Later that year, a gunman brazenly stormed into the school, threatened to kill a teacher and robbed two employees. I like to think of myself as a recovering perpetrator of WSC. You can see past weeks' newsletters as well. Maybe having half an hour just to focus on themselves so they get awareness and grounding, might have some impact., And it could help reduce costs later. A restless din filled the large room. This home last sold for $840,000 on Feb 2, 2021. 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. By 2009-10, attendance rates were over 98% (some of the highest in the city), and today 20% of graduates are admitted to the highly academic Lowell high school before it was rare for even one student to be accepted. And just like that, a hush fell over the auditorium. Racial-equity leaders must be both intentional and responsive when doing this anti-racist work. Students then repeat a personal mantra (a word from Sanskrit, the ancient Indian language) in their heads until they reach a deep feeling of relaxation. 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. Those selecting Dierke for the honor noted how a gunman entered the school, threatening teachers and students in 2004. $1,862. The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition defines White Supremacy Culture as "the idea (ideology) that white people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of white people are superior to those of People of Color." 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. Principal and Interest. Why shouldnt all our students have access But no one touched on the real problem stress.. Use the arrows to change between different dates on the calendar. A Bay Area native, Jill earned a master's degree in journalism at the University of Colorado, Boulder and a bachelor's degree from the UC Santa Barbara. Over the next three years, Visitacion Valleys suspensions dropped by 79 percent, attendance rose to 98 percent, Visitacion Valley Middle School 2 4 reviews Grades 6-8 Students 375 Type Public School District San Francisco Unified School District 450 Raymond Avenue San Francisco, CA 94134 (415) 469-4590 https://visitacion-sfusd-ca.Schoolloop.com/ Nearby Schools Elementary Middle High Alvarado Elementary School K-5 Public 515 Students Historically, those predictions have been accurate. Ive found that it makes peoplestudents and teachersmore joyful, Dierke said, To have that time to reflect and be still is important.. This school used to be known as the fight school, he said. White Supremacy Culture also tricks us into thinking that if we change to fit a white model, we can be more valued but still never be white. Tuesdays at 9:00a.m. Dierke, who has been principal at the school for 13 years, said things reached a turning point about five years ago. MLS # 423724059 In one, the effects of the Quiet Time Program, conducted over half the academic year, were evaluated in public middle school students performing below proficiency level. Dismantling WSC unites staff to work toward being anti-racist. Nearby Public Schools The nearest high school to Visitacion Valley Middle School is Burton (Phillip And Sala) Academic High School(0.6 miles away) The nearest middle school is Bayshore(0.6 miles away) This has included making decisions about curriculum, school partnership, and hiring, without authentically involving teachers or students in the process. 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. As a result of these high-stress conditions, thousands of schools have predictable problems: low attendance, high violence, and low performance. After School Program at Visitacion Valley Middle School As the elementary programs established themselves and became more successful, R.O.C.K. At VVMS, we were able to get past defensiveness and excuses and get to the heart of the matter. One teacher, Mary Chirichella added, Some teachers had the courage to approach others to have tough conversations about microaggressions. This content is provided by our sponsor. But this messy middle is precisely when we need to stay curious, be vulnerable, and innovative. Monday - Thursday 3:15 p.m.; Program offered free of charge from end of school day until 6 p.m.; Saturday Field Trips and Summer Programs, Rosetta Stone (foreign language instruction), STEAM (science; technology; engineering; arts; mathematics). It is the water we are swimming in. Sign up for a school tour at sfusd.edu/tours. An easy way to remember our website is to memorize our bit.ly URL! These beliefs lead to actions that are dehumanizing to all races of people; however, they have a more drastic effect on indigenous, black, and people of color (IBPOC). Staff watch a clip about white fragility during a staff meeting (Courtesy of Joe Truss). This page was last updated on June 8, 2021. In addition, we might see curricula that affirms and engages students of color and assessment practices that dismantle racial bias in standardized testing. 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. Due to stereotype threat, this is especially problematic when students of color are a numerical minority in a classroom or school. The work of exploring White Supremacy Culture gave our staff a new framework to define our North Star, being an anti-racist school. The school faces declining enrollment, test scores that don't meet federal standards, teacher turnover, truancy and a high neighborhood crime rate. "I am feeling elated," he said after the announcement and celebration in the school's auditorium. In my dream, I imagine that educators can become comfortable talking about race and how it informs the work of educating children. NBC News Cynthia McFadden, Tim Sandler and. to meditation? We can have equity missions plastered on walls and front that we are about closing the opportunity gap, but we dont go deeper than diversity trainings. My partner and I recently moved from San Francisco to the East Bay, and we are preparing to welcome our first child this summer! This has included making decisions about curriculum, school partnership, and hiring, without authentically involving teachers or students in the process. To do it properly Visitacion Valley middle school made the day 30 minutes longer. Further, staff moved to thinking about how our school practices perpetuate WSC and send negative messages to our students. He says the lives of students were infected by violence in the community, and several fights would break out every day. We are committed to Love, Literacy, and Liberation. Visitacion Valley Middle School is part of San Francisco Unified School District. Norman E. Rosenthal is a psychiatrist and the author of Super Mind: How to Boost Performance and Live a Richer and Happier Life Through Transcendental Meditation.. By Joe Truss, the principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco and a leadership coach. For the majority of urban students, drugs, gangs and violence are part of everyday life. As Boys Get Fatter, Parents Worry One Body Part Is Too Small. Welcome to our new incoming 6th grade students! A restless din filled the large room. $365. White Supremacy Culture is the silent killer flowing throughout classrooms and school hallways, like carbon monoxide gas. 420 Harkness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134 | MLS #422713413 | Zillow By Owner New Construction These properties are currently listed for sale. expanded to serve middle school children and grow with the kids it was already serving. 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. Now, I have other principals asking me about Quiet Time. Meditation, which is taught as part of the program, or engage in other quiet activities like silent reading. When you have it up, it keeps the rain off, and you can focus on trying to build a culture with kids. I am privileged to be able to continue to work with our dedicated staff, AMAZING students, and supportive parents. The highlights are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Filipino, and Vietnamese. Racial-equity leaders must be both intentional and responsive when doing this anti-racist work. 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. James Dierke, principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco: Principal James Dierke "When I arrived at this school thirteen years ago it had the highest absentee rate, the highest suspension rate, the highest teacher turnover rate, the lowest academic achievement rate. It is invisible and it is toxic. 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 student behavior in his school. Former principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco and a former Principal of the Year. I saw this personally at VVMS, as situations got awkward, uncomfortable, and uncertain. (Dan Schreiber/The Examiner) In 2004, two students discovered the partially decomposed body of a 19-year-old stabbing victim. Visitacion Valley Middle SchoolHIGHLIGHTS 415-469-4590 Vis Valley MS 26.8 0.4 9.3 16.2 16.2 1.6 29.5 AA AI C F J K L ONW OW DS Percent of Enrollment Mr. James S. Dierke, Principal VVMS's Parent Representative/Liaison maintains an office within the main office. Before becoming the Assistant Principal at VVMS, I served as an Assistant Principal at two different elementary schools in Richmond, CA. With respect to race, the foundational issue is White Supremacy Culture, and we must attack the problem head on. If you would like to learn more about our wonderful school, please join our School Info Session on Tuesday, October 25 at 5 pm or 6pm. stress and its manifestations for example, anxiety, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Photo at top courtesy of Joe Truss: VVMS staff match examples of White Supremacy Culture to the definition of each characteristic. Once white fragility is defined and debriefed amongst a team, we can begin to talk about racism, anti-racism, and White Supremacy Culture. In my dream, I imagine that Culturally Responsive Teaching, restorative practices, and deeper learning are all alive in classrooms across the United States. As a result, staff were curious to take action to be anti-racist and promote a learning community that did the same. Were not perfect, Dierke said. The Zestimate for this house is $1,039,700, which has increased by $3,460 in the last 30 days. Ultimately, we are here to help students empower themselves through education. A lot of the kids have deep anger issues or problems focusing, she says. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school starting Wednesday, August 17, 2022. For example, pushing students to work independently or write before processing verbally can lead to stress and isolation. During the 2017-18 school year, I s erved as an assistant principal in Ryan Gloyer Middle School (Seneca Valley Middle School at the time) before being named principal of the building for the 2018-19 school year. We must name, define, and plan for white fragility, the defensive response by whites when discussing racism. David Lynch Foundation, involved introducing two 15-minute periods of quiet into the school day. Connection is first and foremost because this work is all about relationships - connecting with stakeholders, earning trust, and sharing in the decision making. This is true for our staff as well, contributing to racial fatigue and staff sustainability for IBPOC. We are continually navigating the phases of a 'call out to call in culture' with each other.". This organizational structure reflects a "school-within-a-school" concept and is designed to help students make a successful transition from the self-contained elementary classroom to the fully departmentalized, comprehensive high school setting. Its much cheaper to focus on prevention and building resilience, and mindfulness is the single best tool that you could possibly give them., As for Visitacion Valley middle school, the area around it is still violent, but now the children are not as affected by it. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me for anything (. Nearby homes similar to 183 Tucker Ave have recently sold between $1,150K to $1,150K at an average of $475 per square foot. Her work has generated changes to state law and spurred political and community action to address local needs. Report an absence. One does not have to be a white supremacist to hold these beliefs, because we have all been conditioned through exposure to media, parenting, schooling, and our interactions with power structures. We have seen attempts at creating buy-in fail for initiatives like ethnic studies, mastery-based grading, or project-based learning. Visitacion Valley Middle School Unclaimed 1971 Visitacion Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94134 Contact info Website 3 /10 GreatSchools Rating 5 reviews Public school 375 Students Grades 6-8 Updates Compare 3 /10 GreatSchools Summary Rating 2/10 Test Scores below average 4/10 Academic Progress below average 1/10 Equity below average For students of color, characteristics of White Supremacy Culture similar to microaggressions hijack the amygdala. Property Taxes. Real Options for City Kids (R.O.C.K.) Together, educators are doing the reimagining and reinvention work necessary to make true educational equity possible. Others rested them on the backs of their chairs. 2023 Editorial Projects in Education, Inc. Based on Rocket Homes closed client surveys received from 2011-2021. I like to think of myself as a recovering perpetrator of WSC. For a more complete list, see the 15 WSC characteristics from Tema Okun and Kenneth Jones in the 2001 Dismantling Racism Workbook. campaign: %%CAMP%% -- %%CAMP_UID%%, creative: %%ADID%% -- %%AD_UID%%, page: %%PAGE%%, targetedPage: %%TARGETEDPAGE%%, position: %%POS%%, evaluated in public middle school students performing below proficiency level, Under Stress, Students in New York Schools Find Calm in Meditation. 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. The second pitfall I will offer is avoiding the tendency to externalize the work of dismantling White Supremacy Culture. Most of the students seemed disinterested in Dierkes announcements about the springs impending graduation, upcoming field trips, and recent birthdays. I got to sit right by him and the whole school meditated with him.. Quantum Physicist (16:40), By Mario Orsatti on 02/15/2012 Blog Home. A Clipper Card is not required for buses and trains, however it is needed to receive a free fare on cable cars. Racial-equity work is like trying to defuse a bomb and cutting the wrong wire. We were looking for a way to get kids to relax, he said. This includes emotions of fear, anger, and guilt, as well as actions of argumentation, silence, and withdrawal. Chris Stewart / The Chronicle Visitation Valley Middle School, campus violence MANDATORY CREDIT FOR PHOTOG AND SF CHRONICLE/NO SALES-MAGS OUT, No seriously, dont drive up to Tahoe this weekend, Horoscope for Friday, 3/03/23 by Christopher Renstrom, Horoscope for Saturday, 3/04/23 by Christopher Renstrom, Snowboarder dies at Tahoe ski resort following historic blizzard, Wife of Jeffrey Vandergrift issues somber update, Oakland ransomware attackers leak 'confidential' data, Mochi muffin bakery closes SF cafe after just 4 months, Even Salesforces tower HQ isnt safe from office cuts, The Warriors broke Russell Westbrook, just like old times, The best fried chicken is at a San Francisco strip club, National Association of Secondary School Principals, You can still overpack the smaller Monos check-in suitcase, In search of vegan food, I found a world-class Mendocino inn, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Phones will be closed on school holidays, including the fall, winter and spring breaks. This is true for our staff as well, contributing to racial fatigue and staff sustainability for IBPOC. Likewise, test scores have increased in recent years but still remain low compared to other SFUSD middle schools. Our teachers use Community Building and Restorative Practices. He blogs at culturallyresponsiveleadership.com and is a racial equity leadership coach. 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. They couldnt concentrate on school.. 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 Americas low income, high stress localities. In fact, based on certain urban zip codes, education researchers can predict students attendance rate, behavior, test scores, and overall academic achievement. 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.) The 1,233 sq. Even I, a black educator who has studied ethnic studies and critical race theory, still perpetuate tenets of White Supremacy Culture. On a personal note, I was born and raised in the midwest, but I have called San Francisco home for the last 13 years. Entire contents copyright 2023 Maharishi Foundation USA, a non-profit educational organization. White Supremacy Culture. Quiet Time is just like an umbrella. They are not guaranteed to be accurate, up to date . The first pitfall is failing to scaffold for white privilege and white fragility. During those times, students could either practice Transcendental In 2006 there were 38 killings in our neighbourhood, says Barry ODriscoll, the schools head of physical education (PE). This can create power struggles, a learning opportunity gap, and as the scholar Monique Morris writes, students being pushed out of schools. Zestimate Home Value: $930,000. This listing's school district is San Francisco Unified School District. Main Office: 952-431-8300. This is such a pattern in urban schools that researchers consider it a predictable outcome. 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. Visitacion Valley Middle School, Public District Grades 6-8; Revere (Paul) Elementary School, Public District Grades KG-8; . Please refer to legal details concerning copyright and trademark protection. Many have experienced the trauma of knowing someone who has been involved in a shooting or has personally witnessed gun violence. "He has put his heart and soul into making sure his students feel safe and secure in their school building and has developed a school climate that nurtures academic excellence," Tirozzi said. For example, we looked at how our implicit bias when responding to student behavior leads to racially disproportionate discipline incidents and we organically identified restorative practices as a focus for the following year. But this messy middle is precisely when we need to stay curious, be vulnerable, and innovative. That is not always possible for his schools students, Dierke said. I get to school at 7 a.m. for softball practice. This presentation was made as part of a National Education Summit on Quiet Time in the Classroom Linda Esposito - What One Urban School District Can Teach the Country About Stress Relief Huffington Post, Once the students got over that, they were open to trying to meditate. WSC shuts down learning. Further, we must look at how it has affected us and how we have perpetuated White Supremacy Culture. This pushed some folks to identify who they could be safe with, be it for comfort or growth. We provide opportunities and resources for all students to be successful. 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. the Visitacion Valley principal who brought the program to life in 2007. Lastly, this work connected well with our concurrent work of racial affinity groups, social-justice teaching, and revising our school mission statement. 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. School attendance zone boundaries are provided by a third party and are subject to change. Your health questions answered by Times journalists andexperts. This coming year, we are looking at how to build more community in the classroom, how to unify our students across cultural differences, and how to reduce bias in our discipline systems. The award, given by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, includes a $5,000 award for the school. At times, it appeared that we werent clearly aligned philosophically and did not have a focused call to action. Now we can get to the work of promoting anti-racism, liberation, and achievement at our school, by looking through the lens of White Supremacy Culture. 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." 609-611 Naples Street is a 2-bed, 2-bath, 1,850 sqft multi-family home built in 1947. The results of 17 studies conducted to date in the Bay Area, varying in duration from three months to one year, showed benefits across parameters including reduced stress, increased emotional intelligence, reduced suspensions, Therefore, unexamined behaviors of White Supremacy Culture are preventing students from being comfortable or supported enough to learn and flourish. Start with one class or year and let it grow from there.. As a leader, I hold three core values close to me: connection, growth, and appreciation. In addition, meditating students reported sleeping better as well as higher - Managed relationships and contracts with principals and key staff at our 3 middle schools. Otherwise, white fragility will shut the anti-racist party down; it's an equity consciousness buzz kill, for real. All rights reserved. Our GPA has trended up significantly since the start of Quiet Time., All of this indicates that we are winning the battle against the predictor power of demographics. We work hard to create a positive school climate where students are recognized for their growth. Its origins are in the 1990s when two Silicon Valley investors Jeff Rice and Laurent Valosek developed a programme to teach meditation in public schools, inspired by the tragic Columbine high school massacre. Known nationally for its innovative programs, teachers and students use technology, cross-curricular writing programs, and project- and standards-based instruction throughout the year. $1,041. Principal We have seen attempts at creating buy-in fail for initiatives like ethnic studies, mastery-based grading, or project-based learning. If I can be vulnerable and honest, white educators can and must do the same. Visitacion Valley Middle School provides quality education that prepares students for a fulfilling life in a global society. Like most groups of educators, we had spent a few years dancing around topics of racism and struggled to make lasting change. Consequently, all other cognitive functions such as learning, problem solving, or creative thinking stop, (Hammond, 2015) activating our fight, flight, or freeze response. By Kyle Palmer On a recent morning at Visitacion Valley Middle School in South San Francisco, Principal James Dierke looked out over the school's auditorium at more than 100 eighth graders. The work to address racism in schools has been called cultural competency, diversity training, and equity. 7 /10. 9 . 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. We might also see students connecting their identities to their learning and applying it back to their communities to manifest social justice. Real Options for City Kids (R.O.C.K.) "Instead, the parents demonstrated their faith in Dierke's leadership by not withdrawing any children from the school.". 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). Students straightened their backs and closed their eyes. Please refer to legal details concerning copyright and trademark protection. Parks near 83 Ervine St include Visitacion Valley Greenway, Bayview Park, and Louis Sutter . Theres an App for That. If I can be vulnerable and honest, white educators can and must do the same. These are also known as bank-owned or real estate owned (REO). Young people are incredibly stressed, says Michael Matania who teaches mindfulness meditation to young people in London through a programme called Mindkit. Before the students learn to meditate, the Quiet Time programme requires all staff to be trained in TM. Research shows that chronic stress can impair healthy brain development and the ability to learn, and that Transcendental Meditation, a stress-reducing technique that involves thinking of a mantra, can reduce Also, our school is rich in ethnicity and culture. Down Payment . Even I, a black educator who has studied ethnic studies and critical race theory, still perpetuate tenets of White Supremacy Culture. This 3-bedroom 3 bath Tri level home has a lot of character and with the right owner can be brought up to date. 322 Bayview Cir, San Francisco, CA, 94124 is a 1,317 sq. 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. Surrounded by drugs and gang violence, the kids were stressed out and agitated. Showing appreciation for things big and small, matters. fear. SFUSD's Student Family School Resource Linksupports students and families innavigating all of the SFUSD resources available to them. Its provided a lot of stability to our school, helping staff and kids get through the stress they have in their lives., The impressive results have led to more schools in the city introducing the programme. Given that the students in the study were performing below par at baseline, these results A major factor preventing underserved children from learning is the stress they encounter on a daily basis from factors like poverty, deprivation, lack of steady parental input, physical danger and constant Coming soon. Due to stereotype threat, this is especially problematic when students of color are a numerical minority in a classroom or school. Phys Ed: The Benefits of Exercising Before Breakfast, Dog Needs a Walk? $5,220. In my dream, I imagine that Culturally Responsive Teaching, restorative practices, and deeper learning are all alive in classrooms across the United States. Apply for Educational Benefits for the 2022-23 school year The Rent Zestimate for this home is $3,399/mo, which has increased by $239/mo in the last 30 days. Nearly 90 percent of Visitacion Valleys students are classified by the district as socioeconomically disadvantaged and more than 40 percent are English Language Learners.