Have you heard? KBTC Public Television is bringing First Nations Experience (FNX) Network — the nation’s “first and only nationally-broadcast television network in the U.S. exclusively devoted to Native American and World Indigenous content — to western Washington airwaves! The new channel officially started broadcasting over KCKA Friday, Feb. 28, at noon on KBTC (Tacoma) 28.3 & KCKA (Centralia) 15.3.
This channel will not only bring native American content spanning current affairs to historical features, to native cooking, arts and culture highlights as well. Also of note: FNX has its own lineup of children’s programming, including animated series with native heroes and children’s early education programming, too. I’m looking forward to checking out “Rez Rides” and the “First Nations Comedy Experience.”
Most exciting about this new channel is that it’s public access! That means you’ll get the channel via antenna (without any subscription or TV service provider), cable and satellite (included free). Look for FNX in place of MHz Network (having recently left the public media sphere) in your on-screen guide.
I’m particularly excited for our local native groups to see specific representation in local and regional media. How exciting for Chehalis Tribal kids — and all of us and our children — to be able to tune into a greater window of indigenous content. Learn more at FNX.org.
‘No Small Matter’ Documentary
Did you have a chance to catch the “No Small Matter” documentary screening at the Chehalis Theater organized by Women United of Lewis County this last Wednesday? What an illuminating documentary underscoring the importance of early childhood education and the need for skilled childcare workers and educators — and the living-wage pay needed to support them in their mission.
The documentary illustrated how, without equitable access to early childhood education, even as early as kindergarten, many children are already years behind some of their peers academically. This opportunity gap translates into children who struggle to read, delays in communication, and extended time needed to master higher executive functioning.
While we do have some excellent programs in Lewis County, like county-wide Lewis County Head Start and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) at Centralia College, it often isn’t enough. Ask any parent who has struggled to find a seat for their child in a preschool classroom locally — many parents sit for months, if not years, on class waitlists — especially if they don’t specifically qualify for the highest level of need for assistance.
If we truly want to be among the strongest communities, it is incumbent upon all of us community members to advocate for greater, wider and more equitable access to early childhood education in our own counties and states — both programs and pay for pre-elementary school educators.
Keep tabs on future Women United events over at WomenUnitedLC.com and via the Women United Facebook page.
PTA: Equitable Identification of HiCap
Speaking of education in public schools, I learned something new this past October at the Washington State PTA Legislative Assembly. Washington State PTA is finding that not all opportunities are created equal — or equitable — when it comes to accessing “HiCap” (aka: “Highly Capable”) programs in public schools.
In looking at statistics, PTA members realized that students of color, lower-income levels, and with disabilities were often represented at much lower rates than their other peer groups when it came to qualifying for HiCap. In schools where more equitable screening was established, some peer group representation in various categories increased by a third.
How does HiCap become inequitable? Well, lots of different ways. Sometimes, instead of testing every student across the board, schools will create a system where a teacher referral is required. Students of color, with disabilities, or those from a lower-income bracket are simply not as likely to be referred — unconscious bias.
In other cases, schools will set up systems where HiCap testing happens only outside of school hours, even on weekends. Some students simply cannot get to school outside of regular school hours to be tested due to transportation constraints. Some schools require a minimum GPA or the like that precludes certain students who would otherwise qualify.
These are issues that you’ll continue to hear about in the coming legislative biennium as WSPTA advocates for greater and stronger education policies at the state level, specifically pertaining to equitable access to highly-capable programs. Keep an eye on the conversation for our local schools and, if your school doesn’t have a formal PTA (or informal PTO), ask your school district what they are doing to ensure equitable access to HiCap and other enrichment-type programs within your district.
You can read more about this and Washington State Parent Teacher Association platforms over at WAStatePTA.org.
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Brittany Voie is a columnist for The Chronicle. She lives south of Chehalis with her husband and two young sons. She welcomes correspondence from the community at voiedevelopment@comcast.net.
