Thirteen Action Ideas from the First Three Study Circles as presented 03/02/03 Action Forum (extremely limited notes by Alisa Brewer)
Family-School Communication
- Include guidance counselor writings in newsletter
- Continue to utilize High School Parent Center newsletter
- Takes a Village concept
Responding to Incidents of Racism/Bias or the Exercise of White Privilege
- Communication with staff of color
- Kids of color suspension rates
- Incorporate High School Diversity Committee, but remain independent of superintendent hierarchy
- Formalize a grievance process and track grievances
Racism & Classism & War
- Not an anti-war group
- “Other” people
- Forum as a way of talking about the messages of non-violence while in a war
Class & Classism
- Overlap with racism
- Lack of vocabulary for class, e.g., socioeconomic status, poverty
- Get data on success of low income students, could use free and reduced lunch
Learning Groups
- What is meaning of black, minority, person of color, white privilege, disability?
Curriculum
- Abandon Eurocentric curriculum
- Festival and holiday focus is limiting
- Personal relationship to race, class, culture
- Identify ways to support teachers already doing it
- Look at the structures that reinforce the hierarchy
- Intent of multicultural courses
School Culture and Climate
Leadership
- Deep personal and professional understanding
- Hire and retain African Americans and Latino
- Principals ready for real paradigm shift
- Way to help candidate and support once hired
Policies and Procedures
- Conflicts and grievances
- Conflict resolution and mutual respect
- Mediation board
- Task force on policy review
- Code decided for Northampton High School – visible to all
Ice Breakers
- See people in classes for weeks, but may only end up speaking to borrow a pencil
- Each person’s experience in the culture would be a normal thing to share in the first few days
- Parent open house each term
- More opportunities to celebrate the academic achievement of others
Mentorship Program
- Experience new interests and venues
- Connections, with so many college students in area
- Expose students to the benefits of higher education
- Greater choices for learning
- High School could mentor middle school, middle school to elementary school
Dialogue for Parents
- Hunger for structure to understand
- Parents have little experience of our rich cultural environment
Segregation of Advanced Classes (actually I didn’t note the idea title)
- Honors and AP segregation concerns
- Consider using the English department model
- Pilot honors and non-honors work within the same class
These notes reflect the initial presentations. By the end of the evening, some combined groups had formed.
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