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Sample Reflection:
What impact does public schooling have on societal reform? Like many of my other classmates, I was concerned that subjects may be confused while answering this question. Many of the responses mentioned that individual teachers are capable of instilling change in students, leading to them being more functioning members of society. However, I cannot help but apply my own personal experiences to this question. For all of my career, I have worked in at-risk communities. I have worked in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Lakewood Township, all which were low-performing schools. I see firsthand that the majority of the students (even those who graduate) are not experiencing a fraction of the growth of those students coming from a higher socioeconomic community. These students are truly the individuals who need reform, who need access to resources. Yet, they are the last to get these resources. Funding is based on performance. If public school students are not performing well due to lack of resources and funding; how can reform take place? It is an on-going issue within our system. One that will never lead to societal reform, if actual policy reform doesn’t take place.

Perhaps one could argue that educators have more freedom to discuss controversial topics, in contrast to private schools. Let’s truly be honest, in most cases, our curriculum and content is chosen for us; leaving little room to truly expose the nature of the world around us.

Hot Topic:
The end of police in schools?! -

This particular article is interesting because it combines two very critical issues within our school system. Being a teacher in the midst of many societal issues, we have seen many mass shootings, especially within our schools. Those events fueled the desire to have more of a police presence, in an effort to avoid death of students and staff. However, after viewing the data presented in this article, it is safe to say the objective has mutated. In turn, students are becoming more exposed to the justice system, rather than being rehabilitated within the school itself for behavioral problems. Working with students coming from urban communities who are classified as emotionally disturbed; I myself have seen firsthand how an emotional breakdown can lead to a student exiting the school in handcuffs; rather than the student being given the skills needed to cope with their emotions. In settings such as those, especially in the high schools, there are police throughout the entire school. Where at times it could be necessary, I do feel as if the mass funding could be used to implement more rehabilitation rather than punishment.

Privilege of Opting out? -

This article is extremely heavy-weighted and aligns to my current personal situation. I work in Lakewood Township, where 100% of our students receive free lunch. Most of our parents are current immigrants, working several jobs to make ends meet. After having our discussion in class a few weeks and hearing some of my peers insight on how their districts are reacting to schools having the choice to run ESY in-school; I noticed a trend. I noticed that the districts with more of a white higher socio-economic demographic where opting out of having ESY in-school. I was curious to ask my administration if our district deciding to opt in had anything to do with funding. She said no. She mentioned it is more about the students needing resources, access to food, childcare, and their need to be in school to avoid broadening the learning gap that already exists within low-income communities. While this choice can be looked at as using children of color and children living in poverty as “guinea pigs”, we must also look at it as a positive thing, that the children with the correct precautions, will benefit from being inside the classroom once again.

Sports to open, is it safe? -

This article mentions the necessity of reintegrating sports back into children’s lives. After spending months in quarantine, I feel as if this is crucial for the mental health of children who are use to spending their time playing a specific sport. For many kids, sports become their life; and in some cases are an escape from an unhealthy home setting. Of course with the proper precautions and following the guidelines, sports should certainly resume for children.

Fresh Lens:

1. Reviewing the timeline of education, it is sad to notice we have made little progress within our education system throughout history. Many of the same issues within our education system are consistently repeating themselves. NCLB’s reform is overlooked, funding issues are overlooked, lack of resources for low-income schools are overlooked. It seems as if there is progression at times; however, once a different administration comes into play, the former administrations progression, is regressed by new policies. It is disheartening that as a nation we have made little progress to provide ALL children with an equitable education despite their socioeconomic status or the color of their skin.

2. Working in a low performing school, I can truly resonate with this article. My district is constantly receiving funding to implement different programs aiming to reform our district and improve student performance. However, these programs are often poorly planned. In addition, the educators are never informed well enough to ensure we are implementing and tracking the progress properly. This results in little to no reform and progress; in addition to a waste of funding. Without proper planning and staff being properly informed, reform is not promising.

3. Growth is essential for all elements of life. For myself, I can align the term disruption to growth. Now, does disruption in education work? How can we know unless we try? As our society grows in regards to technology, our children need to be well-versed to be successful in the outside world. Clearly, our education system is in serious need of reform and growth, therefore, I can only hope that disruption in the current system can serve as a driving force for true reform to take place, resulting in a more equitable education system.

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Sample Reflection
When going through the reflections I noticed that there was a theme of the impact that teachers and schools can have on helping with social reform. Education should be made available to all students. Educators need to take a look at structures to see how we can continue to move forward with social reform.
As teachers we have the opportunity to inspire our students to become doctors, scientists, lawyers, and future leaders. We must embrace this opportunity by noting small instances where students hint that they have a passion for something. I believe that many missed callings can take the form of passions that were not pursued due to external factors. When students are in third, seventh, and tenth grade they still have the opportunity to pursue their greatest aspirations. Our job as teachers is to help guide them down the path of greatest fulfillment.
Hot Topic
Sports are a big part of our world. In education. some of us coach sports. Our students pursue sports as a big part of extracurricular activities. And massive enterprises like the NBA, FIFA, and the NFL help to drive our national and global economy and provides role models for our nation's students. I believe that resuming sports with crucial restrictions should be allowed.
I know that many children have struggled this year. The sudden change in ending our school year early and taking steps to socially distance effects us all and it can be especially difficult for children to digest. Sports offer a healthy option for students to be outside and grow together as student-athletes.
Fresh Lens
I think disruption can be viewed as positive thing. This depends on the mindset of the individual and one's goals. I think goal oriented learning is essential to daily life, at work or in classrooms, and also in our professional and personal lives. For example, if you want to become an administrator one day, but do not set a timeline or plan to achieve this goal, it will not likely come to fruition. Disruption in my eyes is the time when one goes from amateur to novice to expert. The company amazon is an example of a disruptor in the business world.
When Jeff Bezos started amazon in 1999 it did OK. The company was functioning. By 2009 the company was highly successful. Now in 2020 Amazon is a clear example of a disruptor that has separated itself among its competitors. I think this is a good example how long term goals take time. Bezos' had a vision and it took over a decade to come to fruition. But over time with the perfect environment and global economy, amazon is changing the marketplace.
With this said, I think part of the problem with the United States is that our nation's economy was founded on capitalism. This is our best friend, its the reason why our nation is a super power, but it is also our worst enemy, in that capitalism is in part responsible for the severe inequalities that exists in our nation today.
Yet, in education disruption can be highly effective similar to how businesses like amazon disrupt the marketplace. Disruption in education is the moment that teachers change up their plans and try out a passion project. Or when a teacher decides to leave their comfort zone and pursue higher education. Change is constant and thinking outside the box and looking for new teaching strategies and pursuing new avenues through higher education can help us get ahead of the change.

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Sample Reflection: I asked two people in the area of education to respond to the question, however in listening to other people's responses from non-educators
Hot Topic:
In reading the US News article on Reopening America's Schools, I couldn't help but think about the Op-ed I wrote on the Invisible Ones. This pandemic continues to shed light on the inequities that children of color first AND children in poverty continue to grapple with.
In this article, the writer refers to parents keeping their children home as a privilege because the resources that are needed to provide that as an option are available of those families.
In my piece, I referred to sheltering-place as a privilege not afforded to the students that i serve as they NEED to go to work as their income is necessary to keep their family afloat.
As a superintendent of a high poverty district, i continue to focus efforts on ensuring that, to the extent possible our schools remain clean and sanitized and that soap, hand sanitizer, paper towels, and toilet paper are plentiful. It is unfortunate that in this day and time, that these minimum basic expectations are not available for all children that poverty continuously emerges as the reason why these inequities exist.
We have a moral obligation to ensure that ALL children have what they need, but no parent should ever feel faced with having to make a decision that forces them to send their children to school if they are not as parents feeling physically, emotionally, and mentally prepared to do so.

Fresh Lens:
I remember starting my teaching career hearing veteran teachers say, "This too shall pass... Or here we go again... or the pendulum will swing back in another ten years". I thought to myself, this is why I stay away from th staff lounge. It always seemed to be laden with negative, doom and gloom battle stories of the educator's plight to "resist the mandates".
I was a new teacher when Whole School Reform (WSR)was first introduced. I was also with a newer principal and superintendent that didn't fully accept the concept but because it was a mandate for Abbott schools knew that they needed to adopt a model in order to be in compliance. It was then that i personally had the opportunity to review of eight different models before we made recommendations on the selection of a model.
We selected Ventures, which at the time was selected because it seemed to be the least invasive. It was presented as more of suggested readings and approaches that one "could" use and include in their teaching toolkit. It was 'implemented' more as a compliance measure and felt more like the WSR non WSR model.  A year later, I applied for a position in another district to be a WSR Facilitator and there began the journey except this time the model was very prescribed. It was called America's Choice. As the WSR Facilitator, my task was to ensure that all staff new the strategies and was implementing them on a regular basis. The biggest difference in that district was that the model was in 12 out of 14 schools. The beauty of that and to coin Bill Daggett's (Founding Partner of ICLE) mantra, was that Culture trumped strategy. The schools that experienced growth were not successful because of the model, they were successful because the leadership was committed to changing the culture.
Unfortunately, the words from my early years hearing teachers in the staff lounge talk about the big, new ideas in education that are merely repurposed ideas from decades ago. I believe the spirit of what it attempted to do wasn't necessarily a bad idea, however, it's execution and mandating it was the biggest flaw of that wave. I look forward to the day when there will not be an expectation of a magic bullet that will somehow fix all the ills of education but rather an approach to leading and learning that focuses on building the culture through embracing the ideas and approaches from the boots on the ground.

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Sample Reflection:
There were some common themes in the recordings from this week. First, there was the idea that school is meant to prepare students for their futures and their contribution to society. Second, there was the idea that the study of history is important in order to understand our past and to be able to direct positive change for our future. Third, there was the idea that schools allow for an exposure of different viewpoints and provide students with a safe space to have necessary conversations. One of the most profound points that was brought up was that, for the first time in history, students have access to the 24 hour news cycle and need help and a safe space to process this information.

It goes without saying that, in 2020, professional educators have a really important job. Not only do they have to ensure that students learn to read, write, think critically, and have good character. They also need to make sure that their students know how to apply these skills to their real lives. With all the information that students have access to at virtually all times via their smartphones and other devices, knowing how to process information objectively and being able to draw their own rational conclusions is perhaps the most valuable skill teachers can teach. It is crucial to discuss conflict and change, because professional educators need to have processed this type of information themselves so that they can present it to their students in an objective way in order to help them process and understand it.

Hot Topic:
The scenarios that were described in the U.S. News and World Report article about police in schools are very different from what I witness on a daily basis. I have only witnessed positive interactions between community police officers and students. Police presence ensures the safety from any external threat as well as maintains order and calm inside the building. Officers do not intervene with discipline and strive to improve students’ views of police via regular positive interactions and calm, positive exchanges. After reading the article, it is clear that this is not the case in all places. As school leaders are faced with big decisions regarding police presence in schools, it is important for them to remember that police presence in public schools provides the opportunity for systemic reform. Placing officers in schools in order to set a positive precedent for interactions with police in tandem with larger scale reform has the potential to create positive change.

The issue brought up by the U.S. News and World Report article on opting out of returning to school in September as well as the Op Ed  about school sports shows that there is still a long way to go until the start of school in September. A lot can change over the next several weeks; therefore, it is hard to say what the correct answer regarding what to do is. In fact, there may not be a “correct” answer. If schools remain closed, parents will have to arrange childcare so that they can work or risk not being able to go back to work. In addition, students will fall behind academically. If schools open up in September, it may not yet be safe for students and teachers to be in close contact and many public school facilities will not provide adequate physical environments for students to return to in-person learning. The same goes for resuming school sports. These are unprecedented times and difficult decisions will have to be made in the coming weeks.

Fresh Lens:
Disruption in education has happened many times in our nation’s history. It has clearly worked, because there have been massive changes to our education system time and time again. Oftentimes, change in education is very slow, because of the way the system is set up. Even the smallest, most mundane decisions need board of education approval. While this process provides safeguards against rash spending of public funds, it also slows change and prevents education from being truly dynamic. Disruption in education occurs when a group can organize and demand what is right, just, and fair. History shows that it works when it is carefully thought-out and well-implemented.

Take, for instance, the various teacher strikes that have occurred in order to fight for fair and livable wages. The timeline shows that these have been relatively successful. They may not have been as successful, however, if they were not organized properly, implemented effectively, and given the proper amount of attention from the news media. Oftentimes, when a situation gets to the point in which people have to protest, there are things about the culture of the place that need to be assessed and addressed. When the establishment listens to the people fighting for better treatment, it goes a long way towards improving the culture of a place.

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Sample Reflection:
I thought this week's question was very impactful. I asked two friends, one in their twenties, and one in their thirties, to speak about how school serve to impact society. One of the respondents is someone that actually is trying to work in a school district as a social worker. She speaks about schools are foundational in reform for students. The other works in business, and also speaks about the foundational nature of schools in societal reform. Both mention History classes, and the cite teachers. The worldview is shaped within the school setting. Reviews of how mistakes historically have been made and how betterment should be a goal also occurred. In my listening to sample reflections, I was very surprised that the emphasis by the speakers was on the individual teachers. Though it is of course necessary to understand how meaningful teachers can be, from my perspective, I think less about a classroom experience. When I think about societal reform, I think about systemic change. And when I think about such a large change, I think of programs like one we have in my district--Strengthening Familie--which meets one evening, weekly, with at-risk families, helping them to healthily engage one another, teaching them to be in appropriate relationships and increasing the likelihood of family togetherness. I think about programs that give food to the needy--to the single mother who works two part-time jobs to make ends meet; I think about mental health programs embedded within schools and appropriate referral systems. Though classrooms of course are impactful, especially as a worldview is created, systemic change, too, can be made to the family unit, which sociologists think to be the basis of society.

Hot Topic:
I was especially disappointed at the idea that schools are debating having an end to police presence within them. Police departments are supposed to create order, and are supposed to appropriately represent authority. This is hard to achieve when some negative examples of policemen or police-women engage in chaotic and wrong behavior. But efforts must be made to recreate the harmed relationships with healthful members of the force. However, I strongly am a fan of community policing. I also believe that school districts should have healthy and supportive relationships with their police department. In my district, I am creating a PD-based mentoring program--and off-shoot of our multi-branched "ROOTED" mentoring program, which helps our underserved youth create a positive rolemodel relationships with healthy adults. To this point, the concept of at-risk youth engaging positively with a police department member, beginning at a young age, may be effective in increasing positive PD-community engagements and relationships.  I do not think the focus should be on banning Student Resource Officers, but instead, should be on re-creating a lasting and meaningful relationship, that is supportive and positive in nature, between the police department and perhaps the population that perceives them least favorably.

I was impressed with Katie's article, which was such a timely and appropriate OpEd regarding sports reopening. It is no surprise to me that this was published just before the NJDOE provided related guidance. We must all remember how impressionable our formed thoughts and published opinions, as educational professionals, can be.

Fresh Lens:
After reviewing the timeline--which is an amazing resource (and now bookmarked to my Chrome!), and the article, as well as my understanding of sociology and group dynamics, I do believe that disruption works. Disruption serves as a loud and angry "wake up call" to all stakeholders in society, with education being a strong institution within society. To this point, without disruption, if decisions were being made and social elements were continuing as-is, likely repeating how things have-been, there would be no reason for change. Status quo continues not just because of laziness, but mostly because of a lack of disruption. When there is a clear division from the "just and what should be" to the "unjust and what is and what has been", action has to be taken.

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EdD 720 Salvatore Padlet Week 4 ¶ Sample Reflection: Many powerful examples were discussed this week about the role of education to influence social change. One thing that struck me was the power that we as educators have to shape the narrative about sensitive social issues.  This is a great power and also a great responsibility. We must make sure that our own opinions are informed by the facts, which is increasingly difficult in the current climate. Then, we must make sure to guide students through meaningful discourses that are not tainted by our own opinions. It’s a very difficult tightrope to walk. As a social studies teacher, we have a particular obligation to facilitate social change. It is obvious that we cannot be outwardly culturally insensitive and must avoid offensive and divisive practices in the school setting. However, taking cultural sensitivity a step further by proactively promoting cultural integration can be a powerful motivator. This practice can serve to bring people together, make them feel like their cultural uniqueness is not only accepted but celebrated, and increase motivation overall. ¶ Our cultural attitude toward race, ethnicity, and diversity is rapidly changing, and it seems that the mainstream American culture is finally accepting a long-overdue shift in its thinking: it’s not enough to simply not be racist, but rather, those in a position of power and privilege have an fundamental obligation to use that position to uplift others who have been marginalized. As someone who believes strongly in these ideas, it is an exciting time to be preparing for a role in which I can play a part in incorporating principles of social justice into the culture and climate of schools of the future. ¶ Hot Topic: I feel extremely conflicted when reading the article about school districts terminating contracts with in-school police officers. I am old enough to recall the days before police presence in schools was commonplace – and the reasons that brought about increased police presence in the first place. This country has had a string of horribly violent school shootings and terrorist planning for attacks of “soft targets” such as schools have been verifiably discovered. The fact that school shootings are met with the response of more armed police in schools is absolutely absurd and idiotic. The problem of the availability of assault weapons continues to put the safety of everyone in America at risk unnecessarily. Simultaneously, the problem of an overly enthusiastic police force treating black and brown people in an unacceptable way persists, making police presence something that makes many feel ill at ease. As I mentioned earlier, it’s a very fine line balancing protecting everyone from very legitimate threats while not making people feel threatened from the presence of those very same protectors. I don’t claim to have the solution, but taking serious action on the issue of gun control in this country couldn’t hurt. ¶ Fresh Lens: Does disruption in education actually work? Simply put, it depends entirely on the people doing the disrupting. There are many multi-layered and connected systems in place in the current system of education – social, economic, racial, political, and more – that can be seen as an ecosystem. Altering or disrupting one aspect of an ecosystem will certainly have an effect on the system as a whole. ¶ Education is just one aspect of a larger puzzle. That being said, meaningful educational reform is possible on a large-scale fundamental level. The key is continuing to inspire current and future generations of educational leaders with the understanding that social justice is just as important as curriculum to achieve the fundamental goal of the educational system itself. In that sense, disruptive change may be a very powerful way forward for our society at large.

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Sample Reflection:
This week, I felt as though this would be a difficult question for people to answer, especially if they were not in the education field. After hearing the responses from the two individuals I asked, I said to myself "I wouldn't have thought to answer that way, but it works!". I found that I would not know how to respond, but all of the responses I heard made sense to me.

There were many important points discussed throughout the samples I listened to:

Reform taught in history classes

Reform seen through extra curricular options

Majority of population attends public schooling

Lack of societal reform- lack of funding, quality of teachers, lack of vision-- students stay in oppressed learning environment

Choice of literary experiences chosen by district

Schools promoting values of communities, problem solving, etc through structure of the school

Create a platform through diversity and challenging students

Although there isn't a specific pattern across these samples, the overall message stays the same: the students of public education must have quality education that focuses on diversity, is open-minded about sharing potentially controversial history that affects today's society, and providing opportunities for all students through platforms such as extracurricular activities.

As educators, we must embrace that everyone has a connect to past history. We will not be able to make everyone happy with what we share, what literature is shared, etc. unless we ensure that history of our diverse population is accounted for.

Hot Topic:
The article "The End of Police in Schools" was very interesting to me. When I was in high school in Woodbridge Township, I remember there were police officers in the school. These officers were there to ensure no fights would break out in large, crowded areas of the school (for example when students were going to the cafeteria during lunch periods) or to disperse crowds to ensure students got where they needed to be rather than just finding their friends in a common area. The police presence in my high schools never made me, or my friends, uncomfortable- the officers did not get involved in any aspect of daily school life unless there was a need based on a physical altercation.

In Manalapan schools, we have retired Manalapan police officers in the elementary schools and middle school who are hired to be armed security. These officers do not wear police gear, rather they wear khakis and a security polo shirt. These officers are loved by the students and staff because they often get involved in all of the fun activities that the schools have. This includes participating in band assemblies, participating in school-wide PBIS programs, dressing up for school spirit days, etc. These officers are not seen as an intimidating presence in these buildings. If anything, they make both the teachers and students feel safe. They do not get involved in discipline, they are only in the building in case they need to react to a threat. Active Manalapan police officers also drop in and do walk-throughs in each building twice a day. These officers are different every day, however, students have gotten used to seeing an officer walking through the hallways. Teachers explain to the students that these officers are here to ensure everyone is safe. They check the doors to make sure they are secure. Just as we have emergency drills, the officers are practicing in case they ever had to come to the building for help.

I believe the presence in the school buildings are what the culture of the building makes it. If teachers and students believe the officers are there to be intimidating, that is what they will be viewed as. I do not believe the officers should have any role in discipline, they should only get involved when necessary for safety and bring the individuals involved to the appropriate administrator who should be in charge of the discipline. I, personally, feel as though the presence should be embraced. Let's be honest: if all of the police presence was eliminated and there was a threat in a school, it would be criticized that there were no officers stationed in the building. There is no way to make everyone happy all at once.

Fresh Lens:
The article about whole-school reform was a bit rigid in my opinion. I, personally, felt as though it places schools in a one-size-fits-all model. This, as we know as educators, is a model that is rarely effective. It goes back to the whole fair doesn't mean equal.

The timeline, on the other hand, was an effective way to portray a lot of information- centuries worth! The information has been presented to us in blurbs. Rather than giving a ton a details, the information is presented giving enough information for interested parties to further research on their own, if desired.

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Sample Response
The question we asked of individuals this week was: What impact does public schooling have on social reform?  This is a question that at work we have asked ourselves many times.  This goes to the core of the matter.  What is the purpose of schools? Many believe in essence what John Dewey proposed, which is that education is not preparation for life, but it is life itself.  But, is schooling the same as education? Other modern educational philosophers believe that schooling should prepare students for life in the society we live in.  Schools are expected to produce skilled and respectful individuals.  It should prepare students to be productive in the economy.  This question was a tough one for people to answer.  It is hard for responders to not politicize their opinions.  In the many responses I listened to, there is a thread that describes schools as the place where social reform takes shape.  When there is a social expectation, people turn to schools to be the savior of society.  This is partially true… only partially.  I was curious to see if anyone would say and suggest that true social reform starts at home.  I didn’t hear that in the responses I heard.  Maybe I was biased and I was hoping to hear this.
This is interesting to me as I personally see schools as a great social entity that of course forms individuals, but they are limited to what they can do and what they can do effectively and efficiently.

Schools are bound to do what they are legally required to do.  This includes federal and state mandates.  Technically, as well, schools are bound to deliver a curriculum that is aligned to federal and state mandates.  In the end, the idealistic utopian belief that schools are the foundation of social reform is in part wrong.  Social reform starts with individuals at home.  If schools are expected to be the channel for social change and reform, then they need total autonomy to decide what is best for their community and hire and train individuals with the purpose of reforming that which is needed in their community.  What schools could do to support social change is to have high expectations for each individual to master the standards set in high-quality curricula that include the development of transferrable skills, academic knowledge, logic, and respect for American values.

Hot Topic: The article “Reopening America’s Schools and the Privilege of Opting Out” by Lauren Caemera presents a very interesting perspective on the challenges that many schools and America will be facing in September of 2020 as we come to open another school year.  The issue of “choosing” to send kids back to school is a matter of who can and whether this is allowable as an option at all.  The opening of schools presents a large impact on the American economy.  Millions of parents need to go back to work.  For millions of American parents, schools serve as a safe child care facility.  The Opening of schools allows them to become active in the economy again.  Those who are advocating to keep the kids home feel they can provide a safer environment at home and do not necessarily need to travel to work or are truly scared that the virus is still a life-threatening issue.

A privilege is defined as a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.  Being able to choose is part of living in a free country.  So, is keeping your kids home a privilege?  I think everyone has the option, but your personal circumstances may require you to choose something you don’t necessarily want.  This calls for sacrifices.  I am personally in a situation where I will need to send my kids home because I don’t have child care and I have to be at work.  But I didn’t see this a privilege.  If anything is an option that some may be able to take.  This of course will present challenges to the schools.   What level of responsibility will the schools have if parents choose to keep their kids home?  Should schools then offer remote learning options for them?

Fresh Lens:

I enjoyed reading the School Reform paper by McChesney, Jim.  Can a program be the solution to failing schools?   There is an argument to completely change the way in which the system operates.  I like the way the article presents why school reforms do not work.  The article includes (1) financing; (2) leadership; (3) commitment to the program; (4) perceptions of the general public, parents, and students; (5) staffing; (6) curriculum; (7) political pressures; (8) racial problems; (9) insufficient facilities; and (10) problems of management and scheduling students and staff communication (Schaffer and colleagues).  These a quite a large number of variables that all school systems deal with one way or the other.  At the end of at all, I believe it all comes down to one thing and one thing only.  Leadership.

Leadership is at the center of everything.  An effective leader will be able to problem-solve to navigate all of the variables mentioned above that contribute to failure and he or she would be able to transform them into opportunities for growth.  All of it starts with having clarity in what needs to be done, when, and how.  Setting informed priorities is the key and communicating these effectively is crucial.  Also, setting the proper teams and supports systems to build collective capacity and essential.  Lastly, the connection with the community is also key.  The school will be dommed to fail if they do not have the support of parents to hold the kids accountable and support them to succeed.  Schools do not fail because of the variables, schools fail because the variables are not defeated.

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Sample Reflection:
While listening to the recordings, I thought this week was the most interesting so far. Right now, we are going through a time that needs a societal reform and there is systemic racism. But I also feel that there were many educators that were part of the samples. I think many of them were saying the same thing, but I do feel it was said in all different ways. One of my samples mentioned that public schools cannot do it alone, but they are the sounding board and the foundation behind it. Another sample discussed how sometimes educators can have their own agendas and not teach what they should be teaching. One sample discussed how the government controls public schools and, in that way, can control social reform. Overall it was a great week of samples with an array of answers.

Overall, I believe it does start with public schools. They are the foundation that can give students hopes and beliefs. Educating the young on all sides and views of policy and change letting them make their own educated decisions is what should separate America from other countries. It can be a tough task sometimes because children can be influenced at a very young age but it is the education systems responsibility to educate the whole student and ensure they are can make their own individual decisions. Schools should be the foundation of reform, but children and the people may need to educate themselves on more specific matters. Especially since, as one sample mentioned, this is one of the first generations growing up their whole lives with all information in their hand with a tap of a button.

Hot Topic
After reading Katie’s article on app, I have to agree with her. I am a coach and I am bias but I do believe that children do need sports. Especially sports that can be done outside seem to be safe. As long as everyone is being smart and taking the necessary precautions outdoor activities are minimal risk. Along with children being able to be active again, we can take this opportunity to teach them about health and safety. While teaching about hygiene and good health practices, coaches can implement that this is important and is for the greater good. Just like in sports you want to work as team. Right now we want to work as a nation to combat the pandemic and hopefully get rid of COVID-19. Use this time as a learning experience that an individual should think of the collective when it is something as simple as wearing a mask or washing hands.

A slow transition will help students get back into a routine and give them something to be excited about. I know for me being able to go outside and go golfing has had a huge impact on my well-being during this time. It has given me something to do that is productive and active. Instead of sitting home or sitting outside wondering when or if this will be over it gives me an outlet. Children may not realize they need an outlet but I am sure they do. They need something that is “normal” and “routine” for them to get back to. A transition back into sports and athletics that can be controlled in a environment that has a low transmission rate.

Fresh Lens:
I think school reform can work but whole school reform is destined for familiar. Even in neighboring towns, schools completely different. The demographics can be different, the amount of students in the school, the diversity of the teachers and the school culture. How one school needs to change should not be consistent for all schools in the state of New Jersey and especially not across the Country. Schools need to change individually and the people within those schools should have input on what needs to change. I do believe outside help may be needed because many times when you are on the inside its hard to determine what needs to change.  A collaboration and an individual school plan to reform can work.

Disruptions in education may help on the surface because it may give students and parents a newfound appreciation for the education system but overall, I believe it is detrimental. Change can be very tough on people and some individuals do not handle it well. A transition for change may be helpful and can make change and disruption easier and beneficial. But a quick change can be detrimental like the one we are currently in. I believe the current disruption in education is a setback for these students and it will be a tough time to get back on track. There will be positives that come out of this and it may be about integrating new technologies into classrooms but overall this change will be tough.

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Sample Reflection:
There were some commonalities in answers when individuals reflected on the question of how does public schooling impact societal reform. Many individuals focused on the idea that public school exposes individuals to diversity. Everyone in the United States is entitled to a free public education. For many individuals, school is where they find their friends and form their first relationships outside their family. One of the individuals I asked this week mentioned how the school helps challenge children’s ideas and knowledge they have learned from their parents. That it helps create a more well-round individual so you can form opinions on your own and not just follow suit with what your parents believe.

An example of how school has changed societal norms over time is how today it is socially acceptable to have interracial couples and relationships. If we look back in history, individuals would only have relationships with individuals that looked like themselves. Back then, schools were separated based on race. Then schools started to integrate and no longer become segregated by race. This gave individuals exposure to others who do not look like them. Over time people were able to form their own opinions about other races and get exposure to them. People were able to see other races as humans like themselves and develop relationships with them. Slowly this caused interracial relationships to stop being viewed as taboo.

Hot Topic:
I chose to focus on Katie’s article “Reinstatement of youth-sports in New Jersey amid COVID-19”. I agree with her that the lack of sports has negatively contributed to children’s mental wellbeing. As a school counselor, I have spoken to many students that have expressed feelings of grief and loss over missed opportunities. Students are feeling overwhelmed by the sadness of missing out on things like prom, a senior class trip, and spring spots. A lot of students who are athletes use it as a form of healthy copping. There is nothing like a good work out when you have had a bad day, or you are stressed. The inability to play has left students unsure of how to cope and feel hopeless.

There are so many moving parts and things to consider when trying to reallow sports. However, as Katie put it, if adults can leave the politics at the door, maybe some real conversations that will create the ability to open sports up can happen. As long as the conversations stay focused on the safety of the individuals involved, I think we can start to allow sports teams to practice and compete.

Fresh Lens:
I found the educational timeline fascinating. I chose to focus on the end chunk of the timeline where I was in school or working in a school. The main thing that surprised when looking through the significant events was a lot of the “undoing.” It seemed very counterproductive and was frustrating to read. If every time a policy won to force change, but then it is removed, the change is never allowed to happen. When a policy is put into place, the change does not happen overnight; it takes time, so removing it stops the change.

In recent years, the timeline seems to be filled with strikes and school shootings. It is sad that so many states and school districts must go on a mass strike in order to be heard. It is also concerning how common school shootings are becoming. A school shooting has been normalized in America, and that does not sit right with me. Although there have been lots of talks about gun laws and how to stop this trend, they continue to happen. The last thing on the timeline was the COVID pandemic and states closing schools. It will be very interesting what gets added to this timeline as September comes around, and school directs being to reopen. I am sure many new policies will develop from this health crisis.

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Sample Response:
I noticed that a lot of people found this question difficult to answer, especially those that are far removed from their own educational journeys.  However, many of the samples that I listened to were produced from elementary teachers, who attributed their curriculums as a vehicle for impacting societal change.

One sample specifically cited that school districts get to select the literary experiences that students will have, which shape the kinds of thinkers that they will become.  I’m drawn to agree with this particular sample, because my own experiences align with its perspective.  Growing up, I attended Ewing Public Schools where the student population was nearly 75% African American.  Considering this, our 10th grade English class was African American Literature where we read novels such as The Color of Water, 12 Years a Slave, and Little Rock Nine.  These novels helped develop my curiosities for the human experience, and ultimately lead me to pursue a career in counseling where I could listen to individuals with different backgrounds and experiences other than my own.  Had African-American Literature been absent from my high school curriculum, I may never have landed where I am today. With this in mind, I agree with the overall consensus of the samples: Public education has a pivotal impact on societal reform.

Hot Topic:
After reading the article, “The End of Police in Schools” by USA Today, I felt obligated to consider different approaches to school safety.  The article states, “According to a review of federal data by the ACLU, 1.7 million students are enrolled in schools that employ police officers but lack school counselors; 3 million are enrolled in schools that employ police officers but lack nurses; 6 million are enrolled in schools that employ police officers but lack a psychologist; and a whopping 10 million are enrolled in schools that employ police officers but lack social workers.”  This quote particularly invited me to think, are we using proactive measures or reactive methods to address the safety needs of schools?

In reading about movements to defund the police, I have learned that officers are often tasked to resolve situations that are outside of their criminological wheelhouse.  Such situations often include responding to the mental and medical needs of community members.  If our society did increase funding for mental health organizations and medical response systems, would it remove the need for police officers to respond to such calls for help?  How can our society know, if we do not try?  Historically, Colorado has always been a progressive state, and I am eager to see how their school systems and police forces will evolve without a memorandum of agreement.  However, I cannot neglect the elephant in the room—How will the absence of police officers in schools effect the rare, but possible, event of a school shooting?  After all, Colorado has had its day(s) with gun violence--- The Columbine school shooting occurred just outside of Denver, and more recently, a movie theatre shooting occurred in Aurora, which is again, just outside of Denver.  Both of these tragic events occurred while police officers were present before gunshots were fired, and yet, deaths of innocent individuals still climbed.  I would be interested to learn more about how the preexisting presence of police officers alleviated school shootings.  Was the shooter taken into custody more quickly?  Was the death rate lower than it would have been if officers were not present?  Can these items be measured, or just projected?

By removing School Resource Officers, and adding School Counselors, School Psychologists, and School Nurses our schools are responding to “defunding the police.”  The article from USA Today suggests that public school districts are reevaluating the role of their officers, making me answer the question, “What do I see the School Resource Officers in my building do?”  From my observations alone, our SRO’s most frequently address drug possession or use with campus arrests, address hate crimes with legal investigations, assist with traffic control, and attend evening events that produce a high volume of community attendance.  In my opinion, this is not aligned with the Denver School Board that described school resources officers as “peace officers.”  My vision of “peace officers” are officers who are present for bullying investigations, bullying prevention activities, school safety team meetings, climate meetings, and peer mediation between students.  However, I have never observed our school resource officers as playing a vital role, or even offering minimal participation in any of such events.

Fresh Lens:
Sometimes finding out what doesn’t work can be just as meaningful as finding out what does work.  An observation that I’ve collected while working as a school counselor is how everyone seems to be on the hunt for an answer.  We offer a menu of solutions in IEP meetings, or parent-teacher conferences because picking from a list of generic solutions is more comfortable than sitting in silence and offering time for the student, family, and teacher to self-reflect.  As often as educators preach their hatred for No Child Left Behind, often citing its “cookie cutter” framework, educators still seek for a golden answer that can solve every child’s learning inadequacies.  And I get it—It’s uncomfortable to be without an answer.  While disruption to our traditional educational frameworks does not offer consistent and reliable answers, it does offer a reason to change, which is really the only constant that we can depend on in education.

While reading about whole-school reforms, I felt far away from how I understand and see the world of education.  Just reading about whole-school reforms made me feel like a square peg, forced into a round hole.  It felt like I was reading about education from the world of business--- Like I had to read these programs and select one, as if I were reading about advertising pitches for a new product that I had created.  Although whole-school reforms felt foreign and uncomfortable to me, I still think that I can find some value in their roots.  I think they can be used to direct localized conversations about the needs and desires of public schools.  One of the researchers in the Whole-School Reform article stated, “We want to have a 'buyer beware' sign out there. Don't think you can just buy this off-the-shelf technology, plug it into a school, and then things are going to improve.”  I wholeheartedly agree with this researcher—I think for education to be successful, it needs to fit the unique needs of the local students and community.  Furthermore, I think it is imperative that educational professionals be willing to adapt, adjust, and change to the growing world of education that surrounds them.  The educational timeline article shares the perspective that since the 1600’s education has continued to change.

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Sample Reflection:
After listening to the responses, I noticed that most seemed pretty vague. However, I noticed that most of the responses also emphasized the ideas that education must prepare students for the real world, educators must focus on teaching students how to openly and effectively communicate, and that schools must ensure that students learn from the past in order to prevent history from repeating itself. I agree with each of these valid points, but I also feel that there is so much more to be done and to consider. I believe this issue, to a certain extent, stems beyond educators' control.

If you turn on the news today, you will see most politicians emphasizing the importance of schools, especially public schools, and their role in servicing the community during these trying times. In addition to educating our youth, we have served as meal distribution centers for our students, families of students, and any member of the community during this pandemic; we have also opened our doors to the families of essential workers, providing day care services for their children, as they could not be left home alone while their parents were at work; we have been asked to work through spring break and other vacation days to occupy the students with work, so they wouldn't go outside during the height of the pandemic and risk exposure to/spreading the virus. Despite all of the needs we were asked to fulfill, NYC public schools are now facing a billion dollar budget cut for the 2020-2021 school year. We have already seen cuts to per session activities that provide tutoring and academic support to students after school, extracurricular activities, new books and supplies, and now there is a hiring freeze amongst a majority of the schools. However, the needs we must fulfill continue to rise. I truly believe that if we want to see societal reform, we must invest in our schools so that educators can provide the resources and opportunities necessary to create an effective learning experience for all students, especially our minority students who make up a large percentage of the public school population.

Hot Topic:
The article I am choosing to respond to debates whether or not police officers should be removed from schools. I have never experienced being a student with police officers patrolling the hallways of my school. From pre-school to high school, I attended a small, private Catholic school. During my undergraduate career, I attended Monmouth, which has its own safety team and during graduate school, I attended The College of Staten Island which also has its own safety team. In my first year of teaching at Edison High, our school had security agents and one school cop. At my current school, we have a team of "safety agents" which are provided through a program with the NYPD; however, they are not cops. Throughout all of these years, I have only had one dangerous encounter within a school building. I was teaching tenth grade at the time and a student, who was not a present nor former student of mine, was constantly hanging out near my classroom. I only recognized him and became familiar with him simply because I had one of his friends in my class. Over the course of the year, he became comfortable enough with me to confide in me about the bullying he was facing and the struggles he was facing with friends. I always listened and followed up with his guidance counselor afterwards. This happened about one or twice.

One day after school, I was in a meeting and another teacher told me this student was looking for me. I didn't return to my classroom until an hour later, so I assumed he had already went home for the day. Suddenly, there was a frantic knock on my door. Remembering that he was looking for me, I let him in. I feel the need to state that I followed every protocol taught to us when being in the room alone with a student; kept the door open, stood in plain sight, kept my distance from the student, and ensured that other teachers were at least in the hallway. This student was very apprehensive and told me he needed to tell me something, but felt that he couldn't. I was concerned because I knew he had struggled with being bullied in the past, so I encouraged him to share what was on his mind, with the intentions of helping him. After a few minutes, he decided to write down his thoughts and then agreed to read it to me. However, he couldn't get himself to read it, so he handed me the note. Upon reading it, I froze with fear, as I discovered that he had written down explicit thoughts about me. I immediately tried to get him out of my classroom, but he refused to leave, in fear that he would get in trouble. After repeating myself multiple times he finally left; I decided to wait in the classroom until I was sure he was gone. I waited a few minutes and then ran to the guidance counselor. However, the student had been waiting in the hall this entire time; he jumped from around the corner and blocked the door to the guidance counselor with his body. When I tried to walk away, he attempted to grab the note out of my hands, holding my wrists. I backed up in front of another open classroom, yelling at him to leave, which scared him causing him to leave. Then I finally made it to the guidance counselor.

After reporting the incident to the deans, the school safety team, guidance, and restorative justice, this student was let off with a two day suspension and a warning. I am disappointed in the school for not responding more efficiently to this matter. I believe there should have been heavier consequences, as well as a more in depth restorative response, including counseling and sexual harassment training. Today, we consider how replacing cops with restorative justice programs would benefit the students; however, I personally feel that both sides failed in this situation. I believe that there needs to be a balance; I believe we need to maintain the presence of cops to a certain extent, but I also feel that we need to increase the productivity of restorative justice. I believe that in any case, student misbehavior is a result of a variety of influences, therefore, we must be prepared with a variety of services to reach a solution and better the student.

Fresh Lens:
Throughout our history, we have seen many different instances of disruption that have brought about significant improvements to our system. For example, while the Supreme Court was deliberating the decision for Brown vs. The Board of Ed, people took matters into their own hands with a series of revolts and boycotts against segregation. Similar events took place during the Everson vs. The Board of Ed as well as McCollum vs. The Board of Ed. Clearly, when there is pressure from the people, authorities have no choice but to hear and listen to their voices.

Today we are seeing similar events take place, as numerous educators (as well as people in other professions) across the country are being fired due to inappropriate and racist posts on social media. Parents, students, and even fellow educators are calling these individuals out on their offensive comments, screenshotting their posts, and reporting them to the proper authorities. Additionally, people are contacting the press as well as starting petitions to ensure that their voices are heard, putting immense pressure on the school administrators and leaders. As a result, we've seen action take place.

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Sample Response: This week’s question was the first question in which the individuals I asked to answer were not exactly sure how to respond. One of my interviewees asked whether she should answer it from an education point of view or from her own opinion. I suggested that she answered from her own opinion as I find that it would be more genuine. This particular woman (in the video) said something that truly stood out to me: “without good quality education these students stay in an oppressed learning environment. Then, we ignore it for so long, that these communities rise up like we have seen these past few weeks.” She is right, in my opinion. I mean, this is why we have been discussing what we have been discussing for the past three/four weeks.

As I listened to my peer’s responses, I noticed a change. This week’s responses were not as unanimous, per say, as the previous weeks responses. There was more of a variety in the answers given. A particular theme I came across was how much the government influences schools. Truth be told, I am not particularly sure how I feel about this.

Hot Topic: “The end of police in schools?!” is a topic that I was not aware of until our zoom class last Saturday. I was quite surprised and shocked when this was first brought up for discussion. I do not think that getting rid of police officers is going to fix the issue. I think that relationships need to be formed in order to make the issue better, and really not an issue any longer. What I mean is, schools should not have police officers who are present solely to intimidate the students; that is not why they are there. The recourse officers are in schools to help keep our schools safe. The first person I thought of when I read this article was Officer Joe. Officer Joe is the police officer at the high school where I work. Students all throughout the school have such a great relationship with him. He doesn’t give kids “a hard time,” instead, he builds relationships with them. He sits right at the front door and is constantly communicating with students as they walk by. In the morning, he helps greeting the students. He also creates relationships with parents and guardians when they come in. It would truly be sad to see him leaving, not for myself, but for the relationships he has formed with these kids.

Fresh Lens: I found the timeline to be so neat and very well done. Nonetheless, extremely interesting. I like to learn about history and wonder why somethings happened the way they did. I do not think that education is where or what it should be currently. In New Jersey, the education system really isn’t too bad when comparing with other states. My sister-in-law lives in South Carolina. She often shares with my how bad the education system is there, as her step-daughter is in middle school. I think that the saying “history repeats itself” goes without explanation. We are where we are in this timeline for a reason. I think it is time for change. But, how do we get to that change?

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Sample Reflection:
This week’s question about how public schools impact social reform prompted a variety of responses. I found this week’s question to yield the most diverse opinions. In some cases, participants shared very positive messages regarding the impact schools can have on social reform and there were repeated patterns of thoughts regarding how public schools provide a free and equal education to all and promote tolerance and acceptance. One participant in particular shared how she taught at a title 1 school and went above her teaching duties to ensure efforts were made to bridge the gap of achievement and assist her students and their families in gathering necessary resources. Another participant shared how school programs, such as kindness week and anti-bullying programs, help to expose students to diverse experiences and promote a sentiment of equality for all. On the other hand, some participants shared how public schools fail to objectively educate students and rather many educators push their own agenda and allow their own personal beliefs to guide their instruction. I think as an overall takeaway from this week's responses, it appears that public schools have the opportunity to positively impact societal change but it requires schools to have access to the necessary resources, and for educators to remain dedicated to facilitating objective instruction that affords all students the opportunity to learn about diverse topics without a subjective agenda being forced upon their thinking.
I think the option that some parents have to keep their kids home from school is a major equity issue. Without a doubt there are going to be families that have the means to “opt-out” while other families do not have the same luxury or freedom to keep their kids home. If some parents do decide to opt-out, it is inevitable that a visible divide between students will be created.

I just really hope that in the near future there will be some type of remedy for this virus so that society can somehow quickly rebound and give our students back a sense of normalcy. I think regardless of having the means and option to opt-out of in person schooling, there are definite disadvantages to keeping students out of schools. Kids need to be able to socialize, build relationships with others and learn within a school environment that is purposely designed to limit distractions, stimulate creative thinking and promote collaborative learning. Outside of school and from a distance, it is very hard for teachers to recreate the experience they provide to their students in school.

Hot Topic:
The three articles from this week cover a variety of hot topics including the impacts of police in schools, the equity issues created by school closures and parents opting out of in-person instruction for their children and the safety concerns of opening up sports. I think regarding police presence in schools, it is important that police build positive relationships with students. Many of the towns cutting ties with the police report statistical data that appears to indicate that black students are disproportionately ticketed and arrested within the school environment. Rather than forming positive and influential bonds with the students, a struggle of power is being created between students and police and instead of students feeling safer in schools with police present, they are actually feeling victimized and in danger. I do not think this is the case in all schools and I am sure there are many towns who have established positive relationships with their community police, but it is important that school districts address any type of police presence in their school that may not be beneficial for all students and find alternative ways of providing safety while also ensuring equity and acceptance and creating an environment that all students can feel supported and valued.
Just as in-person schooling is important for our students, I think the same applies to sports. Regardless of whether or not sport and school reopen, the reality is that many kids and their family members are socializing with others, whether that be at the beach, in their backyards or dining outside at restaurants. As social distancing regulations begin to loosen in almost every other environment, I think recreational sports should follow suit. Kids need to be able to stay active and engaged in their hobbies and retain some sense of community, especially with their teammates who many have built strong bonds with. I think it is very important to keep health as a priority, but that also includes mental health, which is just as important as physical health. If kids remain too isolated for too long I think their mental health will suffer in many ways. Given that sports can be played outside and in many cases measures can be put in place to keep social distancing possible, I do not see any issue with reopening sports.
Fresh Lens:
How do organizations, large or small, effectively initiate and adopt change? This seems to be a recurring topic of discussion throughout history. The topic of change is a bit of a paradox in the sense that it is rather a fixed pattern. Change is a constant occurrence. Things are always changing. Ideas, concepts, beliefs, societal norms, you name it, they have all gone through some form of change. Education is no different and just like any other organization, schools are in a constant evolution of change. In my opinion change may appear intimidating or overwhelming, but once we realize how often things are actually in a constant state of change, change no longer seems so daunting. Although change is quite familiar, not all change is effective or productive. Many of the whole school reforms that trended in the late 90s and early 2000s were rather ineffective, in large part due to the one-size-fits-all implementation approach. Based on the referenced RAND Report, reform plans that are forced upon schools or rushed into action without enough prior-knowledge or staff training, are widely unsuccessful. I thought the reference to a heart-lung transplant as a means of justifying the need for all school elements to change at once was an ironic comparison given how unlikely such a dual and complex surgery it is. Doctors rarely perform a heart and lung transplant in one surgery for fear of jeopardizing the overall health of the patient and compromising too many vital organs all at once. I think the same applies to reform. People need to be eased into change, given time to digest, understand and make sense of how and why things are changing and when too many things are changed all at once, I think people naturally panic, and reject the plan entirely. The idea of whole school reform also made me think about how such regimented, inauthentic and scripted approaches to teaching often stifle creativity and rein in any sense of autonomy.

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 Maria Testa - Week 4                         

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 Maria Testa - Week 4                         

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Sample Response:
I found the sample responses for this week to be much more diverse than the common themes noted from the previous three weeks. After reviewing 10 samples, some of the comments which stood out included; reform comes from those who lived the struggles which need to be changed, another was that public education chooses the literary curriculum which shapes and molds the students producing the type of thinker they become and the structures through which they develop their values. Finally, hearing that the teaching experiences are established by the government, and they not only impact the students, but also inform and educate parents, which directly impacts societal reform. I agree with all of these different comments.

Hot Topic:

Discussing the question, Sports to Open, is it safe? After reading Katie’s article, I agree with keeping the conversation to sports not politics. Yes, let the kids play the game! Then, reading further, this list from NJSIAA presents an outline including 2 pages of procedures for conditioning for the two weeks of Phase 1: prescreening, workouts, face coverings, groupings/social distancing, sports equipment, locker rooms/restrooms, and hygiene. Next, there are 2 pages of questions and answers, and finally a ¾ non-exhaustive reference page. To be expected, since business is not as usual, sports is also not as usual. One point that stood out to me was in the groupings/social distance category. It states that once athletes are in a group, they will remain in that group, even for a different sport. Which brings up a new challenge, for the coaches and the players. What if that athlete does not possess the skills necessary to perform as a team player, for the next sport? Many factors to consider, in addition to safety first, which is outlined on the first 2 pages. Published on June 19, 2020 NJSIAA Return to Play Guidelines Phase 1: https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6952965/NJSIAA-Phase-1-Guidlines.pdf

Fresh Lens:
The American Educational History Timeline was especially interesting to me. I love reading that way, little pieces of information to see what gets my interest and then exploring further. I also reviewed the lesson plan format which was used to create the timeline. The assignment was to select the top five areas and topics of interest; which I was already in the process of doing. I am always interested in Education Law, and I am looking forward to our course this summer-

I would love to teach that one day too! This timeline should serve as a great reference for planning ahead.

Now, to address the question at the end of Fresh Lens, “Does disruption in Education actually work”? Reading the numerous reforms, and “firsts” are always great - and then, a few years later, the policies are revisited, improved, or abolished. How long does something need to be in place for actual change, positive change - growth, occur? Referring back to culture, it could take as long as ten years for culture to be established or changed. During those ten years, what impact has been made on the students who just passed through those ten years of school without a solid and consistent trajectory? Do we learn from history, what to do and what not to do, by watching the other states, or do we become the trailblazer? It appears some strategies, policies, and reforms have worked for a season, but as the seasons change, we must too. So, Yes, I believe there are more people who would like to be a part of the progressive, consistent, good work, known as disrupted education, yet to be done in the ever changing world of Education.

Here is another interesting related resource!

Equity in Education Timeline.

https://theequitycollaborative.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Education-Timeline-Handout.pdf

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Sample Response: After reviewing the ten samples, all about schools, was quite informative. Here I was able to see different perspectives from different people. Some were more open to change, some more reluctant. In my own samples, one is a very open person where she believes that public education is important and values the challenges we face. The second sample was not open at all, and does not believe in public education. He thinks that public education is being lead by liberals and they push their own agenda. Just but listening to these we can assume what political parties they follow. The reason why i mention politics is because some of the parents of our students also may have some of those beliefs.
Hot Topic:
The article that caught my attention the most is by Camera: "Reopening America's Schools and The Privilege of Opting Out". I certainly agree that the most privileged would be the ones opting out, as they are the ones that have the most "means" to survive and/or provide tutors, to have resources to support their children, and more. It is difficult to make a decision.
My family (Hispanic), is afraid of my son going to school in September. Most news in Hispanic sources (Telemundo, Univision) mention how much more Black, and Brown communities are prone to get the virus. While I understand that is not "genetically" speaking, it still makes us think twice.
What also comes to my mind are teachers. Dr. Salvatore mentioned some data in today's class about the amount of teacher that will be not likely to comeback to school as they are afraid of their health. However, I completely agree with Sen. Rand Paul statement in the article: "If we keep kids out of school for another year. What's going to happen is the poor, underprivileged kids who don't have a parent able to teach them at home are not going to learn for a full year?". I can see how students with disabilities, ELL, SIFE, little ones, and many others that are the most vulnerable would suffer the most.
Fresh Lens: I picked to talk about both articles. Disruption in education has been happening throughout the years, and in many ways it has happened not to its benefits. We see that happening with NCLB, changed many of the aspects in education, including the replace of the Bilingual Education Act. ESSA replaced some of those aspects from NCLB but we see how some reforms may support some students but leave others behind.
Whether the education system needs a reform or not, it all depends of leadership but also the willingness of working directly with all stakeholders to make sure the changes are equitable.

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Sample Response:
The topic for the final week of interviews was centered around schools and societal reform. Schools have been the breeding ground for the leaders of tomorrow. For society to change, it must start with sculpting the attitudes and views of youth so they can bring these values to society. A change in value system can implemented via policy and education. This change can be praised and resisted. For example the removal of ‘Aunt Jemima’, an image that was rooted in racial-stereotypes, has been met with resistance by those claiming society is becoming ‘too sensitive’. This is exactly what societal reform is, two sides debating a topic that hopefully moves towards a more inclusive outcome.

After reviewing 10 audio/video clips posted by my classmates, a few themes emerged. Before I get into the themes, I want to note that this week’s clips were most varied in their responses. Previously, a majority of the interviewees gave similar responses, however this week themes were not as uniform. One topic that was present in 3 of the clips I listened to was the influence of government. Some saw schools as a vehicle for the government to indoctrinate students, while others wanted schools to teach more about governmental reform via civics and protest. The other theme I noted was the emphasis on objective learning. In this learning style, students are presented with the facts and form their own opinions. A conscience effort is made to minimize teacher bias so that students have the opportunity to develop their own thoughts/perspectives. I agree with this attitude, however it is not appropriate in all situations. As a science teacher, I am not going to teach science as if it is a subject that is something to debate. We have seen the effect of this style of science-education in climate change, evolution, and GMOs.

Hot Topic:
I agree with the article by Camera (2020) that being able to opt out of school reopening is a privilege. In the article, perspectives on both sides of the issue of ‘school reopening’ are voiced. Parents agree that distant/virtual learning has not been as effective as in-class teaching. At the same time, parents struggle with prioritizing health and learning.

It is easier for a wealthy family to hire a private tutor to bridge educational gaps during distant learning, compared with low-income families. Also in the event that students are exposed to Covid-19, families that are wealthier have greater access to quality healthcare than low-income families. These privileges makes the impact of schools reopening variable. The physical conditions of buildings, access to technology, income, and healthcare all contribute toward the privilege that some will have and others will lack when schools reopen.

Fresh Lens:
For 'Fresh Lens', I chose to review the American Educational History Timeline. I wish I knew about this resource a while ago! I feel that this should be mandatory review for all those pursuing a degree in education. I focused on key events since I started teaching (2011-current). Overall there are three themes; legislation, school shootings, and protests.

I will admit that I had mixed emotions while reviewing recent educational events. Some of the events were a reminder of the dark days we have had; numerous school shootings and legislation passed that does not make sense. At the same time, there are inspiration events such as successful protests to improve schools. I was most proud to read the embedded hyperlink about the number of teachers who ran for office. This inspirational article reminded me that educators are a rare group of people who don't just talk-the-talk, but walk-the-walk. Not only did many educators run for office, a lot successfully won.  With more teachers in education, legislation that hurts student learning can fail and quality schools can become a top priority.

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Sample Response:
This week some of the respondents seemed unsure of the question. I noticed in the videos that each district has a choice of literary experiences for students. When I took Dr. Paone's Racism class at Monmouth 5 years ago I promised myself I would use books that incorporate different backgrounds, races and cultures. I kept that promise. I use poetry written by children and adults from different backgrounds within my counseling lessons. I enjoyed listening to one of Morgan's respondents this week because he was very confident in his response.

Hot Topic:
Ironically the School Nurse from my school called me yesterday to say she disagreed with summer school being in person and also sports starting back up in July. She feels from her medical perspective that the risks are too high for children to be involved in sports right now.
Fresh Lens:
When I took a look at the "American Educational History: A Hypertext Timeline" I was wondering if George Floyd's death and the worldwide protests would be listed when the link gets updated since the link was last updated in March.

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Sample Response:
This week we asked respondents what impact public schooling has on societal reform. My first respondent is a special education teacher in the Philadelphia school district. She made the point that public schools have a huge impact on societal reform due to the position the schools are in to expose students to different topics, readings, and societal/school norms.  My second respondent is an aspiring teacher. She spoke about how public schools have the opportunity to choose how to educate students and therefore impact societal reform, but there are many variables in place. She was very hopeful that public schools would educate students on the important real world issues and use education to help positive and purposeful social reform through curriculum and parent input. Both respondents felt schools have the opportunity to have an impact on societal reform through curriculum, and acknowledged the importance that this is taken seriously.

I was not able to recognize many themes after listening to 10 samples provided by my peers, but could see that many people believe that schools are playing a role in societal reform. From listening to the samples I was able to see the need for a more diverse and inclusive curriculum across subject levels. Public education plays a huge role in shaping millions of kids into young adults. We need to be sure that the materials we educate with and the topics we educate about are exposing all views and facts to our students to help them grow. If we do not do this, we will not be able to progress as society- and we have a lot of improving to do as we are all learning more about each day.

Hot Topic:

The article that caught my attention the most in the Hot Topics list was “The End of Police in Schools” from USnews.com. Initially, I was shocked when I read the title. Over the last few years my school has been working closely with the local police department on ways to improve our school safety and to prepare teachers on how to communicate and stay as safe as possible during traumatic events that could happen in the school. I feel safe knowing that we have experienced security guards and that our local police are so invested in keeping our schools safe.

I am a white female staff member in the school, and I see that I overlooked my privilege in this situation. In class on Saturday morning great points were discussed about how the BLM is opening so many of our eyes to racism that we are exposed to every day and need to be aware of and work to make necessary changes to overcome it. I can see how other staff members, parents, administrators, and students could have different opinions than I do here and could feel unsafe due to police presence in school.

In the article, the following quote was very eye opening to me: “Research and the experiences of young people of color have taught us that police in schools create a toxic school climate and fuel the school-to-prison pipeline," says Judith Browne Dianis, executive director of the Advancement Project. Police-free schools are essential to the well-being of our black and brown youth”. I never knew this- and I should have as a teacher. When I look at police in our schools from this angle, it is a no brainer to me that we should remove their presence. We could use the additional money to follow the lead of other districts and add social workers and counselors to our staff. This would help all of our students in different ways- largely with their mental health.

However, even if focusing on our students' mental health and well-being in this way helps to make our schools safer internally, what would happen with external threats? In class, we also discussed how school and police administrators could work together to form a plan to address the racial/other issues with having police in our schools- to try and continue their presence for other safety concerns. This would be highly dependent upon change, discussion, and carefully selecting officers willing to build meaningful relationships with kids and school staff- especially counselors so we can begin to educate and help our students as opposed to simply condemning them for doing wrong.

The following article also helped me to see exactly how flawed our school-police relationships can be: https://www.npr.org/2018/03/08/591753884/do-police-officers-in-schools-really-make-them-safer/

Fresh Lens:

I reviewed the American education timeline. There were many historical events I have never studied and I am grateful to now be aware of them. What stood out to me the most was that in the past five years it seems like every major step forward has been coupled with an opposing two steps backwards. This does not always seem to have been the case according to the timeline. This is frustrating because the changes needed in education are critical to societal reform.

I feel like the more recent events on the timeline highlight the disaster that our country truly is right now, especially in education. I know that disaster is a strong word, but I am so concerned about the reasons behind decisions being made today. Education is about children and young adults learning, developing, and growing. These scholars become our leaders. Right now, many of the leaders in our country do not seem to be making decisions for children with the same children in mind. The more recent years of the timeline highlight the need for activism and education advocates in our world.

Additionally, I reviewed the Whole School Reform article. There were some interesting points made from different perspectives. I agree with the idea that reform is denoted by data and that to attain this strong leadership and guidance is needed. However, the only “whole school” model I have ever agreed with is the implementation of School Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). This model strives to focus on the positives and teaching students to work hard on academics and SEL as opposed to jumping directly to a more commanding style of discipline. However, within this system, I still believe that aspects need to be individualized to meet students' needs.