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Abe - Tualatin, Oregon (that's my high school)

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Abe - Tualatin, Oregon (that's my high school)

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Molly - Brockton High School (Brockton, MA)

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Molly - Brockton High School (Brockton, MA)

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Milenly-San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Bx, NYC - Leah

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Ethan - Cherry Hill, NJ - First indoor mall in America : - (

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Ethan - Cherry Hill, NJ - First indoor mall in America : - (

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Not very familiar, to be honest. I walk through the neighborhood from the train to the school, but otherwise I don't spend much time there. I know some things I've learned from my students, and I know the stereotypes/reactions I hear when I tell people where I work.

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To Grow...
...as a professional
...as a community
...as a person

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Abolishing standardized testing

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Drew Wiza -  A tough question to answer. I've been all over. Started in the midwest though.

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Drew Wiza -  A tough question to answer. I've been all over. Started in the midwest though.

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Born and raised :)

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This is a huge space for me to grow in my practice. I walk from the train to school, around the park, but I've done a really poor job of establishing local connections outside of 1-2 local organizations.

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Ken- I love to hear student’s perspectives on issues and have them discuss various ideas/concepts.

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It's inspiring to see young people mature before you eyes . I feel privileged to be a part of their journey into adulthood. 

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It's inspiring to see young people mature before you eyes . I feel privileged to be a part of their journey into adulthood. 

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Watching their growth

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The flexibility - in the schedule, in our ability to teach what we believe students need, and what they ask to learn.

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Acceptance of self without judgement and curiosity and enthusiasm for learning

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Their resiliency is amazing! It is incredible how much I actually learn from each of them

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Aidan - Pelham Bay (my local track growing up) then high school in Yorktown, NY

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To learn how I can better myself as an educator and as a person in the lives of my students and colleagues

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Speaking from the DOE side, administration is supportive of new ideas and initiatives and they don't get in the way of teachers doing their jobs.  They understand the importance of our personal mental health to be able to  tend to the needs of the students.

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Restorative justice instead of suspending students.

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Restorative justice instead of suspending students.

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To listen.
To Learn.

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Hometown advantage.. Currently live 2 miles away.  I'm from the Bronx but my experience is different than my students. Never attended public school, my social life was family, church and Westchester County.

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Hometown advantage.. Currently live 2 miles away.  I'm from the Bronx but my experience is different than my students. Never attended public school, my social life was family, church and Westchester County.

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The change moment, when you know nothing will ever be the same again (in a good way)

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Better and more consistent engagement with family and community.

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Better and more consistent engagement with family and community.

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Their potential.
The challenges involved in uncovering that potential.

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The hope for ACTUAL change

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The autonomy.

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To hear about their goals and aspirations, and to help them work towards achieving them.

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To hear about their goals and aspirations, and to help them work towards achieving them.

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It sometimes seems like a more reactive environment than a proactive one. Communication is lacking sometimes.

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I feel, we the staff at Bronx Arena, really care about our students and we are willing to go above and beyond to help and support all of them whether or not the student is enrolled in our course.

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I love the discovery. I love learning with young people. Every time I do a lesson with a new student or group of students, even if I have done it many times before, there are always new ways that students are making meaning, and new insights they have to offer. It's so much fun.

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my front yard growing up

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Removing standardized testing including SAT/ACT 

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Removing standardized testing including SAT/ACT 

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To listen and hopefully hear some ideas that will actually promote change.

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I like knowing the positive impact I can have and that impact can last a lifetime.

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trust in educators and professionals to do what we do

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To be apart of the change.  To learn, listen, and apply what we have learned into the world 

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To be apart of the change.  To learn, listen, and apply what we have learned into the world 

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Tap into their strength of will and have each and their families feel accepted in a system and society that OFTEN ridicules them

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Along with everything else others have said, I like laughing with my students. They can be hilarious and a lot of fun.

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I've been here for a while, it could get deeper.

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I've been here for a while, it could get deeper.

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I've worked in Soundview for the last 9 years and in the Bronx my entire adult life. I can't go to Dunkin' Donuts or the park to play basketball without running into a former student/family, but I wish I felt more connected and embedded in the communiity.

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To learn how I can better support my students.

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More emphasis on life skills and home ec type of adulting preparedness. Everyone is thrown at college but with the student loan debt, it's important that students have a plan to succeed in careers

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More emphasis on life skills and home ec type of adulting preparedness. Everyone is thrown at college but with the student loan debt, it's important that students have a plan to succeed in careers

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I also agree that standardized testing should be eliminated and more hands on teaching.

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Abolish the tie between school funding and standardized testing.

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Abolish the tie between school funding and standardized testing.

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not familiar with the people of the community outside of my students. it's a cool place with a beautiful park that we could use more.

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Motivating students

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Definitely not nearly familiar enough. Much of what I know I know from what students bring into the building. I don't live in the neighborhood, and with commute/family responsibilities, find it hard to spend time near school, when not in school. Also can feel like a challenge since our school is a bit on its own -- adjacent to a lot of families on one side, but then hemmed in with industry on the others, which doesn't lend it a community center sort of feel.

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I grew up in the projects just 2 miles away. I know what some of them are going through. Even though we were poor, I had very supportive and involved parents. They helped me make good choices and eventually be where I am now.

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To become the best educator
Watch them grow into  young adults

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LISTEN

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I enjoy working with my students because they constantly surprise with me with their creative insights, they're incredibly resilient and they always end up teaching me more than I ever expected.

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Communication. There are SO many moving parts and involved people in many decisions throughout each day, and in supporting our young people. That is GREAT, BUT, it can mean a lot of balls get dropped, projects don't always get followed through on, etc.

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I'm here to listen, learn, participate, and support the ideas and work that come out of this group.

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More family systems dynamics / mediations / psycho education. They are our partners in this work and should be brought in / on board more as we highlight their students' strengths. Even though our population is "grown" this can aid in their success.

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More family systems dynamics / mediations / psycho education. They are our partners in this work and should be brought in / on board more as we highlight their students' strengths. Even though our population is "grown" this can aid in their success.

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They are soberingly honest, logical, and still embody a sense of hope that I feel like we lose when we get older.

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True caring for the students-at least the staff I work with show this

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A pretty large overhaul on the goal of education.

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There is so much to do and not enough time to do it

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are deeply funny and open. It is wonderful to be able to be around them again. There was truly a missing energy for the past 1.5 years.

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Lots. Including
-A total rethinking of schooling and the institution of school.
-Giving students more autonomy over what and when they learn.
-Abolition of state mandates including standardizes testing and attendance
-better access to further ed. programs, internships and real job experience including direct access to career pathways

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Getting to really teach what I want to teach (as long as I'm helping to support students to pass Regents). A lot of heart and understanding, in terms of what we as staff need to support our families, health, etc. Staff who really really care, and are fun to work with. A beautiful building.

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I love their creativity and ingenuity.  I love when I get to bear witness to their "lightbulbs" going on as they make the next steps in their journey.

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Findlay from Jamaica

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entitlement

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A better cultivated space where all stakeholders in the community can interact.

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communication about all the moving pieces. who does what, when, and how.

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To be a person in their life who provides unconditional support

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A community that cares about the students and each other. I have full confidence that everyone who works here wants the kids to succeed.

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Being able to embark some wisdom about life and the differences between expectations and reality. At the same time, be an example of someone who grew up nearby and was able to get an education and get out of the projects.

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To hear a different perspective.

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We aren't all on board with every school-wide system or aware of every  policy/tool/opportunity. Change roll-outs can be frequent, fast, and not necessarily followed through on.

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from a teaching perspective: full reign flexibility of what we teach and how we teach it

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I feel that after working here for so long that I know it pretty well, but I am also very aware that I am an outsider and that there is always more to learn.

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I came here from Puerto Rico at 17 and lived in Soundview, know every corner, every bodega, my mother still resides in Soundview as does my brother, and my old friends. I still shop here and feel best here!

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We are involved in the adolescent years of our future leaders.

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We are involved in the adolescent years of our future leaders.

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All of the politically motivated barriers that have been proven to not work in educating students needs to be abolished, all of the standardized testing, archaic grading structures, archaic behavior structures and policies in schools

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- As many have said, need to get rid of standardized testing, and look at other models for students to demonstrate learning, growth, and mastery, and readiness for the life they want to have outside of schools.
- Making sure that school staff are facilitating (the best they can within the system) an educational model that disrupts institutional and other forms of racism, and white supremacy, works for change, and empowers students to both understand and be successful in ways the world currently works, while also ready to change and work outside of and to dismantle systems.

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Understanding of the importance of flexibility in teaching practice, and a recognition of the things that are really important.

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The admin staff are awesome . We work as a family.

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I'm ready to continue the learning we started last year.

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The freedom to focus on students actual needs and the freedom to do the work that actually helps students, and isn't just in place to make the school or leadership look good.