I wanted to share the essay “Privileged”. The article was written by NBA player Kyle Korver and caused quite a bit of controversy last month. It’s a great read and you’ll be glad that you did, but if you just don’t have the time, here are some points that impacted me:

• It is an intensely personal essay from the perspective of a successful white man. It explores the privilege he's been granted as a such and how much it took for him to “get it”. He admits being unsympathetic for a long time. 
• Kyle discusses his ability to opt in and out of tough conversations whereas people of color cannot.
• Kyle Korver has tasked himself with becoming a "part of the solution" against racism and put forth some of his own efforts, including:

• "I have to continue to educate myself on the history of racism in America."
• "I have to listen. I'll say it again, because it's that important. I have to listen."
• "I have to support leaders who see racial justice as fundamental -- as something that's at the heart of nearly every major issue in our country today."
• "I have to do my best to recognize when to get out of the way -- in order to amplify the voices of marginalized groups that so often get lost."

While the essay is not the solution to all our problems, it is a great start! The article is extremely well written and what really got me is that you can tell the emotional turmoil he was having while writing it. Hopefully, this article creates a domino effect of self-awareness! 

​Every spring, as part of our continuous improvement efforts, staff from our All-in! program reach out to parents to gather their insights on the services their students receive. These phone calls are conducted with parents whose students receive individualized academic, behavioral, and clinical services. This year we spoke with over 100 parents from 22 of our school partnerships! Responses from our four quantitative questions are summarized below:


80% agreed that Seneca Staff were skillful and knowledgeable in their work with their child
78% felt well informed about what their child was working on and how they were progressing
82% felt that with Seneca services, they were supported in meeting the needs of their child
79% felt their child made progress as a result of their work with Seneca


Our program goal is to have 80% of parents agree with these statements. As the data demonstrates, we have hit the mark on two of these questions and have room to improve on our efforts to keep parents well informed about the services their student is receiving and to help parents to understand the progress their student is making. Over the summer, the leadership team will reflect on this feedback and brainstorm programmatic changes that will help us continue to improve in these areas.

In addition to these four questions where we ask for a simple “yes,” “no,” or “I don’t know” response, the survey includes two open ended questions that allow for parents to elaborate on what is going well and where we can do better in supporting their students. Responses help provide insight into the parent’s perspective of success and what is most important to them. Many parents commented on the progress and improvements they have witnessed in their student(s) as a result of the services they have received, and several parents shared appreciation for our communication and collaboration efforts.

Here are some highlights from our open-ended questions:
Student Progress“One of the things is his self-esteem and how he wants to spend more time with his friends. He used to spend a lot of time alone. Now he has more confidence and wants to spend time with his classmates.”

“My daughter stuttered before, and I can tell that she now takes more time to think about what she's going to say, and that's from the speech therapist. I see now that she voices that she's trying to say something if she is getting cut off by somebody. We play games at home, and she tells me how the speech therapist taught her to connect games to her speech.”

They pay attention to him, and talk and listen to him, and see how he is doing. I feel like he is doing well. He comes home calmer and happier, and it's easier to talk with him.

My son can open up more thanks to his therapist and I like the tools she brings in order to engage my child, for example he loves cars and they're building a car in session and that helps him open up to her.

She's more independent on some of her homework. She tries harder. I'm happy with the services that she gets.

Name: Brittany Allinger
Position: Bilingual Outpatient Clinician at Elmhurst Community Prep and Alliance Academy (Middle Schools)
 
What led you to your current position?
I was an intern with Seneca for 2 years before becoming full time. I entered my Master’s in Social Work program with the specific intention to work in schools, so my first year internship with SOAPS was a perfect fit. I loved the people I worked with and the level of support I received. In my second year I interned with All-In and I loved that too! Through both of these internships I discovered my love of working with middle and high-school students. When I graduated I knew I wanted to stay in a school based Seneca position, but I was struggling to decide between All-In or SOAPS. Luckily, they merged and I was fortunate enough to be offered a position with SOAPS that had everything I wanted.
 
Fun Fact/Quote?
I have three grandkids, and I’m also a DJ. Feel free to ask me questions about this in person!
 
What does your average day look like?
I arrive at school at 8am and spend a few minutes walking around to greet my co-workers and any early students. If I have time I get caught up on emails. I see kids individually throughout the school day, and when I’m not with them I engage in collateral conversations, offer in class support, and attend meetings such as IEPs, SSTs, and COST. In the later afternoons I spend time connecting with parents/caregivers and getting caught up on notes.  I try to leave between 4 and 4:30pm and most days I succeed J
 
Why do you do this work?
I love kids. I find them hilarious, ridiculous, brilliant, sweet, creative, and resilient beyond belief.  Also, I had a school counselor who was incredibly meaningful to me in high school, and she demonstrated unconditional positive regard towards me at a time when nobody else in my life had that to offer. I remember vividly how safe I felt in her office. I hope to provide a similar feeling of safety and trust to the students and schools I work for.  These two reasons combined bring meaning and joy to my days and that’s why I love what I do!

At Montalvin, one big goal for this school year has been to celebrate the positives and flip the language heard around the school from “don’t...” to “do...”. Stating expectations in the positive helps to give students a vocabulary about what they SHOULD be doing and conveys that you believe they can. Students need to see themselves as capable of meeting expectations and participating as responsible community members. When everyone throughout the school uses positive language it helps students build that self-perception. You begin to see a mindshift and students can name and show you what “being good” looks and sounds like, how it feels, and why it’s important. Responsive Classroom, a research-based positive approach to education, backs this up, “Our words and tone of voice have a profound effect on children. By tuning in to the language we use with children, day in and day out, everywhere in school, we can empower our students, helping them to learn new skills and become their best selves.”

Here are a few pointers gleaned from PBIS and Responsive Classroom on effective and positive reinforcement:

• Name concrete, specific behaviors - General praise like “good job” or vague feedback like “be good” can be confusing to students. Precise praise lets students know exactly what they are doing correctly and encourages them to keep doing it. For instance, instead of saying “You’re such a good writer!” try, “You’re writing is filled with such colorful details, I can tell you put a lot of thought and effort into it!”
• Use the 4:1 ratio -  A study from Vanderbilt University recommends about a 4:1 ratio of positive reinforcement to redirection. They found that “When used effectively in the classroom, it can increase the social and academic performance of students, as well as improve classroom climate.” This means that the more often teachers notice the good in students, the more good students will do!
• Use a warm, professional tone - This takes some effort and practice on the part of the teacher. Instead of using sarcasm, baby talk, or overly gushy language, be warm & direct. Smile and and give your praise authentically or be firm, without judgement when redirecting misbehavior. For instance, “Should I really still be telling a fourth grader to walk at THIS time of the school year?!” try, “Freeze, go back and walk please.”
• Praise progress - Some students may take longer to learn to meet expectations than others. When we notice and praise a student is making an effort to meet expectations and did something well, make sure to notice it! For instance, a student that continually struggles with shouting out may begin to call out an answer, but catches herself and raises her hand. After class, pull the student aside and privately reinforce this by saying, “I noticed you almost called out, but caught yourself and raised your hand. You’re getting better at waiting until an appropriate time to talk!”

​

 seating 
One very concrete way we’ve seen this work at Montalvin is in our cafeteria. Students were struggling to meet expectations of keeping their hands to themselves, walking, keeping a low volume, cleaning up after themselves, eating their food appropriately, raising their hands to get out of their seats, etc. Throughout the year, the admin team and lunch supervisors tried a variety of interventions and consequences like assigned seating, more staff, reteaching and practicing, community service, loss of recess, etc. 

It wasn’t until we brought Class Dojo, a positive behavior tracking app, into the lunch room that we began to see improvement. We also hung up posters and images of Montalvin students following expectations so students can see themselves doing what they should. Now, the lead lunch staff calls out positive behavior and give points generously for all the things they see going well. Other lunch staff circulate from table to table giving points when warranted and reminders when needed. The points are projected in real-time and tables silently cheer for each other when points are earned. Students work together toward earning points as a table for extra play time and, at the end of the year, the ability to participate in a much anticipated water balloon fight!

Vice Principal, Michael Small praises the new system, “Since we implemented Dojo, students have been way more motivated to follow our core values. We have to redirect students less and the cafeteria is a lot cleaner and more fun. It’s really been transformative!”
​

In the spirit of “spring cleaning,” I wanted to share the powers of The KonMari Method and what it can do if we applied these concepts to our classroom. Now, in full disclosure, I haven’t watched her hit Netflix series or read her New York Times bestseller book but I’ve witnessed the phenomenon attract the interests (and obsession!) of my friends, family, and colleagues. 

For those of you who aren’t familiar with The KonMari Method, it is a practice created by Marie Kondo who is considered a tidying expert. She has outlined an entire process in how to simplify and organize your life. It isn’t just about tidying and effectiveness, it is about being mindful and reflective; essentially, it is about “choosing joy.”  

You may be wondering what does spring cleaning have to do with Unconditional Education? Great question! Well, I recently came across an article in neaToday that applies this concept to our classrooms and it resonated with me since one of our core values is joy. As I did a bit more research, it turns out that educators across the States are applying these concepts into the classroom and reflecting upon the following questions: 

• Does this spark joy for my students? 
• Does this spark engagement? 

• Does this spark curiosity? 

These questions are applied to everything from how a classroom is presented to how things are organized and accessible for students to enhance their learning and overall well-being—all of which are important to our Unconditional Education model.  

Now this blog is not intended to tell you to ‘clean up’ your classroom. And I’m not trying to add more stress to what I know is a never ending to do list but I do urge you to take a moment to look around your learning space and consider if this space fosters joy and engagement. We often spend the weeks and days leading up to the start of the school year decorating our classrooms, office spaces, and hallway bulletin boards with such love, creativity, and intention. We may have a second surge of energy in doing so again at Winter break but with summer approaching, it is natural for us to think it may not be worth it; let’s remind ourselves what our students, families and staff deserve each day…an engaging, lively space up to the final hours of the school year.  

So I encourage you as we approach summer holidays (9 weeks, but who’s counting?!) and we may be finding time in our personal lives for a ‘spring cleaning,’ can we also take time in our classrooms and schools? As we wrap up lessons for the year and think about preparing for next year, consider applying the KonMari Method to the classroom! And this isn’t a job for you alone. Engage you students in this process. Ask them these same questions about what sparks engagement and work together as a community to ensure the classroom and school continues to be a place overflowing with joy! 
​
If you’re interested in learning more, check out these articles: 

• How to Get a Clutter-Free Classroom the KonMari Way 
• The KonMari Method: 5 Ways to De-Clutter Your School 
• Ten Tips for Packing up Your Classroom 

Name: Nicolas Cruz
Position: Special Services and Events Manager at SOAR Academy
 
What led you to your current position?
Well, I began at SOAR as a Student Support Counselor during the school’s opening year as a one to one support for a student. The student population was only 100 at the beginning so it was easy to get to know all the staff and students and I began helping to plan some student engagement events for the school to really insert Joy into the community. As the population grew, there were many student and staff needs around the school so I began supporting  helping new Seneca and SOAR staff understand and commit to Unconditional Education.
 
Fun Fact/Quote?
I just got into grad school at Seattle University!
 
What does your average day look like?
My average day is different every single day. It’s Spring now, so I spend most of my time getting ready for our big events such as our Dance Showcase, field trips, field day, and Multicultural Day. The thing that is consistent each day is working with our teachers and support staff when they need additional support and guidance when working with our students that have different needs.
 
Why do you do this work?
It’s a lot of fun! I love the team and the students here. I think all students deserve memorable experiences about school and I like getting to think of ways to have that joy in our school! It sounds corny, but my favorite memories working here for the past almost four years are the days where I see laughter and friendship between students. 

Based in New Orleans, the Special Education Leadership Fellowship (SELF) has the mission of “improv[ing] the quality of special education programming by developing highly skilled special education leaders in schools.”  They carry out this mission through an innovative two-year fellowship program where participants develop their core leadership and technical skills to implement best practices in the field of special education.  SELF Executive Director Aqua Stovall learned about UE and knew she wanted her fellows to get a grounding in the foundations of our approach . Since 2018, All-In! Leaders Amber Fretwell, Toshia Mears, and Darrell Burns have been traveling to New Orleans to deliver the UE TCB modules “Trauma Informed Education” and “Understanding & Responding to Challenging Behaviors” to every new cohort of SELF fellows.  Since we know that transformation of practices requires understanding and buy-in from all levels of school leadership, we’re grateful to have the opportunity to train and inspire future New Orleans SPED leaders in UE principles and practices, and we look forward to continuing and deepening this partnership in the future. ​

In the summer of 2017, the Founder/CEO of Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Southwest Family Guidance Center & Institute’s CEO Craig Pierce found the book  Unconditional Care by Seneca’s Clinical Director John Sprinson and CEO Ken Berrick. In a state that struggles greatly with child poverty and domestic violence, Southwest had developed a number of programs to support youth and families, including providing trainings to school staff on Trauma Informed practices. A next step in their mission was to deepen their collaboration and consultation with schools, so several of their organizational leaders came to Oakland in September 2017 and again in February 2019 for UE Train the Trainer series led by Sara Moses.  During their recent visit, they had a chance to meet with veteran UE Coaches Anna Sciano, Jenna Evans, and Keri Stewart for a panel discussion at Verde Elementary in Richmond. They were also able to tour our partnership at Horace Mann Elementary in Oakland. Between their visits to the Bay Area, Sara and I connect with Southwest’s leaders for monthly consultations where we focus on implementing new practices, aligning with school leaders, and effectively coordinating services for students and families.   

These UE TCB partnerships are exciting opportunities for us to share our UE practices and principles and to learn from other strong organizations whose missions connect with our own.  Looking forward to continuing our partnerships with SELF and Southwest and to fostering more nation-wide partnerships in the future. ​