We gather together to create something beautiful

October is finished but the school year seems to have gotten harder in the last couple of days.—what a way to start November.  After not speaking about the election season at all as a school community, November 9th brought a deluge of words… and tears.

I went to bed early election night; fear of the outcome and an oversized headache laid me to waste.  When I woke up for work at 5am, I immediately turned on the news and checked my Facebook feed.  There was the news.  I took it all in and got ready for work. 

There was a strange mood in the building, new yet familiar.  It reminded me of the day after the shooting at the park where our kids were ending Spring sports practice- tense, sad and questioning.  There were small groups of adults talking about their reactions to the election, among them parents who were rehashing what they said to their own children at breakfast so others could have an idea what to say to the kids at school.  While in a conference with another staff member, I noticed the Social Worker in tears.  It didn’t take much time for me to know how students felt; it was the topic of breakfast for middle schoolers, many who were scared to think about how Trump’s policies around immigration would hurt them and their families.  But even the littler ones were impacted.   Through clenched teeth one of our classroom aides told me of an encounter with a 1st grade Hispanic male student.  He said to her, “I’m glad that Trump is President.  That means all the Black people have to go.  I can stay because I’m Hispanic.”  And that’s when it hit me that there was something that we needed to do for our community.  

Before I could get to my computer to send out something, fortunately, the Principal sent out an email about an afternoon circle. We huddled in the small library to let it all out and it was powerful.  We used the norms of our school circles, the biggest one being- Speak Your Truth— and the truth was told. It was devastating and heartbreaking and still filled with hope.  In that circle, we told of the truth of disappointment, the truth of uncertainty, the truth of trust and respect.  We spoke of the comfort they got from our students when as adults they felt broken down.  Through tears, we spoke the of the truth of the resilience of educators and spoke the truth of love for our children.  In that circle, that day, together we spoke the truth of healing in and it was beautiful.

To learn the history of healing circles:

http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/050/documents/p63928/92023E.pdf

Is it November yet?

OCTOBER. For many educators, October is a rough month. The beginning of the school honeymoon is definitely over and the students (and sometimes parents) let you know it.  Observation and evaluation season picks up and that often brings with it a bit of pessimism.  Some days are a grind with no joy around, but plenty of questions about student performance and your own performance  

October wasn’t much different than that for me even now as a school leader.  And on top of that, I am always sick in October. I pray daily that November comes quickly.  Knowing the trend, I decided to try something intentional in order to keep my sanity— MINDFULNESS EXERCISES.

I’ve been taking an on-line class on the practice of Mindfulness.  Mindfulness is:

Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment.  Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future. (http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition)

So far the course is helping me to remember each person’s humanity- the fragility and the strength that each person has.  By using the exercises I am able to slow myself down

 and consider how others will respond to my actions and also to really listen to the person who is in front of me without letting my mind drift to the 9,001 other things that I think are a priority.  It is bringing a new depth to the relationships that I am building with students and their families.

It hasn’t all been seamless.  For example, Two weeks ago, I walked in the main office and barked an order to the administrative staff.  Later when one of the women wanted to talk to me about it, I was defensive, unapologetic and dismissive of her concern.  At the end of the day, as I sat in my office, my spirit compelled me sit still and do a meditative exercise.  It centered me in my own feelings, accepting those feelings and brought me the space to think about Vanessa’s experience of me.  Accepting my own feelings helps me to consider the feelings of others in how we interact.  Before I left for the day, Vanessa was able to experience a more respectful conversation with me. 

Every day that I am intentional about the practice, is a day that I am purposeful about caring for myself…and that helps me take care of others.

For more information on the Mindfulness Fundamentals course: http://www.mindfulschools.org/

Legislative Rally at the LA State Capitol- Let's keep kids in schools

We live in a country that believes that education is the way to a greater opportunity.  From birth we tell our kids that college is the goal to a better life.  But what happens when we create policies that push young people away from the chance at an education?  What happens to the young people who want to be in school to continue learning, but our laws reject them?  Many of those young people find success, but we know that sometimes the story ends differently.  Our prisons are filled with people, people who we love, who were pushed out from the chance to go to school and the chance to learn.

These policies and the way that these policies are enacted have a cost—in taxpayer dollars, in academic achievement and most importantly, the cost can be measured in lives.  It is time for the Louisiana legislature, as our representatives, to push hope, not despair, to push success, not defeat.  It is time for our legislature to push solutions, not suspensions.  It is time for our Legislature to open doors to education, not close them.

The Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana stands in support of House Bill 777, sponsored by Representative Smith, The Safe and Successful Students Act.  This bill offers resources to help kids stay in schools and not be pushed out through suspensions, expulsions or school-arrests.  This bill could put an end to the zero tolerance policies that harm our kids and don’t make our schools better.

We support HB 407, sponsored by Representatives Carter, Smith and Katrina Jackson, which will make sure that students who want to be in school can attend school.  It will allow Louisiana to be aligned with 45 other states that expand public education for overage students.

We want laws that will work for students, not laws that push kids into the prison system.  SB 652, sponsored by Senator Guillory will increase police intervention in school discipline and push kids further and further from schools and opportunities.  The face of the State Capitol building reads, “the instruments which we have just signed will cause no tears to be shed and prepare ages for happiness.”  We oppose SB652 because it is an instrument which will cause tears for young people and their families. There will be no happiness with this bill.  This bill will not ensure that students get the support they need but will only increase unnecessary police interactions in schools.

JJPL stands united with the groups gathered here in support of HB 777 and HB 407 which keep kids in schools and we oppose SB652 which pushes kids out.  It’s time for our Legislature to do the right thing for kids and the right thing for Louisiana.

Zero tolerance, zero opportunity

One strength of our community is that through education, young people can create opportunity for themselves and their families. Unfortunately, school discipline policies and practice, like zero tolerance, have pushed children out of school instead of keeping them in the classroom and ensuring positive safe environments for all students to learn.

School zero tolerance policies, which most often result in out-of-school suspensions, were originally intended to apply to the most serious cases such as possession of drugs and weapons. In practice, however, most out-of-school suspensions are for non-violent, minor disruptions.  Instead of being used to create safe schools, zero tolerance policies discourage vulnerable students from attending school and to push them out of the academic environment. Instead of improving student outcomes, these policies increase the likelihood of involvement in the justice system.   Our juvenile and adult corrections facilities are filled with people who have experienced the results of zero tolerance policies, which cost taxpayer dollars, hurt student achievement, and do not improve student behavior.

This legislative session, Representative Pat Smith is sponsoring House Bill 777, legislation that would decrease the number of students pushed out of schools and increase the number of safe, successful students in our state by limiting the use of zero tolerance policies.  The bill challenges schools and school districts to think critically about the correlation between out-of-school suspension and academic achievement and offers alternatives to suspensions and expulsions in order for school leaders to create positive school discipline policies.

In January, the US Departments of Education and Justice issued a school discipline guidance package aimed at helping states, districts and schools improve school discipline practices to keep more students in school.  This guidance also speaks to the growing disparities in the implementation of school discipline policies, which disproportionately impact students of color, LGBTQ students and students with disabilities.  Along with HB 777, this national framework can help give Louisiana’s schools and educators crucial direction in examining their use of and the impact of zero tolerance policies.

Given our country’s deep abiding belief in the transformational power of education, how can we maintain the current policies when we know that they do not work for our young people? Zero tolerance policies do more harm by creating punitive learning environments, pushing youth out of school, and excluding vulnerable students from educational opportunities. House Bill 777 is common sense legislation, supported by a broad coalition of groups. By passing this legislation, Louisiana has the opportunity to create more meaningful options for increasing positive discipline systems in schools.   HB 777 gives reason to be optimistic about better student performance, better schools, safe successful students and ultimately a better Louisiana.

Here's the bill:
http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=879593&n=HB777 Original

The more things change, the more they stay the same

In November 1960, Ruby Bridges bravely walked into a formerly all-white elementary school, ushering in the integration of New Orleans’ public schools.  That journey explicitly brought young people into the conversation about school equity and equality.  Over 50 years later, youth in New Orleans remain vocal in that fight.  In November 2013, students at public charter schools across New Orleans are exercising their right to assemble and speak freely about their concerns regarding the quality, policies and practices of their schools, following in a rich tradition of student protests that have led to significant change in our community.  Unfortunately, these young people have been met with the consequence of out-of-school suspensions or the threat of out-of-school suspension. 

The use or threat of out-of-school suspension in this case is a well-worn scare tactic and should be deemed an unreasonable response; suspending students for a peaceful protest sends the wrong message to our youth about the power of using their voice (individually and collectively) and about the impact of being civically engaged. 

Ruby Bridges has said: “When I think back on that time and all that has occurred since, I also know that there is much more to be done.  That fateful walk to school began a journey, and we all must work together to continue moving forward.”  If the new wave of education reform in New Orleans is designed to impact the overall quality of schools, how can these schools, and the adults in them, rationalize punishing students for wanting to be part of the conversation and demanding to have a voice in the direction of the journey?

The leadership at the schools where the students are protesting should create a space for authentic dialogue about student (and parent) concerns and be open to the critique.  Those school leaders should honor the experiences and the voice of those students (and parents) by collaborating with them to create solutions for the concerns and to reshape some of the school policies and practices. Above all else, the leadership at the schools should remove the threat of out-of-school suspensions for these students; suspending the students for participating in the protests will do more harm by pushing them out of school and intentionally excluding them from the learning environment.

The nation’s educational community is watching New Orleans as a model for education reform; we have a real shot at demonstrating the value of including all voices in the way the reform is designed.  Given our country’s values and our deep abiding belief in the transformational power of education, we owe our young people the opportunity to help shape what that education will look like without the threat of punishment. 

Signed,

Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana

Stand Up For Each Other

Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association of New Orleans

Southern Poverty Law Center

Families and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children

Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools

Missing in Action: The search for Data

I am a data geek.  I love looking at numbers to discover trends and to find answers.  What I love most are the questions that are generated by looking at data.  In essence, I am energized by data because it sparks my curiosity.  So it saddens me when the data that I am looking for is unavailable or missing. 

I research school discipline information frequently as it informs my work.  In 2012, when I started to look for that data on the Louisiana Department of Education’s website it was relatively easy to find what I was looking for and obtain additional information.  I used the information to create a series of infographics called Suspension Matters to create greater awareness of the use and impact of out-of-school suspensions in New Orleans’ public schools.   My organization wanted the information to be accessible to families so we released the information in February 2013 to coincide with the beginning of the school application period.  The information included in Suspensions Matters allowed families to have a fuller picture of the schools they were choosing for students.

In mid-April 2014, I was researching data on the website for a project to compare truancy and attendance rates with suspension and expulsion data for schools in New Orleans.  The website featured a new design and it took longer to navigate the site to find the information, however I did find it and was able to use the information in a presentation to a city-wide committee.

In June, when I visited the website again for another project, I had a different experience.  I wanted to double check some information that I had previously found and it was missing.  GONE.  Two months later.  I wondered at first if school discipline data was missing for all schools.  Sadly, the information was only absent for schools in the Recovery School District (in both New Orleans and across the state).  I checked, and double-checked for days and weeks, and still even now in September, the information is not there.  I find it curious that the information is available for every other school district in the state, yet the Recovery School District, which is a state-created district, has been exempted from publishing the information on the state’s website.

Without data it is difficult, if not impossible, to accurately measure our progress in creating quality schools for all students and that data should include information on school discipline policies and their impact on student participation. There is an undeniable relationship between instructional time (and the lack thereof due to out-of-school suspensions) and academic performance, therefore, analyzing school discipline policies is instrumental in assessing future strategies for not only academic growth, but for the social development of our youth.  More importantly, families should be equipped with all the information in order to make the best decisions for their students.  It is troublesome that for some, that data is allowed to be missing from the conversation.

Solutions not Suspensions

 

One of the local newspapers had a story a few days ago announcing that the number of failing schools in New Orleans had decreased to 9[i] from 22 last year.  Undergirding this great story is the faithfulness of loving parents, the hard work and commitment of dedicated educators, and the various supporting partnerships that help students grow and thrive. 

Unfortunately, we don’t see the same success happening in our schools’ out-of-school suspension rates.  For the 2011-2012 school year:

·         59% of public schools in New Orleans have an out-of school suspension rate higher than the state average of 9.2% *

·         34% of public schools in New Orleans have an out-of-school suspension rate higher than 20%[ii]

It is time to consider school discipline as a metric of a school’s success.  Successful schools should also be measured by how many students they keep engaged in school.

This led me to think about my own experiences with suspensions.  I used to think that suspensions were the most effective way to change student behavior; if you asked me about a consequence for a student, I’d just immediately to suspension.  But after being in schools for some time, my opinions on zero tolerance and suspensions have changed.  Here’s one of those stories…

I was shocked.  I didn’t even register that he had touched me, let alone that he had tried to pick me up to move me from the doorway where I was blocking his departure from class.  My experience up until that point was that he was a quiet, but participatory with a calm demeanor.  This day, I had to remind him several times of the classroom rules.  He wouldn’t keep his head up from the desk, he wouldn’t get a textbook, and he wouldn’t work with his partner to complete the assignment.  The last time I tried redirecting his behavior, I also told him that he would have to serve part of his lunch period with me, which would start when his class’ period ended.  He met the news expressionless.

He remained in his seat when the bell rang and his classmates left for lunch.  I collected my things and talked to him at the same time.  It was probably a diatribe about being working hard in class, how he didn’t follow the classroom rules and how I expected better behavior.  I was close to the door when I noticed that he was coming toward me to leave the room.  “You can’t leave, you have to stay for your detention.”  He didn’t say one word, just continued moving toward the door.  By the time he had reached the doorway, I had placed myself in between him and the hallway.  “You need to get back to your seat.  This is a lunch detention.”  In a matter of moments, things changed; he was running down the stairs and I was crying in the classroom.

By the end of the day, his mother had been called in for a conference for the next morning and I was confused.  From my perspective, he should have been suspended and I couldn’t understand how he was still in school at the end of the day.  I felt betrayed by the Assistant Principal and questioned her competency in the position.  I wondered how I could work in a school where students were allowed to touch the adults.  I considered quitting that day.  I convinced myself that I wouldn’t ever feel safe in the school.

I was invited to the conference, but asked to sit out in the hallway while the Assistant Principal spoke to the student and his mother with the social worker present.   When I was allowed into the room, I was able to talk about what happened in class and express to him how it made me feel.  The social worker asked him if he understood my perspective.  The Assistant Principal asked him to tell me what he had told them.  By the end of the conference, I learned about the crisis his family was experiencing and realized how it was impacting his judgment, his disposition and his behavior.   He apologized, “Ms. Mac, I wasn’t trying to hurt you or nothing, I was just mad and I didn’t want to stay in that room.  I’m sorry Ms. Mac, I like your class.  I won’t do nothing like that again.”  As a result, he had to serve a week of afterschool detention and the social worker and I designed activities to work on anger management with him.  He and his family received referrals to family services organization.  I’m not sure that I understood or agreed with the decision, but I complied with the decision.  So did he.

It took some time, but I’m glad that the student wasn’t suspended.  To be sure, this kind of situation is unacceptable.  PERIOD.  I believe there needed to be a consequence for the inappropriate behavior, and now I’m confident that suspending him may not have had the same significance for this student and would not have gotten us closer to what the problem was for him.  In our conversation, I heard a sincere apology, he received a consequence, we got to the root of the problem and he understood that he had people in the school community who would give him a second chance.  It was a moment that would be instructive for the rest of my career as an educator.  School discipline isn’t just about safety- it's about personal growth and character; suspensions don't result in either.  I’m glad that the Assistant Principal stepped in and with the Social Worker found a better solution than suspension. 

---

[i] http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2013/08/17_new_orleans_schools_no_long.html

 

[ii] For more information about zero tolerance policies in New Orleans’ public schools, see JJPL’s Suspension Matters series at http://jjpl.org/suspensions-matter/