Anther example might be superficially speeding through content or discouraging interruptions for questions. General education entry grade seats per application: https://sfusd.zoom.us/j/89260175755?pwd=R2VLdWJQOVdySElJa1c2UUhCTkw5QT09, Districtwide before and after school program information, Social-Emotional and Culture Climate Report, School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA). . The art of relaxation: ideas to get students to unwind and recharge, How two minutes of mindfulness can calm a class and boost attainment, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Dr. Bettina Love writes in her book, We Want to Do More Than Survive, "To even begin to attack our destructive and punitive educational system, pedagogies that promote social justice must help educators understand and recognize America and its schools as spaces of Whiteness, White rage, and White Supremacy, all of which function to terrorize students of color." And just like that, a hush fell over the auditorium. 8:15 a.m. - MWTh 3:00 p.m.; 8:15 a.m. - TuF 1:15 p.m. SFUSD's Student Family School Resource Linksupports students and families innavigating all of the SFUSD resources available to them. That funds four and a half (full-time equivalent) Quiet Time staff on site to teach the classes and support students. Education in collaboration with the San Francisco Unified School District research department, had more good news. You can see past weeks' newsletters as well. This includes emotions of fear, anger, and guilt, as well as actions of argumentation, silence, and withdrawal. One teacher, Mary Chirichella added, "Some teachers had the courage to approach others to have tough conversations about microaggressions. In the first year of Quiet Time suspensions at Visitacion Valley which has 500 students aged 11-13 were reduced by 45% (pdf). In the outside world, TM has been criticised for the price-tag it comes with; the programme at Visitacion Valley costs $280,000 (185,128) a year - paid for mainly through private donations to CWAE. Further, we must look at how it has affected us and how we have perpetuated White Supremacy Culture. This coming year, we are looking at how to build more community in the classroom, how to unify our students across cultural differences, and how to reduce bias in our discipline systems. 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic Government Administration SAN FRANCISCO, California When the staff at Visitacion Valley Middle School explored White Supremacy Culture, it gave them a new framework to define their North Star: being an anti-racist school. I began my career in education in Richmond, CA. We are the operators of some piece of the education machine, and therefore, if we change our actions, we can change the larger system. Students straightened their backs and closed their eyes. But now I meditate twice a day, and I do it at home. . Visitacion Valley Middle School Unclaimed 1971 Visitacion Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94134 Contact info Website 3 /10 GreatSchools Rating 5 reviews Public school 375 Students Grades 6-8 Updates Compare 3 /10 GreatSchools Summary Rating 2/10 Test Scores below average 4/10 Academic Progress below average 1/10 Equity below average By Kyle Palmer On a recent morning at Visitacion Valley Middle School in South San Francisco, Principal James Dierke looked out over the school's auditorium at more than 100 eighth graders. In the first year of Quiet Time meditation, suspensions at Visitacion Valley were reduced by 45%. And thats one of the challenges., However, Swarana Patel, a teacher in a north London secondary school where behaviour is often an obstacle, can see the benefits of a more intensive programme like this. This prompts staff to reflect and ultimately declare, I want to be an anti-racist teacher, but I dont exactly know how. This has the power to unite folks at the foundational level, setting the stage for deeper commitments to learning new strategies, practices, and routines. Norman E. Rosenthal is a psychiatrist and the author of Super Mind: How to Boost Performance and Live a Richer and Happier Life Through Transcendental Meditation.. James Dierke, Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco, like so many thousands of principals and teachers who are working in inner-city schools throughout the US, knows how frustrating it can be trying to provide an education in America's low income, high stress localities. Service Learning Some conversations fell flat, and others were superficial. Some conversations fell flat, and others were superficial. Others rested them on the backs of their chairs. Students, families, and school staff can email requests to sflink@sfusd.edu, call 415-340-1716 (M-F, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m., closed from 12 to 1 p.m. every day), or complete an online request form. Nearby Public Schools The nearest high school to Visitacion Valley Middle School is Burton (Phillip And Sala) Academic High School(0.6 miles away) The nearest middle school is Bayshore(0.6 miles away) Young people are incredibly stressed, says Michael Matania who teaches mindfulness meditation to young people in London through a programme called Mindkit. $1,041. In 2007, James Dierke, then the principal of the Visitacion Valley Middle School in a troubled neighborhood in San Francisco, was determined to improve both the quality of education and. That was crazy, Angelica, the student body president, said. By Joe Truss, the principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco and a leadership coach. View more recently sold homes. One seventh grader at Visitacion Valley said, I used to be really fidgety, couldnt stay in my seat for very long. Racial-equity work is like trying to defuse a bomb and cutting the wrong wire. What Happened When My School Started to Dismantle White Supremacy Culture, The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition, http://culturallyresponsiveleadership.com/. We publish a weekly newsletter to keep parents informed, hold workshops, and offer many opportunities for parent communication and involvement. Some bowed their heads. Racial-equity leaders must be both intentional and responsive when doing this anti-racist work. The program, which had initial funding from the 2,414 Sq. 2023 San Francisco Unified School District, I look forward to our partnership this upcoming school year and collaborating with all of you to support our brilliant students. 3 Baths. Dierke, who has been principal at the school for 13 years, said things reached a turning point about five years ago. Once the students got over that, they were open to trying to meditate. Students are encouraged to use the time to meditate, but Dierke says students can simply clear their mind, think about schoolwork, or even sleep. SOLD JUN 13, 2022. Find COVID-19 testing, vaccine, and daily health screening information. In my dream, I imagine that educators can become comfortable talking about race and how it informs the work of educating children. A restless din filled the large room. Teacher Phil Yordy, left, works with freshman Derek Shallow, 15, right, during an after school mentoring program at Oregon High School in Oregon, Ill., in February. With the help of the David Lynch Foundation and the San Francisco-based Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education (CWAE), Visitacion Valley trained teachers on how to conduct Quiet Time sessions in their class. . In one, the effects of the Quiet Time Program, conducted over half the academic year, were evaluated in public middle school students performing below proficiency level. This has included making decisions about curriculum, school partnership, and hiring, without authentically involving teachers or students in the process. Since beginning Quiet Time, Dierke said things have improved: Daily attendance last year was more than 98 percent, and there have been fewer suspensions and higher test scores. Thats what were gradually doing here., The payoff might be most evident in students like Angelica Mahinay, who says, Man, when I hear students getting an attitude, or theyre saying theyre going to fight, I say, Hey! Before becoming the Assistant Principal at VVMS, I served as an Assistant Principal at two different elementary schools in Richmond, CA. Modern Band (music) with contemporary instruments, Visuals Arts, Ethnic Studies, Computer Science, Dramatic Arts, and Spanish! Consequently, this allows for us to align our purpose with our pedagogy, curricula, policies, decisionmaking processes, and adult structures. Start with one class or year and let it grow from there.. One teacher, Mary Chirichella added, Some teachers had the courage to approach others to have tough conversations about microaggressions. Property taxes $170 Home insurance $105 . Besides dealing with problems outside school, Visitacion Valley faces challenges in school, too. in San Francisco. A restless din filled the large room. Our school commits to delivering high quality educational program that addresses individual needs. For a more complete list, see the 15 WSC characteristics from Tema Okun and Kenneth Jones in the 2001 Dismantling Racism Workbook. In addition, we might see curricula that affirms and engages students of color. Our teachers use Community Building and Restorative Practices. campaign: %%CAMP%% -- %%CAMP_UID%%, creative: %%ADID%% -- %%AD_UID%%, page: %%PAGE%%, targetedPage: %%TARGETEDPAGE%%, position: %%POS%%, evaluated in public middle school students performing below proficiency level, Under Stress, Students in New York Schools Find Calm in Meditation. 3. Quiet Time in Los angeles The David Lynch Foundation is partnering with several Los angeles-based institutions which deliver excellence in academics and holistic student development through innovative educational models. One day children came in to find three dead bodies dumped in the schoolyard. Mortgage insurance $0. They simultaneously tell us that we are not good enough and keep us to the bottom rungs of racial hierarchy if we do not assimilate. Price: $759,000. Quiet Time isnt just a slogan but a daily regimen at Visitacion Valley. live well. It contains 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. Her work has generated changes to state law and spurred political and community action to address local needs. At Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS), in the San Francisco Unified school district, our brave staff spent a majority of the 2018-19 school year unpacking White Supremacy Culture (WSC). Please refer to legal details concerning copyright and trademark protection. And our teacher turnover and absenteeism is almost zero.. and our Visitacion Valley Middle School Spark Program site. Most definitely recommend this school to parents in the neighborhood with kids in Kinder-5th grade. Joe Truss Visitacion Valley Middle School Catering to our kids grades 6-8. Ale House Alley, Mission Blue, and Lucky's Bakery & Cafe. Also, we might hear phrases like, "That comment triggered me, it was a microaggression," "I think we can do better for our Latinx students," or "This is not consistent with our commitment to anti-racism." Its important to note that these responses work to maintain current consciousness and white supremacy. As a result, staff were curious to take action to be anti-racist and promote a learning community that did the same. Dr. Bettina Love writes in her book, We Want to Do More Than Survive, To even begin to attack our destructive and punitive educational system, pedagogies that promote social justice must help educators understand and recognize America and its schools as spaces of Whiteness, White rage, and White Supremacy, all of which function to terrorize students of color. (Love, 2019) It is imperative that we examine these deeply held beliefsboth conscious and unconsciousto build on top of a new set of habits, behaviors, and systems. We must name, define, and plan for white fragility, the defensive response by whites when discussing racism. The first pitfall is failing to scaffold for white privilege and white fragility. A lot has changed over this period, including three principals coming and going, but ODriscoll puts the turnaround down to the one constant: the calming influence of the meditation programme. increased attendance and increased academic performance. Your health questions answered by Times journalists andexperts. 375. "He's like our own American Idol," Garcia said. Imagine that. Were not perfect, Dierke said. Visitacion Valley Middle (San Francisco) is a 06 to 08 grade school in San Francisco, and has made tremendous strides in improving the acceptance rate and education its students receive. There was a time when Visitacion Valley middle school in San Francisco could have featured in a gritty US crime drama. Also, we might hear phrases like, That comment triggered me, it was a microaggression, I think we can do better for our Latinx students, or This is not consistent with our commitment to anti-racism. I imagine we might even see white folks redirecting their white colleagues and carrying their weight of racial conversations. Nearby homes similar to 183 Tucker Ave have recently sold between $1,150K to $1,150K at an average of $475 per square foot. Ft. 45 Arleta Ave, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. Here are two pitfalls to avoid. One of San Francisco's toughest schools transformed by the power of meditation A pioneering programme has reduced stress and improved grades at Visitacion Valley middle school - with lessons other schools can learn from. Visitacion Valley Middle School. We are committed to Love, Literacy, and Liberation. Yet that's where real leadership comes in, the organization noted. The trouble is we don't even see it. A $60K Starting Salary for Teachers? Ultimately, we are here to help students empower themselves through education. Don't be confused. 1. White Supremacy Culture. Our courageous educators got personal, thinking about how White Supremacy Culture shows up in their personal lives and between colleagues. The results of 17 studies conducted to date in the Bay Area, varying in duration from three months to one year, showed benefits across parameters including reduced stress, increased emotional intelligence, reduced suspensions, Can You Safely Lose Weight While Breast-Feeding? Thats amazing for an urban middle school, he said. Then, Dierke struck a bell and said, Okay, its quiet time.. Visitacion Valley Middle School is part of San Francisco Unified School District. Teachers. These beliefs lead to actions that are dehumanizing to all races of people; however, they have a more drastic effect on indigenous, black, and people of color (IBPOC). The Zestimate for this house is $1,039,700, which has increased by $3,460 in the last 30 days. As a result of these high-stress conditions, thousands of schools have predictable problems: low attendance, high violence, and low performance. (DiAngelo, 2018). The trouble is we dont even see it. Grades: 6-8. Now we can get to the work of promoting anti-racism, liberation, and achievement at our school, by looking through the lens of White Supremacy Culture. It is the water we are swimming in. foot 2 bed, 2 bath townhouse for sale. 375. That is not always possible for his schools students, Dierke said. I also enjoy cooking (and eating) good food with family and friends. ft. home is a 2 bed, 1.0 bath property. (Love, 2019) It is imperative that we examine these deeply held beliefsboth conscious and unconsciousto build on top of a new set of habits, behaviors, and systems. I look forward to our partnership this upcoming school year and collaborating with all of you to support our brilliant students. What Happened When My School Started to Dismantle White Supremacy Culture, The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition. White Supremacy Culture. In 2008 Mr. Dierke was named MetLife/NASSP National Middle Level Principal of the Year. Specifically, this pushed on us to think about and change how we work together: We worked to create norms that encourage people of color and women to contribute, we shifted the relationship between teachers and administration so that teachers had more input in budget and hiring decisions, and finally, we adjusted the pace of our professional-development plans to emphasize quality over quantity. The work to address racism in schools has been called cultural competency, diversity training, and equity. These beliefs lead to actions that are dehumanizing to all races of people; however, they have a more drastic effect on indigenous, black, and people of color (IBPOC). Yes, this is built into our systems of power, structures, policies, and rules. Places. This content is provided by our sponsor. At VVMS, we were able to get past defensiveness and excuses and get to the heart of the matter. This can create power struggles, a learning opportunity gap, and as the scholar Monique Morris writes, students being pushed out of schools. As a result, staff were curious to take action to be anti-racist and promote a learning community that did the same. Principal and Interest. Specifically, we must look at how it shows up in our own lives, in our personal relationships, in between school staff, and in our histories. For the majority of urban students, drugs, gangs and violence are part of everyday life. The once-boisterous hall became silent and remained so for the next 15 minutes. Two other schools in SFUSD have begun their own Quiet Time programs and a district spokesperson said other schools have begun asking questions about Visitacion Valleys success. Visitacion Valley Middle School 1971 Visitacion Ave. San Francisco, CA 94134 ( School attendance zone shown in map) Tel: (415) 469-4590 www.sfusd.edu SAVE SCHOOL Visitacion Valley Middle School serves 358 students in grades 6-8. Parks near 132 Britton St include Crocker Amazon Playground, Visitacion Valley Greenway, and Bayview Park. are promising. I like to think of myself as a recovering perpetrator of WSC. For instance, we might see folks making eye contact, leaning into conversations about racial identity, and asking probing questions. It is time that we detox and make the invisible visible. Visitacion Valley also got attention from actor Russell Brand, who visited the school just before Christmas on a trip sponsored by the David Lynch Foundation. For a more complete list, see the 15 WSC characteristics from Tema Okun and Kenneth Jones in the 2001 Dismantling Racism Workbook. Finally, this work is some of the most challenging, but rewarding work there is. The work to address racism in schools has been called cultural competency, diversity training, and equity. With respect to race, the foundational issue is White Supremacy Culture, and we must attack the problem head on. Later that year, a gunman brazenly stormed into the school, threatened to kill a teacher and robbed two employees. suggests that meditation might significantly improve childrens school performance and help close that gap. fear. White Supremacy Culture also tricks us into thinking that if we change to fit a white model, we can be more valued but still never be white. In my dream, I imagine that Culturally Responsive Teaching, restorative practices, and deeper learning are all alive in classrooms across the United States. For instance, we might see folks making eye contact, leaning into conversations about racial identity, and asking probing questions. The school is working on improving parent involvement through our Parent Liaison. Awesome school! We were looking for a way to get kids to relax, he said. The programme, introduced to all ages, sees students sit for 15 minutes of meditation twice a day. Balboa High School. Principal During those times, students could either practice Transcendental This is true for our staff as well, contributing to racial fatigue and staff sustainability for IBPOC. We work hard to create a positive school climate where students are recognized for their growth. San Francisco principal Jim Dierke knew something was up when he saw more cars than usual parked in front of his school Friday morning. This requires dismantling White Supremacy Culture and building a new foundation for an anti-racist and empowering education. During the 2017-18 school year, I s erved as an assistant principal in Ryan Gloyer Middle School (Seneca Valley Middle School at the time) before being named principal of the building for the 2018-19 school year. To our teachers and staff, joyful learning means that each student is able to maximize his/her abilities and be successful in learning through different learning methods. Even I, a black educator who has studied ethnic studies and critical race theory, still perpetuate tenets of White Supremacy Culture.