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   December 2017
 
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On the Same Page
Bringing you news of the Boston Compact—where educators from Boston's district, charter, and Catholic schools collaborate to increase equity and access to excellent instruction for all students.
Boston Parents Work Across Sectors to Examine School Climate

After getting home from her full-time job running the The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department Family Matters program, a program that supports returning citizens and their families impacted by incarceration, Karla Walker turns her attention to another cause: facilitating focus groups of Boston families who are eager to have a voice in their children’s school experience.  

Karla is one of 12 parents from across Boston’s district, charter, and Catholic schools to participate in this groundbreaking joint project of the Boston Compact and the Collaborative Parent Leadership Action Network (CPLAN). CPLAN members are reaching out to families in their communities to gather information about what matters most to families about the climate and culture of their children’s schools. For years, Boston Public Schools has administered a district-wide survey to families, and now that the Catholic Schools Office of the Archdiocese and Boston Charter Alliance also are using their own surveys, the sectors are working together to develop a shared set of questions based on focus group feedback, hopefully providing a broader picture of school climate in Boston. So far, family members’ suggestions for the shared set of questions have ranged from themes of school safety (both physical and social/emotional), to cultural competency, to discipline.

“What you’ll find across sectors is that people are all facing the same issues,” Karla says of why she’s dedicating her time to this cross-sector work. “We’re all concerned about safety and the climate of schools. The context might be different, but the issues are the same.”

Julia Mejia, a BPS and charter parent as well as Founder and Executive Director of CPLAN, sees this work as an opportunity for families to become part of the process to inform what kind of information schools are collecting from families, a value echoed by Elsa Flores, a BPS parent who has run focus groups in Spanish. “We want to be part of the solution,” she says. “When I speak out, it’s important for the school system to listen to me.”

These focus groups also are an opportunity to hear from parents  [READ MORE]....

Photographs: Top right: CPLAN leader Britt Johnson; middle left: CPLAN leader Aveann Bridgemohan.
Student self portraits at Mildred Ave K-8 School
"School on the Move" Winner on Supporting Black & Latino Boys Across Sectors

On an early November morning, a group of educators gather in a school library to share strategies for supporting Black and Latino boys, and especially to learn from our host, Mildred Ave K-8 School, the recent winner of EdVestors “School on the Move” prize.  

A day-long event organized by the Teacher Collaborative and sponsored by the Boston Compact, this cross-sector initiative in support of Black and Latino boys brings together teachers, administrators, and parents to learn from schools who have proven success in closing the opportunity gap for our underserved boys and young men.

After touring classrooms and talking with students at Mildred Ave and, later that day, at Sacred Heart Roslindale and Brooke Charter School, what becomes clear is the schools’ focus on creating positive school climates and holding students to high expectations. Each classroom has a list of shared values. Murals and student artwork reflect student identities. Teachers work individually with students and speak to them (literally) on the same level.

When asked about Mildred Ave’s amazing transformation from the designation of a “turn around” school in 2013 to a level 1, prize-winning school today, Principal Andrew Rollins credits cross-sector collaborations as one part of their success. Nearby Neighborhood House Charter School, says Rollins was Mildred Ave’s “phone-a-friend,” helping formally by [READ MORE]...
Francis Pina in HuffPo: “Fulfilling Charter Schools’ Original Intent”
Compact Teaching & Learning Committee member, Francis Pina, shares how he adapts strategies from his years teaching at Codman Academy Public Charter in his new role at Charlestown High School (BPS), and why cross-sector collaboration is vital to the success of our schools:

“I believe we can all learn from each other and that there should be more opportunities for teachers to collaborate, share best practices, and brainstorm solutions to challenging situations... Let’s scale best practices from the ‘bottom-up’ and learn from those who have the greatest effect on a child’s education: their teacher [read more]...."
Educator Emmanuel Limage works with students at Mildred Ave K-8.
Directors of the Teacher Collaborative and Boston Compact welcome educators and parents.
Setting the tone for classroom climate at Mildred Ave.

 


 
The Compact is pleased to introduce Elise Swinford as its new Collaboration Coordinator! Formerly a university instructor, Elise comes to us with a background in communications and education professional development.  Welcome, Elise!




 
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