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"content": "\u003cp>The Trump administration on Thursday proposed significant changes to Head Start, the nation’s early education program for children from low-income families. The move would diminish the program’s federal standards and give states and parents more control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have 1,600 Head Start providers across the country,” Alex Adams, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ assistant secretary for family support, said in a call with reporters. “And one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington cannot fully account for the realities facing these 1,600 grantees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Head Start not only provides preschool and childcare, but also meals and support services for qualifying families. It now serves more than 700,000 kids each year from birth to age 5.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since its launch in 1965, the $12 billion HHS program has, for the most part, enjoyed bipartisan support. Lawmakers often cite it as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nber.org/digest/202104/evaluating-head-start-program-disadvantaged-children?page=1&perPage=50\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">success\u003c/a> — including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during the call with reporters announcing these changes. But in recent years, some conservatives have criticized Head Start, saying it \u003ca href=\"https://www.heritage.org/education/report/washington-dc-the-states-rethinking-head-start\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wastes money and fails to have a lasting impact on students\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed npr-promo-card insettwocolumn\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/div>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Aiming to cut costs\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The new proposal would limit the amount of money Head Start centers can spend on administrative overhead, from a 15% cap to 5%. This change should save the government $2.2 billion, Adams said, which it plans to reinvest in the program. The goal is to create 200,000 more spots for children, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To get those costs down, the administration said it proposes cutting regulations and “compliance-driven activities,” according to a press release. Similarly, they are shifting decisions about several standards — such as student-teacher ratios, education requirements, background checks and transportation practices — back to states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Childcare providers are not sold on the proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we look at \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/04/18/nx-s1-5368248/president-trump-head-start\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the previous actions of the administration\u003c/a>, what they have done is not in favor of expanding the program,” said Yvette Sanchez Fuentes, senior vice president with Start Early, an Illinois-based Head Start partner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Is it enough to just bring kids in the door if we’re not actually giving kids and families what they need?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sanchez Fuentes said administrative costs are not only things like payroll and day-to-day operations, but also help fill gaps in care. “If you, for example, have children with disabilities you [can use] some of those funds to pay for additional special services or staff with specialties who could come in and support kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The administration’s proposal also says parents are children’s primary teachers and seeks to bring in more parent opinions on “structure and curriculum” into the classrooms and emphasizes nutrition and exercise.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Loosening the standards\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Head Start’s current standards are laid out in a detailed \u003ca href=\"https://headstart.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/performance-standards-final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">133-page guide\u003c/a>. The manual is used not only by the program’s centers, but also by many unaffiliated private childcare centers across the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These standards include safety guidelines, spell out who is eligible for Head Start and provide detailed rules — such as the requirement that kids in the program brush their teeth once daily with fluoride toothpaste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Erica Phillips, the executive director for the National Association for Family Child Care, said about 10% of her members are Early Head Start childcare partners, while the rest are home-based providers around the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Head Start performance standards were a consistent … evidence-based set of standards,” she said. “It can be helpful to have a nationally recognized benchmark.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Phillips said her organization will be on the lookout for variations across states. She said she worries “quality is now dependent on your ZIP code or on your geography.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration sees it differently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Flexibility is permission. It’s not a mandate,” Adams said. “The opportunity for these programs to make a different decision does not necessarily mean they must make a different decision.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The changes did not come as a complete surprise: The conservative Heritage Foundation has \u003ca href=\"https://www.heritage.org/education/commentary/head-start-doesnt-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">long criticized the program, saying it “doesn’t work.”\u003c/a> In Project 2025, the foundation’s policy blueprint that the Trump administration has taken many cues from, the message is clear — \u003ca href=\"https://static.heritage.org/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">eliminate Head Start\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates see what they characterize as the erosion of quality and decrease in standards as the first step in dismantling the program.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A long runway\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Thursday’s announcement came in the form of a notice of proposed rulemaking, or NPRM. It kicks off a lengthy, formalized process of public comment and talks with stakeholders. It could be six months to a year before any new standards take effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just really want folks to know Head Start is open,” said Tommy Sheridan, deputy director at the National Head Start Association (NHSA), a nonprofit that advocates for the program. “The quality of Head Start children and families truly comes from the people that are running Head Start programs. Those folks are going to be the same. They’re going to be able to do that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The administration says the NPRM will be published in the \u003cem>Federal Register\u003c/em> on Friday and be open to public comment for 60 days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Edited by: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/people/848355920/natalie-escobar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Natalie Escobar\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AILSA CHANG, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration wants to make significant changes to Head Start. That’s the country’s early education and childcare program for low-income families. Now, this program serves more than 700,000 kids each year from birth to age 5, in both urban centers and rural areas. Advocates and educators are worried that the proposed loosening of standards will undermine the program. NPR’s Sequoia Carrillo is following this story and joins us now at NPR West. Hi, Sequoia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SEQUOIA CARRILLO, BYLINE: Hi, Ailsa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHANG: Hi. OK, so many families depend on the Head Start program. What are some of the proposed changes that were announced today?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: So this new proposal really focuses on two areas, deregulation and, in turn, cutting costs. So front and center, we have the Trump administration saying they want parents and states to take a larger role in the program. Standards like how many toddlers or babies can one teacher handle on their own or what kind of training teachers have to have to work with these little kids, those decisions would be up to the states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHANG: OK.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: They’re also saying parents are children’s primary teachers and want to bring more parent opinions into the classroom. All this really amounts to taking a national benchmark for early childcare and education and removing it. The new proposal wants to move away from federal mandates, and advocates are worried about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHANG: But wait – you mentioned cost-cutting measures. What would that mean exactly?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Yes. So right now, Head Start centers can use up to 15% of their budgets to cover administrative costs. The new proposal caps that at 5%. Currently, that money is used for typical daily operations, but it can also do things like reward teachers for getting a degree, and that would no longer be allowed. Yvette Sanchez Fuentes, with Start Early, an Illinois-based Head Start partner, says this approach could also directly impact kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>YVETTE SANCHEZ FUENTES: If you, for example, have children with disabilities, you could use some of those funds in order to pay for additional staff with specialties who could come in and support kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Losing that money could cut support staff and create gaps in care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHANG: OK. But explain this to me. What is the Trump administration ultimately trying to achieve with all of these changes to Head Start?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: It’s a great question. So Alex Adams, the Department of Health and Human Services’ assistant secretary who oversees the whole program, estimates that these changes could save the government $2.2 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHANG: OK.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: He says he plans to invest that money back in the program and, in turn, create 200,000 more spots for children. I relayed that plan to a few different advocates, and they all said similar things. An additional $2 billion for Head Start would be great, but they don’t quite see how eliminating all those regulations can get them there. One thing to note is, this is a very lengthy proposal. It’s about 200 pages, and sometimes reporters and stakeholders get these things early to comb through. This time, we did not. So there’s still a lot to sift through. And for now, I think advocates are just ready to dive in and are looking forward to the next steps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHANG: And what are those next steps? Like, will Head Start centers feel these changes right away?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Well, first of all, Head Start centers are still very much open, and all of them are operating under the same rules. But right now, we’re heading into a 60-day period for public comment on these new rules. Anyone can submit a comment – parents, advocacy groups, concerned citizens. The groups I spoke with are really hoping for tons of comments. That would mean it would take a long time to go through them. And the final rules might look different than what we have right now, or they might not change at all. Either way, we won’t really know for a few months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHANG: That is NPR’s Sequoia Carrillo. Thank you so much, Sequoia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Thank you.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The Trump administration on Thursday proposed significant changes to Head Start, the nation’s early education program for children from low-income families. The move would diminish the program’s federal standards and give states and parents more control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have 1,600 Head Start providers across the country,” Alex Adams, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ assistant secretary for family support, said in a call with reporters. “And one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington cannot fully account for the realities facing these 1,600 grantees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Head Start not only provides preschool and childcare, but also meals and support services for qualifying families. It now serves more than 700,000 kids each year from birth to age 5.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since its launch in 1965, the $12 billion HHS program has, for the most part, enjoyed bipartisan support. Lawmakers often cite it as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nber.org/digest/202104/evaluating-head-start-program-disadvantaged-children?page=1&perPage=50\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">success\u003c/a> — including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during the call with reporters announcing these changes. But in recent years, some conservatives have criticized Head Start, saying it \u003ca href=\"https://www.heritage.org/education/report/washington-dc-the-states-rethinking-head-start\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wastes money and fails to have a lasting impact on students\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed npr-promo-card insettwocolumn\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/div>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Aiming to cut costs\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The new proposal would limit the amount of money Head Start centers can spend on administrative overhead, from a 15% cap to 5%. This change should save the government $2.2 billion, Adams said, which it plans to reinvest in the program. The goal is to create 200,000 more spots for children, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To get those costs down, the administration said it proposes cutting regulations and “compliance-driven activities,” according to a press release. Similarly, they are shifting decisions about several standards — such as student-teacher ratios, education requirements, background checks and transportation practices — back to states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Childcare providers are not sold on the proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we look at \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/04/18/nx-s1-5368248/president-trump-head-start\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the previous actions of the administration\u003c/a>, what they have done is not in favor of expanding the program,” said Yvette Sanchez Fuentes, senior vice president with Start Early, an Illinois-based Head Start partner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Is it enough to just bring kids in the door if we’re not actually giving kids and families what they need?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sanchez Fuentes said administrative costs are not only things like payroll and day-to-day operations, but also help fill gaps in care. “If you, for example, have children with disabilities you [can use] some of those funds to pay for additional special services or staff with specialties who could come in and support kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The administration’s proposal also says parents are children’s primary teachers and seeks to bring in more parent opinions on “structure and curriculum” into the classrooms and emphasizes nutrition and exercise.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Loosening the standards\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Head Start’s current standards are laid out in a detailed \u003ca href=\"https://headstart.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/performance-standards-final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">133-page guide\u003c/a>. The manual is used not only by the program’s centers, but also by many unaffiliated private childcare centers across the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These standards include safety guidelines, spell out who is eligible for Head Start and provide detailed rules — such as the requirement that kids in the program brush their teeth once daily with fluoride toothpaste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Erica Phillips, the executive director for the National Association for Family Child Care, said about 10% of her members are Early Head Start childcare partners, while the rest are home-based providers around the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Head Start performance standards were a consistent … evidence-based set of standards,” she said. “It can be helpful to have a nationally recognized benchmark.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Phillips said her organization will be on the lookout for variations across states. She said she worries “quality is now dependent on your ZIP code or on your geography.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration sees it differently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Flexibility is permission. It’s not a mandate,” Adams said. “The opportunity for these programs to make a different decision does not necessarily mean they must make a different decision.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The changes did not come as a complete surprise: The conservative Heritage Foundation has \u003ca href=\"https://www.heritage.org/education/commentary/head-start-doesnt-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">long criticized the program, saying it “doesn’t work.”\u003c/a> In Project 2025, the foundation’s policy blueprint that the Trump administration has taken many cues from, the message is clear — \u003ca href=\"https://static.heritage.org/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">eliminate Head Start\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates see what they characterize as the erosion of quality and decrease in standards as the first step in dismantling the program.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A long runway\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Thursday’s announcement came in the form of a notice of proposed rulemaking, or NPRM. It kicks off a lengthy, formalized process of public comment and talks with stakeholders. It could be six months to a year before any new standards take effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just really want folks to know Head Start is open,” said Tommy Sheridan, deputy director at the National Head Start Association (NHSA), a nonprofit that advocates for the program. “The quality of Head Start children and families truly comes from the people that are running Head Start programs. Those folks are going to be the same. They’re going to be able to do that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The administration says the NPRM will be published in the \u003cem>Federal Register\u003c/em> on Friday and be open to public comment for 60 days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Edited by: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/people/848355920/natalie-escobar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Natalie Escobar\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AILSA CHANG, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration wants to make significant changes to Head Start. That’s the country’s early education and childcare program for low-income families. Now, this program serves more than 700,000 kids each year from birth to age 5, in both urban centers and rural areas. Advocates and educators are worried that the proposed loosening of standards will undermine the program. NPR’s Sequoia Carrillo is following this story and joins us now at NPR West. Hi, Sequoia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SEQUOIA CARRILLO, BYLINE: Hi, Ailsa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHANG: Hi. OK, so many families depend on the Head Start program. What are some of the proposed changes that were announced today?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: So this new proposal really focuses on two areas, deregulation and, in turn, cutting costs. So front and center, we have the Trump administration saying they want parents and states to take a larger role in the program. Standards like how many toddlers or babies can one teacher handle on their own or what kind of training teachers have to have to work with these little kids, those decisions would be up to the states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHANG: OK.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: They’re also saying parents are children’s primary teachers and want to bring more parent opinions into the classroom. All this really amounts to taking a national benchmark for early childcare and education and removing it. The new proposal wants to move away from federal mandates, and advocates are worried about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHANG: But wait – you mentioned cost-cutting measures. What would that mean exactly?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Yes. So right now, Head Start centers can use up to 15% of their budgets to cover administrative costs. The new proposal caps that at 5%. Currently, that money is used for typical daily operations, but it can also do things like reward teachers for getting a degree, and that would no longer be allowed. Yvette Sanchez Fuentes, with Start Early, an Illinois-based Head Start partner, says this approach could also directly impact kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>YVETTE SANCHEZ FUENTES: If you, for example, have children with disabilities, you could use some of those funds in order to pay for additional staff with specialties who could come in and support kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Losing that money could cut support staff and create gaps in care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHANG: OK. But explain this to me. What is the Trump administration ultimately trying to achieve with all of these changes to Head Start?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: It’s a great question. So Alex Adams, the Department of Health and Human Services’ assistant secretary who oversees the whole program, estimates that these changes could save the government $2.2 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHANG: OK.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: He says he plans to invest that money back in the program and, in turn, create 200,000 more spots for children. I relayed that plan to a few different advocates, and they all said similar things. An additional $2 billion for Head Start would be great, but they don’t quite see how eliminating all those regulations can get them there. One thing to note is, this is a very lengthy proposal. It’s about 200 pages, and sometimes reporters and stakeholders get these things early to comb through. This time, we did not. So there’s still a lot to sift through. And for now, I think advocates are just ready to dive in and are looking forward to the next steps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHANG: And what are those next steps? Like, will Head Start centers feel these changes right away?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Well, first of all, Head Start centers are still very much open, and all of them are operating under the same rules. But right now, we’re heading into a 60-day period for public comment on these new rules. Anyone can submit a comment – parents, advocacy groups, concerned citizens. The groups I spoke with are really hoping for tons of comments. That would mean it would take a long time to go through them. And the final rules might look different than what we have right now, or they might not change at all. Either way, we won’t really know for a few months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHANG: That is NPR’s Sequoia Carrillo. Thank you so much, Sequoia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Thank you.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Thirteen-year-old Levent goes to an Indianapolis middle school that’s been celebrated for its test scores – but he’s behind academically. His mother, Shania, believes that’s because of how often he’s been disciplined and suspended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Levent has ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which his school, Paramount Englewood, has documented as a disability. School records show he has been disciplined for misbehavior like repeatedly disrespecting teachers and for leaving campus during the school day, raising safety concerns; he’s been suspended for fighting, for “not following school rules” when he was already in trouble and for “horseplaying (fighting) in the restroom.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NPR is referring to both Levent and Shania, as well as the other student and parent in this story, by their middle names because the article describes the students’ disabilities and how they have been disciplined at school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It often feels to Levent, who is in eighth grade, like he’s being unfairly punished. Take an incident last school year, when he was suspended for wrestling with a classmate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It felt like I was getting suspended for just playing around with my friend,” Levent says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To his mom, when her son gets suspended from school and sent home, it feels like the school is ignoring his disability. Shania says ADHD makes Levent impulsive – and contributes to many of the incidents that get him suspended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Why is he getting in trouble for what ADHD looks like?” she asks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In records, school staff have said they don’t believe all of Levent’s misbehavior is related to his disability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nationwide, students with disabilities are suspended \u003ca href=\"https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/media/3885/download?inline&file=CRDC_School_Suspension_REPORT.pdf#page=7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">at far higher rates\u003c/a> than their non-disabled peers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Levent’s school is part of a charter network that stands out in Indiana: An NPR analysis of 2024-25 state data found that the system, Paramount Schools of Excellence, suspended students with disabilities about three times as often as the state average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paramount’s supporters, including many parents, have praised the network for calm classrooms and strong academic performance, especially among students from low-income families and students of color.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But several current and former Paramount parents told NPR that some students – especially those with disabilities – struggle to follow the rules that foster those quiet classrooms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s either you fit this mold or you don’t,” Shania says. “And if you don’t, then we’re going to suspend, suspend, suspend.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>“Calm” hallways and very high suspension rates\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Paramount Schools of Excellence is a growing charter network in Indiana. As a K-8 charter system, its campuses are privately managed but publicly funded and free to attend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Paramount CEO Tommy Reddicks describes his schools, one of the first words he uses is calm. The halls are quiet. In classrooms, students are focused on school work. “We’re very much a calm, collected school environment rather than a kind of really jazz you up cheerleading type of environment,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_233.40.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Federal data shows\u003c/a> Indiana schools rely on exclusionary discipline like out-of-school suspension more than schools in most other states\u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_233.40.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">. \u003c/a>And Paramount’s suspension rates surpass Indiana’s state averages among students with and without disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For every 100 students in general education in the Paramount system, there were about 45 suspensions, according to an NPR analysis of state data from the 2024-25 school year. The statewide average was 10.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For every 100 children receiving special education services, there were about 73 suspensions. The statewide average was 22.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This data reflects the total number of suspensions, not the number of students suspended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reddicks attributes the network’s high suspension rates in part to its structured approach, which he believes protects the learning environment and ultimately benefits students, including those with disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You know, a lot of our special education incidents typically involve safety of others or safety of the students in question,” Reddicks explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reddicks says, and state data confirms, that Paramount schools reduced suspensions among students with disabilities during the 2024-25 school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He says the decline reflects both the maturing of campuses that opened in recent years and that enrolled first-time Paramount students, as well as the network’s focus on training staff to reduce suspensions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When suspensions do happen, Reddicks says he doesn’t believe they hold students back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that, in our more structured system, students with suspensions still perform very well and typically outperform state averages,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reddicks shared data from two Paramount schools. It showed students who have been suspended do outperform state averages on standardized tests, but only in some grades. He did not provide data for the network’s other campuses, including Paramount Englewood.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why some families of students with disabilities are drawn to Paramount\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For some parents, the discipline policies that help foster Paramount’s quiet classrooms are a selling point. It’s one reason Nicol, who has sent five children to a Paramount school, kept driving her family there even after she moved across town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I like that they’re strict,” Nicol says. “You walk into Paramount, their kids are sitting at the desk. Their kids are doing what needs to be done.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even when her own children have been suspended, Nicol has seen some benefit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her 12-year-old son, Leon, has autism and other disabilities. Last year, Leon’s behavior spiraled after his grandfather died, Nicol says. He began cussing and throwing objects in class. Nicol says that not every suspension he received was necessary but that he should be suspended when he pushes or fights with other students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He does need to be held accountable,” she says. “Because I don’t want to say, ‘Oh, well, let’s let [Leon] get by with this because he has autism.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall, Nicol says educators at Paramount have worked hard to meet Leon’s needs. She trusts Paramount in part because she believes her two oldest children’s experience there set them up to succeed in high school.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The costs of missing school\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some experts say that when schools suspend students with disabilities, it’s little more than a Band-Aid that gives educators a break from misbehavior and a chance to think through how to respond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed npr-promo-card insettwocolumn\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/div>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I would say suspension doesn’t fix much,” says Federico Waitoller, a professor of special education at the University of Illinois Chicago. Waitoller says suspensions don’t help students with disabilities learn and grow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re not teaching anything, right?” says Waitoller, a former special educator. “You’re saying, ‘Don’t do this.’ But you’re not telling the student what to do, how to do it — and give them the supports to do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Levent’s mother, Shania, says that she’s seen some of his difficult behavior at home and that she would like him to learn to control his impulses — to stop horseplaying and arguing when adults ask him to do something.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Shania says suspensions do little to teach her son how to behave. And the missed days of school add up. Records show Levent’s school suspended him for at least 10 days last school year. Then, after Levent walked off campus a few weeks before the end of the year, he had to spend most of the final days of school at home, where he received about an hour of remote instruction a day, according to school records.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All that missed school has taken a toll, Shania says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want him to get even further behind,” she says. “Because again, this is a kid that’s behind.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Levent started his final year of middle school in August – and already Shania is frustrated by how the school is handling his behavior. She says she’s considering pulling him out.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Thirteen-year-old Levent goes to an Indianapolis middle school that’s been celebrated for its test scores – but he’s behind academically. His mother, Shania, believes that’s because of how often he’s been disciplined and suspended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Levent has ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which his school, Paramount Englewood, has documented as a disability. School records show he has been disciplined for misbehavior like repeatedly disrespecting teachers and for leaving campus during the school day, raising safety concerns; he’s been suspended for fighting, for “not following school rules” when he was already in trouble and for “horseplaying (fighting) in the restroom.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NPR is referring to both Levent and Shania, as well as the other student and parent in this story, by their middle names because the article describes the students’ disabilities and how they have been disciplined at school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It often feels to Levent, who is in eighth grade, like he’s being unfairly punished. Take an incident last school year, when he was suspended for wrestling with a classmate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It felt like I was getting suspended for just playing around with my friend,” Levent says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To his mom, when her son gets suspended from school and sent home, it feels like the school is ignoring his disability. Shania says ADHD makes Levent impulsive – and contributes to many of the incidents that get him suspended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Why is he getting in trouble for what ADHD looks like?” she asks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In records, school staff have said they don’t believe all of Levent’s misbehavior is related to his disability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nationwide, students with disabilities are suspended \u003ca href=\"https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/media/3885/download?inline&file=CRDC_School_Suspension_REPORT.pdf#page=7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">at far higher rates\u003c/a> than their non-disabled peers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Levent’s school is part of a charter network that stands out in Indiana: An NPR analysis of 2024-25 state data found that the system, Paramount Schools of Excellence, suspended students with disabilities about three times as often as the state average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paramount’s supporters, including many parents, have praised the network for calm classrooms and strong academic performance, especially among students from low-income families and students of color.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But several current and former Paramount parents told NPR that some students – especially those with disabilities – struggle to follow the rules that foster those quiet classrooms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s either you fit this mold or you don’t,” Shania says. “And if you don’t, then we’re going to suspend, suspend, suspend.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>“Calm” hallways and very high suspension rates\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Paramount Schools of Excellence is a growing charter network in Indiana. As a K-8 charter system, its campuses are privately managed but publicly funded and free to attend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Paramount CEO Tommy Reddicks describes his schools, one of the first words he uses is calm. The halls are quiet. In classrooms, students are focused on school work. “We’re very much a calm, collected school environment rather than a kind of really jazz you up cheerleading type of environment,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_233.40.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Federal data shows\u003c/a> Indiana schools rely on exclusionary discipline like out-of-school suspension more than schools in most other states\u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_233.40.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">. \u003c/a>And Paramount’s suspension rates surpass Indiana’s state averages among students with and without disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For every 100 students in general education in the Paramount system, there were about 45 suspensions, according to an NPR analysis of state data from the 2024-25 school year. The statewide average was 10.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For every 100 children receiving special education services, there were about 73 suspensions. The statewide average was 22.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This data reflects the total number of suspensions, not the number of students suspended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reddicks attributes the network’s high suspension rates in part to its structured approach, which he believes protects the learning environment and ultimately benefits students, including those with disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You know, a lot of our special education incidents typically involve safety of others or safety of the students in question,” Reddicks explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reddicks says, and state data confirms, that Paramount schools reduced suspensions among students with disabilities during the 2024-25 school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He says the decline reflects both the maturing of campuses that opened in recent years and that enrolled first-time Paramount students, as well as the network’s focus on training staff to reduce suspensions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When suspensions do happen, Reddicks says he doesn’t believe they hold students back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that, in our more structured system, students with suspensions still perform very well and typically outperform state averages,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reddicks shared data from two Paramount schools. It showed students who have been suspended do outperform state averages on standardized tests, but only in some grades. He did not provide data for the network’s other campuses, including Paramount Englewood.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why some families of students with disabilities are drawn to Paramount\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For some parents, the discipline policies that help foster Paramount’s quiet classrooms are a selling point. It’s one reason Nicol, who has sent five children to a Paramount school, kept driving her family there even after she moved across town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I like that they’re strict,” Nicol says. “You walk into Paramount, their kids are sitting at the desk. Their kids are doing what needs to be done.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even when her own children have been suspended, Nicol has seen some benefit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her 12-year-old son, Leon, has autism and other disabilities. Last year, Leon’s behavior spiraled after his grandfather died, Nicol says. He began cussing and throwing objects in class. Nicol says that not every suspension he received was necessary but that he should be suspended when he pushes or fights with other students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He does need to be held accountable,” she says. “Because I don’t want to say, ‘Oh, well, let’s let [Leon] get by with this because he has autism.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall, Nicol says educators at Paramount have worked hard to meet Leon’s needs. She trusts Paramount in part because she believes her two oldest children’s experience there set them up to succeed in high school.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The costs of missing school\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some experts say that when schools suspend students with disabilities, it’s little more than a Band-Aid that gives educators a break from misbehavior and a chance to think through how to respond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed npr-promo-card insettwocolumn\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/div>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I would say suspension doesn’t fix much,” says Federico Waitoller, a professor of special education at the University of Illinois Chicago. Waitoller says suspensions don’t help students with disabilities learn and grow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re not teaching anything, right?” says Waitoller, a former special educator. “You’re saying, ‘Don’t do this.’ But you’re not telling the student what to do, how to do it — and give them the supports to do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Levent’s mother, Shania, says that she’s seen some of his difficult behavior at home and that she would like him to learn to control his impulses — to stop horseplaying and arguing when adults ask him to do something.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Shania says suspensions do little to teach her son how to behave. And the missed days of school add up. Records show Levent’s school suspended him for at least 10 days last school year. Then, after Levent walked off campus a few weeks before the end of the year, he had to spend most of the final days of school at home, where he received about an hour of remote instruction a day, according to school records.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All that missed school has taken a toll, Shania says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want him to get even further behind,” she says. “Because again, this is a kid that’s behind.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>My 4-year-old dreads swimming lessons. Some nights, long past his bedtime, he calls me into his room and asks me, in a whisper, if he has to go to swim class tomorrow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It breaks my heart. Swimming is an important safety skill, but the lessons are causing him anxiety. It made me wonder: If he wants to quit, should I let him?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It can be hard for parents to know when a kid is ready to stop taking part in an extracurricular activity. Classes and sports can encourage grit and foster belonging. But for some kids, they can also be a stress-inducing obligation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://drvanessalapointe.com/about-vanessa-lapointe/\">\u003cu>Vanessa Lapointe\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, a child psychologist and parenting coach, understands this dilemma. In these situations, the best thing to do is to avoid rushing to fix the problem. Instead, “get curious, listen and provide the child the experience of being heard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed npr-promo-card insettwocolumn\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/div>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Here’s how to have hard conversations with your kids about quitting. Apply the advice to anything from piano lessons to summer camp.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Examine why you care so much. The problem might be you.\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When your child says they’re ready to put their clarinet back in its case — and leave it there — the first thing you should do is examine yourself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If your kid wanting to quit elicits a strong reaction in you, unpack that. “A lot of times our intentions get muddied by our own desires,” says Lapointe\u003cem>.\u003c/em> Are you trying to push your unrealized dream of starring in the school play onto your child? Or maybe your family couldn’t swing team sports when you were growing up, so you’re determined your child will have a different experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If your intention is anything other than ‘I want to give my kid a cool experience and see how they like it,’ you’re probably in it for the wrong reasons,” says Lapointe.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Ask your kid what’s going on. You might be surprised by what you learn.\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“See what they will verbalize,” says \u003ca href=\"https://drkrystallewis.com/\">\u003cu>Krystal Lewis\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, a child psychologist and clinical researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe they just had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. “The rule of thumb is that we never quit on a bad day,” says Lapointe. So if you learn your kid got a smaller role than they wanted in the big school play, let their big emotions settle a bit before making any decisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If it’s not just defeat from a bad day, do a little more digging, says Lewis. Ask them: What do you like about the activity? What don’t you like?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sometimes the issue turns out to be simple. They don’t like soccer because it’s at the end of a long school day and they’re hungry at practice, says Lewis. So maybe packing a few protein-rich snacks could make a difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if the issue turns out to be more complex — say, they don’t feel excited or passionate about art class — you now have valuable information to inform your troubleshooting.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Pay attention to what your child is complaining about. And observe their behavior.\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The younger the child is, the less likely they are able to express their emotions or experiences verbally, says Lewis. So you may need other cues to figure out how your child feels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pay attention to your child when they’re complaining, says Lewis. Maybe they’re sensitive to a coach’s raised voice. Or they’re too shy to talk to the other kids. Those are issues you can help fix. Have a conversation with the coach. Encourage a friend to join the team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re present at your child’s practices or lessons, you might be able to pick up on some of the pain points, says Lewis. If they’re zoning out, maybe they’re burnt out and need more unstructured playtime. If they seem bored, it’s possible this activity just isn’t for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Consider your child’s temperament. Are they a dandelion or an orchid?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Every child has a different tolerance for discomfort, and that should be taken into consideration when making a decision about quitting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assess their willingness to thrive in a challenging environment. Are they a dandelion or an orchid? \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/03/04/699979387/is-your-child-an-orchid-or-a-dandelion-unlocking-the-science-of-sensitive-kids\">\u003cu>This framework\u003c/u>\u003c/a> was developed by Thomas Boyce, a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco, to help identify a child’s temperament.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dandelions are hardy and resilient. “You can plant it in a crack in the cement and forget to water it. And not only will the dandelion survive, it will probably thrive,” says Lapointe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Orchids are sensitive. “They require just the right amount of water, humidity and temperature. If you don’t get it just right, they don’t adapt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One isn’t better than the other, they’re just different. See which flower your child leans toward. If your kid is more of a dandelion, they may be OK in a less-than-perfect setting even if they’re not jazzed about it. If they’re more of an orchid, and you see they’re really struggling, maybe they need a different environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Come up with a creative compromise. “Quit” or “tough it out” aren’t the only two options.\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“What’s the gray area? What can we modify?” says Lewis. If your kid is bored, could you take a break or cut back on the amount they’re engaging in the activity? If your kid is embarrassed when they strike out, could you practice batting at home?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then have a conversation with your child about what it means to have made a commitment. Perhaps you say, “Well, since we signed up, we are going to go, but you can sit on the sidelines and watch,” says Lewis. “That way you’re teaching the child about honoring a commitment without forcing them to do something that’s really uncomfortable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for my son and his fear of swim class, my husband and I did some investigating. We asked him what was up. It turns out he was terrified of putting his head under water! So we talked to the coach and they agreed he didn’t have to go under during class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, you need to get your head wet to swim. My son eventually overcame his fear months later, when we were playing in the pool with his cousins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, he routinely dunks himself during swim class. He literally takes his hand, puts it on the back of his head, and pushes himself underwater. And he loves being in the water. Turns out all he needed was a little time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if we ended up needing to take a break from swimming for a while\u003cstrong>, \u003c/strong>I think I would have been OK with that, too. Lapointe says that we as parents shouldn’t put too much pressure on ourselves in situations like these. “In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t actually a big thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The digital story was edited by Malaka Gharib. The visual editor is Becky Harlan. We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"tel:2022169823\">\u003cem>202-216-9823\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, or email us at \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"mailto:LifeKit@npr.org\">\u003cem>LifeKit@npr.org\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Listen to Life Kit on\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3LdRb0X\">\u003cem> Apple Podcasts\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3K3xVln\">\u003cem> Spotify\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, or sign up for our\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3xN1tB9\">\u003cem> newsletter\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>My 4-year-old dreads swimming lessons. Some nights, long past his bedtime, he calls me into his room and asks me, in a whisper, if he has to go to swim class tomorrow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It breaks my heart. Swimming is an important safety skill, but the lessons are causing him anxiety. It made me wonder: If he wants to quit, should I let him?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It can be hard for parents to know when a kid is ready to stop taking part in an extracurricular activity. Classes and sports can encourage grit and foster belonging. But for some kids, they can also be a stress-inducing obligation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://drvanessalapointe.com/about-vanessa-lapointe/\">\u003cu>Vanessa Lapointe\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, a child psychologist and parenting coach, understands this dilemma. In these situations, the best thing to do is to avoid rushing to fix the problem. Instead, “get curious, listen and provide the child the experience of being heard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed npr-promo-card insettwocolumn\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/div>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Here’s how to have hard conversations with your kids about quitting. Apply the advice to anything from piano lessons to summer camp.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Examine why you care so much. The problem might be you.\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When your child says they’re ready to put their clarinet back in its case — and leave it there — the first thing you should do is examine yourself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If your kid wanting to quit elicits a strong reaction in you, unpack that. “A lot of times our intentions get muddied by our own desires,” says Lapointe\u003cem>.\u003c/em> Are you trying to push your unrealized dream of starring in the school play onto your child? Or maybe your family couldn’t swing team sports when you were growing up, so you’re determined your child will have a different experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If your intention is anything other than ‘I want to give my kid a cool experience and see how they like it,’ you’re probably in it for the wrong reasons,” says Lapointe.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Ask your kid what’s going on. You might be surprised by what you learn.\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“See what they will verbalize,” says \u003ca href=\"https://drkrystallewis.com/\">\u003cu>Krystal Lewis\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, a child psychologist and clinical researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe they just had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. “The rule of thumb is that we never quit on a bad day,” says Lapointe. So if you learn your kid got a smaller role than they wanted in the big school play, let their big emotions settle a bit before making any decisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If it’s not just defeat from a bad day, do a little more digging, says Lewis. Ask them: What do you like about the activity? What don’t you like?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sometimes the issue turns out to be simple. They don’t like soccer because it’s at the end of a long school day and they’re hungry at practice, says Lewis. So maybe packing a few protein-rich snacks could make a difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if the issue turns out to be more complex — say, they don’t feel excited or passionate about art class — you now have valuable information to inform your troubleshooting.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Pay attention to what your child is complaining about. And observe their behavior.\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The younger the child is, the less likely they are able to express their emotions or experiences verbally, says Lewis. So you may need other cues to figure out how your child feels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pay attention to your child when they’re complaining, says Lewis. Maybe they’re sensitive to a coach’s raised voice. Or they’re too shy to talk to the other kids. Those are issues you can help fix. Have a conversation with the coach. Encourage a friend to join the team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re present at your child’s practices or lessons, you might be able to pick up on some of the pain points, says Lewis. If they’re zoning out, maybe they’re burnt out and need more unstructured playtime. If they seem bored, it’s possible this activity just isn’t for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Consider your child’s temperament. Are they a dandelion or an orchid?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Every child has a different tolerance for discomfort, and that should be taken into consideration when making a decision about quitting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assess their willingness to thrive in a challenging environment. Are they a dandelion or an orchid? \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/03/04/699979387/is-your-child-an-orchid-or-a-dandelion-unlocking-the-science-of-sensitive-kids\">\u003cu>This framework\u003c/u>\u003c/a> was developed by Thomas Boyce, a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco, to help identify a child’s temperament.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dandelions are hardy and resilient. “You can plant it in a crack in the cement and forget to water it. And not only will the dandelion survive, it will probably thrive,” says Lapointe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Orchids are sensitive. “They require just the right amount of water, humidity and temperature. If you don’t get it just right, they don’t adapt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One isn’t better than the other, they’re just different. See which flower your child leans toward. If your kid is more of a dandelion, they may be OK in a less-than-perfect setting even if they’re not jazzed about it. If they’re more of an orchid, and you see they’re really struggling, maybe they need a different environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Come up with a creative compromise. “Quit” or “tough it out” aren’t the only two options.\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“What’s the gray area? What can we modify?” says Lewis. If your kid is bored, could you take a break or cut back on the amount they’re engaging in the activity? If your kid is embarrassed when they strike out, could you practice batting at home?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then have a conversation with your child about what it means to have made a commitment. Perhaps you say, “Well, since we signed up, we are going to go, but you can sit on the sidelines and watch,” says Lewis. “That way you’re teaching the child about honoring a commitment without forcing them to do something that’s really uncomfortable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for my son and his fear of swim class, my husband and I did some investigating. We asked him what was up. It turns out he was terrified of putting his head under water! So we talked to the coach and they agreed he didn’t have to go under during class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, you need to get your head wet to swim. My son eventually overcame his fear months later, when we were playing in the pool with his cousins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, he routinely dunks himself during swim class. He literally takes his hand, puts it on the back of his head, and pushes himself underwater. And he loves being in the water. Turns out all he needed was a little time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if we ended up needing to take a break from swimming for a while\u003cstrong>, \u003c/strong>I think I would have been OK with that, too. Lapointe says that we as parents shouldn’t put too much pressure on ourselves in situations like these. “In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t actually a big thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The digital story was edited by Malaka Gharib. The visual editor is Becky Harlan. We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"tel:2022169823\">\u003cem>202-216-9823\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, or email us at \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"mailto:LifeKit@npr.org\">\u003cem>LifeKit@npr.org\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Listen to Life Kit on\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3LdRb0X\">\u003cem> Apple Podcasts\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3K3xVln\">\u003cem> Spotify\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, or sign up for our\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3xN1tB9\">\u003cem> newsletter\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "how-can-the-community-school-model-support-newcomer-education",
"title": "How Can the Community School Model Support Newcomer Education? ",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When global events unfold, the ripple effects often land in unexpected places — like a classroom in Oakland, California. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://cis.org/Report/Remaking-US-Refugee-Resettlement-Program\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Increased refugee resettlement\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/07/22/nx-s1-5048025/kamala-harris-immigration-policy-border-central-america\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">immigration at the U.S. southern border\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/20/us/abbott-texas-migrant-buses.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">buses sent by Texas to cities like New York\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> have created a growing need for more support for newcomer students in schools. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/mpi-recent-immigrant-children-2023_final.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to the Migration Policy Institute National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, nearly one million immigrant students enrolled in U.S. schools in the 2020-21 school year. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63539/how-schools-can-better-support-teachers-of-newcomer-students\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Newcomer students\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are typically immigrants, refugees or asylum seekers who have recently arrived in a new country and are entering the school system for the first time. At \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandinternational.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oakland International High School\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (OIHS), welcoming and supporting these students isn’t a new challenge; it’s the very foundation of their mission.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since its inception in 2007, OIHS, which is part of Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), has served newcomer students from over 20 different countries, according to Lauren Markham, a founding member and Learning Lab Co-director at OIHS. Newcomer students \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63539/how-schools-can-better-support-teachers-of-newcomer-students\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">may face language barriers, cultural differences and other challenges\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in adapting to a new educational environment. They often require additional support to succeed academically and socially in their new surroundings. “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://edpolicyinca.org/publications/guidance-district-administrators-serving-newcomer-students\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Newcomer students fail at wildly disproportionate rates\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> throughout the country. And we know that when any one population is failing, it’s a function of the system and not the students,” Markham said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"260\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/kNg4b/8/\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"300\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/dcGwM/7/\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students at OIHS drop out at nearly \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://edpolicyinca.org/publications/community-school-service-newcomer-students\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">half the rate that newcomers students do at other Oakland high schools\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The school’s success comes largely from the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/59903/when-students-basic-needs-are-met-by-community-schools-learning-can-flourish\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">community school model\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which co-locates essential services on campus, ensuring easy access for students and families. The model adheres to the principle of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-maslow-bloom-all-day-long/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Maslow before Bloom,”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> which suggests that students must have their basic needs met before they can fully engage in learning. “If someone has an abscessed tooth, they’re not going to be able to focus on math,” Markham said. “And if someone has a pending deportation hearing and no immigration lawyer, they’re not going to be working on their group project.” OIHS has leveraged the community school model to build a comprehensive support system, providing food, medical, legal, and mental health services, so that newcomer students can not only adapt but thrive in their new environment.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"355\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/dkNHQ/6/\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Food services\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://groundworkcollaborative.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/24.02.01-Whats-Driving-the-Rise-in-Grocery-Prices-and-What-the-Government-Can-Do-About-It.pdf?utm_source=press&utm_medium=embargo&utm_campaign=24.02.01\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">food prices spiking over the past year\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, many families struggle to afford \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/64470/5-ways-the-black-panthers-shaped-u-s-schools\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">nutritious meals\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Immigrant families, especially if they are undocumented, often experience food insecurity because they are \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://groundworkcollaborative.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/24.02.01-Whats-Driving-the-Rise-in-Grocery-Prices-and-What-the-Government-Can-Do-About-It.pdf?utm_source=press&utm_medium=embargo&utm_campaign=24.02.01\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">excluded from federal programs\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. OIHS partners with a local food bank to provide food to students and their families. Recently, the school increased its food bank services from bi-weekly to weekly, with one food bank exclusively for students on campus and another serving the local community, including recent graduates.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Madenh Ali Hassan, OIHS’s community school manager, emphasized the importance of providing culturally relevant food. The food bank ensures that the food provided reflects the dietary needs and cultural preferences of the school’s diverse families. “It’s always sweet because everybody’s taking what they need, and nobody feels ashamed,” Hassan said. “It feels good to feed people and to see them feel a sense of community here.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Medical services\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many newcomer students arrive with unmet medical needs, particularly asylum seekers and refugees who fled countries in turmoil. “A lot of our students need immunizations, physicals, or have other health issues,” Hassan noted. OIHS tries to eliminate barriers to students and families getting medical care. For instance, the school hosts yearly flu clinics and brings in mobile vision companies to assess and fit students for eyeglasses.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Language barriers often prevent families from accessing social services, so OIHS staff connect families with medical services, often helping them translate and fill out necessary documents. Karen Moya, an OIHS graduate, recalled how her parents struggled to navigate new systems after immigrating from Guatemala. “They didn’t have the support because they didn’t know where to ask,” she said. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Moya now works as a case manager at OIHS, helping students navigate similar challenges. “If they need a dental or vision appointment and don’t have insurance, or if they receive a letter in the mail they don’t understand, they bring it to us, and we help.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To someone who has lived in the U.S. for most of their life, accessing medical care may seem straightforward, Moya said. But that’s not true for everyone. “We keep in mind that these are new families coming to the country. And so we try to explain and provide every little thing that can be beneficial to them.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Legal services\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Newcomer students may face complex legal proceedings due to their immigrant status. The district’s newcomer office conducts a formal intake when students first arrive, assessing whether they or their families have been detained, are unaccompanied, or are undocumented. OIHS then connects students and families with the appropriate legal services. The majority of students do not have lawyers, meaning there is no one to explain a legal document they might get in the mail. Bilingual case managers work with families to translate documents and figure out next steps whether it’s making families aware of a future court date or connecting them with a lawyer.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Mental health services\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Newcomer students may have left their home countries under traumatic circumstances. “There’s a lot of grief around leaving your country, let alone the grief caused by war, violence or other events that displace people,” Hassan said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At OIHS, students with severe \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/58404/how-to-improve-mental-health-at-school\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">mental health needs\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are connected with specialists. “By the end of the year, we’ll have 90 kids connected to mental health services, but that’s never enough,” Hassan said, noting the need for more bilingual clinicians of color.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The school also tries to address mental health needs through other on-campus services. They have a wellness center where students can relax with a cup of tea and connect with case managers. They also partner with an organization called \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://beyondsport.org/articles/soccer-without-borders-oakland-project/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Soccer Without Borders\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, where soccer coaches double as case managers to offer additional support to students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While the arrival of newcomer students can pose challenges for some districts, it also presents a unique opportunity to improve educational outcomes through community-based resources. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2024/03/11/community-hubs-denver-public-schools-migrant-families/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Denver Public Schools\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> has established specialized community hubs for over 3,500 newcomer students and their families. Similarly, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cps.edu/press-releases/chicago-public-schools-welcome-center-pilot/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chicago Public Schools\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is piloting a welcome center to offer vital services to newly arrived students. Hassan is encouraged by those efforts. “We need people dedicated to doing that work outside of the classroom to better support the work happening in the classroom,” he said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC5911938534\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Welcome to MindShift, where we explore the future of learning and how we raise our kids. I’m Nimah Gobir. The 1960s was a decade of social and cultural change. There was the civil rights movement…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Martin Luther King, Jr. We will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood].\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Women’s liberation…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[May Craig question to John F. Kennedy (clip): …for equal rights for women, including equal pay…]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Vietnam war…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[President Nixon Vietnam speech (clip): There were some who urged that I end the war at once… this would have been a popular and easy course to follow…]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> A moon landing \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Neil Armstrong (clip): …one giant leap for mankind]. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> It was a time when the very fabric of society was being questioned, and people were having big ideas about how people think and how people are taught. It was also when the black power movement was getting traction.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Malcolm X (clip): We are oppressed. We are exploited. We are downtrodden. We are denied not only civil rights but even human rights]. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The emphasis wasn’t on being free or access to white spaces, it was about empowerment and self-sufficiency even as widely accepted racist practices were trying to keep Black people down. It was during this era, in1966 that the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense started in Oakland. They believed in Black nationalism, socialism, and armed self-defense against police brutality. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> The first thing that drew me to the Black Panther Party that I always remember about it, it said the Black Panther Party for Self-defense and Self-defense, people get their hackles up about that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> This is Ericka Huggins. She joined the Black Panther Party in 1968. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> People think that self-defense is physical. It can be and needs to be when necessary. However, this was about supporting people who live poor and/or oppressed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We said you cannot continue to kill us. You can’t break down our doors to our homes and shoot at us. You cannot arrest us, wrongly incarcerate us and beat and murder us while we are incarcerated. You cannot deprive us of food, housing, clothing and peace. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Some of the more popular images of the Black Panthers are photos of armed men in berets looking out from behind these dark sunglasses. Or women – like Ericka – with afros waving flags and raising their fists. Even the United States FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover saw the Panther’s stance on protecting and empowering themselves as dangerous.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> J. Edgar Hoover said the Black Panther Party is the greatest threat to the internal security of the United States. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The Black Panthers had a reputation as a militant group but they did way more than challenge the police and protest against racist policies.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> If you look up pictures of the Panthers– yes you’ll see guns and berets, but there are other images too. And the one that sticks with me is this photo of a Black Panther Party member putting down plates of food in front of young children. It’s a photo of their free breakfast program\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> Children were expected to go to school and learn without any food. We knew because we were those children. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> They had a founding charter which included a 10 point platform. I won’t go into all of the points but it basically said that our people – Black people– need to be able to eat, find work and feel safe. This episode we’ll talk about point 5, a focus on a fulfilling and effective education system \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Bobby Seale Speech at Oakland Auditorium (clip): We want decent education for our Black people in our community that teaches us the true nature of this decadent racist society and to teach Black people and our young Black brothers and sisters their place in this society because if they don’t know their place in society and in the world, they can’t relate to anything else].\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> Education was always important in the party. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Angela LeBlanc-Ernest is a documentarian and community archivist from Texas. She has studied and written books about the Panthers pursuit of education.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> Whether it be the study sessions they had reading the different books by revolutionaries – political education classes is what they would call them – that were required, or whether it was party members tutoring kids in the local community.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> She told me the idea to create a school came about when party members saw how their own kids were mistreated in mainstream schools \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> You had to start envisioning what society needed to look like for your child if they survived. Right? There is a sense so many of them didn’t think they would survive\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Party members started to conceive of a community-based alternative to the poor educational experiences they had as children. They were often disciplined harder and discouraged from asking questions. Their schools lacked supplies and books, and the curriculum rarely included stories of people who looked like them.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> So in response to this they opened the Intercommunal Youth Institute in east Oakland in 1971\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> It was an old church that they converted into a school and so it was a small space. They decided that they wanted to start with the number they had, which was 50 students. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Gradually, other people noticed that the students and families were being treated well at this scrappy little home school where they used mindfulness practices and restorative justice. Students were engaged, respected, and learning in an environment that valued their heritage and experiences.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> When the community approached the Black Panther Party, when it was just the insular home school to say, “Hey, can you make this available to the community, to children in the community?” That was a prompt for them to think more broadly.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> As new people joined from outside of the party, they began outgrowing the space and so they had to look for something more permanent. They changed the name to Oakland Community School and Black Panther Party member Ericka Huggins became the director. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We opened the Oakland Community School in the school year of 1973-74.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Students were ages 5 -12, so it was basically an elementary school, but there were no grades. They were grouped according to their academic abilities. They also had childcare for kids who were younger than five.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Many of the students came from the Oakland area but some were coming from the greater bay area too.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We had more than party members on staff. Not only did the people take their children out of public school, the public school teachers left, too, to work at… as it used to be, nicknamed the Panther School. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/strong>This school is special for a lot of reasons, but one of the big reasons is that it was one of the earliest versions of community schools in the country. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> The school was community based, child centered, tuition free, parent friendly and we paid special attention to children whose families had trouble with clothing and food.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Nowadays when we talk about community schools, we’re talking about schools like this one, that provide for the whole child beyond academics. Often these schools have the things that families need located at or provided by the school. Oakland Community School provided groceries to families in the community and food throughout the school day. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> Three meals a day and I said it was tuition free. The meals were also for the students and staff of the school. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> If parents couldn’t afford the city bus. A bus from Oakland Community School would come pick their kids up. They used curriculum that actually reflected the students that were going to the school\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> Our motto was “the world is a child’s classroom.” Which is a little different than the United States is the center of the universe. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We talked about the enslavement of Africans. We talked about the indigenous people. We talked about the resilience and brightness of our ancestors and our generations up to them and how beautiful and bright they are. We always affirmed the children. We wanted them to know about history. We wanted them to know about themselves as people coming from great ancestry no matter their race or ethnicity. We didn’t ever turn away a student because they were not Black. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Students at the so-called Panther school were Black –but they were also Latino they were white students they were Asian students and biracial students\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> When people see this, they’re shocked, like, oh, why are you shocked? We were the Black Panther Party and they have to think about what they’ve been told.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We were just brave and committed because it wasn’t easy. I want everybody to understand that it didn’t just appear itself as one community school with all angels floating around making things happen. No, it was hard work and. But the reward was in the faces of those parents and grandparents and aunties and uncles. The faces of the staff. And most importantly, the lives of the children. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> After about ten years of operation, The school closed in 1982 — This was around the time when The Black Panther Party officially dissolved after years of government surveillance and attacks. The free breakfast program is believed to have paved the way for expanding the government’s School Breakfast Program, which still exists today. And the Black Panther legacy is still in Oakland. For one thing, many members of the Black Panthers are alive today and physical sites across the city bear the Panthers’ name. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Now, if we fast forward 40 years, what are Oakland Schools doing with that legacy? We’ll get into that after the break.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Let’s jump ahead to present day Oakland. Angelica was enrolling in 10th grade at Oakland International High School.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> She was 18 years old and so nervous. Originally from Guatemala, she didn’t speak a word of English. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Mi hermana me inscribió en esta escuela porque ella estuvo en esta escuela y se graduó aquí y pues me sentí nerviosa porque pues no sabía nada del inglés, nada, no entendía nada, nada. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> But her sister, who she was staying with at the time, was adamant about her going to school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Tienes que estudiar. Tienes que aprender. Es te necesito que tú llegas a otro nivel más que yo. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Shortly after enrolling, circumstances for their family changed. All of the sudden, Angélica’s sister was providing for her kids,2 nephews, and Angelica. It was too much. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Mi hermana ya no podía con muchos gastos porque ella tiene hijos también y ella tuvo que tuvo que mantenerme a mí y a mis dos sobrinos. Pero luego ella me dijo tú ya estás grande y pues ya no sé qué voy a hacer contigo y así lo siento mucho. Y pues ella se mudó y yo me quedé sola\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Her sister moved away and Angélica had to support herself, which meant she had to make a choice that so many students make: should she keep going to school or should she leave school to work? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Tuve que salir de la escuela, tuve que irme y no tenía otra opción más que como mantenerme a mi misma.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> She decided to work. She didn’t feel like she had much of a choice. According to a report by the Urban Institute, nearly a third of students ages 16-19 are working and not in school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> I want to take a moment to zoom out on Angelica and talk about the school district she’s in. Oakland Unified School District. It’s credited with being the first full service community school district in the nation. That means in all of their public schools they don’t just going to focus on academics, they provide other services students and families might need like food and social services. Is this starting to sound familiar? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The superintendent Tony Smith who rolled out the plan for the community school district said that it has echoes of the Panthers and their deep care for kids. There are great examples of how Oakland Schools are drawing on the Panther legacy. And one of them is Oakland International School. The school that Angelica goes to. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Oakland International High School is a public school in the Oakland Unified School District that serves all newly arrived immigrant students, all of whom are English language learners.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Here is Lauren Markham, one of Oakland International’s founding members.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Not all, but a lot of our students are coming from conditions of poverty. We have the highest poverty rate of any Oakland high school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When I walked through the school I could hear a bunch of different languages all at once. Spanish and Arabic are the ones you’ll hear most. It reminded me of the way Ericka Huggins from the Black Panther Party talked about the diversity of students and educators at the Oakland community school\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> We have students from about 20 different countries. I often describe our school as a delayed mirror of world events. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> What she means by this is that if something happens in a country far away. For example, if there’s political turmoil in Central America and it leads to a lot of refugees or asylum seekers, Oakland international will have an influx of these students a year or so later. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> More refugees arrived in the United States in the first eight months of 2023 than any year since 2017. Many schools across the country are trying to figure out how to accommodate an influx of migrant students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Newcomer students fail at wildly disproportionate rates throughout the country. And we know that when any one population is failing, it’s a function of the system and not the students. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The community school model is what enables Oakland International to support their diverse student population.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> School Is not just a place where like learning and education and academics happen, but that all of these services that are around the classroom, that that connect to and support students lives, be it mental health services or health care or immigration legal services, which are all things that I think we do particularly well and that are particularly vital at Oakland International.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> I always use this example, but like if someone has an abscess tooth, they’re not going to be able to focus on math. Right? And if somebody has a pending deportation hearing coming up and they don’t have an immigration lawyer, like, yeah, they’re not working on their group project.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Working with newcomers makes the community school model really necessary \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Because so many students are coming with limited not all, but a number of our students are coming, not necessarily entering like established communities or having like established social networks and therefore like don’t necessarily know where to go to get X, Y, Z thing, or the language that they speak isn’t represented at the social services office where they would apply for Medi-Cal or Cal Fresh.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan:\u003c/strong> Everybody’s taking what they need and nobody feels ashamed. I think sometimes there’s a stigma. Like, it’s free food, I don’t need to take that. But food scarcity is real.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> That’s Madenh Ali Hassan Oakland International’s Community School Manager, which means she oversees all the services the school offers in addition to academics. When I asked her what the school does really well. She said giving students and families food is their jam. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan: \u003c/strong>It’s a little bit of creative chaos but if you come out and see it it’s always just kind of sweet because everyone’s just taking what they need. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> In order to offset skyrocketing food prices, the school offers two separate food banks once a week. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Just like how The Panthers saw a need in their community and provided free meals to children and families. Today we see Madenh and Oakland International doing something similar. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan:\u003c/strong> We typically set up right in front of the school. And so this is open for the public. So when the community sees it, there’s a line around the block. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> They also want to make sure they are serving their current students, so they have another food bank set up in the cafeteria. That one is just for their students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan:\u003c/strong> Everybody’s taking what they need and filling their bags and students are doing the same in the cafeteria.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Students who have dropped out of Oakland International also come to the weekly Food Bank. It’s relatively common for a newcomer to turn 18 and leave school to work. Oftentimes, working is necessary to pay back the people who helped them migrate to the US or to help out their families. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> We understand, like this is the reality of your life and you have to tend to that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> This is Lauren again, talking about students who drop out.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> I also think that it’s reflective of our school, sort of not. Like understanding that what’s happening now is not a student’s fate forever. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> If a student needs help translating a document about a court hearing or filling out a paperwork. They know they will still be supported at Oakland International. Angélica felt that way too. When Angelica dropped out of school she got a job making sandwiches. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Even though her circumstances made it so that she to work closing shifts. She knew she didn’t want to work in the same sandwich shop forever. So she had a conversation with her boss who let her work closing shifts so she could attend school again during the day.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Entonces. Y mis maestros también se alegraron mucho porque yo había. Yo había ido cuatro meses y ellos me ayudaron también. Con todo. Todo. Animarme. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When she returned to school she was welcomed with open arms. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> I found it really fascinating the way that staff and teachers at the school hold on to these two distinct realities. One being that students do better when they’re in school and the other is that some of them can’t make the decision to be there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When I went to Oakland International’s open house — it’s an event where they open up the campus to educators who are interested in seeing how they run things — I heard Lauren say something at the Open House assembly that I thought was profound.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham at the Open House assembly: \u003c/strong>A lot of what we do here is like, okay, we see the perfect version. We can whine for a little bit about not having that, but how do we get how do we approximate? That’s what we do as educators. How do we get closer to that given the resources that we have? And that’s the sort of scrappiness that is built into education.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> As someone who reports on education and talks to a lot of teachers and worked in education, this felt true and this reminds me of the panthers too in a sense. Because schools are essentially a group of people that are committed to striving for a really hard to get ideal. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Many of the students who went to Oakland International come back to work there as adults because they see the way the community school model helps them support students better. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Yasser Alwan came to Oakland international as a student in 2010\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Yasser Alwan:\u003c/strong> We immigrated from Yemen, right before the conflict, the revolution, known as the Arab Spring.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Now he’s a Newcomer assistant. It’s a position that started at Oakland International, where they’ll have specific people who are in classrooms like paraprofessionals to help students who are struggling. When I asked him why he came back and why he stays he said yeah sometimes there are really hard days. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Yasser Alwan:\u003c/strong> But I, I remember mostly the good ones. And for the most part it was mostly good days. And it’s just like that community is very strong and you’re like, very welcome in and like. I’m like, happier when I’m not around. And I think that’s what brings me back. Even through challenging times, I remember the good days. And I’m like, there’s going to be more good days. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Karen Moya came to Oakland International as a student in 2010 also. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Karen Moya:\u003c/strong> We came from El Salvador.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> As an adult she joined the staff as a case manager\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Karen Moya:\u003c/strong> I’m basically supporting students and their families to navigate the new systems in the country.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When she is overwhelmed, She returns to something a colleague told her.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Karen Moya:\u003c/strong> Something that one of my colleagues said it’s like you can do anything and … You might feel that you’re not doing anything because you’re not seeing the results, but you are actually doing something. You are impacting their lives, you know, and helping them navigate the, the, the systems and the struggles of being, you know, an immigrant in this country. So I take that with me. And, and I think about it sometimes too, when I’m like, I’m helping this student and I don’t see the results that I want to see on my way, but I’m doing everything that I can in my hands to better support them and their families. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Prior to this episode we did two other stories about community schools.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> I’m Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí and I’m the community engagement reporter at KQED. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> So Carlos is someone who has been with me throughout my community school reporting at KQED. He was with me during interviews translating Spanish. We’re coming to the end of our community school reporting this season and I wanted to reflect what it was like to really sit in these stories \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Angelica was a little a little shy at first, a little nervous, which I, you know, completely normal reaction. The thing that stuck with me for just the whole day was just her, her, just like the like that she for her this whole, you know, like her leaving school and coming back. This decision. She really made it for herself. She understands the value of education. The things she was repeating again and again was like, I wanna learn English. When I first came to the U.S., you know, the first place that we came to was Oakland and I think that, when you’re in a school that sees a lot of kids come and go, you kind of feel like you’re, you know, you’re kind of like in the fight by yourself. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> I was talking to the community school coordinator and then also, one of the founders, and they were saying, like, it’s such a weird thing to do at a school where you like, see kids leaving, but you understand that, like, their realities are things that they have to deal with. And so you have to kind of let them go. But your job is just to be like when you’re ready to come back, like, come back here and like you’ll be okay. And it seems like they do a really good job of that versus like a school that would either be like, don’t leave and then like as soon as the student leaves, it’s kind of like, yeah, if I see you, i see you.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Totally, yeah. And that’s why, I really loved being able to accompany you on these trips because it just shows many ways you can interpret the community model. Where it could be a thousand factors that could, you know, change the outcome.That goes to the point we’re making that there is no perfect quote unquote perfect community school. There’s no perfect way to establish or create a community school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Thank you for talking to me Carlos.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Yeah, Thank you Nimah, this was awesome.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> it’s really always a pleasure to work with you.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Likewise.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Whether a school is based in Oakland pursuing the legacy of the Panther School or elsewhere, educators can relate to the desire for systems that serve young people better. In the meantime, they keep tracking down quick-fixes, proven strategies and those hard-to-find sustainable solutions.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> This episode would not have been possible without Ericka Huggins, Angela LeBlanc Ernest, Madenh Ali Hassan, Lauren Markham, Yassar Alwan, Karen Moya, and Angelica. Thank you to folks at Oakland International.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When global events unfold, the ripple effects often land in unexpected places — like a classroom in Oakland, California. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://cis.org/Report/Remaking-US-Refugee-Resettlement-Program\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Increased refugee resettlement\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/07/22/nx-s1-5048025/kamala-harris-immigration-policy-border-central-america\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">immigration at the U.S. southern border\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/20/us/abbott-texas-migrant-buses.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">buses sent by Texas to cities like New York\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> have created a growing need for more support for newcomer students in schools. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/mpi-recent-immigrant-children-2023_final.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to the Migration Policy Institute National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, nearly one million immigrant students enrolled in U.S. schools in the 2020-21 school year. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63539/how-schools-can-better-support-teachers-of-newcomer-students\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Newcomer students\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are typically immigrants, refugees or asylum seekers who have recently arrived in a new country and are entering the school system for the first time. At \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandinternational.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oakland International High School\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (OIHS), welcoming and supporting these students isn’t a new challenge; it’s the very foundation of their mission.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since its inception in 2007, OIHS, which is part of Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), has served newcomer students from over 20 different countries, according to Lauren Markham, a founding member and Learning Lab Co-director at OIHS. Newcomer students \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63539/how-schools-can-better-support-teachers-of-newcomer-students\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">may face language barriers, cultural differences and other challenges\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in adapting to a new educational environment. They often require additional support to succeed academically and socially in their new surroundings. “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://edpolicyinca.org/publications/guidance-district-administrators-serving-newcomer-students\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Newcomer students fail at wildly disproportionate rates\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> throughout the country. And we know that when any one population is failing, it’s a function of the system and not the students,” Markham said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"260\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/kNg4b/8/\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"300\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/dcGwM/7/\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students at OIHS drop out at nearly \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://edpolicyinca.org/publications/community-school-service-newcomer-students\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">half the rate that newcomers students do at other Oakland high schools\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The school’s success comes largely from the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/59903/when-students-basic-needs-are-met-by-community-schools-learning-can-flourish\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">community school model\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which co-locates essential services on campus, ensuring easy access for students and families. The model adheres to the principle of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-maslow-bloom-all-day-long/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Maslow before Bloom,”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> which suggests that students must have their basic needs met before they can fully engage in learning. “If someone has an abscessed tooth, they’re not going to be able to focus on math,” Markham said. “And if someone has a pending deportation hearing and no immigration lawyer, they’re not going to be working on their group project.” OIHS has leveraged the community school model to build a comprehensive support system, providing food, medical, legal, and mental health services, so that newcomer students can not only adapt but thrive in their new environment.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"355\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/dkNHQ/6/\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Food services\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://groundworkcollaborative.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/24.02.01-Whats-Driving-the-Rise-in-Grocery-Prices-and-What-the-Government-Can-Do-About-It.pdf?utm_source=press&utm_medium=embargo&utm_campaign=24.02.01\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">food prices spiking over the past year\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, many families struggle to afford \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/64470/5-ways-the-black-panthers-shaped-u-s-schools\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">nutritious meals\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Immigrant families, especially if they are undocumented, often experience food insecurity because they are \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://groundworkcollaborative.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/24.02.01-Whats-Driving-the-Rise-in-Grocery-Prices-and-What-the-Government-Can-Do-About-It.pdf?utm_source=press&utm_medium=embargo&utm_campaign=24.02.01\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">excluded from federal programs\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. OIHS partners with a local food bank to provide food to students and their families. Recently, the school increased its food bank services from bi-weekly to weekly, with one food bank exclusively for students on campus and another serving the local community, including recent graduates.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Madenh Ali Hassan, OIHS’s community school manager, emphasized the importance of providing culturally relevant food. The food bank ensures that the food provided reflects the dietary needs and cultural preferences of the school’s diverse families. “It’s always sweet because everybody’s taking what they need, and nobody feels ashamed,” Hassan said. “It feels good to feed people and to see them feel a sense of community here.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Medical services\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many newcomer students arrive with unmet medical needs, particularly asylum seekers and refugees who fled countries in turmoil. “A lot of our students need immunizations, physicals, or have other health issues,” Hassan noted. OIHS tries to eliminate barriers to students and families getting medical care. For instance, the school hosts yearly flu clinics and brings in mobile vision companies to assess and fit students for eyeglasses.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Language barriers often prevent families from accessing social services, so OIHS staff connect families with medical services, often helping them translate and fill out necessary documents. Karen Moya, an OIHS graduate, recalled how her parents struggled to navigate new systems after immigrating from Guatemala. “They didn’t have the support because they didn’t know where to ask,” she said. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Moya now works as a case manager at OIHS, helping students navigate similar challenges. “If they need a dental or vision appointment and don’t have insurance, or if they receive a letter in the mail they don’t understand, they bring it to us, and we help.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To someone who has lived in the U.S. for most of their life, accessing medical care may seem straightforward, Moya said. But that’s not true for everyone. “We keep in mind that these are new families coming to the country. And so we try to explain and provide every little thing that can be beneficial to them.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Legal services\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Newcomer students may face complex legal proceedings due to their immigrant status. The district’s newcomer office conducts a formal intake when students first arrive, assessing whether they or their families have been detained, are unaccompanied, or are undocumented. OIHS then connects students and families with the appropriate legal services. The majority of students do not have lawyers, meaning there is no one to explain a legal document they might get in the mail. Bilingual case managers work with families to translate documents and figure out next steps whether it’s making families aware of a future court date or connecting them with a lawyer.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Mental health services\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Newcomer students may have left their home countries under traumatic circumstances. “There’s a lot of grief around leaving your country, let alone the grief caused by war, violence or other events that displace people,” Hassan said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At OIHS, students with severe \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/58404/how-to-improve-mental-health-at-school\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">mental health needs\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are connected with specialists. “By the end of the year, we’ll have 90 kids connected to mental health services, but that’s never enough,” Hassan said, noting the need for more bilingual clinicians of color.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The school also tries to address mental health needs through other on-campus services. They have a wellness center where students can relax with a cup of tea and connect with case managers. They also partner with an organization called \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://beyondsport.org/articles/soccer-without-borders-oakland-project/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Soccer Without Borders\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, where soccer coaches double as case managers to offer additional support to students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While the arrival of newcomer students can pose challenges for some districts, it also presents a unique opportunity to improve educational outcomes through community-based resources. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2024/03/11/community-hubs-denver-public-schools-migrant-families/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Denver Public Schools\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> has established specialized community hubs for over 3,500 newcomer students and their families. Similarly, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cps.edu/press-releases/chicago-public-schools-welcome-center-pilot/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chicago Public Schools\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is piloting a welcome center to offer vital services to newly arrived students. Hassan is encouraged by those efforts. “We need people dedicated to doing that work outside of the classroom to better support the work happening in the classroom,” he said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC5911938534\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Welcome to MindShift, where we explore the future of learning and how we raise our kids. I’m Nimah Gobir. The 1960s was a decade of social and cultural change. There was the civil rights movement…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Martin Luther King, Jr. We will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood].\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Women’s liberation…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[May Craig question to John F. Kennedy (clip): …for equal rights for women, including equal pay…]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Vietnam war…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[President Nixon Vietnam speech (clip): There were some who urged that I end the war at once… this would have been a popular and easy course to follow…]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> A moon landing \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Neil Armstrong (clip): …one giant leap for mankind]. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> It was a time when the very fabric of society was being questioned, and people were having big ideas about how people think and how people are taught. It was also when the black power movement was getting traction.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Malcolm X (clip): We are oppressed. We are exploited. We are downtrodden. We are denied not only civil rights but even human rights]. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The emphasis wasn’t on being free or access to white spaces, it was about empowerment and self-sufficiency even as widely accepted racist practices were trying to keep Black people down. It was during this era, in1966 that the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense started in Oakland. They believed in Black nationalism, socialism, and armed self-defense against police brutality. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> The first thing that drew me to the Black Panther Party that I always remember about it, it said the Black Panther Party for Self-defense and Self-defense, people get their hackles up about that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> This is Ericka Huggins. She joined the Black Panther Party in 1968. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> People think that self-defense is physical. It can be and needs to be when necessary. However, this was about supporting people who live poor and/or oppressed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We said you cannot continue to kill us. You can’t break down our doors to our homes and shoot at us. You cannot arrest us, wrongly incarcerate us and beat and murder us while we are incarcerated. You cannot deprive us of food, housing, clothing and peace. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Some of the more popular images of the Black Panthers are photos of armed men in berets looking out from behind these dark sunglasses. Or women – like Ericka – with afros waving flags and raising their fists. Even the United States FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover saw the Panther’s stance on protecting and empowering themselves as dangerous.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> J. Edgar Hoover said the Black Panther Party is the greatest threat to the internal security of the United States. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The Black Panthers had a reputation as a militant group but they did way more than challenge the police and protest against racist policies.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> If you look up pictures of the Panthers– yes you’ll see guns and berets, but there are other images too. And the one that sticks with me is this photo of a Black Panther Party member putting down plates of food in front of young children. It’s a photo of their free breakfast program\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> Children were expected to go to school and learn without any food. We knew because we were those children. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> They had a founding charter which included a 10 point platform. I won’t go into all of the points but it basically said that our people – Black people– need to be able to eat, find work and feel safe. This episode we’ll talk about point 5, a focus on a fulfilling and effective education system \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Bobby Seale Speech at Oakland Auditorium (clip): We want decent education for our Black people in our community that teaches us the true nature of this decadent racist society and to teach Black people and our young Black brothers and sisters their place in this society because if they don’t know their place in society and in the world, they can’t relate to anything else].\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> Education was always important in the party. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Angela LeBlanc-Ernest is a documentarian and community archivist from Texas. She has studied and written books about the Panthers pursuit of education.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> Whether it be the study sessions they had reading the different books by revolutionaries – political education classes is what they would call them – that were required, or whether it was party members tutoring kids in the local community.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> She told me the idea to create a school came about when party members saw how their own kids were mistreated in mainstream schools \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> You had to start envisioning what society needed to look like for your child if they survived. Right? There is a sense so many of them didn’t think they would survive\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Party members started to conceive of a community-based alternative to the poor educational experiences they had as children. They were often disciplined harder and discouraged from asking questions. Their schools lacked supplies and books, and the curriculum rarely included stories of people who looked like them.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> So in response to this they opened the Intercommunal Youth Institute in east Oakland in 1971\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> It was an old church that they converted into a school and so it was a small space. They decided that they wanted to start with the number they had, which was 50 students. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Gradually, other people noticed that the students and families were being treated well at this scrappy little home school where they used mindfulness practices and restorative justice. Students were engaged, respected, and learning in an environment that valued their heritage and experiences.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> When the community approached the Black Panther Party, when it was just the insular home school to say, “Hey, can you make this available to the community, to children in the community?” That was a prompt for them to think more broadly.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> As new people joined from outside of the party, they began outgrowing the space and so they had to look for something more permanent. They changed the name to Oakland Community School and Black Panther Party member Ericka Huggins became the director. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We opened the Oakland Community School in the school year of 1973-74.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Students were ages 5 -12, so it was basically an elementary school, but there were no grades. They were grouped according to their academic abilities. They also had childcare for kids who were younger than five.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Many of the students came from the Oakland area but some were coming from the greater bay area too.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We had more than party members on staff. Not only did the people take their children out of public school, the public school teachers left, too, to work at… as it used to be, nicknamed the Panther School. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/strong>This school is special for a lot of reasons, but one of the big reasons is that it was one of the earliest versions of community schools in the country. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> The school was community based, child centered, tuition free, parent friendly and we paid special attention to children whose families had trouble with clothing and food.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Nowadays when we talk about community schools, we’re talking about schools like this one, that provide for the whole child beyond academics. Often these schools have the things that families need located at or provided by the school. Oakland Community School provided groceries to families in the community and food throughout the school day. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> Three meals a day and I said it was tuition free. The meals were also for the students and staff of the school. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> If parents couldn’t afford the city bus. A bus from Oakland Community School would come pick their kids up. They used curriculum that actually reflected the students that were going to the school\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> Our motto was “the world is a child’s classroom.” Which is a little different than the United States is the center of the universe. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We talked about the enslavement of Africans. We talked about the indigenous people. We talked about the resilience and brightness of our ancestors and our generations up to them and how beautiful and bright they are. We always affirmed the children. We wanted them to know about history. We wanted them to know about themselves as people coming from great ancestry no matter their race or ethnicity. We didn’t ever turn away a student because they were not Black. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Students at the so-called Panther school were Black –but they were also Latino they were white students they were Asian students and biracial students\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> When people see this, they’re shocked, like, oh, why are you shocked? We were the Black Panther Party and they have to think about what they’ve been told.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We were just brave and committed because it wasn’t easy. I want everybody to understand that it didn’t just appear itself as one community school with all angels floating around making things happen. No, it was hard work and. But the reward was in the faces of those parents and grandparents and aunties and uncles. The faces of the staff. And most importantly, the lives of the children. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> After about ten years of operation, The school closed in 1982 — This was around the time when The Black Panther Party officially dissolved after years of government surveillance and attacks. The free breakfast program is believed to have paved the way for expanding the government’s School Breakfast Program, which still exists today. And the Black Panther legacy is still in Oakland. For one thing, many members of the Black Panthers are alive today and physical sites across the city bear the Panthers’ name. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Now, if we fast forward 40 years, what are Oakland Schools doing with that legacy? We’ll get into that after the break.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Let’s jump ahead to present day Oakland. Angelica was enrolling in 10th grade at Oakland International High School.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> She was 18 years old and so nervous. Originally from Guatemala, she didn’t speak a word of English. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Mi hermana me inscribió en esta escuela porque ella estuvo en esta escuela y se graduó aquí y pues me sentí nerviosa porque pues no sabía nada del inglés, nada, no entendía nada, nada. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> But her sister, who she was staying with at the time, was adamant about her going to school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Tienes que estudiar. Tienes que aprender. Es te necesito que tú llegas a otro nivel más que yo. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Shortly after enrolling, circumstances for their family changed. All of the sudden, Angélica’s sister was providing for her kids,2 nephews, and Angelica. It was too much. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Mi hermana ya no podía con muchos gastos porque ella tiene hijos también y ella tuvo que tuvo que mantenerme a mí y a mis dos sobrinos. Pero luego ella me dijo tú ya estás grande y pues ya no sé qué voy a hacer contigo y así lo siento mucho. Y pues ella se mudó y yo me quedé sola\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Her sister moved away and Angélica had to support herself, which meant she had to make a choice that so many students make: should she keep going to school or should she leave school to work? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Tuve que salir de la escuela, tuve que irme y no tenía otra opción más que como mantenerme a mi misma.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> She decided to work. She didn’t feel like she had much of a choice. According to a report by the Urban Institute, nearly a third of students ages 16-19 are working and not in school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> I want to take a moment to zoom out on Angelica and talk about the school district she’s in. Oakland Unified School District. It’s credited with being the first full service community school district in the nation. That means in all of their public schools they don’t just going to focus on academics, they provide other services students and families might need like food and social services. Is this starting to sound familiar? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The superintendent Tony Smith who rolled out the plan for the community school district said that it has echoes of the Panthers and their deep care for kids. There are great examples of how Oakland Schools are drawing on the Panther legacy. And one of them is Oakland International School. The school that Angelica goes to. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Oakland International High School is a public school in the Oakland Unified School District that serves all newly arrived immigrant students, all of whom are English language learners.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Here is Lauren Markham, one of Oakland International’s founding members.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Not all, but a lot of our students are coming from conditions of poverty. We have the highest poverty rate of any Oakland high school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When I walked through the school I could hear a bunch of different languages all at once. Spanish and Arabic are the ones you’ll hear most. It reminded me of the way Ericka Huggins from the Black Panther Party talked about the diversity of students and educators at the Oakland community school\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> We have students from about 20 different countries. I often describe our school as a delayed mirror of world events. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> What she means by this is that if something happens in a country far away. For example, if there’s political turmoil in Central America and it leads to a lot of refugees or asylum seekers, Oakland international will have an influx of these students a year or so later. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> More refugees arrived in the United States in the first eight months of 2023 than any year since 2017. Many schools across the country are trying to figure out how to accommodate an influx of migrant students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Newcomer students fail at wildly disproportionate rates throughout the country. And we know that when any one population is failing, it’s a function of the system and not the students. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The community school model is what enables Oakland International to support their diverse student population.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> School Is not just a place where like learning and education and academics happen, but that all of these services that are around the classroom, that that connect to and support students lives, be it mental health services or health care or immigration legal services, which are all things that I think we do particularly well and that are particularly vital at Oakland International.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> I always use this example, but like if someone has an abscess tooth, they’re not going to be able to focus on math. Right? And if somebody has a pending deportation hearing coming up and they don’t have an immigration lawyer, like, yeah, they’re not working on their group project.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Working with newcomers makes the community school model really necessary \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Because so many students are coming with limited not all, but a number of our students are coming, not necessarily entering like established communities or having like established social networks and therefore like don’t necessarily know where to go to get X, Y, Z thing, or the language that they speak isn’t represented at the social services office where they would apply for Medi-Cal or Cal Fresh.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan:\u003c/strong> Everybody’s taking what they need and nobody feels ashamed. I think sometimes there’s a stigma. Like, it’s free food, I don’t need to take that. But food scarcity is real.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> That’s Madenh Ali Hassan Oakland International’s Community School Manager, which means she oversees all the services the school offers in addition to academics. When I asked her what the school does really well. She said giving students and families food is their jam. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan: \u003c/strong>It’s a little bit of creative chaos but if you come out and see it it’s always just kind of sweet because everyone’s just taking what they need. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> In order to offset skyrocketing food prices, the school offers two separate food banks once a week. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Just like how The Panthers saw a need in their community and provided free meals to children and families. Today we see Madenh and Oakland International doing something similar. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan:\u003c/strong> We typically set up right in front of the school. And so this is open for the public. So when the community sees it, there’s a line around the block. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> They also want to make sure they are serving their current students, so they have another food bank set up in the cafeteria. That one is just for their students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan:\u003c/strong> Everybody’s taking what they need and filling their bags and students are doing the same in the cafeteria.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Students who have dropped out of Oakland International also come to the weekly Food Bank. It’s relatively common for a newcomer to turn 18 and leave school to work. Oftentimes, working is necessary to pay back the people who helped them migrate to the US or to help out their families. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> We understand, like this is the reality of your life and you have to tend to that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> This is Lauren again, talking about students who drop out.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> I also think that it’s reflective of our school, sort of not. Like understanding that what’s happening now is not a student’s fate forever. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> If a student needs help translating a document about a court hearing or filling out a paperwork. They know they will still be supported at Oakland International. Angélica felt that way too. When Angelica dropped out of school she got a job making sandwiches. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Even though her circumstances made it so that she to work closing shifts. She knew she didn’t want to work in the same sandwich shop forever. So she had a conversation with her boss who let her work closing shifts so she could attend school again during the day.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Entonces. Y mis maestros también se alegraron mucho porque yo había. Yo había ido cuatro meses y ellos me ayudaron también. Con todo. Todo. Animarme. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When she returned to school she was welcomed with open arms. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> I found it really fascinating the way that staff and teachers at the school hold on to these two distinct realities. One being that students do better when they’re in school and the other is that some of them can’t make the decision to be there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When I went to Oakland International’s open house — it’s an event where they open up the campus to educators who are interested in seeing how they run things — I heard Lauren say something at the Open House assembly that I thought was profound.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham at the Open House assembly: \u003c/strong>A lot of what we do here is like, okay, we see the perfect version. We can whine for a little bit about not having that, but how do we get how do we approximate? That’s what we do as educators. How do we get closer to that given the resources that we have? And that’s the sort of scrappiness that is built into education.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> As someone who reports on education and talks to a lot of teachers and worked in education, this felt true and this reminds me of the panthers too in a sense. Because schools are essentially a group of people that are committed to striving for a really hard to get ideal. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Many of the students who went to Oakland International come back to work there as adults because they see the way the community school model helps them support students better. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Yasser Alwan came to Oakland international as a student in 2010\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Yasser Alwan:\u003c/strong> We immigrated from Yemen, right before the conflict, the revolution, known as the Arab Spring.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Now he’s a Newcomer assistant. It’s a position that started at Oakland International, where they’ll have specific people who are in classrooms like paraprofessionals to help students who are struggling. When I asked him why he came back and why he stays he said yeah sometimes there are really hard days. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Yasser Alwan:\u003c/strong> But I, I remember mostly the good ones. And for the most part it was mostly good days. And it’s just like that community is very strong and you’re like, very welcome in and like. I’m like, happier when I’m not around. And I think that’s what brings me back. Even through challenging times, I remember the good days. And I’m like, there’s going to be more good days. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Karen Moya came to Oakland International as a student in 2010 also. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Karen Moya:\u003c/strong> We came from El Salvador.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> As an adult she joined the staff as a case manager\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Karen Moya:\u003c/strong> I’m basically supporting students and their families to navigate the new systems in the country.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When she is overwhelmed, She returns to something a colleague told her.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Karen Moya:\u003c/strong> Something that one of my colleagues said it’s like you can do anything and … You might feel that you’re not doing anything because you’re not seeing the results, but you are actually doing something. You are impacting their lives, you know, and helping them navigate the, the, the systems and the struggles of being, you know, an immigrant in this country. So I take that with me. And, and I think about it sometimes too, when I’m like, I’m helping this student and I don’t see the results that I want to see on my way, but I’m doing everything that I can in my hands to better support them and their families. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Prior to this episode we did two other stories about community schools.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> I’m Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí and I’m the community engagement reporter at KQED. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> So Carlos is someone who has been with me throughout my community school reporting at KQED. He was with me during interviews translating Spanish. We’re coming to the end of our community school reporting this season and I wanted to reflect what it was like to really sit in these stories \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Angelica was a little a little shy at first, a little nervous, which I, you know, completely normal reaction. The thing that stuck with me for just the whole day was just her, her, just like the like that she for her this whole, you know, like her leaving school and coming back. This decision. She really made it for herself. She understands the value of education. The things she was repeating again and again was like, I wanna learn English. When I first came to the U.S., you know, the first place that we came to was Oakland and I think that, when you’re in a school that sees a lot of kids come and go, you kind of feel like you’re, you know, you’re kind of like in the fight by yourself. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> I was talking to the community school coordinator and then also, one of the founders, and they were saying, like, it’s such a weird thing to do at a school where you like, see kids leaving, but you understand that, like, their realities are things that they have to deal with. And so you have to kind of let them go. But your job is just to be like when you’re ready to come back, like, come back here and like you’ll be okay. And it seems like they do a really good job of that versus like a school that would either be like, don’t leave and then like as soon as the student leaves, it’s kind of like, yeah, if I see you, i see you.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Totally, yeah. And that’s why, I really loved being able to accompany you on these trips because it just shows many ways you can interpret the community model. Where it could be a thousand factors that could, you know, change the outcome.That goes to the point we’re making that there is no perfect quote unquote perfect community school. There’s no perfect way to establish or create a community school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Thank you for talking to me Carlos.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Yeah, Thank you Nimah, this was awesome.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> it’s really always a pleasure to work with you.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Likewise.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Whether a school is based in Oakland pursuing the legacy of the Panther School or elsewhere, educators can relate to the desire for systems that serve young people better. In the meantime, they keep tracking down quick-fixes, proven strategies and those hard-to-find sustainable solutions.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> This episode would not have been possible without Ericka Huggins, Angela LeBlanc Ernest, Madenh Ali Hassan, Lauren Markham, Yassar Alwan, Karen Moya, and Angelica. Thank you to folks at Oakland International.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>"
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},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In many math classes, students are ready to bolt as soon as the bell rings. Not in \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/staci_durnin\">Staci Durnin\u003c/a>’s room. “A lot of times I hear kids say, ‘that was two periods of math already?’ And you know, when I hear that, it just makes me so happy,” said Durnin, who teaches sixth grade math at Mineola Middle School in New York. “Now I’m almost running out of time because, when the bell rings, they don’t want to leave the boards.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It wasn’t always that way. After 29 years of teaching, Durnin last year adopted a new instructional approach called “thinking classrooms.” The model was developed by \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfu.ca/education/faculty-profiles/pliljedahl.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Simon Fraser University professor\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and researcher \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/pgliljedahl\">Peter Liljedahl\u003c/a> and laid out in his book, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://us.corwin.com/books/building-thinking-classrooms-268862\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Liljedahl said that his work is “a reaction to an observed and documented reality that the majority of students spend the majority of their time in math classrooms not thinking.” What are they doing instead? Mimicking.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://ascd.org/el/articles/you-do-we-do-i-do-a-strategy-for-productive-struggle\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I do, we do, you do”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> approach is a common teaching strategy in math classrooms. In it, a teacher demonstrates how to solve a certain type of problem, the class practices as a whole, and students practice independently. But Liljedahl said, “There’s nothing about that environment that prepares students for all of a sudden me saying, ‘Well, here, let me show you this property. Now figure out what this is,’ because all of their habits are around mimicking. And this is a problem because if students are not thinking, they’re not learning.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The thinking classrooms model shakes up the norms of math class to create \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.edutopia.org/article/independent-critical-thinking-math/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a different culture\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> around problem-solving. It draws on 15 years of Liljedahl’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275953429_Building_Thinking_Classrooms_Conditions_for_Problem_Solving\">research\u003c/a> about how teaching practices affect different outcomes, such as, how quickly students start a math task, their eagerness to try a problem, how much they persist in a task, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">and other behaviors related to engagement\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The model involves students working in small, randomly chosen groups; solving problems standing up at whiteboards; building on small bits of knowledge as they go; and consolidating their discoveries as a class after working through problems. As teachers of all subjects have struggled to get students engaged in the years after pandemic shutdowns, many in math have turned to these routines as a solution.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/staci_durnin/status/1793378687976636754\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For Durnin, it’s been transformative. “I’ve always looked forward to going to work, but even more so now because I know that there’s so much going on,” she said. “It’s just a lot of up out of the seats talking, collaborating. The kids are walking around the room, they’re working and they’re having fun.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Visibly random groups\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Education leaders often tout collaboration as a “21st century skill.” But in the daily reality of classrooms, group work doesn’t always go well. Liljedahl has \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Peter-Liljedahl/publication/275953522_The_Affordances_of_Using_Visibly_Random_Groups_in_a_Mathematics_Classroom/links/554abf040cf29752ee7c332b/The-Affordances-of-Using-Visibly-Random-Groups-in-a-Mathematics-Classroom.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">studied how to improve it\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, starting with a basic question: How are groups formed?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He describes two common approaches to creating student groups: teacher-assigned groups or student-selected groups. Teachers might prefer to choose groups based on academic or social goals, while students often like getting to work with their friends. It turns out, however, that neither approach is great for math engagement. Liljedahl found through interviews and surveys that regardless of who picks the groups, students go into their groups expecting to play a passive role. What works better for engagement are random groups, which break students’ expectations for how the group will act.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64546\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-64546\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sixth graders convert fractions and decimals into percents with support from teacher Heather Hazen at Mineola Middle School in New York on March 25, 2024. \u003ccite>(Kara Newhouse/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But there’s a catch – students have to witness the groups being randomly assigned. They’ve had too many years of experience trying to decipher the logic behind teacher-assigned groups. They need to see the random assignment to believe it. Liljedahl calls this approach “visibly random grouping.” He suggests creating visibly random groups by having students pull from a deck of playing cards, but teachers who follow this approach have created their own methods, too.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In Melissa, Texas, ninth–grade math teacher Amber McMellan chose UNO cards to serve the purpose. She fans out the cards, and students pick one as they enter her room. Desks are clustered in threes with a jumbo UNO card at each to signal where each group will sit. McMellan said that the first year she tried visibly random groups, she wasn’t consistent with it, and students pushed back. The second year, she made it a daily routine, and students got on board. “Now my kids don’t even think twice about getting a card from me on the way into my classroom,” she said. “If I’m not standing over by the entryway with the cards out, they’ll walk up to me and just stand waiting for me to put the cards out. It’s pretty awesome.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In Durnin’s classroom in New York, students pick groups via popsicle sticks with names written on them. According to Jena, one of Durnin’s students, at first it was disappointing not getting to team up with friends every day. “But now we know it’s a lot more helpful to be with other people,” she said. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Asked why it’s more helpful, Jena’s peers chimed in:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Becoming friends with other people,” said Suraj.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Probably you can communicate with others better,” said Sami.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Different ways to help you learn,” said Roel.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Maybe some people are better at the skill than you, so they can help you find strategies,” added Isabella.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Across more than a dozen of Durnin’s students in two different periods, a chorus emerged: The sixth graders liked working in random groups because they liked \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/62436/how-listening-to-students-stories-can-improve-math-class\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">learning about each other\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and helping each other learn.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s no surprise to Liljedahl. “In thinking classrooms one of the things that we started to see emerge very naturally was empathy appearing among students,” he said. “What we noticed was that real collaboration doesn’t actually begin until students care as much about their partners’ learning as their own learning. And when empathy is unlocked, so many things work better in a classroom.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Vertical whiteboards\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the thinking classrooms model, when students work in small groups, they don’t write in notebooks or on worksheets. Instead, they tackle math tasks on whiteboards or other \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ri1vNQBk6I\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">vertical learning\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> surfaces. This means they’re \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/58051/how-movement-and-gestures-can-improve-student-learning\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">up out of their seats\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> – another thing kids tend to like – and that their work is visible to each other and their teachers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64545\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-64545 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-800x640.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-1020x816.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-768x615.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-2048x1639.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-1920x1536.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students from two small groups discuss their problem solving strategies during math class at Mineola Middle School in New York on March 25, 2024. \u003ccite>(Kara Newhouse/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This also makes it easier to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/60104/how-to-structure-academic-math-conversations-to-support-english-learners\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">differentiate instruction\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. McMellan, the Texas teacher, said that while students are at the whiteboards, she moves around the room, listening to how students explain their problem-solving strategies and watching for students who are hanging back from their group. “That right there tells me that they’re not confident in what the group is doing,” she said. “So I’ll try to get in there and ask questions, and try to get them involved a little more like, you know, hey, why don’t you write while (the others are) talking?”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When groups are already connecting and collaborating, it’s powerful. “They get excited when they figure stuff out, and they literally celebrate,” McMellan said. “I’m more energized as a teacher because they’re energized.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Thin slicing\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Last March, Durnin started class with a quick launch question: “You have 75% battery life on your phone or your iPad, and somebody else has one half of their battery life left. Who has more battery life? And how do you know?”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students scribbled individually on their erasable table tops. After a few minutes discussing the solution as a whole class, they split into their random groups.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This was their first time working with percentages in math class, but there was no big lecture at the start. Liljedahl recommends that teachers only pre-teach a topic for three to five minutes, max. In his research, he found that students do a lot more thinking when they get started on math problems quickly. When students start the lesson in a passive mode, it’s hard to switch into a more active mental state.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64542\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-64542\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-800x1040.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"325\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-800x1040.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-1020x1326.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-160x208.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-768x998.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-1181x1536.jpg 1181w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-1575x2048.jpg 1575w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-1920x2496.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-scaled.jpg 1969w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sixth grader Tyler converts fractions and decimals into percents at Mineola Middle School in New York on March 25, 2024. \u003ccite>(Kara Newhouse/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In Durnin’s class, each group copied a table with three columns onto the whiteboard. They needed to convert fractions and decimals into percentages, and vice versa. Some rows in the chart were already filled out, giving them examples. They worked row-by-row, with one student using the marker to write their peers’ ideas before switching roles. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The task was what Liljedahl calls a “thin slicing” task. Thin slicing is when students move through a series of problems that get slightly harder each time. Students start with something they know how to do, and the next problem has a very small variation. Instead of getting all the information up front, students \u003ca href=\"https://www.hmhco.com/blog/just-in-time-vs-just-in-case-scaffolding-how-to-foster-productive-perseverance\">build their knowledge as they go\u003c/a>.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Using the rows that were already completed as guides, students noticed patterns – like how changing a fraction’s denominator can help with conversions. “Now I understand that any number – if you turn the denominator into 100, it’s easy to get a percent,” said Jena as her group finished their chart. “Because then it’s just the top number basically. It’s out of 100.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Consolidation\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/61581/how-a-debate-over-the-science-of-math-could-reignite-the-math-wars\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">math wars\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> possibly \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/61712/do-math-drills-help-children-learn\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">making a resurgence\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, some educators who favor explicit instruction have \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://educationhq.com/news/dont-buy-into-building-thinking-classrooms-in-maths-its-a-fad-school-leader-166705/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">criticized\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> the thinking classrooms model as new packaging on old ideas of inquiry-based learning. But while the practices may \u003ca href=\"https://bhcommunitywatch.com/2022/11/01/thinking-classroom-or-sinking-classroom/\">not always be \u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">implemented with fidelity\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, explicit instruction does play a role in a thinking classroom.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64544\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-64544 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Math teacher Staci Durnin discusses one group’s problem solving strategies during the “consolidation” portion of class at Mineola Middle School in New York on March 25, 2024. \u003ccite>(Kara Newhouse/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While students work at the boards, Durnin and her co-teacher — Heather Hazen, a special education teacher — visited the groups. They asked questions and gave students vocabulary or other information to extend their learning.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Then the whole class gathered together for what’s called “consolidation.” This is when Durnin helps everyone bring together the pieces of what they discovered into a bigger picture understanding. Durnin picked one group’s board to use as a model and highlighted the things they got right and mistakes that everyone could learn from. Instead of front loading concepts and vocabulary, she used this conversation to connect the key ideas to what students had discovered themselves.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64543\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-64543\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">One group’s board work after being marked up by teacher Staci Durnin during the “consolidation” portion of class at Mineola Middle School in New York on March 25, 2024. \u003ccite>(Kara Newhouse/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Liljedahl said consolidation matters because “meaning making is messy,” but “meaning made can be really neat.” In other words, when students are at the whiteboards they’re in the thick of figuring out how math works. That’s really valuable. But it’s also disorganized. Consolidation helps students organize and formalize the chaos.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After consolidation, or for homework, students do something called “check your understanding” – individual practice with options to choose between difficulty levels of “mild,” “medium” or “spicy.” Liljedahl’s book also includes recommendations for how to approach assessments and grading in a thinking classrooms.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Resetting the culture\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In Liljedahl’s research, when teachers tried to apply the thinking classrooms routines by starting with the regular curriculum, students resisted. Even if students don’t like math class, they have certain expectations for it. Liljedahl found that it helps to learn the new norms through what he calls non-curricular highly engaging tasks. These are math problems and puzzles that are not linked to a learning objective. They can introduce a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63556/high-school-math-can-be-playful-too\">playful energy\u003c/a> to the classroom.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“What that does is it makes math fun, and it makes math feel achievable and enjoyable. And it can be very disarming for students,” Liljedahl said. He recommends that teachers spend three to five lessons on non-curricular highly engaging tasks at the start of the year to prime students’ brains for active learning. Durnin said she also found them useful coming back from holiday breaks.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/staci_durnin/status/1785740630758510593\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It’s a great way to enculture [students] into a new way of being,” Liljedahl said. “They might perceive that mathematics is different. They might perceive that you as a teacher is different, and that this is a safe space to engage in thought and collaboration. So we’ve just created sort of an aside — a safe space where students can be different and become different.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the usual culture of math class, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/62436/how-listening-to-students-stories-can-improve-math-class\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">where hierarchy is pervasive\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, it’s common to hear kids say they’re “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/54389/3-ways-to-shape-math-into-a-positive-experience\">not a math person\u003c/a>.” But seven months into their thinking classrooms experience, Durnin’s students had no problem identifying their strengths in math. Here’s what a few of them said:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m good at factor puzzles and proportions and dividing fractions because I feel like I worked on those the most. So I’m really confident with those.” – Alexis\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I think I’m good at math ’cause I can teach people like this certain strategy, or if they’re having trouble with the question. But sometimes I do struggle, like everybody else.” – Thayla\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I just love problem solving. If I really want to do something, I’ll just focus my mind on only that and then block out everything else I’m working on.” – Chloe\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As the school year wrapped up in June, Durnin said that her classes showed a deeper understanding of sixth grade math than students did in her many years teaching with more traditional methods.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Durnin also said it took a lot of work to for her to adapt her lesson plans but that the change in student engagement was worth it. Along the way, she sought help from a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/buildingthinkingclassrooms\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Facebook group\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> where educators ask questions and share stories about thinking classroom practices every day. The group has over 66,000 members.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I don’t think this is one of those teacher trends or a fad,” said McMellan, the Texas teacher. “It’s just good practices. And I think that’s what we’re all trying to find.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC8519622712\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">: What does percent mean?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Welcome to MindShift, where we explore the future of learning and how we raise our kids. I’m Kara Newhouse.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I’m Nimah Gobir.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It would be an understatement to say that teachers have a lot on their plates right now.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> From book bans to chronic absenteeism to phone distractions, the list of challenges is long. And a lot of teachers are feeling the burnout.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Which is why I was surprised when I started hearing a different refrain from math teachers. They were telling me that they’re more excited to go to work than ever – because their students are more excited than ever.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s just a lot of up out of the seats talking, collaborating. The kids are walking around the room, they’re working and they’re having fun. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Amber McMellan:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And it’s really powerful to, to, to be able to walk around and, and just hear the conversations that the students have. It’s it it’s like food for the teacher heart, you know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">These teachers are talking about a new approach to math called “thinking classrooms.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In this model, students work standing up at whiteboards in different small groups every day.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s centered around a core idea: getting kids to \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">think\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> instead of \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">mimic\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in math class.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Liljedahl: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What teaching math so often has become is let me show you how to do it, and then you do it. Right. It’s sort of this ‘I do, we do, you do.’ And you’re going to learn to mimic these sorts of routines and practices.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s Peter Liljedahl, the researcher who created the thinking classrooms model. Peter says that problem solving is “what we do when we don’t know what to do.” And we don’t usually let kids hang out in that space.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Liljedahl: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s been an agenda around teaching math through problem solving and teaching problem solving for 35 years now. But in order to do that, to really embrace that, to, if we really want to have students learning through problem solving, then they have to get stuck, and they have to think, and they have to get unstuck. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Peter’s book, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, was published in 2020. It couldn’t have come at a better time. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Getting kids excited about math has never been easy. And COVID didn’t help. Even now, a few years after distance learning, teachers of all subjects are struggling to get students engaged.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So what makes thinking classrooms different? In this episode, we’ll visit a Long Island school where you’ll hear some of the key practices in action. And we’ll examine how these practices get kids thinking instead of mimicking in math. That’s all after the break. Stay with us.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">OK. If you could take out a marker.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is Staci Durnin’s grade six math classroom at Mineola Middle School in New York. Today students are learning about percentages. They start with a question that puts percentages in a familiar context.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Okay, so you have 75% battery life on your phone or your iPad, and somebody else has one half of their battery life left. Who has more battery life? And how do you know? Can you show the work on your tabletop?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Staci and her co-teacher read \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Building Thinking Classrooms \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">over the summer. They decided to try out the practices from the book in the new school year.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Luke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Um, half of 100 is 50, making 75% more.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Why did you choose to use this percent?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Luke:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, because, for your phone, the max percent is 100%.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So half of 100% is 50%? And clearly, this is greater than this. Good. Anybody want to explain it differently? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This opening problem only takes a few minutes. There’s no big lecture. Instead, students are going to try working with percentages right away. In his research, Peter Liljedahl has found that students do a lot more thinking when they get started on math problems quickly.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s because when students start the lesson in a passive mode, it’s very hard to switch into a more active mental state.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Peter recommends that teachers only pre-teach a topic for three to five minutes, max. Then students work on math problems standing up at whiteboards, in groups of 3. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All right. So we’re going to hear our groups right now. Go find your board space and get working.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In Staci Durnin’s classroom, groups are selected using popsicle sticks with students’ names written on them. A student draws the names.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Unidentified student:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jack. Vanessa. Nick. … \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Unidentified student:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Luke, Aleena and Akira.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This way of picking groups is called \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">visibly random groups\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. It’s one of the key practices of thinking classrooms.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Kara, let’s break that phrase down. Random groups means that students don’t pick their best friends to work with. It also means teachers don’t group students based on perceived ability.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In Peter’s research, he found that when teachers pick the groups or allow students to choose who to work with, the majority of students go into the groups expecting to play a certain role. And that role is usually passive.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But when groups are randomly assigned and change every day, students don’t get locked into roles. Different perspectives get shared, and more students offer their ideas for problem solving.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As for the “visibly” part of visibly random groups – that means that students actually \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">see\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> the groups being selected. It turns out that unless it happens in front of them, students don’t believe the groups are truly random.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Hazen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All right, everyone hear their groups? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Unidentified student: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I got the marker. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Get some calculators. One marker per group. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In their groups, the students copy a chart with 3 columns onto the whiteboards. They’re working to convert fractions and decimals into percentages, and vice versa.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, first, it’s 30 over 100.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Roel:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> 30.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Because it’s a percent.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Roel:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> 100.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And then you do — \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nicole: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Three over —\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Equals, there should be —\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Roel: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Three tenths?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nicole:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Three tenths.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, three tenths.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Remember, this is the first time these students are seeing percentages in math class. The way they’re learning is what Peter Liljedahl calls “thin slicing.” Thin slicing is when students move through a series of problems that get slightly harder each time.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So they start with something they know how to do, and the next problem has a very small variation. Instead of getting all the information up front, students build their knowledge as they go.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Here’s one student, Roel, explaining how his group converted a fraction into a percentage.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Roel: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So it’s 6/8, right? That’s six quarters out of eight quarters. That means it’s actually like at 100%, but it’s just a different type of fraction which can get you there. And if you do six divided by eight, which it will get, it will get, it will give you 75%.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You can hear that he’s starting to make sense of the different types of conversions, even if he doesn’t have all the vocabulary nailed down yet.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Roel: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So now this is your basic ratio.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Thin slicing allows students to notice patterns and make meaning from math instead of memorizing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And by working in small groups, students can easily share what they’re noticing to help each other learn.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When I spoke with Jena – who was in the same group as Roel – she felt she had a good grasp on the lesson.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Had you learned anything about percents before today? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Roel: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well yeah —\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like I got a gist, but now I really understand it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What do you understand now that you didn’t before? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, now I understand that, like any number, if you turn the, uh, the denominator into 100, it’s easy to get a percent. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Why does that help? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because it, because then it’s just the top number basically. It’s out of 100. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students are encouraged to share ideas between groups. That’s easy to do because their work is visible on the whiteboards.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Seeing the whiteboards also helps the teacher. Peter Liljedahl points out that when students are working in notebooks at their desks, it’s pretty hard to see their thinking.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Liljedahl: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But if all of a sudden all the groups are vertical working on whiteboards, me as a teacher, standing in the middle of the room, I can see exactly where I need to be. And so it’s easier for me to differentiate now, because I can see that that group needs an extension, and that group needs a hint, and that those two groups actually just need to talk to each other, because one group has the knowledge and the other group needs it. And so differentiation becomes easier because everything is made visible.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now, just because students are immersed in problem solving in a thinking classroom, it doesn’t mean there’s no teacher talk.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While students work at the boards, Staci Durnin and her co-teacher visit the groups. They ask questions and give students vocabulary or other information to extend their learning.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Hazen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So what was that divisible by?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Then, after board work, the whole class gathers together for what’s called \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">consolidation\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Why is this an easy way to get to a hundred? I like your thinking. Go ahead, finish it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is when Staci helps everyone bring together the pieces of what they discovered into a bigger picture understanding.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Staci picks one group’s board to use as a model – for both the things they got right and mistakes that everyone can learn from.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So let’s talk about some patterns that you noticed here. Let’s look at this board work. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Who wants to start? Tell me about these two fractions.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Unidentified student:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> They’re multiplied by ten so they’re equivalent.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Good.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> When I asked Peter Liljedahl why consolidation matters, he said that meaning making is messy, but meaning made is neat.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In other words, when students are at the whiteboards they’re in the thick of figuring out how math works. That’s really valuable. But it’s also disorganized.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b> \u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consolidation\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> helps students organize the chaos.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, you want to see a common mistake? If this wasn’t here, and this was the fraction 5/20, I often see this: oh, it’s 5%. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Unidentified student: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Percent has “cent” in and cent means 100.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Ooh.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> After consolidation, and for homework, students do something called Check Your Understanding, or CYUs. Instead of everyone doing the same worksheet, students choose between easy, medium and extreme challenges. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s another way to differentiate their learning. And it develops student agency.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> All of these things we heard – students standing up at whiteboards, visibly random groups, thin slicing and consolidation – they’re totally different from how Staci Durnin used to teach.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So if I taught this lesson two years ago, it would have been me up at the front of the room, showing the kids how to set up the proportion. How do you change this fraction into a percent? Let’s get the denominator into 100. Now, with the thin slicing, they’ve discovered all of that, right? They discovered that ‘Oh the denominator has to be 100 because percent is out of 100.’ And ‘Oh this fraction is equivalent to this. So this must also equal the same percent.’ So it’s getting them to discover, then you consolidate and talk about the important pieces to the lesson. And then they practice on their own.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Not only has Staci’s teaching method changed, but the way her students are showing up has changed. In most math classes I remember taking, my classmates and I were just … silent.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Crickets sound effect\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Part of the engagement comes from being up out of their seats. Movement can help generate problem-solving ideas and improve memory consolidation. And kids just like it more.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What’s your favorite thing about this class? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Luke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The stand up activities you get to do every single day. Because I don’t like classrooms where all we do is sit down and look up at the board. I like classrooms where we’re involved in something and we get to do something. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Staci’s students also told me they really like working in small groups at the whiteboards.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, I think it helps me more, actually, because there’s other people who might explain it better for me and I can understand it better.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Hafsa: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Also you’re working with different people, so then they might have different methods that you didn’t already learn.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Working in small, random groups feeds students’ social needs, which we know is really important for the adolescent brain. But Kara, in season eight, we talked about the needs of introverted students. How does the thinking classrooms model work for them? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I talked to one student who said the noise at the whiteboards can be a lot. And depending on who’s in her group, sometimes she feels less comfortable sharing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lucia: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sometimes I don’t like working up at the boards because, like, it shows everybody what you’re doing. But like, you sometimes want to keep in your own answers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of her classmates had a different take, though. She said that asking a question in front of the whole class can be scary.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alexis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I like small groups because at the boards, because it’s not like, as, not really embarrassing, but kind of, like when you get something wrong and like, your other partners can help you.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Small, random groups can lower the social risk for making mistakes. That’s something that Staci’s co-teacher, Heather Hazen, noticed, too.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Hazen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So actually, when we started this the first few weeks of school, I said to Staci, like, this is so weird, but the kids are doing better.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Heather is a special education teacher. She’s in the classroom with Staci to help out with students who need extra support.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Hazen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And what I find for most of the kids – most, not all of them, but most of them – it gives them a chance to sit back and look, and in the small group, they ask questions to their peers more often than they would, I guess, in class.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Heather also said the thinking classrooms model allows different mathematical strengths to be seen.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Hazen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If we’re asking how many squares you see in this larger grid of squares, sometimes our struggling students are the ones that are doing best with that task. Or they may notice the pattern differently, or see it differently, or come up with another method that somebody else wasn’t thinking about. So they have chances to shine.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I visited Staci and Heather’s classroom in March. By then, students were very accustomed to random groups and working at the whiteboards. But learning those norms takes work at the start of the year. That’s done through what Peter Liljedahl calls \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">non-curricular highly engaging tasks.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> These are math problems and puzzles that are not linked to a learning objective. They can introduce a playful energy to the classroom.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Liljedahl:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And what that does is it makes math fun, and it makes math feel achievable and enjoyable. And it can be very disarming for students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In Peter’s research, when teachers tried to apply the thinking classrooms practices by starting with the regular curriculum…the students weren’t having it. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Liljedahl: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, students come into the, into a math classroom already sort of believing what math is and who they are in relation to mathematics. And then they enact those, those, those beliefs in the way they engage with a new teacher and new content.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Highly engaging non-curricular tasks essentially jolt students out of their expectations for math class.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Liljedahl: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s a great way to enculture them into a new way of being. They’ve re-constructed an identity for themselves. They have maybe re- rebuilt a relationship with mathematics. They might perceive that mathematics is different. They might perceive that you as a teacher is different, and that this is a safe space to, to engage in, in thought and collaboration. So we’ve just created sort of an aside – a safe space where students can be different and become different. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This investment ends up paying off for the rest of the year.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Liljedahl:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> When they’re not actively engaged in the learning in that way, everything is difficult. But when they are thinking anything is possible, like we’re tearing through Pythagoras in 55 minutes. Solving one- and two-step equations has never taken more than 45 minutes. Right. Factoring quadratics, which is a unit that can take anywhere from three to five days, we do it in 60 minutes.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For Staci Durnin, the evidence that thinking classrooms works is not how quickly her students get through the math, but that her students don’t want to stop.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A lot of times I hear kids say, that was two periods of math already? And you know, when I hear that, it just makes me so happy. So I know, you know, in the past, the double period, even for me, it’s like I have another period of this, you know, this is tough. Now I’m almost running out of time because, when the bell rings, they don’t want to leave the boards.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Nimah, I’ve never heard as many kids talking about the real substance of math as I did in just a few periods at Mineola Middle School. Not even when I was in the math club at my own middle school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s pretty remarkable. But you know what we DO hear a lot? Kids and grownups who say, “I’m not a math person.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The idea of people being inherently good or bad at math is often baked into the culture of school. But when I asked Staci’s students about their strengths in math, they answered easily.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alexis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, I’m good at, like, factor puzzles and, like, proportions and dividing fractions because I feel like I worked on those the most. So I’m really confident with those. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Thayla: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think I’m good at math ’cause, like, I can teach people like this certain strategy, or like, if they’re having trouble with with the question. But sometimes I do struggle with, like everybody else. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chloe: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I just, like, love problem solving. It’s just like if I really want to, like, do something, I’ll just like focus my mind on only that and then block out everything else I’m working on. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I checked in with Staci again as her school year wrapped up. She told me that her students this year showed a deeper understanding of grade six math than students did in her many years teaching with more traditional methods.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When math class focuses on getting students to think instead of mimic, their confidence and their problem solving skills grow.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And what that adds up to is a very bright future.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Big thanks to Staci Durnin and Heather Hazen at Mineola Middle School in New York. The students you heard in this episode were:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Roel, Jena, Nicole, Luke, Sami, Lucia, Alexis, Olivia, Hafsa, Thayla and Chloe.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Peter Liljedahl’s book is called \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thanks also to Amber McMellan and Julie Frizzell.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m Kara Newhouse.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And I’m Nimah Gobir.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The rest of the MindShift team includes Ki Sung, Marlena Jackson-Retondo and Jennifer Ng.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our editor is Chris Hambrick. Seth Samuel is our sound designer.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldaña , Maha Sanad and Holly Kernan.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> MindShift is supported in part by the generosity of the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation and members of KQED.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> If you love MindShift, and enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend. We really appreciate it. You can also read more or subscribe to our newsletter at K-Q-E-D-dot-org-slash-MindShift.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thanks for listening!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In many math classes, students are ready to bolt as soon as the bell rings. Not in \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/staci_durnin\">Staci Durnin\u003c/a>’s room. “A lot of times I hear kids say, ‘that was two periods of math already?’ And you know, when I hear that, it just makes me so happy,” said Durnin, who teaches sixth grade math at Mineola Middle School in New York. “Now I’m almost running out of time because, when the bell rings, they don’t want to leave the boards.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It wasn’t always that way. After 29 years of teaching, Durnin last year adopted a new instructional approach called “thinking classrooms.” The model was developed by \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfu.ca/education/faculty-profiles/pliljedahl.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Simon Fraser University professor\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and researcher \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/pgliljedahl\">Peter Liljedahl\u003c/a> and laid out in his book, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://us.corwin.com/books/building-thinking-classrooms-268862\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Liljedahl said that his work is “a reaction to an observed and documented reality that the majority of students spend the majority of their time in math classrooms not thinking.” What are they doing instead? Mimicking.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://ascd.org/el/articles/you-do-we-do-i-do-a-strategy-for-productive-struggle\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I do, we do, you do”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> approach is a common teaching strategy in math classrooms. In it, a teacher demonstrates how to solve a certain type of problem, the class practices as a whole, and students practice independently. But Liljedahl said, “There’s nothing about that environment that prepares students for all of a sudden me saying, ‘Well, here, let me show you this property. Now figure out what this is,’ because all of their habits are around mimicking. And this is a problem because if students are not thinking, they’re not learning.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The thinking classrooms model shakes up the norms of math class to create \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.edutopia.org/article/independent-critical-thinking-math/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a different culture\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> around problem-solving. It draws on 15 years of Liljedahl’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275953429_Building_Thinking_Classrooms_Conditions_for_Problem_Solving\">research\u003c/a> about how teaching practices affect different outcomes, such as, how quickly students start a math task, their eagerness to try a problem, how much they persist in a task, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">and other behaviors related to engagement\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The model involves students working in small, randomly chosen groups; solving problems standing up at whiteboards; building on small bits of knowledge as they go; and consolidating their discoveries as a class after working through problems. As teachers of all subjects have struggled to get students engaged in the years after pandemic shutdowns, many in math have turned to these routines as a solution.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For Durnin, it’s been transformative. “I’ve always looked forward to going to work, but even more so now because I know that there’s so much going on,” she said. “It’s just a lot of up out of the seats talking, collaborating. The kids are walking around the room, they’re working and they’re having fun.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Visibly random groups\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Education leaders often tout collaboration as a “21st century skill.” But in the daily reality of classrooms, group work doesn’t always go well. Liljedahl has \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Peter-Liljedahl/publication/275953522_The_Affordances_of_Using_Visibly_Random_Groups_in_a_Mathematics_Classroom/links/554abf040cf29752ee7c332b/The-Affordances-of-Using-Visibly-Random-Groups-in-a-Mathematics-Classroom.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">studied how to improve it\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, starting with a basic question: How are groups formed?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He describes two common approaches to creating student groups: teacher-assigned groups or student-selected groups. Teachers might prefer to choose groups based on academic or social goals, while students often like getting to work with their friends. It turns out, however, that neither approach is great for math engagement. Liljedahl found through interviews and surveys that regardless of who picks the groups, students go into their groups expecting to play a passive role. What works better for engagement are random groups, which break students’ expectations for how the group will act.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64546\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-64546\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc5-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sixth graders convert fractions and decimals into percents with support from teacher Heather Hazen at Mineola Middle School in New York on March 25, 2024. \u003ccite>(Kara Newhouse/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But there’s a catch – students have to witness the groups being randomly assigned. They’ve had too many years of experience trying to decipher the logic behind teacher-assigned groups. They need to see the random assignment to believe it. Liljedahl calls this approach “visibly random grouping.” He suggests creating visibly random groups by having students pull from a deck of playing cards, but teachers who follow this approach have created their own methods, too.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In Melissa, Texas, ninth–grade math teacher Amber McMellan chose UNO cards to serve the purpose. She fans out the cards, and students pick one as they enter her room. Desks are clustered in threes with a jumbo UNO card at each to signal where each group will sit. McMellan said that the first year she tried visibly random groups, she wasn’t consistent with it, and students pushed back. The second year, she made it a daily routine, and students got on board. “Now my kids don’t even think twice about getting a card from me on the way into my classroom,” she said. “If I’m not standing over by the entryway with the cards out, they’ll walk up to me and just stand waiting for me to put the cards out. It’s pretty awesome.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In Durnin’s classroom in New York, students pick groups via popsicle sticks with names written on them. According to Jena, one of Durnin’s students, at first it was disappointing not getting to team up with friends every day. “But now we know it’s a lot more helpful to be with other people,” she said. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Asked why it’s more helpful, Jena’s peers chimed in:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Becoming friends with other people,” said Suraj.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Probably you can communicate with others better,” said Sami.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Different ways to help you learn,” said Roel.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Maybe some people are better at the skill than you, so they can help you find strategies,” added Isabella.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Across more than a dozen of Durnin’s students in two different periods, a chorus emerged: The sixth graders liked working in random groups because they liked \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/62436/how-listening-to-students-stories-can-improve-math-class\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">learning about each other\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and helping each other learn.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s no surprise to Liljedahl. “In thinking classrooms one of the things that we started to see emerge very naturally was empathy appearing among students,” he said. “What we noticed was that real collaboration doesn’t actually begin until students care as much about their partners’ learning as their own learning. And when empathy is unlocked, so many things work better in a classroom.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Vertical whiteboards\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the thinking classrooms model, when students work in small groups, they don’t write in notebooks or on worksheets. Instead, they tackle math tasks on whiteboards or other \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ri1vNQBk6I\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">vertical learning\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> surfaces. This means they’re \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/58051/how-movement-and-gestures-can-improve-student-learning\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">up out of their seats\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> – another thing kids tend to like – and that their work is visible to each other and their teachers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64545\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-64545 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-800x640.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-1020x816.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-768x615.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-2048x1639.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc4-1920x1536.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students from two small groups discuss their problem solving strategies during math class at Mineola Middle School in New York on March 25, 2024. \u003ccite>(Kara Newhouse/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This also makes it easier to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/60104/how-to-structure-academic-math-conversations-to-support-english-learners\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">differentiate instruction\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. McMellan, the Texas teacher, said that while students are at the whiteboards, she moves around the room, listening to how students explain their problem-solving strategies and watching for students who are hanging back from their group. “That right there tells me that they’re not confident in what the group is doing,” she said. “So I’ll try to get in there and ask questions, and try to get them involved a little more like, you know, hey, why don’t you write while (the others are) talking?”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When groups are already connecting and collaborating, it’s powerful. “They get excited when they figure stuff out, and they literally celebrate,” McMellan said. “I’m more energized as a teacher because they’re energized.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Thin slicing\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Last March, Durnin started class with a quick launch question: “You have 75% battery life on your phone or your iPad, and somebody else has one half of their battery life left. Who has more battery life? And how do you know?”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students scribbled individually on their erasable table tops. After a few minutes discussing the solution as a whole class, they split into their random groups.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This was their first time working with percentages in math class, but there was no big lecture at the start. Liljedahl recommends that teachers only pre-teach a topic for three to five minutes, max. In his research, he found that students do a lot more thinking when they get started on math problems quickly. When students start the lesson in a passive mode, it’s hard to switch into a more active mental state.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64542\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-64542\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-800x1040.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"325\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-800x1040.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-1020x1326.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-160x208.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-768x998.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-1181x1536.jpg 1181w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-1575x2048.jpg 1575w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-1920x2496.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc1-scaled.jpg 1969w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sixth grader Tyler converts fractions and decimals into percents at Mineola Middle School in New York on March 25, 2024. \u003ccite>(Kara Newhouse/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In Durnin’s class, each group copied a table with three columns onto the whiteboard. They needed to convert fractions and decimals into percentages, and vice versa. Some rows in the chart were already filled out, giving them examples. They worked row-by-row, with one student using the marker to write their peers’ ideas before switching roles. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The task was what Liljedahl calls a “thin slicing” task. Thin slicing is when students move through a series of problems that get slightly harder each time. Students start with something they know how to do, and the next problem has a very small variation. Instead of getting all the information up front, students \u003ca href=\"https://www.hmhco.com/blog/just-in-time-vs-just-in-case-scaffolding-how-to-foster-productive-perseverance\">build their knowledge as they go\u003c/a>.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Using the rows that were already completed as guides, students noticed patterns – like how changing a fraction’s denominator can help with conversions. “Now I understand that any number – if you turn the denominator into 100, it’s easy to get a percent,” said Jena as her group finished their chart. “Because then it’s just the top number basically. It’s out of 100.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Consolidation\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/61581/how-a-debate-over-the-science-of-math-could-reignite-the-math-wars\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">math wars\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> possibly \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/61712/do-math-drills-help-children-learn\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">making a resurgence\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, some educators who favor explicit instruction have \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://educationhq.com/news/dont-buy-into-building-thinking-classrooms-in-maths-its-a-fad-school-leader-166705/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">criticized\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> the thinking classrooms model as new packaging on old ideas of inquiry-based learning. But while the practices may \u003ca href=\"https://bhcommunitywatch.com/2022/11/01/thinking-classroom-or-sinking-classroom/\">not always be \u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">implemented with fidelity\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, explicit instruction does play a role in a thinking classroom.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64544\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-64544 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc3-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Math teacher Staci Durnin discusses one group’s problem solving strategies during the “consolidation” portion of class at Mineola Middle School in New York on March 25, 2024. \u003ccite>(Kara Newhouse/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While students work at the boards, Durnin and her co-teacher — Heather Hazen, a special education teacher — visited the groups. They asked questions and gave students vocabulary or other information to extend their learning.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Then the whole class gathered together for what’s called “consolidation.” This is when Durnin helps everyone bring together the pieces of what they discovered into a bigger picture understanding. Durnin picked one group’s board to use as a model and highlighted the things they got right and mistakes that everyone could learn from. Instead of front loading concepts and vocabulary, she used this conversation to connect the key ideas to what students had discovered themselves.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64543\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-64543\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/btc2-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">One group’s board work after being marked up by teacher Staci Durnin during the “consolidation” portion of class at Mineola Middle School in New York on March 25, 2024. \u003ccite>(Kara Newhouse/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Liljedahl said consolidation matters because “meaning making is messy,” but “meaning made can be really neat.” In other words, when students are at the whiteboards they’re in the thick of figuring out how math works. That’s really valuable. But it’s also disorganized. Consolidation helps students organize and formalize the chaos.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After consolidation, or for homework, students do something called “check your understanding” – individual practice with options to choose between difficulty levels of “mild,” “medium” or “spicy.” Liljedahl’s book also includes recommendations for how to approach assessments and grading in a thinking classrooms.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Resetting the culture\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In Liljedahl’s research, when teachers tried to apply the thinking classrooms routines by starting with the regular curriculum, students resisted. Even if students don’t like math class, they have certain expectations for it. Liljedahl found that it helps to learn the new norms through what he calls non-curricular highly engaging tasks. These are math problems and puzzles that are not linked to a learning objective. They can introduce a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63556/high-school-math-can-be-playful-too\">playful energy\u003c/a> to the classroom.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“What that does is it makes math fun, and it makes math feel achievable and enjoyable. And it can be very disarming for students,” Liljedahl said. He recommends that teachers spend three to five lessons on non-curricular highly engaging tasks at the start of the year to prime students’ brains for active learning. Durnin said she also found them useful coming back from holiday breaks.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It’s a great way to enculture [students] into a new way of being,” Liljedahl said. “They might perceive that mathematics is different. They might perceive that you as a teacher is different, and that this is a safe space to engage in thought and collaboration. So we’ve just created sort of an aside — a safe space where students can be different and become different.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the usual culture of math class, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/62436/how-listening-to-students-stories-can-improve-math-class\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">where hierarchy is pervasive\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, it’s common to hear kids say they’re “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/54389/3-ways-to-shape-math-into-a-positive-experience\">not a math person\u003c/a>.” But seven months into their thinking classrooms experience, Durnin’s students had no problem identifying their strengths in math. Here’s what a few of them said:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m good at factor puzzles and proportions and dividing fractions because I feel like I worked on those the most. So I’m really confident with those.” – Alexis\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I think I’m good at math ’cause I can teach people like this certain strategy, or if they’re having trouble with the question. But sometimes I do struggle, like everybody else.” – Thayla\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I just love problem solving. If I really want to do something, I’ll just focus my mind on only that and then block out everything else I’m working on.” – Chloe\u003c/span>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As the school year wrapped up in June, Durnin said that her classes showed a deeper understanding of sixth grade math than students did in her many years teaching with more traditional methods.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Durnin also said it took a lot of work to for her to adapt her lesson plans but that the change in student engagement was worth it. Along the way, she sought help from a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/groups/buildingthinkingclassrooms\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Facebook group\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> where educators ask questions and share stories about thinking classroom practices every day. The group has over 66,000 members.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I don’t think this is one of those teacher trends or a fad,” said McMellan, the Texas teacher. “It’s just good practices. And I think that’s what we’re all trying to find.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC8519622712\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">: What does percent mean?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Welcome to MindShift, where we explore the future of learning and how we raise our kids. I’m Kara Newhouse.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And I’m Nimah Gobir.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It would be an understatement to say that teachers have a lot on their plates right now.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> From book bans to chronic absenteeism to phone distractions, the list of challenges is long. And a lot of teachers are feeling the burnout.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Which is why I was surprised when I started hearing a different refrain from math teachers. They were telling me that they’re more excited to go to work than ever – because their students are more excited than ever.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s just a lot of up out of the seats talking, collaborating. The kids are walking around the room, they’re working and they’re having fun. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Amber McMellan:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And it’s really powerful to, to, to be able to walk around and, and just hear the conversations that the students have. It’s it it’s like food for the teacher heart, you know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">These teachers are talking about a new approach to math called “thinking classrooms.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In this model, students work standing up at whiteboards in different small groups every day.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s centered around a core idea: getting kids to \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">think\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> instead of \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">mimic\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in math class.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Liljedahl: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What teaching math so often has become is let me show you how to do it, and then you do it. Right. It’s sort of this ‘I do, we do, you do.’ And you’re going to learn to mimic these sorts of routines and practices.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s Peter Liljedahl, the researcher who created the thinking classrooms model. Peter says that problem solving is “what we do when we don’t know what to do.” And we don’t usually let kids hang out in that space.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Liljedahl: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s been an agenda around teaching math through problem solving and teaching problem solving for 35 years now. But in order to do that, to really embrace that, to, if we really want to have students learning through problem solving, then they have to get stuck, and they have to think, and they have to get unstuck. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Peter’s book, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, was published in 2020. It couldn’t have come at a better time. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Getting kids excited about math has never been easy. And COVID didn’t help. Even now, a few years after distance learning, teachers of all subjects are struggling to get students engaged.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So what makes thinking classrooms different? In this episode, we’ll visit a Long Island school where you’ll hear some of the key practices in action. And we’ll examine how these practices get kids thinking instead of mimicking in math. That’s all after the break. Stay with us.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">OK. If you could take out a marker.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is Staci Durnin’s grade six math classroom at Mineola Middle School in New York. Today students are learning about percentages. They start with a question that puts percentages in a familiar context.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Okay, so you have 75% battery life on your phone or your iPad, and somebody else has one half of their battery life left. Who has more battery life? And how do you know? Can you show the work on your tabletop?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Staci and her co-teacher read \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Building Thinking Classrooms \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">over the summer. They decided to try out the practices from the book in the new school year.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Luke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Um, half of 100 is 50, making 75% more.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Why did you choose to use this percent?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Luke:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, because, for your phone, the max percent is 100%.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So half of 100% is 50%? And clearly, this is greater than this. Good. Anybody want to explain it differently? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This opening problem only takes a few minutes. There’s no big lecture. Instead, students are going to try working with percentages right away. In his research, Peter Liljedahl has found that students do a lot more thinking when they get started on math problems quickly.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s because when students start the lesson in a passive mode, it’s very hard to switch into a more active mental state.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Peter recommends that teachers only pre-teach a topic for three to five minutes, max. Then students work on math problems standing up at whiteboards, in groups of 3. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All right. So we’re going to hear our groups right now. Go find your board space and get working.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In Staci Durnin’s classroom, groups are selected using popsicle sticks with students’ names written on them. A student draws the names.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Unidentified student:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jack. Vanessa. Nick. … \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Unidentified student:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Luke, Aleena and Akira.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This way of picking groups is called \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">visibly random groups\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. It’s one of the key practices of thinking classrooms.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Kara, let’s break that phrase down. Random groups means that students don’t pick their best friends to work with. It also means teachers don’t group students based on perceived ability.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In Peter’s research, he found that when teachers pick the groups or allow students to choose who to work with, the majority of students go into the groups expecting to play a certain role. And that role is usually passive.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But when groups are randomly assigned and change every day, students don’t get locked into roles. Different perspectives get shared, and more students offer their ideas for problem solving.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As for the “visibly” part of visibly random groups – that means that students actually \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">see\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> the groups being selected. It turns out that unless it happens in front of them, students don’t believe the groups are truly random.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Hazen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All right, everyone hear their groups? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Unidentified student: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I got the marker. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Get some calculators. One marker per group. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In their groups, the students copy a chart with 3 columns onto the whiteboards. They’re working to convert fractions and decimals into percentages, and vice versa.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, first, it’s 30 over 100.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Roel:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> 30.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Because it’s a percent.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Roel:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> 100.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And then you do — \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nicole: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Three over —\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Equals, there should be —\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Roel: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Three tenths?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nicole:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Three tenths.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, three tenths.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Remember, this is the first time these students are seeing percentages in math class. The way they’re learning is what Peter Liljedahl calls “thin slicing.” Thin slicing is when students move through a series of problems that get slightly harder each time.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So they start with something they know how to do, and the next problem has a very small variation. Instead of getting all the information up front, students build their knowledge as they go.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Here’s one student, Roel, explaining how his group converted a fraction into a percentage.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Roel: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So it’s 6/8, right? That’s six quarters out of eight quarters. That means it’s actually like at 100%, but it’s just a different type of fraction which can get you there. And if you do six divided by eight, which it will get, it will get, it will give you 75%.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You can hear that he’s starting to make sense of the different types of conversions, even if he doesn’t have all the vocabulary nailed down yet.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Roel: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So now this is your basic ratio.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Thin slicing allows students to notice patterns and make meaning from math instead of memorizing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And by working in small groups, students can easily share what they’re noticing to help each other learn.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When I spoke with Jena – who was in the same group as Roel – she felt she had a good grasp on the lesson.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Had you learned anything about percents before today? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Roel: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well yeah —\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like I got a gist, but now I really understand it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What do you understand now that you didn’t before? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, now I understand that, like any number, if you turn the, uh, the denominator into 100, it’s easy to get a percent. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Why does that help? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because it, because then it’s just the top number basically. It’s out of 100. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students are encouraged to share ideas between groups. That’s easy to do because their work is visible on the whiteboards.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Seeing the whiteboards also helps the teacher. Peter Liljedahl points out that when students are working in notebooks at their desks, it’s pretty hard to see their thinking.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Liljedahl: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But if all of a sudden all the groups are vertical working on whiteboards, me as a teacher, standing in the middle of the room, I can see exactly where I need to be. And so it’s easier for me to differentiate now, because I can see that that group needs an extension, and that group needs a hint, and that those two groups actually just need to talk to each other, because one group has the knowledge and the other group needs it. And so differentiation becomes easier because everything is made visible.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now, just because students are immersed in problem solving in a thinking classroom, it doesn’t mean there’s no teacher talk.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While students work at the boards, Staci Durnin and her co-teacher visit the groups. They ask questions and give students vocabulary or other information to extend their learning.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Hazen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So what was that divisible by?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Then, after board work, the whole class gathers together for what’s called \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">consolidation\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Why is this an easy way to get to a hundred? I like your thinking. Go ahead, finish it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is when Staci helps everyone bring together the pieces of what they discovered into a bigger picture understanding.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Staci picks one group’s board to use as a model – for both the things they got right and mistakes that everyone can learn from.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So let’s talk about some patterns that you noticed here. Let’s look at this board work. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Who wants to start? Tell me about these two fractions.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Unidentified student:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> They’re multiplied by ten so they’re equivalent.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Good.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> When I asked Peter Liljedahl why consolidation matters, he said that meaning making is messy, but meaning made is neat.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In other words, when students are at the whiteboards they’re in the thick of figuring out how math works. That’s really valuable. But it’s also disorganized.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b> \u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consolidation\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> helps students organize the chaos.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, you want to see a common mistake? If this wasn’t here, and this was the fraction 5/20, I often see this: oh, it’s 5%. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Unidentified student: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Percent has “cent” in and cent means 100.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Ooh.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> After consolidation, and for homework, students do something called Check Your Understanding, or CYUs. Instead of everyone doing the same worksheet, students choose between easy, medium and extreme challenges. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s another way to differentiate their learning. And it develops student agency.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> All of these things we heard – students standing up at whiteboards, visibly random groups, thin slicing and consolidation – they’re totally different from how Staci Durnin used to teach.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So if I taught this lesson two years ago, it would have been me up at the front of the room, showing the kids how to set up the proportion. How do you change this fraction into a percent? Let’s get the denominator into 100. Now, with the thin slicing, they’ve discovered all of that, right? They discovered that ‘Oh the denominator has to be 100 because percent is out of 100.’ And ‘Oh this fraction is equivalent to this. So this must also equal the same percent.’ So it’s getting them to discover, then you consolidate and talk about the important pieces to the lesson. And then they practice on their own.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Not only has Staci’s teaching method changed, but the way her students are showing up has changed. In most math classes I remember taking, my classmates and I were just … silent.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Crickets sound effect\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Part of the engagement comes from being up out of their seats. Movement can help generate problem-solving ideas and improve memory consolidation. And kids just like it more.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What’s your favorite thing about this class? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Luke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The stand up activities you get to do every single day. Because I don’t like classrooms where all we do is sit down and look up at the board. I like classrooms where we’re involved in something and we get to do something. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Staci’s students also told me they really like working in small groups at the whiteboards.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, I think it helps me more, actually, because there’s other people who might explain it better for me and I can understand it better.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Hafsa: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Also you’re working with different people, so then they might have different methods that you didn’t already learn.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Working in small, random groups feeds students’ social needs, which we know is really important for the adolescent brain. But Kara, in season eight, we talked about the needs of introverted students. How does the thinking classrooms model work for them? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I talked to one student who said the noise at the whiteboards can be a lot. And depending on who’s in her group, sometimes she feels less comfortable sharing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lucia: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sometimes I don’t like working up at the boards because, like, it shows everybody what you’re doing. But like, you sometimes want to keep in your own answers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of her classmates had a different take, though. She said that asking a question in front of the whole class can be scary.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alexis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I like small groups because at the boards, because it’s not like, as, not really embarrassing, but kind of, like when you get something wrong and like, your other partners can help you.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Small, random groups can lower the social risk for making mistakes. That’s something that Staci’s co-teacher, Heather Hazen, noticed, too.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Hazen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So actually, when we started this the first few weeks of school, I said to Staci, like, this is so weird, but the kids are doing better.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Heather is a special education teacher. She’s in the classroom with Staci to help out with students who need extra support.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Hazen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And what I find for most of the kids – most, not all of them, but most of them – it gives them a chance to sit back and look, and in the small group, they ask questions to their peers more often than they would, I guess, in class.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Heather also said the thinking classrooms model allows different mathematical strengths to be seen.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Heather Hazen: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If we’re asking how many squares you see in this larger grid of squares, sometimes our struggling students are the ones that are doing best with that task. Or they may notice the pattern differently, or see it differently, or come up with another method that somebody else wasn’t thinking about. So they have chances to shine.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I visited Staci and Heather’s classroom in March. By then, students were very accustomed to random groups and working at the whiteboards. But learning those norms takes work at the start of the year. That’s done through what Peter Liljedahl calls \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">non-curricular highly engaging tasks.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> These are math problems and puzzles that are not linked to a learning objective. They can introduce a playful energy to the classroom.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Liljedahl:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And what that does is it makes math fun, and it makes math feel achievable and enjoyable. And it can be very disarming for students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In Peter’s research, when teachers tried to apply the thinking classrooms practices by starting with the regular curriculum…the students weren’t having it. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Liljedahl: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, students come into the, into a math classroom already sort of believing what math is and who they are in relation to mathematics. And then they enact those, those, those beliefs in the way they engage with a new teacher and new content.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Highly engaging non-curricular tasks essentially jolt students out of their expectations for math class.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Liljedahl: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s a great way to enculture them into a new way of being. They’ve re-constructed an identity for themselves. They have maybe re- rebuilt a relationship with mathematics. They might perceive that mathematics is different. They might perceive that you as a teacher is different, and that this is a safe space to, to engage in, in thought and collaboration. So we’ve just created sort of an aside – a safe space where students can be different and become different. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This investment ends up paying off for the rest of the year.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Liljedahl:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> When they’re not actively engaged in the learning in that way, everything is difficult. But when they are thinking anything is possible, like we’re tearing through Pythagoras in 55 minutes. Solving one- and two-step equations has never taken more than 45 minutes. Right. Factoring quadratics, which is a unit that can take anywhere from three to five days, we do it in 60 minutes.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For Staci Durnin, the evidence that thinking classrooms works is not how quickly her students get through the math, but that her students don’t want to stop.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Staci Durnin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A lot of times I hear kids say, that was two periods of math already? And you know, when I hear that, it just makes me so happy. So I know, you know, in the past, the double period, even for me, it’s like I have another period of this, you know, this is tough. Now I’m almost running out of time because, when the bell rings, they don’t want to leave the boards.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Nimah, I’ve never heard as many kids talking about the real substance of math as I did in just a few periods at Mineola Middle School. Not even when I was in the math club at my own middle school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s pretty remarkable. But you know what we DO hear a lot? Kids and grownups who say, “I’m not a math person.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The idea of people being inherently good or bad at math is often baked into the culture of school. But when I asked Staci’s students about their strengths in math, they answered easily.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alexis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, I’m good at, like, factor puzzles and, like, proportions and dividing fractions because I feel like I worked on those the most. So I’m really confident with those. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Thayla: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think I’m good at math ’cause, like, I can teach people like this certain strategy, or like, if they’re having trouble with with the question. But sometimes I do struggle with, like everybody else. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chloe: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I just, like, love problem solving. It’s just like if I really want to, like, do something, I’ll just like focus my mind on only that and then block out everything else I’m working on. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Music\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I checked in with Staci again as her school year wrapped up. She told me that her students this year showed a deeper understanding of grade six math than students did in her many years teaching with more traditional methods.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When math class focuses on getting students to think instead of mimic, their confidence and their problem solving skills grow.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And what that adds up to is a very bright future.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Big thanks to Staci Durnin and Heather Hazen at Mineola Middle School in New York. The students you heard in this episode were:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Roel, Jena, Nicole, Luke, Sami, Lucia, Alexis, Olivia, Hafsa, Thayla and Chloe.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Peter Liljedahl’s book is called \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thanks also to Amber McMellan and Julie Frizzell.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m Kara Newhouse.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And I’m Nimah Gobir.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The rest of the MindShift team includes Ki Sung, Marlena Jackson-Retondo and Jennifer Ng.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our editor is Chris Hambrick. Seth Samuel is our sound designer.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldaña , Maha Sanad and Holly Kernan.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> MindShift is supported in part by the generosity of the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation and members of KQED.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kara Newhouse:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> If you love MindShift, and enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend. We really appreciate it. You can also read more or subscribe to our newsletter at K-Q-E-D-dot-org-slash-MindShift.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thanks for listening!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>"
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"slug": "5-ways-the-black-panthers-shaped-u-s-schools",
"title": "5 Ways the Black Panthers Shaped U.S. Schools",
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"headTitle": "5 Ways the Black Panthers Shaped U.S. Schools | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.angelaleblancernest.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Angela LeBlanc-Ernest\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> first learned about the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in college in the 1980s, she realized there was a lot of history missing from the textbooks she used as a K12 student. A documentarian and historian, LeBlanc-Ernest went on to author chapters about women in the Black Panther Party in \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.angelaleblancernest.com/book-chapters\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">two books\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some 40 years later, she said \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11944699/its-uplifting-all-of-us-oakland-high-school-students-experience-lessons-in-black-history-beyond-the-classroom\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">textbooks still\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> commonly \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-often-misunderstood-legacy-of-the-black-panther-party\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">misrepresent\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or downplay the Panthers’ significance.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-panthers\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Founded in 1966\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in Oakland, California, the Black Panther Party was created to patrol African American neighborhoods and protect residents from police brutality. While it’s often remembered for its militancy, the party’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Panther-Ten-Point-Program\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ten-Point Program\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> advocated for broader social reforms, including \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/black-panther-party-challenging-police-and-promoting-social-change\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">prison reform, voter registration drives and health clinics\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Learning about the Ten-Point Program, especially point five, which demanded education that teaches people their true history, was eye-opening, said LeBlanc-Ernest. “I became curious about the Black Panther Party, which was a grassroots organization of young people primarily, who decided it was time to create a community based alternative to the poor educational experiences that they had.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Black Panthers’ innovative approaches to education and community support have had a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13940221/black-panthers-oakland-community-school-50th-anniversary\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">lasting influence on U.S. schools\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Their initiatives included creating one of the first community schools, offering successful food programs, using \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51580/four-inquiry-qualities-at-the-heart-of-student-centered-teaching\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">student-centered learning\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63506/young-children-need-help-identifying-emotions-little-safe-place-boxes-give-them-tools\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">mindfulness practices\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and promoting \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/58898/retaining-and-sustaining-black-teachers\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">diversity in education\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Here are five ways the Black Panthers shaped the educational landscape.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>1. They are credited with creating a first-of-its-kind school\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">From her hometown in Washington, D.C., to Lincoln, Pennsylvania, where she tutored young students and attended college, Ericka Huggins witnessed Black children’s struggles firsthand. “They couldn’t read by fifth grade, and it wasn’t their fault. We blame people for their poverty. We blame them for their lack of education,” she said. “I just wanted a better life for them.” Following this desire, Huggins and her husband drove across the country and joined the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in 1968. “I knew there had to be some way for me to connect with people who felt the same way,” Huggins said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64474\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-64474\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1697\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-2048x1358.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-1920x1273.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Community School Childcare Program van. \u003ccite>(Photo copyright Donald Cunningham/Photo and caption courtesy The OCS Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the 1960s and 1970s, Black children faced harsher discipline, were discouraged from asking questions, and attended under-resourced schools. “It was \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/62934/bettina-love-examines-the-impact-of-education-policies-on-black-students-and-what-we-can-do-next\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">structural\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">,” said Huggins. She described the public school system at that time as “old and broken.” In 1971, the Panthers opened the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://ocsproject.wixsite.com/website/political-education-class-studies-a\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Samuel L. Napier Intercommunal Youth Institute\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for party members’ children ages 5 to 12 in East Oakland, converting a church into a school by day and a community center by night. This initiative attracted other parents who wanted their children to attend, leading to the establishment of the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ktvu.com/news/educate-to-liberate-oakland-community-school-led-to-success-by-black-panthers\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oakland Community School in 1973\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, with Huggins as its director. It started with 50 students and focused on caring for the whole child beyond academics. They provided transportation, food and clothing for students and families in need.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Oakland Community School is regarded as one of the nation’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.communityschoolsrevolution.org/we-are-ones-weve-been-waiting-oakland-s-full-service-community-school-district\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">first community schools – a model\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in which public schools partner with community organizations to provide comprehensive support services alongside traditional academic instruction. Many of Oakland Community School’s practices formed the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2023/08/07/oaklands-pioneering-educational-model-has-black-panthers-to-thank/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">blueprint for community schools today\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>2. They established one of the most successful food programs\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many people are familiar with today’s free and reduced lunch options for students from low-income, but there was a time when free school meals were not common. “Children were expected to go to school and learn without any food,” Huggins said. This wasn’t due to parental neglect, she added. Many parents worked multiple jobs to make ends meet.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64478\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-64478\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1697\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-2048x1358.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-1920x1273.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Community School students eating in the school cafeteria, July 1981. \u003ccite>(Photo copyright Donald Cunningham/Photo and caption courtesy The OCS Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the most significant contributions of the Black Panther Party was its \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/news/free-school-breakfast-black-panther-party\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">free breakfast program\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13950520/ruth-beckford-dance-black-panthers-free-breakfast-program\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Launched in 1969\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, this program provided thousands of underprivileged children with free meals before school. When the Oakland Community School opened, it extended this support by feeding students and staff three meals a day at no additional cost to families.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Although the USDA had \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.fns.usda.gov/sbp/factsheet\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">piloted free breakfast efforts starting in the mid-1960s\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the program only gained traction in the early 1970s — right around the time the Black Panthers’ programs were dismantled. In 1975, the School Breakfast Program was permanently authorized. Today, it helps feed over 14.57 million children before school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>3. They used restorative practices and alternatives to discipline\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Teachers at the Oakland Community School integrated \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/57002/how-mindfulness-during-class-can-help-students-and-teachers\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">mindfulness practices into the school day\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Students \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/48371/the-role-of-yoga-in-healing-trauma\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">practiced yoga\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and were encouraged to do yoga poses if they \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/59777/want-more-meaningful-classroom-management-here-are-8-questions-teachers-can-ask-themselves\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">misbehaved in class\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. “We didn’t believe in sitting anybody in a corner or in a dungeon or in a basement or \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/58817/how-changing-schools-culture-of-discipline-paves-the-way-for-inclusivity\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">ostracizing them from class\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and making them sit alone,” Huggins said. “We believed that you just need to recalibrate.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64475\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-64475\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1697\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-2048x1358.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-1920x1273.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Community School students stretching during physical education on the playground.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For instance, a student might be asked to do a tree pose — standing on one leg with arms extended — if they were unfocused. Difficulty with the pose indicated a need for better concentration. “We reached a point where students would say, ‘I’m not feeling focused. Can I go get myself together and come back?’” Huggins recalled. After lunch, students of all ages \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/55444/what-students-gain-by-teaching-their-peers-how-to-meditate\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">meditated\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for 3 to 4 minutes. Huggins said that former students often remember these \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/56849/look-inward-to-make-external-change-advice-from-a-meditation-teacher\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">meditation sessions\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> fondly, even decades later.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Educate to Liberate: A Black Panther Photographic Time Capsule Unveiled\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/m9Bf_hv7Il4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>4. Their motto was “the world is a child’s classroom”\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oakland Community School did not use traditional grade levels. Instead, children worked in groups based on their \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/52866/why-competency-based-education-is-exciting-and-where-it-may-stumble\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">abilities in different subjects\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, according to LeBlanc-Ernest. The school operated on the belief that “the world is a child’s classroom,” focusing on teaching students \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63681/how-do-you-counter-misinformation-critical-thinking-is-step-one\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">how to think rather than what to think\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, she said. “They learned traditional academic information that was expanded and broadened because of the interests and the intentions of the staff.” Students engaged with the community through field trips to music performances and museum exhibits.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64473\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-64473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1697\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-2048x1358.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-1920x1273.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ericka Huggins and Rosa Parks during Parks’ visit to Oakland Community School on May 2, 1980. \u003ccite>(Photo copyright Donald Cunningham/Photo and caption courtesy The OCS Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The curriculum went beyond \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51857/lies-my-teacher-told-me-and-how-american-history-can-be-used-as-a-weapon\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">U.S. History\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to include international topics. For example, students learned the capitals of every African country — a practice that was groundbreaking at the time. The curriculum emphasized the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/57137/how-historically-responsive-literacy-can-make-learning-more-relevant-to-students\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">brilliance of students’ own cultures\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and others. “We wanted them to know about history. We wanted them to know about themselves as people coming from great ancestry no matter their race or ethnicity,” said Huggins.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>5. The students and teachers at their school celebrated diversity\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Huggins described those who worked at Oakland Community School as a “rainbow staff” that included teachers who left public schools to work at the so-called Panther School.LeBlanc-Ernest noted that the staff was diverse, with equal numbers of men and women. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64477\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-64477\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1697\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-2048x1358.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-1920x1273.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Oakland Community School, late 1970s. \u003ccite>(Photo copyright Donald Cunningham/Photo and caption courtesy The OCS Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students came from various Bay Area cities, and while the majority were Black, the school also included White Asian, and Latino students. “We didn’t ever turn away a student because they were not Black,” Huggins said. Many are surprised by this diversity, she noted. “I said, ‘Why are you shocked? We were the Black Panther Party’ and they have to think about what they’ve been told.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The school closed in 1982 after operating for 10 years, around the same time the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/black-panther-party-huey-newton-race-and-ethnicity-d3cafbc0f7c0f83103f8a5ffaa66faff\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">officially dissolved in part due to government surveillance and attacks\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. “The principles, mottos and schedule of this school could be replicated today if someone chose to take it on,” Huggins said. With \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cta.org/our-advocacy/issues/community-schools#:~:text=Community%20schools%20provide%20not%20only,this%20number%20continues%20to%20grow.\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">thousands of community schools\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in the United States, some may draw on the legacy of the Oakland Community School, even if indirectly, to address the needs of students and families. “It wasn’t easy. I want everybody to understand that,” said Huggins. “ The reward was in the faces of those parents and grandparents and aunties and uncles, the faces of the staff and most importantly, the lives of the children.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2017, LeBlanc-Ernest started and directed \u003ca href=\"https://www.theocsproject.org/about\">The OCS Project \u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">where she preserves and shares the history of the school through recorded conversations with former party members and digital media. She has interviewed former students who have become teachers, changemakers, and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11873838/how-some-elders-are-working-to-preserve-the-legacy-of-the-black-panther-party-in-oakland\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">culture bearers in the Bay Area\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and beyond. “[The Black Panthers] created a foundation for the students, for the parents, for the educators, who then took that with them into the different spaces that they moved into,” LeBlanc-Ernest said. “And I think that’s a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10868172/preserving-the-history-of-the-black-panthers-close-to-home\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">lasting legacy\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.”\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC5911938534\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Welcome to MindShift, where we explore the future of learning and how we raise our kids. I’m Nimah Gobir. The 1960s was a decade of social and cultural change. There was the civil rights movement…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Martin Luther King, Jr. We will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood].\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Women’s liberation…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[May Craig question to John F. Kennedy (clip): …for equal rights for women, including equal pay…]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Vietnam war…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[President Nixon Vietnam speech (clip): There were some who urged that I end the war at once… this would have been a popular and easy course to follow…]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> A moon landing \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Neil Armstrong (clip): …one giant leap for mankind]. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> It was a time when the very fabric of society was being questioned, and people were having big ideas about how people think and how people are taught. It was also when the black power movement was getting traction.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Malcolm X (clip): We are oppressed. We are exploited. We are downtrodden. We are denied not only civil rights but even human rights]. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The emphasis wasn’t on being free or access to white spaces, it was about empowerment and self-sufficiency even as widely accepted racist practices were trying to keep Black people down. It was during this era, in1966 that the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense started in Oakland. They believed in Black nationalism, socialism, and armed self-defense against police brutality. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> The first thing that drew me to the Black Panther Party that I always remember about it, it said the Black Panther Party for Self-defense and Self-defense, people get their hackles up about that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> This is Ericka Huggins. She joined the Black Panther Party in 1968. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> People think that self-defense is physical. It can be and needs to be when necessary. However, this was about supporting people who live poor and/or oppressed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We said you cannot continue to kill us. You can’t break down our doors to our homes and shoot at us. You cannot arrest us, wrongly incarcerate us and beat and murder us while we are incarcerated. You cannot deprive us of food, housing, clothing and peace. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Some of the more popular images of the Black Panthers are photos of armed men in berets looking out from behind these dark sunglasses. Or women – like Ericka – with afros waving flags and raising their fists. Even the United States FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover saw the Panther’s stance on protecting and empowering themselves as dangerous.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> J. Edgar Hoover said the Black Panther Party is the greatest threat to the internal security of the United States. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The Black Panthers had a reputation as a militant group but they did way more than challenge the police and protest against racist policies.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> If you look up pictures of the Panthers– yes you’ll see guns and berets, but there are other images too. And the one that sticks with me is this photo of a Black Panther Party member putting down plates of food in front of young children. It’s a photo of their free breakfast program\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> Children were expected to go to school and learn without any food. We knew because we were those children. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> They had a founding charter which included a 10 point platform. I won’t go into all of the points but it basically said that our people – Black people– need to be able to eat, find work and feel safe. This episode we’ll talk about point 5, a focus on a fulfilling and effective education system \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Bobby Seale Speech at Oakland Auditorium (clip): We want decent education for our Black people in our community that teaches us the true nature of this decadent racist society and to teach Black people and our young Black brothers and sisters their place in this society because if they don’t know their place in society and in the world, they can’t relate to anything else].\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> Education was always important in the party. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Angela LeBlanc-Ernest is a documentarian and community archivist from Texas. She has studied and written books about the Panthers pursuit of education.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> Whether it be the study sessions they had reading the different books by revolutionaries – political education classes is what they would call them – that were required, or whether it was party members tutoring kids in the local community.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> She told me the idea to create a school came about when party members saw how their own kids were mistreated in mainstream schools \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> You had to start envisioning what society needed to look like for your child if they survived. Right? There is a sense so many of them didn’t think they would survive\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Party members started to conceive of a community-based alternative to the poor educational experiences they had as children. They were often disciplined harder and discouraged from asking questions. Their schools lacked supplies and books, and the curriculum rarely included stories of people who looked like them.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> So in response to this they opened the Intercommunal Youth Institute in east Oakland in 1971\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> It was an old church that they converted into a school and so it was a small space. They decided that they wanted to start with the number they had, which was 50 students. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Gradually, other people noticed that the students and families were being treated well at this scrappy little home school where they used mindfulness practices and restorative justice. Students were engaged, respected, and learning in an environment that valued their heritage and experiences.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> When the community approached the Black Panther Party, when it was just the insular home school to say, “Hey, can you make this available to the community, to children in the community?” That was a prompt for them to think more broadly.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> As new people joined from outside of the party, they began outgrowing the space and so they had to look for something more permanent. They changed the name to Oakland Community School and Black Panther Party member Ericka Huggins became the director. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We opened the Oakland Community School in the school year of 1973-74.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Students were ages 5 -12, so it was basically an elementary school, but there were no grades. They were grouped according to their academic abilities. They also had childcare for kids who were younger than five.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Many of the students came from the Oakland area but some were coming from the greater bay area too.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We had more than party members on staff. Not only did the people take their children out of public school, the public school teachers left, too, to work at… as it used to be, nicknamed the Panther School. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/strong>This school is special for a lot of reasons, but one of the big reasons is that it was one of the earliest versions of community schools in the country. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> The school was community based, child centered, tuition free, parent friendly and we paid special attention to children whose families had trouble with clothing and food.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Nowadays when we talk about community schools, we’re talking about schools like this one, that provide for the whole child beyond academics. Often these schools have the things that families need located at or provided by the school. Oakland Community School provided groceries to families in the community and food throughout the school day. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> Three meals a day and I said it was tuition free. The meals were also for the students and staff of the school. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> If parents couldn’t afford the city bus. A bus from Oakland Community School would come pick their kids up. They used curriculum that actually reflected the students that were going to the school\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> Our motto was “the world is a child’s classroom.” Which is a little different than the United States is the center of the universe. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We talked about the enslavement of Africans. We talked about the indigenous people. We talked about the resilience and brightness of our ancestors and our generations up to them and how beautiful and bright they are. We always affirmed the children. We wanted them to know about history. We wanted them to know about themselves as people coming from great ancestry no matter their race or ethnicity. We didn’t ever turn away a student because they were not Black. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Students at the so-called Panther school were Black –but they were also Latino they were white students they were Asian students and biracial students\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> When people see this, they’re shocked, like, oh, why are you shocked? We were the Black Panther Party and they have to think about what they’ve been told.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We were just brave and committed because it wasn’t easy. I want everybody to understand that it didn’t just appear itself as one community school with all angels floating around making things happen. No, it was hard work and. But the reward was in the faces of those parents and grandparents and aunties and uncles. The faces of the staff. And most importantly, the lives of the children. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> After about ten years of operation, The school closed in 1982 — This was around the time when The Black Panther Party officially dissolved after years of government surveillance and attacks. The free breakfast program is believed to have paved the way for expanding the government’s School Breakfast Program, which still exists today. And the Black Panther legacy is still in Oakland. For one thing, many members of the Black Panthers are alive today and physical sites across the city bear the Panthers’ name. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Now, if we fast forward 40 years, what are Oakland Schools doing with that legacy? We’ll get into that after the break.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Let’s jump ahead to present day Oakland. Angelica was enrolling in 10th grade at Oakland International High School.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> She was 18 years old and so nervous. Originally from Guatemala, she didn’t speak a word of English. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Mi hermana me inscribió en esta escuela porque ella estuvo en esta escuela y se graduó aquí y pues me sentí nerviosa porque pues no sabía nada del inglés, nada, no entendía nada, nada. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> But her sister, who she was staying with at the time, was adamant about her going to school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Tienes que estudiar. Tienes que aprender. Es te necesito que tú llegas a otro nivel más que yo. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Shortly after enrolling, circumstances for their family changed. All of the sudden, Angélica’s sister was providing for her kids,2 nephews, and Angelica. It was too much. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Mi hermana ya no podía con muchos gastos porque ella tiene hijos también y ella tuvo que tuvo que mantenerme a mí y a mis dos sobrinos. Pero luego ella me dijo tú ya estás grande y pues ya no sé qué voy a hacer contigo y así lo siento mucho. Y pues ella se mudó y yo me quedé sola\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Her sister moved away and Angélica had to support herself, which meant she had to make a choice that so many students make: should she keep going to school or should she leave school to work? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Tuve que salir de la escuela, tuve que irme y no tenía otra opción más que como mantenerme a mi misma.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> She decided to work. She didn’t feel like she had much of a choice. According to a report by the Urban Institute, nearly a third of students ages 16-19 are working and not in school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> I want to take a moment to zoom out on Angelica and talk about the school district she’s in. Oakland Unified School District. It’s credited with being the first full service community school district in the nation. That means in all of their public schools they don’t just going to focus on academics, they provide other services students and families might need like food and social services. Is this starting to sound familiar? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The superintendent Tony Smith who rolled out the plan for the community school district said that it has echoes of the Panthers and their deep care for kids. There are great examples of how Oakland Schools are drawing on the Panther legacy. And one of them is Oakland International School. The school that Angelica goes to. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Oakland International High School is a public school in the Oakland Unified School District that serves all newly arrived immigrant students, all of whom are English language learners.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Here is Lauren Markham, one of Oakland International’s founding members.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Not all, but a lot of our students are coming from conditions of poverty. We have the highest poverty rate of any Oakland high school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When I walked through the school I could hear a bunch of different languages all at once. Spanish and Arabic are the ones you’ll hear most. It reminded me of the way Ericka Huggins from the Black Panther Party talked about the diversity of students and educators at the Oakland community school\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> We have students from about 20 different countries. I often describe our school as a delayed mirror of world events. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> What she means by this is that if something happens in a country far away. For example, if there’s political turmoil in Central America and it leads to a lot of refugees or asylum seekers, Oakland international will have an influx of these students a year or so later. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> More refugees arrived in the United States in the first eight months of 2023 than any year since 2017. Many schools across the country are trying to figure out how to accommodate an influx of migrant students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Newcomer students fail at wildly disproportionate rates throughout the country. And we know that when any one population is failing, it’s a function of the system and not the students. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The community school model is what enables Oakland International to support their diverse student population.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> School Is not just a place where like learning and education and academics happen, but that all of these services that are around the classroom, that that connect to and support students lives, be it mental health services or health care or immigration legal services, which are all things that I think we do particularly well and that are particularly vital at Oakland International.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> I always use this example, but like if someone has an abscess tooth, they’re not going to be able to focus on math. Right? And if somebody has a pending deportation hearing coming up and they don’t have an immigration lawyer, like, yeah, they’re not working on their group project.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Working with newcomers makes the community school model really necessary \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Because so many students are coming with limited not all, but a number of our students are coming, not necessarily entering like established communities or having like established social networks and therefore like don’t necessarily know where to go to get X, Y, Z thing, or the language that they speak isn’t represented at the social services office where they would apply for Medi-Cal or Cal Fresh.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan:\u003c/strong> Everybody’s taking what they need and nobody feels ashamed. I think sometimes there’s a stigma. Like, it’s free food, I don’t need to take that. But food scarcity is real.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> That’s Madenh Ali Hassan Oakland International’s Community School Manager, which means she oversees all the services the school offers in addition to academics. When I asked her what the school does really well. She said giving students and families food is their jam. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan: \u003c/strong>It’s a little bit of creative chaos but if you come out and see it it’s always just kind of sweet because everyone’s just taking what they need. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> In order to offset skyrocketing food prices, the school offers two separate food banks once a week. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Just like how The Panthers saw a need in their community and provided free meals to children and families. Today we see Madenh and Oakland International doing something similar. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan:\u003c/strong> We typically set up right in front of the school. And so this is open for the public. So when the community sees it, there’s a line around the block. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> They also want to make sure they are serving their current students, so they have another food bank set up in the cafeteria. That one is just for their students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan:\u003c/strong> Everybody’s taking what they need and filling their bags and students are doing the same in the cafeteria.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Students who have dropped out of Oakland International also come to the weekly Food Bank. It’s relatively common for a newcomer to turn 18 and leave school to work. Oftentimes, working is necessary to pay back the people who helped them migrate to the US or to help out their families. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> We understand, like this is the reality of your life and you have to tend to that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> This is Lauren again, talking about students who drop out.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> I also think that it’s reflective of our school, sort of not. Like understanding that what’s happening now is not a student’s fate forever. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> If a student needs help translating a document about a court hearing or filling out a paperwork. They know they will still be supported at Oakland International. Angélica felt that way too. When Angelica dropped out of school she got a job making sandwiches. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Even though her circumstances made it so that she to work closing shifts. She knew she didn’t want to work in the same sandwich shop forever. So she had a conversation with her boss who let her work closing shifts so she could attend school again during the day.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Entonces. Y mis maestros también se alegraron mucho porque yo había. Yo había ido cuatro meses y ellos me ayudaron también. Con todo. Todo. Animarme. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When she returned to school she was welcomed with open arms. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> I found it really fascinating the way that staff and teachers at the school hold on to these two distinct realities. One being that students do better when they’re in school and the other is that some of them can’t make the decision to be there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When I went to Oakland International’s open house — it’s an event where they open up the campus to educators who are interested in seeing how they run things — I heard Lauren say something at the Open House assembly that I thought was profound.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham at the Open House assembly: \u003c/strong>A lot of what we do here is like, okay, we see the perfect version. We can whine for a little bit about not having that, but how do we get how do we approximate? That’s what we do as educators. How do we get closer to that given the resources that we have? And that’s the sort of scrappiness that is built into education.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> As someone who reports on education and talks to a lot of teachers and worked in education, this felt true and this reminds me of the panthers too in a sense. Because schools are essentially a group of people that are committed to striving for a really hard to get ideal. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Many of the students who went to Oakland International come back to work there as adults because they see the way the community school model helps them support students better. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Yasser Alwan came to Oakland international as a student in 2010\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Yasser Alwan:\u003c/strong> We immigrated from Yemen, right before the conflict, the revolution, known as the Arab Spring.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Now he’s a Newcomer assistant. It’s a position that started at Oakland International, where they’ll have specific people who are in classrooms like paraprofessionals to help students who are struggling. When I asked him why he came back and why he stays he said yeah sometimes there are really hard days. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Yasser Alwan:\u003c/strong> But I, I remember mostly the good ones. And for the most part it was mostly good days. And it’s just like that community is very strong and you’re like, very welcome in and like. I’m like, happier when I’m not around. And I think that’s what brings me back. Even through challenging times, I remember the good days. And I’m like, there’s going to be more good days. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Karen Moya came to Oakland International as a student in 2010 also. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Karen Moya:\u003c/strong> We came from El Salvador.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> As an adult she joined the staff as a case manager\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Karen Moya:\u003c/strong> I’m basically supporting students and their families to navigate the new systems in the country.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When she is overwhelmed, She returns to something a colleague told her.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Karen Moya:\u003c/strong> Something that one of my colleagues said it’s like you can do anything and … You might feel that you’re not doing anything because you’re not seeing the results, but you are actually doing something. You are impacting their lives, you know, and helping them navigate the, the, the systems and the struggles of being, you know, an immigrant in this country. So I take that with me. And, and I think about it sometimes too, when I’m like, I’m helping this student and I don’t see the results that I want to see on my way, but I’m doing everything that I can in my hands to better support them and their families. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Prior to this episode we did two other stories about community schools.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> I’m Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí and I’m the community engagement reporter at KQED. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> So Carlos is someone who has been with me throughout my community school reporting at KQED. He was with me during interviews translating Spanish. We’re coming to the end of our community school reporting this season and I wanted to reflect what it was like to really sit in these stories \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Angelica was a little a little shy at first, a little nervous, which I, you know, completely normal reaction. The thing that stuck with me for just the whole day was just her, her, just like the like that she for her this whole, you know, like her leaving school and coming back. This decision. She really made it for herself. She understands the value of education. The things she was repeating again and again was like, I wanna learn English. When I first came to the U.S., you know, the first place that we came to was Oakland and I think that, when you’re in a school that sees a lot of kids come and go, you kind of feel like you’re, you know, you’re kind of like in the fight by yourself. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> I was talking to the community school coordinator and then also, one of the founders, and they were saying, like, it’s such a weird thing to do at a school where you like, see kids leaving, but you understand that, like, their realities are things that they have to deal with. And so you have to kind of let them go. But your job is just to be like when you’re ready to come back, like, come back here and like you’ll be okay. And it seems like they do a really good job of that versus like a school that would either be like, don’t leave and then like as soon as the student leaves, it’s kind of like, yeah, if I see you, i see you.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Totally, yeah. And that’s why, I really loved being able to accompany you on these trips because it just shows many ways you can interpret the community model. Where it could be a thousand factors that could, you know, change the outcome.That goes to the point we’re making that there is no perfect quote unquote perfect community school. There’s no perfect way to establish or create a community school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Thank you for talking to me Carlos.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Yeah, Thank you Nimah, this was awesome.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> it’s really always a pleasure to work with you.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Likewise.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Whether a school is based in Oakland pursuing the legacy of the Panther School or elsewhere, educators can relate to the desire for systems that serve young people better. In the meantime, they keep tracking down quick-fixes, proven strategies and those hard-to-find sustainable solutions.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> This episode would not have been possible without Ericka Huggins, Angela LeBlanc Ernest, Madenh Ali Hassan, Lauren Markham, Yassar Alwan, Karen Moya, and Angelica. Thank you to folks at Oakland International.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "The Black Panthers not only revolutionized civil rights but also reshaped American education by creating the blueprint for the community schools we know today.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.angelaleblancernest.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Angela LeBlanc-Ernest\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> first learned about the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in college in the 1980s, she realized there was a lot of history missing from the textbooks she used as a K12 student. A documentarian and historian, LeBlanc-Ernest went on to author chapters about women in the Black Panther Party in \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.angelaleblancernest.com/book-chapters\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">two books\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some 40 years later, she said \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11944699/its-uplifting-all-of-us-oakland-high-school-students-experience-lessons-in-black-history-beyond-the-classroom\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">textbooks still\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> commonly \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-often-misunderstood-legacy-of-the-black-panther-party\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">misrepresent\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or downplay the Panthers’ significance.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-panthers\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Founded in 1966\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in Oakland, California, the Black Panther Party was created to patrol African American neighborhoods and protect residents from police brutality. While it’s often remembered for its militancy, the party’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Panther-Ten-Point-Program\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ten-Point Program\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> advocated for broader social reforms, including \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/black-panther-party-challenging-police-and-promoting-social-change\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">prison reform, voter registration drives and health clinics\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Learning about the Ten-Point Program, especially point five, which demanded education that teaches people their true history, was eye-opening, said LeBlanc-Ernest. “I became curious about the Black Panther Party, which was a grassroots organization of young people primarily, who decided it was time to create a community based alternative to the poor educational experiences that they had.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Black Panthers’ innovative approaches to education and community support have had a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13940221/black-panthers-oakland-community-school-50th-anniversary\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">lasting influence on U.S. schools\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Their initiatives included creating one of the first community schools, offering successful food programs, using \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51580/four-inquiry-qualities-at-the-heart-of-student-centered-teaching\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">student-centered learning\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63506/young-children-need-help-identifying-emotions-little-safe-place-boxes-give-them-tools\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">mindfulness practices\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and promoting \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/58898/retaining-and-sustaining-black-teachers\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">diversity in education\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Here are five ways the Black Panthers shaped the educational landscape.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>1. They are credited with creating a first-of-its-kind school\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">From her hometown in Washington, D.C., to Lincoln, Pennsylvania, where she tutored young students and attended college, Ericka Huggins witnessed Black children’s struggles firsthand. “They couldn’t read by fifth grade, and it wasn’t their fault. We blame people for their poverty. We blame them for their lack of education,” she said. “I just wanted a better life for them.” Following this desire, Huggins and her husband drove across the country and joined the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in 1968. “I knew there had to be some way for me to connect with people who felt the same way,” Huggins said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64474\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-64474\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1697\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-2048x1358.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Childcare-Program-Van-1920x1273.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Community School Childcare Program van. \u003ccite>(Photo copyright Donald Cunningham/Photo and caption courtesy The OCS Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the 1960s and 1970s, Black children faced harsher discipline, were discouraged from asking questions, and attended under-resourced schools. “It was \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/62934/bettina-love-examines-the-impact-of-education-policies-on-black-students-and-what-we-can-do-next\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">structural\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">,” said Huggins. She described the public school system at that time as “old and broken.” In 1971, the Panthers opened the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://ocsproject.wixsite.com/website/political-education-class-studies-a\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Samuel L. Napier Intercommunal Youth Institute\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for party members’ children ages 5 to 12 in East Oakland, converting a church into a school by day and a community center by night. This initiative attracted other parents who wanted their children to attend, leading to the establishment of the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ktvu.com/news/educate-to-liberate-oakland-community-school-led-to-success-by-black-panthers\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oakland Community School in 1973\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, with Huggins as its director. It started with 50 students and focused on caring for the whole child beyond academics. They provided transportation, food and clothing for students and families in need.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Oakland Community School is regarded as one of the nation’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.communityschoolsrevolution.org/we-are-ones-weve-been-waiting-oakland-s-full-service-community-school-district\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">first community schools – a model\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in which public schools partner with community organizations to provide comprehensive support services alongside traditional academic instruction. Many of Oakland Community School’s practices formed the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2023/08/07/oaklands-pioneering-educational-model-has-black-panthers-to-thank/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">blueprint for community schools today\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>2. They established one of the most successful food programs\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many people are familiar with today’s free and reduced lunch options for students from low-income, but there was a time when free school meals were not common. “Children were expected to go to school and learn without any food,” Huggins said. This wasn’t due to parental neglect, she added. Many parents worked multiple jobs to make ends meet.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64478\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-64478\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1697\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-2048x1358.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Students-Eating-in-OCS-Cafeteria-1920x1273.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Community School students eating in the school cafeteria, July 1981. \u003ccite>(Photo copyright Donald Cunningham/Photo and caption courtesy The OCS Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the most significant contributions of the Black Panther Party was its \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.history.com/news/free-school-breakfast-black-panther-party\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">free breakfast program\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13950520/ruth-beckford-dance-black-panthers-free-breakfast-program\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Launched in 1969\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, this program provided thousands of underprivileged children with free meals before school. When the Oakland Community School opened, it extended this support by feeding students and staff three meals a day at no additional cost to families.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Although the USDA had \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.fns.usda.gov/sbp/factsheet\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">piloted free breakfast efforts starting in the mid-1960s\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the program only gained traction in the early 1970s — right around the time the Black Panthers’ programs were dismantled. In 1975, the School Breakfast Program was permanently authorized. Today, it helps feed over 14.57 million children before school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>3. They used restorative practices and alternatives to discipline\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Teachers at the Oakland Community School integrated \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/57002/how-mindfulness-during-class-can-help-students-and-teachers\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">mindfulness practices into the school day\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Students \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/48371/the-role-of-yoga-in-healing-trauma\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">practiced yoga\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and were encouraged to do yoga poses if they \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/59777/want-more-meaningful-classroom-management-here-are-8-questions-teachers-can-ask-themselves\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">misbehaved in class\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. “We didn’t believe in sitting anybody in a corner or in a dungeon or in a basement or \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/58817/how-changing-schools-culture-of-discipline-paves-the-way-for-inclusivity\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">ostracizing them from class\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and making them sit alone,” Huggins said. “We believed that you just need to recalibrate.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64475\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-64475\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1697\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-2048x1358.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/OCS-Children-on-Playground-Stretching-1920x1273.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Community School students stretching during physical education on the playground.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For instance, a student might be asked to do a tree pose — standing on one leg with arms extended — if they were unfocused. Difficulty with the pose indicated a need for better concentration. “We reached a point where students would say, ‘I’m not feeling focused. Can I go get myself together and come back?’” Huggins recalled. After lunch, students of all ages \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/55444/what-students-gain-by-teaching-their-peers-how-to-meditate\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">meditated\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for 3 to 4 minutes. Huggins said that former students often remember these \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/56849/look-inward-to-make-external-change-advice-from-a-meditation-teacher\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">meditation sessions\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> fondly, even decades later.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Educate to Liberate: A Black Panther Photographic Time Capsule Unveiled\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/m9Bf_hv7Il4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>4. Their motto was “the world is a child’s classroom”\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oakland Community School did not use traditional grade levels. Instead, children worked in groups based on their \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/52866/why-competency-based-education-is-exciting-and-where-it-may-stumble\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">abilities in different subjects\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, according to LeBlanc-Ernest. The school operated on the belief that “the world is a child’s classroom,” focusing on teaching students \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63681/how-do-you-counter-misinformation-critical-thinking-is-step-one\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">how to think rather than what to think\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, she said. “They learned traditional academic information that was expanded and broadened because of the interests and the intentions of the staff.” Students engaged with the community through field trips to music performances and museum exhibits.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64473\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-64473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1697\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-2048x1358.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Ericka-Huggins-and-Rosa-Parks-1920x1273.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ericka Huggins and Rosa Parks during Parks’ visit to Oakland Community School on May 2, 1980. \u003ccite>(Photo copyright Donald Cunningham/Photo and caption courtesy The OCS Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The curriculum went beyond \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51857/lies-my-teacher-told-me-and-how-american-history-can-be-used-as-a-weapon\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">U.S. History\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to include international topics. For example, students learned the capitals of every African country — a practice that was groundbreaking at the time. The curriculum emphasized the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/57137/how-historically-responsive-literacy-can-make-learning-more-relevant-to-students\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">brilliance of students’ own cultures\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and others. “We wanted them to know about history. We wanted them to know about themselves as people coming from great ancestry no matter their race or ethnicity,” said Huggins.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>5. The students and teachers at their school celebrated diversity\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Huggins described those who worked at Oakland Community School as a “rainbow staff” that included teachers who left public schools to work at the so-called Panther School.LeBlanc-Ernest noted that the staff was diverse, with equal numbers of men and women. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_64477\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-64477\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1697\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-1020x676.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-2048x1358.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/08/Outside-View-of-OCS-Building-Front-1920x1273.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Oakland Community School, late 1970s. \u003ccite>(Photo copyright Donald Cunningham/Photo and caption courtesy The OCS Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students came from various Bay Area cities, and while the majority were Black, the school also included White Asian, and Latino students. “We didn’t ever turn away a student because they were not Black,” Huggins said. Many are surprised by this diversity, she noted. “I said, ‘Why are you shocked? We were the Black Panther Party’ and they have to think about what they’ve been told.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The school closed in 1982 after operating for 10 years, around the same time the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/black-panther-party-huey-newton-race-and-ethnicity-d3cafbc0f7c0f83103f8a5ffaa66faff\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">officially dissolved in part due to government surveillance and attacks\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. “The principles, mottos and schedule of this school could be replicated today if someone chose to take it on,” Huggins said. With \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cta.org/our-advocacy/issues/community-schools#:~:text=Community%20schools%20provide%20not%20only,this%20number%20continues%20to%20grow.\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">thousands of community schools\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in the United States, some may draw on the legacy of the Oakland Community School, even if indirectly, to address the needs of students and families. “It wasn’t easy. I want everybody to understand that,” said Huggins. “ The reward was in the faces of those parents and grandparents and aunties and uncles, the faces of the staff and most importantly, the lives of the children.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2017, LeBlanc-Ernest started and directed \u003ca href=\"https://www.theocsproject.org/about\">The OCS Project \u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">where she preserves and shares the history of the school through recorded conversations with former party members and digital media. She has interviewed former students who have become teachers, changemakers, and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11873838/how-some-elders-are-working-to-preserve-the-legacy-of-the-black-panther-party-in-oakland\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">culture bearers in the Bay Area\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and beyond. “[The Black Panthers] created a foundation for the students, for the parents, for the educators, who then took that with them into the different spaces that they moved into,” LeBlanc-Ernest said. “And I think that’s a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10868172/preserving-the-history-of-the-black-panthers-close-to-home\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">lasting legacy\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.”\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC5911938534\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Welcome to MindShift, where we explore the future of learning and how we raise our kids. I’m Nimah Gobir. The 1960s was a decade of social and cultural change. There was the civil rights movement…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Martin Luther King, Jr. We will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood].\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Women’s liberation…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[May Craig question to John F. Kennedy (clip): …for equal rights for women, including equal pay…]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Vietnam war…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[President Nixon Vietnam speech (clip): There were some who urged that I end the war at once… this would have been a popular and easy course to follow…]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> A moon landing \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Neil Armstrong (clip): …one giant leap for mankind]. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> It was a time when the very fabric of society was being questioned, and people were having big ideas about how people think and how people are taught. It was also when the black power movement was getting traction.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Malcolm X (clip): We are oppressed. We are exploited. We are downtrodden. We are denied not only civil rights but even human rights]. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The emphasis wasn’t on being free or access to white spaces, it was about empowerment and self-sufficiency even as widely accepted racist practices were trying to keep Black people down. It was during this era, in1966 that the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense started in Oakland. They believed in Black nationalism, socialism, and armed self-defense against police brutality. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> The first thing that drew me to the Black Panther Party that I always remember about it, it said the Black Panther Party for Self-defense and Self-defense, people get their hackles up about that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> This is Ericka Huggins. She joined the Black Panther Party in 1968. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> People think that self-defense is physical. It can be and needs to be when necessary. However, this was about supporting people who live poor and/or oppressed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We said you cannot continue to kill us. You can’t break down our doors to our homes and shoot at us. You cannot arrest us, wrongly incarcerate us and beat and murder us while we are incarcerated. You cannot deprive us of food, housing, clothing and peace. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Some of the more popular images of the Black Panthers are photos of armed men in berets looking out from behind these dark sunglasses. Or women – like Ericka – with afros waving flags and raising their fists. Even the United States FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover saw the Panther’s stance on protecting and empowering themselves as dangerous.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> J. Edgar Hoover said the Black Panther Party is the greatest threat to the internal security of the United States. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The Black Panthers had a reputation as a militant group but they did way more than challenge the police and protest against racist policies.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> If you look up pictures of the Panthers– yes you’ll see guns and berets, but there are other images too. And the one that sticks with me is this photo of a Black Panther Party member putting down plates of food in front of young children. It’s a photo of their free breakfast program\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> Children were expected to go to school and learn without any food. We knew because we were those children. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> They had a founding charter which included a 10 point platform. I won’t go into all of the points but it basically said that our people – Black people– need to be able to eat, find work and feel safe. This episode we’ll talk about point 5, a focus on a fulfilling and effective education system \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Bobby Seale Speech at Oakland Auditorium (clip): We want decent education for our Black people in our community that teaches us the true nature of this decadent racist society and to teach Black people and our young Black brothers and sisters their place in this society because if they don’t know their place in society and in the world, they can’t relate to anything else].\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> Education was always important in the party. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Angela LeBlanc-Ernest is a documentarian and community archivist from Texas. She has studied and written books about the Panthers pursuit of education.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> Whether it be the study sessions they had reading the different books by revolutionaries – political education classes is what they would call them – that were required, or whether it was party members tutoring kids in the local community.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> She told me the idea to create a school came about when party members saw how their own kids were mistreated in mainstream schools \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> You had to start envisioning what society needed to look like for your child if they survived. Right? There is a sense so many of them didn’t think they would survive\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Party members started to conceive of a community-based alternative to the poor educational experiences they had as children. They were often disciplined harder and discouraged from asking questions. Their schools lacked supplies and books, and the curriculum rarely included stories of people who looked like them.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> So in response to this they opened the Intercommunal Youth Institute in east Oakland in 1971\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> It was an old church that they converted into a school and so it was a small space. They decided that they wanted to start with the number they had, which was 50 students. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Gradually, other people noticed that the students and families were being treated well at this scrappy little home school where they used mindfulness practices and restorative justice. Students were engaged, respected, and learning in an environment that valued their heritage and experiences.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angela LeBlanc-Ernest:\u003c/strong> When the community approached the Black Panther Party, when it was just the insular home school to say, “Hey, can you make this available to the community, to children in the community?” That was a prompt for them to think more broadly.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> As new people joined from outside of the party, they began outgrowing the space and so they had to look for something more permanent. They changed the name to Oakland Community School and Black Panther Party member Ericka Huggins became the director. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We opened the Oakland Community School in the school year of 1973-74.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Students were ages 5 -12, so it was basically an elementary school, but there were no grades. They were grouped according to their academic abilities. They also had childcare for kids who were younger than five.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Many of the students came from the Oakland area but some were coming from the greater bay area too.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We had more than party members on staff. Not only did the people take their children out of public school, the public school teachers left, too, to work at… as it used to be, nicknamed the Panther School. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir: \u003c/strong>This school is special for a lot of reasons, but one of the big reasons is that it was one of the earliest versions of community schools in the country. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> The school was community based, child centered, tuition free, parent friendly and we paid special attention to children whose families had trouble with clothing and food.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Nowadays when we talk about community schools, we’re talking about schools like this one, that provide for the whole child beyond academics. Often these schools have the things that families need located at or provided by the school. Oakland Community School provided groceries to families in the community and food throughout the school day. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> Three meals a day and I said it was tuition free. The meals were also for the students and staff of the school. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> If parents couldn’t afford the city bus. A bus from Oakland Community School would come pick their kids up. They used curriculum that actually reflected the students that were going to the school\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> Our motto was “the world is a child’s classroom.” Which is a little different than the United States is the center of the universe. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We talked about the enslavement of Africans. We talked about the indigenous people. We talked about the resilience and brightness of our ancestors and our generations up to them and how beautiful and bright they are. We always affirmed the children. We wanted them to know about history. We wanted them to know about themselves as people coming from great ancestry no matter their race or ethnicity. We didn’t ever turn away a student because they were not Black. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Students at the so-called Panther school were Black –but they were also Latino they were white students they were Asian students and biracial students\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> When people see this, they’re shocked, like, oh, why are you shocked? We were the Black Panther Party and they have to think about what they’ve been told.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Ericka Huggins:\u003c/strong> We were just brave and committed because it wasn’t easy. I want everybody to understand that it didn’t just appear itself as one community school with all angels floating around making things happen. No, it was hard work and. But the reward was in the faces of those parents and grandparents and aunties and uncles. The faces of the staff. And most importantly, the lives of the children. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> After about ten years of operation, The school closed in 1982 — This was around the time when The Black Panther Party officially dissolved after years of government surveillance and attacks. The free breakfast program is believed to have paved the way for expanding the government’s School Breakfast Program, which still exists today. And the Black Panther legacy is still in Oakland. For one thing, many members of the Black Panthers are alive today and physical sites across the city bear the Panthers’ name. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Now, if we fast forward 40 years, what are Oakland Schools doing with that legacy? We’ll get into that after the break.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Let’s jump ahead to present day Oakland. Angelica was enrolling in 10th grade at Oakland International High School.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> She was 18 years old and so nervous. Originally from Guatemala, she didn’t speak a word of English. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Mi hermana me inscribió en esta escuela porque ella estuvo en esta escuela y se graduó aquí y pues me sentí nerviosa porque pues no sabía nada del inglés, nada, no entendía nada, nada. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> But her sister, who she was staying with at the time, was adamant about her going to school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Tienes que estudiar. Tienes que aprender. Es te necesito que tú llegas a otro nivel más que yo. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Shortly after enrolling, circumstances for their family changed. All of the sudden, Angélica’s sister was providing for her kids,2 nephews, and Angelica. It was too much. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Mi hermana ya no podía con muchos gastos porque ella tiene hijos también y ella tuvo que tuvo que mantenerme a mí y a mis dos sobrinos. Pero luego ella me dijo tú ya estás grande y pues ya no sé qué voy a hacer contigo y así lo siento mucho. Y pues ella se mudó y yo me quedé sola\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Her sister moved away and Angélica had to support herself, which meant she had to make a choice that so many students make: should she keep going to school or should she leave school to work? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Tuve que salir de la escuela, tuve que irme y no tenía otra opción más que como mantenerme a mi misma.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> She decided to work. She didn’t feel like she had much of a choice. According to a report by the Urban Institute, nearly a third of students ages 16-19 are working and not in school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> I want to take a moment to zoom out on Angelica and talk about the school district she’s in. Oakland Unified School District. It’s credited with being the first full service community school district in the nation. That means in all of their public schools they don’t just going to focus on academics, they provide other services students and families might need like food and social services. Is this starting to sound familiar? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The superintendent Tony Smith who rolled out the plan for the community school district said that it has echoes of the Panthers and their deep care for kids. There are great examples of how Oakland Schools are drawing on the Panther legacy. And one of them is Oakland International School. The school that Angelica goes to. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Oakland International High School is a public school in the Oakland Unified School District that serves all newly arrived immigrant students, all of whom are English language learners.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Here is Lauren Markham, one of Oakland International’s founding members.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Not all, but a lot of our students are coming from conditions of poverty. We have the highest poverty rate of any Oakland high school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When I walked through the school I could hear a bunch of different languages all at once. Spanish and Arabic are the ones you’ll hear most. It reminded me of the way Ericka Huggins from the Black Panther Party talked about the diversity of students and educators at the Oakland community school\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> We have students from about 20 different countries. I often describe our school as a delayed mirror of world events. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> What she means by this is that if something happens in a country far away. For example, if there’s political turmoil in Central America and it leads to a lot of refugees or asylum seekers, Oakland international will have an influx of these students a year or so later. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> More refugees arrived in the United States in the first eight months of 2023 than any year since 2017. Many schools across the country are trying to figure out how to accommodate an influx of migrant students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Newcomer students fail at wildly disproportionate rates throughout the country. And we know that when any one population is failing, it’s a function of the system and not the students. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> The community school model is what enables Oakland International to support their diverse student population.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> School Is not just a place where like learning and education and academics happen, but that all of these services that are around the classroom, that that connect to and support students lives, be it mental health services or health care or immigration legal services, which are all things that I think we do particularly well and that are particularly vital at Oakland International.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> I always use this example, but like if someone has an abscess tooth, they’re not going to be able to focus on math. Right? And if somebody has a pending deportation hearing coming up and they don’t have an immigration lawyer, like, yeah, they’re not working on their group project.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Working with newcomers makes the community school model really necessary \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> Because so many students are coming with limited not all, but a number of our students are coming, not necessarily entering like established communities or having like established social networks and therefore like don’t necessarily know where to go to get X, Y, Z thing, or the language that they speak isn’t represented at the social services office where they would apply for Medi-Cal or Cal Fresh.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan:\u003c/strong> Everybody’s taking what they need and nobody feels ashamed. I think sometimes there’s a stigma. Like, it’s free food, I don’t need to take that. But food scarcity is real.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> That’s Madenh Ali Hassan Oakland International’s Community School Manager, which means she oversees all the services the school offers in addition to academics. When I asked her what the school does really well. She said giving students and families food is their jam. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan: \u003c/strong>It’s a little bit of creative chaos but if you come out and see it it’s always just kind of sweet because everyone’s just taking what they need. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> In order to offset skyrocketing food prices, the school offers two separate food banks once a week. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Just like how The Panthers saw a need in their community and provided free meals to children and families. Today we see Madenh and Oakland International doing something similar. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan:\u003c/strong> We typically set up right in front of the school. And so this is open for the public. So when the community sees it, there’s a line around the block. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> They also want to make sure they are serving their current students, so they have another food bank set up in the cafeteria. That one is just for their students.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Madenh Ali Hassan:\u003c/strong> Everybody’s taking what they need and filling their bags and students are doing the same in the cafeteria.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Students who have dropped out of Oakland International also come to the weekly Food Bank. It’s relatively common for a newcomer to turn 18 and leave school to work. Oftentimes, working is necessary to pay back the people who helped them migrate to the US or to help out their families. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> We understand, like this is the reality of your life and you have to tend to that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> This is Lauren again, talking about students who drop out.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham:\u003c/strong> I also think that it’s reflective of our school, sort of not. Like understanding that what’s happening now is not a student’s fate forever. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> If a student needs help translating a document about a court hearing or filling out a paperwork. They know they will still be supported at Oakland International. Angélica felt that way too. When Angelica dropped out of school she got a job making sandwiches. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Even though her circumstances made it so that she to work closing shifts. She knew she didn’t want to work in the same sandwich shop forever. So she had a conversation with her boss who let her work closing shifts so she could attend school again during the day.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Angélica:\u003c/strong> Entonces. Y mis maestros también se alegraron mucho porque yo había. Yo había ido cuatro meses y ellos me ayudaron también. Con todo. Todo. Animarme. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When she returned to school she was welcomed with open arms. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> I found it really fascinating the way that staff and teachers at the school hold on to these two distinct realities. One being that students do better when they’re in school and the other is that some of them can’t make the decision to be there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When I went to Oakland International’s open house — it’s an event where they open up the campus to educators who are interested in seeing how they run things — I heard Lauren say something at the Open House assembly that I thought was profound.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Lauren Markham at the Open House assembly: \u003c/strong>A lot of what we do here is like, okay, we see the perfect version. We can whine for a little bit about not having that, but how do we get how do we approximate? That’s what we do as educators. How do we get closer to that given the resources that we have? And that’s the sort of scrappiness that is built into education.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> As someone who reports on education and talks to a lot of teachers and worked in education, this felt true and this reminds me of the panthers too in a sense. Because schools are essentially a group of people that are committed to striving for a really hard to get ideal. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Many of the students who went to Oakland International come back to work there as adults because they see the way the community school model helps them support students better. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Yasser Alwan came to Oakland international as a student in 2010\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Yasser Alwan:\u003c/strong> We immigrated from Yemen, right before the conflict, the revolution, known as the Arab Spring.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Now he’s a Newcomer assistant. It’s a position that started at Oakland International, where they’ll have specific people who are in classrooms like paraprofessionals to help students who are struggling. When I asked him why he came back and why he stays he said yeah sometimes there are really hard days. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Yasser Alwan:\u003c/strong> But I, I remember mostly the good ones. And for the most part it was mostly good days. And it’s just like that community is very strong and you’re like, very welcome in and like. I’m like, happier when I’m not around. And I think that’s what brings me back. Even through challenging times, I remember the good days. And I’m like, there’s going to be more good days. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Karen Moya came to Oakland International as a student in 2010 also. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Karen Moya:\u003c/strong> We came from El Salvador.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> As an adult she joined the staff as a case manager\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Karen Moya:\u003c/strong> I’m basically supporting students and their families to navigate the new systems in the country.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> When she is overwhelmed, She returns to something a colleague told her.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Karen Moya:\u003c/strong> Something that one of my colleagues said it’s like you can do anything and … You might feel that you’re not doing anything because you’re not seeing the results, but you are actually doing something. You are impacting their lives, you know, and helping them navigate the, the, the systems and the struggles of being, you know, an immigrant in this country. So I take that with me. And, and I think about it sometimes too, when I’m like, I’m helping this student and I don’t see the results that I want to see on my way, but I’m doing everything that I can in my hands to better support them and their families. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Prior to this episode we did two other stories about community schools.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> I’m Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí and I’m the community engagement reporter at KQED. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> So Carlos is someone who has been with me throughout my community school reporting at KQED. He was with me during interviews translating Spanish. We’re coming to the end of our community school reporting this season and I wanted to reflect what it was like to really sit in these stories \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Angelica was a little a little shy at first, a little nervous, which I, you know, completely normal reaction. The thing that stuck with me for just the whole day was just her, her, just like the like that she for her this whole, you know, like her leaving school and coming back. This decision. She really made it for herself. She understands the value of education. The things she was repeating again and again was like, I wanna learn English. When I first came to the U.S., you know, the first place that we came to was Oakland and I think that, when you’re in a school that sees a lot of kids come and go, you kind of feel like you’re, you know, you’re kind of like in the fight by yourself. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> I was talking to the community school coordinator and then also, one of the founders, and they were saying, like, it’s such a weird thing to do at a school where you like, see kids leaving, but you understand that, like, their realities are things that they have to deal with. And so you have to kind of let them go. But your job is just to be like when you’re ready to come back, like, come back here and like you’ll be okay. And it seems like they do a really good job of that versus like a school that would either be like, don’t leave and then like as soon as the student leaves, it’s kind of like, yeah, if I see you, i see you.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Totally, yeah. And that’s why, I really loved being able to accompany you on these trips because it just shows many ways you can interpret the community model. Where it could be a thousand factors that could, you know, change the outcome.That goes to the point we’re making that there is no perfect quote unquote perfect community school. There’s no perfect way to establish or create a community school.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Thank you for talking to me Carlos.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Yeah, Thank you Nimah, this was awesome.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> it’s really always a pleasure to work with you.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí:\u003c/strong> Likewise.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> Whether a school is based in Oakland pursuing the legacy of the Panther School or elsewhere, educators can relate to the desire for systems that serve young people better. In the meantime, they keep tracking down quick-fixes, proven strategies and those hard-to-find sustainable solutions.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Nimah Gobir:\u003c/strong> This episode would not have been possible without Ericka Huggins, Angela LeBlanc Ernest, Madenh Ali Hassan, Lauren Markham, Yassar Alwan, Karen Moya, and Angelica. Thank you to folks at Oakland International.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>"
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"content": "\u003cp>On July 29, 1994, thousands of teenagers gathered in Washington, D.C., to tell the nation about their pledge to remain sexually abstinent until marriage. They covered the lawn of the National Mall with an estimated 200,000 signed purity pledge cards, and they attended a rally with speakers and Christian rock bands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teenagers across the U.S. had signed the cards, produced and collected by the Southern Baptist organization True Love Waits, over the previous year. It was a breakout moment in the evangelical purity movement — a movement that impacts \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/62011/teens-want-to-know-how-to-have-better-relationships-consent-education-can-help\">sex education in the United States\u003c/a> to this day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jill Dender was one of the first teens to sign the pledge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She went with the youth group from her church, Tulip Grove Baptist in Nashville, Tenn., to Washington to help stake the cards into the ground. She and her friends wore matching True Love Waits T-shirts and packed beauty essentials of the era. “We had plenty of hair spray and our picks,” she said, “and our blue mascara and our blue eyeliner.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said she felt joy and excitement when she was finished and looked up at a sea of cards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Wow, all these people want to honor Jesus. All these people love Jesus,” she recalled thinking at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3000x1974+0+0/resize/1200/quality/75/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb3%2F78%2Ff140994f487d8053496f91f5ffc6%2Fwashington-tlw-wideshot.jpg\" alt=\"In 1994, an estimated 200,000 purity pledge cards signed by young people were staked into the lawn of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.\">\u003cfigcaption>In 1994, an estimated 200,000 purity pledge cards signed by young people were staked into the lawn of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite> (Lifeway/Baptist Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Thirty years ago, the nation was still in the shadow of the AIDS crisis, and teen pregnancy rates were up. News outlets like \u003cem>Newsweek\u003c/em> and ABC’s \u003cem>20/20\u003c/em> were quick to pick up on this “virginity” trend. True Love Waits received hundreds of media inquiries in its first year. The organization later held similar displays of cards at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta in 1996 and at the Golden Gate Bridge in 1999.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One early version of the commitment card, developed by True Love Waits co-founders Richard Ross and Jimmy Hester, reads: “Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, those I date, my future mate and my future children to be sexually pure from today until the day I enter a covenant marriage relationship.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Claire McKeever-Burgett encountered True Love Waits during a youth group service at her church in Abilene, Texas, in 1996. She remembers feeling unsettled by it. “There was just something about it that I was confused about. But I did it ’cause, like, church was my life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said it felt like an isolated thing that happened at church, and she didn’t talk about it with her parents. “And so if they had a hundred kids, right, who signed these, then that was something they could celebrate,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3024x4032+0+0/resize/1200/quality/75/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0d%2F7f%2Fee2a84014f178e0bb84e6e6a18f9%2Fcmbportrait.JPG\" alt=\"Claire McKeever-Burgett poses with a photo of herself when she was 19. She signed the purity pledge at her church but remembers feeling unsettled by it.\">\u003cfigcaption>Claire McKeever-Burgett poses with a photo of herself when she was 19. She signed the purity pledge at her church but remembers feeling unsettled by it. \u003ccite> (Magnolia McKay)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The number of youth participating was certainly part of what got the purity movement so much traction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ross, the True Loves Waits co-founder, said the early 1990s were marked by a preoccupation with how to reduce the consequences of teen sexual behavior. It was “a complete surprise to the adults that teenagers on their own, without any coercion from adults,” would choose to wait for sex until marriage, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ross then heard from government policymakers seeking counsel. “They just were intrigued with whatever we had learned about young people choosing, to use their words, abstinence,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And he said True Love Waits was happy to help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal funding was allocated shortly thereafter for abstinence-based programs, like \u003ca href=\"https://respect4u.com/\">Sex Respect\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.choosingthebest.com/curricula\">Choosing the Best\u003c/a>, whose explicit purpose was to “teach abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage as the expected standard for all school-age children.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>States funded over 700 programs in the first two years that the money became available through the Welfare Reform Act, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_legacy_files//42311/report.pdf\">report\u003c/a> submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, Ross says, True Love Waits was not among them. “We were doing this entirely for the glory of God. So it would’ve been a little bit strange to have the government funding that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. has never had a national standard for sex education. States and local school boards make requirements for the education that K-12 students receive about sex and their bodies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Leslie Kantor, a public health professor at Rutgers University, worked in sex education advocacy in the ’90s. She documented hundreds of school board fights across the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You started to see a lot more organization by conservative groups trying to get existing health education programs shifted out in favor of some of these newly developed abstinence-only-until-marriage programs,” Kantor said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the advocates for abstinence succeeded, especially in Southern and more conservative states, while some states started refusing the grant money and rejecting the criteria attached to it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During President George W. Bush’s administration, abstinence organizations could apply directly for grants, bypassing the states, via the Community-Based Abstinence Education program. At the same time, \u003ca href=\"https://catalystforchildren.org/pdf/Emerging_Answers.pdf\">studies started to emerge\u003c/a> that showed that abstinence-only programs had no significant effect on the sexual behavior of youth who were exposed to it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Additionally, a \u003ca href=\"https://spot.colorado.edu/~tooley/HenryWaxman.pdf\">congressional report\u003c/a> showed that 80% of the grantee programs contained “false, misleading or distorted information about reproductive health.” Many of the \u003ca href=\"https://hrp.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/sexlies_stereotypes2008.pdf\">abstinence-only curricula were called out\u003c/a> for having sexist or racist stereotypes and anti-LGBTQ+ language.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change is an organization that has been advocating for comprehensive sex education since 1964. Its website offers an \u003ca href=\"https://siecus.org/siecus-state-profiles/\">interactive map\u003c/a> that gives grades A through F to states based on their sex education requirements and content. It reports that 35 states require abstinence to be emphasized and that 17 states still provide abstinence-only sex education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of those 17 states have \u003ca href=\"https://opa.hhs.gov/adolescent-health/reproductive-health-and-teen-pregnancy/trends-teen-pregnancy-and-childbearing\">higher rates of teen pregnancy\u003c/a> than the national average and are largely located in the South and Midwest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though the language in legislation and programming may have shifted from the term “abstinence” to “sexual risk avoidance,” they still discourage all sexual activity outside marriage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even in comprehensive sex education, the standard in many states today, abstinence is still part of the curriculum, according to Nawal Umar, a policy analyst at SIECUS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just equated to all the other options that exist,” Umar said. “Because the reality is that abstinence is not going to be the decision that every young person makes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jill Dender and Claire McKeever-Burgett are now both married and live in Tennessee — a state that gets a C- on SIECUS’ grading scale. The state requires any sex education to center on abstinence, and it has severe limits on birth control information. Teachers can even be sued if a parent sees them as “encouraging, advocating, urging or condoning gateway sexual activities,” under the \u003ca href=\"https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/107/Bill/SB3310.pdf\">Gateway Law\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dender has seven children and homeschools them. She’s still happy about her decision to wait for marriage and wants her kids to follow the same path when it comes to sexuality. But mainly what she wants for her kids is for them to follow Jesus. “And when it’s all about Jesus, all this other stuff falls in line,” Dender said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McKeever-Burgett says she is still a Christian but disagrees with what she learned in the purity movement. She said it left her without tools for her dating relationships and made her feel disconnected from her body. She wrote about it in her book, \u003ca href=\"https://www.clairemckeeverburgett.com/book\">Blessed Are the Women\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She wants her two kids to have better relationships with their bodies — to talk about the feelings they’re having without shame. “If you can access that inner wisdom, then as far as I’m concerned, you can live a really beautiful, free life. And that’s what I want for them with sexuality and with everything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>True Love Waits is still around 30 years later but stopped selling pledge cards in 2017. The language of the pledge has changed over time. The most recent version of the True Love Waits commitment doesn’t explicitly mention sexual abstinence or even the word “purity.” Instead, kids are invited to commit themselves to God “in the lifelong pursuit of personal holiness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And you’ll encounter it only if you flip to the back of one of their teen study guides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thirty years ago this week, thousands of teenagers came to Washington, D.C., to pledge to abstain from sex until marriage. It was a breakout moment for an evangelical purity movement that continues to affect sex education in schools. Magnolia McKay reports from Nashville.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MAGNOLIA MCKAY, BYLINE: In 1994, the True Love Waits campaign was still in its infancy, and this event in D.C. took the movement mainstream. It garnered national media attention, including an ABC report by John Stossel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JOHN STOSSEL: Teenagers signed cards pledging their virginity and planted 200,000 of the cards, creating a field of abstinence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Woo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: True love waits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Wait till you get married.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: Jill Dender had signed the pledge and was on the mall that day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JILL DENDER: We had matching T-shirts (laughter).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: She helped stake the pledge cards into the ground. And when she saw that sea of cards…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DENDER: I just felt like, wow, all these people want to honor Jesus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: Thirty years ago, when the True Love Waits campaign started in Nashville, the nation was still dealing with the AIDS crisis, and teen pregnancy rates were up. Claire McKeever-Burgett encountered the True Love Waits pledge at her church in Abilene, Texas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CLAIRE MCKEEVER-BURGETT: There was just something about it that I was confused about. But I did it ’cause, like, church was my life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: She doesn’t remember her parents being involved. It was just something she did with her youth group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKEEVER-BURGETT: If they had a hundred kids – right? – who signed these, that was something they could celebrate with the rest of the church.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: And True Love Wait’s founder Richard Ross says people were surprised that so many kids signed it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RICHARD ROSS: That there were young people who, in a very joyful and a very positive way, said, we think sex is wonderful, and we think it belongs in marriage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: Soon, Ross heard from people in politics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ROSS: Government policymakers did seek counsel. They just were intrigued with whatever we had learned about young people choosing – to use their words – abstinence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: The U.S. has never had a national standard for sex education. Instead, state and local school boards decide what kids learn about sex and their bodies. Leslie Kantor worked in sex education advocacy in the ’90s. She’s now chair of public health at Rutgers University. She remembers school board fights across the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LESLIE KANTOR: You started to see a lot more organization by conservative groups trying to get existing health education programs shifted out in favor of some of these newly developed abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: And many of these groups were successful, especially in Southern and more conservative states. To this day in Tennessee, any sex education – if it’s even taught – must center around abstinence and has severe limits on birth control information. A group called Sex Ed for Social Change estimates that 17 states still include strict requirements like these. Abstinence as one way to avoid pregnancy and STIs is part of comprehensive sex education, but there is no strong body of evidence to support that abstinence-only programs work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jill Dender and Claire McKeever-Burgett are now both married and live in Tennessee. Dender homeschools her seven kids. She’s still happy about her decision to wait for marriage and wants them to follow in the same path.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DENDER: And when it’s all about Jesus, all this other stuff falls in line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: McKeever-Burgett says she’s still a Christian, but what she learned in the purity movement didn’t prepare her for sex and dating. She wants her two kids to have better relationships with their bodies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKEEVER-BURGETT: If you can access that inner wisdom, then as far as I’m concerned, you can live a really beautiful, free life. And that’s what I want for them with sexuality and with everything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: True Love Waits is still around 30 years later, but you won’t see a pledge card unless you flip to the back of their Bible study guides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For NPR News, I’m Magnolia McKay in Nashville.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF DOSSING’S “CHECK IN”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On July 29, 1994, thousands of teenagers gathered in Washington, D.C., to tell the nation about their pledge to remain sexually abstinent until marriage. They covered the lawn of the National Mall with an estimated 200,000 signed purity pledge cards, and they attended a rally with speakers and Christian rock bands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teenagers across the U.S. had signed the cards, produced and collected by the Southern Baptist organization True Love Waits, over the previous year. It was a breakout moment in the evangelical purity movement — a movement that impacts \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/62011/teens-want-to-know-how-to-have-better-relationships-consent-education-can-help\">sex education in the United States\u003c/a> to this day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jill Dender was one of the first teens to sign the pledge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She went with the youth group from her church, Tulip Grove Baptist in Nashville, Tenn., to Washington to help stake the cards into the ground. She and her friends wore matching True Love Waits T-shirts and packed beauty essentials of the era. “We had plenty of hair spray and our picks,” she said, “and our blue mascara and our blue eyeliner.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said she felt joy and excitement when she was finished and looked up at a sea of cards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Wow, all these people want to honor Jesus. All these people love Jesus,” she recalled thinking at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3000x1974+0+0/resize/1200/quality/75/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb3%2F78%2Ff140994f487d8053496f91f5ffc6%2Fwashington-tlw-wideshot.jpg\" alt=\"In 1994, an estimated 200,000 purity pledge cards signed by young people were staked into the lawn of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.\">\u003cfigcaption>In 1994, an estimated 200,000 purity pledge cards signed by young people were staked into the lawn of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite> (Lifeway/Baptist Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Thirty years ago, the nation was still in the shadow of the AIDS crisis, and teen pregnancy rates were up. News outlets like \u003cem>Newsweek\u003c/em> and ABC’s \u003cem>20/20\u003c/em> were quick to pick up on this “virginity” trend. True Love Waits received hundreds of media inquiries in its first year. The organization later held similar displays of cards at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta in 1996 and at the Golden Gate Bridge in 1999.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One early version of the commitment card, developed by True Love Waits co-founders Richard Ross and Jimmy Hester, reads: “Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, those I date, my future mate and my future children to be sexually pure from today until the day I enter a covenant marriage relationship.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Claire McKeever-Burgett encountered True Love Waits during a youth group service at her church in Abilene, Texas, in 1996. She remembers feeling unsettled by it. “There was just something about it that I was confused about. But I did it ’cause, like, church was my life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said it felt like an isolated thing that happened at church, and she didn’t talk about it with her parents. “And so if they had a hundred kids, right, who signed these, then that was something they could celebrate,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3024x4032+0+0/resize/1200/quality/75/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0d%2F7f%2Fee2a84014f178e0bb84e6e6a18f9%2Fcmbportrait.JPG\" alt=\"Claire McKeever-Burgett poses with a photo of herself when she was 19. She signed the purity pledge at her church but remembers feeling unsettled by it.\">\u003cfigcaption>Claire McKeever-Burgett poses with a photo of herself when she was 19. She signed the purity pledge at her church but remembers feeling unsettled by it. \u003ccite> (Magnolia McKay)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The number of youth participating was certainly part of what got the purity movement so much traction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ross, the True Loves Waits co-founder, said the early 1990s were marked by a preoccupation with how to reduce the consequences of teen sexual behavior. It was “a complete surprise to the adults that teenagers on their own, without any coercion from adults,” would choose to wait for sex until marriage, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ross then heard from government policymakers seeking counsel. “They just were intrigued with whatever we had learned about young people choosing, to use their words, abstinence,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And he said True Love Waits was happy to help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal funding was allocated shortly thereafter for abstinence-based programs, like \u003ca href=\"https://respect4u.com/\">Sex Respect\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.choosingthebest.com/curricula\">Choosing the Best\u003c/a>, whose explicit purpose was to “teach abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage as the expected standard for all school-age children.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>States funded over 700 programs in the first two years that the money became available through the Welfare Reform Act, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_legacy_files//42311/report.pdf\">report\u003c/a> submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, Ross says, True Love Waits was not among them. “We were doing this entirely for the glory of God. So it would’ve been a little bit strange to have the government funding that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. has never had a national standard for sex education. States and local school boards make requirements for the education that K-12 students receive about sex and their bodies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Leslie Kantor, a public health professor at Rutgers University, worked in sex education advocacy in the ’90s. She documented hundreds of school board fights across the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You started to see a lot more organization by conservative groups trying to get existing health education programs shifted out in favor of some of these newly developed abstinence-only-until-marriage programs,” Kantor said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the advocates for abstinence succeeded, especially in Southern and more conservative states, while some states started refusing the grant money and rejecting the criteria attached to it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During President George W. Bush’s administration, abstinence organizations could apply directly for grants, bypassing the states, via the Community-Based Abstinence Education program. At the same time, \u003ca href=\"https://catalystforchildren.org/pdf/Emerging_Answers.pdf\">studies started to emerge\u003c/a> that showed that abstinence-only programs had no significant effect on the sexual behavior of youth who were exposed to it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Additionally, a \u003ca href=\"https://spot.colorado.edu/~tooley/HenryWaxman.pdf\">congressional report\u003c/a> showed that 80% of the grantee programs contained “false, misleading or distorted information about reproductive health.” Many of the \u003ca href=\"https://hrp.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/sexlies_stereotypes2008.pdf\">abstinence-only curricula were called out\u003c/a> for having sexist or racist stereotypes and anti-LGBTQ+ language.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change is an organization that has been advocating for comprehensive sex education since 1964. Its website offers an \u003ca href=\"https://siecus.org/siecus-state-profiles/\">interactive map\u003c/a> that gives grades A through F to states based on their sex education requirements and content. It reports that 35 states require abstinence to be emphasized and that 17 states still provide abstinence-only sex education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of those 17 states have \u003ca href=\"https://opa.hhs.gov/adolescent-health/reproductive-health-and-teen-pregnancy/trends-teen-pregnancy-and-childbearing\">higher rates of teen pregnancy\u003c/a> than the national average and are largely located in the South and Midwest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though the language in legislation and programming may have shifted from the term “abstinence” to “sexual risk avoidance,” they still discourage all sexual activity outside marriage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even in comprehensive sex education, the standard in many states today, abstinence is still part of the curriculum, according to Nawal Umar, a policy analyst at SIECUS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just equated to all the other options that exist,” Umar said. “Because the reality is that abstinence is not going to be the decision that every young person makes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jill Dender and Claire McKeever-Burgett are now both married and live in Tennessee — a state that gets a C- on SIECUS’ grading scale. The state requires any sex education to center on abstinence, and it has severe limits on birth control information. Teachers can even be sued if a parent sees them as “encouraging, advocating, urging or condoning gateway sexual activities,” under the \u003ca href=\"https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/107/Bill/SB3310.pdf\">Gateway Law\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dender has seven children and homeschools them. She’s still happy about her decision to wait for marriage and wants her kids to follow the same path when it comes to sexuality. But mainly what she wants for her kids is for them to follow Jesus. “And when it’s all about Jesus, all this other stuff falls in line,” Dender said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McKeever-Burgett says she is still a Christian but disagrees with what she learned in the purity movement. She said it left her without tools for her dating relationships and made her feel disconnected from her body. She wrote about it in her book, \u003ca href=\"https://www.clairemckeeverburgett.com/book\">Blessed Are the Women\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She wants her two kids to have better relationships with their bodies — to talk about the feelings they’re having without shame. “If you can access that inner wisdom, then as far as I’m concerned, you can live a really beautiful, free life. And that’s what I want for them with sexuality and with everything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>True Love Waits is still around 30 years later but stopped selling pledge cards in 2017. The language of the pledge has changed over time. The most recent version of the True Love Waits commitment doesn’t explicitly mention sexual abstinence or even the word “purity.” Instead, kids are invited to commit themselves to God “in the lifelong pursuit of personal holiness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And you’ll encounter it only if you flip to the back of one of their teen study guides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thirty years ago this week, thousands of teenagers came to Washington, D.C., to pledge to abstain from sex until marriage. It was a breakout moment for an evangelical purity movement that continues to affect sex education in schools. Magnolia McKay reports from Nashville.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MAGNOLIA MCKAY, BYLINE: In 1994, the True Love Waits campaign was still in its infancy, and this event in D.C. took the movement mainstream. It garnered national media attention, including an ABC report by John Stossel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JOHN STOSSEL: Teenagers signed cards pledging their virginity and planted 200,000 of the cards, creating a field of abstinence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Woo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: True love waits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Wait till you get married.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: Jill Dender had signed the pledge and was on the mall that day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JILL DENDER: We had matching T-shirts (laughter).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: She helped stake the pledge cards into the ground. And when she saw that sea of cards…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DENDER: I just felt like, wow, all these people want to honor Jesus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: Thirty years ago, when the True Love Waits campaign started in Nashville, the nation was still dealing with the AIDS crisis, and teen pregnancy rates were up. Claire McKeever-Burgett encountered the True Love Waits pledge at her church in Abilene, Texas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CLAIRE MCKEEVER-BURGETT: There was just something about it that I was confused about. But I did it ’cause, like, church was my life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: She doesn’t remember her parents being involved. It was just something she did with her youth group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKEEVER-BURGETT: If they had a hundred kids – right? – who signed these, that was something they could celebrate with the rest of the church.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: And True Love Wait’s founder Richard Ross says people were surprised that so many kids signed it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RICHARD ROSS: That there were young people who, in a very joyful and a very positive way, said, we think sex is wonderful, and we think it belongs in marriage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: Soon, Ross heard from people in politics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ROSS: Government policymakers did seek counsel. They just were intrigued with whatever we had learned about young people choosing – to use their words – abstinence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: The U.S. has never had a national standard for sex education. Instead, state and local school boards decide what kids learn about sex and their bodies. Leslie Kantor worked in sex education advocacy in the ’90s. She’s now chair of public health at Rutgers University. She remembers school board fights across the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LESLIE KANTOR: You started to see a lot more organization by conservative groups trying to get existing health education programs shifted out in favor of some of these newly developed abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: And many of these groups were successful, especially in Southern and more conservative states. To this day in Tennessee, any sex education – if it’s even taught – must center around abstinence and has severe limits on birth control information. A group called Sex Ed for Social Change estimates that 17 states still include strict requirements like these. Abstinence as one way to avoid pregnancy and STIs is part of comprehensive sex education, but there is no strong body of evidence to support that abstinence-only programs work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jill Dender and Claire McKeever-Burgett are now both married and live in Tennessee. Dender homeschools her seven kids. She’s still happy about her decision to wait for marriage and wants them to follow in the same path.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DENDER: And when it’s all about Jesus, all this other stuff falls in line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: McKeever-Burgett says she’s still a Christian, but what she learned in the purity movement didn’t prepare her for sex and dating. She wants her two kids to have better relationships with their bodies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKEEVER-BURGETT: If you can access that inner wisdom, then as far as I’m concerned, you can live a really beautiful, free life. And that’s what I want for them with sexuality and with everything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MCKAY: True Love Waits is still around 30 years later, but you won’t see a pledge card unless you flip to the back of their Bible study guides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For NPR News, I’m Magnolia McKay in Nashville.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF DOSSING’S “CHECK IN”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The federal government today expanded the number of children known to have died in the repressive boarding school system that, for more than a century, pulled Native American children from their homes and communities. The Interior Department also called for billions in federal funding to begin a “healing” process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report concludes a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11883520/examining-the-painful-legacy-of-native-american-boarding-schools-in-the-u-s\">three-year investigation\u003c/a> that saw, for the first time, the federal government accepting responsibility for its role in creating the system, which included more than 400 schools across 37 states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The federal government – facilitated by the Department I lead – took deliberate and strategic actions through federal Indian boarding school policies to isolate children from their families, deny them their identities, and steal from them the languages, cultures and connections that are foundational to Native people,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report calculates that the federal government spent the equivalent of $23 billion in today’s dollars on the boarding school system from 1871 to 1969, and calls for spending an equivalent amount toward rebuilding families and communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the proposed initiatives are a national memorial to “acknowledge and commemorate” the experiences of tribes, and a plan to return the land on which the boarding schools were located to government or tribal ownership.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A bigger system than imagined\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The new report expands upon the previously acknowledged size and scope of the system, adding more schools and burial grounds to the administration’s final portrait of the gruesome system, and including oral histories that detailed decades of abuse and maltreatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3016x1744+0+0/resize/1200/quality/75/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcf%2F33%2F8db009a34ff7b563636a9a40a607%2Fscreenshot-2024-07-30-at-11-01-01-am.png\" alt=\"Students gathered for an assembly at Hampton Institute in Hampton, Va., about 1900.\">\u003cfigcaption>Students gathered for an assembly at Hampton Institute in Hampton, Va., about 1900. \u003ccite> (Library of Congress)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For the past two years, Haaland and staff from the Interior Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/60995/in-road-to-healing-tour-native-american-boarding-school-survivors-speak-out\">have visited tribal communities\u003c/a> around the country, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/61786/federal-indian-boarding-schools-still-exist-but-whats-inside-may-be-surprising\">hearing from survivors and their families\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As we have learned over the past three years, these institutions are not just part of our past,” said Bryan Newland, assistant secretary of Indian affairs. “Their legacy reaches us today, and is reflected in the wounds people continue to experience in communities across the United States.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, the department continued its investigation, headed by Newland, of government records to compile an accurate record of the toll from the schools’ practices. The final report increased the number of boarding schools in the U.S. from 408 to 417, across 37 states or then-territories. The number includes 22 schools in Alaska and seven in Hawaii.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the report confirms that at least 973 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children died while attending schools in the system. The Department acknowledges that the actual number of children who died while attending Indian boarding schools is likely greater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2276x1712+0+0/resize/1200/quality/75/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F85%2Fbc%2F25b8358f4ebdbb3b384cbdd5cac6%2Fscreenshot-2024-07-30-at-11-24-16-am.png\" alt=\"Students pray beside their beds at an Indian boarding school in Arizona, around 1900.\">\u003cfigcaption>Students pray beside their beds at an Indian boarding school in Arizona, around 1900. \u003ccite> (\u003ci>National Archives\u003c/i>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This report further proves what Indigenous peoples across the country have known for generations: That federal policies were set out to break us, obtain our territories, and destroy our cultures and our lifeways,” Newland, a member of the Bay Mills Indian Community, said in a statement,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The investigation also confirms that there are at least 74 marked or unmarked burial sites at 65 of the schools. One initiative proposed in the report is to identify and repatriate the remains of children who never returned home from the schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Moving communities forward\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In the opening letter of the report, Newland says: “The most important thing is that our work to tell the truth about the Federal Indian boarding school system be paired with action.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The final report seeks to put a price on that action, arguing that the government could begin to remedy the trauma inflicted in over a century of forced assimilation by investing “on a scale, that is, at a minimum, commensurate with the investments made in the Federal Indian boarding school system between 1871 and 1969.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other words, investing $23.3 billion back to the tribes, spread out over a long period of time. The report advocates spending on programs such as family reunification, language revitalization, and Indian education – programs intended to address the ways in which the boarding school system wreaked havoc on tribal communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A national memorial to acknowledge the harm to tribes and individuals is one part of the proposed plans. It would serve not only tribal members, the report says, but would also help educate the broader population about the dark time in the country’s history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apart from these investments, the report calls on the U.S. government to issue a formal apology, and to continue the work of chronicling this period of history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Road to Healing,” Haaland said, “does not end with this report – it is just beginning.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The federal government today expanded the number of children known to have died in the repressive boarding school system that, for more than a century, pulled Native American children from their homes and communities. The Interior Department also called for billions in federal funding to begin a “healing” process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report concludes a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11883520/examining-the-painful-legacy-of-native-american-boarding-schools-in-the-u-s\">three-year investigation\u003c/a> that saw, for the first time, the federal government accepting responsibility for its role in creating the system, which included more than 400 schools across 37 states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The federal government – facilitated by the Department I lead – took deliberate and strategic actions through federal Indian boarding school policies to isolate children from their families, deny them their identities, and steal from them the languages, cultures and connections that are foundational to Native people,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report calculates that the federal government spent the equivalent of $23 billion in today’s dollars on the boarding school system from 1871 to 1969, and calls for spending an equivalent amount toward rebuilding families and communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the proposed initiatives are a national memorial to “acknowledge and commemorate” the experiences of tribes, and a plan to return the land on which the boarding schools were located to government or tribal ownership.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A bigger system than imagined\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The new report expands upon the previously acknowledged size and scope of the system, adding more schools and burial grounds to the administration’s final portrait of the gruesome system, and including oral histories that detailed decades of abuse and maltreatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3016x1744+0+0/resize/1200/quality/75/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcf%2F33%2F8db009a34ff7b563636a9a40a607%2Fscreenshot-2024-07-30-at-11-01-01-am.png\" alt=\"Students gathered for an assembly at Hampton Institute in Hampton, Va., about 1900.\">\u003cfigcaption>Students gathered for an assembly at Hampton Institute in Hampton, Va., about 1900. \u003ccite> (Library of Congress)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For the past two years, Haaland and staff from the Interior Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/60995/in-road-to-healing-tour-native-american-boarding-school-survivors-speak-out\">have visited tribal communities\u003c/a> around the country, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/61786/federal-indian-boarding-schools-still-exist-but-whats-inside-may-be-surprising\">hearing from survivors and their families\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As we have learned over the past three years, these institutions are not just part of our past,” said Bryan Newland, assistant secretary of Indian affairs. “Their legacy reaches us today, and is reflected in the wounds people continue to experience in communities across the United States.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, the department continued its investigation, headed by Newland, of government records to compile an accurate record of the toll from the schools’ practices. The final report increased the number of boarding schools in the U.S. from 408 to 417, across 37 states or then-territories. The number includes 22 schools in Alaska and seven in Hawaii.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the report confirms that at least 973 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children died while attending schools in the system. The Department acknowledges that the actual number of children who died while attending Indian boarding schools is likely greater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2276x1712+0+0/resize/1200/quality/75/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F85%2Fbc%2F25b8358f4ebdbb3b384cbdd5cac6%2Fscreenshot-2024-07-30-at-11-24-16-am.png\" alt=\"Students pray beside their beds at an Indian boarding school in Arizona, around 1900.\">\u003cfigcaption>Students pray beside their beds at an Indian boarding school in Arizona, around 1900. \u003ccite> (\u003ci>National Archives\u003c/i>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This report further proves what Indigenous peoples across the country have known for generations: That federal policies were set out to break us, obtain our territories, and destroy our cultures and our lifeways,” Newland, a member of the Bay Mills Indian Community, said in a statement,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The investigation also confirms that there are at least 74 marked or unmarked burial sites at 65 of the schools. One initiative proposed in the report is to identify and repatriate the remains of children who never returned home from the schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Moving communities forward\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>In the opening letter of the report, Newland says: “The most important thing is that our work to tell the truth about the Federal Indian boarding school system be paired with action.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The final report seeks to put a price on that action, arguing that the government could begin to remedy the trauma inflicted in over a century of forced assimilation by investing “on a scale, that is, at a minimum, commensurate with the investments made in the Federal Indian boarding school system between 1871 and 1969.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other words, investing $23.3 billion back to the tribes, spread out over a long period of time. The report advocates spending on programs such as family reunification, language revitalization, and Indian education – programs intended to address the ways in which the boarding school system wreaked havoc on tribal communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A national memorial to acknowledge the harm to tribes and individuals is one part of the proposed plans. It would serve not only tribal members, the report says, but would also help educate the broader population about the dark time in the country’s history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Apart from these investments, the report calls on the U.S. government to issue a formal apology, and to continue the work of chronicling this period of history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Road to Healing,” Haaland said, “does not end with this report – it is just beginning.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“How many of you have been teachers?” \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://pll.harvard.edu/instructor/karen-l-mapp\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Karen Mapp\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> asked an audience at the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://web.cvent.com/event/eebbe1af-9e83-42bd-a491-ee5652c090a3\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">2024 National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Nearly every hand went into the air. But then came her next question: “How many of you in your pre-service training to be a teacher or an educator had a full course on family engagement?” Only one hand went up.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Most educators do not have models for what good family engagement looks like, said Mapp, director of the Education Policy and Management master’s program at Harvard Graduate School of Education. She defines family engagement as a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sde/publications/fe_definition_and_guiding_principles_handout.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">full and equal partnership between schools, communities and students\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Research shows that family engagement \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://education.jhu.edu/news/study-shows-home-visits-improved-school-attendance/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">benefits not only students\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> but also \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/23/03/case-strong-family-and-community-engagement-schools\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">teachers and families\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. “When we engage with each other, our deficit-based mindsets about each other disappear,” Mapp said. Most schools think that they are engaging families when they are just involving them, but Mapp said that involvement only requires one-way communication. “Your families are your students’ first teachers. We need to treat them with that respect,” she said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mapp developed the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.dualcapacity.org\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dual Capacity-Building Framework\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which outlines how to support family engagement strategies, policies and programs, including building trust, being culturally responsive and fostering collaboration. At the community schools conference, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.rvaschools.net/leadership/leadership-team\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shadae Harris\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Chief Engagement Officer at Richmond Public Schools, shared how she successfully used this framework \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63951/3-strategies-for-encouraging-dads-involvement-in-schools\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">to improve family engagement\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> around student attendance. After the COVID-19 pandemic, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63984/as-chronic-absenteeism-soars-in-schools-most-parents-arent-sure-what-it-is\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">chronic absenteeism\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> rates in Richmond averaged nearly \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.12onyourside.com/2023/11/22/rps-seeing-increased-attendance-engagement-among-students-this-year/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">40% – an all time high\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Using the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for guidance, Harris prioritized learning more about the district’s local history, building relationships with families based on mutual trust, and tracking metrics, such as home visits and phone calls. Harris said that when she moved from viewing “engagement as an add-on to something that was deeply rooted in teaching and learning” it led to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/64107/how-postcards-to-parents-can-help-schools-get-kids-back-to-class\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">better attendance\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at most Richmond Public Schools. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The basic elements of this framework can be a roadmap for schools to improve family engagement and achieve goals. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Honor history\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Dual Capacity-Building Framework \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dualcapacity.org/framework-in-depth/the-challenge\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">identifies obstacles\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that get in the way of authentic family engagement, including educators’ deficit mindsets and families’ negative past experiences with schools. Harris, originally from Boston, Massachusetts, saw these challenges playing out in her district. To address them, she spent time learning local history so she could better understand the community beyond its negative narratives.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Harris learned about \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://venturerichmond.com/live-downtown/historic-neighborhoods/jackson-ward/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jackson Ward\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a thriving Black neighborhood known as the “Harlem of the South.” This community was home to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/maggie-lena-walker\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Maggie Walker\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the first Black female president to charter a bank. While Harris started with the “beauty and brilliance” of the people in Richmond, she also recognized the historical harms done to those communities. For example, a highway was built through Jackson Ward that broke up its thriving middle class Black community. She noted that the people affected are grandparents of the students currently in school and that it makes sense that families have lingering distrust in institutions. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Learning local history isn’t about fixing past wrongs, Harris said. It’s about honoring history and acknowledging harm, which builds “community credibility” and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63920/building-parent-teacher-relationships-can-be-hard-positive-phone-calls-home-can-help\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">lays the groundwork for families to begin to trust schools\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"HARGSE4I2016-V000600\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/GAeovqwgfZ8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Prioritize relationships\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Practices that are \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dualcapacity.org/framework-in-depth/essential-conditions\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">culturally responsive, collaborative and built on mutual trust\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are key to strengthening family engagement, according to Mapp. Harris put this into practice by assigning family liaison staff members to become “experts” in the district’s neighborhoods. “Communities already have very intricate systems of communication,” Harris said, but schools aren’t always tapped into them. By leveraging existing community assets, Harris and her colleagues adopted a strength-based perspective in their engagement efforts.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When Harris hired family liaisons, she considered what structural barriers might prevent her from hiring people from the communities they would be serving. She found that the qualifications required for the roles, such as having a bachelor’s degree, were restrictive and deterred the candidates she wanted from applying. She revised the application so that it invited applicants to talk about their relationships and connections within the community. Additionally, she extended the position from an eight-month term to a year-round role. “The summer is pivotal, and I’m going to pay you for it,” Harris recalled saying. “You have to value the position.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the family liaisons in place and trust built in the community, families felt more comfortable sharing their challenges. Harris discovered that thousands of parents were living in motels. While the \u003ca href=\"https://nche.ed.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ehcy_profile.pdf\">Mckinney-Vento Act\u003c/a> is in place to support families experiencing homelessness, families living in motels were exempt from these services. Harris secured a grant to provide direct financial assistance to those parents. To date Harris and staff at Richmond Public Schools have helped to secure housing for 130 families. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Quantify outreach and tell the story\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For Harris, measuring the district’s engagement was critical to track progress and make necessary adjustments. She designed an engagement dashboard to monitor key metrics, such as \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51967/can-inviting-teachers-over-to-your-home-improve-how-kids-learn\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">home visits\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and successful phone calls. The dashboard also allowed staff to record important notes about who they reached and whether the phone call was productive or not. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We were able to see these causal connections,” Harris explained. For example, 52% of students at Fairfield Court Elementary School were chronically absent in the years following the pandemic. After home visits, that number went down to 9%. According to Harris, increased learning time from students actually showing up to school is a powerful result of strong family engagement. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Over the past two years, we’ve increased almost 90,000 academic hours,” she said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Richmond Public Schools’ story illustrates how the Dual Capacity-Building Framework helped one school district, but its application can and should vary according to community needs, according to Mapp. “You have to be intentional,” she said. “Family engagement is a strategy, not a goal.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“How many of you have been teachers?” \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://pll.harvard.edu/instructor/karen-l-mapp\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Karen Mapp\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> asked an audience at the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://web.cvent.com/event/eebbe1af-9e83-42bd-a491-ee5652c090a3\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">2024 National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Nearly every hand went into the air. But then came her next question: “How many of you in your pre-service training to be a teacher or an educator had a full course on family engagement?” Only one hand went up.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Most educators do not have models for what good family engagement looks like, said Mapp, director of the Education Policy and Management master’s program at Harvard Graduate School of Education. She defines family engagement as a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sde/publications/fe_definition_and_guiding_principles_handout.pdf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">full and equal partnership between schools, communities and students\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Research shows that family engagement \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://education.jhu.edu/news/study-shows-home-visits-improved-school-attendance/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">benefits not only students\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> but also \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/23/03/case-strong-family-and-community-engagement-schools\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">teachers and families\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. “When we engage with each other, our deficit-based mindsets about each other disappear,” Mapp said. Most schools think that they are engaging families when they are just involving them, but Mapp said that involvement only requires one-way communication. “Your families are your students’ first teachers. We need to treat them with that respect,” she said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mapp developed the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.dualcapacity.org\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dual Capacity-Building Framework\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which outlines how to support family engagement strategies, policies and programs, including building trust, being culturally responsive and fostering collaboration. At the community schools conference, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.rvaschools.net/leadership/leadership-team\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shadae Harris\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Chief Engagement Officer at Richmond Public Schools, shared how she successfully used this framework \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63951/3-strategies-for-encouraging-dads-involvement-in-schools\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">to improve family engagement\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> around student attendance. After the COVID-19 pandemic, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63984/as-chronic-absenteeism-soars-in-schools-most-parents-arent-sure-what-it-is\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">chronic absenteeism\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> rates in Richmond averaged nearly \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.12onyourside.com/2023/11/22/rps-seeing-increased-attendance-engagement-among-students-this-year/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">40% – an all time high\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Using the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for guidance, Harris prioritized learning more about the district’s local history, building relationships with families based on mutual trust, and tracking metrics, such as home visits and phone calls. Harris said that when she moved from viewing “engagement as an add-on to something that was deeply rooted in teaching and learning” it led to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/64107/how-postcards-to-parents-can-help-schools-get-kids-back-to-class\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">better attendance\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at most Richmond Public Schools. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The basic elements of this framework can be a roadmap for schools to improve family engagement and achieve goals. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Honor history\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Dual Capacity-Building Framework \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dualcapacity.org/framework-in-depth/the-challenge\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">identifies obstacles\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that get in the way of authentic family engagement, including educators’ deficit mindsets and families’ negative past experiences with schools. Harris, originally from Boston, Massachusetts, saw these challenges playing out in her district. To address them, she spent time learning local history so she could better understand the community beyond its negative narratives.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Harris learned about \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://venturerichmond.com/live-downtown/historic-neighborhoods/jackson-ward/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jackson Ward\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a thriving Black neighborhood known as the “Harlem of the South.” This community was home to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/maggie-lena-walker\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Maggie Walker\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the first Black female president to charter a bank. While Harris started with the “beauty and brilliance” of the people in Richmond, she also recognized the historical harms done to those communities. For example, a highway was built through Jackson Ward that broke up its thriving middle class Black community. She noted that the people affected are grandparents of the students currently in school and that it makes sense that families have lingering distrust in institutions. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Learning local history isn’t about fixing past wrongs, Harris said. It’s about honoring history and acknowledging harm, which builds “community credibility” and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63920/building-parent-teacher-relationships-can-be-hard-positive-phone-calls-home-can-help\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">lays the groundwork for families to begin to trust schools\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"HARGSE4I2016-V000600\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/GAeovqwgfZ8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Prioritize relationships\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Practices that are \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.dualcapacity.org/framework-in-depth/essential-conditions\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">culturally responsive, collaborative and built on mutual trust\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are key to strengthening family engagement, according to Mapp. Harris put this into practice by assigning family liaison staff members to become “experts” in the district’s neighborhoods. “Communities already have very intricate systems of communication,” Harris said, but schools aren’t always tapped into them. By leveraging existing community assets, Harris and her colleagues adopted a strength-based perspective in their engagement efforts.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When Harris hired family liaisons, she considered what structural barriers might prevent her from hiring people from the communities they would be serving. She found that the qualifications required for the roles, such as having a bachelor’s degree, were restrictive and deterred the candidates she wanted from applying. She revised the application so that it invited applicants to talk about their relationships and connections within the community. Additionally, she extended the position from an eight-month term to a year-round role. “The summer is pivotal, and I’m going to pay you for it,” Harris recalled saying. “You have to value the position.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the family liaisons in place and trust built in the community, families felt more comfortable sharing their challenges. Harris discovered that thousands of parents were living in motels. While the \u003ca href=\"https://nche.ed.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ehcy_profile.pdf\">Mckinney-Vento Act\u003c/a> is in place to support families experiencing homelessness, families living in motels were exempt from these services. Harris secured a grant to provide direct financial assistance to those parents. To date Harris and staff at Richmond Public Schools have helped to secure housing for 130 families. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Quantify outreach and tell the story\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For Harris, measuring the district’s engagement was critical to track progress and make necessary adjustments. She designed an engagement dashboard to monitor key metrics, such as \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51967/can-inviting-teachers-over-to-your-home-improve-how-kids-learn\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">home visits\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and successful phone calls. The dashboard also allowed staff to record important notes about who they reached and whether the phone call was productive or not. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We were able to see these causal connections,” Harris explained. For example, 52% of students at Fairfield Court Elementary School were chronically absent in the years following the pandemic. After home visits, that number went down to 9%. According to Harris, increased learning time from students actually showing up to school is a powerful result of strong family engagement. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Over the past two years, we’ve increased almost 90,000 academic hours,” she said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Richmond Public Schools’ story illustrates how the Dual Capacity-Building Framework helped one school district, but its application can and should vary according to community needs, according to Mapp. “You have to be intentional,” she said. “Family engagement is a strategy, not a goal.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Dermatologist \u003ca href=\"https://www.houshmanddermatology.com/\">Elizabeth Houshmand\u003c/a> sees a lot of tweens and teens in her Dallas practice. A few months ago, a mother brought her 9-year-old daughter in with a significantly red, itching face. It turns out the daughter had been using a moisturizer that she’d seen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/61126/how-to-help-young-people-limit-screen-time-and-improve-their-body-image\">promoted on social media.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The mom felt so bad,” she says, “because she had purchased it for her. A lot of her friends were using this particular brand’s products.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But neither mother nor child realized that the moisturizer contained glycolic acid, an exfoliating ingredient that can be too harsh for the thinner skin of preteens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not the product. Those are good products if used by the right person. It’s the fact that it’s the wrong product for that age demographic,” Houshmand says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As teens and tweens have become major consumers of skin care products, dermatologists are seeing more of these types of cases. It’s a trend \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/61671/teens-say-social-media-is-stressing-them-out-heres-how-to-help-them\">fueled by social media\u003c/a>, which is awash with young influencers demonstrating their multistep skin care routines, some of which feature products that are quite pricey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.uclahealth.org/providers/carol-cheng\">Carol Cheng\u003c/a>, a pediatric dermatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, says she’s also seeing more kids and adolescents come in with rashes caused by layering on too many products in pursuit of a flawless, poreless look promoted on Instagram and TikTok as “\u003ca href=\"https://www.allure.com/story/how-to-get-glass-skin-korean-beauty\">glass skin\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unfortunately, that can backfire, causing redness, peeling, flaking, burning,” Cheng says. “And so we see patients coming in for these concerns more than we did a couple years ago, at younger ages.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some cases, she says patients as young as 8 or 9 are coming in with bad reactions to these beauty products.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One problem is that kids — along with their parents — may not realize that some of these viral beauty products include active ingredients, such as chemical exfoliants known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6017965/\">AHAs and BHAs\u003c/a>, which help remove dead skin cells and oil. While those ingredients can be appropriate for teens with oily skin, Cheng says they’re too harsh for the thinner skin of preteens who have yet to go through puberty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their skin barrier can be compromised more easily,” Cheng says. “Their skin is more sensitive, you know — the skin’s not as robust. And so, any of these products can affect their skin more easily or cause irritation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://metropolisdermatology.com/our-team-dermatology-office-brentwood/jayden-galamgam/\">Jayden Galamgam\u003c/a>, a pediatric dermatology fellow at UCLA, says he has also seen kids come in with \u003ca href=\"https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/6173-contact-dermatitis\">allergic contact dermatitis\u003c/a> caused by repeated exposure to active ingredients. “If your skin repeatedly comes into contact with an ingredient, it can become sensitized to it and you can develop allergic rashes from it,” he explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So what should a skin care routine look like for a tween or young teen? Houshmand says to keep it simple.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Basic skin care for that demographic should just be just a very mild, gentle cleanser. Maybe some moisturizer and a sunscreen — nothing more,” Houshmand says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says for teens battling acne, over-the-counter products with ingredients like \u003ca href=\"https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/18363-benzoyl-peroxide-cream-gel-or-lotion\">benzoyl peroxide\u003c/a> are fine, though it’s a good idea to check in with their pediatrician or a dermatologist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cheng notes that even though many of the viral beauty products promoted to teens on social media come with hefty price tags, good skin care doesn’t have to cost a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Drugstore products are completely fine and have the same sort of benefits as the fancy ones you can find at Sephora or some of the department stores,” Cheng says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parents should be alert to the active ingredients in the products their children are using, Cheng advises, so they can steer their kids away from potential irritants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Houshmand says there are upsides to this social media-fueled interest in skin care. For one thing, kids are learning about the importance of using sunscreen at an earlier age. And it’s also an opportunity to educate teens and tweens that good skin begins with healthy habits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I always tell patients, I can’t give you beautiful skin unless you are healthy and you take care of yourself, because the skin really reflects what’s going on internally,” Houshmand says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says exercise, a balanced diet and a good night’s sleep can all play a role not just in good health but in good skin too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was edited by Jane Greenhalgh.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LEILA FADEL, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teens and tweens are becoming major consumers of skin care products. Some are responding to young influencers demonstrating pricey skincare routines on social media, but do kids really need them? NPR’s Maria Godoy finds out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MARIA GODOY, BYLINE: Like a lot of teens, 14-year-old Stella Siers cares about having clear skin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>STELLA SIERS: I try and take care of it as much as I can, so if, ooh, I see a pimple, I’m going put a patch on it. I’m going to take care of it, ’cause it’s just important that my face is healthy and looking good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GODOY: To keep her skin free of the bumps and pimples that come with adolescence, she relies on a multistep routine that includes an acne face wash, a mild moisturizer, a hydrating serum and sunscreen. One of her favorite products was made famous on TikTok. It’s a watermelon toner which comes in an eye-catching translucent pink bottle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>STELLA: I love it. It’s my favorite. I got all of it. That’s, like, the only thing I’m like, ooh, that looks nice – I’m going to get it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GODOY: Like millions of other teens and tweens, Stella says she’s tempted to try skin care products that pop up on her social media feed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FADEL: I see it, and I’m like, OK, everyone has this. Let me try it out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GODOY: Now, Stella’s mom is a nurse practitioner, so she steers the teen away from ingredients that aren’t appropriate for her age – things like retinol, which increases cell turnover but can also make skin more sensitive to the sun. but not all kids or parents are as aware of potential pitfalls. Dr. Carol Cheng is a pediatric dermatologist at UCLA. She says she’s been seeing more kids and adolescents come in with rashes caused by layering on too many products in pursuit of a flawless look, promoted on Instagram and TikTok as glass skin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CAROL CHENG: Unfortunately, that can backfire, causing redness, peeling, flaking, burning, and so we see patients coming in for these concerns more than we did a couple years ago, at younger ages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GODOY: In some cases, she says, patients as young as 8 or 9 are coming in with bad reactions to these beauty products. One problem is that kids and their parents may not realize that some of these viral beauty products include active ingredients such as chemical exfoliants, known as AHAs and BHAs, that help remove dead skin cells and oil. While those ingredients can be appropriate for teens with oily skin, Cheng says they’re too harsh for the thinner skin of preteens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: Their skin barrier can be compromised more easily. Their skin’s more sensitive. Their skin’s not as robust, and so any of these products can affect their skin more easily and cause irritation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GODOY: So what should a skin care routine look like for a tween or young teen? Dr. Elizabeth Houshmand is a dermatologist in Dallas who sees many patients in this age group. Her advice is to keep it simple.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ELIZABETH HOUSHMAND: Basic skin care for that demographic should just be a very mild, gentle cleanser, maybe some moisturizer and a sunscreen – nothing more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GODOY: She says for teens battling acne, over-the-counter products with ingredients like benzoyl peroxide are fine, though it’s a good idea to check in with their pediatrician or a dermatologist. Houshmand says one upside of this social-media-fueled interest in skin care is that it’s an opportunity to educate teens and tweens that good skin begins with healthy habits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HOUSHMAND: I always tell patients, I can’t give you beautiful skin unless you are healthy and you take care of yourself because the skin really reflects what’s going on internally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GODOY: She says exercise, a balanced diet and a good night’s sleep can all play a role not just in good health, but good skin, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maria Godoy, NPR News.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Dermatologist \u003ca href=\"https://www.houshmanddermatology.com/\">Elizabeth Houshmand\u003c/a> sees a lot of tweens and teens in her Dallas practice. A few months ago, a mother brought her 9-year-old daughter in with a significantly red, itching face. It turns out the daughter had been using a moisturizer that she’d seen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/61126/how-to-help-young-people-limit-screen-time-and-improve-their-body-image\">promoted on social media.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The mom felt so bad,” she says, “because she had purchased it for her. A lot of her friends were using this particular brand’s products.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But neither mother nor child realized that the moisturizer contained glycolic acid, an exfoliating ingredient that can be too harsh for the thinner skin of preteens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not the product. Those are good products if used by the right person. It’s the fact that it’s the wrong product for that age demographic,” Houshmand says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As teens and tweens have become major consumers of skin care products, dermatologists are seeing more of these types of cases. It’s a trend \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/61671/teens-say-social-media-is-stressing-them-out-heres-how-to-help-them\">fueled by social media\u003c/a>, which is awash with young influencers demonstrating their multistep skin care routines, some of which feature products that are quite pricey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.uclahealth.org/providers/carol-cheng\">Carol Cheng\u003c/a>, a pediatric dermatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, says she’s also seeing more kids and adolescents come in with rashes caused by layering on too many products in pursuit of a flawless, poreless look promoted on Instagram and TikTok as “\u003ca href=\"https://www.allure.com/story/how-to-get-glass-skin-korean-beauty\">glass skin\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unfortunately, that can backfire, causing redness, peeling, flaking, burning,” Cheng says. “And so we see patients coming in for these concerns more than we did a couple years ago, at younger ages.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some cases, she says patients as young as 8 or 9 are coming in with bad reactions to these beauty products.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One problem is that kids — along with their parents — may not realize that some of these viral beauty products include active ingredients, such as chemical exfoliants known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6017965/\">AHAs and BHAs\u003c/a>, which help remove dead skin cells and oil. While those ingredients can be appropriate for teens with oily skin, Cheng says they’re too harsh for the thinner skin of preteens who have yet to go through puberty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their skin barrier can be compromised more easily,” Cheng says. “Their skin is more sensitive, you know — the skin’s not as robust. And so, any of these products can affect their skin more easily or cause irritation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://metropolisdermatology.com/our-team-dermatology-office-brentwood/jayden-galamgam/\">Jayden Galamgam\u003c/a>, a pediatric dermatology fellow at UCLA, says he has also seen kids come in with \u003ca href=\"https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/6173-contact-dermatitis\">allergic contact dermatitis\u003c/a> caused by repeated exposure to active ingredients. “If your skin repeatedly comes into contact with an ingredient, it can become sensitized to it and you can develop allergic rashes from it,” he explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So what should a skin care routine look like for a tween or young teen? Houshmand says to keep it simple.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Basic skin care for that demographic should just be just a very mild, gentle cleanser. Maybe some moisturizer and a sunscreen — nothing more,” Houshmand says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says for teens battling acne, over-the-counter products with ingredients like \u003ca href=\"https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/18363-benzoyl-peroxide-cream-gel-or-lotion\">benzoyl peroxide\u003c/a> are fine, though it’s a good idea to check in with their pediatrician or a dermatologist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cheng notes that even though many of the viral beauty products promoted to teens on social media come with hefty price tags, good skin care doesn’t have to cost a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Drugstore products are completely fine and have the same sort of benefits as the fancy ones you can find at Sephora or some of the department stores,” Cheng says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parents should be alert to the active ingredients in the products their children are using, Cheng advises, so they can steer their kids away from potential irritants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Houshmand says there are upsides to this social media-fueled interest in skin care. For one thing, kids are learning about the importance of using sunscreen at an earlier age. And it’s also an opportunity to educate teens and tweens that good skin begins with healthy habits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I always tell patients, I can’t give you beautiful skin unless you are healthy and you take care of yourself, because the skin really reflects what’s going on internally,” Houshmand says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says exercise, a balanced diet and a good night’s sleep can all play a role not just in good health but in good skin too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was edited by Jane Greenhalgh.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LEILA FADEL, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teens and tweens are becoming major consumers of skin care products. Some are responding to young influencers demonstrating pricey skincare routines on social media, but do kids really need them? NPR’s Maria Godoy finds out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MARIA GODOY, BYLINE: Like a lot of teens, 14-year-old Stella Siers cares about having clear skin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>STELLA SIERS: I try and take care of it as much as I can, so if, ooh, I see a pimple, I’m going put a patch on it. I’m going to take care of it, ’cause it’s just important that my face is healthy and looking good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GODOY: To keep her skin free of the bumps and pimples that come with adolescence, she relies on a multistep routine that includes an acne face wash, a mild moisturizer, a hydrating serum and sunscreen. One of her favorite products was made famous on TikTok. It’s a watermelon toner which comes in an eye-catching translucent pink bottle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>STELLA: I love it. It’s my favorite. I got all of it. That’s, like, the only thing I’m like, ooh, that looks nice – I’m going to get it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GODOY: Like millions of other teens and tweens, Stella says she’s tempted to try skin care products that pop up on her social media feed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FADEL: I see it, and I’m like, OK, everyone has this. Let me try it out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GODOY: Now, Stella’s mom is a nurse practitioner, so she steers the teen away from ingredients that aren’t appropriate for her age – things like retinol, which increases cell turnover but can also make skin more sensitive to the sun. but not all kids or parents are as aware of potential pitfalls. Dr. Carol Cheng is a pediatric dermatologist at UCLA. She says she’s been seeing more kids and adolescents come in with rashes caused by layering on too many products in pursuit of a flawless look, promoted on Instagram and TikTok as glass skin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CAROL CHENG: Unfortunately, that can backfire, causing redness, peeling, flaking, burning, and so we see patients coming in for these concerns more than we did a couple years ago, at younger ages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GODOY: In some cases, she says, patients as young as 8 or 9 are coming in with bad reactions to these beauty products. One problem is that kids and their parents may not realize that some of these viral beauty products include active ingredients such as chemical exfoliants, known as AHAs and BHAs, that help remove dead skin cells and oil. While those ingredients can be appropriate for teens with oily skin, Cheng says they’re too harsh for the thinner skin of preteens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: Their skin barrier can be compromised more easily. Their skin’s more sensitive. Their skin’s not as robust, and so any of these products can affect their skin more easily and cause irritation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GODOY: So what should a skin care routine look like for a tween or young teen? Dr. Elizabeth Houshmand is a dermatologist in Dallas who sees many patients in this age group. Her advice is to keep it simple.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ELIZABETH HOUSHMAND: Basic skin care for that demographic should just be a very mild, gentle cleanser, maybe some moisturizer and a sunscreen – nothing more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GODOY: She says for teens battling acne, over-the-counter products with ingredients like benzoyl peroxide are fine, though it’s a good idea to check in with their pediatrician or a dermatologist. Houshmand says one upside of this social-media-fueled interest in skin care is that it’s an opportunity to educate teens and tweens that good skin begins with healthy habits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HOUSHMAND: I always tell patients, I can’t give you beautiful skin unless you are healthy and you take care of yourself because the skin really reflects what’s going on internally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GODOY: She says exercise, a balanced diet and a good night’s sleep can all play a role not just in good health, but good skin, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maria Godoy, NPR News.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Sam is a smiling, wiggly six-year-old who loves dinosaurs and “anything big and powerful,” says his mother, Tabitha, a full-time parent and former special education teacher. Sam lives with his seven siblings and parents in a small town in central Georgia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sam has significant disabilities including cri-du-chat syndrome — a rare genetic disorder. He can use a walker for short distances, but he mostly gets around using a wheelchair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lately, Sam has been bestowing Sign names upon everyone in his house— Sam primarily communicates using American Sign Language (ASL) because he’s partially deaf. His own name translates to “Sam Giggles,” which he does a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Sam started going to school, Tabitha says he has faced a number of challenges getting the services he needs, including classroom instruction in ASL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How do you teach a child to learn if they don’t even speak the same language as you, and you haven’t found a way to bridge that gap?” Tabitha asks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On top of language barriers in the classroom, Sam also hasn’t been getting special education support, and he has had trouble accessing the school grounds in his wheelchair. Since February of last year, Sam has been doing virtual school, and before that, he was going to school in-person. At first, the school was unable to provide a wheelchair-accessible bus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think that these stories are tragic for the teachers. I think they’re tragic for the students,” Tabitha says. “I think what we’ve failed to do as a society is not make it tragic for the people who are making the decisions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Seeking solutions\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Tabitha has spent years fighting to get Sam the services he needs to get a free and appropriate public education, which is guaranteed by federal law. Eventually, she turned to the federal government for help and filed a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a culmination of many things – like the fact that Sam’s school acknowledges that he primarily communicates in ASL, and that his hearing could worsen, but he has yet to receive instruction in his native language.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>District reports say Sam’s current hearing loss does not meet the state of Georgia’s criteria for “deaf or hard of hearing,” meaning they don’t have to provide him instruction in ASL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I got to the point where I felt like I couldn’t do anything about it and yet I knew the law was on my side. That’s when I decided to file.” Tabitha recalled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She felt like a federal complaint was a last resort to get Sam a quality education. But the investigation into his case has been going on for a year and a half now. It’s time that Sam can’t get back.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Scarce resources\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Over the course of a year – in 2022 and 2023 – the Department of Education received over 19,000 discrimination complaints based on race, color, national origin, sex, age and disability. NPR heard from many parents around the country who said their cases took too long to resolve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Catherine Lhamon is the assistant secretary of education for civil rights. She says she shares these families’ frustration about long wait times, but that a thorough investigation involves an often complicated, time-consuming process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lhamon says that the OCR’s investigators are also overwhelmed, with more than 50 cases each. Part of the problem is a backlog from the pandemic, and a severe special educator shortage around the country. But it’s also about money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Last year, Congress flat-funded our office. And that has meant that we are not able to bring on new people even though we are now seeing close to double the cases that we were seeing ten years ago,” Lhamon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While thousands of cases are dragging through the system, there is one option Lhamon says has made faster resolutions possible: early mediation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, parents and districts can more easily choose to meet with an OCR mediator instead of going through a formal investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Tabitha and John, mediation didn’t work in a past state complaint, so they opted for an investigation. Now, because of how long the OCR investigation is taking, Tabitha is considering suing the school district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of their concerns with the district have deepened since they filed, but they have seen some progress. Sam’s school eventually provided a wheelchair-accessible bus. Last year, Sam got an ASL interpreter, though the district has since taken that service away. The fight has been draining for Tabitha, but it’s one worth waging, she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If Sam’s future is wide open, that’s my dream. I want him to experience what any six year old gets to experience.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ADRIAN FLORIDO, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sam is a 6-year-old with an infectious laugh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SAM: (Laughter).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: He lives with his seven siblings and parents in a small town in central Georgia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Hi, Ms. Keisha (ph). I just put him down and changed his poopy diaper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KEISHA: All right. Excellent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: Sam starts his day with his nurse, Keisha. He refers to her as robot Keisha in American Sign Language, or ASL. It’s how Sam primarily communicates because he’s partially deaf.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: So he has just related her to one of her – his favorite things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: OK.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: And so she does the robot dance for him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: That’s Sam’s mom, Tabitha. She’s a full-time parent and former special educator. Since Sam started going to school, he’s faced quite a few challenges getting the services he needs, including instruction in ASL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: How do you teach a child to learn if they don’t even speak the same language as you and you haven’t found a way to bridge that gap?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: On top of language barriers in the classroom, Sam also hasn’t been getting special education support and has had trouble accessing the school grounds in his wheelchair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: I think that these stories are tragic for the teachers. I think they’re tragic for the students. And I think what we failed to do as a society is not make it tragic for the people who are making the decisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: After years of fighting to get Sam the services he needs to get the public education he’s guaranteed by federal law, Tabitha eventually turned to the federal government for help. She filed a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: When I got to the point where I felt like I couldn’t do anything about it, and yet I knew the law was on my side, that’s when I decided to file.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: Federal law guarantees every student with a disability a free and appropriate public education, which Tabitha feels Sam is being denied. So Tabitha eventually turns to the federal government for help. She filed a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: When we don’t teach him to read, he doesn’t have the option to be an explorer through reading. When we don’t teach him to access the building and give him the supports he needs, then he doesn’t make those peer buddies, and his world is limited to just his family and not his community. So that’s what I’m doing. I’m opening up the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: CONSIDER THIS – the federal government is seeing an all-time high of discrimination complaints, many from families of students with disabilities. Coming up, how one mother is fighting for her son to get a quality education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: From NPR, I’m Adrian Florido.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: It’s CONSIDER THIS FROM NPR. Students with disabilities often face a tough time getting the services they need at school. When they can’t get them, many families seek help from the federal government. And right now, the Department of Education is swamped with a record number of discrimination complaints. That backlog is leaving families across the country waiting months, even years, for help. NPR’s Jonaki Mehta visited one such family in central Georgia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF BIRDS CHIRPING)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JONAKI MEHTA, BYLINE: It’s a lazy summer day for many kids in middle Georgia. But one family of 10 is up and at them on a Tuesday morning at 7:30.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: It’s a messy house – well lived in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Full-time parent and former special education teacher Tabitha calls up to her husband, John.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Dad, can you bring Sam down?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Their youngest of eight children, Sam, is rubbing his eyes as he comes down the stairs in his father’s arm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Here comes Mr. Sam. Good morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Sam’s got a busy day ahead. He’ll have a lesson with his new teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, an occupational therapy session, followed by speech and language pathology. Sam is a smiling, wiggly 6-year-old who loves to dance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SAM: (Laughter).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Today, he’s chosen to wear a purple T-shirt with a roaring blue T. rex across the back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Oh, he’s a dinosaur fanatic – anything scary and big and powerful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Sam has significant disabilities, including cri-du-chat syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. He mostly gets around using a wheelchair. Sam’s also partially deaf. His primary language is American Sign Language, or ASL. Lately, he’s been practicing his name. It’s an outward-facing fist stroking one cheek. It stands for Sam giggles, which he does a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SAM: (Laughter).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Sam lives in a small town, so we’re only using first names in this story, since he and his siblings are minors, and we want to freely discuss Sam’s disabilities. Once Sam is done with his morning routine of nebulizers and medications, he signs the word ball to tell his mom he’s ready for his favorite activity…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF BALLS THUMPING)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: …Playing in his ball pit. Sam’s parents and nurse can provide him with much of the support he needs at home, but his education has proven to be a huge obstacle. Since February of last year, Sam’s been doing virtual school. Before that, he was going to school in person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: But then there were so many issues with transporting. They couldn’t transport his equipment. They couldn’t have his wheelchair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: At first, there was no school bus with wheelchair access. At one point, Tabitha says the district asked her to leave Sam’s wheelchair at school throughout the week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Sam’s nurse would have to carry him up the steps, put him into a seat belt. The bus driver and the aide would carry up the bags, you know…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: And with his medical equipment, that’s a lot of bags. Tabitha would often end up taking Sam to school herself, equipment in tow. The newly built school campus is only a few blocks from their home. But she’d often get there to find the four accessible parking spaces blocked by school police cars. She showed me dozens of pictures and drove me to the school lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: And we find that there’s obstacles every time we come, whether it’s a…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Tabitha drives over and shows me a crosswalk with a curb cutout for wheelchair access on one side, but no cutout on the other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: So there’s no access for us to cross the street safely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: When he was going to school in person, Sam was in a general education classroom along with other pre-K students, but…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: He was never given a special ed teacher in that class or special ed support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: His school district acknowledges that Sam primarily communicates in ASL and that his hearing could worsen, but district reports say Sam’s current hearing loss does not meet Georgia’s criteria for deaf or hard of hearing, meaning they don’t have to provide him instruction in ASL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: It’s that whole theory of he’s not deaf enough. I don’t know if you know how offensive that term is. I’m being told, but he can hear, and I’m saying, but he can’t hear all of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: NPR reached out to the director of special education in the district. She said she couldn’t speak about Sam’s case with me to protect his privacy. But in an email, she said, quote, “the district takes each student’s individual needs into account when developing individual educational programs for students with disabilities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>States and districts have long complained that the onus falls on them for providing services because the federal government has historically failed to provide the funds they promised states for special education. For Tabitha, her frustration led her to file a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights in December 2022. She had a long list of concerns for Sam, like wheelchair access issues and lack of special ed support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Five months later, OCR told Tabitha they would investigate three things – whether Sam was being denied a free and appropriate public education, which is guaranteed by federal law, whether the playground was inaccessible to disabled people and whether the parking lot was inaccessible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: I thought that OCR would be able to handle this, that we would make some forward progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: But the investigation into Sam’s case has been going on for a year and a half now – valuable time in Sam’s young life and his education. Over the course of a year in 2022 and 2023, the Department of Education received over 19,000 discrimination complaints based on race, color, national origin, sex, age and disability. I heard from many parents around the country who said their cases took too long to resolve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CATHERINE LHAMON: I share the frustrations that you’re hearing from families about how long that takes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: That’s Catherine Lhamon. She’s the assistant secretary of education for civil rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LHAMON: And we also owe them careful evaluation of facts to figure out how the law applies to the particular concern, and that is invariably a complicated process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Lhamon says OCR’s investigators are overwhelmed, with more than 50 cases each. Part of the problem is a backlog from the pandemic, but it’s also about money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LHAMON: Last year, Congress flat-funded our office, and that meant we are not able to bring on new people, even though we are now seeing close to double the cases we were seeing 10 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: There is one option Lhamon says has made faster resolutions possible – early mediation. Now, parents and districts can easily opt for a meeting with an OCR mediator instead of a formal investigation. For Tabitha and John, mediation didn’t work out in a past state complaint, so this time, they opted for an investigation. While some of their concerns with the district have deepened since they filed, they have seen some progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school eventually provided a bus with wheelchair access. Last year, Sam got an ASL interpreter, though the district has since taken that service away. And just a couple of weeks before I met him, Sam started Zoom lessons with Jessica (ph), a teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JESSICA: OK. Your turn to sign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Backpack. Good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JESSICA: Backpack – you remember that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: In the lesson I watched, Sam read a story with Jessica and signed his responses to some of her questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JESSICA: You read today, and you matched.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: It’s magic. He has learned more sign in the last three weeks faster than he’s ever picked up sign language before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Tabitha says that’s all great, but it’s only for five hours a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Imagine if that was every day, like it’s supposed to be, and all day, like it’s supposed to be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Now Tabitha is considering suing the school district. But with a single income and a family of 10, she doesn’t know if they can afford a lawyer. This whole process has been draining for her, but Tabitha tears up as she tells me why her fight for Sam matters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: (Crying) There’s a certain reality you face where you’re grieving your child, and they’re still here. I totally want to give him everything while he’s with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: What’s your dream for Sam? Like, what do you want for his future?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: If Sam’s future is wide open, that’s my dream. Like, I want him to experience what every 6-year-old gets to experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: As we drive back from the school, Sam signs to his mom through the rearview mirror.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Yes. Signing swim right now – splash, splash, splash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: At the small, gated pool in their backyard, off comes Sam’s orthosis braces and shoes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF VELCRO RIPPING)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Off come his socks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Can you help me take off your socks? Put them off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Sam slides to the edge of the water and sticks in his bare feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF WATER SPLASHING)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Kick, kick, kick – fast, fast, fast, fast – (vocalizing).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: When Tabitha tries to convince him to go inside the house, Sam instead signs what any 6-year-old splashing in a swimming pool on a hot summer day would – more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF WATER SPLASHING)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: More? You want in more? (Laughter) Just a little bit more, OK?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: In middle Georgia, I’m Jonaki Mehta, NPR News.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: This episode was produced by Jonaki Mehta and Marc Rivers. It was edited by Steven Drummond and Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Thanks to our CONSIDER THIS+ listeners, who support the work of NPR journalists and help keep public radio strong. Supporters also hear every episode without messages from sponsors. Learn more at plus.npr.org.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: It’s CONSIDER THIS FROM NPR. I’m Adrian Florido.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Sam is a smiling, wiggly six-year-old who loves dinosaurs and “anything big and powerful,” says his mother, Tabitha, a full-time parent and former special education teacher. Sam lives with his seven siblings and parents in a small town in central Georgia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sam has significant disabilities including cri-du-chat syndrome — a rare genetic disorder. He can use a walker for short distances, but he mostly gets around using a wheelchair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lately, Sam has been bestowing Sign names upon everyone in his house— Sam primarily communicates using American Sign Language (ASL) because he’s partially deaf. His own name translates to “Sam Giggles,” which he does a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Sam started going to school, Tabitha says he has faced a number of challenges getting the services he needs, including classroom instruction in ASL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How do you teach a child to learn if they don’t even speak the same language as you, and you haven’t found a way to bridge that gap?” Tabitha asks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On top of language barriers in the classroom, Sam also hasn’t been getting special education support, and he has had trouble accessing the school grounds in his wheelchair. Since February of last year, Sam has been doing virtual school, and before that, he was going to school in-person. At first, the school was unable to provide a wheelchair-accessible bus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think that these stories are tragic for the teachers. I think they’re tragic for the students,” Tabitha says. “I think what we’ve failed to do as a society is not make it tragic for the people who are making the decisions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Seeking solutions\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Tabitha has spent years fighting to get Sam the services he needs to get a free and appropriate public education, which is guaranteed by federal law. Eventually, she turned to the federal government for help and filed a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a culmination of many things – like the fact that Sam’s school acknowledges that he primarily communicates in ASL, and that his hearing could worsen, but he has yet to receive instruction in his native language.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>District reports say Sam’s current hearing loss does not meet the state of Georgia’s criteria for “deaf or hard of hearing,” meaning they don’t have to provide him instruction in ASL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I got to the point where I felt like I couldn’t do anything about it and yet I knew the law was on my side. That’s when I decided to file.” Tabitha recalled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She felt like a federal complaint was a last resort to get Sam a quality education. But the investigation into his case has been going on for a year and a half now. It’s time that Sam can’t get back.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Scarce resources\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Over the course of a year – in 2022 and 2023 – the Department of Education received over 19,000 discrimination complaints based on race, color, national origin, sex, age and disability. NPR heard from many parents around the country who said their cases took too long to resolve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Catherine Lhamon is the assistant secretary of education for civil rights. She says she shares these families’ frustration about long wait times, but that a thorough investigation involves an often complicated, time-consuming process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lhamon says that the OCR’s investigators are also overwhelmed, with more than 50 cases each. Part of the problem is a backlog from the pandemic, and a severe special educator shortage around the country. But it’s also about money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Last year, Congress flat-funded our office. And that has meant that we are not able to bring on new people even though we are now seeing close to double the cases that we were seeing ten years ago,” Lhamon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While thousands of cases are dragging through the system, there is one option Lhamon says has made faster resolutions possible: early mediation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, parents and districts can more easily choose to meet with an OCR mediator instead of going through a formal investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Tabitha and John, mediation didn’t work in a past state complaint, so they opted for an investigation. Now, because of how long the OCR investigation is taking, Tabitha is considering suing the school district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of their concerns with the district have deepened since they filed, but they have seen some progress. Sam’s school eventually provided a wheelchair-accessible bus. Last year, Sam got an ASL interpreter, though the district has since taken that service away. The fight has been draining for Tabitha, but it’s one worth waging, she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If Sam’s future is wide open, that’s my dream. I want him to experience what any six year old gets to experience.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ADRIAN FLORIDO, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sam is a 6-year-old with an infectious laugh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SAM: (Laughter).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: He lives with his seven siblings and parents in a small town in central Georgia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Hi, Ms. Keisha (ph). I just put him down and changed his poopy diaper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KEISHA: All right. Excellent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: Sam starts his day with his nurse, Keisha. He refers to her as robot Keisha in American Sign Language, or ASL. It’s how Sam primarily communicates because he’s partially deaf.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: So he has just related her to one of her – his favorite things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: OK.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: And so she does the robot dance for him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: That’s Sam’s mom, Tabitha. She’s a full-time parent and former special educator. Since Sam started going to school, he’s faced quite a few challenges getting the services he needs, including instruction in ASL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: How do you teach a child to learn if they don’t even speak the same language as you and you haven’t found a way to bridge that gap?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: On top of language barriers in the classroom, Sam also hasn’t been getting special education support and has had trouble accessing the school grounds in his wheelchair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: I think that these stories are tragic for the teachers. I think they’re tragic for the students. And I think what we failed to do as a society is not make it tragic for the people who are making the decisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: After years of fighting to get Sam the services he needs to get the public education he’s guaranteed by federal law, Tabitha eventually turned to the federal government for help. She filed a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: When I got to the point where I felt like I couldn’t do anything about it, and yet I knew the law was on my side, that’s when I decided to file.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: Federal law guarantees every student with a disability a free and appropriate public education, which Tabitha feels Sam is being denied. So Tabitha eventually turns to the federal government for help. She filed a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: When we don’t teach him to read, he doesn’t have the option to be an explorer through reading. When we don’t teach him to access the building and give him the supports he needs, then he doesn’t make those peer buddies, and his world is limited to just his family and not his community. So that’s what I’m doing. I’m opening up the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: CONSIDER THIS – the federal government is seeing an all-time high of discrimination complaints, many from families of students with disabilities. Coming up, how one mother is fighting for her son to get a quality education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: From NPR, I’m Adrian Florido.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: It’s CONSIDER THIS FROM NPR. Students with disabilities often face a tough time getting the services they need at school. When they can’t get them, many families seek help from the federal government. And right now, the Department of Education is swamped with a record number of discrimination complaints. That backlog is leaving families across the country waiting months, even years, for help. NPR’s Jonaki Mehta visited one such family in central Georgia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF BIRDS CHIRPING)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JONAKI MEHTA, BYLINE: It’s a lazy summer day for many kids in middle Georgia. But one family of 10 is up and at them on a Tuesday morning at 7:30.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: It’s a messy house – well lived in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Full-time parent and former special education teacher Tabitha calls up to her husband, John.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Dad, can you bring Sam down?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Their youngest of eight children, Sam, is rubbing his eyes as he comes down the stairs in his father’s arm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Here comes Mr. Sam. Good morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Sam’s got a busy day ahead. He’ll have a lesson with his new teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, an occupational therapy session, followed by speech and language pathology. Sam is a smiling, wiggly 6-year-old who loves to dance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SAM: (Laughter).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Today, he’s chosen to wear a purple T-shirt with a roaring blue T. rex across the back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Oh, he’s a dinosaur fanatic – anything scary and big and powerful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Sam has significant disabilities, including cri-du-chat syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. He mostly gets around using a wheelchair. Sam’s also partially deaf. His primary language is American Sign Language, or ASL. Lately, he’s been practicing his name. It’s an outward-facing fist stroking one cheek. It stands for Sam giggles, which he does a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SAM: (Laughter).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Sam lives in a small town, so we’re only using first names in this story, since he and his siblings are minors, and we want to freely discuss Sam’s disabilities. Once Sam is done with his morning routine of nebulizers and medications, he signs the word ball to tell his mom he’s ready for his favorite activity…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF BALLS THUMPING)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: …Playing in his ball pit. Sam’s parents and nurse can provide him with much of the support he needs at home, but his education has proven to be a huge obstacle. Since February of last year, Sam’s been doing virtual school. Before that, he was going to school in person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: But then there were so many issues with transporting. They couldn’t transport his equipment. They couldn’t have his wheelchair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: At first, there was no school bus with wheelchair access. At one point, Tabitha says the district asked her to leave Sam’s wheelchair at school throughout the week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Sam’s nurse would have to carry him up the steps, put him into a seat belt. The bus driver and the aide would carry up the bags, you know…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: And with his medical equipment, that’s a lot of bags. Tabitha would often end up taking Sam to school herself, equipment in tow. The newly built school campus is only a few blocks from their home. But she’d often get there to find the four accessible parking spaces blocked by school police cars. She showed me dozens of pictures and drove me to the school lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: And we find that there’s obstacles every time we come, whether it’s a…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Tabitha drives over and shows me a crosswalk with a curb cutout for wheelchair access on one side, but no cutout on the other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: So there’s no access for us to cross the street safely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: When he was going to school in person, Sam was in a general education classroom along with other pre-K students, but…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: He was never given a special ed teacher in that class or special ed support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: His school district acknowledges that Sam primarily communicates in ASL and that his hearing could worsen, but district reports say Sam’s current hearing loss does not meet Georgia’s criteria for deaf or hard of hearing, meaning they don’t have to provide him instruction in ASL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: It’s that whole theory of he’s not deaf enough. I don’t know if you know how offensive that term is. I’m being told, but he can hear, and I’m saying, but he can’t hear all of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: NPR reached out to the director of special education in the district. She said she couldn’t speak about Sam’s case with me to protect his privacy. But in an email, she said, quote, “the district takes each student’s individual needs into account when developing individual educational programs for students with disabilities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>States and districts have long complained that the onus falls on them for providing services because the federal government has historically failed to provide the funds they promised states for special education. For Tabitha, her frustration led her to file a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights in December 2022. She had a long list of concerns for Sam, like wheelchair access issues and lack of special ed support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Five months later, OCR told Tabitha they would investigate three things – whether Sam was being denied a free and appropriate public education, which is guaranteed by federal law, whether the playground was inaccessible to disabled people and whether the parking lot was inaccessible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: I thought that OCR would be able to handle this, that we would make some forward progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: But the investigation into Sam’s case has been going on for a year and a half now – valuable time in Sam’s young life and his education. Over the course of a year in 2022 and 2023, the Department of Education received over 19,000 discrimination complaints based on race, color, national origin, sex, age and disability. I heard from many parents around the country who said their cases took too long to resolve.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CATHERINE LHAMON: I share the frustrations that you’re hearing from families about how long that takes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: That’s Catherine Lhamon. She’s the assistant secretary of education for civil rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LHAMON: And we also owe them careful evaluation of facts to figure out how the law applies to the particular concern, and that is invariably a complicated process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Lhamon says OCR’s investigators are overwhelmed, with more than 50 cases each. Part of the problem is a backlog from the pandemic, but it’s also about money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LHAMON: Last year, Congress flat-funded our office, and that meant we are not able to bring on new people, even though we are now seeing close to double the cases we were seeing 10 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: There is one option Lhamon says has made faster resolutions possible – early mediation. Now, parents and districts can easily opt for a meeting with an OCR mediator instead of a formal investigation. For Tabitha and John, mediation didn’t work out in a past state complaint, so this time, they opted for an investigation. While some of their concerns with the district have deepened since they filed, they have seen some progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school eventually provided a bus with wheelchair access. Last year, Sam got an ASL interpreter, though the district has since taken that service away. And just a couple of weeks before I met him, Sam started Zoom lessons with Jessica (ph), a teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JESSICA: OK. Your turn to sign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Backpack. Good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JESSICA: Backpack – you remember that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: In the lesson I watched, Sam read a story with Jessica and signed his responses to some of her questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JESSICA: You read today, and you matched.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: It’s magic. He has learned more sign in the last three weeks faster than he’s ever picked up sign language before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Tabitha says that’s all great, but it’s only for five hours a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Imagine if that was every day, like it’s supposed to be, and all day, like it’s supposed to be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Now Tabitha is considering suing the school district. But with a single income and a family of 10, she doesn’t know if they can afford a lawyer. This whole process has been draining for her, but Tabitha tears up as she tells me why her fight for Sam matters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: (Crying) There’s a certain reality you face where you’re grieving your child, and they’re still here. I totally want to give him everything while he’s with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: What’s your dream for Sam? Like, what do you want for his future?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: If Sam’s future is wide open, that’s my dream. Like, I want him to experience what every 6-year-old gets to experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: As we drive back from the school, Sam signs to his mom through the rearview mirror.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Yes. Signing swim right now – splash, splash, splash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: At the small, gated pool in their backyard, off comes Sam’s orthosis braces and shoes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF VELCRO RIPPING)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Off come his socks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Can you help me take off your socks? Put them off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: Sam slides to the edge of the water and sticks in his bare feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF WATER SPLASHING)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: Kick, kick, kick – fast, fast, fast, fast – (vocalizing).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: When Tabitha tries to convince him to go inside the house, Sam instead signs what any 6-year-old splashing in a swimming pool on a hot summer day would – more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF WATER SPLASHING)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TABITHA: More? You want in more? (Laughter) Just a little bit more, OK?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MEHTA: In middle Georgia, I’m Jonaki Mehta, NPR News.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: This episode was produced by Jonaki Mehta and Marc Rivers. It was edited by Steven Drummond and Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Thanks to our CONSIDER THIS+ listeners, who support the work of NPR journalists and help keep public radio strong. Supporters also hear every episode without messages from sponsors. Learn more at plus.npr.org.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FLORIDO: It’s CONSIDER THIS FROM NPR. I’m Adrian Florido.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "New York City Is Moving to Ban Phones From School. Will It Work?",
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"headTitle": "New York City Is Moving to Ban Phones From School. Will It Work? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>It may soon be phones down for students in New York City, the largest school district in the nation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>David Banks, the chancellor of New York City Public Schools, announced Wednesday that he and Mayor Eric Adams plan to ban the use of phones in the coming weeks, saying phones have gone from a distraction to an addiction for many of the city’s more than 900,000 students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re not just a distraction, kids are fully addicted now to phones,” Banks said \u003ca href=\"https://www.fox5ny.com/news/nyc-schools-ban-cellphones\">in an interview\u003c/a> with local Fox affiliate WNYW. “And many parents will understand this because even when kids are not in school, it’s very hard to get them to even talk to each other anymore. They’re buried in their phones 20 hours out of the day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>News of the ban — which Banks said could take effect as early as January — follows the decision by the Los Angeles Unified School District earlier this month to ban student cellphone and social media use \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/education/lausd-los-angeles-unified-cellphone-ban-use-on-campus\">starting next year\u003c/a>. And it comes as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63944/worried-about-your-kids-screen-time-limit-your-own\">parents\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/MattRKay/status/1780376984415252698\">educators\u003c/a> and policymakers alike voice growing concern not only about the challenges phones can present for students’ academic achievement, but also their overall well-being.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of those fears were underscored this month, when U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to require a surgeon’s general warning on social media, citing the potential harm to children and teens in particular. “The warning label I’m calling for,” Murthy \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/06/17/nx-s1-5008816/u-s-surgeon-general-calls-for-tobacco-style-warning-labels-for-social-media\">told NPR\u003c/a>, “… would help make sure that parents know what we know, as public health and medical professionals, which is that there really is an association here between social media use and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/62233/how-to-help-your-kids-navigate-social-media-without-getting-lost\">mental health harms\u003c/a> for adolescents.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With New York and Los Angeles now poised to become the two largest districts to address those concerns with new bans, here’s a look at where else bans are happening and what we know about how well they work.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>How much are kids on their phone anyway?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>A lot. In one \u003ca href=\"https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2023-cs-smartphone-research-report_final-for-web.pdf\">study\u003c/a> last year from the group Common Sense Media, researchers found that on a typical day, kids between the ages of 11 and 17 were on their phones for a median of almost 4 1/2 hours per day. And while some kids only used their phones for a few minutes, others averaged more than 16 hours a day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A good share of that screen time is happening at school. The same Common Sense study found that 97% of kids use their phones during school hours for a median of about 43 minutes per day — roughly the length of one full classroom lesson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For educators, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63519/distracted-students-understanding-these-3-myths-of-attention-span-can-help\">all that distraction\u003c/a> can make their work much, much harder. One-third of public K-12 teachers say that students being distracted by their cellphones is a “major problem,” according to a survey conducted last year \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/06/12/72-percent-of-us-high-school-teachers-say-cellphone-distraction-is-a-major-problem-in-the-classroom/?_hsmi=312016766\">by the Pew Research Center\u003c/a>. And the older students are, the worse the problem seems to get. Just 6% of elementary school teachers saw phone use as a major problem in the study, but by middle school the figure rose to 33%. By high school, some 72% of teachers said phones were a major problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Where are the bans happening?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The history of phone bans go back at least 35 years. In 1989, Maryland ushered in one of the first with a ban on pagers and “cellular telephones,” which lawmakers passed in part in response to a spike in illegal drug sales. But in the wake of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, many school districts began to rethink the bans in order to help students and their parents reach one another in an emergency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, the pendulum has started to swing back in the other direction, as concerns about distracted students and the risks of social media use among children have continued to grow. Today, roughly three-quarters of schools have some form of policy prohibiting the non-academic use of cellphones in the classroom, \u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2024/2024043.pdf\">according to the U.S. Department of Education\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Individual school districts have mostly led the charge when it comes to passing limits or outright bans, but states have increasingly begun to enter the fray. Last year, Florida became the first state to crack down on phones in public schools with a law that bans student cellphone use during class time. The law also blocks access to social media for students on district Wi-Fi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indiana passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63470/indiana-lawmakers-ban-cellphones-in-class-now-its-up-to-schools-to-figure-out-how\">a similar law\u003c/a> earlier this year, and states including Kansas, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Vermont are also eying what is becoming known as “phone-free schools” legislation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a time of deep political division, the issue is one that has garnered rare bipartisan support. In December, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, introduced a bill that would require a federal study on the effects of cellphone use in schools and the effects it is having on students’ mental health and academic achievement.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>What do the bans look like in practice?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>On the individual district level, bans can take many different forms. In some districts, like in Flint, Mich., phones are not allowed anywhere or at any time during the school day. Students can’t even have them with them \u003ca href=\"https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4307/FCS/3768044/Student_Code_of_Conduct_2023-2024.pdf\">on the bus\u003c/a>. In other schools, like the City on a Hill Circuit Street charter school in Boston, students are forced to hand their phones to administrators at the start of the day. The devices are then stuffed into pouches \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/01/11/577101803/a-schools-way-to-fight-phones-in-class-lock-em-up\">and locked\u003c/a> until dismissal time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other districts will allow devices during lunch or in hallways. Or they may restrict them for elementary students, but have more relaxed policies for students in middle or high school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bans can be tough to police, though. Students naturally don’t love them. Even many parents are opposed, saying it’s important to preserve a line of communication with their children in case of an emergency. One recent national survey found \u003ca href=\"https://nationalparentsunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/National-Parents-Union-February-2024-Survey-Topline.pdf\">70%\u003c/a> of parents were opposed to completely banning phones in schools outright.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Given the resistance, policing these policies can prove challenging. Thirty percent of teachers whose schools or districts have cellphone policies say they are either very or somewhat difficult to enforce, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/06/12/72-percent-of-us-high-school-teachers-say-cellphone-distraction-is-a-major-problem-in-the-classroom/?_hsmi=312016766\">according to Pew\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The most successful bans tend to be the ones where there’s strong leadership that’s really supporting teachers in enforcing the bans,” said Liz Kolb, a clinical professor in teacher education and learning technologies at the University of Michigan. “So it really comes from leadership, being able to support teachers and also encourage teachers to not shirk the ban in order to get good favor with students or parents.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>How effective are they?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The results seem to be mixed. In one 2016 study from the U.K., \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0927537116300136\">researchers found\u003c/a> that cellphone bans helped lead to increased test scores among high school students. A separate \u003ca href=\"https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4735240\">study\u003c/a> out of Norway found that smartphone bans in middle schools were associated with higher test scores for girls, but not for boys. (The researchers guessed that’s because girls spent more time on their phones).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other areas, the research is similarly murky. Research from Spain has shown that cellphone bans were linked to \u003ca href=\"https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/AEA-05-2021-0112/full/html\">a reduction in cyberbullying\u003c/a>. But \u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2019/2019053.pdf\">a federal survey\u003c/a> of U.S. principals published in 2016 found that rates of cyberbullying were actually higher in schools that had bans than they were in schools without such restrictions. (The report did not offer any explanation as to why).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are other potential drawbacks as well. Some critics point out that banning phones in the classroom can make it more difficult for educators to engage with students about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63441/10-hacks-to-boost-teens-executive-function-skills-and-manage-screen-time\">healthy ways to be using their devices\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others argue that bans can disproportionately harm students from lower socioeconomic households — many of whom rely on their phones as their main device for accessing resources and tools because they may not have access to a laptop. Such concerns are part of the reason New York City rolled back a previous cellphone ban \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN0KG1IR/\">in 2015\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kolb says it’s important for educators and parents alike to remember that a ban in and of itself is not a magic solution, and that for restrictions to work, schools need to right-size their policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s both positive and potential harmful impacts,” she said. “If you ban it, it’s not going to immediately cure all the cyberbullying. It’s not going to immediately take a D student to an A student. There’s a lot more factors involved in it. And so you have to really make sure that when you ban cellphones, that it’s not just a symptom of a bigger problem that might be happening.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "New York may soon be the largest school district in the U.S. to ban phones from the classroom. “They’re not just a distraction, kids are fully addicted now to phones,\" says the city's schools chancellor. ",
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"title": "New York City Is Moving to Ban Phones From School. Will It Work? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It may soon be phones down for students in New York City, the largest school district in the nation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>David Banks, the chancellor of New York City Public Schools, announced Wednesday that he and Mayor Eric Adams plan to ban the use of phones in the coming weeks, saying phones have gone from a distraction to an addiction for many of the city’s more than 900,000 students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re not just a distraction, kids are fully addicted now to phones,” Banks said \u003ca href=\"https://www.fox5ny.com/news/nyc-schools-ban-cellphones\">in an interview\u003c/a> with local Fox affiliate WNYW. “And many parents will understand this because even when kids are not in school, it’s very hard to get them to even talk to each other anymore. They’re buried in their phones 20 hours out of the day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>News of the ban — which Banks said could take effect as early as January — follows the decision by the Los Angeles Unified School District earlier this month to ban student cellphone and social media use \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/education/lausd-los-angeles-unified-cellphone-ban-use-on-campus\">starting next year\u003c/a>. And it comes as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63944/worried-about-your-kids-screen-time-limit-your-own\">parents\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/MattRKay/status/1780376984415252698\">educators\u003c/a> and policymakers alike voice growing concern not only about the challenges phones can present for students’ academic achievement, but also their overall well-being.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of those fears were underscored this month, when U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to require a surgeon’s general warning on social media, citing the potential harm to children and teens in particular. “The warning label I’m calling for,” Murthy \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/06/17/nx-s1-5008816/u-s-surgeon-general-calls-for-tobacco-style-warning-labels-for-social-media\">told NPR\u003c/a>, “… would help make sure that parents know what we know, as public health and medical professionals, which is that there really is an association here between social media use and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/62233/how-to-help-your-kids-navigate-social-media-without-getting-lost\">mental health harms\u003c/a> for adolescents.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With New York and Los Angeles now poised to become the two largest districts to address those concerns with new bans, here’s a look at where else bans are happening and what we know about how well they work.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>How much are kids on their phone anyway?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>A lot. In one \u003ca href=\"https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2023-cs-smartphone-research-report_final-for-web.pdf\">study\u003c/a> last year from the group Common Sense Media, researchers found that on a typical day, kids between the ages of 11 and 17 were on their phones for a median of almost 4 1/2 hours per day. And while some kids only used their phones for a few minutes, others averaged more than 16 hours a day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A good share of that screen time is happening at school. The same Common Sense study found that 97% of kids use their phones during school hours for a median of about 43 minutes per day — roughly the length of one full classroom lesson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For educators, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63519/distracted-students-understanding-these-3-myths-of-attention-span-can-help\">all that distraction\u003c/a> can make their work much, much harder. One-third of public K-12 teachers say that students being distracted by their cellphones is a “major problem,” according to a survey conducted last year \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/06/12/72-percent-of-us-high-school-teachers-say-cellphone-distraction-is-a-major-problem-in-the-classroom/?_hsmi=312016766\">by the Pew Research Center\u003c/a>. And the older students are, the worse the problem seems to get. Just 6% of elementary school teachers saw phone use as a major problem in the study, but by middle school the figure rose to 33%. By high school, some 72% of teachers said phones were a major problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Where are the bans happening?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The history of phone bans go back at least 35 years. In 1989, Maryland ushered in one of the first with a ban on pagers and “cellular telephones,” which lawmakers passed in part in response to a spike in illegal drug sales. But in the wake of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, many school districts began to rethink the bans in order to help students and their parents reach one another in an emergency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, the pendulum has started to swing back in the other direction, as concerns about distracted students and the risks of social media use among children have continued to grow. Today, roughly three-quarters of schools have some form of policy prohibiting the non-academic use of cellphones in the classroom, \u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2024/2024043.pdf\">according to the U.S. Department of Education\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Individual school districts have mostly led the charge when it comes to passing limits or outright bans, but states have increasingly begun to enter the fray. Last year, Florida became the first state to crack down on phones in public schools with a law that bans student cellphone use during class time. The law also blocks access to social media for students on district Wi-Fi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indiana passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63470/indiana-lawmakers-ban-cellphones-in-class-now-its-up-to-schools-to-figure-out-how\">a similar law\u003c/a> earlier this year, and states including Kansas, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Vermont are also eying what is becoming known as “phone-free schools” legislation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a time of deep political division, the issue is one that has garnered rare bipartisan support. In December, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, introduced a bill that would require a federal study on the effects of cellphone use in schools and the effects it is having on students’ mental health and academic achievement.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>What do the bans look like in practice?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>On the individual district level, bans can take many different forms. In some districts, like in Flint, Mich., phones are not allowed anywhere or at any time during the school day. Students can’t even have them with them \u003ca href=\"https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4307/FCS/3768044/Student_Code_of_Conduct_2023-2024.pdf\">on the bus\u003c/a>. In other schools, like the City on a Hill Circuit Street charter school in Boston, students are forced to hand their phones to administrators at the start of the day. The devices are then stuffed into pouches \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2018/01/11/577101803/a-schools-way-to-fight-phones-in-class-lock-em-up\">and locked\u003c/a> until dismissal time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other districts will allow devices during lunch or in hallways. Or they may restrict them for elementary students, but have more relaxed policies for students in middle or high school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bans can be tough to police, though. Students naturally don’t love them. Even many parents are opposed, saying it’s important to preserve a line of communication with their children in case of an emergency. One recent national survey found \u003ca href=\"https://nationalparentsunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/National-Parents-Union-February-2024-Survey-Topline.pdf\">70%\u003c/a> of parents were opposed to completely banning phones in schools outright.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Given the resistance, policing these policies can prove challenging. Thirty percent of teachers whose schools or districts have cellphone policies say they are either very or somewhat difficult to enforce, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/06/12/72-percent-of-us-high-school-teachers-say-cellphone-distraction-is-a-major-problem-in-the-classroom/?_hsmi=312016766\">according to Pew\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The most successful bans tend to be the ones where there’s strong leadership that’s really supporting teachers in enforcing the bans,” said Liz Kolb, a clinical professor in teacher education and learning technologies at the University of Michigan. “So it really comes from leadership, being able to support teachers and also encourage teachers to not shirk the ban in order to get good favor with students or parents.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>How effective are they?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The results seem to be mixed. In one 2016 study from the U.K., \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0927537116300136\">researchers found\u003c/a> that cellphone bans helped lead to increased test scores among high school students. A separate \u003ca href=\"https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4735240\">study\u003c/a> out of Norway found that smartphone bans in middle schools were associated with higher test scores for girls, but not for boys. (The researchers guessed that’s because girls spent more time on their phones).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other areas, the research is similarly murky. Research from Spain has shown that cellphone bans were linked to \u003ca href=\"https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/AEA-05-2021-0112/full/html\">a reduction in cyberbullying\u003c/a>. But \u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2019/2019053.pdf\">a federal survey\u003c/a> of U.S. principals published in 2016 found that rates of cyberbullying were actually higher in schools that had bans than they were in schools without such restrictions. (The report did not offer any explanation as to why).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are other potential drawbacks as well. Some critics point out that banning phones in the classroom can make it more difficult for educators to engage with students about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/63441/10-hacks-to-boost-teens-executive-function-skills-and-manage-screen-time\">healthy ways to be using their devices\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others argue that bans can disproportionately harm students from lower socioeconomic households — many of whom rely on their phones as their main device for accessing resources and tools because they may not have access to a laptop. Such concerns are part of the reason New York City rolled back a previous cellphone ban \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN0KG1IR/\">in 2015\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kolb says it’s important for educators and parents alike to remember that a ban in and of itself is not a magic solution, and that for restrictions to work, schools need to right-size their policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s both positive and potential harmful impacts,” she said. “If you ban it, it’s not going to immediately cure all the cyberbullying. It’s not going to immediately take a D student to an A student. There’s a lot more factors involved in it. And so you have to really make sure that when you ban cellphones, that it’s not just a symptom of a bigger problem that might be happening.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"order": 9
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"id": "fresh-air",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"order": 15
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"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 18
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"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
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"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
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"masters-of-scale": {
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"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
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"meta": {
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"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
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"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
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"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 11
},
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"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
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},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
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"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
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},
"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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"planet-money": {
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
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},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
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