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RECAP: In November, PHNEE hosted a panel of educators who shared the challenges facing schools after all that we have been through since March 2020. Check out our summary of the conversation in the section below entitled, There Are No Words. PHNEE plans to support our teachers later in the near future with a show of appreciation. Read Support Our Teachers below and contribute to our efforts to show we care.
COMING UP: We are excited to welcome Dominique Jefferson, Principal of Hallett Academy. Together we will reflect on her school community's courage, resilience, perseverance, and compassion. They have adjusted to a new way of learning, and chosen to believe that there is a more excellent way to do school emerging and we are all participating in this way, right now. To learn more about Hallett Academy, in the section below we've linked to a piece from a previous issue of GPHN.
Register today. EdEquity Corner is free and requires no ongoing commitment.
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From the PHNEE Archives
In this space, we've been so happy to feature PHNEE member Erin Pier's Greater Park Hill News articles. Since she has now stepped back from writing for the GPHN, we'll occasionally feature past PHNEE content that continues to have relevance today. This month, in advance of Ed Equity Corner, we're sharing Imagine Being a School Without Boundaries which described the history of Hallett Academy and the incredible growth brought by Principal Jefferson.
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There Are No Words
At November's Ed Equity Corner, PHNEE hosted educators who openly shared the challenges facing schools in the pandemic's fallout...and seeming permanence. These challenges range from the logistical to the emotional. Below are some of the key issues educators need the community and nation, to urgently address.
Emotional Trauma. With the tragic loss of family members, economic security, connection, and much more, students and all are in a suspended state of trauma. We don’t have the language to effectively talk about it. And in the rush to return to normal, there is an insufficient focus on healing from the grief of what's been lost.
We’re Not Out of the Woods. The public school system is in the midst of an operational crisis. There aren’t enough people to keep buildings running, let alone qualified nurses, counselors, social workers, paraprofessionals, substitute teachers, janitors and BIPOC educators.
Inequities. COVID-19 has shone a light on systemic issues of equity, access, and achievement for marginalized communities long before the pandemic. Clearly, we cannot "return to normal," when "normal" was already unacceptable.
Teacher Representation. Given the inequities noted above and the pandemic's disparate impact on marginalized communities, it is even more critical that students see themselves in their teachers, and feel seen at school. We need more Black and Brown educators and school leaders.
Socialization & Development. When the world changed, we all found ways to cope. Children and teens retreated to phones and screens in lieu of in-person human interaction. The result? Screen addiction and lost social development in preschoolers to adolescents. Children are resilient giving reason to hope they'll rebound socially, but for now, this problem has interfered with kids’ ability to learn and teachers’ ability to be effective.
Ed Equity Corner attendees listened to these concerns and asked themselves what can be done to support our schools, teachers and students. While all agreed that we must push for systemic change, we can offer support in simple, thoughtful ways throughout the school year. We can offer opportunities to connect during in-person networking events with food and beverage. We can show up at schools to say "we see you" bringing coffee, lunch, and gift cards. And we can keep building community through conversation, idea sharing and action.
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Support For Our Teachers
The past year and a half have been tough for all of us. We at PHNEE were especially impacted by the challenges expressed by the teachers who joined us at our November EEC. The staff at our schools - teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, lunchroom and facility staff and all the special services providers - are the ones who have kept our schools operating, whether remotely or in person, since March of 2020.
Although our small, all volunteer organization cannot do everything we’d like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our elementary school staffs (massages for everyone or trips to a sunny location over the holidays!), we can provide each school with coffee and donuts on one day during December. We were told by the teachers that this small gesture would be greatly appreciated.
In keeping with our commitment to use local businesses whenever possible, we will be buying coffee from Torpedo Coffee and donuts from City Donuts. These great businesses are providing donations and discounts to help us defray some of the cost. If you would like to make a donation in support of this effort, click the donation link below. Choose PHNEE - One Park Hill Fund from the drop down menu. Your gift, as always is tax deductible.
Donate to support this work - Choose PHNEE - One Park Hill Fund
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Are you ready for School Choice in Denver Public Schools? Do you care about equity and integration? The Denver chapter of Integrated Schools is hosting an online forum to help you with decision making. Register here.
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"Everyone wants equity as long as it doesn't inconvenience them." - Eric Moore, senior officer for accountability, research and equity for Minneapolis Public Schools.
Around 1/3 of MPS students were assigned a new school this year, and this article explores the myriad of ways in which district and individual choices are impacting school integration.
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The new DPS school board members came in with a bang, with the elections of President (Xóchitl Gaytán), Secretary (Michelle Quattlebaum), and Treasurer (Scott Esserman). Tay Anderson was elected as Vice President. Vanessa Quintana, an education activist, sees the candidates as not just anti-reformers, but transformers. The board is well positioned to make educational equity a much needed top priority.
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An Integration Plan Leads a Student to a New School: His Whole Life Changed
"You say the word “decision,” as if we had a decision to make. The decision, if there is a decision, is to try to go around what the schools are trying to do by enrolling your kids somewhere else, or accepting it." - Ian Good, white MPS parent
This NYT article follows up with a father whose son is one of thirteen white 9th graders that attend North High School after Minneapolis Public School's boundary changes.
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After over a decade of pouring time and money into more rigorous teacher evaluation systems, researchers found no impact on student test scores or educational attainment. The researchers did, however, find negative impacts on both educators and administrators, and referred to the reform as "a big paperwork exercise."
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