Property has a great layout with large kitchen, formal dining room, living room and decent size bedrooms. 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). This pushed some folks to identify who they could be safe with, be it for comfort or growth. Visitacion Valley Middle School Catering to our kids grades 6-8. Dismantling WSC unites staff to work toward being anti-racist. increased attendance and increased academic performance. 375. 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic Government Administration SAN FRANCISCO, California Staff watch a clip about white fragility during a staff meeting (Courtesy of Joe Truss). When the staff at Visitacion Valley Middle School explored White Supremacy Culture, it gave them a new framework to define their North Star: being an anti-racist school. WSC dehumanizes people of color. wall," a reminder of trouble that awaits them when the afternoon bell rings.. Visitacion Valley Middle School School attendance zone boundaries are provided by a third party and are subject to change. In between, she spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer teaching English in Cape Verde, West Africa. "I am feeling elated," he said after the announcement and celebration in the school's auditorium. At VVMS, we were able to get past defensiveness and excuses and get to the heart of the matter. 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. Visitacion Valley Middle School. 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. An easy way to remember our website is to memorize our bit.ly URL! Visitacion Valley Middle School basks in principal-of-year award, campusviolence03_005_cs.jpg For instance, we might see folks making eye contact, leaning into conversations about racial identity, and asking probing questions. 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. It is time that we detox and make the invisible visible. 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. It is the water we are swimming in. The highlights are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Filipino, and Vietnamese. It is invisible and it is toxic. She is a frequent guest on KQED's "Newroom" television show and "Forum" radio show. At times, it appeared that we weren't clearly aligned philosophically and did not have a focused call to action. Parks near 83 Ervine St include Visitacion Valley Greenway, Bayview Park, and Louis Sutter . I got to sit right by him and the whole school meditated with him.. In 2007 a meditation programme called Quiet Time was brought in to meet some of these challenges. One teacher, Mary Chirichella added, "Some teachers had the courage to approach others to have tough conversations about microaggressions. This took the form of discussions, watching short video clips, annotating readings, and doing some deep personal introspection. 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). Consequently, this allows for us to align our purpose with our pedagogy, curricula, policies, decisionmaking processes, and adult structures. Visitacion Valley Middle School 1971 Visitacion Ave. San Francisco, CA 94134 ( School attendance zone shown in map) Tel: (415) 469-4590 www.sfusd.edu SAVE SCHOOL Visitacion Valley Middle School serves 358 students in grades 6-8. Some conversations fell flat, and others were superficial. Prompts for reading a White Supremacy Culture article (Courtesy of Joe Truss). Students. 2023 Editorial Projects in Education, Inc. the Visitacion Valley principal who brought the program to life in 2007. This pushed some folks to identify who they could be safe with, be it for comfort or growth. After School Program at Visitacion Valley Middle School As the elementary programs established themselves and became more successful, R.O.C.K. 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. $1,150,000 Last Sold Price. White Supremacy Culture. . 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. Bursts of laughter and errant shouts punctuated the buzz. 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. 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. What Happened When My School Started to Dismantle White Supremacy Culture, The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition, http://culturallyresponsiveleadership.com/. Property taxes $170 Home insurance $105 . 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. Joe Truss Now our previous work on Culturally Responsive Teaching, use of rubrics, and adding student voice had a theoretical underpinning. For a more complete list, see the 15 WSC characteristics from Tema Okun and Kenneth Jones in the 2001 Dismantling Racism Workbook. The Zestimate for this house is $1,039,700, which has increased by $3,460 in the last 30 days. 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). Young people are incredibly stressed, says Michael Matania who teaches mindfulness meditation to young people in London through a programme called Mindkit. Once Quiet Time started, she mellowed out and started getting along with people. Stacys academic performance has also improved shes in the top 5% of the class. In addition, we might see curricula that affirms and engages students of color and assessment practices that dismantle racial bias in standardized testing. To do it properly Visitacion Valley middle school made the day 30 minutes longer. Anther example might be superficially speeding through content or discouraging interruptions for questions. San Francisco Superintendent Carlos Garcia told Dierke's students Friday that their principal was chosen from among the thousands of middle school principals across the country. Many have experienced the trauma of knowing someone who has been involved in a shooting or has personally witnessed gun violence. Out of view, city dignitaries and his students waited inside Visitacion Valley Middle School to surprise him with the news: He was the National Middle School Principal of the Year. Callers can still leave a voicemail or send an email or request form at all hours. One teacher, Mary Chirichella added, Some teachers had the courage to approach others to have tough conversations about microaggressions. Due to stereotype threat, this is especially problematic when students of color are a numerical minority in a classroom or school. A lot of the kids have deep anger issues or problems focusing, she says. Home has a beautiful view with a nice size backyard for entertainment. Start with one class or year and let it grow from there.. This is such a pattern in urban schools that researchers consider it a predictable outcome. I get to school at 7 a.m. for softball practice. ft. home is a 2 bed, 1.0 bath property. To do this, we use diverse staff resources and improve student access to high quality programs during the school day and in after-school programs. I can be really hyperactive, he said. Racial-equity leaders must be both intentional and responsive when doing this anti-racist work. They couldnt concentrate on school.. 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. For a more complete list, see the 15 WSC characteristics from Tema Okun and Kenneth Jones in the 2001 Dismantling Racism Workbook. This has the power to unite folks at the foundational level, setting the stage for deeper commitments to learning new strategies, practices, and routines. School communities gather twice a year to review data and previous actions in order to intentionally plan for the coming months. Meditation, which is taught as part of the program, or engage in other quiet activities like silent reading. 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. A Clipper Card is not required for buses and trains, however it is needed to receive a free fare on cable cars. Other schools have taken a few minutes off lunch and tutorials. Homeowners' Insurance. White Supremacy Culture is the silent killer flowing throughout classrooms and school hallways, like carbon monoxide gas. Nearly 90 percent of Visitacion Valleys students are classified by the district as socioeconomically disadvantaged and more than 40 percent are English Language Learners. Eighth grader Art Parkeenvincha moved to San Francisco from Canada in the middle of this year. Visitacion Valley Middle School. As a result, staff were curious to take action to be anti-racist and promote a learning community that did the same. 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. They are more motivated, more confident, more focused, more successful and more joyful. Its also important to start small. 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. The first pitfall is failing to scaffold for white privilege and white fragility. levels of self-confidence and happiness. 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. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school starting Wednesday, August 17, 2022. years of my tenure, the school was dominated by stress and fighting. But in the last few years, he said, we have had very few fights.. This is true for our staff as well, contributing to racial fatigue and staff sustainability for IBPOC. Dear Visitacion Valley Middle School Community. Otherwise, white fragility will shut the anti-racist party down; its an equity consciousness buzz kill, for real. San Francisco principal Jim Dierke knew something was up when he saw more cars than usual parked in front of his school Friday morning. New Principle, amazing teachers and support staff. Eighth grader Stacy* has been meditating since she joined the school three years ago. In fact, based on certain urban zip codes, education researchers can predict students attendance rate, behavior, test scores, and overall academic achievement. Principal & interest $1,163. and San Pablo, CA. suggests that meditation might significantly improve childrens school performance and help close that gap. Ka warbixi maqnaanshaha. 1. Therefore, unexamined behaviors of White Supremacy Culture are preventing students from being comfortable or supported enough to learn and flourish. The first pitfall is failing to scaffold for white privilege and white fragility. Yes, this is built into our systems of power, structures, policies, and rules. Consequently, this allows for us to align our purpose with our pedagogy, curricula, policies, decision making processes, and adult structures. Sometimes the whole school meets to meditate in assemblies. That funds four and a half (full-time equivalent) Quiet Time staff on site to teach the classes and support students. One other middle school and two high schools in the Bay Area adopted the program. CWAE specialists counseled students on meditation techniques and five full-time staffers remain on campus to help maintain the program. For students of color, characteristics of White Supremacy Culture similar to microaggressions hijack the amygdala. 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. (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.