Today's OEA Spring 2018

A PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF THE OREGON EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

TODAY’S

OEA

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

» IP 22 AND SANCTUARY LAWS » RURAL TEACHER SHORTAGES » 2018 PRIMARY ELECTION SLATE

DISRUPTING the Cycle With behavior outbursts on a constant rise, Oregon educators look toward solutions for creating safer and more effective learning environments

SPRING 2018 | VOLUME 92 : NUMBER 3

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As a registered charity with AmazonSmile, the Oregon Education Association Foundation will use 100 percent of all contributions to ensure students come to school ready to learn.

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OEA FOUNDATION

CONTENTS / Spring2018 VOLUME 92 : ISSUE NO. 3

Features

Departments President’s Column

05 / stepping up and meeting the challenge

By John Larson, OEA President

Upcoming

06 / Events for OEA Members Newsflash

24 On the Cover

24 / DISRUPTING the Cycle

With behavior outbursts on a constant rise, Oregon educators look toward solutions for creating safer and more effective learning environments.

By Meg Krugel

07 / How Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) affect students in oregon 08 / students participate in walkout Teaching & Learning

12 / Micro-Credentials Are Here at Last » Politics & You

12 / A Successful Short Session Special Insert

In-Depth

13 / OEA’s 2018 Election Slate

14 / rewriting the story

Isidro Interian Ucan turns a painful past into a teaching passion.

By Meg Krugel

18 / Forging a new path(way)

Oregon’s rural university has partnered with a growing number of small-town high schools to take a new approach in solving the rural teacher shortage.

By Milana Grant

14

Eye on Equity

17 / Fight Back Against Racism and Fear: Reject IP 22 Sources + Resources

32 / Books and Opportunities On the Web

34 / A Case Against Working People

ON THE COVER: Vincent Chirimwami, who came to the U.S. as a refugee from Congo and now teaches Special Education in David Douglas, is a recent appointee to the Governor's Task Force that's hoping to help solve disruptive and escalated behaviors in Oregon classrooms.

PhotO by THOMAS Patterson

Credits: Thomas Patterson, Meg Krugel

TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

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COMM

NITY

R

R POWE U O • H T G N E R T OUR S

OEA’S ANNUAL SUMMER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE www.oregoned.org/summerconference

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE / Spring2018 John Larson OEA President

T

hough the weather is having a tough time showing it, spring is definitely here and another year has begun its race toward the finish line. During the winter months and into the spring, I have had the privilege of getting into a number of classrooms and witnessing the amazing work our members are doing across this great state.

Oregon educators face great challenges. Our schools continue to be under-resourced, and the message all educators are hearing is, “We need you to do more with less.” Yet across the state educators are standing up and making their voices heard.

At a school board meeting at Treasure Valley Community College, more than 200 students, faculty members, ESPs, and community members packed the largest lecture hall on campus — as well as two over-flow rooms — to send the message that they valued their instructors and that the board should value them, too.

At Linn-Benton-Lincoln ESD, educators from Greater Albany EA, Greater Albany ACE, and Jefferson EA joined the educators of the ESD in an informational picket during the board’s executive session and then packed the board room to send the message that increasing the 40-hour work week to 42.5 hours was unacceptable. At West Gresham Elementary School, I walked into the building in the middle of a room clear. I saw a teacher in the building calmly lead her class of 36 students into the gymnasium where the PE instructor, who had a group of 38 students, did not miss a beat in immediately changing his lesson and bringing the new group of children into the activity. And in Salem, I spoke with an instructional assistant who showed me the maneuver she executed to get out of her hoody when a child attempts to bite her. Instead of anger or frustration at the situation, however, her emphasis was on how at each instance the focus was on child’s social and emotional growth needs and how to meet them. And, on April 2nd, I was honored to be in attendance at Lee Elementary School in Salem where Maureen Murphy-Foelkl, recently retired but a 32-year veteran of the Salem-Keizer School district, was honored at an evening assembly with the announcement of her induction into the National Teacher Hall of Fame in

Maureen Murphy-Foelkl, recently retired from the Salem-Keizer school district, was inducted into the National Teacher Hall of Fame in Emporium, Kansas.

Emporium, Kansas. I listened as her colleagues, her neighbors, her former students, her administrators, and parents talked about the impact she has had on their lives.

With so many attacks on public education both from politicians and the media, it is heartening to see how our members meet these attacks with the passion, grace, and dignity our professions so richly deserve. The job of a public educator is more difficult today than ever before, and it can often seem as though no one cares. Though it often goes unseen and unexpressed, people definitely care about our public schools and the people who make them work, and I am so proud to have the opportunity to represent the unbelievable professionals in this state. Thank you for all you do each and every day to ensure all Oregon Students are receiving the education they deserve.

WITH SO MANY ATTACKS ON PUBLIC EDUCATION BOTH FROM POLITICIANS AND THE MEDIA, IT IS HEARTENING TO SEE HOW OUR MEMBERS MEET THESE ATTACKS WITH THE PASSION, GRACE, AND DIGNITY OUR PROFESSIONS SO RICHLY DESERVE. Credit: John Larson

TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

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UPCOMING Spring2018

TODAY’S

OEA

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE OREGON EDUCATION ASSOCIATION April 21st, 2018

Oregon NBCT Leadership Institute

SPRING 2018 VOLUME 92 : ISSUE NO. 3

n WHAT: Test out the waters for National Board Certification! At this Institute, you'll find all the

latest Oregon NBCT and national certification news, leadership exploration, NBCT inspiration, collegial networking and a PINNING! Lunch. CPD Certificates included. n HOW: To register, visit www.oregoned.org/action-center/events/oregon-nbct.

Apr. 27-28, 2018

OEA Representative Assembly n WHAT: OEA member-delegates from across Oregon gather at OEA's annual Representative

Assembly (RA) to elect new leaders, review OEA programs, reform bylaws and policies, propose new business items, attend caucus meetings, and celebrate member achievements. n WHERE: Red Lion Hotel on the River, Jantzen Beach, OR. n HOW: Information for delegates available at www.oregoned.org/action-center/events/ representative-assembly.

May 7-11, 2018

National Teacher Appreciation Week n WHAT: Our teachers do so much, and it’s time to show them how much we care! Join us in

celebrating on May 8th for National Teacher Day, and be sure to thank a teacher who has made a difference in your life! n HOW: For fun ideas or to join NEA’s #ThankATeacher campaign, check out http://www.nea.org/grants/teacherday.html SAVE THIS DATE! July 24-26, 2018

Summer Leadership Conference: CommUNITY; Our Power, Our Strength n WHAT: There has never been a better time to be part of a union than right now!

At this year’s Summer Leadership Conference, we will be focused on elevating and connecting OEA members and our community partners. Our collective wisdom exceeds what any of us can do alone; coming together will make us stronger. Everyone is a teacher, everyone is a learner, and we all contain within us the seed to make change. n HOW:Go to www.oregoned.org/SummerConference to register, beginning April 27.

OFFICE HEADQUARTERS 6900 SW Atlanta Street Portland, OR 97223 Phone: 503.684.3300 FAX: 503.684.8063 www.oregoned.org PUBLISHERS John Larson, President Jim Fotter, Executive Director EDITOR Meg Krugel PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Milana Grant CONTRIBUTORS Milana Grant, Jenny Smith, Andrea Shunk, Thomas Patterson To submit a story idea for publication in Today’s OEA magazine, email editor Meg Krugel at meg.krugel@oregoned.org PRINTER Morel Ink, Portland, OR TODAY’S OEA (ISSN #0030-4689) is published four times a year (October, February, April and June) as a benefit of membership ($6.50 of dues) by the Oregon Education Association, 6900 SW Atlanta Street, Portland OR 97223-2513. Non-member subscription rate is $10 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR. POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: Oregon Education Association Attn: Membership Processing 6900 SW Atlanta Street Portland, OR 97223-2513 DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Francesca Genovese-Finch

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TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

Newsflash Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) data in Oregon

S

tudies show that children and teens who have experienced economic hardship, abuse, loss of a parent or guardian, or other traumatic instances are at a much higher risk for academic struggle, behavior issues, and health problems.

16

Percentage of Oregon students under the age of 18 who have had 4 or more ACEs in their lifetime.

29 Percentage of Oregon students who have experienced economic hardship. It is the most common ACE in Oregon, and the rate here is higher than the national average of 26 percent.

1 in 5

Roughly the number of students who live in a home where there is alcohol or substance abuse.

Over 2 times more Amount that students with disabilities are more likely to have experienced trauma.

Credits: Erin Whitlock

A panel of education leaders expand on their experiences around trauma-informed teaching in our public schools.

2018 OEA Symposium focuses on trauma-informed education practices

D

isrupted learning environments have become one of the most pressing issues that our students and educators face today, and they inhibit an educator’s ability to do their job effectively. It is clear that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are a huge factor in problem behaviors and interrupted learning.

This year’s OEA Education Symposium went into great detail about what ACEs are, how they affect brain development in young people, and how trauma-informed approaches can help not only the individual student, but the classroom as a whole.

During the event, OEA members had the opportunity to listen to experts on the

neuroscientific aspects of ACEs and discuss how they affect self-regulation, learning attention, and students’ relationships with others. They were then able to learn about the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), which is highly recognized approach to working with at-risk children and is designed to help decrease crisis incidents and optimize engagement.

Participants also heard from two OEA members who are involved in state-funded trauma-informed pilots in the Tigard-Tualatin and Central School Districts. Beginning at the start of the 2017-18 school year, the pilot is taking a closer look at the correlation between ACEs and chronic absenteeism.

TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

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Newsflash TODAY'S OEA IS NOW ONLINE! » Find more content at todaysoea.org! Our new magazine website features each of the articles you find in every issue of your member magazine - plus additional photos, video and content relative to your profession. www.todaysoea.org

Hood River Valley student testifies before Congress on gun violence

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n Wednesday, March 7, Senate Democrats held a hearing in Washington, D.C. to discuss ways to keep gun violence out of schools.

Several high school students were in attendance, including one of the survivors of the recent Parkland, FL shooting, and Hood River Valley High School sophomore, Eva Jones. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden invited Jones to share her testimony after meeting her at a town hall in Hood River during the weeks following the mass shooting in February.

Jones asked Congress to take a tougher stance on gun legislation to keep students and educators out of harm’s way. She, like many other students who have been vocal about a need for policy change, spoke about how difficult it is to focus on learning with constant fear of an attack. "In my math class, instead of learning integration techniques, we discussed the pros and cons of hiding under our desks like we were told or tackling the attacker," she said.

"But schoolwide murder has been so normalized by gun culture that we approach these like a fire drill. This makes me sick…I am not content to allow my peers to try and learn in an environment like this any longer.”

Jones also helped organize a walkout at her school on March 14 to garner support for the gun violence prevention movement.

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TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

“I am sick and tired of seeing my generation be killed by senseless and preventable gun violence.”

“For years, adults have been telling children and teens that they can be the change they want to see in the world, and now we have a chance to do that.”

“…This movement has given me and so many of my peers hope in bringing attention to the problem of gun violence.”

“…If no one speaks up, it’s not democracy. It’s not a government by the people. It’s a government by the government, and that’s not what I want it to be.”

quotes from Oregon students

STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE STATE PARTICIPATE IN WALKOUTS

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regon students stood in solidarity with their peers from all over the country on March 14. At 10:00AM, thousands of students stood up, walked out of their classrooms and observed a 17-minute moment of silence — one minute for every student and teacher killed in the February 14 school shooting in Parkland, FL. At some demonstrations, students called out the names of those who were killed, or read letters written by family members, or chanted together. Some participated to show students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School their support, others to express their discontent with legislators for their refusal to tighten up gun control laws, but almost all agreed: it’s time to do something. Students are no longer content to live in fear about being shot in school, and they are demanding action from our leaders.

Most school districts supported activities coordinated by students to honor those killed in the Parkland shooting, but the students took the lead in organizing and facilitating their own demonstrations.

Educators from Beaverton EA support their students' right to walk out.

Newsflash WILL YOU BE THERE? » Are you interested in becoming a National Board Certified Teacher? Get a JUMPSTART on it! OEA is offering Jump Start Seminars, led by Oregon National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs), to assist you in your pursuit. www.oregoned.org/JumpStart

Oregon student wins cash prize in prestigious science competition

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ut of 40 students competing in the finals of the Regeneron Science Talent Search in Washington, D.C., only 10 students received prizes. ­— and one of them is from Westview High School in Beaverton!

Shahir Rahman, a senior at Westview, invented microwave technology that heats different items on a plate to their respective ideal temperatures. He wowed the judges with his “smart” microwave that cooked chicken and rice to their desired temperature, while leaving the salad on the plate cool. Rahman also produced a smartphone application that gives the user the power to adjust their preferred temperatures for certain foods. For this innovative project, Rahman won fourth place and a cash prize of $100,000!

Rahman has been working on this project for the last three years, with the help of his father, an engineer at Intel.

He plans to attend college at MIT this fall and hopes to continue to work on projects that will positively impact the world, he says. "Most of my projects are about ordinary ideas for ordinary people, but they have a great impact in the solution. It all starts with an idea."

Better School Funding: Does it produce results?

You decide.

OREGON GRADUATION RATES

90 80 70 60

n White (Not H/L) n Hispanic/ Latino n All

50 40 30 20 10 0

201112

201213

201314

201415

201516

201617

(Source: ODE/NEA)

REVENUE PER PUPIL

$16,000.00 $14,000.00 $12,000.00 $10,000.00 $8,000.00 $6,000.00 $4,000.00 $2,000.00 2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

High school seniors eligible to win scholarship for showing GRADitude

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alling all 2018 graduates! Is there someone in your life that you’d like to thank for helping you reach your goal of getting that diploma? Now is the time to give them thanks and potentially win a $1,000 prize! The Promise of Oregon has announced the #GRADitudeOR video contest program for high school seniors who are on track to graduate. Students who wish to enter the contest must create a video that is two minutes or less in length and upload it to their social media accounts by May 26,

Credits: Shahir Rahman: Chris Ayers/Society for Science & the Public

2018. The judges are looking for creativity and sincerity, and the winner will receive a $1,000 college scholarship. For more information and eligibility requirements, visit http://promiseoregon.org/graditude/.

TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

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Teaching & Learning

MICRO-CREDENTIALS ARE HERE AT LAST How OEA and NEA’s new system of online learning can transform your practice

BY ANDREA SHUNK / Policy & Practice Consultant, OEA Center for Great Public Schools

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igh quality, on-demand professional learning that meets your professional needs. Learning you can apply in your classroom immediately, and helps you renew your license. Learning you can do with your colleagues in an authentic learning community. Oh, and that’s free, too.

Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Professional development so often falls short of our expectations and often doesn’t meet our needs as educators.

Numerous research articles, blog posts, and news stories have been chronicling the shortcomings of the state of professional development for educators over the past decade.

NEA has recently launched a new approach to professional development — micro-credentials. Micro-credentials aren’t new but have recently gained momentum in education with organizations like Digital Promise and Learning Forward elevating them as a way for educators to access professional learning to meet their needs.

Micro-credentials also allow educators to show mastery of specific and discrete competencies and to receive recognition for this mastery.

Once educators have demonstrated mastery, they are issued a digital badge.

They can use this digital badge on their resumes, on social media profiles, and to earn professional development units (PDUs).

NEA offers over 100 micro-credentials to educators free of charge. Many of the micro-credentials align with the Model Core Teaching Standards, the professional educator standards that Oregon’s evaluation system is based on. This means micro-credentials can also support your annual professional growth goals and be used as an artifact in Oregon’s evaluation system.

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TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

Teaching & Learning school, local association, or other professional group.

Some best practices to use a PLC to complete micro-credentials include: n Holding occasional or regular face-to-face meetings; n Sending out email reminders with tips, strategies, or questions about micro-credentials; n Using a mentor, instructional coach, or colleague with demonstrated expertise in the specific micro-credential to mentor the PLC; n And advocating for release time to prepare micro-credential submissions.

No matter the model, once you have earned a micro-credential, OEA will certify your learning with a PDU certificate you can use toward recertification.

Micro-credentials you can access now include the following overarching topics, with multiple micro-credentials in each area of focus: n Bully free schools n Classroom management n Cooperating teacher n English language learners n The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) n Five Core Propositions of National Board Certification n Model Core Teaching Standards (InTASC) n LGBTQ advocacy n And NEA’s Teacher Leadership Institute All the micro-credentials NEA offers were written and developed by NEA members across the country.

Additionally, NEA members review the submissions and provide direct feedback to educators. NEA plans to add additional micro-credentials over time.

Looking Ahead

Earning Micro-Credentials

OEA members can access the NEA micro-credentials via the OEA Learns portal, learn.oregoned.org, or the NEA portal, nea.certificationbank. com. To get started, visit the links and: n Make an account; n Browse for topics that interest you; n View the micro-credential by clicking on the image; n Click “Apply” when you are ready to start.

After you receive your digital badge, submit it to oealearn@oregoned.org to receive a PDU certificate. Most microcredentials take about 10 hours to complete, meaning you can earn 10 PDUs per micro-credential (on average). With more than 70 micro-credentials to choose from, you can earn all the PDUs you need to renew your license, free through your union.

Models of Learning

Any educator can complete a microcredential individually. They are free to

OEA and NEA members and you work through them at your own pace.

Completing a micro-credential individually is just one way to engage in this kind of professional development.

Another powerful way to use microcredentials is to do them in a professional learning community, or PLC. Many school districts support formal PLCs in schools, and educators could use their time to collaborate on the micro-credential questions, lessons, and resources.

Educators can also form informal PLCs with their colleagues from their

OEA has recently launched an online learning management system, OEA Learn, at learn.oregoned.org.

Coming in the 2018-19 school year, OEA will create opportunities for educators to complete microcredentials within an online community of like-minded educators.

OEA will be looking for members to help lead these communities. If you’re interested, contact oealearn@ oregoned.org.

Ideally, member leaders will have successfully completed a microcredential and will then turn around and lead for other members.

Or, if your local would like support in organizing a local micro-credential learning experience, OEA staff members can help through resources, support, introductory presentations, or organizing support.

High quality, on-demand professional learning that meets your professional needs isn’t a dream anymore.

It can be a reality through microcredentials.

Visit learn.orgeoned.org to create your free micro-credential account and learn more today!

TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

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Politics & You

A SUCCESSFUL SHORT SESSION

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regon’s legislative session ended in early March, and OEA’s lobbying staff and member leaders were able to achieve important wins and defend against anti-public education policy proposals. Members made nearly 2,000 personal contacts with their legislators during the session, and it really made a difference. Here’s a summary of our successes (and things left on the list to do) for this year’s legislative session. Please visit our website for a full list.

Passed Proactive Policies for Educators and Students

Successfully Defended Attacks

n Secured an official state committee on disrupted learning

n Stopped a bill that would have eliminated pension plans for new

n Required pharmaceutical and insurance companies to make drug

pricing structures and increases more transparent. (HB 4005)

public employees, pushing them into a 401k-style contribution plan (HB 4070)

n Guaranteed that children have access to hearing screenings, hearing

n Stopped an attempt to require educators to make additional

aids, cochlear implants and other hearing services they need to succeed in school by mandating insurance coverage (HB 4104)

contributions to their own PERS retirements (SB 1561) n Thwarted backdoor voucher language in the new federal tax

n Updated school sexual harassment policies to protect student

law, protecting Oregon school funding (HB 4080)

privacy and educator rights (HB 4150)

n Stopped a bill that would have required students to pass the US

n Ensured continuation of Modified Diploma program and delivery

Naturalization and Immigration Exam in order to graduate from high school (SB 1513)

of transition services for special education students who need these services (SB 1522)

n Stopped extension of Oregon’s open enrollment laws (SB 1521)

n Expanded high school students’ access to transportation options

n Stopped anti-union laws that would have made Oregon an

(such as additional activity buses), increasing accessibility for lowincome students (HB 4130)

“open shop” (SB 1524)

n Allocated almost $1 million dollars for school based mental health

continue to receive PERS benefits they are owed (HB 4046)

n Ensured grant-funded employees at community colleges

and trauma support services (HB 5201) n Protected the integrity of Oregon’s ballot measure process by

strengthening petition signature gathering requirements (SB 1510) n Ensured that undocumented Oregon students who meet certain

requirements, including residency requirements and graduation or equivalent from an Oregon high school, may continue to access in-state tuition regardless of participation in DACA, which is at risk federally (SB 1563) n Allowed educators to make decisions about their own retirement

funds instead of being pushed into a specific age-based calculation (HB 4159)

Bills to be continued next year… n OEA’s bill to make class size a mandatory subject of collective

bargaining passed the House with a bipartisan vote, but the hill was too steep in the Senate this year. We’ll keep advocating for this – you can add your voice here to make sure legislators on a key education committee know class size is important to educators and students. (HB 4113) n OEA increased the profile of the issue of disrupted learning

n Disconnected Oregon from the Federal Tax Plan’s pass-through tax

among elected officials. We distributed a member story to legislators every day and had countless meetings on the topic.

breaks for wealthy business owners (SB 1528)

n We still need to resolve school district interpretations of

n Extended the removal of hour limitations for retired educators who

mandatory reporting laws in response to the issues that were raised in Salem Keizer and other districts. This issue did not come to a satisfactory conclusion but OEA had many conversations with lawmakers.

return to work teaching CTE/STEM coursework (HB 4012)

OEA will be working hard to continue to raise the profile of Disrupted Learning to elected officials, including at 10 townhall events across the state — coming soon to a location near you! We hope to put forward a suite of policy recommendations to the legislature in 2019 to help support learning for all of our students.

Check out our series on Disrupted Learning: www.todaysoea.org/articles/educator-stories-disrupted-learning-environments.

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Spring Election Guide

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The following candidates have earned OEA-PAC’s recommendation for the May 2018 primary election. Don't forget: Ballots are due May 15, 2018!

Federal and Statewide Offices

CD1 Suzanne Bonamici

CD2 Jamie McLeod Skinner

CD3 Earl Blumenauer

CD4 Peter DeFazio

CD5 Kurt Schrader

GOVERNOR Governor Kate Brown

BOLI Val Hoyle

//////////////////////////////////////////// Oregon House Of Representatives HD 1 David Brock Smith HD 2 HD 3 No Recommendation HD 4

HD 5 Pam Marsh HD 6 HD 7 HD 8 Paul Holvey HD 9 Caddy McKeown HD 10 David Gomberg HD 11 HD 12 John Lively HD 13 Nancy Nathanson HD 14 Julie Fahey HD 15 HD 16 Dan Rayfield HD 17 HD 18 No Recommendation HD 19 Mike Ellison HD 20 Paul Evans

HD 21 HD 22 HD 23 HD 24 HD 25 HD 26 HD 27 HD 28 HD 29 HD 30 HD 31 HD 32 HD 33 HD 34 HD 35 HD 36 HD 37 HD 38 HD 39 HD 40

Brian Clem Teresa Alonso Leon

Sheri Malstrom Jeff Barker

Susan McLain

Janeen Sollman Brad Witt

Tiffiny Mitchell Mitch Greenlick Ken Helm

Margaret Doherty Jennifer Williamson Rachel Prusak

Andrea Salinas

Mark Meek

HD 41 Karin Power HD 42 Rob Nosse HD 43 Tawna Sanchez HD 44 Tina Kotek HD 45 Barbara Smith-Warner HD 46 Alissa Keny Guyer HD 47 Diego Hernandez HD 48 Jeff Reardon HD 49 Chris Gorsek HD 50 Carla Piluso HD 51 Janelle Bynum HD 52 HD 53 Eileen Kiely HD 54 Nathan Boddie HD 55 HD 56 No Recommendation HD 57 Greg Smith HD 58 HD 59 HD 60

//////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////// Oregon Senate SD 3 No Recommendation SD 4 Floyd Prozanski SD 6 Lee Beyer SD 7 James Manning SD 8 Sara Gelser SD 10 Deb Patterson

SD 11 Peter Courtney SD 13 SD 15 Chuck Riley SD 16 SD 17 Elizabeth Steiner Hayward SD 19

SD 20 Charles Gallia SD 24 Shemia Fagan SD 26 Chrissy Reitz SD 30

////////////////////////////////////////////

rewriting the story

Isidro Interian Ucan turns a painful past into a teaching passion Story and photos by Meg Krugel 14

TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

It’s still fresh in his mind — the memory of walking into an American school for the first time, and discovering that his native language, Spanish, was viewed as a disadvantage. Isidro Interian Ucan’s experience of immigrating to the U.S. when he was just four years old, and the unwelcoming school system that awaited him, is a memory that will likely never fade. He remembers his name being mispronounced repeatedly by his teachers and having to sit silently in the back of his classroom because his thick accent was ‘too difficult’ to understand; he remembers watching his brother get routed into a Special Education classroom,

> EXCERPT

In his own words

By Isidro Leonardo Interian Ucan

Isidro Interian Ucan loves the vitality and sense of community that his third grade students bring to the classroom every day.

simply because he hadn’t yet learned English proficiently, while his parents protested to no avail that their son didn’t need Special Education services; he remembers the daily experience of walking down the halls and being harassed by other students who called him racial slurs and told him to go back to México.

It’s safe to say school was not a safe or positive place for Interian Ucan — until he became a teacher.

When he was in high school, Interian Ucan’s mother gave him two options: he could continue working as a migrant farmer, as he had been doing since his family

I was four years old when we left our hometown of Yucatan, Mexico, our hands empty. Immigrating to Oregon was a difficult decision for my parents, but in the end the opportunity outweighed the risks. My parents strongly believed that education would be the key to our success.

I remember waiting at the bus stop on my first day of kindergarten, asking myself “¿A dónde voy?” When we arrived at school, I had no idea what classroom I was supposed to enter. A teacher asked me, “What grade are you in?” I responded in Spanish, “Kinder.”

I trembled as I walked into the classroom. Most of my classmates spoke English; the teacher mispronounced my name. I felt unwelcome.

Throughout elementary school, I struggled to communicate with my classmates and my teacher. Every night, I practiced English with my brothers and sisters at home, and every day, I got a little better at it. Still, my accent didn’t go away.

I worked hard to become bilingual, biliterate and bicultural, but the school system never seemed to value me for who I was. They wanted me to assimilate. In middle and high school, if I spoke Spanish, people told me to go back to Mexico. They called me hateful names like “wetback” and “beaner.”

At home, my family encouraged me to value my cultural roots and heritage. I did. I still do.

Every summer, my family and I worked in the fields. From sun to dusk, I had to pick strawberries, blueberries, and grapes. Even though we were paid only $1 per bucket, it brought hope to all my family. In Mexico, we didn’t have that opportunity.

Thanks to my parents, I’m no longer working in the fields. I’ve been teaching for four years. I’m a third-grade, two-way Spanish immersion teacher, and someday, I would like to be a principal. By returning to my community, I’m able to help the children who are still working in the fields gain the skills they need to seek higher education.

My greatest goal in life is to bring social justice and empowerment into public schools. It is important for students to be in classrooms that honor and value their native languages. It’s important for educators to understand where students are coming from and provide them with the tools they need to be successful.

As an educator, I uphold equity and justice for all.

"I'm always on my feet, connecting with my students. I never sit down," Interian Ucan says of his teaching style.

first immigrated to the U.S. Or, he could pursue an education. He chose the latter, earning a two-year degree at Portland Community College and then pursuing his Master’s in Teaching at Portland State University.

Now 28, Interian Ucan has spent the last five years teaching third grade in the Beaverton School District — the same district he attended as a youth. As a teacher at Barnes Elementary, which is one of three dual-immersion elementary schools in the district, he hopes to rewrite the narrative for Beaverton students who have recently immigrated or whose native language is not English — students whose story is not so different from his own.

“I felt like the education system didn’t want the student knowledge that I brought into the classroom. I was told to be quiet, and when I spoke Spanish, I was sent to the office. That was such a hurtful experience,” he says. “But the experiences I had in school became my greatest inspiration for the path I’m on… that, and my mom, who always told me: ‘Education is the key to your success, Mijo.’”

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“We need more minority teachers, and more culturally relevant teachers. We need more promotion of this idea that you don’t just teach to teach, you teach from your heart. Oregon as a whole needs to work toward that and bring more equitable resources to our schools.”

Isidro Interian Ucan

As a third grade teacher, Interian Ucan sees his students on the cusp of a major developmental shift. “[At this age] you’re both independent, and in need of a lot of support. The subject areas get more complicated in third grade, and I do my best to strategically orient them in Spanish. It’s very intensive, and I’m really impressed

with this year’s growth that I’ve seen so far,” he says.

During the final two months of the school year, when he’s certain his students are in the right space emotionally and academically, Interian Ucan introduces a special two-month unit he developed on social justice and education. The unit explores the stories of people like Linda Brown, the child associated with the lead name in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, Cesar Chavez’ march toward fairness and dignity for laborers, and Mahatma Ghandi.

At the end of the unit, students and their parents are asked to design a “dream school” and identify how the system could be made more equitable for all.

Some of the changes his students propose have, piece by piece, started to already take shape — like the dual immersion model, which opens doors for so many in the district. Some of the work still has a long way to go. “We need more minority teachers, and more culturally relevant teachers. We need more promotion of this idea that you don’t just teach to teach, you teach from your heart. Oregon as a whole

needs to work toward that and bring more equitable resources to our schools,” Interian Ucan says.

This year, Barnes Elementary shifted its dual immersion model so that the morning is taught in Spanish and the afternoon in English — students remain in the same classroom with the same teacher for both segments. “They felt that our kids really need that bilingual, biliterate teacher role model who is in the classroom with them the entire day,” he says. “I’m really honored to be that person for my students.” To begin the work, Interian Ucan carefully structures his classroom around the importance of the student-teacher relationship, and sets his curriculum to center on community-building, respect and collaboration above all other skills.

“They really open up to authentic conversations; you’ll be surprised with what comes up if you give them the space and if you help structure it. I help give them that the voice — the voice that they sometimes don’t come into third grade with,” Interian Ucan says of his students.

“It’s very important for my students to speak out. I was never given that opportunity — I’m bringing what I experienced in my K-12 to make it better for all students.”

Interian Ucan says last year, more than half of his class were recent immigrants.

“I think it was very empowering for them to see me in this role, and the difference I was able to make with that group of students was huge. Our community brings a lot of conversations to the classroom in a respectful way,” he says, noting that his students have spent a lot of time processing the anti-immigrant outcome of the 2016 election, the impact of the Trump Administration’s decision to rescind the DACA program, and racial profiling in the community (see sidebar on Initiative Petition 22, right).

“These topics are issues I get to help guide them through. A lot of them are very afraid and sad — worried that their parents or siblings might get deported,” Interian Ucan says. “It’s important for these students to feel heard and supported.

I tell them, ‘We’re going to survive. We can make changes, but it’s going to take a lot of voice.’” n Credits: Meg Krugel, Micah Bazant

“It is vital to our mission of community safety that people feel comfortable calling 911 to report crimes without fear. I believe we have a responsibility to nurture a relationship of trust with everyone in our community. When our community trusts us, they share information about crime and victimization that they may not otherwise share. That makes us all safer.”

– SHERIFF MIKE REESE, MULTNOMAH COUNTY

> EYE ON EQUITY

Fight Back Against Racism and Fear: Reject IP 22

O

regonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR), a group identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group, is currently collecting signatures to repeal Oregon’s 30-year-old sanctuary law that was passed in 1987, which protects our communities against racial profiling in our state. The group has until early July to submit the required 88,184 signatures needed to qualify a ballot measure.

Prior to the passage of Oregon’s sanctuary law, legislators recognized that Oregonians were being targeted because they were perceived to be immigrants or because of the color of their skin. Initiative Petition 22 (IP 22) would repeal these protections, opening the door wider to harassment of immigrant communities and communities of color. OEA members strongly value the role that immigrants play in our families, schools, communities, and workplaces, and believes these individuals deserve to feel safe from harassment and profiling — just like any other Oregonian.

The One Oregon Coalition, which includes more than 85 organizations from across the state including OEA, has come together to fight back against this hateful ballot measure, recognizing that IP 22 would make our communities less safe. In particular, educators worry that students and families may be deterred from contacting law enforcement in an emergency for fear they may be targeted unfairly.

The time has come for Oregonians to reject the racism and fear of groups like Oregonians for Immigration Reform. Learn more about IP 22 — and what you can do to protect our sanctuary laws — at oneoregon.org.

TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

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Kacey Robbins and other students in Sonia Cooley's Pendleton High School class visit Sherwood Heights Elementary to mentor Diana Ellis's second graders.

A G N I G R FO

on’s Oreg rural rsity unive artnered has p a with ng i grow er of b num -town l smal chools s high e a new k to ta ach in o appr g the n solvi teacher rural age. t shor Y BY T STOR A GRAN N A L MI N BY ERSO TOS PHO AS PATT M THO

) Y A W ( H T A P W E N

cing ools are fa h c s c li b u on p that Oreg orry every le w b e a t v a t e s li e e oss th ow eem unb cators acr cuts, so h u t It might s d e E g . d u is b is r o c s due t shortage job ir position e h a teacher t and fewer e r s e lo w t h fe ig e r here a t they m rural achers if t spring tha e t f o Oregon’s e g in a t e r v o li h o s h be a ose w can there clear to th is r e w s n The a openings? tricts. school dis There are several factors that have led to the current situation in our rural communities. When a position needs to be filled in places like Portland, Beaverton, Eugene, and even Bend, school administrators can receive upwards of 100 applications. In Coos Bay, Klamath Falls, or Condon, there might only be one or two candidates applying for the job — or there might be none.

Few qualified people generally reside in these small communities, and it is difficult to attract educators from metropolitan areas to come work and live in such a drastically different atmosphere. Many applicants are new teachers, fresh from student teaching, looking for a way to gain some experience before they move on to opportunities in bigger districts, or decide to leave the education field altogether. Because of this, the turnover rate for teachers in rural areas is exponentially higher than it is in mid-sized and large cities. To top it off, the number of graduates from teacherprep programs has declined dramatically in the past decade, reducing the pool of applicants that rural school districts have to draw from.

These issues are not unique to Oregon.

Any educator from any rural community in any state can echo these concerns, but what can be done to solve the problem?

The Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission has done what it can in recent years to help alleviate some of the strain by issuing hundreds of provisional licenses to under-qualified candidates and lifting regulations on the number of days that substitutes can work during a school year. This has helped some, but these temporary measures are unsustainable and do not provide a long-term solution to 20

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a growing problem. Rural schools need to recruit new, talented educators ­— and even more importantly — keep them. But how?

Revitalizing the teacher pipeline

In 2014, the Oregon Department of Education issued a request for grant proposals to expand the pipeline into the education field for the next generation of teachers.

Tawnya Lubbes, who was an Assistant Professor of Education, the ESOL Program Coordinator, and the Director of the Center for Culturally Responsive Practices at Eastern Oregon University at that time, applied for and received $178,000 to develop a program that created a path for rural high school students to become educators.

Lubbes’ team used the initial grant funding to do intensive research and training on a model that was used in the Denver, CO area to encourage high school juniors and seniors to consider a career in teaching through partnerships between the local college and high schools. While they received a wealth of information and great ideas, Lubbes realized that this urban program needed some major adjustments to fit the needs of rural eastern Oregon. “It was really important to us that we had a true pathway that led not only from high school to college, but to mentoring throughout college and beyond,” says Lubbes. With this vision in mind, the Oregon Teacher Pathway (OTP) program began to take shape.

The first step in developing the program was to recruit partner schools. In order to be part of the pilot, high school administrators had to commit to staffing an Introduction to Education class. In the midst of a teacher shortage, adding one more class

to a teacher’s load can be tricky, but it is a crucial piece of the program. The full-year course is devoted to exploring students’ teacher identities, learning culturally responsive teaching practices, and building skills in lesson planning and delivery. It also includes a practicum portion which requires students to spend one hour per week working with elementary students.

The class is paired with the same elementary students for the whole year, so they get a more realistic classroom experience and build a relationship with their students.

“There’s the accountability factor of preparing [lessons], in a very small way, but they start to see themselves as teachers,” says Lubbes. Students must also complete a college-level research project to present on campus at EOU’s annual research symposium, alongside EOU students.

Breaking down barriers

To keep things manageable, the pilot was limited to only three high schools in the first year. Sonia Cooley, a Language Arts Credits: Thomas Patterson

teacher in Pendleton, has been the Intro to Education instructor since the partnership was adopted at Pendleton High School in mid-2014. “Our principal sent out an email to the whole staff to find out if anyone was interested in teaching the class, and I was apparently the only one who responded,” she says with a laugh. Cooley also teaches a college and career readiness course for juniors, so she is able to recruit students who have shown an interest in teaching to take Intro to Education. She thinks of it as a great way for students to get their feet

Students in Sonia Cooley's Pendleton High School class visit Sherwood Heights Elementary to mentor Diana Ellis's second graders. The goal of the program is to attract local-area high school students to the education field and encourages them to pursue their education at EOU through a huge tuition discount.

wet and narrow down their career path, even if they don’t end up in the education field. “There are some that take the class, and decide that teaching isn’t for them, which I think is just as valuable,” she says.

It’s the smallest class she teaches, with TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

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Pendleton High School student Gage Jones works with second graders from Sherwood Heights Elementary School. Jones is taking a college-level intro to education course, which includes an elementary student mentoring piece.

12-13 students a year, and Cooley says that the small group makes students feel more comfortable sharing their experiences.

“For the class discussions that we have, it’s nice. We talk about stuff that can be pretty sensitive at times,” she says.

One of the most important pieces of the curriculum is the focus on educational inequality and culturally responsive teaching. Student populations across the state have become increasingly diverse, and eastern Oregon is no exception. The program is inclusive to any student who wishes to join, but of the nearly 100 high school students currently enrolled in Oregon Teacher Pathway, 50 percent are students of color. A major goal of the program is to educate students in the importance of being culturally responsive 22

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people, even if they find they don’t want to teach. Cooley says that being able to teach this class has helped her to hone her own practice by forcing her outside her comfort zone. “Sometimes I still struggle with talking about cultural diversity because I’m afraid I’m going to offend somebody, so it’s kind of opened up my eyes,” she says, “I’m still learning, and it’s really important to [talk about].” Cooley was recognized in 2017 for her work as an advocate and mentor through OTP, and was awarded the EOU Culturally Responsive Teacher Leader award.

This year, Cooley’s class is partnered with a second-grade class at Sherwood Heights Elementary, taught by Diana Ellis. Both classes have students who are ethnically and linguistically diverse, and possibly one of the biggest impacts of their weekly time together is the exposure of the younger students to respected leaders who look like them and speak their languages.

The OTP students also have a great opportunity to put their culturally responsive

Sonia Cooley was recognized in 2017 for her work as an advocate and mentor through OTP, and was awarded the EOU Culturally Responsive Teacher Leader award.

teaching practices to work as they navigate the different learning styles of their young students. The second-graders have learned to expect them every week, and their little faces light up when they see their “teachers” coming into the classroom.

A “true pathway”

The incentive to be part of OTP is pretty sweet. Not only can they earn four college credits from EOU just for taking the Intro to Education course, but should they decide to enroll in the education program at EOU, they are eligible for about $5,000 per year in tuition remission for the full four years of the program. The number of educators in the U.S. who are buried under mountains of student loan debt is at an all-time high, so the prospect of obtaining a degree without signing on to a lifetime of debt is very appealing. The program aims to remove as many barriers as it can for young people who want to become an educator in order to provide what Lubbes calls a “true Credits: Thomas Patterson

pathway” into the education field.

In return for the deep discount, students have to commit to mentoring incoming classes of students. Freshmen in the program at EOU come back to their high schools to mentor junior and seniors, and upperclassmen serve as mentors for freshmen and sophomores in the education program at EOU. “I get to see all my graduates back here, they’re required to make a visit every term to their old classroom to share how things are going,” says Cooley.

Students who were part of the first year of the pilot will be graduating this year, and the hope is that they have built strong connections in their communities, encouraging them to return as teachers.

This program is not just for rural residents. Since 2014, the Oregon Teacher Pathway has expanded into three additional high schools in eastern Oregon with several more rural high schools signed on to participate next year, but Lubbes has already begun to forge partnerships with schools in the Portland-Metro area and

The class is a year-long commitment, and the high school students mentor the same elementary school class for the whole year.

They prepare lessons for the youngsters and teach small groups once a week.

is piloting a community college as well.

Providing the FTE for an instructor to teach the class is one of the major roadblocks to implementing the program in urban schools and community colleges, but as the program continues to be successful, Lubbes is confident that more districts will see the benefit of providing students with a pathway into the education field and will find the time and funds to commit.

In her February State of the State speech, Governor Kate Brown pledged to make career technical programs at the high school level — especially those that will improve rural job opportunities — a funding priority. If the Oregon Teacher Pathway model can be implemented statewide, it would not only create jobs, but it also just might change the tide for Oregon’s rural teacher shortage. n TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

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DISRUPTING the cycle

With behavior outbursts on a constant rise, Oregon educators look toward solutions for creating safer and more effective learning environments

By Meg Krugel

n

Photos by Thomas Patterson

Vincent Chirimwami came to the U.S. as a refugee from Congo about 10 years ago. Many of his students have similar stories - and those shared experiences have become a powerful teaching and classroom management tool for Chirimwami at Gilbert Heights Elementary.

was the first time he’d ever heard the term ‘autism.’ The year was 2005 and he was standing face-to-face with a young student who had autism. Vincent Chirimwami had been assigned the student’s Instructional Assistant in a selfcontained classroom at the Pioneer Special School Program in Portland, and at that moment, the learning curve in front of him seemed daunting. One year earlier, Chirimwami had left a career as a French teacher in Congo and Tanzania and come to the United States as a refugee. In all those years spent teaching French in Africa, autism — or any form of learning disability for that matter — was never part of the dialogue about students with special needs.

“The only disability we are aware of in Africa is physical disability. But mental disabilities? We didn’t have a clue,” Chirimwami remembers. He admits the deep stigma that was attached to kids with high-needs in his native country of origin; kids who may have exhibited a disability simply didn’t come to school because it suggested there was a ‘curse’ on the student’s family. “I feel bad even talking about it now,” he says, “but it wasn’t even a privilege to come to school, it was purely based on ability. You have to have two means of ability — the money to pay, and not every parent could afford that, and the ability to do well. Teachers would assess each student to say, ‘yes, you’ll fit into our school.’”

Four years after arriving in the U.S., Chirimwami earned his Bachelor's degree with a teaching license from Portland State University and returned to the Pioneer program as a full-time Special Education teacher.

That year, he was struck so severely in the face by a student that he spent a full day in the hospital and missed six days of work afterward. The reality of what it now meant to be a teacher in the American school system had pelted him as squarely in the face as his student’s palm that day.

But did it deter him from this career as a Special Education teacher? Not for one minute. “It didn’t make me question what I was doing because I had known that student for four years prior to that. I knew he wasn’t mad at me — something was going wrong, and I was just the immediate person in his

IT

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range,” he says.

As Chirimwami and educators across Oregon attest, outbursts like this aren’t a personal affront to the teacher or instructional assistant. At their most basic form, educators see these disruptions as a raw communication tool. Something in the system just isn’t working right for that student.

Decades of disinvestment. We all know the phrase and what it looks like in the classrooms and worksites where we spend our days. Oregon schools have lost counselors, school nurses, social workers, and special education teachers. Treatment centers and differentiated options for students have closed, without additional services added to traditional classrooms. As resources continue to decline for mental health services and social supports in and out of schools, the burden increasingly falls on educators to address these behavior challenges, while continuing the monumental task of teaching ever-growing class sizes and caseloads.

Over the past eight years, Chirimwami’s career has taken a few twists and turns — he moved out of the Pioneer program and into a Structured Routine Center at Beaverton High School, then into two different middle schools. Now, he’s found his calling as a Special Education teacher at Gilbert Heights Elementary in the David Douglas School District. He recognizes the visual power he brings as a male teacher of color to this school, especially for the young black boys who are disproportionately enrolled in Special Education services. “They finally have a teacher who looks like them, talks like them. I can share my personal story and they can relate. That’s huge,” he says.

He also loves the age group more than he expected to — “you can pull your finger up to your mouth, and generally, they look at you and understand you’re asking them to be quiet” — but severe behavior outbursts are still a part of his day-to-day experience, as they are for so many educators in public schools across Oregon and the nation.

GROWTH

Various research points to the growing prevalence of “disrupted learning” — meaning those behavior outbursts that can have a lasting impact on a classroom long after the pencil (or chair) is thrown or foul word

Even a bit of fresh air can help manage disruptive behaviors in Franky Stebbins' English Language Development class.

is yelled. There are nearly as many types of disruptive behaviors as there are students to exhibit them. It’s not a new issue by any means; a study of teachers by the American Federation of Teachers done over a decade ago showed that, in 2005, 17 percent of educators lost four or more hours of teaching time per week because of classroom disruptions, and in urban secondary schools, that percentage climbed to 24.

A report by Education Partnerships Inc. states the issue clearly: “It's hard to see how academic achievement can rise significantly in the face of so much lost teaching time, not

to mention the anxiety that is produced by the constant disruption (and by the implied safety threat), which must also take a toll on learning.”

Knowing the issue was of high concern to Oregon educators, delegates at the 2016 OEA Representative Assembly urged OEA’s Special Education Task Force to conduct a statewide survey about disrupted learning patterns in our schools. The survey, conducted last school year, garnered responses from more than 1,650 educators — both Special Ed and General Ed — about behavior issues experienced in today’s classrooms.

Credits: Thomas Patterson

The findings among OEA members were startling: n 75 percent of respondents had received no training in crisis behavior management n 60 percent of respondents were not familiar or only slightly familiar with school or district crisis management policies n 57 percent of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that schools had adequate resources to help students experiencing crisis behavior; and

n 65

percent of respondents reported being injured by a student experiencing crisis behavior Missy Love, an LRC behavior program teacher in the Newberg School District, chairs OEA’s Special Education Task Force and helped write the survey last year.

“We’re taking all of this information and are now in the process of meeting with our partner organizations, like COSA and the PTAs, to move it forward. It’s so important for our communities and coalition partners to know what’s going on in our schools because unless you work in that school, you really TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

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have no clue. These behaviors were not new to my staff, but even the people you work with may or may not know what’s going on in the classroom next door,” Love says.

CHANGE

One of the key outcomes of the survey came about this past February, when OEA engaged in a dialed-in effort during the short legislative session to inform policymakers about the prevalence of escalated and often dangerous student behaviors. At the beginning of the month, hundreds of educators flooded the Capitol for OEA’s Lobby Day and shared their stories about emotional breakdowns, violent outbursts and other distressing symptoms of inadequate resources in our schools and our state. Member stories about disrupted learning were then collected throughout the session and hard copies were delivered to each Oregon legislator every day (read the full story project on the Today’s OEA online site: http:// todaysoea.org/articles/educator-storiesdisrupted-learning-environments).

During the month of February, OEA members also testified in front of the State Board of Education about the realities they experienced day-to-day. Their heartbreaking stories went beyond the now ‘standard tale’ of stretching resources and ballooning class sizes. The testimonies revealed deep fears and feelings of inadequacy in dealing with students who were experiencing intense moments of personal crisis that often manifested into unsafe learning conditions for every person in the classroom space.

The response in the State Board of Education meeting room that day was hushed and shocked, but the outcome since then has been full of promise. At OEA’s urging, Gov. Kate Brown formed the Deputy Superintendent’s Advisory Committee for Safe and Effective Schools for ALL Students, a convening group of educators including both Chirimwami and Love, as well as Laura Scruggs, general education teacher from Springfield and parent of two boys with autism, Diana Garcia-Hernandez, an ESP from North Wasco, and Erin Whitlock, a behavior specialist and consultant in OEA's Center for Great Public Schools.

The focus of the Committee will be to study the issue of disrupted learning and develop 28

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a comprehensive policy package for enactment in 2019.

Of course, educators like Love who have vast experience working with behavior issues already come to their jobs every day with ideas on how to reshape the system that better meets our students’ needs.

“In elementary school, kids have to walk in a line. Where’s the only other place you’re forced to walk in a straight line? Prison,” Love points out. “I think Kindergarten needs to go back to Kindergarten — a half day of academics and a half day, at least, worth of play. We need to change our philosophy and focus first on the social and emotional learning, and then on the academics.”

“The old-school way of kiddos sitting in desks is no longer the way to go — maybe for some, but definitely not all. These kids who walk through our doors are not all round pegs that need to fit in a round hole.

We need to do what is best for that student at that time, and some of that does include lower class sizes and smaller caseloads, more access to mental health specialists and stronger parenting support,” Love says.

Is there a ‘typical’ student who disproportionately exhibits disruptive behavior patterns? Yes and no, Love says. “Over the course of my eight years in this role, I’ve seen the gamut — kids who had true mental health issues, and kids who were extremely ADHD and couldn’t focus enough to attend to a task. I have kids who are on the spectrum, for whom autism impacts their education to some degree, and then there are those kids who have suffered some form of trauma — they come to school with baggage that five, six and seven-year-olds shouldn’t have to come to school with. The school system has to change to meet those needs.”

There are deep equity issues at play in this answer, too. Students of color, and specifically African Americans, are considerably more likely to be labeled ‘disruptive’ by their teacher and experience school discipline, yet they are also much less likely to have a teacher of the same race. The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights caused a national stir in 2014 when it released data showing that black students are suspended and expelled at three times the rate of white students.

A fascinating paper out of Western

Washington University titled “Teachers’ Perceptions of Students’ Disruptive Behavior: The Effect of Racial Congruence and Consequences for School Suspension” further explores the racial and ethnic congruence of teachers and their students. In the study, African-American students are rated as less disruptive when they have an African-American teacher, while perceptions of white and Hispanic students’ disruptiveness are seemingly unaffected by the race or ethnicity of their teacher. The paper concludes that the underrepresentation of African-American teachers has important

Franky Stebbins' current Newcomers class includes students from ten different language backgrounds; there are nearly 40 different languages spoken at HB Lee Middle School, and 5060 languages across Reynolds School District.

implications for black-white gaps in school discipline.

While there are exceptions to every rule, Love says that all but three of her students come from low socio-economic households, and all but one of them are male. “Male, low SES — those are most often the kids who walk through my door. How do we interrupt that? It goes back to what that ideal school looks like,” she says.

She tells the story of one of her young boys who, each day, seemed triggered by his teacher handing him a piece of paper and a pencil. Simple, physical classroom Credits: Thomas Patterson

materials were causing him to outburst in ways that disrupted the classroom flow. So, Love built the student a desk made from a whiteboard. He’s able to show his work in a new way without ever having to touch a pencil and has been much more successful in class. “I have to help our teachers find the ability to be flexible and change what they’ve always done. A little will go a long way,” Love says.

EXPERIENCE

According to the Center for Mental Health of the U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services, several key risk factors are associated with poor school behavior: n Poverty n Abuse and neglect n Harsh and/or inconsistent parenting n Drug and alcohol use by caregivers n Emotional and physical or sexual abuse n Modeling of aggression n Media violence n Negative attitude toward school n Family transitions (death or divorce) n Parent criminality TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

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For Franky Stebbins, an English Language Development teacher at HB Lee Middle School in the Reynolds School District, there is a strong correlation between extreme life transitions and the behaviors she sees in class. Stebbins teaches a “Newcomers” class for students who have recently come to the United States as refugees or immigrants; she loves teaching this group of kids, but it’s not without its own set of unique challenges. “Some of them come with complex trauma, and then they face the stress of trying to acclimate to a new school setting and a new set of cultural differences,” she says. “Although there are fewer refugees coming in to our country right now, there are still many students who are dealing with this type of experience, and don’t have the supports necessary to build that resiliency.”

Stebbins says she has a handful of students who can ‘lose it’ without even a subtle warning. “That light goes off, that switch is flipped. They’ll say afterwards that they’re not really in their body — not really here,” she says. “We’ll talk a lot about giving space, walking away, and other problem-solving things you can do when you aren’t totally in that escalated state.”

Stebbins’ approach to her students — particularly her Newcomers — is rooted in trauma-informed care. According to a report by the Education Law Center, “at the heart of (trauma-informed teaching) is the belief that students’ actions are a direct result of their experiences, and when students act out or disengage, the question we should ask is not “what’s wrong with you,” but rather “what happened to you?” By being sensitive to students’ past and current experiences with trauma, educators can break the cycle of trauma, prevent re-traumatization, and engage a child in learning and finding success in school."

By just providing a safe and quiet space for a student to ‘blow out’ when they need to, and a classroom structure that focuses first and foremost on authenticity and collaboration — Stebbins is helping shape her classroom and the broader school community into a more trauma-sensitive school.

Teaching Tolerance identifies trauma-sensitive schools as “a safe and respectful environment that enables students to build 30

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Alexis Hennessey's behavior classroom is a former ceramics studio, and the blue room pictured here served as the kiln closet.

Hennessey painted the space, hung string lights, and obtained donated bean bags to turn the closet into a quiet sanctuary for students experiencing behavior outbursts or emotional crises.

caring relationships with adults and peers, self-regulate their emotions and behaviors, and succeed academically, while supporting their physical health and well-being.”

Reynolds School District, like many around the state, is in the early stages of adopting a stronger restorative practice model across all schools, including HB Lee. The school has a part-time Restorative Practice teacher who is working on further implementing practices in the building.

“Where that work has been able to take root and start, it has been really beneficial,” Stebbins says. “But I think that there is still skepticism from some because of the way the term 'restorative practices' is tossed

around and at times misrepresented. People aren't totally bought in. It is a great resource where there has been time and room to truly practice it — but even having a quiet space that students can go to is a high commodity in an older building like this.”

IMPACT

Alexis Hennessey is a relative newcomer to teaching in Oregon. She moved here two years ago from Hartford, Connecticut, where she taught behavior education in an urban alternative school and then an alternative therapeutic program, which served students in specialized placements from DHS, mental health hospitals, or who had

One out of every four children attending school has been exposed to a traumatic event that can affect learning and/or behavior.

—NCTSN Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators

Chirimwami knows school suspensions are not the answer to disruptive behaviors. "When we exclude students, they feel like they are not part of the community and the cycle continues," he says.

been adjudicated. In Oregon, she hoped to find a way to have a stronger impact on behavioral education. Also, like so many teachers, she was feeling a sense of burnout and needed a change.

“It’s hard to fill behavior positions, and not all [SpEd teachers] are cut from the same cloth. Behavior is what keeps me interested — it’s tough, like a big logic problem,” she says. Behavior work also requires a thick skin. “We have to realize that behavior is about a student communicating their needs, and we can’t take it personally.

When a student calls me a name or has an outburst, it doesn’t hurt my esteem.”

Through her Special Education position at Ogden Middle School in Oregon City, she’s able to do both direct instruction on behavioral and emotional skills in a selfcontained classroom, and serve as a consultant for kids who are in full-inclusion classrooms and working toward a behavior goal.

“I came from a state where social and emotional learning and trauma-informed care were pretty common language; here, it’s been talked about, but I don’t know how truly it’s felt and practiced,” Hennessey says. “When we have someone consulting

with teachers on how to tweak and change their classroom and student management tools just enough to meet the needs of these students, that’s where we can make the greatest impact.”

For Hennessey, acknowledging the influence that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have on a student’s learning cannot be overstated. There’s also no easy solution, because ACEs impact each brain differently. Take two students, both of whom have parents who’ve recently divorced and have moved to a new state because of that divorce. “Just because two children had the exact same story, and one is ‘quote-unquote’ fine, doesn’t mean we can say, ‘well if the other one would just pull it together.’”

A state-by-state analysis by the nonprofit research center ChildTrends found that in Oregon, 35 percent of all youth between birth and age 17 had experienced one or two ACEs, and 16 percent had experienced three or more adverse experiences. Across the map, potentially traumatic experiences are common among U.S. children, with more than one in four having been exposed to economic hardship, even in the first five years of life. One in five has experienced

parental divorce or separation, and one in 10 has lived in a household where an adult has an alcohol or drug problem.

“We think about the students who are throwing chairs, and those are kids who, generally speaking, have experienced trauma. The shocker is that not all those kids are in Special Education," Hennessey says.

She recounts a recent meeting about a student who was was experiencing disrupted behaviors in his general education classroom. "Immediately, from what his teachers were telling me, I could tell that this child had some kind of trauma in his past. It doesn’t mean that the parents did any trauma to him — it could have been a divorce or a move at the wrong time. Something caused this child’s brain to be thrown off, and now he can’t be in that typical, lowalert, ‘I’m safe’ space,” Hennessey says.

In this picture of disrupted learning, educators face the monumental challenge of finding a path that reaches each and every student and guides them into that zone of safety. Says Hennessey, “When a child is acting on high alert at all times, nothing feels safe. Even the friendliest of good mornings can feel like a challenge.” n

We want to hear from you. What are your experiences around disruptive learning? Join us at a series of Town Hall conversations this Spring and Fall, hosted by OEA and featuring Colt Gill, Oregon’s Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction. Find an event near you at: www.oregoned.org/whats-new/disrupted-learning-town-hall-forums.

Credits: Meg Krugel, Thomas Patterson

TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

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Sources + Resources The following information is provided as a resource to members of the Oregon Education Association. Their publication within Today’s OEA is not to be construed as a recommendation or endorsement of the products or services by the Oregon Education Association, its Board of Directors or staff.

AWARDS, GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS

Toshiba American Foundation Grants

WHAT: Classroom Innovators! Toshiba America Foundation accepts applications from teachers who are passionate about making science and mathematics more engaging for their students. Applications must be for project based learning, not for devices. n WHEN: Grant applications for $5,000 or more must be submitted by May 1; applications for less than $5,000 must be submitted by June 1. n HOW: To read the guidelines and submit your application, visit http://www.toshiba. com/taf/612.jsp n

2017-2018 Teaching Tolerance Educator Grants

WHAT: At Teaching Tolerance, we support educators who embrace and embed anti-bias principles throughout their schools. To demonstrate our support, we are pleased to announce a new project: Teaching Tolerance Educator Grants.

These grants, ranging from $500-$10,000, will further our mission by supporting projects that promote affirming school climates and educate youth to thrive in a diverse democracy. n HOW: More information and application available at https://www.tolerance.org/ about/educator-grant-guidelines n

OPPORTUNITIES

Lessons from the Past: Understanding the Holocaust and Human Rights Violations

WHAT: This intensive professional development seminar, offered by The Olga Lengyel Institute (TOLI) in partnership with the Oregon Writing Project at Pacific University, will provide educators with the opportunity to expand their awareness and understanding of the Holocaust and other, more recent genocides. Teachers will n

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evaluate history, looking closely at worldchanging decisions made at key moments in time. In addition, the seminar offers an orientation on general Jewish history and culture, and the specific Jewish experience in Oregon. n WHEN: June 25-30, 2018 n HOW: To learn more, and to register visit https://www.toli.us/satellite-program/ oregon/

Classroom Law Project 2018 Summer Institute

WHAT: This Summer Institute will focus on how to integrate the new Ethnic Studies standards that will be added to OR Social Studies standards, and will include a dynamic tour by the Portland Housing Authority to see how discrimination has played out in a variety of communities around the Portland area. n WHEN: June 25-27, 2018 n HOW: Registration information can be found at http://www.classroomlaw.org/ programs/courthouse-experience/ n

FOR STUDENTS

OMSI Traveling Programs

WHAT: Looking for a way to expand your class plans? Let us bring them to you!

Classes, labs, assemblies, and festivals available for all over the PacNW. n HOW: To view catalog and pricing, visit https://omsi.edu/school-and-groupprograms n

Google for Education Scholarships

WHAT: Google offers several scholarship programs for students who want to further their education in STEM fields. Many scholarships are aimed at diversifying STEM industries with opportunities for female and minority students, as well as students with disabilities. n HOW: Learn more here: https://edu. google.com/scholarships/ n

ON THE WEB

ClassDojo

WHAT: ClassDojo connects teachers with students and parents to build amazing classroom communities! From a smart device, teachers can assign students to random groups, display activity directions, turn on background music and so much more! Parents can log in to communicate with teachers, and students can share progress with mom and dad! n HOW: Get connected at https://www. classdojo.com/ n

Teaching Tolerance “What We’re Reading” Book List

WHAT: Books on a variety of different social justice and civil rights topics, both fiction and non-fiction, to help keep your practice fresh and informed n HOW: Check out the list at https://www. tolerance.org/magazine/spring-2018/ what-were-reading. n

THANK YOU!

Thank you to following business donors for their support of the OEA Foundation. Their support has made a valuable difference in the number of grants the Foundation has been able to give to students for immediate and basic needs.

GOLD ($1,000 or more) California Casualty SILVER ($500 or more) Moda BRONZE ($250 or more) Artistic Bliss Portraits Bennett, Hartman, Morris & Kaplan (in memory of Dave Fiore) Cooper Construction Company Druckman & Platt, P.C. Friends (up to $250) Kill Rock Stars Recording Label OEA Choice Trust

Sources + Resources BOOKS

Teachers as Allies: Transformative Practices for Teaching DREAMers & Undocumented Students Shelley Wong, Elaisa Sánchez Gosnell, Anne Marie Foerster Luu, Lori Dodson Teacher College Press $34.95 ISBN: 9780807758861 Learn how to engage and advocate for undocumented children and youth with this new resource written by and for teachers. Teachers as Allies provides educators with the information and tools they need to involve immigrant students and their American-born siblings and peers in inclusive and transformative classroom experiences. Offering teaching strategies that address the needs of DREAMers and undocumented youth as they move through their K–12 and college education, this timely book offers a broad range of curriculum connections and resources.

Reaching and Teaching Students in Poverty: Strategies for Erasing the Opportunity Gap Paul C. Gorski Teacher College Press $29.95 ISBN: 9780807758793 This influential book describes the knowledge and skills teachers and school administrators need to recognize and combat bias and inequity that undermine educational engagement for students experiencing poverty. Written in an engaging, conversational style that makes complex concepts accessible, this book will help readers learn how to recognize and respond to even the subtlest inequities in their classrooms, schools, and districts.

Leading Against the Grain: Lessons for Creating Just and Equitable Schools Jeffrey S. Brooks, Anthony H. Normore Teacher College Press $38.95 ISBN: 9780807758717 What new ideas and ways of thinking can educational leaders learn from great world leaders who have moved their societies to greater equity and expanded educational opportunity? In this lively, accessible volume, the editors have brought together an impressive group of senior and early-career educational scholars to study the lives and contributions of a wide range of outstanding historical and contemporary leaders from the United States and across the globe.

Teaching and Leading with Emotional Intelligence: A Dilemma-Based Casebook for Early Care and Education Peggy Daly Pizzo, Teresa Gonczy O’Rourke, Ed Greene Teacher College Press $32.95 ISBN: 9780807758847 Readers will reflect on challenges they are likely to experience in practice, addressing issues such as linguistically and culturally isolated children, children refusing to share with others, high-energy children struggling to develop self-regulation and executive function, and children experiencing trauma. They will also examine issues related to inadequate resources and teacher compensation.

TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

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ON THE WEB / Spring2018 » www.oregoned.org

JANUS: A CASE AGAINST WORKING PEOPLE What You Need to Know about Janus vs. AFSCME

» neatoday.org/janus

I

t is no accident that more and more Americans are struggling to get ahead and provide economic stability for their families. For too long, corporate special interests and politicians who do their bidding have rigged the economy against working people to favor the wealthy and powerful.

Now those same special interests have brought a court case forward that looks to divide and limit unions members’ collective bargaining power. Janus v AFSCME, now before the U.S. Supreme Court, threatens working people’s rights and freedom to join together in strong unions. It is part of a multi-year, multimillion dollar effort to rig the economy in their benefit— all at the expense of the middle class.

In Oregon, union workers remain more committed than ever to building an economy where working people have a pathway to prosperity. The case targets public-sector workers represented by many unions.

When unions are strong, our communities are strong. They provide a path to the middle class and economic security, especially for women and people of color. Unions have helped build great public schools for students. Collective bargaining ensures educators can advocate for small class sizes, guaranteed recess, modern textbooks, and the technology that students need to succeed.

What is this case really about?

Janus v. AFSCME aims to take away the freedom of — and opportunity for — working people to join together in strong unions to speak up for themselves, 34

TODAY’S OEA | SPRING 2018

better wages, health care, clean and safe environments and retirement security. But the CEOs and corporate special interests behind this case simply do not believe that working people should have the same freedoms and opportunities as they do: to negotiate a fair return on our work so that we can provide for ourselves and our families.

Special interests are funding this case through the so-called National Right to Work Foundation, because they view strong unions as a threat to their power and greed.

their families and their communities.

When educators, nurses, police officers, firefighters and other public service workers are free to come together in strong unions, they win benefits like collective bargaining, better working conditions,

Here are THREE simple ways you can take action: n Pledge your support. Stand up to the forces behind the Janus case that are trying to take away the freedom for people to come together to form strong unions. Pledge your support for unions like the National Education Association. (neatoday.org/Janus/#social) n Share your story. Let us know how unions have helped your school or school district. (neatoday.org/Janus/#stories) n Keep updated. NEA has developed a Janus v. AFSCME resource hub for members, with actions, upcoming events and breaking news on the Janus case. (neatoday.org/Janus) When union membership is high, entire communities enjoy wages that represent a fair return on their work and greater social and economic mobility.

Without the freedom to come together, working people would not have the power in numbers they need to make our communities safer, stronger and more prosperous.

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