. We might also see students connecting their identities to their learning and applying it back to their communities to manifest social justice. Having served the past two years as Assistant Principal, VVMS is a community that I love and care for. But he admits that it takes a big time commitment in resources and attention commitment to do this. The work to address racism in schools has been called cultural competency, diversity training, and equity. Once white fragility is defined and debriefed amongst a team, we can begin to talk about racism, anti-racism, and White Supremacy Culture. WSC dehumanizes people of color. Staff watch a clip about white fragility during a staff meeting (Courtesy of Joe Truss). Real Options for City Kids (R.O.C.K.) Ale House Alley, Mission Blue, and Lucky's Bakery & Cafe. Like most groups of educators, we had spent a few years dancing around topics of racism and struggled to make lasting change. Can You Safely Lose Weight While Breast-Feeding? in San Francisco. 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. foot 2 bed, 2 bath townhouse for sale. A lot of the kids have deep anger issues or problems focusing, she says. "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. 1971 Visitacion Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94134, We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school starting. 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. And our teacher turnover and absenteeism is almost zero.. This can create power struggles, a learning opportunity gap, and as the scholar Monique Morris writes, students being pushed out of schools. Meditation strengthens the areas of the brain that control our fear center, he said. In 2008 Mr. Dierke was named MetLife/NASSP National Middle Level Principal of the Year. But Quiet Time is a relatively inexpensive intervention Nearby homes similar to 183 Tucker Ave have recently sold between $1,150K to $1,150K at an average of $475 per square foot. 375. Home has a beautiful view with a nice size backyard for entertainment. Price: $759,000. 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. Why shouldnt all our students have access Speak with a TM teacher: 888-LEARN-TM (888-532-7686), Stanford research: TM is twice as effective, Reduced for adults, They are not guaranteed to be accurate, up to date . Select Week, Month, or Agenda to see different views of the calendar. 7 /10. Property taxes $170 Home insurance $105 . My partner and I recently moved from San Francisco to the East Bay, and we are preparing to welcome our first child this summer! One seventh grader at Visitacion Valley said, I used to be really fidgety, couldnt stay in my seat for very long. 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 California School Directory and related public school and district data files (collectively referred to as the "Directory"), contain information about California schools, districts, and school/district administrators that is voluntarily self-reported by local education agencies (LEAs) to the California Department of Education (CDE) as a Further, staff moved to thinking about how our school practices perpetuate WSC and send negative messages to our students. Other schools have taken a few minutes off lunch and tutorials. To do it properly Visitacion Valley middle school made the day 30 minutes longer. Now our previous work on Culturally Responsive Teaching, use of rubrics, and adding student voice had a theoretical underpinning. Visitacion Valley Middle School is a public school in San Francisco, California that is part of San Francisco Unified School District. She is a frequent guest on KQED's "Newroom" television show and "Forum" radio show. When you have it up, it keeps the rain off, and you can focus on trying to build a culture with kids. Consequently, this allows for us to align our purpose with our pedagogy, curricula, policies, decisionmaking processes, and adult structures. The announcement was made today during a surprise ceremony at Visitacion Valley. 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. (Love, 2019) It is imperative that we examine these deeply held beliefsboth conscious and unconsciousto build on top of a new set of habits, behaviors, and systems. Sometimes the whole school meets to meditate in assemblies. Please use 651-683-6969 Ext. 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. One of San Francisco's toughest schools transformed by the power of meditation A pioneering programme has reduced stress and improved grades at Visitacion Valley middle school - with lessons other schools can learn from. SFUSD's Student Family School Resource Linksupports students and families innavigating all of the SFUSD resources available to them. "Instead, the parents demonstrated their faith in Dierke's leadership by not withdrawing any children from the school.". As Boys Get Fatter, Parents Worry One Body Part Is Too Small. Some bowed their heads. It is invisible and it is toxic. His school, along with other urban middle schools in low income neighborhoods, is in the midst of a battlea battle against the predictive power of demographics. Places. In order to build this ideal structure, we must start at the base and engineer for equity. ft. home is a 2 bed, 1.0 bath property. Zestimate Home Value: $930,000. We might also see students connecting their identities to their learning and applying it back to their communities to manifest social justice. Student-centered learning advances equity when it values social and emotional growth alongside academic achievement, takes a cultural lens on strengths and competencies, and equips students with the power and skills to address injustice in their schools and communities. Nearby schools include Cleveland Elementary School, Visitacion Valley Middle School and Jordan (June) School For Equity. Physical Education teacher Barry ODriscoll agreed that Quiet Time has helped improve the staffs quality of life. Don't be confused. We must name, define, and plan for white fragility, the defensive response by whites when discussing racism. As a leader, it is easy to hoard power, claim objectivity in decision making, or believe that there is only one way to fix education. Please refer to legal details concerning copyright and trademark protection. In the outside world, TM has been criticised for the price-tag it comes with; the programme at Visitacion Valley costs $280,000 (185,128) a year - paid for mainly through private donations to CWAE. Homeowners' Insurance. This leads to resistance or failure to follow through, maintaining a status quo of disproportionate outcomes for students based on race. This includes emotions of fear, anger, and guilt, as well as actions of argumentation, silence, and withdrawal. Tuesdays at 9:00a.m. When they started everyone said it would be impossible to get 12-year-olds to sit for even a minute, but through transcendental meditation (TM) they proved critics wrong. What Happened When My School Started to Dismantle White Supremacy Culture, The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition, http://culturallyresponsiveleadership.com/. $5,220. 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). So the privately funded non-profit Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education (CWAE) was set up. You can listen to Mr. Dierke speak at a conference in Los Angeles in December 2011 about his school districts research on the effect the Quiet Time/TM program has had on his students and teachers since it became part of their school five years ago. When the bells sound twice a day at Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco, students who used to be too rowdy to even sit still close their eyes and spend 15 minutes clearing their minds. Less than a year after starting Quiet Time, which is in part funded by . White Supremacy Culture. I saw this personally at VVMS, as situations got awkward, uncomfortable, and uncertain. Now our previous work on Culturally Responsive Teaching, use of rubrics, and adding student voice had a theoretical underpinning. On a personal note, I was born and raised in the midwest, but I have called San Francisco home for the last 13 years. [3] As a leader, it is easy to hoard power, claim objectivity in decisionmaking, or believe that there is only one way to fix education. Personal Commitment graphic organizer used in professional development (Courtesy of Joe Truss). Phones will be closed on school holidays, including the fall, winter and spring breaks. This is because we are starting with the branches of the tree instead of the roots. Visitacion Valley Middle Public 6-8 1971 Visitacion Ave. San Francisco, CA 94134-2700 (415) 469-4590 District: San Francisco Unified SchoolDigger Rank: 2320th of 2,740 California Middle Schools Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,103 Students who attend Visitacion Valley Middle usually attend: Feeder schools for Visitacion Valley Middle: Mortgage insurance $0. 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. Dont be confused. I got to sit right by him and the whole school meditated with him.. Ft. 45 Arleta Ave, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. Students, families, and school staff can email requests to sflink@sfusd.edu,call 415-340-1716(M-F, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m., closed from 12 to 1 p.m. every day), or complete an online request form. 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. 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) Grades: 6-8. The trouble is we don't even see it. Due to stereotype threat, this is especially problematic when students of color are a numerical minority in a classroom or school. Meditation, which is taught as part of the program, or engage in other quiet activities like silent reading. Perhaps even more remarkable, last years California Healthy Kids Survey from the states education department found that students at Visitacion Valley middle school were the happiest in the whole of San Francisco. 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. for publication. Joe Truss is a native of San Francisco, previous High School Spanish Teacher, and now a 5th year Principal at Visitacion Valley Middle School (@vvmsfalcons). Yes, it is exhibited by leaders at all levels, including me. I look forward to our partnership this upcoming school year and collaborating with all of you to support our brilliant students. And just like that, a hush fell over the auditorium. NOTE: Due to late submission for 2021-22 school year data collection, schools in Texas and Washington were not included in this locator tool.To search for public . SFUSD's Student Family School Resource Link supports students and families in navigating all of the SFUSD resources available to them. We focus on equitable teaching practices and encourage student participation. Based on Rocket Mortgage data in comparison to public data records. Specifically, this pushed on us to think about and change how we work together: We worked to create norms that encourage people of color and women to contribute, we shifted the relationship between teachers and administration so that teachers had more input in budget and hiring decisions, and finally, we adjusted the pace of our professional-development plans to emphasize quality over quantity. 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. (Love, 2019) It is imperative that we examine these deeply held beliefsboth conscious and unconsciousto build on top of a new set of habits, behaviors, and systems. Specifically, this pushed on us to think about and change how we work together: We worked to create norms that encourage people of color and women to contribute, we shifted the relationship between teachers and administration so that teachers had more input in budget and hiring decisions, and finally, we adjusted the pace of our professional-development plans to emphasize quality over quantity. 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. One other middle school and two high schools in the Bay Area adopted the program. 609-611 Naples Street is a 2-bed, 2-bath, 1,850 sqft multi-family home built in 1947. 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. The School Plan for Student Achievement is the template on which this review and stakeholder engagement process is codified. After the shooting, the usual culprits were blamed: guns, violent movies and video games, says Rice. Even in failure, there is growth, if you are using a critical lens to understand and improve. 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). As for getting the children to start. But now I meditate twice a day, and I do it at home. 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic Government Administration SAN FRANCISCO, California $93. As for getting the children to start meditating, ODriscoll says the biggest hurdle was getting them to feel comfortable with their eyes closed. *The name of one student has been changed. A $60K Starting Salary for Teachers? 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. We provide opportunities and resources for all students to be successful. Prompts for reading a White Supremacy Culture article (Courtesy of Joe Truss). If I can be vulnerable and honest, white educators can and must do the same. Nov 2020 - Present2 years 4 months. Yet that's where real leadership comes in, the organization noted. 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. We are continually navigating the phases of a 'call out to call in culture' with each other.". 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. We might get verbal disagreements, but the kids are able to talk through it and move on instead of punching each other, says ODriscoll, adding that the last fist fight at the school was three years ago. 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 America's low income, high stress localities. Even I, a black educator who has studied ethnic studies and critical race theory, still perpetuate tenets of White Supremacy Culture. This prompts staff to reflect and ultimately declare, "I want to be an anti-racist teacher, but I don't exactly know how." 1971 Visitacion Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94134. It can result in white rage, broken relationships, grievances, and further harm to oppressed students. The first pitfall is failing to scaffold for white privilege and white fragility. 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. The work of exploring White Supremacy Culture gave our staff a new framework to define our North Star, being an anti-racist school. 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, students who meditated showed a significant decrease in anxiety and a significant increase in resilience compared to nonmeditating students. In fact, based on certain urban zip codes, education researchers can predict students attendance rate, behavior, test scores, and overall academic achievement. For instance, we might see folks making eye contact, leaning into conversations about racial identity, and asking probing questions. 4 Beds. Located in a quite cul-de-sac setting with easy access to freeway, banking and various amenities. However, when we name oppression, racism, and more explicitly White Supremacy Culture, folks have to determine where they stand, what they value, and why they work in education. Anther example might be superficially speeding through content or discouraging interruptions for questions. Students. For the majority of urban students, drugs, gangs and violence are part of everyday life. Rice says they use TM because it takes those who do it to a deep level of relaxation, and its easy for children to learn. You can find more information about the fair at sfusd.edu/fair. Visitacion Valley Middle School, Public District Grades 6-8; Revere (Paul) Elementary School, Public District Grades KG-8; . Your health questions answered by Times journalists andexperts. Visitacion Valley Middle School Catering to our kids grades 6-8. 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. Visitacion Valley Middle School is part of San Francisco Unified School District. to meditation? Two other schools in SFUSD have begun their own Quiet Time programs and a district spokesperson said other schools have begun asking questions about Visitacion Valleys success. Now, Once the students got over that, they were open to trying to meditate. The school is working on improving parent involvement through our Parent Liaison. White Supremacy Culture. As a result, staff were curious to take action to be anti-racist and promote a learning community that did the same. Students at Visitacion Valley School in San Francisco meditate, as part of a program in which students meditate for fifteen minutes twice a day. I imagine we might even see white folks redirecting their white colleagues and carrying their weight of racial conversations. Visitacion Valley Middle School. Reportar una ausencia. Public, 6-8 Serves this home. Teachers. Principal and Interest. But this messy middle is precisely when we need to stay curious, be vulnerable, and innovative. Use the arrows to change between different dates on the calendar. I am deeply honored and excited to have the opportunity to serve as Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School. We are continually navigating the phases of a call out to call in culture with each other.. 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 the Visitacion Valley principal who brought the program to life in 2007. It is time that we detox and make the invisible visible. They couldnt concentrate on school.. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me for anything (harrisc@sfusd.edu). I noticed a lot of them missing school, fighting, and getting angry a lot. Please read our Welcome Back letter. But Quiet Time took years to develop. They thought their classmates would be making fun of them, staring at them, maybe possibly even hitting them, he says. In the first year of Quiet Time suspensions at Visitacion Valley which has 500 students aged 11-13 were reduced by 45% (pdf). 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, School: Visitacion Valley Middle: District: San Francisco Unified (District Profile) County: San Francisco: Address: 1971 Visitacion Ave. San Francisco 94134-2700: Phone (415) 469-4590: Web site* CDS Code: 38 68478 6059919: School Type: Intermediate/Middle Schools (Public) Charter School: No: Principal/Administrator: Courtney Harris, Principal . Most definitely recommend this school to parents in the neighborhood with kids in Kinder-5th grade. A restless din filled the large room. As a result of these high-stress conditions, thousands of schools have predictable problems: low attendance, high violence, and low performance. Down Payment . In recognition of the honor, Mayor Gavin Newsom declared Friday Jim Dierke Day in San Francisco. Quantum Physicist (16:40), By Mario Orsatti on 02/15/2012 Blog Home. White Supremacy Culture. 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. 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. WSC shuts down learning. 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. 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). 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. Specifically, we must look at how it shows up in our own lives, in our personal relationships, in between school staff, and in our histories. Young people are incredibly stressed, says Michael Matania who teaches mindfulness meditation to young people in London through a programme called Mindkit. Which Type of Exercise Is Best for the Brain? The trouble is we dont even see it. Principal & interest $1,163. Its also important to start small. Racial-equity work is like trying to defuse a bomb and cutting the wrong wire. Beginning with the 1983-84 school year, Valley Middle School organized into interdisciplinary teams referred to as the Village System. Thus, we are building a collective purpose and a commitment to learning. 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. The once-boisterous hall became silent and remained so for the next 15 minutes. This page was last updated on June 8, 2021. Yes, it is exhibited by leaders at all levels, including me. Students at Visitacion Valley School in South San Francisco observe 15 minutes of quiet time every morning. Also, our school is rich in ethnicity and culture. That kind of stuff makes it hard to focus on algebra, he said. Once white fragility is defined and debriefed amongst a team, we can begin to talk about racism, anti-racism, and White Supremacy Culture. Here are two pitfalls to avoid. Awesome school! This took the form of discussions, watching short video clips, annotating readings, and doing some deep personal introspection. Photos, courtesy of Joe Truss, from the top: The opinions expressed in Next Gen Learning in Action are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications. But no one touched on the real problem stress.. . 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. When Dierke took the helm of Visitacion Valley in 1999, it was the lowest-performing of San Francisco's 18 public middle schools on the state's Academic Performance Index; now the school ranks 10th. This might include wanting to win an argument, not making space for others to talk, and rushing through meetings. These kids hear gunshots on their way to and from school. Besides dealing with problems outside school, Visitacion Valley faces challenges in school, too. SOLD JUN 13, 2022. Principal James Dierke monitors school activities with his handi-talkie at Visitation Valley Middle School, 450 Raymond Ave, San Francisco. 379 Winding Way, San Francisco, CA 94112 is a single family home listed for sale at $1,280,000. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. It can result in white rage, broken relationships, grievances, and further harm to oppressed students. after meditating, I can sit down for a whole class without standing up. Barry ODriscoll, the schools director of physical education for the past 14 years, said, In the first seven This 3-bedroom 3 bath Tri level home has a lot of character and with the right owner can be brought up to date. I like to think of myself as a recovering perpetrator of WSC. SFUSD annually surveys families and school staff on a range of school climate indicators that have been found to predict positive student academic achievement. 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 C. Visitacion Valley Middle School is a public school located in SAN FRANCISCO, CA. Discussing WSC gave us more impetus to make changes, because we now knew what was happening if we refused: microaggressions, dehumanization, widening the opportunity gap, and producing disproportionate outcomes. This took the form of discussions, watching short video clips, annotating readings, and doing some deep personal introspection. Now that the shock of reading these words has worn off, let's explore what it is and why we need to dedicate more time to exploring its dehumanizing effect in our schools. 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 Consequently, "all other cognitive functions such as learning, problem solving, or creative thinking stop," (Hammond, 2015) activating our fight, flight, or freeze response. 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." 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. Classes take place at students desks after the qualified TM teacher rings a bell. This is true for our staff as well, contributing to racial fatigue and staff sustainability for IBPOC. The student population of Visitacion Valley Middle is 358 and the school serves.