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Period: to
Personal Prehistory
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Father born in Piestany, Czecho-Slovakia
My father is an immigrant to the USA. This is significant for my educational background, since I was brought up in a strict, no-nonsense atmosphere, with emphasis on achievement and hard work. -
FDR inaugurated as president of the USA
FDR represented help for the working man at the height of teh Great Depression, teh greatest economic crisis in modern world history. His programs also assisted many African-Americans and migrated many of them to the Northern US for industrial jobs. -
Height of the Great Depression
This tragedy did not just affect the USA, but was a world-wide phenomenon. In Europe, my father's family was large and lower middle-class due to the fact that my grandfather was a construction laborer. -
World War II begins in Europe
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Mother born in Cleveland, Ohio
My mother was born in the USA into a middle-class family that was very religious. But being born during the war made her upbringing frugal and industrious. -
Japanese Empire attacks Pearl Harbor; USA enters World War II
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GI Bill of Rights passed
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VJ Day: End of US involvement in World War II
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Mendez et.al. v. Westminster School District
Mexican-American school segregation illegal in California. -
Truman "Containment" Doctrine solidifies the Cold War
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Czecho-Slovakia falls under communist domination
This series of events would mean that my father would be drafted into a communist military force as soon as he turned 18, which would be in September. -
Alger Hiss convicted by House Committee on Un-American Activities
He was convicted of being a communist agent by the House Committee spurred on by then Congressman Richard Nixon. -
Father graduates from Piestany Gymnasium
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Father escapes to POW camp in US occupied West Germany
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Father emmigrates to Canada
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Senator McCarthy attacks "communists" in the US armed forces
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Brown v. Board of Education ends school segregation
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"Little Rock 9" integrate Arkansas high school
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Civil Rights Act under President Eisenhower
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Father moves to USA and Cleveland, Ohio
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Mother graduates from St. Procop High School in Cleveland
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MoTown Record Corporation founded
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March on Washington (MLK)
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JFK assassinated in Dallas, Texas
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Parents married in Cleveland, Ohio
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LBJ declares "War on Poverty"
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Civil Rights Act under President Johnson
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Michael is born in Cleveland
I am the eldest of 4 children. -
Period: to
Current Personal History
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Malcolm X assassinated
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Voting Rights Act under President Johnson
These two legislative milestones made clear the gains of the Civil Rights movement a full 100 years after these guarantees in the XIII-XV Amendments to the Constitution. -
Prague Spring begins in Czecho-Slovakia
With this "relaxation" in communist policies, under Alexander Dubchek, my father would be able to visit his family for the first time since his escape (July). -
Martin Luther King, Jr. assassinated in Memphis, TN
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RFK assassinated in Los Angeles, CA
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Bilingual Education Act passed
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Bilingual Education Act passed
This legislation includes Title VII as a benfit for multicultural education. -
Prague Spring ends with USSR invasion of Czechoslovakia
My father would not be permitted back into the country until the fall of communism in 1989. -
First Lunar Landing (Apollo 11)
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Enter Kindergarten at age 5
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Family moves from Cleveland's east side to the suburbs (Seven Hills/Parma)
I was placed in a new school with a very different atmosphere that I enjoyed. I remember that my reaction to the move was very positive. I felt more free and open as a result. -
Ivan Illich: DeSchooling Society published
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Piaget publishes The Science of Education and the Learning Cycle Model
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Enter first grade at St. Columbkille grade school in Parma
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Made First Holy Communion through grade school instruction
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Title IX of the Higher Education Act passes
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1972 Presidential Election
During the campaign of 1972, we had an assignment in social studies to choose a winner and explain why. It was the first time I paid any attention to an election and I remember predicting Nixon would win. It sparked an interest in politics. -
LBJ funeral seen in school on TV
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US Supreme Court decision Lau v. Nichols
Failure to provide English Language instruction to immigrants of Chinese ancestry is forbidden. -
Began private piano lessons
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Equal Education Opportunities Act passed
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Resignation of President Richard Nixon
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End of Vietnam War
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Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act passed
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Public Law 94-142 passed: Education for all Handicapped Children
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Began paper delivery route; ddi this through 1980.
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Washington DC trip with 8th grade classmates begins
A great trip that only heightened my fascination with history and politics. -
Graduation from 8th grade and St. Columbkille grade school.
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Began cello lessons for the high school orchestra
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Began studies at Padua Franciscan High School
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Pope John Paul II elected
It was amazing for me to follow the events of the previous pope's death, teh 30-day pontificate of John Paul I and the election of the first Polish pope in history. -
First service project to help the underprivileged
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Became employed by Rini-Rego Supermarkets, Inc.; joined the union.
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First foray on the east side of Cleveland and Shaker Heights for academic sessions
I was a member of the social studies club, and I remember how confused we were with this side of town. The disparity of wealth from Shaker Heights and East Cleveland made an impression on those in the group. -
Graduation from Padua Franciscan High School
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Plyer v. Doe: cannot deny public education for undocumented school children
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Frist day of classes at JCU
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Enter the Benedictine Order of Cleveland
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Emergency Immigrant Education Program passes
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Profess first vows as a Benedictine monk
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Resume studies at JCU
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My first multi-cultural education class begins at JCU
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Graduation from JCU (BA)
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Begin student teaching at Benedictine High School
This experience was to open my eyes to the many education needs of our young men, espcially the African-Americans. I had to learn that many of them learn differently and I had to sensitize myself to the cultural differences and issues that existed. -
Profess final vows (life committment) with teh Benedictines
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Begin seminary studies at St. John's University (MN)
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Teach for America Program Begins
Recent college grads give a 2-year committment to teach in urban and rural public schools; plan to eliminate inequality. -
IDEA passed: PL 101-476
Individuals with Disabilities Act -
Graduate from St. John's; Ordination to the Priesthood
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First faculty meeting as a full-time teacher
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Become moderator of the student council
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Reform of Title I under President Clinton; IASA passed
Funding to help lower and eliminate the achievement gap between whites and minorities. -
Publication of J.Banks (ed) Multicultural Education, Transformative Knowledge and Action
This was the first major anthology of authors on the topic of multicultural education. -
Ebonics Controversy
The Oakland Board of Education hears cases and decides on respect for Ebonics in the classroom. -
Appointed chair of the Social Studies Department
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No Child Left Behind signed into law
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Higher Education Act amended for NCLB
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NACOL launched online
Developed to help establish a "level playing field" especially for minorities in education. -
HR 1350 Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act
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Parents involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No 1 and Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education,
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that race cannot be a factor in assigning students to high schools, thus rejecting integration plans in Seattle and Louisville, and possibly affecting similar plans in school districts around the nation. -
Named Dean of Academics at Benedictine
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Begin duties as Academic Dean
The experiences that I have had as a teacher and department chair prepared me well to deal with a diverse faculty and student population. -
Begin MEd studies at JCU