Once white fragility is defined and debriefed amongst a team, we can begin to talk about racism, anti-racism, and White Supremacy Culture. This is true for our staff as well, contributing to racial fatigue and staff sustainability for IBPOC. This has included making decisions about curriculum, school partnership, and hiring, without authentically involving teachers or students in the process. But now I meditate twice a day, and I do it at home. But to start, we must go inward. With respect to race, the foundational issue is White Supremacy Culture, and we must attack the problem head on. Perhaps even more remarkable, last years California Healthy Kids Survey from the states education department found that students at Visitacion Valley middle school were the happiest in the whole of San Francisco. During those times, students could either practice Transcendental James Dierke, principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco, California, has been named the 2008 MetLife / National Association of Secondary School Principals National Middle Level Principal of the Year. She used to have trouble at home and get into fights with her family, says ODriscoll. Our teachers use Community Building and Restorative Practices. These beliefs lead to actions that are dehumanizing to all races of people; however, they have a more drastic effect on indigenous, black, and people of color (IBPOC). Callers can still leave a voicemail or send an email or request form at all hours. Thus, we are building a collective purpose and a commitment to learning. Some 20 parents gathered outside of Visitacion Valley Elementary School on Thursday morning to protest what they said was a failure by the school principal to take action on pervasive bullying. But this messy middle is precisely when we need to stay curious, be vulnerable, and innovative. Reportar una ausencia. 9 . I began my career in education in Richmond, CA. In addition, meditating students reported sleeping better as well as higher Dismantling WSC unites staff to work toward being anti-racist. Principal Principal Broker: William J Oliver. For instance, we might see folks making eye contact, leaning into conversations about racial identity, and asking probing questions. The work of exploring White Supremacy Culture gave our staff a new framework to define our North Star, being an anti-racist school. White Supremacy Culture. Visitors are always amazed, Dierke said afterwards, but it works. They worked harder, paid more attention, were easier to teach and the number of fights fell dramatically.. $1,041. . Students at Visitacion Valley School in South San Francisco observe 15 minutes of quiet time every morning. For a more complete list, see the 15 WSC characteristics from Tema Okun and Kenneth Jones in the 2001 Dismantling Racism Workbook. Its provided a lot of stability to our school, helping staff and kids get through the stress they have in their lives., The impressive results have led to more schools in the city introducing the programme. June 4, 2021 Dear Visitacion Valley Middle School Community, I am deeply honored and excited to have the opportunity to serve as Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School. This prompts staff to reflect and ultimately declare, "I want to be an anti-racist teacher, but I don't exactly know how." Physical Education teacher Barry ODriscoll agreed that Quiet Time has helped improve the staffs quality of life. students, and couples, Contact a certified TM teacher When I first heard about it I thought it probably wasnt going to work, says ODriscoll. Dierke, who has been principal at the school for 13 years, said things reached a turning point about five years ago. On a recent morning at Visitacion Valley Middle School in South San Francisco, Principal James Dierke looked out over the schools auditorium at more than 100 eighth graders. Just as long as they are quiet. 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Visitacion Valley Middle School is a public school in San Francisco, California that is part of San Francisco Unified School District. At that point the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) stepped in, calling Visitacion Valley "a neglected urban backwater of 18,000 with rampant crime, awful schools, and a deplorable housing project called Geneva Towers." (Gee, thanks, for the recognition, HUD.) NBC News Cynthia McFadden, Tim Sandler and. Lastly, this work connected well with our concurrent work of racial affinity groups, social-justice teaching, and revising our school mission statement. It is time that we detox and make the invisible visible. SFUSD annually surveys families and school staff on a range of school climate indicators that have been found to predict positive student academic achievement. - Managed relationships and contracts with principals and key staff at our 3 middle schools. Personal Commitment graphic organizer used in professional development (Courtesy of Joe Truss). Only two teachers have left in the past five years, outside of retirements and district layoffs. Anecdotally, favorable feedback poured in from both students and staff members. In the first year of Quiet Time meditation, suspensions at Visitacion Valley were reduced by 45%. Yordy teaches world history, civics, and freshman seminar and volunteers as a program mentor. Further, staff moved to thinking about how our school practices perpetuate WSC and send negative messages to our students. 1. Maybe having half an hour just to focus on themselves so they get awareness and grounding, might have some impact., And it could help reduce costs later. Visitacion Valley also got attention from actor Russell Brand, who visited the school just before Christmas on a trip sponsored by the David Lynch Foundation. Students, families, and school staff can email requests to sfl[email protected], call 415-340-1716 (M-F, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m., closed from 12 to 1 p.m. every day), or complete an online request form. Staff watch a clip about white fragility during a staff meeting (Courtesy of Joe Truss). The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition defines White Supremacy Culture as "the idea (ideology) that white people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of white people are superior to those of People of Color." expanded to serve middle school children and grow with the kids it was already serving. 322 Bayview Cir, San Francisco, CA, 94124 is a 1,317 sq. CWAE specialists counseled students on meditation techniques and five full-time staffers remain on campus to help maintain the program. Connection is first and foremost because this work is all about relationships - connecting with stakeholders, earning trust, and sharing in the decision making. Teachers. We will share information about our school and answer your questions. What Happened When My School Started to Dismantle White Supremacy Culture, The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition, http://culturallyresponsiveleadership.com/. With respect to race, the foundational issue is White Supremacy Culture, and we must attack the problem head on. For a more complete list, see the 15 WSC characteristics from Tema Okun and Kenneth Jones in the 2001 Dismantling Racism Workbook. We work hard to create a positive school climate where students are recognized for their growth. Otherwise, white fragility will shut the anti-racist party down; it's an equity consciousness buzz kill, for real. In the outside world, TM has been criticised for the price-tag it comes with; the programme at Visitacion Valley costs $280,000 (185,128) a year - paid for mainly through private donations to CWAE. Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa: cd77petanque.com Comit de seine et marne de ptanque Places. Nearly 90 percent of Visitacion Valleys students are classified by the district as socioeconomically disadvantaged and more than 40 percent are English Language Learners. And thats one of the challenges., However, Swarana Patel, a teacher in a north London secondary school where behaviour is often an obstacle, can see the benefits of a more intensive programme like this. Grades: 9-12. . Further, we must look at how it has affected us and how we have perpetuated White Supremacy Culture. As for getting the children to start meditating, ODriscoll says the biggest hurdle was getting them to feel comfortable with their eyes closed. for the lowest performing demographic was double that for the overall student group. This organizational structure reflects a "school-within-a-school" concept and is designed to help students make a successful transition from the self-contained elementary classroom to the fully departmentalized, comprehensive high school setting. Beginning with the 1983-84 school year, Valley Middle School organized into interdisciplinary teams referred to as the Village System. Although controlled studies are difficult to perform in an academic setting, collectively the results of the Bay Area studies are encouraging. The Visitacion Valley Middle School mission is to create, through transformative relationships, an inclusive and collaborative learning community that is relevant to the lives of ourstudents, families, and staff. (DiAngelo, 2018). We might also see students connecting their identities to their learning and applying it back to their communities to manifest social justice. A lot of the kids have deep anger issues or problems focusing, she says. Consequently, this allows for us to align our purpose with our pedagogy, curricula, policies, decisionmaking processes, and adult structures. My Only Regret Is That I Didnt Find This Practice Twenty Years Ago , Why I Learned Transcendental Meditation Three Years Ago And Why I Still Practice It , 6 Benefits Of Transcendental Meditation (And How You Can Get Started Today) , James Dierke, Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School, urban students, drugs, gangs and violence, Newly published research on the effect of the Quiet Time/Transcendental Meditation program, MetLife/NASSP National Middle Level Principal of the Year. This post originally appeared in KQED's MindShiftblog. Speak with a TM teacher: 888-LEARN-TM (888-532-7686), Stanford research: TM is twice as effective, Reduced for adults, . I am privileged to be able to continue to work with our dedicated staff, AMAZING students, and supportive parents. Visitacion Valley Middle School Our courageous educators got personal, thinking about how White Supremacy Culture shows up in their personal lives and between colleagues. Mad Sal's Dockside Inn in Ale House Alley, and Mission Blue. Property taxes $170 Home insurance $105 . Dear Visitacion Valley Middle School Community. Meditation strengthens the areas of the brain that control our fear center, he said. Ka warbixi maqnaanshaha. Now that the shock of reading these words has worn off, lets explore what it is and why we need to dedicate more time to exploring its dehumanizing effect in our schools. Visitacion Valley Middle School, Public District Grades 6-8; Revere (Paul) Elementary School, Public District Grades KG-8; . Modern Band (music) with contemporary instruments, Visuals Arts, Ethnic Studies, Computer Science, Dramatic Arts, and Spanish! To do it properly Visitacion Valley middle school made the day 30 minutes longer. When you have it up, it keeps the rain off, and you can focus on trying to build a culture with kids. The California School Directory and related public school and district data files (collectively referred to as the "Directory"), contain information about California schools, districts, and school/district administrators that is voluntarily self-reported by local education agencies (LEAs) to the California Department of Education (CDE) as a An easy way to remember our website is to memorize our bit.ly URL! MLS# 423725010. We might also see students connecting their identities to their learning and applying it back to their communities to manifest social justice. Closing the so-called achievement gap between poor inner-city children and their more affluent suburban counterparts is among the biggest challenges for education reformers. In 2008 Mr. Dierke was named MetLife/NASSP National Middle Level Principal of the Year. White Supremacy Culture also tricks us into thinking that if we change to fit a white model, we can be more valued but still never be white. But no one touched on the real problem stress.. MLS # 423724059 Our courageous educators got personal, thinking about how White Supremacy Culture shows up in their personal lives and between colleagues. That funds four and a half (full-time equivalent) Quiet Time staff on site to teach the classes and support students. I saw this personally at VVMS, as situations got awkward, uncomfortable, and uncertain. students who meditated showed a significant decrease in anxiety and a significant increase in resilience compared to nonmeditating students. It has 358 students in grades 6-8 with a student-teacher ratio of 13 to 1. I was very reluctant when it first started, he said. It is the water we are swimming in. Racial-equity work is like trying to defuse a bomb and cutting the wrong wire. Like most groups of educators, we had spent a few years dancing around topics of racism and struggled to make lasting change. This pushed some folks to identify who they could be safe with, be it for comfort or growth. As for getting the children to start. WSC dehumanizes people of color. Also, we might hear phrases like, "That comment triggered me, it was a microaggression," "I think we can do better for our Latinx students," or "This is not consistent with our commitment to anti-racism." In my dream, I imagine that Culturally Responsive Teaching, restorative practices, and deeper learning are all alive in classrooms across the United States. This might include wanting to win an argument, not making space for others to talk, and rushing through meetings. 4 Beds. Its very peaceful here now.. At Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS), in the San Francisco Unified school district, our brave staff spent a majority of the 2018-19 school year unpacking White Supremacy Culture (WSC). Students meditating at Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School in San Francisco. These kids hear gunshots on their way to and from school. We can have equity missions plastered on walls and front that we are about closing the opportunity gap, but we don't go deeper than diversity trainings. For students of color, characteristics of White Supremacy Culture similar to microaggressions hijack the amygdala. This school used to be known as the fight school, he said. The award, given by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, includes a $5,000 award for the school. In my dream, I imagine that educators can become comfortable talking about race and how it informs the work of educating children. Having served the past two years as Assistant Principal, VVMS is a community that I love and care for. live well. Now that the shock of reading these words has worn off, let's explore what it is and why we need to dedicate more time to exploring its dehumanizing effect in our schools. Anther example might be superficially speeding through content or discouraging interruptions for questions. The trouble is we don't even see it. Education in collaboration with the San Francisco Unified School District research department, had more good news. Every day before class, Visitacion Valley Middle School students pass an informal memorial known as the "R.I.P. Also, our school is rich in ethnicity and culture. In addition, we might see curricula that affirms and engages students of color and assessment practices that dismantle racial bias in standardized testing. We are continually navigating the phases of a call out to call in culture with each other.. Main Office: 952-431-8300. fear. When the school year starts, students may use Student Portal Student Portal (StudentVUE)and families may use Family Portal (ParentVUE)to keep track of a student's attendance, assignments, and grades, and contact teachers. White Supremacy Culture. In my dream, I imagine that educators can become comfortable talking about race and how it informs the work of educating children. At times, it appeared that we werent clearly aligned philosophically and did not have a focused call to action. Visitacion Valley Middle School. In the first year of Quiet Time suspensions at Visitacion Valley which has 500 students aged 11-13 were reduced by 45% (pdf). $93. SOLD JUN 13, 2022. Principal and Interest. They couldnt concentrate on school.. 2. Our GPA has trended up significantly since the start of Quiet Time., All of this indicates that we are winning the battle against the predictor power of demographics. Some conversations fell flat, and others were superficial. Of even greater interest, the increase in G.P.A. $5,220. Photo at top courtesy of Joe Truss: VVMS staff match examples of White Supremacy Culture to the definition of each characteristic. Middle Schools Elementary Schools Fares The Free Muni for Youth Program provides San Francisco youth ages 5-18 with free Muni service, regardless of household income level. In fact, based on certain urban zip codes, education researchers can predict students attendance rate, behavior, test scores, and overall academic achievement. Finally, this work is some of the most challenging, but rewarding work there is. Mortgage insurance $0. Later that year, a gunman brazenly stormed into the school, threatened to kill a teacher and robbed two employees. Showing appreciation for things big and small, matters. This change comes at the cost of detaching ourselves from ourselves, which also is dehumanizing. The Transcendental Meditation technique is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school starting Wednesday, August 17, 2022. Since beginning Quiet Time, Dierke said things have improved: Daily attendance last year was more than 98 percent, and there have been fewer suspensions and higher test scores. Here are two pitfalls to avoid. When they started everyone said it would be impossible to get 12-year-olds to sit for even a minute, but through transcendental meditation (TM) they proved critics wrong. In order to build this ideal structure, we must start at the base and engineer for equity. Theres an explosion of mental health problems among young people and its going to be incredibly expensive to treat in the future. As a result, staff were curious to take action to be anti-racist and promote a learning community that did the same. This prompts staff to reflect and ultimately declare, I want to be an anti-racist teacher, but I dont exactly know how. This has the power to unite folks at the foundational level, setting the stage for deeper commitments to learning new strategies, practices, and routines. By 2009-10, attendance rates were over 98% (some of the highest in the city), and today 20% of graduates are admitted to the highly academic Lowell high school before it was rare for even one student to be accepted. But this messy middle is precisely when we need to stay curious, be vulnerable, and innovative. Her work has generated changes to state law and spurred political and community action to address local needs. All rights reserved. Published annually by SFUSD to provide access to key data points and three-year trends related to student achievement and school culture-climate. In one, the effects of the Quiet Time Program, conducted over half the academic year, were evaluated in public middle school students performing below proficiency level. At Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS), in the San Francisco Unified school district, our brave staff spent a majority of the 2018-19 school year unpacking White Supremacy Culture (WSC). This coming year, we are looking at how to build more community in the classroom, how to unify our students across cultural differences, and how to reduce bias in our discipline systems. This is a 4-bed, 3-bath, 1,597 sqft property. Discussing WSC gave us more impetus to make changes, because we now knew what was happening if we refused: microaggressions, dehumanization, widening the opportunity gap, and producing disproportionate outcomes. This pushed some folks to identify who they could be safe with, be it for comfort or growth. After School Program at Visitacion Valley Middle School As the elementary programs established themselves and became more successful, R.O.C.K. The art of relaxation: ideas to get students to unwind and recharge, How two minutes of mindfulness can calm a class and boost attainment, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. It really is quiet time.. "I am feeling elated," he said after the announcement and celebration in the school's auditorium. Now, The work to address racism in schools has been called cultural competency, diversity training, and equity. ODriscoll also says that leadership buy-in is essential for the programme to work as there needs to be support in terms of time and resourcing. View SFUSD's most recent athletics participation dataor past years' reports. It is invisible and it is toxic. I can be really hyperactive, he said. This includes emotions of fear, anger, and guilt, as well as actions of argumentation, silence, and withdrawal. He blogs at culturallyresponsiveleadership.com and is a racial equity leadership coach. 1500 Visitacion Ave, San Francisco, CA is a single family home that contains 1,068 sq ft and was built in 1944. A lot has changed over this period, including three principals coming and going, but ODriscoll puts the turnaround down to the one constant: the calming influence of the meditation programme. Visitacion Valley Middle is a public school located in San Francisco, CA, which is in a large city setting. San Francisco Unified School District ( SFUSD ), established in 1851, is the only public school district within the City and County of San Francisco, and the first in the state of California. Students at Visitacion Valley School in San Francisco meditate, as part of a program in which students meditate for fifteen minutes twice a day. We must name, define, and plan for white fragility, the defensive response by whites when discussing racism. This is because we are starting with the branches of the tree instead of the roots. The programme, introduced to all ages, sees students sit for 15 minutes of meditation twice a day. We can have equity missions plastered on walls and front that we are about closing the opportunity gap, but we dont go deeper than diversity trainings. This is true for our staff as well, contributing to racial fatigue and staff sustainability for IBPOC. Therefore, it was necessary to create shared understandings and subsequent commitments, which was facilitated by exploring a framework of White Supremacy Culture. He partnered with the Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education to develop a Quiet Time Program for his school. Eighth grader Art Parkeenvincha moved to San Francisco from Canada in the middle of this year. The social-emotional learning of students in grades 4-12 is also assessed. So the privately funded non-profit Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education (CWAE) was set up. Property Taxes. As a result of these high-stress conditions, thousands of schools have predictable problems: low attendance, high violence, and low performance. where I had the privilege to serve as a 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts and English Language Development (ELD) teacher at a public middle school. Racial-equity work is like trying to defuse a bomb and cutting the wrong wire. I think of my mantra, and it helps me calm down., Bob Roth, Executive Director for the David Lynch Foundation, said meditation is not just a way for students to relax but has real cognitive benefits. And our teacher turnover and absenteeism is almost zero.. The Rent Zestimate for this home is $3,399/mo, which has increased by $239/mo in the last 30 days. 1. In addition, Dierke said regular Quiet Time has also helped teachers relax. View property details, photos, and neighborhood info. We are committed to Love, Literacy, and Liberation. And just like that, a hush fell over the auditorium. There he is leading with a vision of Love, Literacy, and Liberation. The second pitfall I will offer is avoiding the tendency to externalize the work of dismantling White Supremacy Culture. Additionally, kids get to participate in fun activities, including recreation, cooking, dance, technology and leadership. Quiet Time isnt just a slogan but a daily regimen at Visitacion Valley. After graduating from Seneca Valley in 1996, I e arned my bachelor's degree from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He attributes that to higher levels of job satisfaction. Phones will be closed on school holidays, including the fall, winter and spring breaks. Most of the students seemed disinterested in Dierkes announcements about the springs impending graduation, upcoming field trips, and recent birthdays. Students seemed happy, says ODriscoll. Some conversations fell flat, and others were superficial. Young people are incredibly stressed, says Michael Matania who teaches mindfulness meditation to young people in London through a programme called Mindkit. . Monday - Thursday 3:15 p.m.; Program offered free of charge from end of school day until 6 p.m.; Saturday Field Trips and Summer Programs, Rosetta Stone (foreign language instruction), STEAM (science; technology; engineering; arts; mathematics). campaign: %%CAMP%% -- %%CAMP_UID%%, creative: %%ADID%% -- %%AD_UID%%, page: %%PAGE%%, targetedPage: %%TARGETEDPAGE%%, position: %%POS%%, evaluated in public middle school students performing below proficiency level, Under Stress, Students in New York Schools Find Calm in Meditation. Start with one class or year and let it grow from there.. Please refer to legal details concerning copyright and trademark protection. This change comes at the cost of detaching ourselves from ourselves, which also is dehumanizing. It is time that we detox and make the invisible visible. Please read our welcome letter! The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition defines White Supremacy Culture as the idea (ideology) that white people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of white people are superior to those of People of Color. Dont be confused. Now our previous work on Culturally Responsive Teaching, use of rubrics, and adding student voice had a theoretical underpinning. In recent years however, Principal Dierke and a growing number of other educators have found a way to break the predictive power of demographics. This requires dismantling White Supremacy Culture and building a new foundation for an anti-racist and empowering education. The teacher has also seen dramatic transformations in his students. One teacher, Mary Chirichella added, "Some teachers had the courage to approach others to have tough conversations about microaggressions. levels of self-confidence and happiness. At Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS), in the San Francisco Unified school district, our brave staff spent a majority of the 2018-19 school year unpacking White Supremacy Culture. 379 Winding Way, San Francisco, CA 94112 is a single family home listed for sale at $1,280,000. Please call and make an appointment with the principal, assistant principal, dean or school secretary. School Accountability Report Cards (SARCs) are required by state law and are intended to provide families with important information. Yes, this is built into our systems of power, structures, policies, and rules. 1971 Visitacion Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94134, We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school starting. 375. What Is Critical Race Theory, and Why Is It Under Attack? Once white fragility is defined and debriefed amongst a team, we can begin to talk about racism, anti-racism, and White Supremacy Culture. Teachers and students are assigned to academic families that use a variety of innovative technology, cross-curricular writing programs, and project-based and standards-based instruction throughout the year.
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