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​Please scroll down to read our Unconditional Education blog posts.

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OUR UE MODEL AND SERVICES

STAFF GUEST POST: POLICY NEWS! Seneca Supporting State-wide Advocacy Around Trauma

9/29/2017

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For this week’s blog post, I wanted to step back and discuss some statewide advocacy work that I found very relevant to our work in Unconditional Education. Over the past several months, Seneca has joined with nearly 100 other California-based non-profit agencies, government offices, and advocacy groups to collaborate to raise awareness about the impact of early childhood trauma and to urge state policymakers to pass legislation to help address it.
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The statewide advocacy collaborative is called 4CA (which stands for the California Campaign to Combat Childhood Adversity) and is made up of professionals from the fields of health care, juvenile justice, mental health, and education. For the first time this past summer, representatives from 4CA sat with state legislators to issue a list of policy recommendations aimed at preventing early childhood trauma and supporting those youth that are experiencing hardship as a result of it:
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  1. Develop a trauma-informed workforce. Advocate that professional licensure and certification standards include competency on trauma-informed approaches and promote education on the negative effects of childhood adversity, as well as how to build protective factors and resilience. 
  2. Recruit and train a diverse workforce. Create incentives to recruit diverse services providers particularly in communities that experience childhood adversity more severely and profoundly—and train them on childhood adversity and trauma-informed approaches.
  3. Increase funding and access to effective and promising treatments and practices that address childhood adversity, especially for communities that experience childhood adversity more severely and profoundly.
  4. Promote the early identification of childhood adversity coupled with effective and promising treatments and practices.
  5. Raise public awareness and cultivate trauma-informed systems. Support parents and caregivers so they can be successful as supportive adults for children. Cultivate child- and family-serving systems and organizations to integrate trauma-informed approaches into organizational policy and practice.
 
Several things are exciting to me about this development. One is to see such widespread collaboration across state and non-profit agencies to recognize the impact of trauma and advocate for better policy, funding, and training to help address it. Even more exciting, though, is to read through these recommendations and see how closely they align with the work that we are doing in UE. From school-wide trainings on trauma-informed systems of care, to our ongoing work on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to new tools for early identification of childhood adversity like our Social Emotional Screener: each of you is delivering and innovating these practices in some way, modelling many of these recommendations in practice each day.
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Bog Post Written By: Sean Murphy- Assistant Director of Program Assessment and Evaluation
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STAFF HIGHLIGHT: BRENDA GONZALEZ

9/29/2017

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Name: Brenda Gonzalez

Position: Associate Manager of Education Quality
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What led you to your current position? I started as an SSA for All-In almost three years ago. At the time, I was convinced that I was going to be a teacher. It wasn’t long before I realized teaching wasn’t for me, but I remained committed to our model and SPED. I then became a PA and learned more than I could have ever imagined. I love being able to connect with parents in their native language and work in various settings. I learned a lot about the needs of the population that we work with and have since become obsessed with identifying how systems can be improved. I feel excited when I’m able to create/work something that will enable us to “do better” (shout out to Stacey). When this position opened up, I knew that it was exactly what I wanted to do. It almost felt like the job was made for me! I now enjoy coming to work and doing something that I love daily.
 
Fun Fact/Quote:  
 
Fun Fact: I was the model for a painting titled “Rattos in the Rain” by Anthony Holdsworth. He gifted me a copy when the original was purchased.  
 
Quote: “I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me, too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it’s true I’m here, and I’m just as strange as you”. - Frida Kahlo
 
What does your average day look like? 
An average day in the life of Brenda looks like coming into the office and checking emails as soon as I settle in. I have a recurring list of tasks that I tend to, and the the emails work as additional tasks for the day/week. My recurring tasks (but not daily tasks) include SEIS work, expense reports, the NPA renewal application, ordering, interpreting meetings and searching for related service providers. Honestly, no two days look the same for me, and I love that. They’re always changing and there’s something new for me every single day.
 
Why do you do this work? 
I grew up in East Oakland and feel passionate about working to improve the systems that have worked to oppress members of my community. One of my very best friends in high school was a SPED student, I met him in my art class, which was the only mainstream class that he was allowed to attend. I remember feeling confused when I learned that his SPED classroom was located in the basement of the school building. I simply could not understand why he was separated and hidden from the rest of us. Through my friendship with him, my perspective on what it means to be a SPED student changed dramatically. That’s why I love the All-In model—all means ALL, while also acknowledging that all students learn differently. I’m not going to say it’s all rainbows and butterflies. This work is challenging and tiring, but I think it’s worth it. Through this work, we are able to support students and families, while directly impacting and encouraging improvements in systems and schools.
 
What hope do you have for the future of All-In? My hope is that we continue to do the work that we do, and continue to defy the stigma around learning disabilities. I hope that we continue to expand and that the idea behind All-In grows so much that someday there won’t be classrooms in basements. I also hope that the program increases our direct work with families to increase their knowledge of SPED law, and empower them to advocate for the needs of their children. Learning starts at home with our families, so I think it’s imperative that we find a way to start there. 


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STAFF GUEST POST:  All-In! Translation and Interpretation Project

9/22/2017

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​Hey All-In! team, I am excited to share a collaborative effort to streamline a very important service we provide to our school partners and their communities. A small group of bilingual staff members, with the guidance and support of our Director of School Partnerships, Celina Zins, have embarked on an inquiry project to improve translation and interpretation in special education.

Shout out to Karla Aguirre, Lulu Gonzalez, and Brenda Gonzalez! (Nope, they’re not related…we think). We are currently engaged in exploratory interviews, research on best practices, and discussions about some of the very real barriers to providing effective translation of documents and interpretation during IEPs and other types of meetings related to Special Education. 
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We see this project, and its potential results, as an opportunity for Seneca to be a leader in this field by finding better and innovative ways to maximize our amazing human resources and bring what we do well to our school partners and larger communities.
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Keep an eye out for more information, requests for testimony and feedback, as well as updates on our work.
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Blog Post Written by: Sierra Thai-Binh, Unconditional Education Coach
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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT: Unconditional Education Recognition

9/22/2017

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As the 2017-2018 school gets underway, I would like to take a moment to share some positive recognition that has come our way!

It is my pleasure to announce that Seneca has been chosen to receive the “2017 Commitments Award” from the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, in recognition of our Unconditional Education model and its impact. The Alliance is a national network of committed social sector leaders (including Seneca) who are aligned through shared ownership and a common vision to achieve a healthy and equitable society. This is quite an honor and our fearless leader, Amber Fretwell, will be joining Ken to receive the award at the Alliance’s Education Summit in October.


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Seneca has also been chosen to receive the 2017 West Contra Costa Unified School District Partnership Award at the 12th Annual “State of Our Schools” breakfast. Seneca has partnered with WCCUSD for many years in support their special education programming, and we are currently in our second year of an Unconditional Education partnership in three elementary schools. Members from these school teams will join Ken at the breakfast to be recognized for their amazing work!
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These awards are a reflection of your commitment to serving our schools, students, and families. Thank you for showing up and bringing Seneca’s values of love and compassion, joy, curiosity, respect, hope and courage to work every day. Your efforts are being recognized far and wide!
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Blog Post Written by: Jenny Ventura, Director of Model Implementation and Assessment
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STAFF HIGHLIGHT: PUJA SATWANI

9/22/2017

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Name: Puja Satwani

Position: Unconditional Education Coach, Washington Elementary, San Jose
 
What led you to your current position?
Over the last 13 years I have worked in various roles within community based mental health programs including therapy, clinical supervision, program development/management and quality assurance. In many community-based programs, I often felt that the system was reactive – children and families received interventions only if their problems were intensive/or met medical necessity. I have always been very passionate about Prevention and Early intervention services and believe that the earlier we are able to provide supportive and comprehensive services to kids the greater our chances of affecting positive change at much lower costs. So, when we were awarded the SLS contract in Santa Clara, I was excited to explore a new opportunity to create a preventative coordinated system of supports for all kids as a UE coach.
 
Fun Fact/Quote:
“Be the change you wish to see in the world” – Gandhi
“Tell me and I will forget
Teach me and I may remember
Involve me and I will learn”
-Benjamin Franklin
 
What does your average day look like?
I start my day with some classroom observations and helping students settle into the class routine. I attend a lot of meetings with the school leadership team and teachers to help them create a positive and supportive learning environment for all students. My job also includes coordinating behavioral and mental health services for students so that they can succeed academically. I spend a significant time in the afternoon researching and developing training/coaching materials for teachers and parents, to provide them with effective tools to support the student’s growth. At home, I try to end my day with a run or a bike ride on the trail with my son.
 
Why do you do this work?

I do this work because I have a passion for working with people and helping others. I grew up in a family with supportive and loving parents, but as I grew older, I realized not everyone was as lucky to have such an experience. I want to provide that for our children and families. I strongly believe that if provided with the right guidance and opportunity every kid can strive and achieve their very best – so working with and for the kids to help them realize their true potential is what keeps me engaged with my work. 

What hope do you have for the future of All-In?
I hope that we can expand All-in to support more schools and communities across California, so that all students can have the opportunity to learn and grow in school environments that are inclusive, empowering and strength-based. One aspect of our program that I wish to strengthen is to develop effective engagement strategies to partner with the parent community to empower them and build their capacity to support the specialized and diverse needs of their own children. 

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SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: East Bay Innovation Academy (EBIA)

9/15/2017

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 I’m excited to announce a new partnership with EBIA – East Bay Innovation Academy. We began our partnership with EBIA a little over a week ago where we will partner with them in supporting their special education program and school culture and climate. Our partnership will be help by Celina Zins (Director of School Partnerships), with Sierra Thai-Binh as the UE Coach, Devina Brooks as the Behavior Intervention Specialist, Geoffrey Nunez as the Student Support Assistant, and Lulu Gonzalez as Program Assistant. We will also be supporting them with IEP compliance, case management, and the delivery of specialized academic instruction. Please see below for a little more information about EBIA. 

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Located in Oakland, East Bay Innovation Academy (EBIA) is a college preparatory public charter school that provides students with the skills necessary for productive lives as citizens in a dynamic and increasingly competitive global world. EBIA is a rigorous Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM)-based school with an emphasis on the social-emotional skills needed to be leaders.
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EBIAS Learning Model:
EBIA is a rigorous STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) school with a unique focus on the social and emotional skills students need to be leaders. Students learn to be problem solvers and strong advocates who work together and take responsibility for their own learning.

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Additional Program Components
SERVICE LEARNING
In order to teach our core value of giving back to the community and to provide real-world experiences, students do service projects to contribute to and improve their community.
 
PERSONALIZED LEARNING + ADVISORY
Every EBIA family is matched with a school advisor, who will stay with the family throughout their years at EBIA. Advisors meet with families regularly to map out personal academic, social-emotional, and career goals for each student.
 
COMMUNITY-BASED FOCUS
Students at EBIA participate in 6 to 8 weeks of in-depth elective classes or internships with community organizations and local businesses.
 
INTEGRATED CLASSROOMS

Students of all demographic and educational backgrounds are provided with the same college preparatory courses, and all students will be prepared to enroll in college upon graduation.
 
HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
EBIA faculty are given enormous opportunity to grow as educators and develop new skills.
 
DATA-DRIVEN + COMPETENCY-BASED INSTRUCTION
EBIA is a leader in collecting and analyzing data and using it to improve learning by working with teachers, students, school leaders and parents.
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Post Written by: Amber Fretwell, Interim Executive Director
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STAFF HIGHLIGHT

9/15/2017

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nName: Ryan Brown
Position: TBS Worker
What led you to your current position? My first two years with Seneca were at Cox Academy as a Student Support Assistant where I worked as an 1:1 aide, providing all-day support for Tier 3 kiddos. I was also lucky enough to spend part of a year working in the Learning Lab, doing academic interventions for Tier 2 and Tier 3 students. In those two years one of the things that stood out for me was the importance of connection between families and school. The more connection there was, the more a family was engaged with and knew what was going on at school behaviorally and academically, the better their child did. However, the reality is that many families are not connected in those important ways. I wanted to understand more about that and to experiment with bridging that gap.
 
Contract changes with Education For Change, the charter organization running Cox Academy, ended the SSA position, so it was time to look for something else. TBS was proposed by my supervisor as a possible next step, and I jumped at the chance to work more closely with families. I thought it would be a great way to gain more experience with direct care and to learn about how families do and don’t connect with their child’s school and the barriers to connection.

Fun Fact/Quote: I love this quote, which I’ve been unable to attribute to a person. “Don't let someone dim your light just because it's shining in their eyes.” I love thinking about this quote from different perspectives: a client who is misunderstood, permission I can give myself to shine, the influence of race, culture, and identity and where, when, and how much it’s “ok” to shine a light.

What does your average day look like? My days are a mix of different versions of service meetings: 1:1 with caregivers, 1:1 with clients, family meetings, or school team meetings. These meetings occur at homes, schools, coffee shops, parks – anywhere that works for families. There’s a fair amount of driving from place to place, which is not my favorite, but I’ve found some really great podcasts. Try out Benjamen Walker’s Theory of Everything. Between meetings I write mental health notes and prepare various documents required by the program. I also have individual and group supervision every week.

Why do you do this work? It’s taken a lot of years to really get it, but I think I get it now. Maybe. ;-) Human connection is fundamental to being human. Without it, we can’t be content, happy, functional, successful. For me, this work is about human connection: helping families heal the from wounds that disconnect them and giving children and families an experience of care that is as free as I can get of judgment and any personal agenda. I am so grateful to work in the communities I work in, to be invited into people’s homes, and to be trusted with the details of their lives, histories and, most significantly, with their children. Through this work I get constant reminders that we all have the same basic needs, and we’re all trying to get them met. I see that love is always present, relationships are complicated and messy, and things are rarely simple.
 
As difficult as this work can be, it is also an antidote to a hopelessness I feel at times when I become too focused what’s not working well in the world. I see that no matter how gnarly things get, the light can always get in.

What hope do you have for the future of All-In? ​My hope is that one day we will run our own school(s). We know children sometimes need a lot of non-academic support before they are ready and able to learn. We know schools still largely operate with assumptions/expectations that children will arrive ready and able to learn. We know this isn’t reality for a lot of kids. I’d like to see All-In! take the bold step of rethinking “school” in a big way, to explicitly acknowledge and strive to meet basic needs and to help families increase their capacity to meet basic needs. Then we read and write and do math and stuff.

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Welcome Back All-In! Unconditional Education-ers!!!

9/15/2017

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I hope you are all off to a fabulous beginning of the school year! I can’t tell you how amazing it was to be able to spend 3 full days with you at our Back-To-School Orientation and witness the inspiring, thoughtful, caring, student/partner focused, smart, curious, and joyous group you all are. Because of you, we have been able to serve the most under-served in the most innovative and impactful ways. When the roller-coaster ride of the school year gets you down, recall the hopes and dreams, the passion and will, and the reasons why you do the work that were discussed during orientation. During orientation we discussed and reviewed a TON of helpful information but wanted to ensure we were all reminded of what we do…UNCONDITIONAL EDUCATION!
 
What is Unconditional Education?
The Unconditional Education (UE) model seeks to disrupt the cycle of poor achievement and exclusion by transforming schools into communities in which all students are welcomed and can thrive. UE is a holistic, multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) that pairs evidence-based academic, behavioral, and social-emotional interventions with an intentional focus on overall culture and climate. UE promotes systematic coordination and integration of funding and services, which increase the efficient allocation of available resources so that gaps are identified and redundancies eliminated. UE emphasizes early intervention by utilizing data to identify student needs and then providing services to address those needs before students fail, thereby reducing the need for more intensive and costly remediation in the future. 
 
What is the mission of Unconditional Education?
Goal 1: To increase the capacity of high poverty schools to deliver effective interventions through the implementation of a multi-tiered framework
Goal 2: To increase achievement of struggling students

In the simplest terms, it means to help schools become more inclusive places where all students are welcomed and can thrive.

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As mentioned during orientation, please recall the guiding questions for the year that we will use to help us in reaching our programmatic goals:
  • How do we promote data informed practice?
  • How do we ensure all staff are engaged in the work and it feels meaningful?
  • How can we ensure all staff voices are heard?
  • How do we ensure we have strong collaboration and communication between providers and staff and partners?
  • What can we do to ensure leadership between us and our partners is aligned and integrated?
I hope we can work together to answer these questions and engage in practices that demonstrate our commitment to reaching our goals.
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Remember, when it gets tough, our responsibility is to figure out which strategy will work with each student, because each of them MATTER! We are trying to change history and although it will be touch, it will be rewarding. I love what Bob Lenz, Executive Director, Buck Institute for Education said, “…and when it gets really tough, try to envision the students they are becoming, not the students they are at that moment”. It is important to remember that the impact we have on a student may not be noticeable today but is often noticed or understood years after our students have left so always put your best foot forward and remember to:
  • Have Fun
  • Cry when you need to
  • Laugh often
  • Remain Curious
  • Be inspired
  • Have a FABULOUS year and enjoy it
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Blog post written by: Amber Fretwell, Interim Executive Director
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