I work my best when I am trusted and supported. I will surround myself with others who trust me and are trustworthy. Honesty and ethics are of the utmost importance in my personal and professional life. It is vital for me support, honor and respect diversity of people every day. I will remember that family, friends and faith are important in life and to strive for balance between work and home. I will continue to support and give back to my community through volunteer opportunities. I resolve to celebrate the smallest victories and to not be so self-critical. I will humble myself by remembering the early years in education and people that have influenced and inspired me along. I will choose activities and behaviors that help me to reach my fullest potential and help others as they strive to do the same.

  The creation of this project has given me the opportunity to reflect on my experiences to date and showcase the most significant experiences I have sought to become more aware of social injustice and be a part of a better world for others and myself. It has also given me the means to become more aware of injustice and how I can use my  position as an administrator for the greater good of increased learning outcomes and acceptance for all  students. This journey is far from over and I will continue recognizing, acting, reading and engaging in social justice activities throughout my life.  It is not something to learn about and put away. Once aware, I recognize it and ask myself, “In what way or ways can I respond to diminish or distinguish negative stereotypes while recognizing and celebrating the diversity of our schools and communities.

 The article, The Myth of the “Culture of Poverty”  by Paul Gorski (2008) drew me in with a quote from a teacher. She taught at a low income school and expressed she believed her students were smart, but felt discouraged.  She had an internal conflict that, despite the love for her students, felt she could not make a difference.  She verbalized some of the same things I have heard from teachers in our schools about our students and parents. “They don’t care about school.  They’re unmotivated. And their parents-I’m lucky if two or three of them show up for conferences. No wonder the kids are unprepared to learn.” 

Gorski’s article referenced a thesis completed in a small Mexican community by Oscar Lewis in 1961. He took his observations within the culture such as violence, a lack of future planning and an absence of interest in history as attributes for a term coined “culture of poverty.”  The findings challenged beliefs about people in poverty and generated conversation in which the idea of the “culture of poverty” was not viewed as an invalid argument in explaining inequities. Future research directed the notion that the “culture of classism” is much more telling as we learn about how to work with children and families from poverty.  Important to keep in the forefront is the myth of differences in values among the poor as it is in other social and economic classes. The research indicates the values are not different, but if society perpetuates this and other stereotypes,  we do not have to face how low expectations of students in poverty is more of a contribution to the gaps in poverty itself.  Through the eyes of classism, we can explore the idea that movement from one class to another is possible when stereotypes and barriers are addressed and removed.

Hartford Jt. 1 has approximately 35% students who qualify for free or reduced lunch.  I believe this number is low compared to what our families truly experience as some of our families refuse to apply for free or reduced lunch for a variety of reasons.  Our district is comprised of two elementary schools and one middle school.  One of our schools has a higher concentration of students with poverty and, as a result, the culture of the building is very different.  The perception is that the staff is more compassionate for students and they create an accepting and welcoming environment, essentially they “are good for those kids.” While I think the staff are nice people I have always felt there was a lower expectations of the students in this school.  I have never had the courage to have this conversation with anyone because the common feeling is that people have a lot of respect for the staff who work with the students who are “tougher”and come with lots of checks against them. 

 This article, along with a few other readings for the course, validated feelings I had with regards to lower expectations, materials, access etc to our students who are low socioeconomic status. This article also served as a springboard for a conversation with a teacher about a student I will call Brian.  I reference this article influenced me to take action in a conversation with a teacher regarding Brian.  

Each day I receive news updates from different organizations from across the state. I also get a weekly special education law update from Wisconsin Council Administrators Special Services (WCASS) and the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) newsletter. It was on the WASB site that I read an article on sex discrimination. 

Although this came from the 8th Circuit, sex discrimination is a topic that is relevant across the nation. The article highlighted two male high school students in Minnesota who filed a case alleging unlawful sex discrimination under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution after they were denied the opportunity to participate on their dance teams. The suit was filed after the state high school athletic league, which acts under authority of Minnesota high schools, enforced a rule that prohibited boys from participating on high school competitive dance teams. The league’s rationale for enacting the discretionary rule was that girls’ overall athletic opportunities have previously been limited, whereas boys’ opportunities have not been.  They believed they were offering a compensatory service for students (females) who had previously been denied opportunities. 

In responding to the complaint, data compiled showed a slight historical number of underrepresented females in Minnesota high school athletics. However, over the past five years, the representation of girls in Minnesota athletics has been almost directly proportional to the number of girls enrolled at Minnesota schools. Although, the 2016–17 and 2017–18 school years, revealed that boys have actually been slightly underrepresented in high school athletics. Therefore, the creation of an all-girls league did not correct a problem of unequal access, but did limit and possibly do harm of those males denied the opportunity to participate on this team and would violate their constitutional rights.

The article seemed to be one of a number of articles that published something I thought I could have predicted- that not allowing the boys to join the dance club would be considered discriminatory. What I learned, and challenged my current knowledge, was the defense that the creation of an all female group was defensible to correct and compensate for past segregation. I think this is a slippery slope and, if defensible, should then be transferred to the equal access to education, facilities etc.  My hope would be that groups are  not created for this purpose, but moving forward children are given access based on interest, skill, need or desire.  

Source: D.M. v. Minnesota State High School League, No. 18-3077 (8th Cir. March 6, 2019).  

 I watched a tv show one night as I was settling into bed.  I did not seek this out as one of my activities, but the content was relevant and lead me to do further research on the topic of sexual identity. 

I realize the data below is probably on the low side as children are mobile and sometimes does not go reported. The data  is from the  National State Conference of State Legislatures 

Within my current role as Pupil Services Director and the districts Compliance Officer, I am responsible for sharing and enforcing policy that addresses discrimination or harassment.  After our SAFE training, I did a thorough review of our policies so I was solid on my expectations in education of the policies and the procedures if I should receive a complaint.   One of the ways in which I took action was to create a form that will be used as a response to a complaint.  We were given templates of forms from our policy provider, but I personalized our forms so they were easier to understand and complete. I did not want staff or students to be overwhelmed by a form and have the process of resolution stalled or stopped. I have set a meeting this summer to review this policy, among others, with pupil service staff and other administrators. 

I meet with counselors monthly and inquired of the number of students they have involvement with who have needed assistance with gender or sexuality concerns.  At this time, we have very few students who we know of need accommodations or services, but have encountered a few each year consistently, mainly at the middle school.  After discussion, our challenge is with student to student harassment and not our staffs’ ability to accommodate and be respectful.  The pupil services team works hard at educating students other ways to resolve conflict instead of using derogatory terms they do not really understand.  The counselors and I are scheduled to meet in Mid May to discuss tools and resources to work on the prevention, education and response to topics related to sexuality and sexual identity. I shared the link below with our counselors. 

Information and resource for adults, youth and teens and ways to volunteer can be found at: https://www.1800runaway.org/youth-teens/

 I had remembered a documentary that was about the area of Milwaukee that is in the 53206 zip code.  I grew up just under two miles from here and recently took a ride past my childhood home and took pictures for my mother to see. The last time I saw the house, it was boarded up and run down. Recently I drove past my childhood home and  the house looked like it was once again lived in. The siding and windows looked new and the lawn was cared for. It warmed my heart and was so happy to show my mother the pictures. 

What did I learn?  

What I learned from the 53206 documentary (2016)  was that the 53206 area has the highest incarceration rate of Black males in the nation.  The United States has looked to criminal justice to fix the social and economic inequities of our society, rather than look at the root causes of this phenomenon. It highlighted the threat of having 62% of men in this area either in jail currently or have been recently. They leave women and children without support while incarcerated and impact the perception and hopes of their children on the future for black males in general. 2017 statistics according to USA Today, show Milwaukee as the seventh most dangerous city in the United States based on the number of homicides. Violent crimes and the high poverty rate.  

What impacted me most in watching this was the interviews that were conducted by the incarcerated men and the women they left behind.  What spoke to me was the message that our young black children see and feel. Many of the women spoke of the future or fear of a lack of future for their sons and daughters. They are innocent bystanders and schools must be prepared to help support children who have a parent who is incarcerated and to build up the confidence that our students have the ability to have a brighter future.  I will use this information when I sit in on problem solving teams and have knowledge that a parent is incarcerated.

 One of the biggest takeaways for me was the fact that some of our children find themselves in foster homes as a result of a parent incarceration. Our school counselors and school administrators must know how to work with agencies that are in place to assist our children who find themselves without a parent for this reason.  I took a look at a resource we have on hand for partnerships and resources. One of the most useful pieces of information I was able to find was a direct contact for our Point of Service for students in foster care. I went months without replies to emails and numerous messages left, but I recently was successful.  

 I watched a video that addressed our students who have behavioral and or mental health issues that impact and interfere with their learning. This video was produced by Dr. Ross Greene who is a clinical psychologist but is an author, presenter and collaborator on how to work with children who are emotionally challenging.  

What did I learn? 

The video starts with a young man who was asked what his early memories of childhood were. As an adult he was able to be very reflective about his anger issues as a child and how he physically would respond to these feelings. His life was greatly impacted by this start in life and was eventually kicked out of school. 

At times seclusion and restraint is needed to maintain their safety or that of others, but this approach is one that is used as a means to control students and, at times, becomes the norm for some students.  In addition to the use of seclusion and restraint, there are still schools that use corporal punishment or have been physically assaulted by staff that are entrusted to teach them.  The physical aggressive response to these students can mimic what happens to prisoners and police are often called to respond to these kids in crisis.  Parents are often left feeling helpless and unable to advocate for the basic right of safety for their child.  

Dr. Ross Greene prod

 I am going to schedule a day this summer with a team of people who absolutely need to see this. One of the most important group of people I need to share this with is the principals who, at times, respond from a punishment lens instead of a positive approach. They have the power to impact staff and either dispel the idea these kids are worthy of ongoing punishment or deserving of a safe and welcoming approach to working with the total child. The images and videos, I hope, have an impact.  We do have students who are secluded and restrained. By law I must report these numbers and they are publically shared annually at a board meeting.  Although I understand we must keep students safe and may need to restrain them. I feel it is so important to reflect on why a restraint happened and what things we can do to put in place to prevent these occurrence. I have created a framework for teams to debrief if a restraint was done.  Each child and each incident should be and will be reviewed and staff will be provided support and education if needed.  

I reached out to our English Language Learners (ELL) teacher to assist me in gathering data as I prepared a recommendation for an increase to the services to our EL population.  The numbers of students who qualify for EL services has increased, but the amount of resources dedicated to them has not.  I oversee our ELL programming and have always been aware of a large inequity in the services dedicated to this group of students as compared to students in other groups such as Gifted and Talented (GT).  We currently have approximately twelve students who qualify for gifted and talented and have a GT coordinator and two teachers who support GT services.  On the other hand, our EL population is nearing one hundred, but only have a .40 FTE teacher to meet the needs across the district.  At times I sense a lack of desire to assist students whose parents “don’t care” or for unfunded mandates for students who “drag our scores down.”  I have been hesitant to make a recommendation, knowing there is a high probability it will be denied.  I now feel I have to speak on their behalf. 

 I learned a lot during this process. The main learning curve for me was the information I learned on the Wisconsin Statutes that define bicultural/bilingual education. This knowledge gave me a leverage to make this proposal.  Right now our district is diverting a lot of money for acceleration and options for middle school students to take courses at the high school, which is another district. I have  noticed that our district does not pay as much attention (even when it is required by law) to students and families that do not carry power. This includes our students with disabilities, our low socioeconomic and our students with English language needs.  This activity gave me the drive to dig more into the data for our students and how they make up the total picture of our school district. 

 As with many other districts, we operate on a status quo basis meaning things remain status quo until proposals are brought forward and approved. I took this information and wrote a very comprehensive proposal for an increase in staffing to help meet the needs of our students.   I am continuing to follow up and have had multiple meetings on this proposal and will continue advocating. It was time consuming, but very thorough and well thought out. If my proposal is not accepted this year, I will add the most recent data and then present again next year until there is change. 

I had the chance to attend the CESA 6 Legislative Breakfast. I was invited by my superintendent and business manager who regularly attend. This meeting was one that my superintendent felt strongly I be able to listen to as the main topic on the agenda for our area representatives was the governor's proposed budget.  

 Politics is an area that I feel I need to work the hardest.  I came from a single parent household and, by all accounts lived in poverty. My mother had never voted until this last election. She finally felt so strongly against something she took action- so proud of her!   I grew up hearing and feeling that what we did really did not make a difference.  Looking back, I can’t say who the “we” is my mother was referring to. Was she referring to women, minorities or the poor? I was never exposed to politics and felt it was a topic for those that had money or intelligence.  As I become more educated and involved in larger school issues, I struggle with my interest or knowledge of politics.  I really enjoy being in a forum  such as this because the reps talked about ways they are advocating for their constituents in the work they do.  The discussion centered a lot on how unreasonable and overspent  Governor Ever’s budget is and predictions on where the bottom line will actually fall. 

Special education funding is always a topic that generates strong feelings and tension. I usually see two camps of people, one group of people that advocate for quality and equitable services and the other that resents the amount of money needed to support the services. The laws that drive special education services do not align with funding. With that said, Governor Evers is calling for the greatest amount of increase for funding in this area.  I learned Wisconsin has the lowest rate of reimbursement (27%).  The gap between available state and federal funding and actual excess costs places a large burden on local districts, requiring them to offer other revenue sources.  With districts competing for scores on the district report cards, this means either less money toward other areas or asking for more local money.  If our goal is to create equitable and accessible services, this, to me actually creates a larger gap in a collaborative approach for equitable services. 

 I do contact our representatives to advocate on changes or proposed changes being brought forward whether that be for or against special education or early childhood and will continue to do this. I will maintain my membership on professional organizations that provide opportunities for me to get daily information on the status of politics across the state. I am starting to broaden my lens to look at how politics at a larger level look like and affect us at the state and local level.  I have now signed up as a regular attendee. Once I am done with my program, I would like to spend more time in learning and attending to activities that continue to help me learn. I will also continue to watch more news as you have urged so we can have discussions at home so, as a family, we can discuss the topics going on in our world. 

I brought a team of educators to a workshop on interrupting bias when problem-solving around students. Our school psychologists, curriculum coaches and school counselors are often called upon to help when there are concerns about students. During this worksop, we began by identifying our own stereotypes, biases and prejudices.  Our team discussed how we often find ourselves thinking about the deficits of students without remembering the skills, talents and experiences they do bring. 

As a team we were able to begin considering how our biases show up in our work.  Our team learned to evaluate our own practices through a process we tend to lead within our schools. We articulated that we, often times, make the problem about the student and therefore get distracted by other possible solutions.  Some teachers are open to thinking about the individual needs of our students and others feel students who don’t fit a certain mold are problems. I find these are the teachers who are not challenged to think about the factors and supports we can bring because they feel we are not being “fair.”  I learned of a research based framework for helping our problem solving teams move beyond our own assumptions.  As is the work we are doing for this class, this is heavy work in districts. We are not ready to dive all in, but we can take small steps in supporting the interruption of bias by educating and arming those that often lead the meetings.  

Since attending this workshop, I have put this as an agenda item during my weekly meeting with counselors and psychologists. The conversation has been in  discussing what policies and processes we are responsible for and how bias can interfere with carrying out these obligations. I have added questions to our referral process, especially those for behavior concerns, that asks questions surrounding classroom environment, how students access the curriculum and how we provide alternate means when they don’t. These all seem like typical questions that should be asked but the more I dove into this, I was not seeing the evidence of this.  The counselors and psychologists discussed who they know they can ask these questions of and which teachers continually blame the student for not learning what they have taught.  As we move forward and work with teachers where they are at, the first step is in identifying who these people are so we can help them in a non threatening manner. 

This course was the first time I had experience with the Harvard Implicit Bias Test. I have taken a few of the tests including the one on race, gender and weight.  

 The questions that I had to react to were raw and straightforward and allowed me to really think about my own feelings without having to explain it to others or feel I was being judged. I take the results with a grain of salt, and the site advises using caution in using the results.  If I had to be honest, I did feel the results were pretty on target with what my biases are. I have revisited the site and taken the test a couple of times, not to yield a different result, but to keep challenging myself with questions that people will rarely ask of each other. My first reaction with the results is to be a bit defensive and not own up to my biases. I want to believe that I am accepting of others and am educated enough to identify in others, and surely myself, if prejudices are demonstrated. 

The information was valuable to me as I have gone from someone I used to consider “color blind” to a person who had and continues to have so much to learn. This test, along with reflections on our readings, have allowed me the time and guide to ask myself tough questions about groups of people I hadn’t normally thought I had biases toward (fat versus thin, old versus young etc). When I think about where I started in this course, I am at a different place all together. I am confused on what is right or wrong, what might be insulting or supportive or what is a bias versus just a dislike of an individual. The most important thing for me is that I am willing to consider and question myself. If I know anything for sure, it is those of us who feel we have nothing to learn are those that need it the most. This site is one that I can and will go back to from time to time as I get comfortable and complacent.  

This is the time of year when contract negotiations are occuring. When I signed my original contract with my current district, there happened to be just two program directors; the business manager and myself. I was told by the business manager himself that I made a considerable less amount in salary and benefits. He is very good at “tooting his own horn” and advocating for himself.  I always talked myself out of thinking any of it had to do with gender. I was told the market determines and drives salaries and benefits and business managers are difficult to find,  but my position is known to be a difficult one to fill as well.  This year, I  requested a meeting with the superintendent to discuss my contract prior to it going to the board.  

What did I learn?  

While I always understood I made less than my male co-worker, I felt that I had my one shot at contract negotiations when I first took the job. It got me thinking and I did my research on the current status of women’s pay versus men’s pay. I then looked at current salary and benefit packages for others who have my title. I compared our years of service and the availability of information regarding their education and although I feel well compensated, I wanted more of an input on what I feel my value is.  The request for more of anything, I was told, might be perceived to the Board or others that a staff member is not loyal. After doing more research, I believe that this is just not the case. I don’t think people think twice about a male advocating for themselves and don’t see it an unloyal. It is more of the norm and an expectation.  I did my research and took steps from the Harvard Blog that helped me present my proposal in a well thought out and non threatening manner.  

I set a meeting with the superintendent and did end up negotiating a slightly different benefit package. As I said, I appreciate the support in pay and benefits I have received, but the exercise in negotiating was very valuable.  I have advocated for myself in the past and have been able to gain support toward my education and attendance of national conferences, all of which I am very grateful. I need to remember that I am the only one that will advocate for my value, but I have to do so in a smart manner.  I will think about the inequities I have seen and experienced as a fuel to being more “like a man.” and advocate for myself as much as I advocate for others. The activity of negotiating is uncomfortable and intimidating. I wish, as women, we had more guidance and support on not taking less than our worth. I hope I can use my experiences to assist new or aspiring female administrators.  As a mother, my ultimate wish would be to be a role model for my daughters as they are young in their careers. 

A couple years ago I reached out to a  committee of women who planned and organized  a conference for women leaders in Wisconsin. The committee is mainly comprised of school administrators (directors and district administrators), but the conference is geared toward all women leaders.  I reached out to the group after I attended their first conference and felt compelled to be a part of it. For the second year  I helped to plan this conference that was held in March.  

This year we titled our conference Resilience: Leading Forward.  This theme seemed appropriate given our speakers and their messages.  Our keynote was Bonnie St. John, a black female paralympic ski medalist who rose above all of the strikes against her.  She was black, female, raised by a single mother and was disabled.. My take away from her life lessons were that we are all going to get knocked down, but the speed at which you pick yourself up sets you apart from others.  There are times when I feel on top of the world, that all that I am involved in is positive and well received and then there are times I get knocked down either by my own doing or by others intentions. To keep ahead of the politics of who is supportive of us or those who want to knock us down.

 We also brought in Jill Liever Steeg who was a Pulitzer Prize nominee and Sports Illustrated first female reporter that was allowed in the locker rooms. She fought hard and came against a ton of resistance. She was sexually assaulted on the job as a result of going after her stories and was harassed by players on up to those in power in the company. She also had mentors as well. Interestingly enough, she said her best mentors were men. She never had a female reach out to her to help her in a positive way.  She truly paved the way for female reporters that followed. 

The information I take away from this experience has more to do with the power of networking to create opportunities that might not otherwise exist. When I reflect ways I take part in interrupting bias, the time and contributions I make help me to feel I am making a small difference. I am able to bring ideas, resources and topics forward that address inequities for women, minorities and people with disabilities with a positive approach.  I have met women from across the state and have people I can use as life lines and mentors. I have to resist, at times, the desire to compete with women who seem to want to see me fail.  I am cognizant that some women work hard at making themselves look better by putting others down and have to be very conscious not to respond the same.  Having a positive network and circle of strong women help to remind me to always act with positive intent and professionalism. I have to remember that we all get knocked down, but the speed at which I get up can set me apart from others. 

I met with a special education teacher to help her make compliance corrections to an educational plan for a student referenced earlier named Brian. The student has recently been spiking in behaviors such as stealing. I was being told that he was aggressive, angry and dangerous.   I met with her to make sure the IEP was compliant, but in cases with such heavy issues I ask teachers discuss with me the WHY behind what they know so they can build a meaningful plan for students.  

During this meeting, the conversation kept going back to race. This student is the only black male in our program and he has been pretty vocal that he feels some people are prejudice. This has been corroborated by many staff members and yet we punish him for being angry. His special education teacher was a young, white female teacher who grew up in a largely white community. She insisted that he was not being unfairly treated due to his race. After getting her to consider he might experience this, she finally opened up about her lack of exposure and experience with race. She was on his team and advocated for him. Suddenly things had changed and I was being asked to sit in on meetings in which his teacher who was now afraid of him.  I didn’t understand what could have changed so quickly so I asked several questions trying to get to the heart of it so we could develop an appropriate plan. The only thing I could conclude was she was suddenly viewing him as a danger through the urging of other teachers that were trying to “protect her” and she bought into it. 

What I learned is that my staff had very little ability to recognize and deal with his point of view. The teacher was so passionate that the problem existed with the student that she thought it appropriate to write a goal for him not to view others as prejudice.  She peppered his report with comments he made regarding race and failed to mention that when he was kicked out of class and asked to sit in the hallway with two other students, the boy to the left of him was black as was the boy to the right. 

This whole situation just became more and more concerning. His teacher who once was his biggest advocate, now fears him and refuses to talk to him.  When his new special education teacher and I met to discuss his plan, she began to carry this negativity with her, although she had almost no interactions with him at that point. In asking the why behind his stealing, she made a comment  “He feels entitled… like a gang member.”  I had a split second decision to approach this  or ignore it. I decided to go there.  My first instinct would be to show her how wrong her response was, to shame her into changing her approach, but I was proud that I guided the conversation in a more productive and non threatening way.  I don’t know if she was changed at all by the conversation, but I was and I had a reality check that some of my teachers are quite bold and open about stereotypes that are hurtful and nonproductive. 

I also recognize the failure of the principal to be an advocate for students. He fails to address the issue of race even when it is so overt. He would much rather be on the side of staff who feel threatened and afraid with no valid reason. He should be the one to speak on behalf of all students. I reconnected with him recently and expressed that we failed this student and continue to do so by not addressing the issue of race. He outwardly agrees, but will not put himself on the line for his own political benefit with staff.  I have reconnected with this student several times and will keep my hand in things by documenting and continuing to challenge the principal. I will be a part of this student’s meetings so I can advocate for him and will look for opportunities to bring this topic forward while being a part of possible and productive solutions. 

My youngest daughter came home from one of her  religious education classes and was angry that her teacher spent the entire class “teaching” them what God believes is a good person and what our purpose is on the earth. She reported the teacher talked endlessly about several topics that offended her. The topics included sex before marriage and people who are gay.  I thought my daughter may have been embellishing because it was so offensive, but it was later confirmed.  I ended up emailing the director of religious education and set up a time for my daughter and I to talk to her together about the issue. 

 I was very shocked to hear that this is still a message being delivered in our church. I do not see that we are yet at a point that the church stands  by and approves sexual relationships before marriage and between anyone outside of one man and woman, but I also thought the message of churches was beginning to change.  What churches stand FOR does not automatically mean telling groups of people that they are against them.  I discussed with the director that we are supposed to be teaching love, caring, acceptance and tolerance.  While the bible may not recognize and support gay marriage, for instance, the bible also states we should treat others as we want to be treated.  I learned to not take for granted the things that are being taught to my daughter and that I need to be the one driving the conversations instead of the church. I was thankful she was brave and articulate enough to bring it forward. 

 I was so proud that my daughter was comfortable enough to talk to me about this topic and that she had values instilled in her to understand this is not what we support in our home. I used it as an opportunity to guide her through what we should do about it. I could tell her what I felt, but I wanted her to be someone who can do what others never learn to do which is to interrupt the bias. After talking through it,  she thought we should start by emailing the director and that we should talk to her together.  The director promised to talk to the teacher about this issue and I asked that in the future, we get information sent home about the topics discussed at class. I reached out to friends of mine as well and they called on their own behalf as well. I can’t imagine if a student was in that class who was struggling with their own sexulity! How disheartening. If not for this class, I might not have acted upon her information. I would have talked to her and emphasized that we know and love the very people this teacher was speaking against, but I might not have taken it to another level.

After participating in the Interrupting Bias workshop, I reflected on the feedback from my pupil services team that discussed the challenge of some teachers willing to consider that we create or perpetuate a child’s lack of access to learning because of our own biases. I took a look at our forms that guide teams prior to them asking for an evaluation for disabilities.  This prereferral process is what we call Child Study Team or CST.  

Asking teachers to consider things from a different point of view is not always met with acceptance. Those that clearly don’t consider bias and a culturally responsive plan,   are the ones that are most resistant to it.  They are the ones that feel they hold the knowledge and students are the receivers.  The questions geared to help develop a positive plan for students can be seen as a professional challenge.  The more my team discussed these challenges with me, the more I thought one of the best ways for me to impact would be to include guiding questions that teams must consider when there are substantial behavior problems interfering with students or before a referral for a learning disability.  

I have revised our forms as a way for teams to consider other means to reaching our students. My goal is to guide conversations and considerations for teams. What do we know about this student? What interests does the child have? What are their strengths?  Who connects (if anyone) with the child? What goals and motivations do we know about the student and if we can't identify one, why?  Who will find this out so we can help to connect?  

My pupil services team will be the ones on the forefront on these conversations as they are invited to problem solving teams. If they are not invited and hear staff talking about students in a negative way, invite themselves to be a part of the planning. This tool is a vehicle for conversations that redirect negative conversations about children.   

On the first day of class, SAFE training was not at all what I had expected. I had done some typical preparation for the semester that lie ahead such as reviewing and printing the syllabus, ordering any books I needed and browsing the assignments that lay ahead. I did not look at what SAFE training, but was open to anything. My original thought was the training was going to assist me with the approval for IRB or writing my dissertation. I thought it would help me examine what type of bias existed so I could avoid them when writing, but instead it laid groundwork that helped me to see just how little I knew and really never sought out the opportunity to learn. The trainers were very helpful and nonjudgmental in their training approach. I was so interested in their journey and had so many questions. One thing we discussed in this class was the general feeling that “Wisconsin nice” means sometimes not talking about things like race and sexual orientation.  The trainers seemed to intuitively answer some of the things I thought impolite to ask.  I love the resource that was shared with the terms on assigned sex, gender identity, gender expression, identity label and sexual orientation. I realize that the list of terms in this resource is not exhaustive, but it is a great start.  It is a also a great resource to share with staff.  The training allowed me to put names and faces to the issues they discussed. I was able to see my daughter, friend or sister in their shoes and empathized with the difficulties life brings when they aren’t accepted by those they love, but am encouraged by the number of support groups that exist to support. 

In doing my critical inequities project, I dove into the imbalances that exist for students on the ways we assess them.  Poor performance on assessments are just the manifestation of a number of ills with our education system.  Although the project began as an examination of students from a low socioeconomic group, I realized that the issues of our assessment results stretch into groups that include minority, students with disabilities and students who are poor.   The inequities are in the actual brick and mortar, the curriculum and the quality of staffing.  Accountability measures imposed by the state are one way to keep a pulse on who does and who does not have access to high quality instruction, but it is up to the individuals within the buildings to recognize and purposely execute a plan to address it.

One of the most enlightening areas for me was in the area of race. I have learned what the textbooks have provided on the movement on race and equity, and bought into the feel good stories. I thought we were at a better place in the world, or at least in our country, than we were generations ago.  I thought that being “color blind” was a good and just thing.  I have been very emotionally impacted as I feel this new awareness. I hurt for the children I see around me who  may face adversity for no reason other than skin color, mainly because I know others are not interested in facing the topic. In my awareness I have been able to take some action and have conversation around the topic of race. The fourteen things I documented here are just a few I documented during this semester.  The biggest take away for me is that once you are aware and open to the fact there are inequities, each day presents the opportunity to engage, read, connect or act to do my small part in changing it for the better.