After School Program at Visitacion Valley Middle School As the elementary programs established themselves and became more successful, R.O.C.K. It has 358 students in grades 6-8 with a student-teacher ratio of 13 to 1. This is true for our staff as well, contributing to racial fatigue and staff sustainability for IBPOC. His school, along with other urban middle schools in low income neighborhoods, is in the midst of a battlea battle against the predictive power of demographics. For instance, we might see folks making eye contact, leaning into conversations about racial identity, and asking probing questions. 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. 1971 Visitacion Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94134, We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school starting. WSC dehumanizes people of color. It contains 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. Therefore, unexamined behaviors of White Supremacy Culture are preventing students from being comfortable or supported enough to learn and flourish. Nearly 90 percent of Visitacion Valleys students are classified by the district as socioeconomically disadvantaged and more than 40 percent are English Language Learners. This can create power struggles, a learning opportunity gap, and as the scholar Monique Morris writes, students being pushed out of schools. . 82616 to call in a student absence. Dierke, who has been principal at the school for 13 years, said things reached a turning point about five years ago. (DiAngelo, 2018). But adopting the programme isnt without its challenges. Nov 2020 - Present2 years 4 months. Even I, a black educator who has studied ethnic studies and critical race theory, still perpetuate tenets of White Supremacy Culture. Sign up for the Well Family newsletter to get the latest news on parenting, child health and relationships with advice from our experts to help every family Before the students learn to meditate, the Quiet Time programme requires all staff to be trained in TM. White Supremacy Culture. In between, she spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer teaching English in Cape Verde, West Africa. This content is provided by our sponsor. Due to stereotype threat, this is especially problematic when students of color are a numerical minority in a classroom or school. Two controlled studies have been published so far; others are in submission . The first pitfall is failing to scaffold for white privilege and white fragility. They thought their classmates would be making fun of them, staring at them, maybe possibly even hitting them, he says. Teacher Phil Yordy, left, works with freshman Derek Shallow, 15, right, during an after school mentoring program at Oregon High School in Oregon, Ill., in February. In 2007 a meditation programme called Quiet Time was brought in to meet some of these challenges. But now I meditate twice a day, and I do it at home. And although this program has focused on schools in low-income areas, adolescents from middle-class and affluent families could benefit from stress reduction as well. Finally, this work is some of the most challenging, but rewarding work there is. Showing appreciation for things big and small, matters. But this messy middle is precisely when we need to stay curious, be vulnerable, and innovative. 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. Principal 9 . Also, our school is rich in ethnicity and culture. We were looking for a way to get kids to relax, he said. The Rent Zestimate for this home is $3,399/mo, which has increased by $239/mo in the last 30 days. Her work has generated changes to state law and spurred political and community action to address local needs. The UK has already started experimenting with meditation: 400 secondary schools offer programmes like the Dot B mindfulness meditation programme, which tends to take place once a week in personal, social, health education (PSHE) class. 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. 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. 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. 2. It is imperative that we examine our actions to see if they are further harming students of color, disempowering them, and creating a psychologically hostile learning environment. David Lynch Foundation, involved introducing two 15-minute periods of quiet into the school day. Consequently, this allows for us to align our purpose with our pedagogy, curricula, policies, decision making processes, and adult structures. Staff watch a clip about white fragility during a staff meeting (Courtesy of Joe Truss). Later that year, a gunman brazenly stormed into the school, threatened to kill a teacher and robbed two employees. 2023 Editorial Projects in Education, Inc. I look forward to our partnership this upcoming school year and collaborating with all of you to support our brilliant students. Annual math and English scores improved in the students who meditated, while they declined in those who didnt meditate. What Happened When My School Started to Dismantle White Supremacy Culture, The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition. Call Us. Students then repeat a personal mantra (a word from Sanskrit, the ancient Indian language) in their heads until they reach a deep feeling of relaxation. Some bowed their heads. Chris Stewart / The Chronicle Visitation Valley Middle School, campus violence MANDATORY CREDIT FOR PHOTOG AND SF CHRONICLE/NO SALES-MAGS OUT, No seriously, dont drive up to Tahoe this weekend, Horoscope for Friday, 3/03/23 by Christopher Renstrom, Horoscope for Saturday, 3/04/23 by Christopher Renstrom, Snowboarder dies at Tahoe ski resort following historic blizzard, Wife of Jeffrey Vandergrift issues somber update, Oakland ransomware attackers leak 'confidential' data, Mochi muffin bakery closes SF cafe after just 4 months, Even Salesforces tower HQ isnt safe from office cuts, The Warriors broke Russell Westbrook, just like old times, The best fried chicken is at a San Francisco strip club, National Association of Secondary School Principals, You can still overpack the smaller Monos check-in suitcase, In search of vegan food, I found a world-class Mendocino inn, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). When Dierke took the helm of Visitacion Valley in 1999, it was the lowest-performing of San Francisco's 18 public middle schools on the state's Academic Performance Index; now the school ranks 10th. Property has a great layout with large kitchen, formal dining room, living room and decent size bedrooms. White Supremacy Culture. That was crazy, Angelica, the student body president, said. I think its helped my golf game, too.. The second pitfall I will offer is avoiding the tendency to externalize the work of dismantling White Supremacy Culture. They are not guaranteed to be accurate, up to date . Which Type of Exercise Is Best for the Brain? For over 10 years, Visitacion Valley Middle School has been utilizing Transcendental Meditation to help students address stress and improve focus. 1500 Visitacion Ave, San Francisco, CA is a single family home that contains 1,068 sq ft and was built in 1944. In my dream, I imagine that educators can become comfortable talking about race and how it informs the work of educating children. In my dream, I imagine that Culturally Responsive Teaching, restorative practices, and deeper learning are all alive in classrooms across the United States. Many have experienced the trauma of knowing someone who has been involved in a shooting or has personally witnessed gun violence. In order to build this ideal structure, we must start at the base and engineer for equity. It can result in white rage, broken relationships, grievances, and further harm to oppressed students. 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. Places. This took the form of discussions, watching short video clips, annotating readings, and doing some deep personal introspection. Sometimes the whole school meets to meditate in assemblies. Start with one class or year and let it grow from there.. Anther example might be superficially speeding through content or discouraging interruptions for questions. Those selecting Dierke for the honor noted how a gunman entered the school, threatening teachers and students in 2004. However, when we name oppression, racism, and more explicitly White Supremacy Culture, folks have to determine where they stand, what they value, and why they work in education. Visitacion Valley Middle School, Public District Grades 6-8; Revere (Paul) Elementary School, Public District Grades KG-8; . The first pitfall is failing to scaffold for white privilege and white fragility. This work has gotten co-opted and watered down, leading to many people talking the talk, without much walk. live well. As a result, staff were curious to take action to be anti-racist and promote a learning community that did the same. We work hard to create a positive school climate where students are recognized for their growth. They couldnt concentrate on school.. Dr. Bettina Love writes in her book, We Want to Do More Than Survive, "To even begin to attack our destructive and punitive educational system, pedagogies that promote social justice must help educators understand and recognize America and its schools as spaces of Whiteness, White rage, and White Supremacy, all of which function to terrorize students of color." And our teacher turnover and absenteeism is almost zero.. 3D & VIDEO TOUR. We are continually navigating the phases of a call out to call in culture with each other.. At VVMS, we were able to get past defensiveness and excuses and get to the heart of the matter. Please refer to legal details concerning copyright and trademark protection. Consequently, "all other cognitive functions such as learning, problem solving, or creative thinking stop," (Hammond, 2015) activating our fight, flight, or freeze response. What Happened When My School Started to Dismantle White Supremacy Culture, The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition, http://culturallyresponsiveleadership.com/. I began my career in education in Richmond, CA. One of San Francisco's toughest schools transformed by the power of meditation Visitacion Valley Middle SchoolHIGHLIGHTS 415-469-4590 Vis Valley MS 26.8 0.4 9.3 16.2 16.2 1.6 29.5 AA AI C F J K L ONW OW DS Percent of Enrollment Mr. James S. Dierke, Principal VVMS's Parent Representative/Liaison maintains an office within the main office. The entire schoolfaculty, staff, and studentsspend the first and last 15 minutes of every day in silence. Specifically, we must look at how it shows up in our own lives, in our personal relationships, in between school staff, and in our histories. Please refer to legal details concerning copyright and trademark protection. According to state test scores, 12% of students are at least proficient in math and 26% in reading. If I can be vulnerable and honest, white educators can and must do the same. 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. School communities gather twice a year to review data and previous actions in order to intentionally plan for the coming months. Consequently, all other cognitive functions such as learning, problem solving, or creative thinking stop, (Hammond, 2015) activating our fight, flight, or freeze response. Students at Visitacion Valley School in South San Francisco observe 15 minutes of quiet time every morning. The work of exploring White Supremacy Culture gave our staff a new framework to define our North Star, being an anti-racist school. Find COVID-19 testing, vaccine, and daily health screening information. Visitacion Valley Middle School. . 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. This has included making decisions about curriculum, school partnership, and hiring, without authentically involving teachers or students in the process. A restless din filled the large room. Our school commits to delivering high quality educational program that addresses individual needs. David Lynch Foundation (20:44), John Hagelin, PhD This change comes at the cost of detaching ourselves from ourselves, which also is dehumanizing. - Managed relationships and contracts with principals and key staff at our 3 middle schools. Ultimately, we are here to help students empower themselves through education. They worked harder, paid more attention, were easier to teach and the number of fights fell dramatically..
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