$93. 609-611 Naples Street is a 2-bed, 2-bath, 1,850 sqft multi-family home built in 1947. Our attendance is trending up significantly We used to have one of the highest suspension rates, now we have one of the lowest among all middle schools. 82616 to call in a student absence. Anecdotally, favorable feedback poured in from both students and staff members. The trouble is we don't even see it. Call Us. Also, we might hear phrases like, That comment triggered me, it was a microaggression, I think we can do better for our Latinx students, or This is not consistent with our commitment to anti-racism. I imagine we might even see white folks redirecting their white colleagues and carrying their weight of racial conversations. Our school commits to delivering high quality educational program that addresses individual needs. It feels good to have that reputation.. Due to stereotype threat, this is especially problematic when students of color are a numerical minority in a classroom or school. Like most groups of educators, we had spent a few years dancing around topics of racism and struggled to make lasting change. Kevin Thaddeus Brown, Jr. - LinkedIn WSC shuts down learning. Ive found that it makes peoplestudents and teachersmore joyful, Dierke said, To have that time to reflect and be still is important.. SAN FRANCISCO / Vis Valley principal earns state award - SFGATE View more recently sold homes. Real Options for City Kids (R.O.C.K.) When the staff at Visitacion Valley Middle School explored White Supremacy Culture, it gave them a new framework to define their North Star: being an anti-racist school. This pushed some folks to identify who they could be safe with, be it for comfort or growth. Thus, we are building a collective purpose and a commitment to learning. Students, families, and school staff can email requests to sflink@sfusd.edu, call 415-340-1716 (M-F, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m., closed from 12 to 1 p.m. every day), or complete an online request form. Photos, courtesy of Joe Truss, from the top: The opinions expressed in Next Gen Learning in Action are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications. 336 Wilde Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134 | MLS #423724059 | Zillow One teacher, Mary Chirichella added, "Some teachers had the courage to approach others to have tough conversations about microaggressions. Dierke, who has been principal at the school for 13 years, said things reached a turning point about five years ago. Students at Visitacion Valley School in South San Francisco observe 15 minutes of quiet time every morning. Why shouldnt all our students have access foot 2 bed, 2 bath townhouse for sale. That funds four and a half (full-time equivalent) Quiet Time staff on site to teach the classes and support students. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me for anything (harrisc@sfusd.edu). With respect to race, the foundational issue is White Supremacy Culture, and we must attack the problem head on. School Accountability Report Cards (SARCs) are required by state law and are intended to provide families with important information. Closing the so-called achievement gap between poor inner-city children and their more affluent suburban counterparts is among the biggest challenges for education reformers. A lot of the kids have deep anger issues or problems focusing, she says. Welcome to our new incoming 6th grade students! Thus, we are building a collective purpose and a commitment to learning. 3. For students of color, characteristics of White Supremacy Culture similar to microaggressions hijack the amygdala. Saratoga, California, United States. Further, we must look at how it has affected us and how we have perpetuated White Supremacy Culture. June 4, 2021 Dear Visitacion Valley Middle School Community, I am deeply honored and excited to have the opportunity to serve as Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School. You can see past weeks' newsletters as well. California Principal Named 2008 MetLife/NASSP National Middle - PRWeb In addition, Dierke said regular Quiet Time has also helped teachers relax. Finally, this work is some of the most challenging, but rewarding work there is. Having served the past two years as Assistant Principal, VVMS is a community that I love and care for. To do it properly Visitacion Valley middle school made the day 30 minutes longer. 2,414 Sq. Principal James Dierke monitors school activities with his handi-talkie at Visitation Valley Middle School, 450 Raymond Ave, San Francisco. Education in collaboration with the San Francisco Unified School District research department, had more good news. But adopting the programme isnt without its challenges. However, when we name oppression, racism, and more explicitly White Supremacy Culture, folks have to determine where they stand, what they value, and why they work in education. The school is working on improving parent involvement through our Parent Liaison. Ft. 45 Arleta Ave, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. They couldnt concentrate on school.. My partner and I recently moved from San Francisco to the East Bay, and we are preparing to welcome our first child this summer! Specifically, we must look at how it shows up in our own lives, in our personal relationships, in between school staff, and in our histories. Based on Rocket Mortgage data in comparison to public data records. Discussing WSC gave us more impetus to make changes, because we now knew what was happening if we refused: microaggressions, dehumanization, widening the opportunity gap, and producing disproportionate outcomes. But this messy middle is precisely when we need to stay curious, be vulnerable, and innovative. It contains 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. This can create power struggles, a learning opportunity gap, and as the scholar Monique Morris writes, students being pushed out of schools. Anther example might be superficially speeding through content or discouraging interruptions for questions. This pushed some folks to identify who they could be safe with, be it for comfort or growth. An all-party parliamentary group has also recommended the Department for Education designate three schools to pioneer mindfulness teaching, and set up a 1m fund to allow more schools to benefit from support in the practice. Please refer to legal details concerning copyright and trademark protection. Principal & interest $1,163. Likewise, test scores have increased in recent years but still remain low compared to other SFUSD middle schools. Visitacion Valley Middle (San Francisco) is a 06 to 08 grade school in San Francisco, and has made tremendous strides in improving the acceptance rate and education its students receive. School Profile: Visitacion Valley Middle (CA Dept of Education) I like to think of myself as a recovering perpetrator of WSC. With respect to race, the foundational issue is White Supremacy Culture, and we must attack the problem head on. It is invisible and it is toxic. The work to address racism in schools has been called cultural competency, diversity training, and equity. Out of view, city dignitaries and his students waited inside Visitacion Valley Middle School to surprise him with the news: He was the National Middle School Principal of the Year.. What Happened When My School Started to Dismantle White Supremacy Culture, The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition, http://culturallyresponsiveleadership.com/. His school, along with other urban middle schools in low income neighborhoods, is in the midst of a battlea battle against the predictive power of demographics. 643 Campbell Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134 | MLS# 40925832 | Redfin Please read our welcome letter! levels of self-confidence and happiness. Joe Truss after meditating, I can sit down for a whole class without standing up. Barry ODriscoll, the schools director of physical education for the past 14 years, said, In the first seven Not a Single State Meets the Bar, How One School's Mentorship Program Paid Off Big in Academic Gains, Revisiting Educator Collaboration: We Should Think Differently About How We Form Teams, Best Practices for Implementing DE&I PD for Teachers. Now, Quiet Time is just like an umbrella. San Francisco Schools Transformed by the Power of Meditation - NBC News Find COVID-19 testing, vaccine, and daily health screening information. Entire contents copyright 2023 Maharishi Foundation USA, a non-profit educational organization. She is a frequent guest on KQED's "Newroom" television show and "Forum" radio show. Some bowed their heads. Property Taxes. The award, given by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, includes a $5,000 award for the school. Visitacion Valley Middle School provides quality education that prepares students for a fulfilling life in a global society. Those selecting Dierke for the honor noted how a gunman entered the school, threatening teachers and students in 2004. We should be planning for the righteous rage of IBPOC (Indigenous Black People of Color), but 82 percent of our teaching force is white, so we will also plan for white fragility. Visitacion Valley Elementary School parents call for removal of 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic Government Administration SAN FRANCISCO, California The Visitacion Valley Middle school vision is that our students will strength their passion for learning, develop the skills to become empowered community members, and gain the knowledge to be ready for high school with a clear path to college, career, and future success. To do this, we use diverse staff resources and improve student access to high quality programs during the school day and in after-school programs. We are continually navigating the phases of a call out to call in culture with each other.. I got to sit right by him and the whole school meditated with him.. At that point the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) stepped in, calling Visitacion Valley "a neglected urban backwater of 18,000 with rampant crime, awful schools, and a deplorable housing project called Geneva Towers." (Gee, thanks, for the recognition, HUD.) At Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS), in the San Francisco Unified school district, our brave staff spent a majority of the 2018-19 school year unpacking White Supremacy Culture (WSC). Visitacion Valley Middle School prides itself in its active role in the community by welcoming parents, families, and community partners to participate on all levels of creating a culturally responsive 21st Century Middle School. White Supremacy Culture. In order to build this ideal structure, we must start at the base and engineer for equity. This is because we are starting with the branches of the tree instead of the roots. Students. This work has gotten co-opted and watered down, leading to many people talking the talk, without much walk. Visitacion Valley Middle School. In between, she spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer teaching English in Cape Verde, West Africa. This is true for our staff as well, contributing to racial fatigue and staff sustainability for IBPOC. Every day before class, Visitacion Valley Middle School students pass an informal memorial known as the "R.I.P. 2. Reportar una ausencia. To our teachers and staff, joyful learning means that each student is able to maximize his/her abilities and be successful in learning through different learning methods. When I first heard about it I thought it probably wasnt going to work, says ODriscoll. This listing's school district is San Francisco Unified School District. At Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS), in the San Francisco Unified school district, our brave staff spent a majority of the 2018-19 school year unpacking White Supremacy Culture (WSC). The Rent Zestimate for this home is $3,399/mo, which has increased by $239/mo in the last 30 days. The social-emotional learning of students in grades 4-12 is also assessed. Published annually by SFUSD to provide access to key data points and three-year trends related to student achievement and school culture-climate. These kids hear gunshots on their way to and from school. 379 Winding Way, San Francisco, CA 94112 | Compass NBC News Cynthia McFadden, Tim Sandler and. I began my career in education in Richmond, CA. Service Learning TM in San Francisco Schools Improves Learning and Behavior Two other schools in SFUSD have begun their own Quiet Time programs and a district spokesperson said other schools have begun asking questions about Visitacion Valleys success. I thought it was just another fad. Even in failure, there is growth, if you are using a critical lens to understand and improve. Students at Visitacion Valley School in San Francisco meditate, as part of a program in which students meditate for fifteen minutes twice a day. The art of relaxation: ideas to get students to unwind and recharge, How two minutes of mindfulness can calm a class and boost attainment, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. It serves 358 studentsin 6 - 8 with a student/teacher ratio of 14.3:1.Its teachers have had 79 projects funded on DonorsChoose. Quiet Time isnt just a slogan but a daily regimen at Visitacion Valley. Visitacion Valley Middle School is part of San Francisco Unified School District. stress and its manifestations for example, anxiety, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. You can find more information about the fair at sfusd.edu/fair. Now our previous work on Culturally Responsive Teaching, use of rubrics, and adding student voice had a theoretical underpinning. The Visitacion Valley Middle School mission is to create, through transformative relationships, an inclusive and collaborative learning community that is relevant to the lives of ourstudents, families, and staff. Find COVID-19 testing, vaccine, and daily health screening information. Racial-equity work is like trying to defuse a bomb and cutting the wrong wire. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school starting Wednesday, August 17, 2022. That was crazy, Angelica, the student body president, said. CWAE specialists counseled students on meditation techniques and five full-time staffers remain on campus to help maintain the program. James Dierke, principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco, California, has been named the 2008 MetLife / National Association of Secondary School Principals National Middle Level Principal of the Year. were the happiest in the whole of San Francisco, to more schools in the city introducing the programme, Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education, recommended the Department for Education designate three schools to pioneer mindfulness teaching, international lessons in education series. I am deeply honored and excited to have the opportunity to serve as Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School. Therefore, it was necessary to create shared understandings and subsequent commitments, which was facilitated by exploring a framework of White Supremacy Culture. The middle school years are critical times of development for students and families, and I look forward to working with all of you to ensure our school helps students feel a sense of belonging and joy, as well as prepares them for high school, college, and beyond. David Lynch Foundation (20:44), John Hagelin, PhD This is such a pattern in urban schools that researchers consider it a predictable outcome. This leads to resistance or failure to follow through, maintaining a status quo of disproportionate outcomes for students based on race. This might include wanting to win an argument, not making space for others to talk, and rushing through meetings. Phys Ed: The Benefits of Exercising Before Breakfast, Dog Needs a Walk? I saw this personally at VVMS, as situations got awkward, uncomfortable, and uncertain. $365. that teachers and students enjoy and which preliminary data suggest is effective. Therefore, it was necessary to create shared understandings and subsequent commitments, which was facilitated by exploring a framework of White Supremacy Culture. However, when we name oppression, racism, and more explicitly White Supremacy Culture, folks have to determine where they stand, what they value, and why they work in education. Students straightened their backs and closed their eyes. I was very reluctant when it first started, he said. Some conversations fell flat, and others were superficial. We are the operators of some piece of the education machine, and therefore, if we change our actions, we can change the larger system. "I am feeling elated," he said after the announcement and celebration in the school's auditorium. They simultaneously tell us that we are not good enough and keep us to the bottom rungs of racial hierarchy if we do not assimilate. . In fact, based on certain urban zip codes, education researchers can predict students attendance rate, behavior, test scores, and overall academic achievement. Known nationally for its innovative programs, teachers and students use technology, cross-curricular writing programs, and project- and standards-based instruction throughout the year. This post originally appeared in KQED's MindShiftblog. We publish a weekly newsletter to keep parents informed, hold workshops, and offer many opportunities for parent communication and involvement. It is invisible and it is toxic. Teachers and students are assigned to academic families that use a variety of innovative technology, cross-curricular writing programs, and project-based and standards-based instruction throughout the year. New Principle, amazing teachers and support staff. When they started everyone said it would be impossible to get 12-year-olds to sit for even a minute, but through transcendental meditation (TM) they proved critics wrong. Students at Visitacion Valley School in South San Francisco observe 15 minutes of quiet time every morning. SFUSD: Visitacion Valley Middle School Grades: 9-12. . Photo at top courtesy of Joe Truss: VVMS staff match examples of White Supremacy Culture to the definition of each characteristic. In the first year of Quiet Time suspensions at Visitacion Valley which has 500 students aged 11-13 were reduced by 45% (pdf). Visitacion Valley Middle School - San Francisco, California - CA James Dierke, Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco, like so many thousands of principals and teachers who are working in inner-city schools throughout the US, knows how frustrating it can be trying to provide an education in America's low income, high stress localities. - Managed relationships and contracts with principals and key staff at our 3 middle schools. Some of the work I am most proud of as a teacher and leader is building relationships with all community members to create a supportive and positive environment, as well as creating systems and using data to make informed decisions regarding instructional practices that lead to increased achievement for students. They are not guaranteed to be accurate, up to date . Report an absence. In 2007, James Dierke, then the principal of the Visitacion Valley Middle School in a troubled neighborhood in San Francisco, was determined to improve both the quality of education and. They are more motivated, more confident, more focused, more successful and more joyful. Racial-equity leaders must be both intentional and responsive when doing this anti-racist work. Dr. Bettina Love writes in her book, We Want to Do More Than Survive, "To even begin to attack our destructive and punitive educational system, pedagogies that promote social justice must help educators understand and recognize America and its schools as spaces of Whiteness, White rage, and White Supremacy, all of which function to terrorize students of color." ft. home is a 2 bed, 1.0 bath property. Consequently, all other cognitive functions such as learning, problem solving, or creative thinking stop, (Hammond, 2015) activating our fight, flight, or freeze response. It is imperative that we examine our actions to see if they are further harming students of color, disempowering them, and creating a psychologically hostile learning environment. Breaking the "predictive power of demographics": SF principal talks For the majority of urban students, drugs, gangs and violence are part of everyday life. Students are encouraged to use the time to meditate, but Dierke says students can simply clear their mind, think about schoolwork, or even sleep. Principal and Interest. WSC dehumanizes people of color. It is time that we detox and make the invisible visible. Nearly 90 percent of Visitacion Valleys students are classified by the district as socioeconomically disadvantaged and more than 40 percent are English Language Learners.