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America To Me Episode 2 - Sydney Winston

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America To Me Episode 2 - Sydney Winston

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Two things stuck out to me about this episode. One of them was how spoken word allows students to express themselves. It brings them out of their shell and gives them a space to express their experiences, feelings and needs about anything going on in their life or in the world. Before this video, I didn't know spoken word was present within schools and I think it could be really beneficial for a lot of students. Throughout the video, one of the students mentions that he can talk about race and rap with one friend group but not the other. Additionally, a parent said she didn't realize what the students in this school were going through. I think that spoken word could not only be powerful outlet for the student writing and performing but to create connection and understanding within the community. The second thing that stuck with me was the teacher who went on the sabbatical to learn about how they were handling achievement gaps in New Zealand. It was disappointing to me that the information was not embraced as valuable information by the administration, showing that they simply don't care about these issues. What really emphasized this was when the teacher compared the interactions with administrators in New Zealand who wanted to learn from her and continuously wanted to try to be better and the dismissal she received when coming back to the United States. It is frustrating that people are putting in the work to learn more about how to help their students and being completely dismissed.

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While watching this episode of ATM, I reflected on the importance of language and the power of using one’s voice. This episode highlighted English classes, poetry workshops and the spoken word club as opportunities to empower students, especially black students, to use their voice and share their experiences. In these groups, the leaders (teachers, coaches, etc) served as both support systems and role models for the students and created a safe environment for students to grow and express themselves. When we found out that English teacher, Jessica Stovall’s program (woven) was brushed off by school admin several times, I found myself quite angry. After collecting data and developing a program to address the racially-based achievement gaps, it was frustrating that the school was so dismissive. But Jessica was persistent and believed this was an issue that needed to be addressed.  I think there will be many times in my future career as a school psychologist when my efforts (especially systems-level work) will be met with that same resistance, and it will be important to have the same determination and endurance that Jessica had.

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Something that I took away from this episode was the Something that I took away from this episode was how much school culture, from an administrative standpoint, can affect the lives of the students within a school. For me this episode demonstrated how far reaching the consequences can be, not only for students but for the staff as well. In this case unfortunately the consequences were extremely negative due to lack of support and cohesiveness among school board members for ideas and initiatives that teachers presented for the benefit of their students. It was disheartening to hear how invested and caring some staff are for the well-being of their students, while other administrators and board members continued to disregard issues perpetuating the educational debt present within the school. A specific quote that stuck out to me was when one of the teachers spoke about the students within the school as being everyone’s responsibility to care for and educate to the best of their abilities. This resonated with me for a few reasons, the first being that this exact statement was used in one of the articles for this week’s reading. Additionally, I believe this statement captures what a school’s culture should be. Most of this episode I found myself thinking, what if everyone thought that way at Oak park? How different would instruction be? And how would that positively impact the lives of so many students within that school? I also can see how when a school does have an individualistic culture like oak park, how difficult it can be to change that and move others towards a more collaborative approach.

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America to me Episode 2 Jacqueline Menton

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America to me Episode 2 Jacqueline Menton

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The insight given from a mother who attended Oak Park High decades ago was powerful. She articulated what more overt racism had previously looked like at Oak Park, explaining that teachers and students, "already had decided who you were, so when they saw you, they were looking for a problem". It was upsetting to hear how unethical and unprofessional her highschool teachers had been, saying things like, "well we aren't going to learn anythign anyway, so we're just going to sit here for 45 minutes."  While the "Motivational Center" was a placement for students to do no academic work whatsoever, and was compared to preparation for future incarceration. School staff developed a reason to search and expel her, much like the more covert school to prison pipeline policy and administration decisions made today. The accounts from an Oak Park alum show how  overt injustice and segregational practices are still present, they are just more covert.

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Something I took away from episode 2 is the importance of school-wide culture for both students and staff. While the first episode focused primarily on the student experience, we were exposed to the inequities staff members face as people of color. According to Roberto, it’s as if he was “sent back in time” given the stark contrast of treatment between white and black staff at Oak Park. This makes me think about what we can do as school psychologists to foster a collaborative and positive school climate for everyone in the building. This includes carving out time for staff to engage in conversations about their own biases and the impact they are having on their fellow colleagues and students. Students definitely pick up on staff relations/conflict and this could have a detrimental impact on a student’s experience in school and future perceptions of workplace culture.

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This episode made me think a lot about alternatives to a deficit based approach, and how much we can accomplish when we focus on the strengths of our students and what they need. I noticed some of the teachers talking a lot about relationship building, and even in their off hand comments to students, saying things like, “are you doing okay today?” Showing basic respect to students and what they may need is such a simple but effective tool. Students know when a teacher really cares about them and is being real. It made me think about how while I was with a student at lunch at my Prac site this week and he started getting out of his seat and disrupting other students, I just asked him if he was feeling bored, and once we were able to label his feelings it helped us find a solution. I think especially with marginalized students it’s important to show them that they are valued in our classrooms and in our schools. Behavior is communication, and these students seemed way more responsive to the teachers that actually listened and empowered them. I loved the way the poetry teachers encouraged student leadership and provided a safe space for students to express themselves.  I know it’s tough when teachers are burnt out and lack resources, but I think at the same time, so are the students, and it’s important for them to practice empathy. -annastasia

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What stood out to me in Episode 2 is the power of spoken word, especially for BIPOC students.  The spoken word club helps students psychologically and physically.  It is a place where Black students can feel that they belong, but is not exclusive to Black students.  One student Charles had two powerful quotes.  In regards to spoken word club, he said, “You won’t survive if you don’t have something.”  This shows the importance of after-school clubs on students’ wellbeing.  In regards to the teacher who runs the club, Charles said, “He’s the most influential male role model I have in my life.”  This shows the importance of role models in students’ engagement in schools and success.  Having a positive role model in schools has been shown to positively impact learning and a sense of belonging for students in schools.

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After watching episode two, I was struck by the key role of positive relationships in healing from racial injustices. Throughout the episode, these quintessential relationships were central to how staff and students at Oak Park High School felt about themselves and their community. For staff of color, being listened to and valued as educators by administration was the difference between remaining in their roles and leaving. And, relationships with students were the driving force behind their work as poignantly demonstrated by the English teacher, Jess Stovall. For students, relationships with peers and teachers were similarly key in both racial marginalization and healing. As the reading and spoken word teachers emphasized, many students come to the classroom having been hurt by their schooling. As teachers, they must first tend to these relationships and build trust. Peer relationships were also emphasized by students. Many students spoke about the roles their peer groups played in defining how they identified and how much of themselves they could bring to the group. Many of the students defined themselves by who they were friends with, pointing out both the isolation and sense of belonging they experienced as a result. In many schools, especially in these times, there is a strong sense of urgency. I hope we can slow down and recognize the power in building these relationships.

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After watching episode two, I took away how the school climate of Oak Park is not only affecting the students, but the staff as well. More specifically, the comments from the security guards and the assistant principal really drove home how these long standing racial disparities have been around for decades and it does not seem like these disparities will improve in the near future. It was eye opening to hear how one of the security guards, Robert Tucker, explained how when he first arrived at Oak Park it was like he was transported back in time because of how his white colleagues treated him. Additionally, it was heartbreaking to see how emotional Dr. Charla Holland became when talking about how Oak Park is grounded on white cultural norms and if she didn’t show up to work thinking, feeling, or being white then there were repercussions. Furthermore, it stuck with me when Dr. Charla Holland said “our kids, faculty, and staff deserve to come into a space where they can bring all of who they are authentically” and it left me pondering the question/wanting to know what would it look like for students and staff to be able to live in this school authentically and not just survive? I think Oak Park will continue to lose staff members, like Dr. Charla Holland, who are great activists for their students if they do not start to pay attention to the inequities occurring within their school.

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America to Me Episode 2 - Cassy Carreiro

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America to Me Episode 2 - Cassy Carreiro

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It was interesting to learn about the teacher that went on sabbatical to New Zealand and did research on the academic achievement gap and their indigenous people. The teacher was excited to share her ideas on how to handle the academic achievement gap at Oak Park school, but the faculty would not allow her to share at meetings or propose her ideas because she was told “this is not the right time” or “this is not how we do things”. It was good to hear that the school board member was open to listening about the teacher’s ideas. I completely agree with what the teacher said about “where is the urgency?!”. There is a clear problem and certain individuals in the school system are not open to making change happen in order to benefit the students and school climate.

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Episode 2 allowed viewers to gain a deeper understanding of the division at Oak Park High, and the administration's reluctance to confront inequity. The assistant Principle seemed like such an amazing asset, and you could tell she deeply cared about the children. Their comments on how "there's a difference between surviving and living," and how not every student at Oak Park is able to live (particularly BIPOC students) were really insightful. Hearing from adults about their experience at Oak High (former student, security guard, and the assistant principle) also provided more perspective on the culture at their school. I appreciated the security guard being so open about how he "has to be bubbly." Overall, there is so much to unpack from this episode, and it was definitely eyeopening. -Lilli Dale

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America to Me Episode 2- Jillian Morganelli

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America to Me Episode 2- Jillian Morganelli

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What I took away from episode 2 was a reminder that, you never know what someone may be going through within their life, and to always treat others the way you would want to be treated. Within episode 2, one of the teachers talked about how a lot of people don’t realize the impact that teachers have on their students lives. She describes that, “sometimes a teacher can impact a students life or death”. The teacher then relayed a story about a student she use to have in her class who was very violent and disruptive. She describes trying to help him but keeping her emotional side out of the situation. She then got a phone call a year later finding out that, the student was killed due to gang violence. Since then the teacher always wondered if she could have done more to help the student. This story reminded me that when a student is struggling in a classroom, it is important to take into account the variety of reasons why this may be. It is so important not to put the blame on the student that they just don’t want to try or that they just want to make things difficult. There is always underlying reasons for everyone’s bad days and it is important as a teacher to dive into the reasons why,  providing as much help and support as possible.

Another part of the episode that struck me, was when Keshawn’s mom revisited her high school. She stated that when she was in high school she felt that the teachers, before even meeting her, had already decided who she was based off of her appearance. She described that they would treat her differently because of it. Keshawn’s mom also stated that some of her teachers would look at some of the classes she was in and state based off of the students appearances, “well none of you are going to learn anything here anyways”, so the whole class would just sit there for 40 minutes not doing anything. These comments were so heartbreaking to hear. It really made me think about how Keshawn’s moms past experiences/outlooks on school would shape her child’s experiences at school and her ability to put trust into the teachers/staff that were teaching her child now.