district holds a hiring fair and attends hiring fairs to see qualified candidates of color.

Ramsey also recommended a district “action plan” that would detail specific changes ahead. She also asked the district to better broadcast opportunities for AP and Honors courses. She suggested going into the community, “to churches, to the DeHart Center” to inform parents.

When pressed by Pai to discuss why the disparities exist, Ramsey replied that one reason students of color are underrepresented in upper-level classes is that “white parents are able to hire tutors” to support their children. She recommended considering ways to support other students who need similar one-on-one.

Discipline data suggest a very different experience for white students and students of color, with the latter suspended far more often. “We have to take that very seriously,” said Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad.

Ramsay noted that data was, at times, limited and gives an incomplete picture. Some data, she said, was at the central office, while other information is kept on file at schools.  She suggested that the district focus on efficient data collection in the coming year.

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]]> Consultant Questions District’s Commitment to Improving Communication https://villagegreennj.com/schools-kids/consultant-questions-districts-commitment-improving-communication/ Sun, 03 May 2015 23:54:15 +0000 http://villagegreennj.com/?p=11743

Communication has been a big topic of conversation lately within the South Orange –…

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Communication has been a big topic of conversation lately within the South Orange – Maplewood School District.

Several of the most recently elected Board of Education members ran on platforms that emphasized improving communication in the district, and the current board has extensively discussed its keen desire to strengthen communication with parents and community members.

Communication was cited by community members as a key issue in the superintendent search, with some mentioning “deep concerns” about the lack of communication within and from the district. The consultant hired in the search said communication was the number one issue he heard about from parents in various forums.

New Superintendent Dr. John Ramos has mentioned strong communication as one of his main goals. The Presidents’ Council recently wrote a letter to the board lauding Ramos’ emphasis on ensuring that all stakeholders are heard.

However, at last week’s Board of Education meeting, Thelma Ramsey, the consultant hired in February as part of a settlement agreement SOMSD is in with the US Dept. of Education Office of Civil Rights, told the board that she was “very concerned” by what she had seen so far.

In remarks made during the public comment portion, Ramsey said that “…in my findings so far…one of the biggest barriers to improving in all areas is effective communication and the dissemination of information.” She noted that it took over a month for the administration to approve a flyer for a public forum she and the district were co-hosting in April.

She said if the flyer had been approved and distributed sooner, more parents would have had the opportunity to attend the forum, titled “Developing a Roadmap to Equity, Access, and Excellence.” She also expressed disappointment that only three board members were in attendance.

“It gives the appearance the district is going through the motions and is not committed to making changes,” said Ramsey.

The district awarded a $78,500, three-year contract to SAGE Educational Consultants, headed by Ramsey, in February to help the district address the underrepresentation of African-American students in high level classes identified in the OCR complaint. Since then, Ramsey and her team have met with teachers, staff, students and parents, and are compiling and analyzing the data they collect. She will present her first official report to the board in May.

Board member Elizabeth Baker of the Policy and Monitoring Committee, which is working with SAGE, shared Ramsey’s concerns about the lack of adequate public notice for the forum but disputed some of her other characterizations, including the specifics behind the delay in the flyer.

“I want the community to feel there is going to be a dialogue with SAGE on how we can…communicate better,” said Baker, who attended the forum along with President Wayne Eastman and 2nd Vice President Johanna Wright. She said they gleaned a tremendous amount of important feedback from the event and were committed to continuing to solicit input.

Also at last Monday’s board meeting, former SOMS librarian Elissa Malespina questioned the board’s proposal to purchase a $19,000 communications software program. Malespina, who has consulted on communication with the board at its request (and for no remuneration) asked why the district would pay for a program when many solutions could be implemented for free.

The proposed program is a contact-management software system called, “Let’s Talk.” According to a district spokeswoman, the program:

  • Provides a portal for stakeholders to use to submit a question, complaint, request, suggestion, or any other comment for the administration or the Board;
  • Encourages input from a larger number of community members, including the often silent majority, to help the district plan and improve;
  • Integrates conversations and input about district issues through a wide variety of sources – such as email, phone calls, meetings, social media, and one-to-one conversations – and helps staff address concerns at the early stages;
  • Provides a systematic, effective way to respond to staff, parent and other stakeholder contacts, ensuring that every comment goes to the appropriate staff member(s) and tracking all responses to each comment, including timeliness;
  • Tracks all contacts in a way that provides summary information to help district staff monitor trending topics, address rumors, and identify and respond to emerging issues earlier in the process.

The board deferred the decision on whether to purchase the program to its May meeting.

 

 

 

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]]> Parents Ask for More Guidance, Communication at Excellence & Equity Forum https://villagegreennj.com/schools-kids/parents-ask-guidance-communication-excellence-equity-forum/ Mon, 20 Apr 2015 04:45:59 +0000 http://villagegreennj.com/?p=11348

  “These are all things we can do,” said consultant Thelma Ramsey, to a…

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“These are all things we can do,” said consultant Thelma Ramsey, to a group of more than 50 parents who worked together to offer goals for closing the achieve gap in the South Orange-Maplewood School District on Thursday night, April 16.

The district and Sage Educational Consultants hosted the community forum, titled “Developing a Roadmap to Equity, Access, and Excellence,” in the cafeteria at Columbia High School.

The forum was led by Ramsey, who firm was hired by the Board of Education as part of a settlement with the Office of Civil Rights for a complaint alleging discrimination in the placement of students in Advance Placement (AP) classes at Columbia High School. Ramsey took the audience through some of the district’s own numbers outlining the disparities (see the video above).

Among the disparities documented, Ramsey discussed information from the district showing that 42% of white students and 9% of African-American students took one or more AP courses in 2011/12; 45% of white students and 11% of African-American students took one or more AP classes in 2012/13; and 47% of white students and 13% of African-American students took one or more AP classes in 2013/14. (Ramsey noted that CHS Principal Elizabeth Aaron reports an increase of 20% for African-American students taking AP classes this year.)

Ramsey explained that the forum would be the first of several as well as other research and outreach by her severn-person team, including a survey, that would take place over the three years of the consultants’ contract.

After taking the audience through the numbers. Ramsey quickly moved to break parents into groups so that they could brainstorm and offer goals that they would like to see the district achieve with regard to closing the achievement gap.

The tables worked diligently and productively — some groups engaged in animated conversation with one table breaking into frequent laughter.

When the work was finished, a “reporter” from each table presented potential goals. Those goals included, among others:

  • Getting students involved and parents involved at the middle school level, meaning that the district should start talking to students and parents early about the college process.
  • Reaching students in the 9th grade and having a strategic plan for the four years of high school; this would entail having a guidance counselor sit down with parents and students in 9th grade to create a four-year plan so they know what classes they will need to take to achieve their goals.
  • Creating a parent handbook and/or parent survival guide to make parents aware of all the tools available to them. The guide would have sections on an interactive road map to get kids to graduation.
  • Holding classes for the parents on how to interact with guidance or administration.
  • Creating a student survival guide so that the students can be responsible for their own education.

Parents also wrote on sticky notes what they’d like to see happen or be addressed at the next forum.

Response to the forum was largely positive. One parent said she was “confident” that the district would make progress. Another said, “My takeaway — very engaged parents who came up with doable goals.” Said another, “This was a really great kickoff to tackling issues of closing the achievement gap and building community.” Finally another parent said, “It’s just a matter of doing it. The dialogue is happening. Now we have to have some action.”

One parent who has lived in the towns for 30 years and seen a number of efforts to discuss and combat the achievement gap was also hopeful. He said, “I believe this is going to work. I’m not giving up.”

Take the Sage Educational Consultants’ survey here.

Hear an audio broadcast of the entire forum by Anselm LeBourne below or at SOMORE.org.

Click on any photo below to see a slideshow of images from the forum.

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]]> SOM Educational Consultant Hosts Equity & Excellence Forum April 16 https://villagegreennj.com/schools-kids/som-educational-consultant-hosts-equity-excellence-forum-april-16/ Thu, 09 Apr 2015 17:59:25 +0000 http://villagegreennj.com/?p=11171

The South Orange – Maplewood School District and Sage Educational Consultants will be hosting a…

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The South Orange – Maplewood School District and Sage Educational Consultants will be hosting a community forum at Columbia High School on Thursday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria.

The forum, entitled “Developing a Roadmap to Equity, Access, and Excellence,” will be led by Thelma Ramsey of Sage, who was hired by the Board of Education as the consultant for the Office of Civil Rights complaint filed with the district.

The forum is open to the public but is primarily for African-American parents of middle and high school students to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the district’s Advanced Placement (AP) program, and opportunities the district has to improve access and equity to students of color.

For more information, email Ramsey at teeramz@aol.com.

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