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EdEquity Corner

 
 
It was great to see so many of you at January’s EdEquity Corner.  It was a wonderful learning opportunity with former Board of Education Director (and PHNEE Co-Chair) Laura Lefkowits.  Laura shared the important history of school enrollment in Park Hill and community members discussed their reactions to how enrollment policies, including school choice, impact equity. Thank you to all who came. 

If you couldn’t make it in January, join us for February’s EdEquity Corner on Wednesday, February 10th, 2021 from 7-8:30 PM.  Shakira Abney-Wisdom, principal of the newly created Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy, will join us. We'll talk about the school's HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) model and its importance.  We are thrilled to have her join us this month!  

This is a free virtual event and requires no ongoing obligation. Register today!
 
 
 

Owning Our History 


In her February article, PHNEE member Erin Pier reflects on the past and present racism embedded in our society, and issues a call to white people to "stop being surprised" and take meaningful action steps today to disrupt racism. Pier urges Park Hill neighbors to look at the inequities in our neighborhood schools and become active participants in working as a community to address "what and how our children learn in school", among other issues. Ready to move past being "surprised" or "disgusted" by the racism that persists in our society and neighborhood? Join us at the next EdEquity corner, February 10 at 7pm, to be in community with neighbors discussing these issues and more, ultimately working to change education policy. 
Take Action, Park Hill
 
  • Have you attended an EdEquity Corner out of concern for the well-being of all students?
  • Have one of PHNEE’s GPHN articles or 5 Minutes with PHNEE posts resonated with you?
  • Are you looking for ways to honor a personal commitment to work harder for justice, equity, and inclusion? 
If you’ve answered yes to one or more of these questions, the time is ripe for you to get involved.  PHNEE needs your help to advance equity for all students in Greater Park Hill.  We invite you to make your voice heard and be a part of the change you wish to see by joining one or more of PHNEE’s Working Groups. Each group focuses on a different aspect of our mission and offers a meaningful opportunity to get involved.  Check out the group descriptions below and click here if you are interested and want to join us.  
 
COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING. This group raises awareness about the inequities in our schools and encourages the community to engage in making change. Activities include maintaining our website and social media outlets, producing EdEquity Corner zoom meetings and 5 Minutes with PHNEE videos, disseminating our monthly newsletter, writing and editing a monthly article in Greater Park Hill News, and marketing all of our events and publications. As the pandemic fades, this group looks forward to re-engaging with the community in-person. 

POLICY. This group aims to develop recommendations to increase equity in the Greater Park Hill schools. Proposals will be presented to decision-makers at the school, community, and district levels, as appropriate. The team was ready to launch a community feedback process on several policy recommendations related to enrollment when schools closed due to COVID and has been on hiatus since. Now it is time to re-engage in the work by building on previous proposals and/or developing something new. Activities include research on relevant topics, policy development, soliciting and incorporating community feedback, and, when appropriate, sharing recommendations with decision-makers.

ONE PARK HILL FUND. The OPHF, a new initiative, will address the disparate resource needs among our schools, while working to build community. Informed by a research study that identified high priority needs in our schools, this group will raise funds and allocate them to schools equitably and will also initiate and sponsor activities to bring school communities together across the neighborhood. Activities include planning community-building events such as the One Park Hill Day for 3rd graders, soliciting donations and sponsorships from neighborhood businesses, churches, nonprofit organizations, and individuals, and making decisions about how to allocate funds to meet high priority needs. The Shared Resources team which designed community building activities in the past is now part of the OPHF.

We hope you will join us.

 

What we're reading:

Leaving Nice White Parents Behind in 2020: New Hopes for School Integration 

Century Foundation's Michelle Burris and Stefan Lallinger wrote a thought-provoking article last month regarding reasons to be hopeful about school integration despite the challenges presented in the popular podcast Nice White Parents. The authors make three main points about integration: more schools around the country than ever before are undergoing integration efforts, integration has been the most effective way to close the opportunity gap for students of color and low-income students, and there is a long history of integration advocacy among parents of color that does not "depend solely on the whims of white parents". 

No Tours, More Zoom: How Denver's Choice Process Looks a Little Different in 2021

Melanie Asmar (Chalkbeat)'s January article examines the ways in which the pandemic has impacted the annual school choice process in Denver Public Schools. Because parents cannot enter school buildings, many schools are hosting Zoom meetings and pre-recording tours and questions, which could lead to more equity for parents whose work schedules would've prohibited them from attending in-person tours. Asmar also wonders if another upside from parents not being allowed inside buildings is removing implicit bias about the student body's racial makeup and extras bought by the PTA at schools with more affluent families. 

Another Legislative Session, Another GOP Push to Siphon Money From Iowa's Public Schools

The Des Moines Register's editorial board expressed their frustration at yet another bill written to encourage taking taxpayer money from public schools and give to private schools in the name of "school choice". The authors argue that we know how to improve the quality of public schools: offer more funding to support teacher retention, small classes, and providing additional supports to struggling students, but Republicans continue to push for reform efforts under the guise of offering more "choice" when there are already many choices of dubious quality. 
Copyright © 2021 Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education, All rights reserved.


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