Restorative Justice from Diverse Perspectives
Cultural and academic data shows that Black students and students with disabilities have fewer positive academic outcomes and school experiences at our school compared with white students. Most school systems are directed at student behavior as the problem and are ineffective. We believe this is because behavior is a symptom of unidentified systemic issues. Our project will identify the systemic problems causing student behavior issues, and use trauma-informed practices to improve student outcomes. Our team of six educators across content areas will attend the Innovative Schools Summit Student Discipline Conference, using this learning experience as the starting point for a two year cycle of student data collection and analysis. Our goal is to change at least one school system to create better experiences and outcomes for our struggling students.
PLC Global Ambassadors – College Park Elementary
Our school aims to grow a generation of students from all backgrounds with a foundation in Mandarin Chinese language, literacy and knowledge of Chinese culture, which affords them to be multilingual global stewards . Establishing a global professional learning community (PLC) with those who share our vision and goals toward a student centered, social and environmental justice 21st Century Transdisciplinary Mandarin Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Curriculum will support our aim. The Light Award will be instrumental in cultivating a continuous, collaborative, cross cultural, cross linguistic learning community while also developing our leadership skills.
Mindful Mentoring for Teacher Leaders at Garfield
Our team of six elementary educators will work with The Teaching Well to obtain a two year cycle of wellness coaching. The program will include both self and collective care practices, and will also teach us how to model healthy SEL habits for our students. By integrating mindfulness into our teaching practice, we will develop tools to better manage our stress and build emotional resilience. Our students are still developing their prefrontal cortexes and rely on us to offer a regulated presence they mirror through co-regulation. Engaging in Mindful Mentoring and Group Coaching, the teachers on our team will not only grow individually but also as a cohesive group, equipped to mentor others and sustain this professional learning approach within the Garfield community.
Marshall Elementary Multilingual Learner Support Project
The purpose of this project is to establish a system of support for students who are multilingual learners, also known as English Learners. At Marshall Elementary, there has been an upsurgence in the number of multilingual learners. In this project, selected teachers from general education, special education, and Response to Intervention will work together to create units of study and implement common instructional practices in English Language Development (ELD) in our classrooms. In this community of practice, we will engage in job-embedded professional development to ensure long term, sustainable implementation of ELD practices.