visitacion valley middle school principal

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. School attendance zone boundaries are provided by a third party and are subject to change. Even I, a black educator who has studied ethnic studies and critical race theory, still perpetuate tenets of White Supremacy Culture. Tuesdays at 9:00a.m. Visitors are always amazed, Dierke said afterwards, but it works. were the happiest in the whole of San Francisco, to more schools in the city introducing the programme, Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education, recommended the Department for Education designate three schools to pioneer mindfulness teaching, international lessons in education series. Together, educators are doing the reimagining and reinvention work necessary to make true educational equity possible. I look forward to our partnership this upcoming school year and collaborating with all of you to support our brilliant students. A $60K Starting Salary for Teachers? Sign up for a school tour at sfusd.edu/tours. Some bowed their heads. Like most groups of educators, we had spent a few years dancing around topics of racism and struggled to make lasting change. Those selecting Dierke for the honor noted how a gunman entered the school, threatening teachers and students in 2004. 336 Wilde Ave , San Francisco, CA 94134-2252 is a single-family home listed for-sale at $988,888. 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. $1,150,000 Last Sold Price. We get thrown a new thing every couple of years so I didnt put too much faith in it. But in April, just a month after meditation began, teachers noticed changes in behaviour. 1. I was very reluctant when it first started, he said. One of San Francisco's toughest schools transformed by the power of meditation Most of the students seemed disinterested in Dierkes announcements about the springs impending graduation, upcoming field trips, and recent birthdays. In 2006 there were 38 killings in our neighbourhood, says Barry ODriscoll, the schools head of physical education (PE). Ale House Alley, Mission Blue, and Lucky's Bakery & Cafe. Home has a beautiful view with a nice size backyard for entertainment. 82616 to call in a student absence. Modern Band (music) with contemporary instruments, Visuals Arts, Ethnic Studies, Computer Science, Dramatic Arts, and Spanish! 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. This prompts staff to reflect and ultimately declare, "I want to be an anti-racist teacher, but I don't exactly know how." This work has gotten co-opted and watered down, leading to many people talking the talk, without much walk. 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. Principal and Interest. The Rent Zestimate for this home is $3,399/mo, which has increased by $239/mo in the last 30 days. As a result of these high-stress conditions, thousands of schools have predictable problems: low attendance, high violence, and low performance. Now, I have other principals asking me about Quiet Time. Our Zoom link is: https://sfusd.zoom.us/j/89260175755?pwd=R2VLdWJQOVdySElJa1c2UUhCTkw5QT09. 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. 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 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. 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. A lot of the kids have deep anger issues or problems focusing, she says. Students meditating at Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School in San Francisco. We might also see students connecting their identities to their learning and applying it back to their communities to manifest social justice. MLS # 423724059 It is invisible and it is toxic. ODriscoll also says that leadership buy-in is essential for the programme to work as there needs to be support in terms of time and resourcing. Principal & interest $1,163. 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. Now, 3D & VIDEO TOUR. Thats what were gradually doing here., The payoff might be most evident in students like Angelica Mahinay, who says, Man, when I hear students getting an attitude, or theyre saying theyre going to fight, I say, Hey! San Francisco principal Jim Dierke knew something was up when he saw more cars than usual parked in front of his school Friday morning. But this messy middle is precisely when we need to stay curious, be vulnerable, and innovative. 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. Start with one class or year and let it grow from there.. 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. $5,220. Racial-equity leaders must be both intentional and responsive when doing this anti-racist work. 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). With respect to race, the foundational issue is White Supremacy Culture, and we must attack the problem head on. 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. to meditation? Young people are incredibly stressed, says Michael Matania who teaches mindfulness meditation to young people in London through a programme called Mindkit. We have seen attempts at creating buy-in fail for initiatives like ethnic studies, mastery-based grading, or project-based learning. I can be really hyperactive, he said. We provide opportunities and resources for all students to be successful. James Dierke, principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco, California, has been named the 2008 MetLife / National Association of Secondary School Principals National Middle Level Principal of the Year. Get the latest education news delivered to your inbox daily. 420 Harkness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134 | MLS #422713413 | Zillow By Owner New Construction These properties are currently listed for sale. Visitacion Valley Middle School, Public District Grades 6-8; Revere (Paul) Elementary School, Public District Grades KG-8; . Find COVID-19 testing, vaccine, and daily health screening information. Property Taxes. Our GPA has trended up significantly since the start of Quiet Time., All of this indicates that we are winning the battle against the predictor power of demographics. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me for anything (harrisc@sfusd.edu). This prompts staff to reflect and ultimately declare, I want to be an anti-racist teacher, but I dont exactly know how. This has the power to unite folks at the foundational level, setting the stage for deeper commitments to learning new strategies, practices, and routines. 2023 San Francisco Unified School District, Week 25 newsletter in different languages, Week 24 newsletter in different languages, Week 21 newsletter in different languages. A Bay Area native, Jill earned a master's degree in journalism at the University of Colorado, Boulder and a bachelor's degree from the UC Santa Barbara. Ive found that it makes peoplestudents and teachersmore joyful, Dierke said, To have that time to reflect and be still is important.. It feels good to have that reputation.. It contains 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. Due to stereotype threat, this is especially problematic when students of color are a numerical minority in a classroom or school. The success of some schools efforts In my dream, I imagine that educators can become comfortable talking about race and how it informs the work of educating children. Teachers and students are assigned to academic families that use a variety of innovative technology, cross-curricular writing programs, and project-based and standards-based instruction throughout the year. Of even greater interest, the increase in G.P.A. Yet that's where real leadership comes in, the organization noted. In recent years however, Principal Dierke and a growing number of other educators have found a way to break the predictive power of demographics. And our teacher turnover and absenteeism is almost zero.. 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. . The work to address racism in schools has been called cultural competency, diversity training, and equity. White Supremacy Culture. Please read our Welcome Back letter. It is time that we detox and make the invisible visible. What Happened When My School Started to Dismantle White Supremacy Culture, The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition. During those times, students could either practice Transcendental Dierke, who has been principal at the school for 13 years, said things reached a turning point about five years ago. What Is Critical Race Theory, and Why Is It Under Attack? 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. Now our previous work on Culturally Responsive Teaching, use of rubrics, and adding student voice had a theoretical underpinning. On a recent morning at Visitacion Valley Middle School in South San Francisco, Principal James Dierke looked out over the schools auditorium at more than 100 eighth graders. and San Pablo, CA. Leading a 501 (c)3 nonprofit working with a consortium of collaborative partners including university researchers . Don't be confused. Find COVID-19 testing, vaccine, and daily health screening information. 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. We are the operators of some piece of the education machine, and therefore, if we change our actions, we can change the larger system. View more recently sold homes. Property Taxes. 1. Consequently, this allows for us to align our purpose with our pedagogy, curricula, policies, decisionmaking processes, and adult structures.