FM Board Presentation

Dr. Dotger

FM Truths

2017 FM Alumni

Agenda

• Introductions
• Dr. Dotger
• FM Truths
• FM Alum�
• Areas of Focus
• Inclusive Hiring
• Curriculum
• Mental Health
• Restorative Justice
• Accommodations�
• Closing Statements

​

Dr. Dotger

• Associate Professor at Syracuse University
• Research Focus: Lesson study, Science teaching & learning, Teaching Preparation

FM Truths

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Avva Boroujerdi ‘21 Paris Puccia ‘21 Madelyn Malgieri ‘23

Simone Sheldon ‘23

Follow @fmtruths on Instagram

FM 2017 Alum

Noni Unobagha

Alena Zhang

Siddhi Nadkarni

Meredith Levy

Ashley Shayya

& Sophia Hall, Sarah Vollero, Ashley Van Slyke, Joe Hughes, Sarah Robinson

Why We Care...

Bettering our FM Community

“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist.” ~Angela Davis

Dr. Dotger - Curriculum & Instructional Materials

District curriculum map

Instructional Materials

5.3 EUROPEAN EXPLORATION AND ITS EFFECTS: Various European powers explored and eventually colonized the Western Hemisphere. This had a profound impact on Native Americans and led to the transatlantic slave trade. (Standards: 1, 2, 3, 4; Themes: MOV, TCC, GEO, ECO, EXCH)

5.3a) Europeans traveled to the Americas in search of new trade routes, including a northwest passage, and resources. They hoped to gain wealth, power, and glory.Hide details

-Students will investigate explorers from different European countries and map the areas of the Western Hemisphere where they explored including Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Jacques Cartier, Pedro Cabral, and Vasco Nunez de Balboa.

-Students will map the key areas of the Western Hemisphere colonized by the English, Dutch, French, Portuguese, and Spanish comparing the location, relative size, and key resources of these regions.

5.3b Europeans encountered and interacted with Native Americans in a variety of ways.Hide details

-Students will examine the how Native Americans viewed the newcomers.

-Students will examine the European interactions with Native Americans using these examples:

5.3c The transatlantic trade of goods, movement of people, and spread of ideas and diseases resulted in cultural diffusion. This cultural diffusion became known as the Columbian Exchange and reshaped the lives and beliefs of people.Hide details

-Students will map the movement of people, plants, animals, and disease between Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

5.3d Africans were captured, brought to the Americas, and sold as slaves. Their transport across the Atlantic was known as the Middle Passage.Hide details

-Students will investigate why sugar was brought to the Americas, noting where it was grown and why, and the role of supply and demand.

-Students will examine the conditions experienced by enslaved Africans during the Middle Passage.

Student Savvy - author of Interactive Notebook

Personal profile: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Studentsavvy

Claimed expertise:

GRADES: PreK, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, Higher Education, Adult Education, Homeschool, Staff, Not Grade Specific

SUBJECTS: English Language Arts, Balanced Literacy, Creative Writing, Writing-Expository, Reading, Grammar, Vocabulary, Specialty, Math, Basic Operations, Fractions, Geometry, Numbers, Order of Operations, Other (Math), Science, Astronomy, Basic Principles, Biology, Earth Sciences, Environment, Physics, Other (Science), Social Studies - History, Ancient History, Government, Native Americans, U.S. History, European History, World History, Middle Ages, Arts & Music, Art History, Visual Arts, Graphic Arts, Music, Music Composition, Instrumental Music, Computer Science - Technology, Career and Technical Education, Health, Other (Specialty), Other, Math Test Prep, British History, Other (Social Studies - History), Other (ELA), Life Skills, Critical Thinking, For All Subject Areas, Literature, Classroom Management, Character Education, Instructional Technology, General Science, Physical Science, Cooking, Writing, Robotics, Reading Strategies, Holidays/Seasonal, Back to School, Thanksgiving, Christmas/ Chanukah/ Kwanzaa, Poetry, Autumn, Mental Math, Halloween, Winter, The New Year, Dance, Valentine's Day, Decimals, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Spring, Place Value, Products For TpT Sellers, Tools for Common Core, Earth Day, For All Subjects, Summer, Informational Text, School Psychology, End of Year, Engineering, Close Reading, African History, Classroom Community

​

Dr. Dotger - Curriculum & Instructional Materials

District curriculum map

NY: 5th Grade

5.Earth’s Systems

Performance Expectations

5-ESS2-1. Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.Show details

5-ESS2-2. Describe and graph the amounts and percentages of water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.Show details

5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.

​

Requests

• Provide teacher professional development that meets the highest standards for teacher learning and that is led by knowledgeable others.
• Make these opportunities public.
• Detrack
• Re-evaluate curriculum maps and instructional materials to support high quality pedagogy and anti-racist curriclum.

Curriculum

• New York State educational frameworks
• NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum
• Culturally Responsive-Sustaining (CR-S) framework�
• Engaging with local history beyond the fourth grade
• Indigenous dispossession and our current relationship with the Onondaga nation
• Redlining and segregation in Syracuse creating its suburbs
• Current disparities between Syracuse and its suburbs�
• Beyond the CR-S framework
• STEM, additional programming

​

Curriculum (cont.)

• Mandating race dialogue conferences for teachers mediating discussions in their classroom
• Examples of programs that provide such opportunities include Interfaith Works, CNY Fair Housing, Intergroup Dialogue Program at Syracuse University, Implicit Bias Training Morehouse College, or the Inclusive Teaching In The Classroom and Beyond at Syracuse University
• Emphasizing our outreach program, Community-Wide Dialogue
• Advertise the very existence of the club to expand discussion opportunities
• No limit or application process should be necessary for this club to function
• Incorporating an increased number of literature written by BIPOC authors

​

​

​

Curriculum (cont.)

CORE FOCUS: there must be a revision to the current status quo in our Sexual Education lessons to be more inclusive to our LGBTQ+ student body

• There is an abysmal lack of resources available for LGBTQ+ students at FM when it comes to safe sex options and sexual education.

​

​

​

Inclusive Hiring

• Releasing a welcoming community statement could possibly promote more applicants
• Programs implemented already in the SCSD encouraging teens to pursue teaching careers could be considered
• “Say Yes To Education: Syracuse”

​

Mental Health:

Core focus: destigmatize mental illness, provide ample support

• The Positivity Project is highly commendable, but ultimately inadequate

We hope to improve:

• Mental health literacy training for staff (NAMI, SAVE Project)
• Mental health resources for students, families and staff
• Mental health education for students
• A balanced access to school officers vs mental health professionals

​

Mental Health (cont.)

CORE FOCUS: offer adequate resources for victims of domestic violence or sexual harassment/abuse

• Vera House Inc.
• A non-profit organization in Syracuse, New York
• Provides counseling services, prevention programs, emergency sheltering, and so much more for those affected by domestic violence or sexual harassment/abuse
• 24/7 HOTLINE (315) 468-3260

“If you would like to talk to a member of our Prevention Education team about programming at your school, please contact Loren Cunningham at lcunningham@verahouse.org.”

Restorative Justice

• “Restorative justice empowers students to resolve conflicts on their own and in small groups, and it's a growing practice at schools around the country. Essentially, the idea is to bring students together in peer-mediated small groups to talk, ask questions, and air their grievances.”
• A way to combat tensions without police influences and/or corporal punishment - elevating the traumatic burden of speaking with authorities alone, all the while feeling ostracized.
• “For the growing number of districts using restorative justice, the programs have helped strengthen campus communities, prevent bullying, and reduce student conflicts. And the benefits are clear: early-adopting districts have seen drastic reductions in suspension and expulsion rates, and students say they are happier and feel safer.”

​

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/restorative-justice-resources-matt-davis

Restorative Justice (cont.)

• Some students feel that they’ve been failed by the system put in place that has been meant to help them in times of trouble
• Looking into changing the way that problems are dealt with may help students immensely
• Having a student perspective will help adults look at the issue through the eyes of a younger generation when coming to a consequential decision.

Peer Review Board

• The concept of a peer review board (which still keeps students privacy as the main priority) may make administrators more approachable, and students feel like they have someone who has their best interest in mind.

Restorative Justice (cont.)

• Core focus: creation of an accountability system led by a group of faculty where staff and students can report instances of bias
• Use principles of restorative justice to mediate these concerns and ensure a safe environment for everyone in the FM community.

https://www.herok12.com/blog/why-schools-want-restorative-justice

Accomodations

CORE FOCUS: ensure that monetary accommodations are properly allocated towards events and programs to be inclusive to our BIPOC students

• Black History Month (BHM) Funding
• Hair & Makeup
• Indigenous People’s Day (IPD) Funding and Recognition in the District Calendar
• Dyodihwasnye'nha' Administration Building; Phone Number (315) 469-0302
• Asian and Pacific Islander American (APA) History Month Event Planning
• There was an attempt at hosting an API Month Assembly during the FM Calendar Year 2016-2017 by Asian Club, that was allegedly denied access to the auditorium and the project ultimately failed.
• In May, this year and years to come, this proposal could potentially be brought up again and should be one that is valued and recognized throughout the district

​

Closing Statements

Main Goals:

• Release comprehensive letter to the community and revise Positivity Project statement
• More inclusive hiring
• Curriculum revisions (i.e., re-evaluation of curriculum maps, inclusion of more diverse perspectives, fostering conversations about race, discussing our local history and redlining, and offering more inclusive sexual education)
• Destigmatize mental health & offer support for individuals with mental illnesses and/or victims of sexual harassment and assault
• Creation of an accountability system using the principles of restorative justice
• Accommodations for Black History Month, more inclusive hair/makeup products in the theater department, Indigenous People’s Day Funding, and Asian and Pacific Islander History Month Funding
• Commit to continuing these conversations

Thank you everyone for your time and concern regarding these issues!

We look forward to working with the FM Board of Education and Administration to work towards these goals!