{"id":13592,"date":"2020-06-10T13:07:57","date_gmt":"2020-06-10T19:07:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/?p=13592"},"modified":"2020-06-10T13:07:57","modified_gmt":"2020-06-10T19:07:57","slug":"teachers-as-equity-partners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/2020\/06\/10\/teachers-as-equity-partners\/","title":{"rendered":"Teachers As Equity Partners"},"content":{"rendered":"

OUR VOICE COUNTS<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\"NUESTRAWe, the teachers of the Wood River High School Equity Task Force, are committed to confronting systemic inequalities and racism by taking action to ensure that ALL students have access and success in our school. We are learners and activists for our students and families of color. As such, we will be out on the streets, dropping a knee or raising a fist in support of Black Lives Matter and an end to brutality against people of color in this country.<\/p>\n

But protesting alone will not fix the systemic racism that is built into our institutions. It will take the conscious examination and reformation of systems at the local and state level to bring real change. Public schools are one of many places where bias has been built into our bureaucratic systems and is largely responsible for major inequalities in our nation and our Valley. All of this was highlighted in the COVID-19 health crisis when we discovered how truly divided our own community is with regard to access and resources to perform digital learning. While it is easy for some students and families to pivot and learn online, for many, not having reliable Internet, time or finances made that pivot nearly impossible.<\/p>\n

Last fall, 25 Wood River High School educators, supported by building and district administrators, began to examine our own school data regarding homework and grading policies, discipline and suspensions, course failures, AP\/honors participation rates, and gifted identification demographics. From there we identified areas where we could affect change within our school and began advocating for policies, practices and procedures to produce more equitable outcomes for students who are marginalized because of race, ethnicity, linguistic heritage, gender, sexuality, immigrant status, income, or (dis)ability. These decisions will be data- and research-driven and aim to elevate academic opportunities for all students. This is just the beginning and we know we cannot change overnight but we also know that our words are hollow if not followed by concrete action. We are not perfect but we are holding up a mirror and having hard discussions about race and our own biases in the classroom, school and community.<\/p>\n

Moving forward, we are focusing on dismantling tracking systems to engage all students in high levels of learning. We are evaluating the usefulness of homework and shifting our grading policies from punitive to proficiency focused, reflecting what students actually know and can do. We are working with LatinX community advocates to improve outreach to LatinX parents and families.<\/p>\n

We write this to inform you of the work that has already begun and to ask for your support in this work going forward. For some of you, this support may require you to listen more and say less to center new voices and ideas. For those of you who have felt excluded from our education system (as parents, students, former students, community members), we are sorry our system did not welcome you. We welcome you now and invite your feedback and suggestions to build a school system that supports and educates all of our children. We must change our systems so that all learn and thrive. Socially and economically, how can we survive as a community or as a nation if we don\u2019t?<\/p>\n

Sincerely,<\/p>\n

Sarah Allen<\/span><\/p>\n

Hillary Biggers<\/span><\/p>\n

Rhett Broderick<\/span><\/p>\n

Julie Carney<\/span><\/p>\n

Chris Cey<\/span><\/p>\n

Pamela Donoso<\/span><\/p>\n

James Foster<\/span><\/p>\n

Kathleen Gherman<\/span><\/p>\n

Summer Gilmore<\/span><\/p>\n

Julia Grafft<\/span><\/p>\n

Erika Greenberg<\/span><\/p>\n

Tristan Head<\/span><\/p>\n

Alex LaChance<\/span><\/p>\n

Eleanor Jewett<\/span><\/p>\n

Heidi Kaminski<\/span><\/p>\n

Amy McCabe<\/span><\/p>\n

Amy McGraw<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt Phillips<\/span><\/p>\n

John Radford<\/span><\/p>\n

Michel Sewell<\/span><\/p>\n

Kat Thorp<\/span><\/p>\n

Maritt Wolfrom<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan Worst<\/span><\/p>\n

Joel Zellers<\/span><\/p>\n

Eric Toshalis<\/span><\/p>\n

Nuestra Voz CuentA<\/b><\/p>\n

Nosotros, los maestros del Equipo de Educadores Luchando por la Igualdad de la escuela secundaria Wood River High School, estamos comprometidos a combatir las desigualdades y el racismo del sistema. Nosotros estamos tomando las medidas necesarias para asegurar que todos los estudiantes tengan acceso y \u00e9xito en nuestra escuela. Nosotros somos facilitadores y activistas de nuestros estudiantes y familias de color. Y es as\u00ed como nosotros saldremos a las calles, nos arrodillaremos y levantaremos el pu\u00f1o en apoyo por Las Vidas Afroamericanas Porque S\u00ed Importan; y as\u00ed terminar con la brutalidad que existe en contra de las personas de color en este pa\u00eds.<\/p>\n

Pero protestando solos no solucionar\u00e1 el racismo sistem\u00e1tico que se encuentra en nuestras instituciones. Lo \u00fanico que lograr\u00e1 un gran cambio definitivo ser\u00e1 una examinaci\u00f3n consiente y una reforma al sistema tanto a nivel local como estatal. Las escuelas p\u00fablicas es uno de los lugares en donde la discriminaci\u00f3n ha sido construida por nuestro sistema burocr\u00e1tico y es la responsable de la mayor inigualdad en nuestra naci\u00f3n y en nuestro valle. Todo esto se pudo evidenciar con la crisis sanitaria del Coronavirus-19. Descubrimos que realmente nuestra comunidad est\u00e1 dividida con respecto al acceso y los recursos para llevar a cabo el aprendizaje a distancia. Mientras que para algunos estudiantes y familias es f\u00e1cil proveer y aprender en l\u00ednea; para muchos otros fue casi imposible proveer una l\u00ednea de internet confiable y r\u00e1pida. Las familias y los estudiantes no ten\u00edan suficiente tiempo para enfocarse en los estudios; y adem\u00e1s, las finanzas fueron otro inconveniente.<\/p>\n

Durante el oto\u00f1o pasado, veinte cinco educadores de la escuela Wood River High School, apoyados por la administraci\u00f3n de la escuela y el distrito escolar, comenzaron a examinar las estad\u00edsticas de la escuela con respecto a las normas de tareas y calificaciones, disciplina y suspensiones, clases reprobadas, participaci\u00f3n en las clases avanzadas como AP\/Honor y la identificaci\u00f3n demogr\u00e1fica en el programa GIFTED para estudiantes sobresalientes. Nosotros identificamos diferentes \u00e1reas que se podr\u00edan cambiar y mejorar dentro de la escuela, para promover normas, pr\u00e1cticas y procedimientos con resultados m\u00e1s igualitarios para los estudiantes. Ya que algunos son marginalizados debido a su raza, etnicidad, herencia ling\u00fc\u00edstica, g\u00e9nero, sexualidad, estado migratorio, ingresos o discapacidad.\u00a0 <\/span>Las decisiones que tomaremos ser\u00e1n impulsadas\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>por estas estad\u00edsticas e investigaciones que estamos haciendo para promover oportunidades acad\u00e9micas para todos los estudiantes. Esto es s\u00f3lo el comienzo de nuestro aporte, y sabemos que no podemos cambiar esta situaci\u00f3n\u00a0 <\/span>de la noche a la ma\u00f1ana, pero tambi\u00e9n, sabemos que nuestras palabras ser\u00e1n\u00a0 <\/span>en vano, sino se contin\u00faan con acciones concretas.\u00a0 <\/span>No somos perfectos, pero nos estamos auto evaluando y teniendo bastantes conversaciones acerca del racismo y nuestros propios prejuicios en las clases, la escuela y la comunidad.<\/p>\n

Seguiremos enfoc\u00e1ndonos en eliminar las segregaciones que ocurren en las clases, de acuerdo a las habilidades de cada\u00a0 <\/span>estudiante,\u00a0 <\/span>para que as\u00ed \u00a0 <\/span>todos los estudiantes tengan la oportunidad de aprender a un nivel de aprendizaje m\u00e1s alto. Tambi\u00e9n, vamos a evaluar la funcionalidad de las tareas diarias y haremos cambios en las normas de evaluaci\u00f3n que pueden ser punitivas para as\u00ed incrementar el aprendizaje de los estudiantes; tambi\u00e9n, reflexionaremos\u00a0 <\/span>en lo que realmente saben y pueden hacer los estudiantes. Estamos trabajando con promotores de la comunidad LatinX para mejorar el acercamiento a las familias y padres LatinX.<\/p>\n

Escribimos \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>esta\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>carta \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>para \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>informarle \u00a0 <\/span>a\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>usted\u00a0 <\/span>del\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>trabajo que ya ha comenzado y pedirle su apoyo para continuar. Para alguno de ustedes este apoyo significar\u00e1 que deber\u00e1 escuchar y expresar su\u00a0 <\/span>voz e ideas. Para aquellos que se han sentido excluidos de nuestro sistema educativo, ya sea como padres, estudiantes, ex – estudiantes y miembros de la comunidad. Les pedimos disculpas si en nuestro sistema no se sintieron bienvenidos. Ahora, le damos la bienvenida y le invitamos a que nos entregue sus comentarios y sugerencias para construir un sistema educacional que apoye y eduque a todos nuestros ni\u00f1os.\u00a0 <\/span>Debemos cambiar nuestros sistemas para que todos los ni\u00f1os aprendan y progresen. \u00bfC\u00f3mo podemos sobrevivir econ\u00f3micamente y socialmente como comunidad o como naci\u00f3n, si no lo hacemos?<\/p>\n

Sinceramente,<\/span><\/p>\n

Sarah Allen<\/span><\/p>\n

Hillary Biggers<\/span><\/p>\n

Rhett Broderick<\/span><\/p>\n

Julie Carney<\/span><\/p>\n

Chris Cey<\/span><\/p>\n

Pamela Donoso<\/span><\/p>\n

James Foster<\/span><\/p>\n

Kathleen Gherman<\/span><\/p>\n

Summer Gilmore<\/span><\/p>\n

Julia Grafft<\/span><\/p>\n

Erika Greenberg<\/span><\/p>\n

Tristan Head<\/span><\/p>\n

Alex LaChance<\/span><\/p>\n

Eleanor Jewett<\/span><\/p>\n

Heidi Kaminski<\/span><\/p>\n

Amy McCabe<\/span><\/p>\n

Amy McGraw<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt Phillips<\/span><\/p>\n

John Radford<\/span><\/p>\n

Michel Sewell<\/span><\/p>\n

Kat Thorp<\/span><\/p>\n

Maritt Wolfrom<\/span><\/p>\n

Susan Worst<\/span><\/p>\n

Joel Zellers<\/span><\/p>\n

Eric Toshalis<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OUR VOICE COUNTS We, the teachers of the Wood River High School Equity Task Force, are committed to confronting systemic inequalities and racism by taking action to ensure that ALL students have access and success in our school. We are learners and activists for our students and families of color. As such, we will be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","_pvb_checkbox_block_on_post":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[93,38],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-13592","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-nuestra-voz-cuenta","7":"category-sponsored"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13592"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13592\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}