visitacion valley middle school principalserendipity group dr madej

In my dream, I imagine that educators can become comfortable talking about race and how it informs the work of educating children. suggests that meditation might significantly improve childrens school performance and help close that gap. Given that the students in the study were performing below par at baseline, these results This article was amended on Wednesday 25 November to clarify that Visitacion Valley middle school funds Quiet Time mostly through private donations to CWAE. Even I, a black educator who has studied ethnic studies and critical race theory, still perpetuate tenets of White Supremacy Culture. Now, I have other principals asking me about Quiet Time. Parks near 132 Britton St include Crocker Amazon Playground, Visitacion Valley Greenway, and Bayview Park. SFUSD's Student Family School Resource Linksupports students and families innavigating all of the SFUSD resources available to them. David Lynch Foundation, involved introducing two 15-minute periods of quiet into the school day. Every day before class, Visitacion Valley Middle School students pass an informal memorial known as the "R.I.P. The announcement was made today during a surprise ceremony at Visitacion Valley. In the first year of Quiet Time meditation, suspensions at Visitacion Valley were reduced by 45%. This week's important updates are available! ODriscoll also says that leadership buy-in is essential for the programme to work as there needs to be support in terms of time and resourcing. Students meditating at Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School in San Francisco. The work of exploring White Supremacy Culture gave our staff a new framework to define our North Star, being an anti-racist school. 420 Harkness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134 | MLS #422713413 | Zillow By Owner New Construction These properties are currently listed for sale. In addition, Dierke said regular Quiet Time has also helped teachers relax. Like most groups of educators, we had spent a few years dancing around topics of racism and struggled to make lasting change. For the majority of urban students, drugs, gangs and violence are part of everyday life. This prompts staff to reflect and ultimately declare, I want to be an anti-racist teacher, but I dont exactly know how. This has the power to unite folks at the foundational level, setting the stage for deeper commitments to learning new strategies, practices, and routines. Visitacion Valley also got attention from actor Russell Brand, who visited the school just before Christmas on a trip sponsored by the David Lynch Foundation. Dierke, who has been principal at the school for 13 years, said things reached a turning point about five years ago. They are not guaranteed to be accurate, up to date . It is time that we detox and make the invisible visible. $1,041. June 4, 2021 Dear Visitacion Valley Middle School Community, I am deeply honored and excited to have the opportunity to serve as Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School. The letter is also available inChinese/andEspaol. Additionally, kids get to participate in fun activities, including recreation, cooking, dance, technology and leadership. Racial-equity work is like trying to defuse a bomb and cutting the wrong wire. The Visitacion Valley Middle School mission is to create, through transformative relationships, an inclusive and collaborative learning community that is relevant to the lives of ourstudents, families, and staff. Entire contents copyright 2023 Maharishi Foundation USA, a non-profit educational organization. This change comes at the cost of detaching ourselves from ourselves, which also is dehumanizing. The programme, introduced to all ages, sees students sit for 15 minutes of meditation twice a day. Also, our school is rich in ethnicity and culture. Callers can still leave a voicemail or send an email or request form at all hours. Students, families, and school staff can email requests to sflink@sfusd.edu,call 415-340-1716(M-F, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m., closed from 12 to 1 p.m. every day), or complete an online request form. Its important to note that these responses work to maintain current consciousness and white supremacy. For example, we looked at how our implicit bias when responding to student behavior leads to racially disproportionate discipline incidents and we organically identified restorative practices as a focus for the following year. 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. We might get verbal disagreements, but the kids are able to talk through it and move on instead of punching each other, says ODriscoll, adding that the last fist fight at the school was three years ago. Two controlled studies have been published so far; others are in submission Just meditate!. One of San Francisco's toughest schools transformed by the power of meditation Welcome to our new incoming 6th grade students! Thats amazing for an urban middle school, he said. Perhaps even more remarkable, last years California Healthy Kids Survey from the states education department found that students at Visitacion Valley middle school were the happiest in the whole of San Francisco. Yes, it is exhibited by leaders at all levels, including me. Before the students learn to meditate, the Quiet Time programme requires all staff to be trained in TM. In 2006 there were 38 killings in our neighbourhood, says Barry ODriscoll, the schools head of physical education (PE). Connection is first and foremost because this work is all about relationships - connecting with stakeholders, earning trust, and sharing in the decision making. Ka warbixi maqnaanshaha. WSC shuts down learning. At Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS), in the San Francisco Unified school district, our brave staff spent a majority of the 2018-19 school year unpacking White Supremacy Culture (WSC). This school used to be known as the fight school, he said. Anecdotally, favorable feedback poured in from both students and staff members. We provide opportunities and resources for all students to be successful. Surrounded by drugs and gang violence, the kids were stressed out and agitated. James Dierke, Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco, like so many thousands of principals and teachers who are working in inner-city schools throughout the US, knows how frustrating it can be trying to provide an education in Americas low income, high stress localities. We have seen attempts at creating buy-in fail for initiatives like ethnic studies, mastery-based grading, or project-based learning. By Joe Truss, the principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco and a leadership coach. Coming soon. 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. Visitacion Valley Middle School, Public District Grades 6-8; Revere (Paul) Elementary School, Public District Grades KG-8; . (Love, 2019) It is imperative that we examine these deeply held beliefsboth conscious and unconsciousto build on top of a new set of habits, behaviors, and systems. We are the operators of some piece of the education machine, and therefore, if we change our actions, we can change the larger system. Saratoga, California, United States. This is such a pattern in urban schools that researchers consider it a predictable outcome. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider regarding any medical condition. 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. Visitacion Valley Middle School is part of San Francisco Unified School District. This change comes at the cost of detaching ourselves from ourselves, which also is dehumanizing. This might include wanting to win an argument, not making space for others to talk, and rushing through meetings. They thought their classmates would be making fun of them, staring at them, maybe possibly even hitting them, he says. SFUSD annually surveys families and school staff on a range of school climate indicators that have been found to predict positive student academic achievement. Most definitely recommend this school to parents in the neighborhood with kids in Kinder-5th grade. We needed to go deeper than our previous conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion. provides quality after-school programming to children in the area. We saw kids with real post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. This has included making decisions about curriculum, school partnership, and hiring, without authentically involving teachers or students in the process. The school has something to offer everyone, from new programs of study and a variety of clubs to join. We are the operators of some piece of the education machine, and therefore, if we change our actions, we can change the larger system. Racial-equity leaders must be both intentional and responsive when doing this anti-racist work. Annual math and English scores improved in the students who meditated, while they declined in those who didnt meditate. They worked harder, paid more attention, were easier to teach and the number of fights fell dramatically.. This post originally appeared in KQED's MindShiftblog. 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. In my spare time, I enjoy camping and traveling. Visitacion Valley Middle (San Francisco) is a 06 to 08 grade school in San Francisco, and has made tremendous strides in improving the acceptance rate and education its students receive. At first glance, it might not appear the principal of the year would come out of Visitacion Valley. A lot has changed over this period, including three principals coming and going, but ODriscoll puts the turnaround down to the one constant: the calming influence of the meditation programme. One of San Francisco's toughest schools transformed by the power of meditation A pioneering programme has reduced stress and improved grades at Visitacion Valley middle school - with lessons other schools can learn from. 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. Otherwise, white fragility will shut the anti-racist party down; it's an equity consciousness buzz kill, for real. In 2007 a meditation programme called Quiet Time was brought in to meet some of these challenges. It would be nave to think that meditation alone could erase the effects of the many factors, like poverty, that are barriers to educational achievement. School communities gather twice a year to review data and previous actions in order to intentionally plan for the coming months. Discussing WSC gave us more impetus to make changes, because we now knew what was happening if we refused: microaggressions, dehumanization, widening the opportunity gap, and producing disproportionate outcomes. The trouble is we don't even see it. This is because we are starting with the branches of the tree instead of the roots. 3. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff. White Supremacy Culture is the silent killer flowing throughout classrooms and school hallways, like carbon monoxide gas. Homeowners' Insurance. (Dan Schreiber/The Examiner) In 2004, two students discovered the partially decomposed body of a 19-year-old stabbing victim. Speak with a TM teacher: 888-LEARN-TM (888-532-7686), Stanford research: TM is twice as effective, Reduced for adults, I was very reluctant when it first started, he said. We might also see students connecting their identities to their learning and applying it back to their communities to manifest social justice. The 1,233 sq. Quantum Physicist (16:40), By Mario Orsatti on 02/15/2012 Blog Home. Parks near 83 Ervine St include Visitacion Valley Greenway, Bayview Park, and Louis Sutter . Classes take place at students desks after the qualified TM teacher rings a bell. live well. Mr. Dierke wondered whether meditation might reduce students stress levels and help them learn. . When the bells sound twice a day at Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco, students who used to be too rowdy to even sit still close their eyes and spend 15 minutes clearing their minds. Therefore, unexamined behaviors of White Supremacy Culture are preventing students from being comfortable or supported enough to learn and flourish. 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. I got to sit right by him and the whole school meditated with him.. For instance, we might see folks making eye contact, leaning into conversations about racial identity, and asking probing questions. For example, pushing students to work independently or write before processing verbally can lead to stress and isolation. Nearly 90 percent of Visitacion Valleys students are classified by the district as socioeconomically disadvantaged and more than 40 percent are English Language Learners. The Visitacion Valley Middle school vision is that our students will strength their passion for learning, develop the skills to become empowered community members, and gain the knowledge to be ready for high school with a clear path to college, career, and future success. Our attendance is trending up significantly We used to have one of the highest suspension rates, now we have one of the lowest among all middle schools. On a personal note, I was born and raised in the midwest, but I have called San Francisco home for the last 13 years. What Is Critical Race Theory, and Why Is It Under Attack? We should be planning for the righteous rage of IBPOC (Indigenous Black People of Color), but 82 percent of our teaching force is white, so we will also plan for white fragility. Public, 6-8 Serves this home. *The name of one student has been changed. Education in collaboration with the San Francisco Unified School District research department, had more good news. But Quiet Time took years to develop. They simultaneously tell us that we are not good enough and keep us to the bottom rungs of racial hierarchy if we do not assimilate. $93. The most recentnewsletteris linked below in the Week 25 section and also in our Families section. That was crazy, Angelica, the student body president, said. 1. As a leader, I hold three core values close to me: connection, growth, and appreciation. At times, it appeared that we werent clearly aligned philosophically and did not have a focused call to action. In order to build this ideal structure, we must start at the base and engineer for equity. Thats what were gradually doing here., The payoff might be most evident in students like Angelica Mahinay, who says, Man, when I hear students getting an attitude, or theyre saying theyre going to fight, I say, Hey! Students straightened their backs and closed their eyes. Since beginning Quiet Time, Dierke said things have improved: Daily attendance last year was more than 98 percent, and there have been fewer suspensions and higher test scores. Ive found that it makes peoplestudents and teachersmore joyful, Dierke said, To have that time to reflect and be still is important.. To do this, we use diverse staff resources and improve student access to high quality programs during the school day and in after-school programs. This is because we are starting with the branches of the tree instead of the roots. Sometimes the whole school meets to meditate in assemblies. 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. As a result, staff were curious to take action to be anti-racist and promote a learning community that did the same. Visitacion Valley Middle School. 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. 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. An easy way to remember our website is to memorize our bit.ly URL! I get to school at 7 a.m. for softball practice. . As a result, staff were curious to take action to be anti-racist and promote a learning community that did the same. We needed to go deeper than our previous conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Here are two pitfalls to avoid. For students of color, characteristics of White Supremacy Culture similar to microaggressions hijack the amygdala. 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. At times, it appeared that we weren't clearly aligned philosophically and did not have a focused call to action. This includes emotions of fear, anger, and guilt, as well as actions of argumentation, silence, and withdrawal. Its origins are in the 1990s when two Silicon Valley investors Jeff Rice and Laurent Valosek developed a programme to teach meditation in public schools, inspired by the tragic Columbine high school massacre. The Rent Zestimate for this home is $3,399/mo, which has increased by $239/mo in the last 30 days. When the school year starts, students may use Student Portal Student Portal (StudentVUE)and families may use Family Portal (ParentVUE)to keep track of a student's attendance, assignments, and grades, and contact teachers. The success of some schools efforts Yes, this is built into our systems of power, structures, policies, and rules. Therefore, it was necessary to create shared understandings and subsequent commitments, which was facilitated by exploring a framework of White Supremacy Culture. As for getting the children to start. Real Options for City Kids (R.O.C.K.) James Dierke, principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco, California, has been named the 2008 MetLife / National Association of Secondary School Principals National Middle Level Principal of the Year. Further, we must look at how it has affected us and how we have perpetuated White Supremacy Culture. Consequently, all other cognitive functions such as learning, problem solving, or creative thinking stop, (Hammond, 2015) activating our fight, flight, or freeze response. Visitacion Valley Middle School provides quality education that prepares students for a fulfilling life in a global society. ft. home is a 2 bed, 1.0 bath property. Its very peaceful here now.. Principal Nearby Public Schools The nearest high school to Visitacion Valley Middle School is Burton (Phillip And Sala) Academic High School(0.6 miles away) The nearest middle school is Bayshore(0.6 miles away) Discussing WSC gave us more impetus to make changes, because we now knew what was happening if we refused: microaggressions, dehumanization, widening the opportunity gap, and producing disproportionate outcomes. Once white fragility is defined and debriefed amongst a team, we can begin to talk about racism, anti-racism, and White Supremacy Culture. Zestimate Home Value: $930,000. "He's like our own American Idol," Garcia said. 609-611 Naples Street is a 2-bed, 2-bath, 1,850 sqft multi-family home built in 1947. students who meditated showed a significant decrease in anxiety and a significant increase in resilience compared to nonmeditating students. increased attendance and increased academic performance. $1,862. A Bay Area native, Jill earned a master's degree in journalism at the University of Colorado, Boulder and a bachelor's degree from the UC Santa Barbara. The award, given by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, includes a $5,000 award for the school. The school faces declining enrollment, test scores that don't meet federal standards, teacher turnover, truancy and a high neighborhood crime rate. This requires dismantling White Supremacy Culture and building a new foundation for an anti-racist and empowering education. Teachers. As a leader, it is easy to hoard power, claim objectivity in decision making, or believe that there is only one way to fix education. We must name, define, and plan for white fragility, the defensive response by whites when discussing racism. Also, we might hear phrases like, That comment triggered me, it was a microaggression, I think we can do better for our Latinx students, or This is not consistent with our commitment to anti-racism. I imagine we might even see white folks redirecting their white colleagues and carrying their weight of racial conversations. It's important to note that these responses work to maintain current consciousness and white supremacy. 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. With after-school programs at both Visitacion Valley Middle School and El Dorado Elementary School, R.O.C.K. Thus, we are building a collective purpose and a commitment to learning. Principal Broker: William J Oliver. That funds four and a half (full-time equivalent) Quiet Time staff on site to teach the classes and support students. 379 Winding Way, San Francisco, CA 94112 is a single family home listed for sale at $1,280,000. Further, we must look at how it has affected us and how we have perpetuated White Supremacy Culture. Yes, this is built into our systems of power, structures, policies, and rules. Visitacion Valley Elementary School Unclaimed 55 Schwerin Street, San Francisco, CA 94134 Contact info Website 5 /10 GreatSchools Rating 3 reviews Public school 338 Students Grades K-5 Updates Compare 5 /10 GreatSchools Summary Rating 5/10 Test Scores average 6/10 Academic Progress average 4/10 Equity below average Last updated: Nov 18, 2022 Middle Schools Elementary Schools Fares The Free Muni for Youth Program provides San Francisco youth ages 5-18 with free Muni service, regardless of household income level. White Supremacy Culture. This has included making decisions about curriculum, school partnership, and hiring, without authentically involving teachers or students in the process. In 2008 Mr. Dierke was named MetLife/NASSP National Middle Level Principal of the Year. A major factor preventing underserved children from learning is the stress they encounter on a daily basis from factors like poverty, deprivation, lack of steady parental input, physical danger and constant Once Quiet Time started, she mellowed out and started getting along with people. Stacys academic performance has also improved shes in the top 5% of the class. The second pitfall I will offer is avoiding the tendency to externalize the work of dismantling White Supremacy Culture. Staff watch a clip about white fragility during a staff meeting (Courtesy of Joe Truss). "I think that it really means something - not only for me, but for my staff and for my kids - to have this recognition.". I saw this personally at VVMS, as situations got awkward, uncomfortable, and uncertain. 2023 San Francisco Unified School District, Week 25 newsletter in different languages, Week 24 newsletter in different languages, Week 21 newsletter in different languages. for publication. Now that the shock of reading these words has worn off, let's explore what it is and why we need to dedicate more time to exploring its dehumanizing effect in our schools. This took the form of discussions, watching short video clips, annotating readings, and doing some deep personal introspection. 1. At Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS), in the San Francisco Unified school district, our brave staff spent a majority of the 2018-19 school year unpacking White Supremacy Culture. 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. Get Well's Running email for practical tips, expert advice, exclusive content and a bit of motivation delivered to your inbox every week to help you on your running journey. Others rested them on the backs of their chairs. We must name, define, and plan for white fragility, the defensive response by whites when discussing racism. were the happiest in the whole of San Francisco, to more schools in the city introducing the programme, Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education, recommended the Department for Education designate three schools to pioneer mindfulness teaching, international lessons in education series. I noticed a lot of them missing school, fighting, and getting angry a lot. 3 Baths. This prompts staff to reflect and ultimately declare, "I want to be an anti-racist teacher, but I don't exactly know how." Beginning with the 1983-84 school year, Valley Middle School organized into interdisciplinary teams referred to as the Village System. Racial-equity leaders must be both intentional and responsive when doing this anti-racist work. in San Francisco. This pushed some folks to identify who they could be safe with, be it for comfort or growth. Of even greater interest, the increase in G.P.A. This took the form of discussions, watching short video clips, annotating readings, and doing some deep personal introspection. Historically, those predictions have been accurate. 2. San Francisco Unified School District ( SFUSD ), established in 1851, is the only public school district within the City and County of San Francisco, and the first in the state of California. Many have experienced the trauma of knowing someone who has been involved in a shooting or has personally witnessed gun violence. Please read our welcome letter! Ultimately, we are here to help students empower themselves through education. Principal & interest $1,163. Her work has generated changes to state law and spurred political and community action to address local needs. Before becoming the Assistant Principal at VVMS, I served as an Assistant Principal at two different elementary schools in Richmond, CA. 3D & VIDEO TOUR. We might also see students connecting their identities to their learning and applying it back to their communities to manifest social justice. Our courageous educators got personal, thinking about how White Supremacy Culture shows up in their personal lives and between colleagues. Visitacion Valley Middle School Catering to our kids grades 6-8. Photo at top courtesy of Joe Truss: VVMS staff match examples of White Supremacy Culture to the definition of each characteristic. The first pitfall is failing to scaffold for white privilege and white fragility. We have seen attempts at creating buy-in fail for initiatives like ethnic studies, mastery-based grading, or project-based learning. MLS # 423724059 Get the latest education news delivered to your inbox daily. For instance, we might see folks making eye contact, leaning into conversations about racial identity, and asking probing questions. Can You Safely Lose Weight While Breast-Feeding? Meditation, which is taught as part of the program, or engage in other quiet activities like silent reading. And thats one of the challenges., However, Swarana Patel, a teacher in a north London secondary school where behaviour is often an obstacle, can see the benefits of a more intensive programme like this. Lastly, this work connected well with our concurrent work of racial affinity groups, social-justice teaching, and revising our school mission statement. Public, 6-8 Serves this home. 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. 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. Very diverse community that is willing to go above and beyond to support students and their families. 5/28/2021. Quiet Time is just like an umbrella. Check out the 2022-23 academic calendar here. James Dierke, principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco: Principal James Dierke "When I arrived at this school thirteen years ago it had the highest absentee rate, the highest suspension rate, the highest teacher turnover rate, the lowest academic achievement rate. For a more complete list, see the 15 WSC characteristics from Tema Okun and Kenneth Jones in the 2001 Dismantling Racism Workbook. Grades: 6-8. In between, she spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer teaching English in Cape Verde, West Africa. . Known nationally for its innovative programs, teachers and students use technology, cross-curricular writing programs, and project- and standards-based instruction throughout the year. I also enjoy cooking (and eating) good food with family and friends. that teachers and students enjoy and which preliminary data suggest is effective. Further, staff moved to thinking about how our school practices perpetuate WSC and send negative messages to our students. I had never done meditation before, but now I do Quiet Time. Callers can still leave a voicemail or send an email or request form at all hours. By Kyle Palmer On a recent morning at Visitacion Valley Middle School in South San Francisco, Principal James Dierke looked out over the school's auditorium at more than 100 eighth graders.

London Luxury Heated Throw User Manual, Missouri High School Wrestling Records, Boeing St Louis Building 100, Articles V