Although there is no evidence to indicate that discriminatory practices (including school mission, vision, culture, school-family-community relationships, policies and procedures, resource allocation, and collaborations)  in the school setting are the cause of dis-proportionality, research does show a correlation between the two, suggesting that systemic change is a practice that would benefit already marginalized students. Sullivan, Artiles, & Hernandez-Saca provide a general address to dis-proportionality in school settings, recommending how to best benefit from a consultant when looking at a long term (5 year) restructure targeting systemic change in the special education process. In addition, they identify efforts to support the reduction of dis-proportionality, resolutions schools can apply systematically to combat dis-proportionality, and they also make suggestions around reshaping school systems which shape disparities put into place by the school itself.
 
Systemic change is a HUGE task and calls for comprehensive vertical reform of perspectives, policies, and practices, which could prompt a shift towards reflecting, rethinking, and restructuring oppressive systems. Equity, vision and philosophy of education, stakeholder involvement, professional collaboration, resource allocation, and curriculum, instruction and assessment which support diverse learning are noted as imperative components of systemic change. It is not an easy solution and it most definitely requires dedication and openness at every level over an extended period of time. However, there is belief that it is possible and necessary to eradicate the intersectionality and disparities for ethnic minority students who have also been identified as having a learning disability.
 
Take a look at this article to read about it in more depth!

I wanted to share this article "Why Mindfulness and Trauma Informed Teaching don't Always Go Together". I think it is a great article but if you have no time here are the "take aways" - ​

• Sometimes being asked to sit quietly with your eyes closed can be triggering. 
• When teaching mindfulness, use the Lion/Dog metaphor to explain what mindfulness does and why it is an important practice: 

                          Lion/Dog metaphor - If you hold up a bone in front of a dog and move it side to side you will have that      dog's full attention - they see nothing past the bone. If you hold up a bone in front of a lion the lion will see  the bone but they will also see the human behind it meaning that they have a bigger picture and options of  what to eat/how to react. Mindfulness allows you to step back and see more than the bone (problem/emotion/situation). When students are able to see a bigger picture beyond just the frustration or target at hand they are able to have more agency and move in a more informed way. We all want to be lion-minded or "kings of our inner-jungle". 

• Teachers practicing mindfulness and self care is the MOST IMPORTANT piece of being able to teach it to students - and there are some recs in there to support over worked staff - we have to practice what we preach
• Practicing active listening and being a "predictable adult" are two of the hardest and most important ways to build relationships and safe/trusting environments with students which will allow them to trust in mindfulness or other personal growth activities.

Name: Laryonda Ward 
Your Position?  Clinical Intern at Lazear Charter Academy
 
What led you to your current position? 
Back in 2010, at the age of 17, I witnessed a close family member be murder and that lit a light up inside of me. This prompted my mother to take me to therapy, where the therapist wasn't helpful, so I took a vow that I would give back into the therapy world in order to ensure that I would provide my clients with everything that the therapist lacked while working with me. After I graduated from college in 2014 I got a position in Seneca as a Mental Health Counselor which I loved. As the years progressed clients would continuously make statements like "I wish you were my therapist". After hearing that so many times I decided it was time to elevate myself and obtain my MFT. 
 
Fun Fact/Quote? I come from a huge family I have 56 (and counting) first cousins on my mothers side alone.
 
What does your average day look like? An average day for me consist of therapy with clients, group work with clients, notes and documentation, and of course spending free time to connect with the other members school community. 
 
Why do you do this work?
As stated earlier I do this work because I want to provide clients with support to better navigate through life. Also due to my background growing up this work means a lot me. Growing up in Oakland I learned that often times the youth aren't receiving the proper care they need and we were over looked a lot. Being constantly overlooked made many of the people that I grew up with start to feel like there was no point in trying. After witnessing multiple people be murdered constantly this became a norm in our community, but because it was so normalized often times people were't even given the space to mourn. There are a handful of problems that people in the Lower Class face so my goal is to simply provide them the help that I can provide and connect them with their community resources. 

This week's school highlight is ARISE High School, located in the Fruitvale area in Oakland:

The mission at ARISE is to empower our students with the knowledge, skills, and agency to be leaders in Oakland. We provide a small school environment where we pride ourselves in every student having at least one adult who knows them well and supports them on their educational journey. At ARISE, education is not just about how well you do on a test. We are a small school that emphasizes knowledge of self, society, and history within a highly personalized supportive environment. ARISE is committed to building and maintaining healthy communities by providing families, many of which are first generation college bound, access to college and careers in Education, Community Social Services, Community Justice, Public Health, and Public Policy.
 
At ARISE we nurture, train, and discipline our school community to engage in a continuous practice of developing mind, heart, and body towards a VISION where we actively rise up. Agency and self-determination drive our struggle to improve our own material and social conditions towards a more healthy, equitable, and just society.
 
ARISE High School has been honored to serve the Oakland community for nearly 11 years and looks forward to continuing this service during our next charter term. Our founders, just as our staff today, believe that all children deserve a quality education that doesn’t replicate inequitable and oppressive institutions. Instead, we’ve developed a rigorous, high engagement, and authentic learning experience for our students.
 
ARISE High School currently serves approximately 286 students in grades 9-12, and prepares students from low-income families to be the first to attend college. Currently 86% of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch, 89% speak English as a Second Language, and 86% are first-generation college-bound. We are incredibly proud of our students’ successes. Each year, we have had at least 85% of our graduates matriculate into 2- and 4- year colleges and universities. In addition, we believe our alumni will be the future change-makers of Oakland. As more and more of them graduate from college we look forward to welcoming back into our community.
 
ARISE graduates will equip themselves with the knowledge, skills and agency to lead successful lives as defined by themselves, their families, and the ARISE mission and vision. Our Graduate Profile supports the growth of knowledge, skills and agency through our branches of Project Based Learning, our Instructional Core, our Linked Learning Pathway all wrapped together with our school culture.

 
Many of our programs support students with significant academic, behavioral, communication, social, and emotional  needs in the general education setting with highly coordinated services.  Our partner schools are all at different stages of implementation of successful inclusion programs and our staff all play key roles in the development and delivery of these programs.
 
Inclusion is a mindset.  Successful inclusion programs require more than a belief in the principle of education all students together.  It requires training for staff and students, highly individualized student services, and additional research on the long-term outcomes.  
 
This article explores the history of inclusion in education and what current research says about the outcomes of inclusion programs.  It discusses some of the considerations required to build and maintain effective inclusion program and discusses some of the positive outcomes both for students  with disabilities and students without disabilities.