AVID Reaches Higher at UNC Celebration

A new tradition for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) students was born on April 24, in a tradition-steeped room of the Morehead Foundation on the UNC campus. The graduating seniors joined other AVID students, their teachers, Director of Equity Leadership and AVID, Dr. Sheldon Lanier and Superintendent Dr. Pam Baldwin as they formally declared their college intentions by signing their names to a document. The wood paneled walls and glittering chandeliers set the stage for a memorable occasion, but the formal event was followed by a Chick-Fil-A lunch in the adjoining sun room, with plenty of relaxed smiles all around.
   
“College signing day was an awesome event. As a senior, I really enjoyed the recognition of my accomplishments,” said Jimias Best, East Chapel Hill High senior.
   
The idea for the campus Commitment Day celebration was developed by a freshman Morehead-Cain Scholar, Mina Yakubu, who partnered with Missy Julian Fox, Director of First Look at UNC, to create a graduation ceremony that aligned with the national Reach Higher Initiative. In 2014, Michelle Obama held her first College Signing Day rally in Texas with 2,000 graduating high school students, as she announced the creation of Reach Higher. In four years, it has become a nationwide movement with participating schools in all fifty states.
     
Yakubu and Fox share similar visions and goals for expanding college access to underrepresented populations in this community. “Mina asked me to be the advisor and I happily agreed,” said Fox. “With my work and passion for getting kids to pursue a college degree, AVID is the perfect match. It is essential for institutions of higher education to play their role and create a pipeline to our public schools.”
       
Yakubu is one of 17 students serving on the advisory board of Obama’s Better Make Room/Reach Higher. Last year those students were invited to the White House to receive the First Lady’s message first hand: Go back to your schools and figure out how to get more of your peers thinking about college.
     
Yakubu said, “I planned this event because I want to further the mission of the organization to create a college-going, college-persisting culture in the community. In our first-year, I wanted to continue planning Commitment Day/College Signing Day events in Chapel Hill. I contacted Missy after learning about First Look. We met with Dr. Lanier to coordinate for the event. I am delighted with the outcome of months of planning, emailing for donations and finalizing details.”
     
“I had a wonderful time and I think it should continue to happen every year,” said Ingri Cruz Martinez from East. “One thing that I did love the most was the motivational videos they showed and that we were able to ask the college students questions about college.”
   
The AVID students heard from a panel of Yakubu and three other UNC freshmen and sophomores, all students of color, who spoke to the challenges of making their voices heard in predominantly-white institutions. Chris Suggs, co-chair of the Black Student Movement’s first year council, said that his college choice came down to UNC and Howard University. “I found it’s important to stay true to yourself and get involved on campus. Right away.” He said it’s helpful to find a team, an organization on campus, as soon as students make their college choices. “Follow their social media, get to know the members.” He said that UNC students reached out to him before he even arrived in Chapel Hill, asking how they could help him settle in.
   
Marcella Pansini, another Morehead-Cain freshman, described how much she worried about campus social life, having come from a school where “I grew up with the same 100 people.” She said she wasn’t prepared for how big the UNC campus is, but she soon joined the Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Outreach Board, and signed on to be a First Look tour guide, providing campus experiences for middle school students.
   
All of the panelists urged the AVID students to pay attention to self-care during that crucial first year in college - and to seek out mentors early, both on faculty and older students. “Use your professor’s office hours,” was a message repeated by several.
   
Superintendent Baldwin congratulated the graduates, and Dr. Lanier spoke briefly to the seniors, saying, “AVID Scholars, congratulations to all of you. I’ve seen you grow since I came to the district when you were in 9th grade.”
     
“The AVID college signing day was a great experience for me,” said Tara Thompson of East. “Being a Junior and watching that really inspired me because I know next next year I'm going to be in that same seat, signing to the college that I'll be at in the prime years of my life. I really enjoyed being able to see other seniors in AVID programs in surrounding schools as well, and see just how important and helpful AVID can be for other students.”
   
The underclassmen spoke later about the value of attending the event. “I learned a lot from the panel,” said one student. “They explained how we shouldn’t procrastinate - that college is not a joke - you just keep your head up.”
   
Dr. Lanier noted later, “I am extremely proud of their accomplishments and the young adults they have grown to become. They are a true testament to the power of AVID.”

Click here to view Michelle Obama’s message for 2018 College Signing Day.

https://www.bettermakeroom.org/our-story/

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ESL Teacher Will Visit China as Fund for Teachers Fellow

Anne Tomalin, an ESL teacher at Chapel Hill High School, will be spending nearly two weeks in China this June, as a Fund for Teachers Fellow. The $5,000 grant covers the cost of a UNC World View Global Study program called “China: Traditions, Trends and Transformations,” which will allow Tomalin to learn about the country’s educational practices, as well as its culture and language. She hopes to “spark ideas” for ways to better support her Asian refugee students at Chapel Hill High. Although she has taught English language learners for 21 years in our district, she said that with the changing demographics in her classroom, she has felt called to adapt “not only how I teach but what I teach.”
     

Anne Tomalin

The scores on state end-of-course exams have been consistently low for the English learner (EL) students at the high school level, with only 7% scoring proficient in English II at Chapel Hill High last year. The low performance is a complex problem that requires a multi-faceted approach, said Tomalin. “I believe one missing piece of the puzzle is that we don’t have sufficient knowledge of their cultural and educational background, and how that background influences the way they learn. Without this knowledge, we aren’t able to provide them with culturally responsive instruction.”
   
“By observing a completely different educational setting, I hope to cultivate the ability to think outside of the box about how best to serve the needs of our district's EL students," she added.
     
The 2018 Fund for Teachers awards, $2.1 million total, will provide self-designed experiences for 546 educators in the U.S. One of the distinctive aspects of these grants is that they must embrace initiatives to address specific achievement gaps with students and/or with teachers themselves. Salma Zaky, Program Officer for Fund for Teachers, wrote in an email to Tomalin, “From thousands of applications from across the country, your proposal stood out as one that will bring relevant knowledge and skills back to your students.”
     
In her proposal, Tomalin noted that the number of Asian refugees in the district has demanded new approaches to teaching English, since many have arrived with weak academic skills due to interrupted schooling in the refugee camps, in addition to having very little English proficiency. In China, she hopes to gain insights into ways that our educational practices might be a mismatch for some Asian students’ learning styles.
     
Tomalin knew about the UNC organization, World View Global Study, and she chose to apply for the grant in order to cover the costs of the UNC trip to China. Included in the experience is a two-day Professional Development seminar prior to traveling abroad, twelve days of travel in China, as well as a follow-up workshop. The pre- and post- workshops are designed to help participants integrate what they’ve learned during their travels when they return to the classroom.
   
“During the trip I'll blog about my observations and experiences. I'll encourage my students to follow me while I do it, because I think it'll be meaningful for them to see a teacher experience a bit of what they contend with every day - that is, being in an alien environment with limited ability to communicate.”
   
Follow Tomalin on her learning adventure in June!    #FFTFellow

https://travel4learningblog.wordpress.com/

Fund for Teachers strengthens instruction by investing in outstanding teachers' self-determined professional growth and development in order to support student success, enrich their own practice, and strengthen their schools and communities.

http://www.fundforteachers.org/

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Phoenix Academy Hosts Arts Residency

For two weeks in February, the students at Phoenix Academy experienced a daily music smorgasbord, courtesy of award-winning playwright and professional teaching artist, Anita Woodley. Woodley also received a lot of Help from Her Friends - a cast of successful local musicians who represented a variety of musical genres. They arrived each day before lunch, and students seemed to leave with more energy and bounce than when they had arrived. “She was always trying to make me smile,” said one student on his participant evaluation. “So I finally broke out in a smile.”
   
Woodley likes to speak about her goals as a teaching artist as “looking for ways to serve up plates of creativity and positivity.” During her work with the students at Phoenix, she rarely stopped smiling herself, and she sang and danced and exhorted the young people until they had little choice but to sample those plates of positivity. To say Woodley’s enthusiasm for music is infectious is an understatement.
   
A student wrote on the final evaluation, “Thank you soooo much for expanding my horizons,” and another wrote, “I found out how much I love different music.” Although many students were quiet observers and listeners during the first week of the residency, the level of participation increased steadily through the second week.
     
“I always want students to believe in themselves and have hope,” Woodley said. “And to know how to create that in themselves.” She offered lists of positive affirmations, in addition to all of the music, and she spoke each day about how to frame experiences into validating expressions. “Everyone has to have self-love. If you have that, you stop looking outside all the time, thinking about how people are treating you.”
   
The residency was sponsored by the Town of Chapel Hill Community & Cultural Arts, and the choice of Woodley was a great match for the students at Phoenix. “Someone might look at a group of high school students and assume, okay, they all want rap, but then we start to look at diverse tastes,” she said. “You might find inspiration in a mandolin, but you didn’t know.”
   
Lex Parker said that he often turns on the radio when he’s stressed out. “After hearing the bluegrass they played, I realized it was kind of relaxing.”
   
During the first week, Woodley performed a medley of songs that represented some of the genres they’d been exploring, Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti,” Bob Marley’s “One Love” and “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holliday. She led them through activities for group songwriting and showed them how lyricists, like poets, “make a chain of words.”

The students learned about the history of foot stomping as a musical accompaniment, and Woodley encouraged them to recognize the importance of hand clapping.
   
As the list of visiting musicians grew - Vattel Cherry, Charles Pettee, Yah-I Tafari - the number of instruments also mushroomed beyond guitars and stand up bass. Students also experienced the banjo, flamenco guitar, harmonica, djembe drum and mandolin. Students noted on their final evaluations how much they appreciated learning about different instruments. As Cherry played his guitar the first day, he used his “old school style, it makes you think of cutting grass and delivering papers.”

Throughout the discussion of musical genres, Woodley and her guests shared tidbits of cultural and social history, and they often returned to questions like “How can music be used to comment on social issues and to bridge gaps?”
   
TayNov El, a guest musician who calls himself a “Conscious Rap M.C,” spoke at length about his deep roots in the African-American community of Chapel Hill-Carrboro. “I keep my grandparents’ voices in my head all the time. They went to Lincoln High, right here where we are today.” His grandfather played in a gospel group, and as his website shares, “His uncles used to spit freestyles to him when he was single digit age.”
   
When TayNov was in eighth grade at Culbreth Middle School, he cut his first hip hop album, and later went on to perform as a member of an iconic group, TyFu. He shared many of the lessons he’s learned from integrating music into every part of his life. “When you’re not at peace, not satisfied with what’s going on, music gives you the chance to speak out,” he said. “Hip hop was created out of hard times.”
   
Brenda Whiteman, CHCCS Arts Education Coordinator, said, “I think the biggest thing that the students got from the residency was the opportunity to learn about and explore a wide variety of musical styles and instruments - bluegrass, jazz, hip hop, spirituals - drums, harmonicas, percussion, mandolin, guitar, banjo.  They seemed genuinely interested and many of them learned things about themselves and their preferences.”
   
Anthony Hairston, a freshman at Phoenix, said he really enjoyed the entire experience. “It allowed me to express myself in ways not usually available in schools. To be myself.” On the last day of the residency, as Woodley invited students to engage in a rap battle, Hairston was front and center, full of confidence and energy - being himself.

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Glenwood Hosts African-American Read-In

History Month by hosting a Read-In with guest readers, who all shared storybooks, poems and biographies of and by African-Americans. Glenwood’s event took place February 8th and 9th in classrooms and the media center. Nearly every student, K-5th, experienced the gifts offered by more than two dozen readers who included Superintendent Dr. Pam Baldwin, CHCCS district staff members, School Board members, UNC athletes and a variety of Orange County commissioners and others.

"I always enjoy my time reading with our students," said Board Member James Barrett. "Their natural curiosity and passion for learning is inspiring." Board Vice-Chair Margaret Samuels and Board Member Amy Fowler also took their turns in the reader’s seat.

The Orange County Board of Commissioners was also well represented in the slate of readers. Chair Mark Dorosin shared a quote that really inspired the 5th graders: "The struggle is the victory." That simple statement prompted much circle discussion among the 5th grade students. They shared their own struggles and talked about how working through struggles is a victory in itself.

Commissioner Renee Price first spoke about her educational background, as well as her professional journey. She mentioned that, as a graduate student, she had spent most of a weekend accompanying Rosa Parks to events. Students were fascinated by that revelation, and they had plenty of questions for Price. She then read a number of Langston Hughes poems to 4th grade students, and she sought their responses and interpretations.

“The readers inspired students to learn more about African-American history, leaders, and authors, as well as inspiring them to continue working hard in their educational paths,” said Katherine Whittington, Glenwood, Principal Intern and co-organizer of the read-in.

A small group of 5th grade female students enjoyed a Lunch-and-Listen when their guest readers appeared in the classroom. JoJo Jones, a UNC freshman basketball player, and Ru Mucherera, a soccer player, took turns reading, asking the girls questions and sharing their own thoughts about education, stories, and sports. 

Jones read Despite the Height, a book by former UNC star point guard, Ivory Latta; the picture book captures the WNBA player’s experience learning to play basketball against her older, bigger brothers. Both women encouraged the girls to remember how important it is to focus on academics, even when sports are a primary passion. “Do the best you can in school,” Jones said. “Just because you play the sport well doesn’t mean you automatically get to go to any school you want.” She went on to say that she’d like to play professional ball, but not for long; she hopes to return to law school and become a sports lawyer. Jones provided an off-the-cuff, brief overview of Title IX, and she urged them to think about why it matters in so many areas of women’s lives.

“Discussions about the books, authors, and lives of those that they read about continued to be discussed throughout the week,” Whittington said. “We loved seeing our young scholars interact with community volunteers who inspire them and challenge them.”

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Chapel Hill High CTE Student Advances in National Competition

Nadiya Farrington loved art and math as a young child, but it wasn’t until she took a class on Career Explorations at McDougle Middle School that she discovered architecture as a path to blending her two passions. “The fire in her didn’t start at Chapel Hill High,” said Mary Jones, Career and Technical Education Special Populations Coordinator. “She arrived with it already strong.” Now, as a senior at CHHS, Farrington already has more experience and accolades in her budding architecture career than many college seniors. Among her numerous accomplishments is her recent nomination as one of five North Carolina CTE (Career and Technical Education) students to advance to the semifinalist level in the national Presidential Scholars Program for 2018. She is the only young woman of the five candidates from our state.
     
Bound for Cornell University’s top-ranked undergraduate Architecture Program this fall, Farrington has balanced academics, club and varsity volleyball and countless hours of service during her four years at CHHS. Her resume shines with all the highlights. But architecture drives most of what she has chosen for summer experiences and volunteering, both locally with Habitat for Humanity, and construction projects in Mexico and Guatemala. It all comes back to building and design for her.
   
“I love that it’s a permanent art form, and yet it impacts people in their everyday lives,” Farrington said. “It exists for such a long time, and the buildings stand as visual representations of cultural backgrounds and values that you as an architect have - and also as reflections of the community you build them in.”
     
Her formal study began in ninth grade, in William McSwain’s Drafting I class at CHHS. Then she took Drafting-Architectural II and III, and she excelled in each course. "Nadiya's passion for Architecture has honestly made me a better teacher. Her drive and natural curiosity have challenged me as a teacher to challenge her to perform to her potential, and I am a better teacher because of it," McSwain said.
     
Although Farrington participated in summer enrichment programs at the University of Tennessee and at NC State, it wasn’t until she won a scholarship to Cornell’s Introduction to Architecture 2017 summer program that she realized her entire frame of reference had changed. “I spent six weeks at Cornell, and I took on a new perspective. I learned to look at and appreciate experiences differently, to look at the world through an architect’s point of view, noticing how you enter a room, walk through a building or what you see when you drive through a city.”
     
At Cornell last summer, she earned six hours of college credit by completing both Introduction to Architecture and Design Studio. While there, she connected with her first female mentor, and she knows it’s important to keep seeking out women architects to learn from, in a field that is still dominated by white males. As one of only seven underrepresented minorities of the 100 participants at Cornell, Farrington said she recognized how important it will be to mentor other young women of color, once she advances in her career.
   
In addition to the pre-professional experience she has gained through the summer programs, she has undertaken much more strenuous and rudimentary building projects during her service trips to Guatemala and Mexico. “On both trips, I was helping build houses for families in need. In Guatemala, we first had to clear out their old living environment of corn stalks and dirt floors. It was really eye-opening that four sturdy walls represented so much to them,” Farrington said.
     
The trip to Mexico was organized by her church, and the main project was the construction of a church and parsonage which were on top of a hill. “They were visible for miles around,” Farrington said, noting that the experience taught her to consider how your work impacts not only the people who physically interact with the buildings but also from a distance, when people look up to those spaces for hope and inspiration.
     
When Farrington isn’t playing volleyball, studying physics or calculus or volunteering at Habitat, she still needs to find time to work on weekends, both as a cashier in a grocery store, and as an amanuensis for a visually impaired client. At home, she helps out as she can, cooking dinner and spending time with her younger sister. Yet she insists that she does sleep every night! “Because I’ve been passionate about everything I wanted to do, it wasn’t like I was being forced. I’m always driving myself.”
     
As Farrington’s nomination moves through the levels of judging, criteria for evaluation will prioritize involvement and service, leadership and character, heavy workload and obstacles overcome, in addition to academic achievement. Sixty CTE semi-finalists for this prestigious award will be announced in March, and the twenty winners will be selected in April.
     
“Although we had several outstanding nominations this year for the US Presidential Scholars program for CTE, Nadiya's overall experience and how she overcame personal barriers while maintaining academic excellence impressed our interview team the most,” said Kathi Breweur, Director of Career and Technical Education with CHCCS.  “Nadiya's passion for architecture, coupled with her strong desire to help others, is inspirational.  This is a young woman who is a natural leader and a solid role model for her peers. We wish her the best of luck in the next phase of the selection process.”

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Message from Dr. Baldwin

Greetings. I hope everyone is staying warm and dry as we wait for our snow and ice to melt. I used some of my down time this week to carefully examine a report recently released by the Youth Justice Project. The report is titled the Racial Equity Report Card and can be found here. I have a few thoughts I'd like to share with you about this report and our efforts.

Now, while this report card is well-organized and concisely presented, the information it contains is not news to us. In fact, our school district has suffered from issues of racial disproportionality since the day we integrated schools in the 1960's.

 

When I arrived in this district, I heard it said many times that we are a great school district - for most of our kids. I very quickly saw the unfortunate truth in that statement. There is indeed a sizable portion of our kids who are not enjoying the same kind of successful school experience...and that is not okay.

 

To that end, our Board of Education has approved a detailed equity plan that breaks down the issue into three digestable - but crucial - components: culture, curriculum and instruction. For the sake of our students of color, we must address each of these components head on, with no compromises. Strategies within these components include equity training for staff, restorative practices, a strategic focus on leadership development for school and district level leaders, emphasis on mentoring, and intentional efforts to improve scheduling that includes student services support. Please look through the full plan when you get time.

 

It is worth noting that the news is not all bad. The discipline data represented in the report card is from 2015-2016. Because of deliberate efforts to address those concerns, we recently presented an update to the Board of Education showing progress in the area of equity in student discipline (scroll to page 4 for specific numbers concerning the reduction of ODR's - Office Discipline Referrals). While we celebrate those efforts, we recognize this is just a beginning.

 

Please know that CHCCS is committed to addressing the racial disparities highlighted in this report. As a school district and community, we need to be comfortable talking about race, and courageous enough to take any action needed. Addressing the needs of all students should always be our top educational priority. 

 

Thank you for traveling this road with us. Together we will get it right...for EVERY child.

 

 

Pam Baldwin

Superintendent

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International Welcome Center - Above and Beyond

On any given weekday, no matter the month, the CHCCS International Welcome Center at Lincoln Center can be bursting at the seams with activity. Housed in a trailer with a brightly colored sign, the Center opened as a stand alone facility in 2015, one of the only of its kind in North Carolina. Families who have just arrived in the U.S., as well as those whose first visit to the Center was a couple of years ago, might be speaking to one staff person in Spanish, another family speaking in Karen, and another may be waiting patiently for an interpreter in a different language. For some newcomers, it’s not too much of an exaggeration to call the Center a lifeline and the starting point for their journeys into brand new lives.

“They leave this office with some hope,” said Zulma Urena, EL Student Success Advocate. “We can’t change all their lives. But maybe one a week, one a day,” she added with a smile.

        

On the Center’s website pages, the messages are in Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Burmese, Karen, Korean, Arabic and Swahili, a dramatic shift for a school district that had relatively few English language learners even 20 years ago. Also on the Center’s website is a nine minute orientation video in numerous languages, covering the most basic aspects of orientation to our schools: attendance, transportation, nutrition, inclement weather, etc. Currently, there are nearly 60 home languages identified among CHCCS families.

https://sites.google.com/chccs.k12.nc.us/international-welcome-center/home

          

The most basic mission of the Center is to fulfill the requirements for registration and assessment of new students whose dominant language is other than English.  These students must ta

ke the N.C. state-designated English Language Proficiency assessment, as well as a math test, while families meet simultaneously with Zaida Walker, the ESL Parent Liaison to complete a language survey and listen to a general overview of CHCCS. Although many assessments are scheduled by appointment, throughout the day other newcomers find their way to the Center by word of mouth, or they stop by when they see the multi-language sign on the trailer, so the flow of people can be nonstop for hours.

          

Before the Welcome Center existed, most new ESL students started at their base schools before their assessments took place. Helen Atkins, the district’s ESL Coordinator, said that when she came on board in October 2014, many ESL teachers had not yet begun teaching their students because they were still testing. “I knew that we had to help teachers so that they could spend their time instructing instead of testing.”

          

Atkins and the rest of the staff at the Center rarely hide their passion and commitment to our new international families; their love for this work is evident immediately. They understand the depth of support they offer to adults and children who feel vulnerable and confused. Zulma Urena said, “It’s hard to believe that a person you haven’t met before can trust you so quickly.” She described the experience of home visits with families who rarely unlock their doors. “But they see our staff, our faces, and they open the doors, the windows, and they’re happy to share the food that’s on the table.”

          

A brand new feature from the Center, launched this month, is a hotline that directs callers to leave messages for interpreters in Spanish, Karen, Arabic and five other languages. The challenges tied to giving and receiving information for non-English speaking families are often enormous...and stressful. Hundreds of CHCCS families have no direct access to internet, and some have no personal phones, so the impediments to navigating an unfamiliar and mysterious school system are compounded in many ways. Communications that come from Lincoln Center, the home school or the classroom teacher might all be impenetrable, and the quick clicking most adults and children do on their computers to find information, from calendars to transportation to PowerSchool, is not a part of these families’ capabilities. For the rest of the district, these limitations are often off the radar, yet the team at the Welcome Center immerse themselves in outreach and problem-solving, in order to ease these transitions.

            

Often the first point of contact at the Center is Ya Day Moo, the administrative assistant, bookkeeper, scheduler of interpretation and translation services - and “Jill-of-all-trades.” Her demeanor is unfailingly calm and warm, but her emotion is notable when she describes how powerful she finds this work, and how blessed she feels to have landed at the Center. In 2007, Ya Day arrived with her family from Southeast Asia to the U.S.; none of them spoke English. They settled in Georgia, and though they had few of the resources available that our CHCCS newcomers find, Ya Day was able to complete high school and then attain a business degree from a community college, first in ESL, then in regular classes. Working at the Center is her first official job, and yet she is the adept and confident heart of the information flow.

        

Besides greeting people at the front desk, Ya Day answers the phone and acts as air traffic controller as she matches visitors with other staff or outside resources. She organizes most of the interpretations and translations provided by the Center. In 2014-15, more than 4,000 requests were filled; last year the number climbed to more than 6,300. So far this school year, they have already received 1,500 requests, in languages ranging from Rohingya to Swedish. In September alone, they handled more than 450 requests for Spanish language assistance.

        

Contracted interpreters will function as the support spokes for the newcomer hotline, but traditionally their roles cover many in-person functions, from accompanying Center staff on home visits, to assistance with food stamp applications, making appointments with health agencies and IEP meetings at schools. Currently the Center contracts with 26 interpreters, but the need is higher. The Center also makes sure that there is interpreters’ equipment in Spanish and Karen at district and school functions.

        

There are 612 newcomer families currently on the roster this year. But many families who first met Ya Day Moo or Zaida Walker, EL Family Support Specialist, months ago, still call and drop by with questions, fears, or simply to say hello. Not all of these newcomer families are refugees, but many are, and the entire staff at the Center embraces the research that learning, especially among young people, happens most effectively when their social, physical and emotional needs are addressed. The students themselves may adapt to their schools quickly, while parents remain apprehensive and isolated much longer. Taking a holistic approach to meeting a family’s needs means recognizing how much students’ academic success is tied to their parents’ and other family members’ overall mental health. Teens from immigrant families might miss school to accompany parents to medical or legal appointments, so the more the families recognize available resources, the fewer days their high school children will miss as interpreters and guides.

        

In the past two years, hundreds of newcomer parents have responded to surveys created by the Center, and more than 80% of them have rated the services with 5’s-- “extremely satisfied.” In the comment boxes, parents have written, “The staff answered ALL my questions and concerns amazingly,” and “We are so glad to live in such a supportive community.”

From a single trailer packed with supplies and printed resources - and a small team of staff members sharing space - an abundance of positive outcomes unfold, day in and day out.

Welcome!

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MSAN Kickoff

During the first week of the school year, 26 high school students gathered at Phoenix Academy for an evening kickoff meeting of the Minority Student Achievement Network (MSAN). In little more than two hours, the young people shared introductions, ate dinner, reflected on the past year’s accomplishments and began looking ahead to the many activities already planned for 2017-2018. Representing newcomers and veterans, the three larger high schools and all four grade levels, the students laughed and joked together, even as they worked steadily through a full agenda.

Niya Fearrington, student body president at Carrboro High School, is a passionate advocate for MSAN. “It’s truly been a catalyst for my life… learning how to advocate for student voice.” She says her friends in different Triangle school districts ask how they can develop MSAN groups, too, but for now, CHCCS has the lone chapter in North Carolina.

      

The national MSAN mission, embraced by the district’s chapter, is “to understand and change school practices and structures that keep racial achievement gaps in place.” MSAN school districts tend to share a tradition of high academic achievement with connections to university communities: Madison, Cambridge, Evanston -- and Chapel Hill-Carrboro.

      

One of the national goals of MSAN is to create and share professional development activities for teachers and administrators, with a clear equity lens. Last year the CHCCS group developed a workshop for teachers and staff called “Classroom in Color,” which they rolled out in June at the Summer Institute for Professional Learning. Plans for this year’s activities include new venues and audiences for “Classroom in Color;” one version will be delivered in Spanish during the Dignity in Schools National Week of Action.

     

Niya says that she and her fellow scholars are excited about finding bigger stages for sharing the workshop. As a CHCCS “lifer,” kindergarten through senior year, Niya says she and other presenters found it especially rewarding to recognize former teachers, assistant principals and principals in their audiences. “It was exciting to show off our progress over the years.”

      

Last fall this student organization hosted the national three-day conference at the Chapel Hill Sheraton. The high school participants from 19 districts nation-wide evaluated last year’s conference as highly successful and inclusive.  This October, a dozen scholars will travel to Cleveland, Ohio to attend the annual conference and to reconnect with friends in the network, as they hone their action plans for the coming year. The theme is F.O.C.U.S. - Fighting Our Cause Unified in the Struggle.

Advisor Lorie Clark says, “Our students understand the concepts of systems but have learned to use their voice to fight for equity and a quality education for all students.”

      
Lorie Clark and Marlow Artis of Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocates supervise the district MSAN group, under the direction of Equity department’s Dr. Sheldon Lanier. To find out more about MSAN, visit http://msan.wceruw.org/index.html.

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Mix It Up!

It’s a simple call to action: take a new seat in the cafeteria. By taking a risk, this one day, students can cross the lines of division in a safe, controlled environment, meet new people, and help build an inclusive and welcoming school community. Mix It Up is a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance program, which aims to reduce prejudice and improve intergroup relations in the nation’s classrooms and communities.

Recently, two CHCCS schools were named Mix It Up Model Schools. They were among only 76 schools nationwide to be recognized for this accomplishment. Below are the write ups detailing how each school promoted the event.


Frank Porter Graham Bilingüe

Organizers compiled lessons and resources from Teaching Tolerance and shared them with all grade-level teachers, who then integrated the material into classes a week before Mix It Up at Lunch Day. Preparing fourth- and fifth-grade student leaders - including those classified as academically or intellectually gifted, those receiving special education and pairs of students who’d previously struggled to get along - was another important element of getting ready for the event. On the big day, “Would you rather?” questions created by the student leaders were a huge hit!


Morris Grove Elementary School

Mixed-up seating and clothing weren’t enough for Morris Grove Elementary. The cafeteria staff joined in the fun by mixing up students’ lunch trays, serving the food backward and mixing fruits and veggies together! With this fun spirit and conversation starters at every table, students were able to find common ground with new friends. After the Mix event, Morris Grove devoted a whole month to showing gratitude toward one another.

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National MSAN Conference Hosted in Chapel Hill

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools hosted the national MSAN (Minority Student Achievement Network) Conference at the Sheraton Hotel, October 12-15, 2016. This year’s theme, “Every Step Leaves a Trail,” focused on student equity, advocacy and voice. Thirteen students worked for more than a year planning logistics, selecting speakers, selecting articles/videos for discussion, designing t-shirts and deciding on a tasty, southern teenage friendly menu.

Three wonderful days were dedicated to meeting students who represented 19 public school districts from around the United States. These visiting students engage in equity work in their respective districts. The conference focus, in addition to the achievement/opportunity gap, was looking at the disproportionate discipline for students of color. During the conference, students discussed and reflected on several essential questions: - What are your core beliefs about who you are? - What is your truth? - How do you define student advocacy? - In what ways can student advocacy create opportunities to achieve equity and excellence for all students in your district? - How can student voice influence student policies, practices and procedures in your school district? The outstanding slate of speakers included Dr. Dana Thompson-Dorsey, Professor at UNC-CH, Retired Lieutenant Conseulo Castillo Kickbush, and Robert Stephens, Assistant to Representative John Lewis. Students who are interested in getting involved in equity work should attend the monthly meeting on Wednesday, November 16 at 5:30 p.m. at Phoenix High School (behind Lincoln Center on Merritt Mill Road). Congratulations and thank you to our Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate team for organizing and administering this successful and memorable conference...a job well done!

 

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Board Passes Resolution Urging Repeal of House Bill 2

Regarding the recently passed House Bill 2, it is important to know that Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is in compliance (with the law) by moving forward with providing gender-neutral restrooms for anyone who needs access. HB 2 does not state that these bathrooms are unlawful. Our policies protect, and will continue to protect, all staff from any type of discrimination regardless of race, sexual orientation, religion, and gender. The district's Director of Equity Leadership will be monitoring continues to monitor the progression of this law and will be partnering with our Senior Executive Director of HR, our Superintendent, and Assistant Superintendents, to make sure our district remains inclusive and accepting of all.

At its April 7 meeting, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education unanimously passed the following resolution.
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CHAPEL HILL - CARRBORO CITY SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION RESOLUTION OPPOSING HB 2

WHEREAS, on March 23, 2016, North Carolina General Assembly in special session ratified, and Governor Pat McCrory signed, House Bill 2 (Session Law 2016-3), the “Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act”; that omits sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and other categories from the statewide list of categories protected from discrimination and may diminish the legislative authority of local governments, particularly in the case of counties and municipalities; and

WHEREAS, compliance with HB 2 creates serious legal and fiscal risks for public schools because it conflicts with federal and state laws including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution; and

WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education prohibits discrimination, harassment, or bullying based on any of the following: race, color, religion, atheism, ancestry, national origin, gender, socioeconomic status, academic status, gender identity, physical appearance, sexual orientation, mental, physical, developmental, or sensory disability, immigration status, or any other classification that is protected by law, regulation or this policy.  The Board further prohibits discrimination against a person perceived to have any of the above characteristics or against a person for associating with someone protected by this policy (see CHCCS Board Policy Code: 1710/4021/7230 Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying); and

WHEREAS, schools are first and foremost places where all students and staff must feel safe, included and protected.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education urges the repeal of House Bill 2 and reaffirms its support for protecting and advancing the rights and equitable treatment of all students and staff.

This the 7th day of April, 2016.
____________________________
James Barrett, School Board Chair

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CHCCS Board of Education Special Meeting Notice

CHCCS Board of Education Special Meeting Notice
Saturday, September 26

Pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes, NCGS § 143-318.12, the CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO CITY SCHOOLS BOARD of EDUCATION provides notice of the following special meeting.  A majority of the CHCCS Board of Education may attend this event making the event subject to open meetings laws.

Members of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board of Education have been invited to attend a Forum on Equity and Excellence on Saturday, September 26, 2015.  The event will start at 1:00 p.m. at Northside Elementary School (350 Caldwell Street – Chapel Hill, NC).

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Sheldon Lanier - Director of Equity Leadership

Sheldon Lanier

Please join us in extending a warm CHCCS welcome to Mr. Sheldon Lanier.

Sheldon is the district's new Director of Equity Leadership. He comes to us from the Wake County Public School System, where he most recently served as an assistant principal at Leesville Road Middle School. Prior to that, Sheldon was a principal intern at Brassfield Road Elementary School and also a math teacher at Durant Road Middle School.

Having been designated as both a North Carolina Teaching Fellow and a North Carolina Principal Fellow, Sheldon earned his Bachelor's degree at North Carolina State University and his Master's degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Welcome aboard, Sheldon - we are glad to have you!

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National Achievers Society Induction

Carrboro High hosted the Spring 2014 induction ceremony for the National Achievers Society on Friday, April 18. The purpose of the organization is to encourage, recognize and reinforce academic achievement among minority youth. Fifty-two students, representing Carrboro High, Chapel Hill High and East Chapel Hill High, were inducted. Students, parents and counselors were treated to an inspiring message from special guest speaker Senator Valerie Foushee - a lifelong resident of our community and a graduate of Chapel Hill High.

Congratulations to all of our inductees!

Senator Val Foushee and Superintendent Tom Forcella congratulate 52 students at the National Achiever Society induction ceremony on Friday, April 18.

 

 

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Meyer Visits White House

Graig Meyer, director of student equity and volunteer services, spent Thursday morning, November 29, at the White House.

Meyer was invited by the White House to join a delegation of community leaders from across North Carolina to discuss the fiscal cliff.

Meyer  also met with staff from the White House Internship Office and the White House Mentoring Initiative to seek partnerships that might benefit CHCCS students.

Graig Meyer

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Meyer takes on new role for CHCCS

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools have appointed Graig Meyer to the new position of Director of Student Equity and Volunteer Services. Meyer has been the coordinator of the district’s Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate (BRMA) program since 1998. In this new role, he will continue to oversee BRMA and the district’s new Parent University program.  Upon the retirement of veteran administrator Mary Bushnell later this fall, Meyer will oversee the Office of Volunteers and Partners for Education.  The position also formalizes Meyer’s leadership responsibilities for the district’s racial equity initiative.

As part of the equity leadership, Meyer will develop, implement and monitor district programs and processes that promote and sustain diversity and equity throughout the district.  He will also supervise the implementation of district diversity and equity workshops, presentations, learning opportunities and other strategies to help promote diversity.  Meyer will provide coaching and help design and deliver workshops.  He will also work with school personnel and outside agencies to assess the effectiveness of district equity programs.

"The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools are pleased and excited about promoting Graig Meyer to a leadership position where he will be able to optimize his expertise and skills in the areas of equity and volunteerism," said Superintendent Thomas A. Forcella.  "It is our hope if we are able to forge strong relationships in the areas of equity, volunteerism and our current focus on classroom instruction, then we will be able to realize significant gains in reducing the achievement gap."

Under Meyer's leadership, the BRMA program has been acknowledged for excellence at local, state and national levels. The BRMA program has grown to serve over 200 students each year through its mentoring program, the Youth Leadership Institute (YLI), and tutorial programming at the Hargraves Community Center.  Meyer has worked to generate over $1 million in grant and donor-based funding for the BRMA mentoring programs and over $400,000 for student scholarship funds.  BRMA has a 95 percent high school graduation rate and has sent 100 percent of its high school graduates on to post-secondary education.

Meyer is also a national presenter on mentoring and racial identity.  Earlier this summer, he was a keynote speaker at the 2012 School Innovation Improvement Summit, where he also received an Education Innovation Award by the School Improvement Network.  Meyer and BRMA are also featured in a new edition of Bonnie Davis’ groundbreaking book, How to Teach Students Who Don’t Look Like You.

Meyer holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology and Anthropology from the College of Wooster in Wooster, OH, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa.  He also holds a master's degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.  Meyer also received a William C. Friday Fellowship for Human Relations through the Wildacres Leadership Initiative.

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