ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Pearl Arredondo - Teacher
Pearl Arredondo helped establish a pilot middle school that teaches students to be good communicators in the 21st century.

Why you should listen

Pearl Arredondo grew up in the impoverished East Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights. She was raised by a single-mother, a long time Los Angeles Unified School District office secretary, who saw firsthand the challenges facing students in public schools. To ensure that she got the best education in the district, Arredondo was bussed to schools almost an hour away from home.

Arredondo graduated and moved on to Pepperdine University, where she received both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Education and Instructional Leadership. She was the first in her family to graduate from college and began her teaching career at San Fernando Middle School (SFMS) -- the very middle school she attended eight years prior.

At SFMS, she embraced the mission of enhancing educational opportunities for historically underserved students. To do so, she launched the school’s Multimedia Academy, which serviced 350 low-income students. After three successful years, the Multimedia Academy faculty decided it was time to make a full split and become a separate school. In 2010, she helped lead an ambitious reform agenda, through a pilot reform model, that focused on technology development, improving outcomes for children and strengthening families. The team founded San Fernando Institute for Applied Media (SFiAM), the first pilot school established in the Los Angeles Unified School District at the middle school level.

Arredondo is passionate about increasing student access to technology and closing the digital divide, and is a tireless advocate for technology-based curriculum that prepare students to enter a global economy. Her goal is to make SFiAM a model of educational reform.

Currently, Arredondo is pursuing a Master of Science in Educational Administration and is a 2013 National Board Certified Teacher candidate. She is also part of the 2013 Teach Plus Teaching Policy Fellowship and serves as the Vice President of SFiAM’s Governing Council. She is featured in the short documentary film TEACHED Vol.1: “The Blame Game,” and is a role model for young Latinas seeking to make a difference in their communities.

More profile about the speaker
Pearl Arredondo | Speaker | TED.com
TED Talks Education

Pearl Arredondo: My story, from gangland daughter to star teacher

Perl Aredondo (Pearl Arredondo): Moja priča, od ćerke lokalnog vođe bande do uspešne nastavnice

Filmed:
1,159,622 views

Perl Aredondo je odrasla u istočnom Los Anđelesu, kao ćerka visoko-rangiranog člana bande koji je stalno bio hapšen. Mnogi nastavnici su je otpisali jer je imala problem sa autoritetom. Sada, kao nastavnica, ona je osnovala drugačiju školu, i deli sa učenicima svoju priču kako bi znali da je u redu da ponekad domaći nije nešto što im je prvo na pameti.
- Teacher
Pearl Arredondo helped establish a pilot middle school that teaches students to be good communicators in the 21st century. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
So I grewрастао up in EastIstok LosLos AngelesAngelesu,
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Odrasla sam u istočnom Los Anđelesu,
00:16
not even realizingреализинг I was poorлоше.
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ni ne shvatajući da sam siromašna.
00:18
My dadтата was a high-rankingvisokih gangбанда memberчлан who ranтрчао the streetsулице.
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Moj otac je bio visoko rangirani član
bande koja je vladala ulicama.
00:22
EveryoneSvi knewзнала who I was,
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Svi su znali ko sam ja,
00:23
so I thought I was a prettyприлично bigвелики dealдоговор, and I was protectedzaštićeni,
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mislila sam da je to velika stvar.
Ja sam bila zaštićena.
00:27
and even thoughипак my dadтата spentпотрошено mostнајвише of my life
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Iako je moj otac proveo
veći deo mog života
00:29
in and out of jailзатвор,
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po raznim zatvorima,
00:31
I had an amazingНевероватно momмама who was just fiercelyžestoko independentнезависно.
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ja sam imala predivnu majku,
koja je bila žestoko nezavisna.
00:35
She workedрадио је at the localлокално highвисоко schoolшкола
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Ona je radila
u lokalnoj srednjoj školi,
00:37
as a secretaryсекретар in the dean'sDinov officeканцеларија,
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kao sekretarica
u direktorovoj kancelariji.
00:39
so she got to see all the kidsклинци that got thrownбачен out of classкласа,
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Bila je u prilici da vidi
svu decu koja su bila izbačena sa časa
00:42
for whateverшта год reasonразлог, who were waitingчекајући to be disciplinedдисциплинован.
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iz bilo kog razloga,
i koja su čekala disciplinsku kaznu.
00:45
Man, her officeканцеларија was packedупакован.
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Čoveče, njena kancelarija
je uvek bila prepuna.
00:48
So, see, kidsклинци like us, we have a lot of things to dealдоговор with
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Klinci kao ja, mi se suočavamo
sa raznim stvarima
00:52
outsideспоља of schoolшкола,
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van škole,
00:54
and sometimesпонекад we're just not readyспреман to focusфокусирати.
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i ponekad, mi jednostavno
nismo spremni da se koncentrišemo.
00:57
But that doesn't mean that we can't.
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To ne znači da ne možemo.
00:59
It just takes a little bitмало more.
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Samo nam treba više vremena.
01:01
Like, I rememberзапамтити one day I foundнашао my dadтата
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Sećam se jednog dana
kada sam pronašla oca
01:04
convulsingu konfuziji, foamingpena at the mouthуста,
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zgrčenog, sa penom na ustima,
01:07
OD-ingPredoziraju on the bathroomкупатило floorпод.
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predoziranog na pločicama u kupatilu.
01:09
Really, do you think that doing my homeworkдомаћи задатак that night
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Milsite da je moj domaći bio
01:11
was at the topврх of my priorityприоритет listлиста?
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na listi prioriteta te večeri?
01:14
Not so much.
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Ne baš.
01:15
But I really neededпотребно a supportподршка networkмрежа,
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Meni je zaista
bila potrebna podrška,
01:18
a groupгрупа of people who were going to help me
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grupa ljudi koji bi mi pomogli,
01:21
make sure that I wasn'tније going to be
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da ne postanem
01:23
a victimжртва of my ownвластити circumstanceokolnosti,
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žrtva mojih sopstvenih okolnosti.
01:26
that they were going to pushпусх me
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Oni bi me gurali
01:27
beyondизван what I even thought I could do.
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dalje od onoga što sam
čak i ja mislila da mogu.
01:30
I neededпотребно teachersнаставници, in the classroomучионица, everyсваки day,
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Meni su bili potrebni učitelji,
u učionici svakog dana,
01:33
who were going to say, "You can moveпотез beyondизван that."
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koji bi govorili:
"Ti možeš više od ovog".
01:37
And unfortunatelyнажалост, the localлокално juniorJunior highвисоко
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Nažalost, škola od petog
do osmog razreda
01:40
was not going to offerпонуда that.
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nije to nudila.
01:42
It was gang-infestedpreplavljen bandama, hugeогромно teacherнаставник turnoverpromet rateстопа.
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Bilo je dosta bandi u školi,
i nastavnici su se stalno menjali.
01:46
So my momмама said, "You're going on a busаутобус
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Moja majka je onda rekla:
"Ići ćeš autobusom u školu,
01:49
an hourсат and a halfпола away from where we liveживи everyсваки day."
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svaki dan, sat i po od naše kuće."
01:55
So for the nextследећи two yearsгодине, that's what I did.
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Naredne dve godine,
ja sam tako putovala svaki dan.
01:57
I tookузела a schoolшкола busаутобус to the fancyфанци sideстрана of townГрад.
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Išla sam autobusom
u skupi deo grada.
02:02
And eventuallyконачно, I endedзавршио up at a schoolшкола
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Završila sam u školi
02:04
where there was a mixtureмешавина.
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koja je bila mešovita,
02:06
There were some people who were really gang-affiliatedbanda povezanih sa,
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bilo je ljudi
koji su bili povezani sa bandama,
02:09
and then there were those of us
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i nas koji smo
02:10
really tryingпокушавајући to make it to highвисоко schoolшкола.
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želeli da pohađamo srednju školu.
02:12
Well, tryingпокушавајући to stayостани out of troubleневоље was a little unavoidablenezaobilazna.
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Bilo je nezaobilazno da se uvališ
u probleme tu i tamo.
02:16
You had to surviveпреживети.
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Morala sam da preživim.
02:17
You just had to do things sometimesпонекад.
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Morate nekad da uradite
neke stvari.
02:20
So there were a lot of teachersнаставници who were like,
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Bilo je dosta nastavnika,
koji su mislili:
02:22
"She's never going to make it.
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"Ona nikad neće uspeti.
02:24
She has an issueпитање with authorityУправа.
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Ima problem sa autoritetom.
02:25
She's not going to go anywhereбило где."
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Neće postići ništa."
02:27
Some teachersнаставници completelyу потпуности wroteнаписао me off as a lostизгубљено causeузрок.
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Neki nastavnici su me potpuno otpisali
kao izgubljeni slučaj.
02:31
But then, they were very surprisedизненађени
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A onda su bili jako iznenađeni
02:34
when I graduatedдипломирао from highвисоко schoolшкола.
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kada sam završila srednju školu.
02:38
I was acceptedприхваћено to PepperdinePeperdin UniversityUniverzitet,
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Bila sam primljena
na univerzitet u Peperdajnu,
02:40
and I cameДошао back to the sameисти schoolшкола that I attendedprisustvovali su
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i vratila sam se u istu školu
koju sam pohađala
02:43
to be a specialпосебан edEd assistantasistent.
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da budem pomoćnik nastavnika
za specijalno obrazovanje.
02:45
And then I told them, "I want to be a teacherнаставник."
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Onda sam im rekla:
"Ja želim da budem nastavnik".
02:50
And boyдечко, they were like, "What? Why?
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A oni su rekli:
"Šta? Zašto?
02:53
Why would you want to do that?"
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Zašto bi želela to da radiš?"
02:55
So I beganпочела my teachingУчити careerкаријера
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Tako sam počela
moju učiteljsku karijeru,
02:57
at the exactтачно sameисти middleсредина schoolшкола that I attendedprisustvovali su,
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u istoj školi koju sam pohađala
od petog do osmog razreda.
03:01
and I really wanted to try to saveсачувати more kidsклинци
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Zaista sam želela
da spasim više dece
03:04
who were just like me.
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koja su bila kao ja.
03:06
And so everyсваки yearгодине, I shareОбјави my backgroundбацкгроунд with my kidsклинци,
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Svake godine, podelim ispovest
o mom poreklu sa učenicima,
03:09
because they need to know that everyoneсви has a storyприча,
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jer oni treba da znaju
da svako ima neku priču,
03:12
everyoneсви has a struggleборба,
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da svako ima neku
svoju borbu u životu,
03:15
and everyoneсви needsпотребе help alongзаједно the way.
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i da je svakome potrebna
pomoć na tom putu.
03:18
And I am going to be theirњихова help alongзаједно the way.
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Ja ću biti njihova pomoć na tom putu.
03:23
So as a rookieruki teacherнаставник, I createdстворено opportunityприлика.
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Kao nastavnik početnik,
stvorila sam priliku.
03:29
I had a kidклинац one day come into my classкласа
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Jednom je klinac došao u moj razred,
03:31
havingимати been stabbedizbo the night before.
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koji je prethodne noći bio izboden.
03:34
I was like, "You need to go to a hospitalболница,
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Rekla sam mu:
"Moraš da ideš u bolnicu,
03:37
the schoolшкола nurseмедицинска сестра, something."
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do školske sestre, bilo gde."
03:40
He's like, "No, MissMiss, I'm not going.
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On je odgovorio:
"Ne gospođice, ja ne idem.
03:42
I need to be in classкласа because I need to graduateдипломирани."
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Ja moram da budem na času
jer treba da diplomiram."
03:45
So he knewзнала that I was not going to let him be a victimжртва
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Znao je da mu neću dozvoliti
da bude žrtva
03:49
of his circumstanceokolnosti,
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sopstvenih okolnosti,
03:50
but we were going to pushпусх forwardнапред and keep movingкретање on.
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nego ćemo nastaviti
da se krećemo napred.
03:54
And this ideaидеја of creatingстварање a safeсигурно havenutočište for our kidsклинци
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Ova ideja da stvorimo utočište
za našu decu,
03:58
and gettingдобијања to know exactlyбаш тако what they're going throughкроз,
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i da ih upoznamo i razumemo
kroz šta sve prolaze,
04:02
gettingдобијања to know theirњихова familiesпородице -- I wanted that,
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da upoznamo njihove porodice -
ja sam želela to,
04:06
but I couldn'tније могао do it in a schoolшкола with 1,600 kidsклинци,
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ali nisam mogla u školi
sa 1600 dece,
04:11
and teachersнаставници turningокретање over yearгодине after yearгодине after yearгодине.
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gde se nastavnici menjaju svake godine.
04:15
How do you get to buildизградити those relationshipsвезе?
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Kako da se ostvari blizak odnos?
04:19
So we createdстворено a newново schoolшкола.
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Osnovali smo novu školu.
04:22
And we createdстворено
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Osnovali smo
04:24
the SanSan FernandoFernando InstituteInstitut for AppliedPrimenjena MediaMediji.
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San Fernando institut
za primenjene medije.
04:27
And we madeмаде sure that we were still attachedу прилогу
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Postarali smo se
da budemo povezani
04:31
to our schoolшкола districtокруг for fundingфинансирање, for supportподршка.
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sa našim školskim distriktom,
zbog finansiranja i podrške.
04:35
But with that, we were going to gainдобит freedomслобода:
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Ali sa novom školom,
obezbedili smo slobodu:
04:38
freedomслобода to hireнајам the teachersнаставници
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slobodu pri zapošljavanju nastavnika,
04:40
that we knewзнала were going to be effectiveефикасан;
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za koje smo znali
da će biti efikasni,
04:43
freedomслобода to controlконтрола the curriculumкурикулум
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slobodu da kontrolišemo
nastavni plan
04:46
so that we're not doing lessonлекцију 1.2 on pageстрана fiveпет, no;
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kako ne bismo radili lekciju
direktno iz knjige, ne,
04:52
and freedomслобода to controlконтрола a budgetбуџет,
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i slobodu da kontrolišemo budžet,
04:55
to spendпотрошити moneyновац where it mattersпитања,
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da trošimo pare tamo gde treba,
04:57
not how a districtокруг or a stateдржава saysкаже you have to do it.
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a ne kako okrug ili država
kaže da treba.
05:01
We wanted those freedomsслободе.
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Mi smo želeli te slobode.
05:04
But now, shiftingпомерање an entireцео paradigmпарадигма,
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Ali sada, da pomerim čitavu paradigmu,,
05:06
it hasn'tније been an easyлако journeyпутовање, norнити is it even completeкомплетан.
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to nije bio lak put,
niti je potpuno završen.
05:10
But we had to do it.
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Ali morali smo to da uradimo.
05:13
Our communityзаједница deservedzaslužili a newново way of doing things.
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Naša zajednica zaslužuje
novi pristup stvarima.
05:17
And as the very first pilotпилот middleсредина schoolшкола
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Kao prvoj pilot školi
od petog do osmog razreda
05:20
in all of LosLos AngelesAngelesu UnifiedUnificirani SchoolŠkola DistrictOkrug,
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u celom losanđeleskom
ujedinjenom školskom distriktu,
05:24
you better believe there was some oppositionOpozicija.
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bilo je dosta opozicije.
05:27
And it was out of fearбојати се --
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I to zbog straha -
05:29
fearбојати се of, well, what if they get it wrongпогрешно?
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šta ako ne urade stvari kako treba?
05:32
Yeah, what if we get it wrongпогрешно?
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Da, šta ako zabrljamo?
05:34
But what if we get it right?
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Ali šta ako odradimo sve kako treba?
05:36
And we did.
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To smo i uradili.
05:38
So even thoughипак teachersнаставници were againstпротив it
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Iako su nastavnici bili protiv toga
05:41
because we employзапослити one-yeargodinu contractsуговоре --
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jer zapošljavamo samo sa
ugovorima na po godinu dana -
05:44
you can't teachнаучити, or you don't want to teachнаучити,
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ako ne možeš da predaješ
ili ne želiš da predaješ
05:48
you don't get to be at my schoolшкола with my kidsклинци.
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ne možeš da budeš u mojoj školi
sa mojim učenicima.
05:51
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(Aplauz)
05:58
So in our thirdтрећи yearгодине, how did we do it?
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U trećoj smo godini,
kako smo to postigli?
06:01
Well, we're makingстварање schoolшкола worthвреди comingдолазе to everyсваки day.
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Mi pravimo školu u koju
je vredno dolaziti svaki dan,
06:05
We make our kidsклинци feel like they matterматерија to us.
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školu gde se naša deca
osećaju da su nam bitna.
06:07
We make our curriculumкурикулум rigorousстрого and relevantрелевантно to them,
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Mi kreiramo nastavni plan,
koji je rigorozan i relevantan.
06:11
and they use all the technologyтехнологија that they're used to.
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Oni koriste svu tehnologiju
na koju su navikli.
06:14
LaptopsLaptop računari, computersрачунари, tabletsтаблете -- you nameиме it, they have it.
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Laptopovi, kompjuteri, tableti -
oni sve to imaju.
Softver za animaciju, za pravljenje filmova,
sve to imaju.
06:17
AnimationAnimacija, softwareсофтвер, moviemakingproizvodnje filma softwareсофтвер, they have it all.
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Mi povezujemo nastavni plan
sa onim što oni rade.
06:21
And because we connectцоннецт it to what they're doing —
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06:25
For exampleпример, they madeмаде publicјавно serviceуслуга announcementsobjava
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Na primer, oni su napisali
saopštenje za javnost
za "Društvo za borbu protiv raka".
06:28
for the CancerRak SocietyDruštvo.
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Ta saopštenja su puštana
u lokalnim trolejbusima.
06:29
These were playedиграо in the localлокално trolleyколица за куповину systemсистем.
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06:32
TeachingNastava elementsелементи of persuasionубеђивање,
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2007
Učite ih načinima ubeđivanja,
ne može praktičnije od toga.
06:34
it doesn't get any more realправи than that.
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2920
06:37
Our stateдржава testтест scoresрезултати have goneотишла up
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Naši rezultati državnih testova
su se poboljšali
za više od 80 poena
od kad imamo našu školu.
06:39
more than 80 pointsбодова sinceОд we'veми смо becomeпостати our ownвластити schoolшкола.
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Ali je potrebno da svi učesnici
rade zajedno -
06:42
But it's takenузети all stakeholdersактери, workingрад togetherзаједно --
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nastavnici i direktori
sa jednogodišnjim ugovorima,
06:45
teachersнаставници and principalsnosioci on one-yeargodinu contractsуговоре,
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3183
06:49
workingрад over and aboveгоре and beyondизван theirњихова contractуговор hoursсати
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koji rade prekovremeno
06:52
withoutбез compensationкомпензација.
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bez dodatne kompenzacije.
06:55
And it takes a schoolшкола boardодбор, табла memberчлан
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A potreban vam je i član školskog odbora
06:58
who is going to lobbyлоби for you and say,
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1952
ko će da se zalaže za vas i kaže:
"Znate, distrikt pokušava
da nametne ovo,
07:00
"Know, the districtокруг is tryingпокушавајући to imposenametne this,
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2428
07:02
but you have the freedomслобода to do otherwiseиначе."
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ali vi imate slobodu
da to uradite drugačije".
Potrebni su vam angažovani roditelji,
07:05
And it takes an activeактиван parentродитељ centerцентар
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koji ne samo
da se pojavljuju u školi
07:08
who is not only there, showingпоказивање a presenceприсуство everyсваки day,
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4080
nego su i deo uprave,
07:12
but who is partдео of our governanceуправљање,
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donose odluke za svoju decu,
našu decu.
07:15
makingстварање decisionsОдлуке for theirњихова kidsклинци, our kidsклинци.
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07:20
Because why should our studentsстуденти have to go
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Zašto bi naši učenici
07:22
so farдалеко away from where they liveживи?
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putovali tako daleko od kuće?
07:25
They deserveзаслужују a qualityквалитета schoolшкола in theirњихова neighborhoodкомшилук,
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Oni zaslužuju kvalitetno obrazovanje
u svom naselju,
školu na koju mogu
da budu ponosni
07:29
a schoolшкола that they can be proudпоносан to say they attendprisustvuju,
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3173
07:32
and a schoolшкола that the communityзаједница can be proudпоносан of as well,
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i školu na koju lokalna zajednica
može biti ponosna.
Njima su potrebni nastavnici
da se bore za njih svaki dan,
07:36
and they need teachersнаставници to fightборба for them everyсваки day
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i da ih osposobe da krenu
dalje od svojih okolnosti.
07:40
and empowerоснажити them to moveпотез beyondизван theirњихова circumstancesоколности.
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07:45
Because it's time that kidsклинци like me
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Došlo je vreme
da klinci kao ja,
prestanu da budu izuzeci
i postanu pravilo.
07:48
stop beingбиће the exceptionизузетак, and we becomeпостати the normнорма.
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Hvala vam.
07:53
Thank you.
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(Aplauz)
07:54
(ApplauseAplauz)
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Translated by Tamara Djordjevic
Reviewed by Mile Živković

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Pearl Arredondo - Teacher
Pearl Arredondo helped establish a pilot middle school that teaches students to be good communicators in the 21st century.

Why you should listen

Pearl Arredondo grew up in the impoverished East Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights. She was raised by a single-mother, a long time Los Angeles Unified School District office secretary, who saw firsthand the challenges facing students in public schools. To ensure that she got the best education in the district, Arredondo was bussed to schools almost an hour away from home.

Arredondo graduated and moved on to Pepperdine University, where she received both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Education and Instructional Leadership. She was the first in her family to graduate from college and began her teaching career at San Fernando Middle School (SFMS) -- the very middle school she attended eight years prior.

At SFMS, she embraced the mission of enhancing educational opportunities for historically underserved students. To do so, she launched the school’s Multimedia Academy, which serviced 350 low-income students. After three successful years, the Multimedia Academy faculty decided it was time to make a full split and become a separate school. In 2010, she helped lead an ambitious reform agenda, through a pilot reform model, that focused on technology development, improving outcomes for children and strengthening families. The team founded San Fernando Institute for Applied Media (SFiAM), the first pilot school established in the Los Angeles Unified School District at the middle school level.

Arredondo is passionate about increasing student access to technology and closing the digital divide, and is a tireless advocate for technology-based curriculum that prepare students to enter a global economy. Her goal is to make SFiAM a model of educational reform.

Currently, Arredondo is pursuing a Master of Science in Educational Administration and is a 2013 National Board Certified Teacher candidate. She is also part of the 2013 Teach Plus Teaching Policy Fellowship and serves as the Vice President of SFiAM’s Governing Council. She is featured in the short documentary film TEACHED Vol.1: “The Blame Game,” and is a role model for young Latinas seeking to make a difference in their communities.

More profile about the speaker
Pearl Arredondo | Speaker | TED.com