THE ORACLE —
February 2020
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DIRECTOR'S CORNER
DEBRA BORRERO, DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAMS
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As you know, February is Black History Month. Despite the profound change in race relations that has occurred in our country, the vision for Black History Month as a beacon of change and transformation is still needed in our country. Observing Black History Month provides an opportunity for us to be intentional in our learning about the experiences, contributions and stories of Black Americans. As you develop activities in your school, take a look at
the recommendations from We Are Teachers for new ideas to honor Black History in America.
- New funding to support districts’ action plans to enhance the social and emotional learning of Open Choice students with a focus on diversity, equity, & inclusion training; social, emotional & behavioral supports for students; and recruitment of minority educators/staff;
- SDE will make the academic achievement and growth (performance) monitoring reports and the racial demographics for educators at each choice school publicly available for all Sheff Programs, including Open Choice districts;
- Bonus funding for Open Choice districts that increase the number of declared seats from the prior year;
- Funding to CREC for additional staff to provide academic and social support to Open Choice students;
- CREC convenes a working group of superintendents (or designee) to develop trainings on issues and best practices related to cultural responsiveness (details coming soon);
- The Regional School Choice Office will add data regarding the number of Open Choice students at a particular school and district on application materials; and
- SDE will review recommendations submitted by the Open Choice & Magnet School Working Groups, including funding for special education and the processes for residency verification for choice students, for discussions with the Sheff Plaintiffs.
CREC will work in partnership with districts and SDE to implement the above items. Please contact me directly to discuss any specific questions. Also, I am happy to come to your district to meet with your leadership teams as well as your Board of Education should you find that helpful.
Warmest Regards,
Debra Borrero
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OPEN CHOICE SHINES!
POSITIVE STORIES FROM OPEN CHOICE STUDENTS, STAFF, AND PARTNERS
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Mercy, Dani, and Liv , Farmington High School
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Students Mercy, Dani and Liv presented about White Privilege during
Farmington High School’s Social Justice Week 2020.
Dani Cloud acknowledged how defensiveness derails conversations about white privilege & acknowledged that remaining silent is harmful during a racist incident. They closed by noting that white privilege is not the fault of anyone today, but is part of our history. What matters is what we do from this point on. They advised fellow students to step outside of themselves & become better listeners; the first step toward being an ally ready to call out an injustice is to remain open to the perspective of the other.
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Farmington Public Schools, CREC Schools, and Open Choice
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Staff from the Open Choice program, Farmington Public Schools and CREC Magnet Schools attended four out of six days of intensive training focusing on trauma-informed restorative practices. Through the use of circle process, small group discussion, video, games, and activities, they explored what it means to implement an integrated approach to whole school trauma-informed restorative practices, the roots of behavior and how trauma can impact memory, learning, and behavior. They ended the day with activities and discussions about building community and relationship through circles, mindfulness, and learning how non-violent communication can offer solid tools in developing a connected, relationship-based school culture.
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Ellington Public Schools and Enfield's Stowe Early Learning Center
We recently featured Ellington and Enfield schools on CREC Social Media at the end of application season,
click
on the the images below to watch! (Ellington left/first, Enfield right/second)
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We would like to feature the excellent work and partnership we have with our Open Choice districts. Please share your brief stories about Open Choice students and their positive experiences in your school/district, along with any high resolution photos. We will share them here and on CREC's Facebook and Instagram pages. Stories can be sent to
openchoice@crec.org
Join us on social media to catch all the Open Choice buzz!!
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RESOURCE SPECIALIST UPDATES
FROM KIM GUZZO, JENNY MALDONADO, CELIA NOE, AND LAUREN ALLEN-JONES
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Elementary Resource Specialist, Kim Guzzo
Does your Pre-K program have a communication loophole?
In many Open Choice districts with Pre-K, students are moved to different schools for kindergarten. The loophole I’ve discovered from parents is that they are unaware this is standard practice in some districts.
Parents are caught off guard when they are suddenly told their child will move to a new school for kindergarten. They are confused and worry that their child could possibly be moved each grade level.
Checklist for communicating the kindergarten transition plan:
- Let parents know at your Pre-k orientation what your district policy is for placing students from Pre-k to kindergarten. Be up front and honest.
- Give parents the kindergarten transition policy in writing at the beginning of Pre-K and include it in your family handbook.
- Have teachers remind parents of the possibility of switching schools for kindergarten at your Pre-k parent conferences. The child’s teacher can be reassuring about the impending transition.
- Invite and encourage Open Choice families to write a letter to the building administrator regarding what teaching and learning strategies worked well for their child in Pre-K. This is a wonderful way to build another connection with your parents! Also, the letter will serve helpful when placing the students in kindergarten classrooms.
- If phone calls or written communication about kindergarten come from someone OTHER THAN IN YOUR SCHOOL, let parents know ahead of time to expect it.
Being open and candid with families from their start in your district will build a solid foundation for a trusting relationship.
Your work matters!
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High School Resource Specialist,
Celia Noe
As our team continues to expand our learning on restorative practice I would like to share some tips on relationship building strategies that you can use to connect with your students and families to have restorative chats.
- When asking questions Connection is the goal not advise or data collection
- Avoid entrapping questions
- “WHY” questions are not always the best as they can cause a person to feel like they are on the spot and become defensive
- How do you feel? - questions can be uncomfortable for someone to answer and can also bring up defensiveness
- Avoid questions that can appear as judgments
- Ask questions in a positive way
If you have any questions please feel free to call or email me at 860-539-7591
cnoe@crec.org
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College and Career Advisor, Lauren Allen-Jones
- Legacy Foundation is a community organization which offers Saturday Academy. Their comprehensive approach enhances academic success from elementary school through high school. Students are provided academic instruction and enrichment opportunities. Call 860-956-1911 for more info or click here.
- A renewable college scholarship is available for black, male, high school seniors with a GPA of 3.5 or better, as well as a level of social, athletic or civic engagement. Contact me for more details. FASTWEB and ScholarMe are search engines that will allow you to explore other scholarship opportunities.
- Assistance in completing the FAFSA is available by making an appointment with me. Meetings can occur at the CREC offices or local Hartford libraries. Capital Community College will also help walk them through the process.
- “Let’s Get Ready” is a summer program for rising seniors. This evening program, in Hartford, will assist them in writing their essay and completing applications, as well as offer college tours. Applications and additional details will be available in March.
If you have any questions about this event please feel free to call or email me at
lallenjones@crec.org
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TRANSPORTATION TIDBITS
FROM RUDY THOMAS, STUDENT SERVICE COORDINATOR AND TRANSPORTATION LIAISON
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Transportation
Did you know that according to the RSCO Guidelines you can tier your late buses so that one bus can go to multiple schools?
For example, if you schedule a late bus, Transportation can route that bus to pick up at your elementary, middle, and then high school as a late practice bus? Your colleagues in neighboring districts are doing this and it is going a long way to accommodate your Hartford resident students.
For Sports programs that go beyond 8 p.m., some tapped into their school’s Support Grant funding to provide transportation for students traveling to Hartford in the evening. Consult your District Office and ask about possibly using funds to support those Open Choice athletes.
CASA
Now is the time to speak with your High School students about attending CASA to take care of subjects that are giving them a hard time. If they come to see us now, we can assist them in being successful and avoid the need to attend summer school. We have an online program that can assist them with acquiring credits before summer starts. You can contact Celia Noe, our High School Resource Specialist who travels to all of the high schools to help get students to CASA. Celia can be reached at 860-539-7591 or
cnoe@crec.org
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I remember an old motor oil advertisement for automobile transmissions, that said, “you can see me now, or you can see me later." Your students can see us now... or see us later in Summer School!
Continue to make referrals on our website, www.crec.org/casa
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FAMILY ENGAGEMENT NEWS
FROM CURTIS PORTER III, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST
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I am excited to announce that our second Liaison Breakfast will feature special guest Elizabeth Horton Sheff.
Elizabeth is one of the original 10 families that started the school integration movement.
The Sheff Movement is known around the State of Connecticut, and throughout the United States, as "Sheff vs. O’Neill"–a landmark civil rights effort that seeks to prepare all children to live and prosper in an increasingly diverse, globally connected world.
On February 27, Elizabeth Sheff will be sitting down with us for an intimate discussion about the passion behind the advocacy and what she envisions for the future.
Please
RSVP
as soon as possible by clicking the button below. Space is limited. If you would like to invite someone from your school who you feel would benefit from this conversation please let me know
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT POSSIBILITIES
FROM GLORIA MENGUAL, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COORDINATOR
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SAVE THE DATE -
LEADERSHIP FOR EQUITY INSTITUTE 2020-2021
Save the date. CREC Open Choice will be holding the Leadership for Equity Institute on October 6, November 9, and December 11 of 2020, with a half day on January 18, 2021 to continue the action planning work started during Day Three of the Institute.
School districts have been increasingly asking for assistance in addressing rising racial/ethnic/religious tensions, seeking to take a more proactive approach to improving school climate and cultural proficiency. Incidents continue to rise within schools and on social media as students lash out with cruel, discriminatory actions, while other youth and their families describe feeling afraid, angry or insecure.
The Leadership for Equity Institute offered by CREC Open Choice helps school staff feel better prepared to address racial/ethnic/religious tensions and improve school climate. This 3 ½ day interactive series is designed for district staff who serve Open Choice students. Based on evaluation feedback from the 2019-2020 sessions, educators noted what they found most helpful:
- Educator cross-district networking: sharing district best practices related to professional development and school climate challenges, as well as brainstorming new approaches
- Achieving a better understanding of the history of racism within education and strategies to address systemic inequities
- Development of an action plan with peers from my school to address institutional challenges impacting students of color
- Bus trip through Hartford to learn about the neighborhoods and lives of Hartford students
- Hartford parent panel discussion/Q & A about their experiences in suburban school districts
- Hartford students describing their hopes, challenges & concerns in suburban districts
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ASSISTANT DIRECTOR UPDATE AND RESOURCES
FROM KRISTINA JORDAN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
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In Honor of Black History Month we honor and remember the late great Maya Angelou- American author, actress, screenwriter, dancer, poet and civil rights activist (1928-2014).
Still I Rise, by Maya Angelou
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
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Want to Talk about Race but don’t know where to start? Try The classic, bestselling book on the psychology of racism-now fully revised and updated
Having conversations about race can be difficult. If you are finding that you don’t know where to start consider Dr. Tatum’s newly revised classic,
“Why are all the Black Kids sitting together in the Cafeteria”
Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see Black, White, and Latino youth clustered in their own groups. Is this self-segregation a problem to address or a coping strategy? Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, argues that straight talk about our racial identities is essential if we are serious about enabling communication across racial and ethnic divides. These topics have only become more urgent as the national conversation about race is increasingly acrimonious. This fully revised edition is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the dynamics of race in America.
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February 2020
- Open Choice Hot Topic Cafe
- February 20, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
- Mark Twain House, 385 Farmington Ave., Hartford, CT 06105
- Open Choice Liaison Breakfast - Elizabeth Sheff Event
- February 27, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
- CREC Discovery Academy, 176 Cumberland Ave. Wethersfield, CT 06109
March 2020
- Youth Empowerment Summit
- March 17-18, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- University of Hartford, Gengras Student Union, 200 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford, CT 06117
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Hartford Region Open Choice Program
111 Charter Oak Ave., 3rd Floor
Hartford, CT 06016
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