Alayna Riggins’ Post

Dear Utah State School Board Representative I am worried about the future of our children in Utah. As an educator for over 25 years, I am worried about the damage of repealing the Education Equity Act would have on your constituents and their children. As a parent and a teacher, I can see the income gap widening between families who have financial means to assist their children's educational needs not only in academics but also in extracurricular activities such as music, sports, service opportunities, and extra tuition to pay for tutoring to get ahead on academics and ACT scores. These opportunities place higher-income earners ahead of the game and widen the opportunities for students from lower socioeconomic areas, especially with our children of Color and children whose families are homeless. Many studies show that strong communities and strong public schools go hand-in-hand. A strong public school in a community has numerous benefits for a community, including attracting businesses, maintaining property values, providing a qualified workforce, reducing crime rates, and offering more service and partnership opportunities between students, schools, and the community. Research has also shown that these benefits apply to everyone in a community, not just those with school-aged children. Repealing the Utah State Board of Education Education Equity Act is another way of decimating public education. Educational equity means acknowledging that all students can learn and ensuring equal opportunities based on individual needs. This requires school districts to provide equity training to educators to guarantee quality and fairness, regardless of personal or social factors such as gender, ethnicity, or family background that could impede a student's educational potential. The rule prioritizes impartiality and inclusivity by ensuring all learners acquire at least a basic level of skills, thereby enabling the vast majority to achieve high-level skills regardless of their circumstances. I would love to invite you to my public school. You will see that 40% of the students in my classes are from various cultures and languages, and  41% are economically disadvantaged students. This makes me love my job, and I embrace the uniqueness of my middle school students rather than view their differences as a disadvantage. In my classes, I practice culturally responsive teaching, which helps me connect to my student's lives in my curriculum. The Education Equity Act embraces them as qualities that make you unique, and they should be proud of who they are.  Please, if you love and care about our children in Utah. You would support the Education Education Equity Act.  Sincerely, Natalie Johnson

I’m often asked what kind of high school Mt. Scott Learning Center is. Is it a public school? A private school? An alternative school? A charter school? The answer is a combination of all of these. Now in its 28th year of operation, Mt. Scott is a fully accredited, nonprofit organization registered with the Oregon Department of Education as a private alternative school. Yes, we are officially recognized as a private (non-public) alternative school – and the Portland Business Journal recently named Mt. Scott one of the top private schools in the Portland area. However, we do NOT charge tuition and we only serve public school students from Portland Public Schools and other school districts that choose to partner with us. Mt. Scott Learning Center provides an educational setting tailored to the needs of high school students who struggle to fulfill their potential in the traditional school environment. Our goal is to reengage students with their education and support each of them along their unique path to a diploma. We accomplish this through a high-touch culture of trust and transparency, small class sizes, differentiated instruction, 1:1 case management for every student with a support team of multiple adults, and postsecondary preparedness training in our specialized Transitions Program.   What impact is Mt. Scott making? This 3-minute compilation video of student interviews helps answer that question and explains why Mt. Scott exists. If you’re interested in visiting our school and learning more about our story, send me a message or email.

On my post about the school-prison-pipeline there were some questions about the role of families and communities and to not just place responsibility on schools. We all know schools can and must do better in working on equity and inclusion but we also know that schools alone are not the root cause and therefore not the solution to the problem. Addressing this pipeline requires a multifaceted approach, and parents and communities play an essential role in this effort. The Role of Parents and Communities: 🟣 Advocating for Anti-Racist Policies: Parents and community members must actively advocate for anti-racist policies within schools. This includes pushing for restorative justice practices over punitive measures and ensuring fair treatment for all students. 🔴 Challenging Hegemonic Whiteness: It’s crucial to challenge the dominant narratives that uphold systemic racism. This involves questioning curricula that overlook or misrepresent Black and Brown histories and promoting inclusive education that reflects diverse perspectives. 🟣 Building Support Networks: Creating strong support networks within communities can help buffer the negative impacts of systemic racism. These networks can provide mentorship, tutoring, and emotional support to students, helping them stay engaged and motivated. 🔴 Fostering Open Dialogue: Encouraging open and honest conversations about race and racism in both school and community settings can help raise awareness and drive change. Parents and community leaders can lead by example, fostering environments where these critical issues are discussed and addressed. 🟣 Engaging in School Governance: Active participation in school boards, parent-teacher associations, and other governance bodies allows parents and community members to influence decision-making processes and hold schools accountable for equitable practices. Breaking the school-to-prison pipeline requires a collective commitment to anti-racism and challenging hegemonic whiteness. By advocating for equitable educational practices, supporting one another, and demanding systemic change, we can create a more just and inclusive educational system.

Not just black parents, but all parents want and should have the FREEDOM, financial freedom, to choose the education option that the parents consider better for their children (even if not actually better). The US Supreme Court provides parents with the fundamental constitutional right to make decisions for their children so long as NOT causing HARM (which means parents are not required to pass some "best" or "better" test to have the right to decide). Parents: consider NOT arguing that you know what is best for your children. You might, but, good news, you don't have to know! Those who claim you should not make decisions for your children are basing those arguments on false positions! Please like, follow, and subscribe to ParentsUSA across all social media and make a donation to this 501(c)(3) nonprofit so that it can do more for more parents and their children!

In what ways are your own schools engaging parents, families, and caregivers as allies to the teachers and staff in the buildings to support great learning for young people? #education #learning #schools #teachers #parents #families

This week in PublicSource: When Carrick High senior Paris Seidner walked into CAPA’s Downtown building for an event, she was shocked. “It looks very beautiful. It looks clean, well maintained." The polarizing effect of PPS magnet schools https://lnkd.in/e4iKJaNG We’ve been exploring Pittsburgh Public Schools and its challenges all year. This week the public had a chance to weigh in on a difficult budget process https://lnkd.in/e_SCBbKG And yes, another painful discussion of school closings is on the horizon. That’s just one aspect of the strategic plan that’s beginning to emerge for Pittsburgh’s schools https://lnkd.in/eNybMQNx As PPS wrestles with funding, equity, enrollment decline and just plain quality of its education, we’ll be there to analyze progress. But we need reader help - your help - to do it. Anything you give now will be matched https://lnkd.in/eFAyVQ_Y A wrenching story … but with hope. In child custody cases, when allegations of abuse collide with claims of “parental alienation,” it can get fraught. The proposed Kayden’s Law aims to change the equation https://lnkd.in/eiaVKc-Z “I had PTSD from more than 30 years of recovery from domestic violence. And here it was, again, in this entire building, an overwhelming tornado of domestic violence on 16 floors.” When Pittsburgh’s housing and MH care failed Aim, where did Aim turn? https://lnkd.in/e9C-GDFW Pittsburgh history is, to a degree, a complicated interplay between industry and quality of life. Tensions on a Coraopolis street, may be headed for a courtroom https://lnkd.in/e6s3MDDm A court has ruled that Allegheny County Council’s bid to boost wages of the lowest-paid county employees won’t fly. Sara Innamorato considers wages a “day-one priority” https://lnkd.in/ebBZCegu

Colorado legislators target public charter schools - https://go.shr.lc/3J8owec - @washtimesoped Looking over this short history, you may notice a healthy mix of Democrats and Republicans. In the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, Colorado Democrats and Republicans worked together to expand charter school options — which improved access to high-quality education and gave public schools incentive to compete for students. For decades, this system of choice has benefited Coloradans of all demographics and income levels. Now, in a stunning reversal, several Colorado legislators seek to undo years of bipartisan progress for Colorado’s students. HB 24-1363 would grant district schools unchecked power to reshape public education in the state, limiting the freedom charter schools need to provide unique, nourishing environments for Colorado’s students. As an education pioneer, Colorado has produced some of the nation’s most successful public charter schools. For instance, the Denver School of Science and Technology has obliterated achievement gaps. To date, 100% of the school’s graduates have been admitted into college, university, or postsecondary programs. And 61% of its students are Hispanic, 20% are Black/African American, and 77% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch @CPANColorado @charteralliance #SchoolChoice #charters

"When my daughter was ready for school, I was determined to find a nurturing experience for her. I searched for a school where she would be affirmed and loved for all of who she is. But that school didn’t exist. I toured many different programs and was mortified by what I saw in early childhood education. The entire system is rooted in misogyny and exploitation. The workforce, 97% women, made an average of $14/hour in extremely challenging teaching roles. The conditions made it near impossible to embrace equity. ❓️What would an early childhood program rooted in embracing equity look like? ❓️How would it be built? ❓️How would it function? ❓️What infrastructure is required to integrate a DEI strategy from the inside out? My good friend Esther, an Indigenous Montessori teacher from Zuni, and I started dreaming our wildest hopes into a plan. The plan started to take shape and we decided to start a tiny, one room classroom in rural Texas. Esther and I both relocated to the area, pulled all-nighters doing renovations, writing lesson plans, and building out the pilot program. But at the end of the day, we learned that it takes more than two dedicated teachers. A school must be the heartbeat of a community. Without systemic support, an individual school cannot thrive. Through blood, sweat, and a lot of tears, we deteriorated our mental and physical health. We were both diagnosed with severe depression and for 3 months I thought I had cancer. Although the school was only open for 8 months, it was a life-changing and extremely valuable learning experience (I’ll share more soon). I’m not fully recovered yet but I am proud that we preserved our friendship and, in the end, we chose our wholeness and well being. That choice represents so much healing. It represents no longer being governed by self-sacrificing reactions. It means that as educators and as women of color we get to be affirmed in our full humanity, too." Read the full article by our founder, Daisy Han, here: https://lnkd.in/gMj3YFn3

For my NOLA area friends: My organization, the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans, is holding its first in-person event in 4 years on Thursday, December 7th! We are gathering with parents, teachers, community leaders, and national education researchers to discuss one topic in particular: navigating the New Orleans Public School System's application process. For those who aren't familiar, the Orleans Parish School District is nearly 100% public charter schools. 90% of those students fall into the "economically disadvantaged" category. New Orleans also has the highest private school enrollment in the country-- estimated at 25 percent. NOLA's public school district uses centralized enrollment, which means parents only submit ONE application to enroll their child in school. On that application, parents rank their choices for schools in order of preference. Students are assigned a lottery number at random, and some students are afforded certain "priority" statuses. Examples of priority status include students who have siblings already attending the parents' school of choice, students living within a certain distance of the school of choice, and those students who attended a school that was shut down in the previous year. After everyone submits their applications for the school year, a computer algorithm uses all of this information to assign students to their respective schools. As you can imagine, every parent wants to know how to achieve their first choice. Lots of myths have developed around how to do this. We want y'all to know the truth! Public schools depend on all of our support and engagement to exist and thrive. Join me, my team, and our panelists (listed below) for the conversation, and/or look into our research at https://lnkd.in/ggxhiVA8. Hope to see you there! Tanya Bryant: CEO of ReNEW Schools Erin Mar­rero-Savoie: New Orleans par­ent and char­ter school leader Dr. Avis Williams: NOLA-Pub­lic Schools super­in­ten­dent Dr. Jon Valant: Brook­ings Insti­tu­tion Dr. Lind­say Weixler: Tulane Uni­ver­si­ty

Summer learning is critical for students and families across the state. Currently the system is unequitable, favoring families that have the ability to fund summer learning opportunities for their child while students in rural communities or from low-income backgrounds don’t have the same resources, access and opportunity. Funding HB 4082 would provide districts rescouces to provide this support with the flexibility to partner with community based organizations and Education Service Districts. Ensuring that students who need it the most receive the support they deserve. Districts are being asked to do more and more and they can’t do it alone. “Moreover, the grant funds available in HB 4082 incentivize our neighborhood public schools to establish strong and sustained relationships with other organizations in the community. These types of partnerships are critical to providing students with wraparound services that meet the needs of the whole child.” Click on the link to learn why Oregon School Boards Association, Coalition of Oregon School Administrators, Oregon School Employees Association, Oregon Education Association all support this bill.