Description
In Field Guide #4 Planning Forward with Cultural Relevance in the Classroom, you will hear from education leaders, researchers, teachers, and families about the value of embracing the vibrant, diverse cultures of our communities in our classrooms.
DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
California Association of African-American Superintendents & Administrators (CAAASA)
Description
In Field Guide #8: Understanding the Most Critical Needs of Today’s African American Students (and Children from Other Communities of Color), you will hear from education leaders, researchers, teachers, and families about how educators can best meet the needs of African American students and other students of color given the historical and contemporary challenges they face.
DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
California Association of African-American Superintendents & Administrators (CAAASA)
DESCRIPTION
The San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) has created a suite of resources designed to help secondary students explore topics through text and talk. This learning path is an efficient avenue for educators to:
DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE)
RESOURCE TYPE
Courses/Learning Paths, Professional Learning, Resources
TYPE OF AUDIENCE
Site Administrator / Instructional Coach, Teacher
TOPIC AREA
Responsive Teaching & Learning
KEYWORDS
DESCRIPTION
This learning path includes five modules, each with a video, tools, and supporting documents. Developed by the California Labor Management Initiative (CA LMI), the modules provide an overview of the CA LMI, introduce three frameworks for labor-management collaboration, and present perspectives from statewide thought leaders and practitioners.
DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
California Labor Management Initiative
RESOURCE TYPE
Courses/Learning Paths
TYPE OF AUDIENCE
Board, Paraeducator, Site Administrator / Instructional Coach, Systems Leadership, Teacher
TOPIC AREA
Governance
KEYWORDS
Extraordinary levels of funding in the 2021-22 state budget require coordinated efforts to build capacity, develop programs, and facilitate communications across various California education systems. CCEE is providing technical assistance to ensure educational leaders have what they need to successfully access funds and implement programs to support all students. Below are a few examples of CCEE’s collaborative support for county offices of education and school districts across the state.
Collaborating with CCEE, Partnership for Children and Youth (PCY) has developed a variety of resources to support school districts as they plan for Summer 2022. Leaders can read about and see best practices for re-engagement, reconnection, and reimagined summer learning from Summer 2021. PCY is also offering a series of webinars to help districts “Make Your Summer Game Plan.” The first Summer Learning Roundtable provided K-12 leaders, educators, and community partners with new technical assistance opportunities, resources, and on-the-spot coaching on pressing challenges to get ready for Summer 2022. Missed it? Click here to access the archived session resources and to register for upcoming workshops!
CCEE is also partnering with Turnaround for Children to offer their Whole Child Design Series. Created using the Whole Child Design Principles, the series of four 2-hour workshops (1/18, 2/1, 2/15, 3/1 from 3:30-5:00 pm) includes support to understand and apply strategies to strengthen student engagement, and develop positive relationships, and create supportive environments. Representing a mix of curriculum and instruction, student support services, expanded learning providers, school leadership and teaching roles, district teams of 3 to 10 staff are currently being recruited. Learn with experts, access implementation resources, dialogue with colleagues, and receive two hours of technical assistance and consultation for each team. Interested? Email Katie Brackenridge ([email protected]) now to reserve space for your team!
Finally, CCEE is working with the Small School Districts Association (SSDA) to provide targeted technical assistance for the three largest state initiatives—the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, Universal Transitional Kindergarten, and the California Community Schools Partnership Program. On December 8, 2021, these initiatives were launched with a webinar, Transforming Education in CA: 2021 Budget Act Investments and Opportunities, which included strategies for how to implement and maximize the opportunities and resources for students, families, and communities in small and rural school agencies. Missed it? Click here to access the archived resources!
Author
Roni Jones, Ed.D., Assistant Director, System of Support, CCEE
Resources
Upcoming Webinars
Note: During CCEE’s Governing Board Meeting on December 2, 2021, Kaleena Fowler, who currently serves as a student board member in Mt. Diablo USD, shared her voice and thoughts on the road ahead for students. CCEE has been providing technical assistance support to Mt. Diablo USD since 2020.
This article was featured as part of the December 2021 edition of the CCEE Connection.
Could you introduce yourself?
Hi, my name is Kaleena Fowler. I am a senior at College Park High School and also the student board member for the Mount Diablo Unified School District this year (MDUSD). I am the president of the Black Student Union (BSU) at College Park for about two years now, and have worked with the Boys and Girls of Contra Costa County and the Yellow Heart Committee, both great non-profit organizations. I am also an active member of the California Student Board Member Association (CSBMA) serving as the Director of Partnerships on the Executive Board. CSBMA is a student-led association of school district Student Board Members from across California that works together to better represent their constituents, allow for statewide youth advocacy, and provide support in the effort to expand Student Board Members across the state. My passion is advocating and speaking up for underserved and underrepresented communities.
My role as the student board member is to represent all 30,000 students in the district. I speak for all the elementary, middle and high school students. I am at every board meeting, I sit with all the other governing members, and I stay as late as they do. My voting status is preferential, meaning my vote does not influence the outcome of policies being passed, but it does influence the other governing members’ votes. I think that having the student board member position being created last year was extremely beneficial because almost everything the board passes is for the students. Having a student voice on the committee to give that perspective that none of the other board members have is extremely crucial. For instance, I remember when the new technology plan, Chromebooks, were being implemented for all middle and high schools. I asked, “Where are the middle schoolers going to put their Chromebooks, since they do not have a locker? How are we going to ensure the integrity of the Chromebooks will stay safe?”
Could you share some of your experiences as a student board member?
As the student board member, I have got the Student Advisory Committee (SAC) up and running with the help of Cherise Khaund, the President of the MDUSD Governing Board. The SAC is basically a group of pupils, from each individual school, on their student site council. We come together once a month, and bring policies, solutions, input, and more to the board. I should also mention middle school students are a part of the committee as well, which is amazing! It’s great to hear their perspectives. The topics we are discussing this year are the availability of COVID vaccination sites, a district-wide event for each big club (BSU, GSA, Latino Club, Interact, etc.), diversifying the English curriculum and novels, and more.
Within the BSU, Dr. Clark, the superintendent of the district, has come to meetings. One last year, one this year. The previous meeting he came to, he talked about the Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) program in the district. He pointed out that this policy was made because the homeless, foster, and African American/Latinx population were being underserved in the district. He talked about the stakeholders meeting he had with the African American parents, and students in the BSU were beyond happy to hear this plan. During and after the meeting, many students expressed how grateful they are to have this plan in place.
I am also working with district representatives to diversify the novel list for the English curriculum. I want the students of color to connect with what they are learning in school, and I feel like we do not have enough of that in the district.
What do think students need the most right now?
In September, I had the opportunity to speak at the capitol, on behalf of the Boys and Girls Club and the Yellow Heart Committee, regarding how COVID-19 has impacted students’ mental health. It was a nerve-racking, but amazing experience. In my speech, I highlighted what students need right now is accommodation. Since they spent a whole year confined to little black boxes on a screen, they have forgotten how to sit in a classroom for hours. No one knows how to compromise with others anymore.
That is why the social emotional learning concept is so important during these times. Social-emotional learning (SEL) is a methodology that helps students of all ages to better comprehend their emotions, to feel those emotions fully, and demonstrate empathy for others.
MDUSD created a survey designed to address social-emotional areas of development for self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and decision-making. The survey is based on the CASEL (core competence areas and settings for learning) framework and is constructed from adapted survey items from peer-reviewed social and emotional research studies. All students in grades kindergarten and transitional kindergarten through grade twelve take the Social-Emotional Learning Survey. The survey is administered three times during the school year.
The suicide prevention workshops, school and community service, the social emotional education collaborative, mental health workshops, etc. are all amazing aspects of MDUSD.
What are your plans for the future?
In the future, I intend to go straight to a four-year college. I applied to a couple of Historically Black Colleges on the east coast, and many colleges in California. I will be studying political science, and then going to law school. I hope to become a human rights lawyer. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to share my experience. If you would like to contact me, my email is [email protected].
AUTHOR
Kaleena Fowler, Student Board Member, Mt. Diablo Unified School District
