Tagged With "Innovation High School"
Blog Post
The Culture-Friendly School (ascd.org)
The message in this school is clear: Cultures are welcome and cultural differences are worth embracing. Our public charter school in Washington, D.C., has "international" in its name and cultural competence in its mission statement. But it's not just the classes in Chinese, French, and Spanish or trips to embassies that prepare students to take on the world. Instead, the journey to global readiness begins the first week of 6th grade—when students bring objects from home to share with...
Blog Post
Opinion: Arts Education Is a Student Right, Especially During a Pandemic (calhealthreport.org)
Students across the country are grappling with difficult feelings, situations and events as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and there are no easy solutions. A national study published in November found that over 80 percent of young adults reported a decline in mental health during the two months after the start of the pandemic. But arts education has the power to emotionally and academically rebuild students — and the world around us. At the start of this crisis, I saw people in need of a...
Blog Post
New Resource: Strategies for Trauma-Informed School Communities
The California Essentials for Childhood Initiative is excited to share a newly developed attached, “Strategies for Trauma-Informed School Communities: Practices to Improve Resiliency in School-Aged Children and Address Adverse Childhood Experiences”. This new resource is intended to assist state and local public health programs, child-serving systems, non-profits, and philanthropic organizations in their efforts to educate about the need for trauma-informed school policies and practices that...
Blog Post
Program helps kids manage anxiety with puppets (rutlandherald.com)
A group of puppeteers is taking a creative approach to helping Vermont students manage their anxiety this school year. For almost 40 years, Puppets in Education — a part of the Vermont Family Network — has staged live presentations in schools around the state addressing issues such as bullying, abuse, health and stress. As the pandemic has progressed, so has concern about child mental health Through their presentations, Puppets in Education offers information about anxiety, leads discussions...
Blog Post
WATCH REPLAY: How We Can All Help Prevent School Shootings-Expert Teen Advocate, Community Leader, So California ACEs Connection Regional Facilitator-Dana Brown
Check out the replay of the wonderful interview DANA BROWN gave me on my transformational talk show, Mary Giuliani LIVE on 2-28-18 on how we can all help prevent school shootings through understanding and implementing ACEs science. I had such a heartfelt talk with Dana Brown, an Expert Youth and Teen Advocate, Community Leader, & Southern California Regional Community Facilitator with ACEs Connection.com. Dana and I discussed the core issues that underlie these horrific school shootings...
Blog Post
Mind Out Loud: FREE Online Student Event for California Middle & High School Students hosted by Wellness Together, San Diego County Office of Education, and the California Department of Education
Wellness Together School Mental Health, in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education and the California Department of Education, will host Mind Out Loud – a free three-day virtual event on May 4-6, 2021 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. for middle and high school students to convene and boldly discuss mental health; connect with peers across California; hear from engaging speakers to become equipped with practical tools for wellness; increase mental health awareness and advocacy for...
Blog Post
Why mental health is the key to dealing with learning loss [edsource.org]
By Carolyn Jones, EdSource, April 15, 2021 The best way schools can help students catch up academically after a year of distance learning is to ensure they feel relaxed, safe and connected to their friends and teachers as they return to the classroom. A year after the pandemic forced school districts to close campuses, students across California are beginning to return to the classroom at least a few days a week. But their experiences during the pandemic and their needs upon returning to...
Blog Post
'We Need To Be Nurtured, Too': Many Teachers Say They're Reaching A Breaking Point (npr.org)
"The level of stress is exponentially higher. It's like nothing I've experienced before." It's a sentiment that NPR heard from teachers across the United States. After a year of uncertainty, long hours and juggling personal and work responsibilities, many told NPR they had reached a breaking point. Teaching is one of the most stressful occupations in the U.S., tied only with nurses, a 2013 Gallup poll found . Jennifer Greif Green, an education professor at Boston University, says the...
Blog Post
How Schools Can Help Kids Heal After A Year Of 'Crisis And Uncertainty' (npr.org)
This pandemic has been stressful for millions of children like Kai. Some have lost a loved one to COVID-19, and many families have lost jobs, their homes and even reliable access to food. If that stress isn't buffered by caring adults, it can have lifelong consequences. "Kids have had extended exposure to chaos, crisis and uncertainty," says Matt Biel, a child psychiatrist at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. "If kids don't return to school and get a lot of attention paid to security,...
Blog Post
Mental health, equity should be schools’ focus as students return, report says (edsource.org)
To help students readjust to life after the pandemic, schools should use their Covid-relief funding windfall to imbue mental health, equity and relationships into every aspect of the school day, according to a sweeping new report released Thursday. The report, “ Reimagine and Rebuild: Restarting school with equity at the center ,” was co-published by Policy Analysis for California Education and an array of other groups, including the California PTA, the California Teachers Association,...
Blog Post
Why Teachers Leave—or Don’t: A Look at the Numbers (edweek.org)
Deciding to leave any job can be hard, but for teachers, exiting the classroom can be downright heartbreaking. Teaching is, in its essence, about relationships—understanding students’ needs, fostering their passions, figuring out what makes them tick. To give up that work, for many, would be a deep loss. And yet about 8 percent of teachers leave the profession every year, federal data have long shown. Younger teachers, and those early in their careers, are among the most likely to leave...
Blog Post
Strategies for Building More Equitable Schools When Returning to the Classroom (childtrends.org)
Students have faced isolation, loss, and trauma during the pandemic, all of which have impacted their home and school lives. Resources and plans to address these challenges vary across school districts, and many are ill-equipped to do so . For instance, prior to the pandemic, research found that 60 percent of schools lacked mental health services , and that mental health services for children of color were less accessible and of lower quality than services available to non-Latino White...
Blog Post
The Hybrid Workplace Can Be a More Human Workplace (thriveglobal.com)
The past year taught us valuable lessons about work and well-being. With the abrupt shift to remote work, many of us found ourselves juggling the demands of work, school, and home life in new ways. The pandemic highlighted and magnified the connection between work and overall well-being. It exposed all of us to new sources of stress and different kinds of fatigue. On the plus side, it taught us valuable lessons about how we can reorganize our lives, our work, and our workplaces so that they...
Blog Post
Children Exposed to Trauma to be "Handled with Care" by School Personnel (sdcoe.net)
When children encounter police because they were a witness to violence or a traumatic event, they can sometimes show up to school the next few days feeling upset, setting off a cycle of poor school performance or acting out, whether in school in person or virtually. Unless a teacher knows the student experienced recent trauma, the child could end up in trouble instead of receiving support. The District Attorney's Office, the San Diego County Office of Education, local law enforcement, and...
Blog Post
What's so dangerous about critical thinking? [commonwealthmagazine.org]
By Todd Gazda, CommonWealth, August 31, 2021 ONE CANNOT HELP but be troubled by the events that have transpired across our country over the past few years. The high-profile instances of racism and racial violence we’ve experienced are merely the most recent of in a string of discrimination and injustice brought about by the deeply imbedded systemic racism, violence, and inequity still prevalent in our society today. These incidents dramatically underscore the fact that a substantial amount...
Blog Post
What Should Be the Purpose of Education? Listen to Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade on The 180 Podcast [tfcusa.org]
NEW EPISODE OF THE 180 PODCAST Listen: Jeff Duncan-Andrade: The Purpose of Education Should Be Youth Wellness "When you find the tenacity and the will to show up to school in a society that teaches you to hate yourself for the color of your skin and the texture of your hair, the language that your parents speak, the neighborhood that you come from, and you still show up? How do we not have institutions that see that as the most important ingredient for intellectual development?" — Jeff...
Blog Post
American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL)
Established in 2006 by Dr. Debbie Reese of Nambé Pueblo, American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) provides critical analysis of Indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books. Dr. Jean Mendoza joined AICL as a co-editor in 2016. Please visit the website by clicking here, https://americanindiansinchild.../best-books.html?m=1 American Indians in Children's Literature is used by Native and non-Native parents, librarians, teachers, editors, professors, and students. It is...
Blog Post
Making Learning Visible: Doodling Helps Memories Stick (kqed.org)
Shelley Paul and Jill Gough had heard that doodling while taking notes could help improve memory and concept retention, but as instructional coaches they were reluctant to bring the idea to teachers without trying it out themselves first. To give it a fair shot, Paul tried sketching all her notes from a two-day conference. By the end, her drawings had improved and she was convinced the approach could work for kids, too. “It causes you to listen at a different level,” said Jill Gough,...
Blog Post
Three Actions for Building a Culture of Collective Efficacy (ascd.org)
Collective efficacy occurs when teachers in a school believe that, as a team, they have the power to help their students learn more effectively—and this belief is based on their own shared experiences of success. A culture of collective efficacy does not simply happen; it is built intentionally. I have learned this in my work at Lead by Learning , a nonprofit connected with the Mills College School of Education that partners with schools and districts to foster collective efficacy. At the...
Blog Post
America’s Students Need Us More Than Ever (thriveglobal.com)
As many of our nation’s young people returned to school campuses to reconnect with teachers, coaches, and classmates this fall we rejoiced in their voices and comradery from the bus stops, classrooms, and playgrounds. These sounds take on a greater meaning as we reflect on the significant learning and relational losses that the COVID-19 pandemic has imposed on students globally. With the recent declaration from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent...
Blog Post
Two years ago schools shut down around the world. These are the biggest impacts (kqed.org)
Two years ago this month, schools closed their doors in 185 countries. According to UNESCO , roughly 9 out of 10 schoolchildren worldwide were out of school. It would soon be the biggest, longest interruption in schooling since formal education became the norm in wealthier countries in the late 19th century. At the time, I spoke with several experts in the field of research known as "education in emergencies." They gave their predictions for the long-term implications of school closures in...
Blog Post
PACEs Connection Cooperative of Communities Spotlight: Learn4Life
It has been a pleasure meeting with many of you to learn more about your community and work. Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting with Craig and Dana from Learn4Life. Learn4Life gives students control of their learning! Students enjoy personalized learning through one-on-one attention in a safe, secure learning environment. They currently serve over 60,000 students nationally who are primarily in high school. To learn more about this remarkable cooperative member, you can visit...
Blog Post
What is neurodiversity, and why has it become so important to employers, educators? (news4jax.com)
ncreasingly, workplaces and those in education are trying to familiarize themselves with the term “neurodiversity.” So, what exactly is it -- and why is it becoming a hot topic for many? Below are five key questions in regards to neurodiversity, with insight from Dr. Susanne Bruyere, professor of disability studies in the Industrial Labor Relations School at Cornell University. What is neurodiversity? Neurodiversity is a concept all about differences in the brain, that cause people to...
Blog Post
The kids are not all right. The CDC finds mental health among teens has declined (npr.org)
It's hard to overstate the disruptive impact the pandemic has had on people. Its effect on mental health is a big one, and for teenagers, that hit particularly hard. Kathleen Ethier knows this well. She leads the Division of Adolescent and School Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which this month published a survey that points to some very grim findings. From January to June 2021, CDC researchers collected data on the behaviors and experiences of 7,705 public and...
Blog Post
A Flexible School Schedule was a Lifeline for Hayley (learn4life.org)
It was a chance meeting that brought Hayley Rico to Learn4Life. She was 17 years old, taking care of herself and her little brother because their parents who suffered from addiction were unable to properly provide for them. She had been kicked out of school for not attending regularly and was turned away from other schools because she had no permanent address to provide. Hayley happened to be at a community services event, and that evening two staff members from Learn4Life were there to talk...
Blog Post
U.S. Education Secretary is Right on the Money –Make Financial Literacy Classes Mandatory (learn4life.org)
The Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona says personal finance lessons should be mandatory in our schools, and we certainly agree. Learn4Life has been teaching financial literacy to its high school students for the past seven years. Currently only 21 states mandate financial classes in high schools and only a few more require them available as elective courses. During Financial Literacy Month, it’s important to note that graduates of high schools with financial education are less likely to...
Blog Post
Teen Dad Balancing Baby and Books This Father’s Day (learn4life.org)
We know that 200,000 teen girls give birth every year in the U.S., but what about the other half of the equation – the 200,000 fathers? Unfortunately, only about 33 percent of fathers under 18 stick around to help raise the child. When you consider that 70% of those teen moms don’t graduate – it’s not hard to imagine why. For Father’s Day, we are spotlighting one teen dad who takes his role seriously and is actively parenting his child. Meet Ricky C., 19, who brings his 4-month-old son to...
Blog Post
A Little Understanding Goes a Long Way with Student Success (learn4life.org)
The transition to high school from junior high was challenging for Serina. The schoolwork became more demanding, and her teachers weren’t giving her what she needed . “Starting high school changed my perspective. Everything got harder and nobody tried to understand where I needed the help. The teachers just wanted to get through the class,” said Serina, age 17, who continued to struggle at her previous school. When she first came to Learn4Life, she had no idea what she wanted to do with her...
Blog Post
Maddy Learned It’s Okay to Ask for Help (learn4life.org)
Maddy R. had a tough childhood, being in foster care, living with various relatives and the ensuing trauma and anxiety that left her feeling lost. “Striving for academic success was the only thing that kept me alive for many years and Learn4Life sort of became my way out,” she explained. “I got the one-on-one time and patience that I needed and deserved. I had to learn that it was okay to ask for help.” Now, Maddy is helping current students learn that important life skill. After graduating...
Blog Post
Are Restaurant Wait Times Getting Longer? Learn4Life’s Culinary CTE students are helping to solve the problem
Learn4Life high school students participate in a culinary skills career technical education course and Camryn (pictured below), shows off the baking creation she made during class. National Culinary Month highlights the importance of teaching foodservice and cooking skills to high schoolers who make up a big part of the restaurant industry workforce. LOS ANGELES (July 8, 2022) – Why does it take so long to get your order when you go out to eat? The number one problem is a decline in...
Blog Post
What Do Parents Really Want for their Children’s Education? (Learn4Life)
Learn4Life highlights National Parents’ Day to remind us of the importance of the parent voice in educational decisions that impact students LOS ANGELES (July 25, 2022) – Did you know the fourth Sunday of July is National Parents' Day? President Clinton established this day in 1994 to promote responsible parenting and to recognize positive parental role models. And shouldn’t parents’ role in education be a part of this designation? While we rely on parents to make sure their children go to...
Blog Post
Learn4Life Saved Ali’s Life…and His Future Looks Bright (learn4life.org)
Have you ever eaten green chicken? Taken cold showers with other people and been locked in a cell 16 hours a day? That was just part of the horror for Ali N., 15 years old and serving time in juvenile hall. He had been running with the wrong crowd and got arrested and sentenced to probation at home. Rather than changing his behavior, he cut off his ankle monitor and went back to getting into trouble. He was re-arrested and had to serve several months in juvenile hall. “It was just horrible,...
Blog Post
Highlighting our four-part Trauma-Informed Learning Community Series!
Committed planning team members met bi-weekly, beginning December 2, 2021, in preparation for the four-part Trauma-Informed Learning Community series which launched in San Diego, California, with Session #1 on May 20th. This series brought together seventy-five cross-sector service providers, agencies, and schools who work with teens, transitional-age youth, and families and was hosted by Diego Hills Central . The series would not have been the success that it is without Area Superintendent...
Blog Post
First California Indian Elected to State Assembly Shares His Story with Our Highland Students (The FOCUS, a Publication from Lifelong Learning)
Assemblyman James Ramos visited students at Alta Vista Innovation High in the Inland Empire last month, with 80-95 students and families attending. He expressed his appreciation to our students for sharing their stories with them and let them know that he too came from humble beginnings and overcame many obstacles in his life to get where he is today. Ramos is a lifelong resident of the San Manuel Indian Reservation and a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe. He is the first Californian...
Blog Post
Assemblymember James Ramos with our students, families, and staff at Alta Vista Innovation High School in San Bernardino, CA.
Photo: (left to right) Assemblymember Ramos’ Staff, Anais Franco, Assistant Principal Sarah Sinopoli, Area Superintendent Janet Wilson, Chairman (former) Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians Dr. Anthony R. Pico, Assemblymember James Ramos, PACEs Science Statewide Facilitator Dana Brown, Chief External Affairs Officer Bob Morales, Community Liaison Stephani Congdon, and Regional College & Career Coordinator Cherie Padilla. Bob Morales invited Assemblymember James Ramos to visit with our...
Blog Post
Newsom signs bill to boost Native American curriculum (enewspapers.dailybulletin.com)
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians annually hosts thousands of fourth graders at a California Indian Cultural Awareness conference commemorating California Native American Day in September. COURTESY PHOTO Author: Beau Yarbrough's article, please click here. California educators will be working more closely with Native American tribes under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday. Assembly Bill 1703, the California Indian Education Act, encourages school districts, county offices...
Blog Post
We Won! (anonymous)
Author: To read the entire Anonymous article, please see the attachment below. It’s a bluebird sky day as the clouds float away leaving behind distinctive dry desert air scoured by sagebrush, tumbleweeds and settled sand. As for me, I cozily sit in a floral patterned recliner by an open window drinking in hot tea and cold air from the open window. Biscuit “puppy purrs'' wedged between the arm rest and me. Her features are concealed by white fur giving her the appearance of a couture throw...
Blog Post
There’s A New Pathway to Special Education for Up to 300,000 California Children (calhealthreport.org)
Photo by aldomurillo/iStock. To read more of Roxanne Chang and ChrisAnna Mink's article, please click here. A recently passed California law, SB1016 , signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, should make it easier for DL and other children affected by FASD to access special education services. The law requires the California State Board of Education to include “fetal alcohol spectrum disorders” in the definition of “other health impairment ,” one of 13 specified eligibility criteria for...
Blog Post
When students own their learning, they view mistakes as learning opportunities. (Dr. John Spencer)
Thanks to @spencerideas for this sketchnote. Dr. John Spencer is a college professor and former middle school teacher who studies creativity and design thinking. You can find more of John Spencer’s work at SpencerAuthor.com .
Blog Post
Amira Went from Dreading School to Loving It! (learn4life.org)
to read more, please click HERE. When we looked for students to join our new community outreach Street Team, Amira G. was at the top of the list. As a paid Street Team member, Amira learned professional skills like speaking, event planning and representing our schools throughout the community. After graduation, she wants to go to college to be a psychologist and even start a nonprofit organization that helps people in need. She overcame many challenges to get to this point. She came with her...
Blog Post
5 best practices for embedding bereavement and grief support in schools (k12dive.com)
Stock Photo via Getty Images Anxiety disorders among children and teens are linked to an increased likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder or depression in the future, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. To read more of Elena Ferrarin's article, please click here. The loss of parents or other primary caregivers — among the most tragic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for students — has sparked a need to provide bereavement support in schools. The pandemic...
Blog Post
Career Technical Education Gives High School Entrepreneurs a Jump Start on Success (Learn4Life)
Learn4Life helped Hector D. transform an idea into a business plan LOS ANGELES (February 21, 2023) – While occasionally working for his father’s landscaping business, high school student Hector D. realized that protection against sharp tools, thorny shrubs, biting insects and brutal heat could be improved with better gear. He had the idea for a technical vest that would protect workers that he is calling Arbolero – combining the Spanish word for tree and a bolero vest. Now his teachers in...
Blog Post
Native Ways of Knowing Book List: Decolonizing and Indigenizing Classrooms and Libraries (SCOE)
SDCOE and CIEFA's Native Ways of Knowing Book List: Decolonizing and Indigenizing Classrooms and Libraries To help educators and parents choose high-quality Indigenous authored books, the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) and California Indian Education (CIEFA) have designed this Native Ways of Knowing Book List: Decolonizing and Indigenizing Classrooms and Libraries. These books have been vetted by Native American scholars, CIEFA, and SDCOE staff. Please consider adding these...
Blog Post
HOPE in Educational Settings [positiveexperience.org/category/blog]
By Junlei Li, 3/29/23, https://positiveexperience.org/category/blog/ Throughout the Week of HOPE, we will be sharing stories of practicing the HOPE framework. As we conclude our first day of the HOPE Summit , we can reflect on the ways to promote HOPE many different settings. The interview below is a great example of how to practice the HOPE framework in educational settings. Junlei Li, a faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education shares the impact of human relationships on...
Blog Post
Moving From Grief to Wellness in Schools (greatergood.berkeley.edu)
To read more of VICKI ZAKRZEWSKI 's article, please click here. “There is so much grief in schools right now, from the loss of staff and family members,” a wellness expert at a California County Office of Education recently told me. “We can’t touch wellness until we address the grief.” I understood this only too well, having lost my classroom aide to suicide almost 20 years ago—a loss that led me to the work I do today. To better understand how the adults in schools can help students—and...
Blog Post
Congratulations to our first Trauma-Resilient Educational Communities (TREC) Accredited Learning Centers in our network!
A joyous celebration on Friday, February 10, 2023 honoring the leadership of Area Superintendent Lindsay Reese , Principal Amanda Clark, and all staff members with San Diego Workforce Innovation High Schools’ Chula Vista, Linda Vista and National City Learning Centers! Area Superintendent Reese reflected on the TREC Accreditation and shared, "Trauma Resilient Educational Communities provide a safe and supportive environment for students to heal from their past traumas, while also equipping...
Blog Post
Teen Girls Are Not Alright. ADHD Magnifies the Crisis. (additudemag.com)
To read more of Nicole Kear's article, please click here. Teen girls in the U.S. are “engulfed in a growing wave of sadness, violence and trauma,” according to a report released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that found alarming increases in rates of rape, depression, suicidality, and cyberbullying among adolescents. 1 “The numbers are unprecedented,” said Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health . “Our young people...
Blog Post
The Kids Aren't Alright: The Post-Pandemic Teen Mental Health Crisis [npr.org]
From National Public Radio (NPR), Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images, National Public Radio (NPR), March 1, 2023 In the wake of the pandemic, many people are struggling with their mental health regardless of their age. But recently published data from the CDC is shedding light on how teens are faring. The numbers show that 4 in 10 U.S. high schoolers experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2021. Nearly a quarter seriously considered attempting suicide. [ Please...
Blog Post
The Lasting Impact of High School Quality on Cognition 60 Years Later (neurosciencenews.com)
To read more of the Neuroscience News article, please click here. Summary: A new study has established a connection between late-life cognition and the quality of education a person was able to access in high school. Sampling over 2000 people who attended high school in the 1960s, researchers found those who had a better educational high school experience performed better in tests of cognitive function later in life than those who had attended a poorer quality high school. The findings could...
Blog Post
The 2023 Creating Resilient Communities Summer Curriculum is Now Open for Registration
PACEs Connection is excited to roll out our summer 2023 *CRC* curriculum dates. Members who complete the CRC will qualify for a fall 2023 fellowship program.