Monthly Give and Take

 February is African American History Month   Click to Listen to the Podcast I don't even think about it. The color of my skin is the same as 73.3% of the students who attend GP schools and 81% of the staff who work in our schools. So, I don't even think about the color of my skin, and I often have a hard time conceptualizing what it must be like to live each day being reminded that my skin is different from most everyone else. I also don't know much about what it is like to be stereotyped just for looking different. Sure, as a white male, I know I walk into a room with various elements of privilege and people make assumptions about me without ever really knowing me. No one would ever know that I grew up a child of poverty which has created an interesting lens through which I view life. And, if most everyone is of the same race around me, why do we even need to talk about how skin color impacts us differently? Is it such a big deal? Well, it is if you are a person of color-...

Welcome to week four of our Diversity Celebration Month. If you have not read the January Blog,  here is the link  (this post will make much more sense after having read or listened to it first). And just to note, i f you are already incorporating these kinds of strategies--you are amazing and creating an inclusive and safe place for others. It also significantly increases a student's ability to comprehend the important content in our classes. Keep at it and be encouraged that this work helps our students to be the success that we know they can be--no matter what life throws at them. You are a difference-maker.   Here are week four's strategies for creating inclusivity in our schools: Attend to Healing The effects of oppression are complex and often hinder our ability to take action. Integrate ongoing healing processes when designing for equity. Why? As Adrienne Marie Brown says, “We all have the capacity to heal each other.” Equity work is challenging and emotional....

Welcome to week three of our Diversity Celebration Month. If you have not read the January Blog,  here is the link  (this post will make much more sense after having read or listened to it first). And just to note , i f you are already incorporating these kinds of strategies--you are amazing and are creating an inclusive and safe place for others. Inclusivity also significantly increases a student's ability to comprehend the important content in our classes. Keep at it and be encouraged that this work helps our students to be the success that we know they can be--no matter what life throws at them. You are a difference-maker. For those who are looking for Martin Luther King, Jr. resources, here is a pretty good K-12 set from NEA . Week Three Strategies For Creating Inclusivity In Our Schools: Practice Self-Awareness Who we are determines how we create and design our school environments. Looking in the “mirror” reveals what we see, how we relate, and how our perspecti...

Welcome to week two of our Diversity Celebration Month. If you have not read the January Blog, here is the link (this post will make much more sense after having read or listened to it first). And just to note, i f you are already incorporating these kinds of strategies--you are amazing and creating an inclusive and safe place for others. It also significantly increases a student's ability to comprehend the important content in our classes. Keep at it and be encouraged that this work helps our students to be the success that we know they can be--no matter what life throws at them. You are a difference-maker.    No Child Eats Alone Challenge Take a moment today and see how the students are doing. Are there any students eating or playing alone? Find ways to help all students participate in school and feel like they belong. Encourage other students to go make a new friend with one of the students who seem to always be on the edge of the playground, campus, or cafeteria. ...

January is D7 Diversity Month‒ No Child Eats Alone Click for Podcast version January is the official start to our equity work each year as a district and we are claiming January as our Diversity Celebration Month. Each week, there will be diversity ideas to share. Our first focus is what we are calling, “no child eats alone.” I think we can all relate to eating together and how that can bring us closer together. So, this is more than just eating lunch together, this is about our relationships with each other. This is to make sure that every student in our district feels like they belong.  Belonging vs. Fitting In For so many of our students, they are working hard each day to fit in. We know from the research and quite frankly, from our own experiences, how much harder it is to fit in than if you just belonged. For me, I think about when I was a freshman in high school. I can remember how I really struggled to be calm since each day seemed to bring with it so many unknowns–will I ...