The amount of trauma ICE is inflicting on kids

•  Last week, K-12 Dive looked at the trauma to children being caused by ICE. 
  

  “In many communities across the country, children are facing the terror of wondering if their parents will be there when they come home or be apprehended at school drop-offs,” she said.

  While the article goes on to talk about school districts setting up protocols and offer support for families, the real answer, of course, lies elsewhere.
  
  

• Among the responses is the walking school buses being set up in Washington, D.C. so that children may safely be escorted to school without their parents being endangered by taking them there. The Washington Post (that's a gift link) has a look at that today. 
  

  ...in this corner of Northwest Washington — home to families from El Salvador, Venezuela and Ethiopia — the news of arrest after arrest only seemed to create anxiety about heading outside. So families and their neighbors are working to create envelopes of safety.

The damage we're doing to kids due to ICE

 Three pieces of note on this: 

• Carrie Jung at WBUR spoke specifically with Massachusetts school districts about the damage that real and rumored ICE activity is having on children's access to education: 
  

  It's been an extra responsibility to provide emotional support to students and families impacted. A number of district heads in Massachusetts reported periodic dips in attendance as rumors of ICE activity swirled. 

  Noted there is both that chronic absenteeism is part of school district accountability and that students not enrolling drops a district's foundation budget, which can drop their state funding.
  
  

• The Boston Globe Magazine took an in-depth look at the children left behind after their parents are taken by ICE. 
  

  Children in these situations can be prone to anxiety and depression, says Charles A. Nelson III, a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital.
  Having an attachment figure suddenly vanish can be “really devastating to kids,” Nelson says, in part because they thrive on predictability and constancy. “When we say ‘taken away,’ there’s this mysterious black box that exists on the other side.”
  In interviews over the last several months, families across Massachusetts recounted how the lives of their children have been upended by these arrests. 

• In some cases across the country, ICE has taken students themselves. USA Today has some of their stories. 
  

  Martir is one of at least five children and teens who have been rounded up by ICE and deported from the United States with their parents since the start of Trump's second presidential term. Many won't return to their schools in the fall.

  "Martir’s absence rippled beyond the school walls, touching the hearts of neighbors and strangers alike, who united in a shared hope for his safe return," Sara Myers, a spokesperson for the Torrance Unified School District, told USA TODAY.

Board of Ed for December: Southbridge

 It has been a very long time since any of the receivers reported to the Board. Since this is literally the only public body to which they have any smidge of accountability at all, we're overdue. Southbridge has been in receivership since 2016.
This is Jeff Villar who has been in the position since 2018

"building capacity in Southbridge"
Bringing achievement levels to what students deserve
"has taught me some lessons"
"every year we go back to the drawing board"
"much like an elaborate sand castle" by November know if the plans are working
"building systems that will outlast all of us" will stand the test of time like the medieval castle
fill gaps in capacity with outside resources
multitiered systems of supports for children
schools are ecosystems; levels that have the greatest impact on ecosystem
improve systems around climate and culture
impact of what adults are doing differently
UConn supporting climate and culture work using PBIS across all schools
"use this work as an example of a scaffolding"
collection of classroom data
Hill for Literacy
Instruction Partners
Looney Math
Building data systems to inform what's going on with the district
"various dashboards that we now have for decision making in the district"
"I've had many meetings about how people feel and what people think...asking people 'well how do you know?' is a really important question"
Johnston praises him for having elementary schools open
"our teachers were amazing coming in to work every day, taking care of our kids"
"it's pretty difficult, because you have to set conditions where people are forced to go to work, essentially, because it's right for kids, and in our district, they did, and they did a great job"
"impact was tremendous"
this is your reminder that there so far has been no correlation found between in person instruction and student achievement
"it's amazing what you saw and what you dealt with"
90% high needs, huge instances of trauma in our young kids, and fighting in older kids
...which would also be trauma and it's troubling that he doesn't frame it that way?
added social workers, deans, assistant principals, after and before school programming
didn't have digital technology for three or four months at the beginning of the pandemic 
"staffing turnover has been dramatic since this"
"very difficult for teachers to go in every day...has made our hiring very difficult"
doing signing bonuses
thankful for funding
74% high needs to 90% high needs
"We have also seen the minority population shift dramatically"...it's essentially flipped
"particularly at the high school where our data are really bad"
student advocates: supporting student needs; advocating for students, helping solve school related issues; "jury's out" on this endeavor, not inexpensive
shift in grades over two quarters
"clearly the gold standard assessment are the MCAS results"
"I try to create an environment where we don't teach directly to a test but we teach quality curriculum that are standard based and aligned with state expectations"
cites some MCAS results
Middle school was considered biggest challenge across the district
"middle school can be a difficult time for children"
dramatic changes in climate and culture
says in 2018-19 school was "pretty chaotic" with 443 days of out of school suspension 
21-22 had 42 out of school suspensions, which he says is still too high, but says the school is "quiet and orderly"
this is my note that this only tells you specifically what it tells you, which is out of school suspensions; it does not tell you how the school feels or operates
teaching expectations around behavior; "suspension as a punishment is ineffectual"
cites as a challenge "declining local investment in the schools" as it has gone down every year since FY21
their school district used to be funded over net school spending and now they're "bumping up against the minimal."
I believe that I am in the position to say: yeah, it's tough, isn't it? 
"what we've got is increases in state funding but there isn't a local match"
need at least $28M in school renovations pre-pandemic
have an RFP out for an update "and hopefully seek some state funding for some major building repairs"
nope, sorry, there isn't state funding for that, just rebuilding or renovating
"that is an obstacle that is looming for us for sure"
"never before in my career have I faced a struggle like this to attract individuals to come and work in a district"
"what frustrates me is I have the ability to create a lot of positions and do things differently in a receivership model, but it is all about talent"
peaked at 77.8% retention, now have dropped off again to 65.8
that is really not good
it was 57.9% in 2019
bright spot to work with many local people; "19% of staff are Hispanic, more than doubling that rate"
have created different recognitions for staff
advancing coursework for staff
every Wednesday have professional development
Elevate K-12 "which is remote instruction into our high schools" as they don't have algebra and chemistry teachers; facilitator in the building, teacher is remote
"it is technically working" but not what students would have asked for

Moriarty: "we are in a way your school board, in a way"
seeing what looms large "exactly what I would have expected to see"
"incumbent on us to reflect on"

Lombos: what's the end game? What's success?
she says "after four years" though he hasn't been there for four years
"My job is to work myself out of a job"
people asked how long he'd be there "they'd had nine different people prior to me" of which at least three were the receivers or filling in as for the state
have moved to a discussion of "when will we end"
specific language about engaging with community leaders
say "we need to show on dramatic improvement on all the indicators"
except the state has shown no ability to do that
"not only to accomplish that...but to get some roots in there"
"our system has to be designed to meet their needs"

Hills: what are examples of things that are either easier or different as a receivership district?
Villar: not a job I would have taken as a superintendent
"I would have been fired twice maybe three times lately if I was just a local"
he talks about implementing curriculum
claims that not everyone believes as he does that kids can achieve
"some really complicated structures in place"
very real worry as superintendent worry over losing job
but it also means he doesn't have to take the district or community with him, and he isn't
Hills: early literacy
What resources might be needed? 
MCAS goals?
Villar: using local assessments; Dibels
takes teacher training in moving them forward on top of Dibels
MCAS is "a long term project"
"gold standard"
"need to grow that faster"
larger measure
need talent: "we need to be able to attract people, retain people"
I wonder if it occurs to anyone that the lack of retention might be due to the lack of working to bring community with him 

Plankey: my first full year of high school
perservance of district is really really admirable
student support: thought peer mentoring; thoughts on that?

Hills notes losing quorum shortly

Villar: not to the extent that we should
"we candidly need more student voice in our system"

Stewart: "you are the right person in the right time in the right place in Southbridge"
superintendents educating in the pandemic "said the same things"
they didn't, though
Stewart: this isn't the work of the schools alone

Hills gives Peyser the last word and invites him to gavel the meeting to a close
Peyser says a really important message to hear
And asks for a motion to adjourn

Worcester School Committee FY21 before the Worcester City Council

The Worcester Public School's bottom line is before the Worcester City Council tonight, which means it is time for two three reminders!

1. The Worcester City Council, under MGL Ch. 71, sec. 34:

shall vote on the total amount of the appropriations requested and shall not allocate appropriations among accounts or place any restrictions on such appropriations.

aka: no, the Council doesn't decide how the money gets spent.


2. The Worcester Public Schools are very much majority state funded:
   
   
   
   
   
3. The City of Worcester for FY21 is allocated $866,049 more than the required minimum contribution to the Worcester Public Schools.
   
   
   Given the FY21 Worcester Public Schools' foundation budget, that means the contribution is:
   
   0.17%
   

   over the required minimum contribution. 

posting as we go...

though I came in late because the echo was ridiculous

Colorio asks about added 70 positions

Allen notes "they're generally teacher or IA positions added through the budget

Colorio: can you explain the salary increases?

Allen: contractual salary increases: step increases

Colorio: will you see less students coming to schools

Binienda: guidance has not yet come out on that regarding if the remote learning or a hybrid model

so will still need the teachers; waiting for the guidance from the state, which will determine that

Colorio: don't you have an online learning for those who might be out sick

Binienda: no, they don't have an online learning program

Russell: survey of parents nationwide that a large percentage of them would do homeschooling rather than send students back

thinking about that as part of a Plan B at all? "Is it our job as a city just to be taking the guidance of the state?"

Binienda: homeschooling is very different, district doesn't get involved in this

which is not the question he has asked

The Commissioner has said districts will follow this guidance that is coming out

did recommend once the guidance comes out if they're planning on sending their students to schools or continuing with remote learning

"now that doesn't mean that we're held to that answer"

how many students are going to be present in school

guidance at this point is ten (12, I think) students on a bus; will need two nurses in a building (one for students with coronavirus, one of those without)

Russell: how many more buses do we need then?

"my math tells me that we need five times as many buses; is that right?"
Binienda: we'd be looking to make a plan

if only sixty percent of the kids are coming to school...

we'd be looking to 

Russell: if they stay home, are they homeschooling or are they still doing what they're doing now?

Binienda: they'd be remote learning

we'd have to see what the guidance is; "that would make a difference for us"

"going to spend all summer"

Russell: "do we need classrooms of a different size?"

Binienda: "I can't wait to see the new South High up..."

"we'd spread kids out throughout the building"

"it's not altering at all the structure of the school"

Russell: how have we done on the work on Worcester East Middle?

Allen: have replaced the boiler through MSBA, currently replacing the roof

MSBA said the school needs more work than an accelerated repair project; hopefully will be done as a core project

Russell: peeling paint and tarps?

Allen: providing a report

How it is that the councilors never notice that this would have anything to do with the Worcester Public Schools capital budget...

Mero-Carlson: budget is pre-COVID; how does that translate to that budget? Will this be sufficient?

Binienda: hoping for that extra funding to address some of the COVID-related challenges for us

hybrid or remote, need to be 1 on 1

some money for kids connectivity: hotspots

"we figured probably around $4M...just to be able to provide the online learning"

"we need PPEs" 

schools donated PPEs

said parents are going to be responsible for masks for children; district has to provide masks for adults

temperature taking for every students and adults

"even if 60% of students return to our large high schools"

temperature scans that go in the ceiling to scan large numbers of people

Allen: question is excellent; was prepared pre-COVID

"we don't know what the state revenues will look like, and we certainly don't know what education looks like in September"

but looking at different scenarios: hybrid, and reductions in state funding

Bergman: anticipation that students will have to provide their own

what happens if a child shows up without one: will one be provided "are there discipline consequences for that?"

Binienda: "of course there aren't any discipline consequences"

and she got really foggy here

Bergman: adaptations for snow days?

Binienda: had cancelled our snow days this year; but DESE had cancelled previously experimenting with that

Bergman: is that a requirement?

and her answer here that districts were doing different things, but that isn't why DESE decided on that

Bergman: WEMS: any thought on that?

Allen: after Burncoat

Bergman: did we have enough substitutes?

Binienda: yes I think she said?

Bergman: doesn't it make it a challenge? can't really predict numbers

Binienda: "it's kind of what we're doing now, though...had some savings on busing...those savings were hopeful for us, because we were able to purchase some things that were needed"

Bergman: has anything changed because the buses aren't used?

Allen: negotiated a lower rate; only 77% of the daily rate for continuity of service

agreement that they would pay their drivers to have available

used as well to transport people to the homeless sites

funding redirected back to Chromebooks

Bergman: is that in play again for the fall?

Allen: only through the end of the school year

Rose: as more kids have been home, lack of mandated reporters, dormant mental health issues, lack of access to clinicians, what money are being dedicated to trauma response?

Binienda: concerned about students who are taking a gap year

partnership with UMass Med on trauma partnership

"I feel like we're prepared for that"

have hired a clinical coordinator

Chromebooks to be used at home for connecting

Rose: money dedicated to cultural responsiveness training?

Binienda: have hired a consultant, doing in some of the schools will roll out to all the schools

Rose: lack of resources for PPE?

Binienda: a...buying club (?) a virus club? for supplies that the state is putting together

Rose: will we have cost savings if we don't open buildings; what will be what it is spent on?

Binienda: very few technology coaches

training for students and agencies 

mental health and support in that area

Rose: collaborative members getting same services

Binienda: have access to our remote learning "because it's on our website"

one district of the collaborative

Rivera: at subcommittee was brought up using the WRTA for more of our students

which means now it is time to link to this post

Binienda: provide bus tickets for after school 

Allen: much larger and longer conversation on that

"we have about 200,000 riders annually in the examples the superintendent just had"

Rivera: "I just feel like it's a good conversation to have"

Not having teachers equipped to this new technology: is this budget reflective of the adjustment we have to make?

McGovern says "normal wasn't that great" but how do we move forward

teachers and students and families

Binienda: have been preparing "for really great technology"

Google trainer "that is very well trained" and coaches "that are very well trained"

"some of these principals have really learned to use this technology"

"if I had to ask for anything more...we would ask to add four more technology coaches"

Rivera: "diversity is pretty much the same"

"when you look at the administration; you have an all white school committee...and the staffing chart is pretty much identical to last year"

criticism that there is a large population of that is not reflective of our community

...which she is comparing to last year...

Petty: why don't go over the programs you're running with Worcester State and such?

Binienda: "the only reason it's the same is we didn't add any positions; the same people are there"

600 instructional assistants in the Worcester Public Schools, many have been there a very long time

have instructional assistants working to get their degree

"even though the state decided not to go forward with the grant because they wanted to hire a consultant to look at that"

is this actually the case?

paying for a mentor for every four or five of our instructional assistants

Rivera: need people at the decision making level

Rosen: want to ask the superintendent about online and virtual learning

"I don't understand the quality of the online learning...were our teachers trained in this prior to the pandemic"

Binienda: "it was a challenge"

app for parents to use 

spent two weeks calling every family 

1400 families did not have any device but a cell phone

"we expected there would be more" there are many who report that there are

3500 families that do not have connectivity

"they took this on"

Rosen: "I'm guessing that some students if not many students can't learn" this way

"I doubt there are many students that learn more effectively online than they do in the classroom"

Binienda: nothing can compare to the classroom

sychronous and asychronous learning 

Rosen: "feel free to be concise in the answers"

Binienda: you can go on our website and see...she means the plans; he means the classes themselves

Rosen: if the administration of the schools could work with the WRTA, "I think they'd find it pretty good services if we could use the RTA"

trauma of COVID, certainly affects a family

have the parents been trained in teaching?

Binienda: homeschooling "is not a program we provide support for"

Rosen: so much in favor of having classes in the building

"have we considered double session?"

"four hours in the classroom is better than eight hours online"

Binienda "the Commissioner mentioned that was not a model he would be going for...not one he spoke highly of"

King: "very clear the issues related to social emotional learning is gaining so much traction"

Binienda: numbers of those who live in the city

King: sufficient to say that you do hire a number of city residents

WRTA idea:"do have concerns...child safety concerns...a number of young folks who get taking advantage of"

concerns about jobs: might be loss of jobs as it related to our residents

would make a motion that if we consider ramping things up that we make sure child safety concerns are addressed

ask about social emotional learning:

linking students to community resources, particularly during crisis

how are we measuring that efficacy? 

Binienda: adding a school wraparound

having meetings in schools about student social emotional learning

home visits are very difficult to do 

have to rely on teachers who see the kids; talking to parents and getting the support we need

King: our students in the collaborative: what oversight do you have

Binienda: chair of the collaborative board

King: do our Worcester kids have full access to our Chromebooks through the Worcester Public Schools budget?

Binienda: if it was on the IEP

we pay tuition, but then the collaborative staff decides what is recieved

King: diversifying staff: not really following why the Chief Diversity Officer didn't happen

planning and staff on chief diversity officer

Binienda: is currently the prinicipal of Chandler Magnet

"has very unique programs...would not have been appropriate to pull her out without a replacement"

then will be moving to central office

King: success of city and schools based on how we spend money

"and this Council does not write blank checks"

someone may want to look at the chart above

King: do you expect any issue with transportation to or from athletic events?

Binienda: waiting to see if there are any issues with athletics

but don't anticipate any issues with athletics

Allen: agree with the superintendent

Toomey: elaborate on school safety officer's involvement

Binienda: Title IX investigation

visits schools to see if there any issues: "if the doors won't close"

"some of the appeal hearings...the ones that he can do by law"

"really thank him for the work he's doing now...helping with the placement of the homeless at the shelters"

Toomey moves approval

and the line is unanimously approved.

Give grace

Bloodwort in bloom

In the days and weeks ahead, we expect to see the number of cases, the number of deaths, and the number of affected countries climb even higher.
WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction.
We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.
Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death.
Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by this virus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do. 

World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the COVID-19 media briefing on March 11

Content warning: coronavirus pandemic, death, trauma

Resources for supporting children emotionally

I just want to share this resource that came out from UMass Med yesterday on supporting children dealing with trauma:

Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, everyday life has changed and will continue to change for most people in the United States, often with little notice. Children may struggle with significant adjustments to their routines (e.g., schools and child care closures, social distancing, home confinement), which may interfere with their sense of structure, predictability, and security. Young people—even infants and toddlers—are keen observers of people and environments, and they notice and react to stress in their parents and other caregivers, peers, and community members. They may ask direct questions about what is happening now or what will happen in the future and may behave differently in reaction to strong feelings (e.g., fear, worry, sadness, anger) about the pandemic and related conditions. Children also may worry about their own safety and the safety of their loved ones, how they will get their basic needs met (e.g., food, shelter, clothing), and uncertainties for the future.

Worcester Public Schools Strategic Planning Public Session

Posting here from Doherty Memorial where we have maybe fifty people (of which maybe ten or fifteen are teachers? I think?). Offhand, I see John Monfredo and Dante Comparetto (both of next year's School Committee) and Matt Wally (incoming D5 City Councilor), a few principals...
I'm hearing the EAW moved the House of Delegates meeting here.
I'm also hearing that the agenda is 2/3rds being talked at, 1/3rd being listened to...

Worcester School Committee "Community and Schools Forum" at Worcester State

I'm blogging tonight from the "Community and Schools Forum" at Worcester State University tonight. It's co-sponsored by the Latino Education Institute, Adelante, CENTRO, Southeast Asian Coalition, and African Community Education. This is a good one, because Worcester is a majority children of color system; the stats for last year are: 

Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity (2016-17)
Race	% of District	% of State
African American	15.4	8.9
Asian	7.4	6.7
Hispanic	41.8	19.4
Native American	0.2	0.2
White	31.1	61.3
Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander	0.0	0.1
Multi-Race, Non-Hispanic	4.1	3.4

Worcester has--and will continue to have, regardless of the results of the November election--an entirely white school committee.