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How to Create Better, Safer Learning Environments for Girls of Color

August 31, 2020 by The BELE Network

Rectifying exclusionary discipline practices in schools

By The BELE Network

In schools across the country, girls of color face some of the greatest barriers to educational opportunities. They are often disproportionately disciplined for subjective offenses like being “too loud,” “too assertive,” or “too adult-like.”

But these racial disparities in school discipline are not inevitable. The National Women’s Law Center and The Education Trust have created a guide to help school districts implement intentional and specific policy and financial decisions that can address the legacy of 400 years of systemic anti-Blackness and rectify disparate discipline practices that Black and brown girls are experiencing.

The guide features stories from Oakland, Chicago, and Massachusetts told through the voices of Latina and Black girls, as well as a checklist for policymakers, advocates, and school leaders interested in pushing these conversations in their own districts and states.

For more information, read the full report here. For just the actionable checklist, visit this link.

And for more information and resources on how to center equity and students this fall, check out our back to school guide here.

ABOUT THE EDUCATION TRUST

The Education Trust is a national nonprofit that works to close opportunity gaps that disproportionately affect students of color and students from low-income families. Through our research and advocacy, Ed Trust supports efforts that expand excellence and equity in education from preschool through college; increase college access and completion, particularly for historically underserved students; engage diverse communities dedicated to education equity; and increase political and public will to act on equity issues.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S LAW CENTER

The National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice — in the courts, in public policy, and in our society — working across the issues that are central to the lives of women and girls. We use the law in all its forms to change culture and drive solutions to the gender inequity that shapes our society and to break down the barriers that harm all of us — especially those who face multiple forms of discrimination. For more than 45 years, we have been on the leading edge of every major legal and policy victory for women.

Bringing Youth on-Board: Lessons Learned from the Boston Student Advisory Council

August 21, 2020 by The BELE Network

By the BELE Network

This is part two in a series that features the fearless young people, especially Black and Brown youth, who are reimagining schools as inclusive communities and advocating for equitable, anti-racist systems. During this period of dual crises, Covid-19 and systemic racism, it’s more important than ever to listen to our young people and actively partner with them to build truly equitable learning environments.

For this piece, we sat down with Khymani James, a student representative on the Boston Student Advisory Council, and the 2020–2021 student representative on the Boston School Committee, and Rachel Gunther, Associate Director of Youth on Board.

The education system might have been built for students, but because of factors like adultism or fear of change, adults have too often shut out the valuable voices and perspectives of students when making decisions that impact them. The BELE Framework holds that giving young people a say in what and how they learn is a prerequisite for culturally affirming and responsive classrooms.

Thankfully, this has begun to change over the past decade. More and more districts are seeking out youth perspectives and actively soliciting their feedback.

Among them, Boston Public Schools (BPS) is a model for what this two-way dialogue with students can look like and when students are intentionally integrated into decision making structures. In 2002, Youth on Board began working with the Boston School Committee to build out the Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC) and help connect the Committee with the students it serves.

Through a unique inside-outside partnership withYouth on Board, an organization that specializes in centering young people’s voices in decisions that affect their lives, BSAC began to work with BPS on implementing student-centric policies. To date, BSAC has developed and helped drive the passage of over 35 district-wide policies, including the Student to Teacher Constructive Feedback Policy, which allowed students to give teachers feedback on strengths and weaknesses through a Constructive Feedback Form developed by BSAC. Although it was originally unique to Boston, this initiative was adopted into law in Massachusetts and has gained support nationally after joint advocacy efforts by Youth on Board and BSAC. In addition, BSAC also provides ongoing trainings on adultism for school and district administrators, staff, teachers union members, coalition members, and the BPS school committee, so they can understand how their biases against youth might prevent them from engaging and partnering with youth in an impactful way.

This open channel of communication has been critical to designing BPS’ response to Covid-19 equitably. Currently, BPS is proposing hybrid days for students for the fall school year with an option to opt out in favor of a fully remote learning experience. However, students are not a monolith, and listening to diverse and numerous student voices to identify different needs is a critical part of designing an equitable response. Through their conversations with students, BPS found that many families lacked adequate access to wifi for remote learning. Student advocacy resulted in a partnership between BPS, the City of Boston, and Xfinity to provide wifi hotspots to those in need.

But it’s important to keep in mind that youth voice is not the same as youth power. Khymani and his counterparts across the country, in districts like the Los Angeles Unified School District, are not given the opportunity to cast actual votes in school board or committee decisions. Even as we begin normalizing having students at the table, we must also start thinking of them as not just advisors, but co-conspirators. Together, Youth on Board and BSAC have been working to grant student representatives voting power for over 10 years, and their hard work and persistence brings them closer to their goal than ever before.

Until that day, the Boston Student Advisory Council and Youth on Board will continue to work in partnership with Boston Public Schools to create more equitable learning environments, while advocating for student voting powers that may act as a model for districts everywhere

For more information on BSAC’s myriad of achievements since 2003, visit this page. Additionally, Youth on Board and BSAC have created a first-of-its-kind app outlining critical information about student rights. This app has been replicated by other organizations, and has been downloaded over 22,000 times. Learn more at http://www.bostonstudentrights.org/

Building Back Better: Ensuring Equitable Funding for the Students Who Need it Most

May 28, 2020 by Sara Gray Leave a Comment

[Cross-posted from the BELE Network Medium]

By Catherine Holahan & EducationCounsel

The K-12 public education system has a long way to go towards providing truly equitable student experiences and outcomes for students — ones that prepare them to thrive in school and beyond. We know that in order to create equitable learning environments we must aspire to a number of key characteristics for schools — including culturally affirming curriculums, safe and empowering climates, and flexible designs that meet the needs of all learners.

It is also well known that without resources that are adequate and distributed equitably, it is nearly impossible to achieve a quality learning experience for every child. Unfortunately, the reality of the public education system is that funding has long been tragically inequitable, with the schools serving high-need students often receiving the least funding.

Perhaps more so than ever before, budget priorities and the distribution of resources will dictate our experience in a post-COVID world, and our schools will certainly feel the ripple effects of diverted funding and restructured priorities. The way in which decision makers navigate this financial challenge will have a lasting impact on a generation of young people — particularly on those who have been least served by our education system to date.

There is no “one size fits all” solution that we can prescribe to address the impending challenges. There is only the broad truth that district and school budgets will be reduced come the new school year, and the impact will be different in each state depending on how state and local leaders have chosen to fund public education in the past and the choices they make in managing the COVID-19 crisis. To make matters worse, this is happening at a time when students need more, not less, from our schools. The COVID-19 crisis has increased the need for additional learning time, as well as increased mental and physical health support. The crisis is also serving to highlight and widen existing disparities, with students from low-income families more likely to experience lost learning time, food insecurity, or lack of access to the internet or devices for online learning.

Nonetheless, there are key themes that districts need to consider as they try to build back better for all students. We have to first recognize and stay ruthlessly focused on what is essential for student learning. Student learning is more than just a process where they show up in the morning, leave in the afternoon, and come away educated. It is a holistic experience that is shaped by their teachers, their opportunities, and their environments — so it is these areas that require our attention and resources to come back better and stronger after COVID-19. At the present, this means following the funding from the top down to ensure that funding at every level is targeted to ensure that schools are receiving the funding they need to meet the needs of every student, and particularly those students with the greatest needs.

The most important thing right now is to remember that without equitable funding, schools will not be able to provide equitable learning environments. It is critical that elected leaders and policymakers are intentionally viewing resource decisions through an equity lens, being mindful of the disproportionate impact their decisions could have on the most vulnerable communities and students. The realized impacts of these decisions could mean less money in communities who need it the most, and a lesser educational experience for a generation of young people.

We’ve already seen how funding decisions made in the past have resulted in disparities for students who need resources the most. As recently as 2019, 15 states had a regressive distribution of funding for schools with high rates of poverty — meaning that schools with lower rates of poverty got more money, and schools with higher rates of poverty got less money. Additionally, 17 states had a flat distribution of funding — meaning that all schools got the same amount of funding, regardless of income. This ignores the fundamental truth that high-poverty districts need greater funding to fill in resource gaps and equitably educate students. It’s inequitable decisions like these that are going to be not only laid bare by COVID-19, but have their effects exacerbated in the face of further budget shortfalls.

The Alliance for Resource Equity outlines this relationship in their Dimensions of Equity Framework , which shows how school funding is directly tied to other critical aspects of equitable learning environments, such as the quality and diversity of teaching, student supports, and learning-ready facilities. The reality that decision makers must acknowledge is that equity of per-pupil spending is directly tied and positively associated with student outcomes — through factors such as class sizes, higher teacher compensation and retention, and early childhood support.

As we make our way through an ambiguous and uncertain COVID-19 landscape, we must be mindful of how the actions taken now will affect our communities and students in the coming weeks, months, and years. After a rocky transition to distance learning and wide variation of student experiences across the country, students deserve to return to learning environments that are ready to support them both emotionally and academically. We cannot assume that these conditions will manifest on their own — it is the responsibility of those holding the levers of power to ensure they become a reality — and a first step is through ensuring adequate and equitable funding. Together, we can build back better and do right by a generation of students — but only if we keep these principles in mind now when it matters most.

EducationCounsel is a mission-based consulting organization that combines its significant experience in policy, strategy, law, and advocacy to develop and drive policy initiatives — on the local, state, and national levels — to work toward closing opportunity gaps and improving education outcomes for all students. Learn more about their work at EducationCounsel.com

Remote Learning with the Head and the Heart

May 21, 2020 by Sara Gray Leave a Comment

[Cross-posted from the BELE Network Medium]

By The BELE Network

Research shows social-emotional learning has a demonstrable effect on school climate, student behavior and academic performance. It is a growing priority for educators who are committed to creating equitable learning environments for every student. However, with most students learning through screens and at a distance, it can be difficult to figure out how to build and sustain the relationships that are so critical to student success.

Recently, the BARR Center, an education non-profit dedicated to creating equitable learning environments, was invited by Minnesota’s Commission of Education to share practical strategies and data that schools can use to incorporate more relationship building into their distance learning plans during their Professional Development days.

Core to BARR’S work is the knowledge that education requires both the head and the heart. Currently, BARR works in 170 schools in eighteen states plus the District of Columbia, impacting more than 100,000 students, especially students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. Their efforts to change teachers’ and students’ perceptions of themselves and each other has led to demonstrable positive outcomes, such as enhanced collaboration among teachers, more positive, intentional relationships between students and teachers, and improved academic achievement and graduation rates.

BARR educators and staff presented to more than 1,500 educators on best practices from Minnesota BARR schools around relationship-building during COVID-19 and how to enhance the three main relationships that BARR prioritizes:

Staff-to-staff
Staff-to-student
Student-to-student

The hour-long webinar also covered how technology could be used to engage students’ families, as well in their education.

For a recording of the Minnesota webinar, visit this link. The presentation deck and a one-pager are also available online.

Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) is a strengths-based model that provides schools with a comprehensive approach to meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of all students. Schools within the BARR Network harness the power of data and relationships to empower all students to thrive within and outside the classroom.

Designed by an educator, the BARR model is rooted in the belief that growth is possible and within reach for every school, with the same students and the same teachers.

The BELE Network is dedicated to reimagining our inequitable school system that has failed too many for too long, and is committed to transforming our classrooms into learning environments that nurture the intellectual, emotional and cultural growth of all students — especially students of color.

Learn more about BELE on our website, and access our resource library to make your learning environments more equitable.

Tips and Strategies to Support Undocumented Students Experiencing Homelessness

May 15, 2020 by Sara Gray Leave a Comment

[Cross-posted from the BELE Network Medium]

The BELE Network in partnership with Schoolhouse Connection

COVID-19 has disrupted the lives of millions of students across the country, but perhaps none feel this crisis as acutely as undocumented students experiencing homelessness, who may have difficulty accessing even the most rudimentary of safety nets. Thankfully, there are still plenty of folks on the front lines using proven strategies and tactics to ensure that they are getting the support that they need.

Schoolhouse Connection is one such group. As a non-profit working to overcome homelessness through education, they work to keep the needs of undocumented students in the spotlight. They recently led a webinar featuring a youth rights lawyer, a McKinney-Vento liaison, and a student with an immigrant background to highlight ways to support undocumented students and ensure that districts and schools are complying with McKinney-Vento. They have graciously allowed us to share a summary of it here.

The content of this post is adapted from a SchoolHouse Connection webinar led by Patricia Julianelle, Kathi Sheffel, and Mirka Mendez on April 28, 2020.

Before diving into the practical tips, it’s worth clarifying the rights of students experiencing homelessness.

What is the McKinney-Vento Act?

The McKinney-Vento Act is a federal law that ensures the right of students to go to school even when they are homeless or don’t have a permanent address. Children and youth who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence are covered under this act. The Act aims to reduce barriers that have prevented many homeless youth from enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school.

Identified McKinney-Vento students reported their nighttime accommodations as:

Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason (74%)
Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations (7%)
Living in emergency or transitional shelters (7%)
Living in a public or private place not designed for or regularly used as accommodations (e.g. cars, parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations etc.)
Substandard is defined by the status of its utilities, infestations, mold, or other dangers

Unaccompanied youth and migrant students living in these situations are eligible for McKinney-Vento.

What are the education-related rights of undocumented children and youth attending PreK-12?

All children and youth living in the United States have the right to attend and participate fully in public schools, no matter their immigration status.
Schools cannot ask about a student’s or family’s immigration status, or take any actions that could discourage students from seeking enrollment.
Schools cannot require Social Security numbers or immigration/citizenship documentation.
Schools cannot contact ICE or any other law enforcement officials about students or families who may be undocumented.
Undocumented children and youth living in the United States have the right to participate fully in schools, whether that’s joining clubs or playing school sports, regardless of their immigration status.
If the student is also McKinney-Vento eligible, the school must address barriers to full participation in school activities, including transportation. However, foreign travel as part of a school activity is not advisable.

Two Complicating Factors for Determining McKinney-Vento Eligibility for Undocumented Students

“Sponsors” for unaccompanied minors can run the gamut from a family member to a perfect stranger the youth has never met before.

If you’re working with a student who has been placed with a sponsor, that does not mean that they are in an adequate, fixed nighttime residence.
This should not be the primary line of questioning when trying to determine a student’s eligibility.
There is no legal obligation for sponsors to continue taking care of the child, and often, sponsor situations fall apart.

It may be difficult to navigate conversations aimed at determining a student’s eligibility for McKinney-Vento, especially when they and their families may or may not be undocumented.

Questions designed to determine eligibility may engender fear or nervousness in the student or family,
You must be careful about how you ask those questions, who’s asking them, and in what kind of an environment, but this is especially true for undocumented students.
Make sure that you preface your questions with a disclaimer like the one here: We’re going to be asking questions that probably sound personal, but we’re asking you to see if you’re eligible for a certain program. The information you share with me is only for me to know, and nobody else.

Strategies and Practical Tips from a School District — Kathi Sheffel, McKinney-Vento Liaison for Fairfax County Public Schools

When determining McKinney-Vento eligibility for potentially undocumented students, it’s important to make sure that the whole process remains integrated. If students have already shared their story with school registration folks, the MV liaison should focus on asking specific questions about housing and not reinterview the student and family.

With schools closed, it becomes more difficult to communicate with students and parents because schools generally serve as points of contact. Districts must be more mindful than ever about confidentiality and reaching out to parents or doing anything that might jeopardize their housing situation or require in-person visits. This warrants a more creative approach, using email, texting, and calling people on students’ emergency care card.

With COVID, outreach has to include both information about MV and assisting with basic needs, while doing a lot of listening and offering support as families try to navigate the situation.

Referring families to services is a priority, but make sure that they’re eligible for whatever you’re referring them to. Some programs are not eligible for families without documentation, so it’s important to be sensitive to this.

A Student’s Perspective — Mirka Mendez, Graduating senior at UT-Austin

When enrolling at school, undocumented students will be reluctant to share any personal information that could potentially prove their eligibility out of fear, but it’s important to let students know ASAP that the school is there to help them. If students are coming from other countries where schools are just an educational setting and nothing else, they may not be aware of how much support a school can offer.

Let students know early on that whatever information they share with a school is confidential.

Make sure that you share information with both the guardian and the student. In some cases, the legal guardian may not be in close contact with the student so they may miss out on critical information.

Additional Resources

Immigrant Students: How Schools Can Help in English and Spanish)
McKinney-Vento webinar in Spanish (including a student presenter)
Help for Immigrant Families: Guidance for Schools
Undocumented Student Tuition Overview
Know Your Rights in 8 languages: Here and here
“MigraWatch” hotline: 1–844–363–1423
National directory of free or low-cost immigration legal services providers
DACA renewals
Temporary Protected Status updates
Public charge rule

SchoolHouse Connection is a national non-profit organization working to overcome homelessness through education. They provide strategic advocacy and practical assistance in partnership with early childhood programs, schools, institutions of higher education, service providers, families, and youth. For more information about their work, visit www.schoolhouseconnection.org.

For more tools and resources on how to build equitable learning environments, visit the BELE Network’s Equitable Learning Library. To see where the BELE Network’s partners work, visit our map.

Eyes on the Horizon: K-12 Schools After COVID-19

May 14, 2020 by Sara Gray Leave a Comment

[Cross-posted from the BELE Network Medium]

The National Equity Project’s Hugh Vasquez challenges the status quo to explore what’s possible on the other side of the COVID-19 crisis

By The BELE Network

As COVID-19 sweeps the country creating massive uncertainty in its wake, our friends at the National Equity Project have maintained their devotion to an honest, clear-eyed assessment of where we are and where we could be. In his article What If… We Don’t Return to School as Usual, Hugh Vasquez dives into the long-term impacts that COVID-19 could have on our education system, as well as the opportunities it presents to transform that system for the better — if we are bold enough to take action now.

Hugh presents a variety of “what ifs” that defy the status quo and look towards a brighter, more equitable future for our students. He challenges his readers to overcome doubting thoughts of “oh, we can’t do that” and instead reframe them in terms of “but what if we did” to get a glimpse of what’s possible as we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis and re-enter a world of our own making. Read the full post here.

Hugh Vasquez is a Senior Associate at the National Equity Project who, since 2010, has developed and expanded their Leading for Equity work.

Learn more about BELE on our website, and access our resource library to make your learning environments more equitable.