Clever Bee Academy’s Post

Investing in the learning and development of teachers means investing in the community. Creating a pipeline of success is what happens when community organizations comes together and open the access to resources.

In our refreshed Blueprint coming soon, we explore how high-performing education systems work hard to bring people and institutions across the community together on behalf of young people. This piece by Dr. Cassandra Herring of the Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity offers examples of just that. "Trough community partnerships, we can build a pipeline of educators equipped to thrive in today’s classrooms on day one, delivering a more inclusive and equitable education system for all." https://lnkd.in/gqXevdDh

This is what we should be striving for- and these are the skills kids need to make this world a better place! “Our school has a history of democratic learning and activism. We invest in joyful learning experiences even as we grapple with the climate crisis, racial injustice, gendered violence, ableism, and many other societal issues. Pain breeds possibility. Like other educators, at the beginning of each academic year, our teaching team explores ways to build community with students. Guided by both the NGSS K–2 engineering standards and the Learning for Justice social justice standards, we posed this question to our students in our first trimester of school: How can we design a community in which everyone gets what they need?”

A pressing concern in current educational discussions is the need for enhanced representation of Black men in teaching. This call to action is rooted in the belief that Black male educators' increased visibility can positively impact Black students' educational experiences, particularly Black boys. The rationale behind this assertion lies in the concept of representation, where students benefit from seeing individuals who reflect their racial and gender identities in positions of authority and mentorship. By fostering a diverse teaching workforce that includes more Black men, educational institutions aim to address the phenomenon of misclassification, whereby Black boys are disproportionately labeled as having behavioral or academic issues compared to their peers. Moreover, the presence of Black male educators serves as a powerful motivator for Black students to strive for excellence, as they are provided with role models who exemplify achievement and success within the educational system. The call for increased representation of Black men in education highlights the enduring significance of diversity and inclusivity in fostering positive academic outcomes and empowering marginalized student populations.

Understand the communities you serve. It starts with more listening and less “saving.” Many already have the solutions.

"For all children to learn, teachers need to establish an environment where all children feel welcome, valued, and supported. An inclusive curriculum is one that is child-centered, addresses each child’s cognitive, emotional, physical, creative development, and fosters knowledge about rights and responsibilities as well as crucial thinking and problem-solving skills" ~ Save the Children International Inclusive Education Handbook #inclusionmatters #inclusiveeducation #educationforall #disabilityinclusion #disabilityrights

The Learning Policy Institute is hosting the following free webinar on June 18th (with a post recording available to all who register). It looks interesting! Who would like to join me? From LPI: "Research shows that racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically integrated learning environments can lead to academic and social benefits for children. However, most early childhood education (ECE) programs are remarkably segregated. Segregation in ECE settings is driven by patterns of residential segregation, but it is also driven by policies that govern access to programs. For example, publicly funded preschool is often not universally accessible. Further, the current ECE system in most states is composed of a patchwork of programs, each of which has its own eligibility requirements and funding that make integration challenging. This webinar will illuminate the important, but often overlooked, problem of segregation in ECE settings. It will identify strategies that policymakers and administrators can use to foster integration, including establishing universal ECE programs, braiding public funding, allowing tuition-paying families to enroll in public programs, attracting families across neighborhoods or district boundaries, and creating two-way dual language immersion programs. Presenters will describe examples of cities and states putting these strategies into action. "

Too often, special educators are siloed within their schools with language like "your kids" and excluded from the very fabric of school. At All Means All, we support school and system leaders to create schoolwide culture and systems in which all staff are "Every Kids Principal" - building collaborative systems and whole school ownership over the outcomes for students with disabilities. This can be a key factor in teacher retention - particularly the retention of special educators. When we create schoolwide cultures with shared ownership of goals, collaborative problem solving and mining for bright spots - we can create spaces that are electric and joyful in service of delivering on choice-filled lives for our students while building spaces that all staff are excited to be a part of. https://lnkd.in/ePeqA9Q6.

Let's bring schools back to the road of life. By Nasser Yousefi For years, I have been working in the field of humanistic psychology and humanistic education. I believe that humanistic education can be a suitable alternative to many of the ineffective educational systems currently in place. Education worldwide requires a fundamental overhaul and transformation. Simply removing our children from schools is not the solution; rather, we must strive to reform schools to benefit students. Schools should be grounded in child-friendly theories, providing every student the opportunity to receive education tailored to their needs, abilities, and talents. We need to find ways for schools to adopt a holistic approach that addresses all aspects of students' growth. The notion that schools are merely places for imparting knowledge or teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic is outdated. Schools should respond to the immediate needs of students and help them engage in life through participation. It is essential to create environments that nurture students' intrinsic motivations and capacities. Educational systems should move beyond rote memorization and standardized testing, and instead foster critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence. Schools should aim to integrate these elements into their curriculum, ensuring a more comprehensive and relevant education for all students. Schools have separated students from their real lives. No student truly lives within the confines of a school; instead, they are engrossed in concepts and content that do not prepare them for life in a rapidly changing world. As teachers, planners, parents, and child rights advocates, we must endeavor to bring children and adolescents back to the path of life. Schools should be extensions of life itself. It is crucial to recognize that education should cater to the natural development and diverse experiences of students. By creating learning environments that are supportive, inclusive, and adaptable, we can ensure that students are not only educated but also prepared to thrive in all facets of their lives. #alternative_school , #democratic_school , #childfriendly_school #peaceschool , #torontopeaceschool #humanestic_school please Share this post

There are more than a few reasons families turn to privatized special education … … The number of students in special education has doubled in the past 45 years. And 1 out of every 5 public schools report being understaffed in special education at the start of the 2023-24 school year. Even so, demand heavily increases for well-trained, empathetic special education teachers and specialists. #SpecialEducation #AutismSupport #PrivatizedEducation