Advocacy Project by https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b en-us 2023-08-21 21:42:19 UTC 2023-09-25 22:13:10 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f60a.png 1. Teacher Salaries: HUGE believer that teachers should definitely be paid more. We spend so much out of our own pockets and work more hours than you see on a paycheck. We spend money on furthering our education JUST to make more money. mlee2223 https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2667945708 2023-08-21 21:45:49 UTC https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2667945708 2. Student Loan Forgiveness- AGAIN, we don't make enough money to pay off student loans. mlee2223 https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2667946240 2023-08-21 21:47:02 UTC https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2667946240 5. Teacher Tenure- I know for myself, the stress/anxiety of not being tenured weighs on me, especially at the end of the year, not knowing if I'm going to get pink slipped. On the flip side, I feel like some teachers think they're "safe" and may tend to slack off a bit after they become tenured and it becomes harder to let them go without cause/documentation. mlee2223 https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2667949574 2023-08-21 21:54:09 UTC https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2667949574 What should we be advocating for? mlee2223 https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2675699357 Parents: 
1. Providing proper tech/learning tools for children with special needs. There are huge hoops to jump through.
2. Teaching everyday life skills.
3. Not enough funding. (for school activities, supplies/resources) 
4. Too many students per teacher. 
5. Teacher shortages because of lack of pay. 

Teachers
1. K: Severe behavior problems being addressed outside regular classroom so other students' education is not interrupted.
2. 2nd: Students need social-emotional help. Teachers need to advocate for their retirement.
3. 2nd grade: Mental health.
4. 3rd grade: Higher pay to get more qualified teachers to teach mental health awareness, how to help kinds handle 'life' and the basics of education and how to apply it to real life situations and the work force.
5. 4th grade: Student behavior

Admin/Specials:
1. SPED 3rd-5th: The deficit created by distance learning during COVID.
2. SPED K-2: Ensuring the students are able to learn in the environment free from behavior interruptions.
3. SPED: Smaller class sizes to allow for more differentiated/individual instruction (which snowballs into other issues like teacher recruitment and retention because we'll need more of them and need to find a way for the good ones to stick around).
4. Art Teacher: More bodies to help students learn (special ed, behavior help) which means we would need more funding. Plus better pay for teachers would help with retention.
5. Asst. Principal: Mental health and trauma informed practices.
6. Principal: Social/Emotional, and trauma-related concerns with our students put a barrier in student learning.

]]> 2023-08-28 21:38:50 UTC https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2675699357 3. Social/Emotional Learning: There needs to be more of an emphasis on teaching SE learning in schools, from preschool all the way through high school. Teachers in higher grades report many problems with their students lacking SE skills. mlee2223 https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2692503850 2023-09-10 23:24:18 UTC https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2692503850 4. Bullying- This goes hand in hand with lack of SE skills. It often goes unnoticed, or ignored. Appropriate measures aren't being taken in regards to consequences and prevention of bullying. mlee2223 https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2692503876 2023-09-10 23:24:21 UTC https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2692503876 "Implementing SEL in the Elementary Classroom" mlee2223 https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2692548254 This article discusses how SEL learning is just as important as academic content.  Research has shown that increased SEL skills lead to higher academic achievement. SEL includes teaching students empathy, emotional intelligence, and how to set goals. There is support shown by legislators for including SEL through the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and the fact that classrooms/schools are evaluated on the school climate & student engagement (non-academic items). SEL shouldn't be taught as the main curriculum, but as a supplement to it. A quote from the article states "When students’ social-emotional needs are prioritized, they are more likely to respond to learning within the school environment" (Kaspar, 2023).

Kaspar, K. L., & Massey, S. L. (2023). Implementing Social-Emotional Learning in the Elementary Classroom. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51(4), 641–650. https://doi-org.ezproxy.waterfield.murraystate.edu/10.1007/s10643-022-01324-3


]]> 2023-09-11 00:23:53 UTC https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2692548254 "Social and Emotional Learning during Pandemic-Related Remote and Hybrid Instruction: Teacher Strategies in Response to Trauma." mlee2223 https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2698179179 This article discusses a study done at a under resourced school in CA, where teachers used SEL strategies, with a trauma-informed perspective- during COVID-19 - remotely, as it was a time of severe stress and trauma for kids. Students were showing lack of engagement, signs of grief, and feeling isolated. Focus on building relationships, keeping routines and predictability, and identifying and sharing feelings were just some of the themes during this time.


Levine, R. S., Lim, R. J., & Bintliff, A. V. (2023). Social and Emotional Learning during Pandemic-Related Remote and Hybrid Instruction: Teacher Strategies in Response to Trauma. Education Sciences, 13(4), 411. https://doi-org.ezproxy.waterfield.murraystate.edu/10.3390/educsci13040411

]]> 2023-09-11 21:43:55 UTC https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2698179179 The 9 Steps: mlee2223 https://padlet.com/mlee2223/kirpgg5g3e7fb97b/wish/2707916839 1.     Know the issue: Social/Emotional Learning. SEL helps students manage their emotions, build & maintain healthy relationships, and much more. Research shows that SEL skills are key in increasing academic achievement, improving health, and reducing anti-social behaviors. There are currently SEL standards at the preschool level and SEL standards for older children is expected to come about. (Domain 7b) à I’ve had discussions with colleagues who also see SEL skills as lacking in our students and agree that there should be more of a focus on this in the curriculum/classroom. (Domain 7c) à We talked within our grade levels and as a school and have come up with an SEL activity that students start their day with in all grades within the school. Resources have been provided within the school and currently working on getting more resources for teachers to use with students. (Domain 7d) à A training was offered over the summer regarding SEL info/resources. Curriculum resources have been provided to teachers within the school.
2.     Know your district: McCracken County. According to the 21-22 School Report card: About 52% (half) of the students within the district are considered economically disadvantaged. Almost 83% are white students. In regards to ‘behavior events’ there was a noticeable difference in the ratio of female or male students involved in an ‘event’ with males being significantly higher. Achievement scores are average, with economically disadvantaged students performing significantly lower than non-economically disadvantaged students. 
3.     Know where you stand: I believe that all students should be provided with an SEL curriculum and participate in required SEL learning activities. Research shows that students with more developed SEL skills achieve higher academically. By increasing SEL skills, we can increase achievement scores (since that seems to be the biggest focus of any district…) This will also lead to less behavior incidents and less classroom disruptions if students have better SEL skills and can manage their feelings appropriately. (Domain 7e) à Communicate internally: Bring this up at a staff meeting and bring attention to the subject. Get ideas on how to improve/advocate for more SEL focus not just school, but district-wide. Meet with principal before à Communicate externally: Attend a board meeting and ask to talk about the importance of SEL skills and bring attention to the matter. (or email superintendent/board members). Possibly attend a SBDM or PTO meeting to discuss with parents. 
4.     Know the decision makers: Reach out to superintendent through email. Introduce self and advocacy topic. Find out who elected officials are and reach out by email. 
5.     Know how to contact the decision makers: Once finding out who elected officials are, get contact information. Sign up for newsletters regarding topics in education. Become more familiar with when/what is being voted on in regards to education. 
6.     Know the calendar for decision making: Again, find out when meetings/voting is happening on relevant matters. 
7.     Know how to state your case: (domain 7a, 7b, 7c) à Work with colleagues & parents to get their testimony/opinions on SEL topic and use this as a way to form my own testimony. Meet with principals, attend a board meeting, PTO meetings, etc.
8.     Know how to reach the public: Send out emails to school/district-wide. Ask for email distribution list from principal to email parents/families of students? Social media is always a quick way to reach the public/get feedback from parents & families of students (domain 7c). Create a team of colleagues that is passionate about SEL learning (domain 7a, 7b). 
9.      Know your role in the electoral process: Become knowledgeable about elected officials position on educational topics. Use this knowledge to base my voting decisions. Advocate/show support for elected officials or those running who I support. 

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