In the introduction the authors listed many arguments for equity and arguments for inequity. Have you heard any of these in our district, our school, or our community that would help or hinder creating an equitable school?
The authors also called for teachers to have courage to follow a new paradigm. This new paradigm comes from three areas of research:
1. child development
2. neuroscience
3. environmental influences on child development and learning.
What stuck out for you in regard to this new paradigm? How does this shift make you react?
As I read through the arguments for inequality I think the one that might be hardest to combat is parent fear that his/her child might be left behind if we start to make changes. As parents our first priority is usually to make sure that our child is taken care of and is receiving everything s/he needs to succeed. Making big changes to how education is done may feel threatening to some parents.
ReplyDeleteAs for the paradigm, the child development and neuroscience makes a lot of sense to me. I feel that all of the work on growth mindset will definitely help move education towards this new paradigm. I have a harder time understanding how to address environmental influences. I am interested to see how the schools and districts in the book address this.
Moving towards new things can always be exciting, but it feels like a lot of work too. I would be lying if I said it didn't sound overwhelming.
I agree that getting parents to see that "We do well when we all do well" could be a big obstacle. I feel like our community trusts our school and our teachers to challenge our students and do what is best for each one academically. I wonder though about this same trust when it comes to resources. Every school in our district is so different, and I don't know if that same trust will be given if money and resources are given to other schools/programs and not staying withing that school.
DeleteEnvironmental factors are definitely harder to address as they are much larger than schools themselves. Will school systems have to trust that federal and state policies will eventually acknowledge how environment affects schools and children? Or will schools need to work against the views of government and communities?
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ReplyDeleteLibby, thank you for sharing your thoughts.
DeleteAs I read the intro I was reminded of why I became a teacher of students with special needs. When I started working with these children in 1977 there was not much equity provided for them at school. I am so pleased to see that in the last ten years that these students feel more accepted in the general classroom setting with new accommodations we can provide for them.
I wonder how much the public wants schools to become community centers where mental health and health agencies can join with schools to provide the extra support kids and families may need to overcome hardships. What role do parents want schools to play in their child’s upbringing?
Connie
Connie,
DeleteI agree that we have come a long way in regards to least restrictive environment and what special education looks like. You raise some great questions - do parents and communities really want to partner together with the idea that it will benefit society? Or will it be that it is the "school's job" to deal with these things alone? Do parents and the community understand the important of social/emotional health?
Connie,
DeleteWhen you talked about "community centers" it made me think of the work that is done in early childhood (infant-3 year olds). Instead of an IEP families receive an IFSP (family service plan) that addresses needs of the whole family. We might want to look at the work of these professionals as possible models for the future.
Reading through the introduction, makes my head spin...there are so many factors involved in supporting all students and their needs. I have seen district and community leaders try to provide resources for schools/families who lack necessary means to survive. It’s tough to compare the needs of a Title I school, to a higher SES school. Yes, there are needs at both schools, but the needs are very different. And, we as educators and parents, need to find a way of giving what we can to support children. Sometimes it’s overwhelming because there is so much. Where do we begin?
ReplyDeleteYet, as the introduction explained the theme of equity is “courage”. I agree, it takes monumental courage to shift equity without creating angst between the “haves” and “have-nots”. It takes courage to see all schools as schools of possibilities, rather than liabilities. It makes my head spin because this is a problem that is deeper than our schools, or our district. This is a systemic problem that is rooted in our society. To create a paradigm shift, people must see the need for change. Sadly, I don’t think everyone (in society) sees there is a need.
-Maria
Yes, it is overwhelming for sure. How can one teacher, or one school, or one district make a that big of an impact in the system? How do we get the message out to everyone that we all need to work together so everyone does well, and therefore, society as a whole will do well? I am hoping with all the talks of equity that are happening around the district, state, and other states, things will slowly begin to change. Change takes time, and I do believe it takes courage to stick with it even when these changes are small.
DeleteI agree with your thoughts, Maria. I believe working at Field,a Title I school taught me a lot about these factors. There were tough conversations had with a few parents that didn't believe in giving all students what they needed and that it took away from their own student. What we learn over time and in this chapter goes with the quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, "We do well when we all do well." The big question is how can we get the change moving at a pace where it can make an impact sooner than later? All students deserve to be celebrated as individuals and to have their needs met wherever they are in their development. If teachers ruled the world, things would look different, but we do have courage and that can take us places.
DeleteAs I read through the introduction, I feel excited yet overwhelmed. So much of what we do as educators is tied by policy, testing, and accountability to the standards. It is clear this not working and I wonder why we continue to the same thing. How do we move past the arguments for inequity with parents and policy holders and focus on the arguments for equity? These makes so much sense, yet are people willing to listen and focus on a new paradigm?
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of focusing on Child Development, Neuroscience, and Environmental influences. I wonder how we can do this in our building and what is outside of our control. I am excited to read more and see how the districts and schools in this book use Courageous Leadership to help drive the paradigm shift.
I definitely found a lot of places in the introduction where I wrote “YES!” in the margin. The new paradigm based on those 3 areas makes a lot of sense. Working with a wide variety of learners day in and day out, I see the huge variations in child development - which can be frustrating when the traditional schooling model assumes that “all children of the same age or grade should be able to acquire similar skills at a similar pace” (15). Similarly, the section on neuroscience reminded me of the recent buzzword “growth mindset,” and how much impact it can make when students (and teachers) view success as the result of hard work. While environmental factors seem overwhelming, the need to address them is clear. So none of these ideas seemed revolutionary to me in theory. I think people like us who are in the trenches every day with a wide variety of students might have more buy-in to this new paradigm. The challenge is how to honor child development, neuroscience, and environmental factors in the midst of a system (or even a culture?) of teacher/school accountability based on narrow standards and assessments - and the pressure and humiliation that comes with this “accountability.”
ReplyDeleteSo while I marked a lot of “YES!” in the margins, I also marked a lot of “HOW?” How do we personalize learning for our diverse learners in a way that efficient, effective, and equitable? How do we shift to this new paradigm when systems greater and more powerful than our own little classrooms remain fixed in a more rigid view of what success in a classroom looks like? I am hopeful that, as the authors keep alluding to, the upcoming chapters will reveal interventions, strategies, and ideas for us to consider in a more concrete and less theoretical way.
Sydney,
DeleteThe "How" is what gets me too. Teachers are expected to do so much, and in many schools teachers are still islands. I feel fortunate that we collaborate and share our students so much at Hopkins. The "How" is still overwhelming, but I believe that knowing we are there for each other and we aren't alone is a good first step.
There are so many topics and ideas that stood out for me, but I will narrow this response to one prevalent idea. I love how early on the authors stated a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt that I find personally and professionally very meaningful: "We do well when we all do well."
ReplyDeleteThe connection made to earlier policy change brought on by this idea of a collective commitment to "excellence through equity" was important to remember. It reminded me of how far we have come in addressing barriers to equity and how crucial it is to set new precedents for tearing down these barriers for all groups (even in the face of extreme political adversity). I thought it was good to see the example of President Johnson pushing to enact Title I as a component to his “war on poverty”, which was met with much political adversity, and yet he pushed on. This highly controversial legislation opened eyes and minds to the continued need for collective equity with the passing of further legislation that supported many other groups even beyond socioeconomic status (i.e. women, the disabled, etc.).
On p. 6 it stated, “societal progress is contingent upon expanding opportunities for all.” It went on to say, “the advancement of a small group cannot be achieved or sustained unless the larger population, including the most vulnerable, is allowed to share in the benefits.” I thought it was important that they included the word “sustained” alongside achievement. This is important because it cannot be considered true change and advancement if the ideas, practices and legislation does not account for long-term success. This, to me, is one of the biggest barriers to equity. When we start getting comfortable with the status quo and don’t continue pushing for better practices regardless of the current political climate. (Excuse me while I stand on a soapbox) Right now more than ever we need to be calling for this paradigm shift because there are people in power who are trying to undermine educational equity and align themselves with the idea that the disparity between groups is unchangeable and that we should lean into these differences (through building more figurative and literal walls) rather than trying to combat what could be causing them. I choose to follow the poised and thoughtful words of Michelle Obama, "You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it's important that you understand your experience in facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of you biggest advantages." Oh how I miss Michelle. Enacting change that benefits all is challenging because it is sometimes hard to see the possibilities rather than the past. Creating a more proactive educational system requires the forethought that it will work and is worth the work. I strongly agree with the idea that we shift away from the “one-size-fits-all factory model” as stated in the text and move to think more deeply about identifying barriers to equitable practices and moving to combat them. Opening up this conversation is definitely a step in the right direction!
I agree that helping all to see the possibilities when there is true equity is a challenge. We have to look beyond our children, our students, our school, and our district. When we start with the conversation of why and how creating equity in schools helps all students, and our whole community, we can move past discussion and into action.
DeleteAs many of you have already commented, one of the big ideas of the introduction that struck me the most is the theme of COURAGE. New learning for me that the root word "coeur" means heart. We all (educators, families, society) must have the courage to have our thinking challenged, our traditions challenged, and to embrace change.
ReplyDelete"Courage is the mother of all virtues because without it, you cannot consistently perform the others." Aristotle
I had many thoughts as I read through the intro of this text. One idea that stood out was on page 17 where it states, "researchers have shown that when students are encouraged to view academic success as a product of hard work rather than the outgrowth of natural intelligence, they are more likely to perform at higher levels." This was validating to read because I feel like the work we've been doing around growth mindset is on track. I feel encouraged that if we can together change our thinking about learning and achievement, students can make incredible growth. I think the key to this is giving students the control and power to change their own thinking. As educators we encourage kids and tell them "you can do this" and "I believe in you" all the time. But is that enough? Students need to have ownership over that belief for themselves. I still see kids who don't think they can find success because things are difficult for them. I want to continue to work to help them change their thinking. As I think about moving forward, I am at a place of pondering and asking myself questions about what I/we can do differently to support students in their road to truly have a growth mindset, rather than just throwing around the term as a buzz word. It comes back to the "how" that others have mentioned. I look forward to reading more...
ReplyDeleteThe second feeling I was overcome with while reading is gratitude. I know Hopkins is not perfect, but I am so thankful for the foundation of trust and collaboration we have as a staff. I recently visited another state and listened to a mom cry about her daughter's educational experience. It broke my heart the hear that this second grader does not feel seen or loved and she does not like school. How very grateful I am for the positive environment we have for kids where we are working hard to meet a wide variety of student needs. I am also thankful that we have "courage to act" and that the desire to do what's best for kids drives our focus, growth, and the decisions we make.
I also see kids who don't believe they can do things that are difficult. It makes me think that we need to address perseverance more, and teach kids how to be comfortable with struggling.
DeleteAs a team, we felt that the shift of paradigm is as a whole a thoughtful and positive shift. We left feeling very uncertain that this can actually happen--with so many challenges ahead of us. Shifting to learning communities focused on child development, environmental factors and neuroscience is certainly where we should be focusing. We know that NCLB goes against this shift because it is not about the kids-it is about the teachers. We need to always remember that to focus should always remain on the children and remember that all children learn differently.
ReplyDeleteWe would like to know hat next? How can we realistically get this shift in a world that is based on standardized tests and a "one size fits all" approach?
I agree that it is hard to move forward when so much emphasis is placed on standardized tests. It is my hope that we move towards performance-based assessment tasks that are mentioned in chapter 5.
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