Drs. Fernandez & McKenzie Appointed to Racial Imbalance Advisory Council
Wheelock College of Education & Human Development faculty members Dr. Raul Fernandez and Dr. Kenann McKenzie have accepted appointments to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Racial Imbalance Advisory Council.
The Racial Imbalance Advisory Council (RIAC) is part of The Board of Education Advisory Councils, which operates within the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. According to its website, the Council’s primary function is to “advise the Commissioner of Education and the Board of Education on matters pertinent to the development and maintenance of school desegregation/integration in public schools within the Commonwealth.
“The Council assesses statewide trends and needs in desegregation and integration patterns, seeks wide public and professional input, and disseminates information regarding racial balance, and access to effective educational programs for all the Commonwealth’s children regardless of race or class. RIAC also advises and makes recommendations regarding legislation, regulations and program guidelines, and provides other programmatic recommendations, as it deems necessary, to fulfill the goals established by the Board of Education.”
Dr. Fernandez serves as Lecturer and Program Director of Wheelock’s graduate program in Higher Education Administration, while being involved in a number of BU-affiliated committees, advocacy groups, and workshops. Many of his initiatives focus on equity, inclusion, and understanding bias.
Dr. McKenzie is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, as well as the Director of Wheelock’s Aspire Institute, which offers community forums, professional development opportunities and educator support programs.
The appointments for both Drs. Fernandez and McKenzie will run until 2021.
