Now our previous work on Culturally Responsive Teaching, use of rubrics, and adding student voice had a theoretical underpinning. The school faces declining enrollment, test scores that don't meet federal standards, teacher turnover, truancy and a high neighborhood crime rate. Please refer to legal details concerning copyright and trademark protection. Week 25 newsletter in different languages. By Joe Truss, the principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco and a leadership coach. 3. It is invisible and it is toxic. In 2007, James Dierke, then the principal of the Visitacion Valley Middle School in a troubled neighborhood in San Francisco, was determined to improve both the quality of education and student behavior in his school. SFUSD's Student Family School Resource Link supports students and families in navigating all of the SFUSD resources available to them. An easy way to remember our website is to memorize our bit.ly URL! 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. Lastly, this work connected well with our concurrent work of racial affinity groups, social-justice teaching, and revising our school mission statement. Don't be confused. White Supremacy Culture. Most of the students seemed disinterested in Dierkes announcements about the springs impending graduation, upcoming field trips, and recent birthdays. Besides dealing with problems outside school, Visitacion Valley faces challenges in school, too. We might also see students connecting their identities to their learning and applying it back to their communities to manifest social justice. Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco Unified school district (Courtesy of Joe Truss). that teachers and students enjoy and which preliminary data suggest is effective. These beliefs lead to actions that are dehumanizing to all races of people; however, they have a more drastic effect on indigenous, black, and people of color (IBPOC). The announcement was made today during a surprise ceremony at Visitacion Valley. 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. In recognition of the honor, Mayor Gavin Newsom declared Friday Jim Dierke Day in San Francisco. live well. 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. For a more complete list, see the 15 WSC characteristics from Tema Okun and Kenneth Jones in the 2001 Dismantling Racism Workbook. They are not guaranteed to be accurate, up to date . Visitacion Valley Middle Public 6-8 1971 Visitacion Ave. San Francisco, CA 94134-2700 (415) 469-4590 District: San Francisco Unified SchoolDigger Rank: 2320th of 2,740 California Middle Schools Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,103 Students who attend Visitacion Valley Middle usually attend: Feeder schools for Visitacion Valley Middle: For instance, we might see folks making eye contact, leaning into conversations about racial identity, and asking probing questions. It can result in white rage, broken relationships, grievances, and further harm to oppressed students. 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. This might include wanting to win an argument, not making space for others to talk, and rushing through meetings. Personal Commitment graphic organizer used in professional development (Courtesy of Joe Truss). This has included making decisions about curriculum, school partnership, and hiring, without authentically involving teachers or students in the process. Our kids are coming to school. I think its helped my golf game, too.. Beginning with the 1983-84 school year, Valley Middle School organized into interdisciplinary teams referred to as the Village System. To do it properly Visitacion Valley middle school made the day 30 minutes longer. She is a frequent guest on KQED's "Newroom" television show and "Forum" radio show. 1500 Visitacion Ave, San Francisco, CA is a single family home that contains 1,068 sq ft and was built in 1944. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff. 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. 322 Bayview Cir, San Francisco, CA, 94124 is a 1,317 sq. This took the form of discussions, watching short video clips, annotating readings, and doing some deep personal introspection. Yes, it is exhibited by leaders at all levels, including me. 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. The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition defines White Supremacy Culture as "the idea (ideology) that white people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of white people are superior to those of People of Color." The 1,233 sq. Its also important to start small. 2023 San Francisco Unified School District, I look forward to our partnership this upcoming school year and collaborating with all of you to support our brilliant students. After graduating from Seneca Valley in 1996, I e arned my bachelor's degree from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. In the first year of Quiet Time suspensions at Visitacion Valley which has 500 students aged 11-13 were reduced by 45% (pdf). Its very peaceful here now.. Her work has generated changes to state law and spurred political and community action to address local needs. The teacher has also seen dramatic transformations in his students. This has the power to unite folks at the foundational level, setting the stage for deeper commitments to learning new strategies, practices, and routines. In my dream, I imagine that Culturally Responsive Teaching, restorative practices, and deeper learning are all alive in classrooms across the United States. 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. Further, staff moved to thinking about how our school practices perpetuate WSC and send negative messages to our students. When the staff at Visitacion Valley Middle School explored White Supremacy Culture, it gave them a new framework to define their North Star: being an anti-racist school. Annual math and English scores improved in the students who meditated, while they declined in those who didnt meditate. 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. Welcome to our new incoming 6th grade students! In 2008 Mr. Dierke was named MetLife/NASSP 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. This post originally appeared in KQED's MindShiftblog. In the first year of Quiet Time meditation, suspensions at Visitacion Valley were reduced by 45%. Use the arrows to change between different dates on the calendar. (Dan Schreiber/The Examiner) In 2004, two students discovered the partially decomposed body of a 19-year-old stabbing victim. At times, it appeared that we weren't clearly aligned philosophically and did not have a focused call to action. We publish a weekly newsletter to keep parents informed, hold workshops, and offer many opportunities for parent communication and involvement. This leads to resistance or failure to follow through, maintaining a status quo of disproportionate outcomes for students based on race. In 2007, James Dierke, then the principal of the Visitacion Valley Middle School in a troubled neighborhood in San Francisco, was determined to improve both the quality of education and. This content is provided by our sponsor. Otherwise, white fragility will shut the anti-racist party down; its an equity consciousness buzz kill, for real. What Is Critical Race Theory, and Why Is It Under Attack? Monday - Thursday 3:15 p.m.; Program offered free of charge from end of school day until 6 p.m.; Saturday Field Trips and Summer Programs, Rosetta Stone (foreign language instruction), STEAM (science; technology; engineering; arts; mathematics). 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. Join us at this years SFUSD Virtual Enrollment Fair for Middle and High Schools, October 24-27, 2022! They are more motivated, more confident, more focused, more successful and more joyful. One day children came in to find three dead bodies dumped in the schoolyard. Call Us. Jill Tucker has covered education in California for 22 years, writing stories that range from issues facing Bay Area school districts to broader national policy debates. Distance: 1.7 mi. This can create power struggles, a learning opportunity gap, and as the scholar Monique Morris writes, students being pushed out of schools. So the privately funded non-profit Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education (CWAE) was set up. Racial-equity leaders must be both intentional and responsive when doing this anti-racist work. Which Type of Exercise Is Best for the Brain? My Only Regret Is That I Didnt Find This Practice Twenty Years Ago , Why I Learned Transcendental Meditation Three Years Ago And Why I Still Practice It , 6 Benefits Of Transcendental Meditation (And How You Can Get Started Today) , James Dierke, Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School, urban students, drugs, gangs and violence, Newly published research on the effect of the Quiet Time/Transcendental Meditation program, MetLife/NASSP National Middle Level Principal of the Year. 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. Now we can get to the work of promoting anti-racism, liberation, and achievement at our school, by looking through the lens of White Supremacy Culture. Racial-equity leaders must be both intentional and responsive when doing this anti-racist work. The work to address racism in schools has been called cultural competency, diversity training, and equity. The first pitfall is failing to scaffold for white privilege and white fragility. Check out the 2022-23 academic calendar here. With respect to race, the foundational issue is White Supremacy Culture, and we must attack the problem head on. Meditation, which is taught as part of the program, or engage in other quiet activities like silent reading. Visitacion Valley Middle SchoolHIGHLIGHTS 415-469-4590 Vis Valley MS 26.8 0.4 9.3 16.2 16.2 1.6 29.5 AA AI C F J K L ONW OW DS Percent of Enrollment Mr. James S. Dierke, Principal VVMS's Parent Representative/Liaison maintains an office within the main office. It is time that we detox and make the invisible visible. to meditation? But no one touched on the real problem stress.. NOTE: Due to late submission for 2021-22 school year data collection, schools in Texas and Washington were not included in this locator tool.To search for public . To our teachers and staff, joyful learning means that each student is able to maximize his/her abilities and be successful in learning through different learning methods. Real Options for City Kids (R.O.C.K.) This took the form of discussions, watching short video clips, annotating readings, and doing some deep personal introspection. The highlights are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Filipino, and Vietnamese. Visitacion Valley Middle School. In addition, we might see curricula that affirms and engages students of color and assessment practices that dismantle racial bias in standardized testing. Our courageous educators got personal, thinking about how White Supremacy Culture shows up in their personal lives and between colleagues. We needed to go deeper than our previous conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Angelica Mahinay, Visitacion Valleys 8thgrade student body president, said Quiet Time gives her more energy. For the majority of urban students, drugs, gangs and violence are part of everyday life. Students at Visitacion Valley School in South San Francisco observe 15 minutes of quiet time every morning. Down Payment . expanded to serve middle school children and grow with the kids it was already serving. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider regarding any medical condition. Nearby schools include Cleveland Elementary School, Visitacion Valley Middle School and Jordan (June) School For Equity. During those times, students could either practice Transcendental In their schools, the Quiet Time/Transcendental Meditation program is playing a key role in that breakthrough. This change comes at the cost of detaching ourselves from ourselves, which also is dehumanizing. For students of color, characteristics of White Supremacy Culture similar to microaggressions hijack the amygdala. Public, 6-8 Serves this home. Students at Visitacion Valley School in San Francisco meditate, as part of a program in which students meditate for fifteen minutes twice a day. 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. Specifically, this pushed on us to think about and change how we work together: We worked to create norms that encourage people of color and women to contribute, we shifted the relationship between teachers and administration so that teachers had more input in budget and hiring decisions, and finally, we adjusted the pace of our professional-development plans to emphasize quality over quantity. San Francisco Superintendent Carlos Garcia told Dierke's students Friday that their principal was chosen from among the thousands of middle school principals across the country. The programme, introduced to all ages, sees students sit for 15 minutes of meditation twice a day. I began my career in education in Richmond, CA. In 2006 there were 38 killings in our neighbourhood, says Barry ODriscoll, the schools head of physical education (PE). White Supremacy Culture. If I can be vulnerable and honest, white educators can and must do the same. Others rested them on the backs of their chairs. Even I, a black educator who has studied ethnic studies and critical race theory, still perpetuate tenets of White Supremacy Culture. Visitacion Valley Middle School basks in principal-of-year award, campusviolence03_005_cs.jpg 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. And just like that, a hush fell over the auditorium. This school used to be known as the fight school, he said. When I first heard about it I thought it probably wasnt going to work, says ODriscoll. Visitacion Valley Middle School. This article was amended on Wednesday 25 November to clarify that Visitacion Valley middle school funds Quiet Time mostly through private donations to CWAE. In my dream, I imagine that Culturally Responsive Teaching, restorative practices, and deeper learning are all alive in classrooms across the United States. Students at Visitacion Valley School in South San Francisco observe 15 minutes of quiet time every morning. The letter is also available inChinese/andEspaol. Sign up for a school tour at sfusd.edu/tours. Consequently, this allows for us to align our purpose with our pedagogy, curricula, policies, decisionmaking processes, and adult structures. C. Visitacion Valley Middle School is a public school located in SAN FRANCISCO, CA.