WEBVTT - Equity in Education

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to woke AF with me Danielle Moody. Over the

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<v Speaker 1>last few weeks, I've been looking back at a year

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<v Speaker 1>living amidst the coronavirus pandemic as we hit the anniversary

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<v Speaker 1>milestone this week on woke af Daily on Patreon, which

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<v Speaker 1>you can join right now for just five dollars a

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<v Speaker 1>month at patreon dot com slash woke AF. I spoke

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<v Speaker 1>with three educators from across the country about how they,

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<v Speaker 1>along with their students, families, and faculties, have been dealing

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<v Speaker 1>with adapting to a pandemic that upended life as we

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<v Speaker 1>knew it. Today, I am sharing part of that forty

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<v Speaker 1>five minute conversation to give you insight on how educators

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<v Speaker 1>have had to spring into action to address issues and

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<v Speaker 1>inequities that existed long before the COVID nineteen outbreak. You'll

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<v Speaker 1>hear from Brian Meeker, a high school biology teacher in Chicago, Illinois,

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<v Speaker 1>who started his schools GSA and anti racist group. You'll

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<v Speaker 1>hear from Teresa Finski Venucci, dean of students for an

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<v Speaker 1>elementary school in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, and Leona Fowler, a

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<v Speaker 1>special education instructional support teacher in Queens, New York. Take

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<v Speaker 1>a listen to how these schools have been coping with

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<v Speaker 1>this unprecedented disruption to what we previously considered our normal,

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<v Speaker 1>everyday life. You know, one of the things that I

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<v Speaker 1>have always thought, particularly about the teaching profession, is just

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<v Speaker 1>how underresourced teachers are consistently across the board. It doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>matter if you teach in a suburb or you teach

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<v Speaker 1>in a city or a rural area. Education across the

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<v Speaker 1>board is really under serviced and under resource. And I'm wondering,

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<v Speaker 1>and I'll start with you, Brian, what are the ways

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<v Speaker 1>in which you have seen through teaching virtually in this pandemic,

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<v Speaker 1>things that like should have been in place, like that

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<v Speaker 1>schools should have had access to. One of the conversations

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<v Speaker 1>that I've had with a one of the people running

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<v Speaker 1>from mayor in New York City here is, you know

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<v Speaker 1>a majority of low income students didn't have access to internet,

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<v Speaker 1>don't have laptops, don't have computers in their home. These

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<v Speaker 1>are things that we knew, we knew before the pandemic, right,

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<v Speaker 1>but didn't do anything about. So I'm wondering, what are

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<v Speaker 1>some of the things that have come up for you

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<v Speaker 1>that you are learning about the needs of students, the

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<v Speaker 1>needs that the school should have, the infrastructure I should

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<v Speaker 1>say that school should have in order to be able

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<v Speaker 1>to teach in this new innovative space. There's just countless

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<v Speaker 1>inequities that we've seen. The example you brought up. We

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<v Speaker 1>knew that going completely virtual for this long would mean

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<v Speaker 1>giving every student a laptop, which we did, but like

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<v Speaker 1>you mentioned, not all of our students have internet or

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<v Speaker 1>reliable internet, or reliable a reliable space to focus and

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<v Speaker 1>do their work. I have a student who just just

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<v Speaker 1>emailed me this morning, and I know for a fact

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<v Speaker 1>that when she's at home, she is taking care of

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<v Speaker 1>her younger brother, who is also doing remote learning. So

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<v Speaker 1>she's on my biology class. She's there, but if I

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<v Speaker 1>call in her, she's not there. And when I assigned

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<v Speaker 1>the work, she doesn't do the work. And so we've

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<v Speaker 1>had conversations over email, and she said, you're on in

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<v Speaker 1>the background, but I have to help my little brother.

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<v Speaker 1>So you know, my parents are working two jobs trying

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<v Speaker 1>to make this work right now, Like my parents lost

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<v Speaker 1>the job because of COVID, so they picked up this.

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<v Speaker 1>So I'm in charge of both of us, and I'm sorry,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm missing your class. So it's this kind of it's

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<v Speaker 1>this terrible no win situation because I obviously want her

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<v Speaker 1>to learn, but obviously I have to understand that she

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<v Speaker 1>and her family and lots of other families are kind

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<v Speaker 1>of in these situations too. The zip code where my

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<v Speaker 1>school is has a COVID positivity rate somewhere nineteen twenty percent.

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<v Speaker 1>It was the worst. It's the worst in Chicago for

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<v Speaker 1>a long period of time. It's a neighborhood that needs

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<v Speaker 1>more investment in general, more infrastructure in general, more access

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<v Speaker 1>to vaccines, more access to medical care in general. It's

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<v Speaker 1>just been something we've kind of had to reconcile with.

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<v Speaker 1>This has helped us realize that we need to be

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<v Speaker 1>better about communicating with parents. It's difficult for us because

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<v Speaker 1>if they are working two or three jobs, or if

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<v Speaker 1>it does require a translator, or if it does require

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<v Speaker 1>you know, other kind of pieces, it's a lot more

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<v Speaker 1>difficult for us. But especially with this remote teaching. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>if I can name some students and I have been

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<v Speaker 1>seen a student in two weeks on my online class,

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<v Speaker 1>I need to be able to reach out to someone.

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<v Speaker 1>Get that going, get that communication going, get the kid

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<v Speaker 1>a Wi Fi hot spot, tell them to go to

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<v Speaker 1>a library figure out something. Yeah, a lot, a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of pieces there, Teresa. What are the ways in which

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<v Speaker 1>your school has been able, you know, to some of

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<v Speaker 1>the points that Brian is making about providing laptops, providing

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<v Speaker 1>hot spots. What is the makeup the economic makeup of

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<v Speaker 1>where you are situated, and how have you been able

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<v Speaker 1>to deal with some of the inequities that have bubbled

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<v Speaker 1>up to the surface. Yeah, the school district that I

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<v Speaker 1>work in is has a very high rate of free

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<v Speaker 1>reduced lunch, so our poverty level is quite high. And

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<v Speaker 1>we ran into the same problems that Brian was talking

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<v Speaker 1>about when we went virtual, like when the school shut

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<v Speaker 1>down last spring, especially at the elementary levels, we didn't

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<v Speaker 1>have computers and technology for every student. The secondaries did

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<v Speaker 1>because they already had that implemented, but that internet connection

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<v Speaker 1>was definitely tricky. This fall, we did have a device

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<v Speaker 1>for each student. We were running a little bit low,

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<v Speaker 1>like the pre k and kindergarten students were using really

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<v Speaker 1>old devices that had already been retired by the secondary level,

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<v Speaker 1>so they weren't the most reliable. And then everything of

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<v Speaker 1>course was on back order. As you can imagine, every

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<v Speaker 1>school district in this country is ordering more technology. So

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<v Speaker 1>we were able to get every student some kind of device,

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<v Speaker 1>so that was great, and we were able to provide

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<v Speaker 1>hot spots. Also, there was a list and there was

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<v Speaker 1>a delay in getting them and then there's you know,

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<v Speaker 1>some tricky things that have to happen there as ours

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<v Speaker 1>logistics and getting them picked up and all of that.

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<v Speaker 1>In our school, the social worker and I, especially at

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<v Speaker 1>the beginning of this year, once we got classes going,

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<v Speaker 1>we were completely virtual at the beginning of the year,

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<v Speaker 1>and the social worker and I went into a ton

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<v Speaker 1>of home visits, which we had Our school district had

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<v Speaker 1>implemented home visits a few years ago as like a

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<v Speaker 1>relationship builder and as a way to connect home and family,

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<v Speaker 1>but it had it wasn't it hadn't been sustainable. So

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<v Speaker 1>it's really and I was a big part of that

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<v Speaker 1>program when it came to our district, so it's really

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<v Speaker 1>exciting for me to be able to do that again.

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<v Speaker 1>And we went into so many homes, knocked on doors.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, some families are really excited to see us

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<v Speaker 1>and some are not, like they're nervous, you know, especially

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<v Speaker 1>like this administrator popping and knocking on your door unannounced, right,

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<v Speaker 1>They're like, am I in trouble? Things like that, and

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<v Speaker 1>want to be like, how can we support? And sometimes,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, especially when if they've had history with the

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<v Speaker 1>county and attendance or whatnot, like me showing up, especially

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<v Speaker 1>as a white woman, is not all ways good news, right,

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<v Speaker 1>even that it's coming from a place of support. So

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<v Speaker 1>being able to kind of navigate that and figure that

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<v Speaker 1>out was really great for me. And then it was

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<v Speaker 1>also building that relationship so then they can call like, hey,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, I need this. So I was able to

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<v Speaker 1>build those relationships with the families that I don't think

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<v Speaker 1>I would have been able to make had we just

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<v Speaker 1>been in like regular school quote unquote, yeah, yeah, so

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<v Speaker 1>we've definitely done that. We also have every quarter we

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<v Speaker 1>have a supply pickup with new supplies that our district

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<v Speaker 1>has been able you know, with the money that we

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<v Speaker 1>were able to purchase materials with. It's a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>work for teachers to plan that far in advance, to

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<v Speaker 1>think what do our students need you know, a month

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<v Speaker 1>from now for a quarter and then any and then

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<v Speaker 1>we had you know, a scheduled pickup time and then

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<v Speaker 1>any families that weren't able to pick it up. My

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<v Speaker 1>principal social worker and I went around and delivered bags,

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<v Speaker 1>which again was like, which was a lot of work,

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<v Speaker 1>but it was also like really nice to get in

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<v Speaker 1>the community more and again knock on those doors, and

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<v Speaker 1>families that aren't able to pick them up are generally

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<v Speaker 1>really happy that you know that you're making things, are

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<v Speaker 1>making the effort to drop them off. I mean, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>I have often said, and I'm sure you all can

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<v Speaker 1>attest to the fact that schools are community hubs, right,

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<v Speaker 1>and they are the source of nutrition, education, safety, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>so much for the community. And I think that now

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<v Speaker 1>one of the I would say, one of the good

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<v Speaker 1>hopefully one of the good side effects of having to

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<v Speaker 1>have been virtual for so long is the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>people recognize how much they should appreciate you all and

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<v Speaker 1>how much work you do on a regular basis, because

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<v Speaker 1>now they've been home with their own children eight, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>nine twenty four hours a day and are just like, oh,

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<v Speaker 1>so this is actually like a real thing, not just

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<v Speaker 1>a place that I go to drop my kids off.

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<v Speaker 1>And I hope you know that all goes well. So

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<v Speaker 1>I think that that can be a positive side effect,

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<v Speaker 1>and I like the way that you're saying that you

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<v Speaker 1>have been engaging more in community that has been one

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<v Speaker 1>of you know, sounds to be a good side effect

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<v Speaker 1>as well. Leona. You know, I have been wondering for

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<v Speaker 1>the past year. I've been thinking so much about special

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<v Speaker 1>education students and wondering how because you know, there are

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<v Speaker 1>a variety of special needs that students have, right, but

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<v Speaker 1>I remember being in the classroom with my kids and

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<v Speaker 1>I was thinking that I've been thinking about them, and

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<v Speaker 1>I'm like, there's no way that they would have been

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<v Speaker 1>able to do virtual learning right, Like learning one on

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<v Speaker 1>one in the classroom or doing pullouts was hard enough,

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<v Speaker 1>And so how has it been as a special education

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<v Speaker 1>teacher this time? Tough? Just thinking about inequities. It really

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<v Speaker 1>exposed a lot in regards to infrastructure and things that

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<v Speaker 1>just should have been in place. I think, even for

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<v Speaker 1>the students of special needs, this whole aspect of virtual

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<v Speaker 1>learning or technology just should have never been new for

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<v Speaker 1>New York City. It seemed like many of the special educators,

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<v Speaker 1>especially speaking specifically to us, this was like a brand

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<v Speaker 1>new world. Although in the classroom we have to use devices,

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<v Speaker 1>we have to use communication adaptive devices, smart board that

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<v Speaker 1>they can touch screens and all that we had to

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<v Speaker 1>use that the gap was shown in Transferred to home

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<v Speaker 1>where that was that disconnects. I'm glad to hear Theresa.

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<v Speaker 1>You guys really made this family effort. I would say,

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<v Speaker 1>like the hardest part has been with parents having them

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<v Speaker 1>now learn I have to learn, be forced to learn

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<v Speaker 1>to teach their kid too, or to work their child

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<v Speaker 1>too in the capacity or at least in some capacity

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<v Speaker 1>as we do. So my inequity piece outside of that

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<v Speaker 1>whole digital divide, which is a conversation of by itself

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<v Speaker 1>across the US, specifically here in New York, would be

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<v Speaker 1>an other one was parent trainings. Parents really need it

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<v Speaker 1>training on how to work an iPad. They may have

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<v Speaker 1>just known it for the recreational matter to touch an

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<v Speaker 1>app and go into an app, but watching YouTube, maybe

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<v Speaker 1>check an email I message, but in the capacity of

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<v Speaker 1>work of a Google classroom, it was like, oh my god,

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<v Speaker 1>you would have never thought anyone ever saw iPad before.

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<v Speaker 1>It was just like, no, it's the same like your phone.

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<v Speaker 1>It's the same. It was a lot. I mean, that's

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<v Speaker 1>been the stress. Even to this. They were a year

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<v Speaker 1>now later into this virtual space, and parents are still struggling,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's been hard because it's like I can't go

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<v Speaker 1>into home, like I can't tell you how to help

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<v Speaker 1>Leona stop crying right now, Like this is what I

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<v Speaker 1>would have done, Please, mom, go get this, go get that.

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<v Speaker 1>This is what we use. And parents are just kind

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<v Speaker 1>of like, I don't know, and that is why a

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<v Speaker 1>lot do send them back in even though they're fearful

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<v Speaker 1>of Corona there. I'm not sure if it's the right

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<v Speaker 1>thing to do, but as don't know what to do

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<v Speaker 1>at home, and I think if we did an even

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<v Speaker 1>greater effort, because my school really is trying to really

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<v Speaker 1>make greater effort to continue to strengthen and fostered to

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<v Speaker 1>parents and student and family connection. But before COVID, it

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<v Speaker 1>just should have been a lot of in home stuff

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<v Speaker 1>that was happening, not when it's just a crisis, especially

0:12:26.400 --> 0:12:29.840
<v Speaker 1>like kids, they go into crisis, and that's where in

0:12:29.920 --> 0:12:33.520
<v Speaker 1>home attempts happened, because things really can happen really bad

0:12:33.600 --> 0:12:36.920
<v Speaker 1>depending on the type of disability or behavior challenge. I

0:12:36.960 --> 0:12:39.280
<v Speaker 1>would say the tough piece is a lot of parents

0:12:39.280 --> 0:12:43.199
<v Speaker 1>just don't know what to do. They don't know how

0:12:43.240 --> 0:12:45.440
<v Speaker 1>to work or device to the point where they're pushing

0:12:45.440 --> 0:12:49.000
<v Speaker 1>it aside and just saying like, we just can't do it.

0:12:49.320 --> 0:12:52.200
<v Speaker 1>And because as special needs students, it sometimes just goes

0:12:52.240 --> 0:12:55.120
<v Speaker 1>with all right, well, we're just glad you tried, mom,

0:12:55.600 --> 0:12:57.480
<v Speaker 1>We're just glad you tried. And then that's like the

0:12:57.600 --> 0:13:00.320
<v Speaker 1>end of it, you know, And then the accountability is

0:13:00.320 --> 0:13:03.000
<v Speaker 1>just kind of like uneven because then you have those

0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:05.480
<v Speaker 1>parents that really are into it. They're in every meeting,

0:13:05.520 --> 0:13:08.240
<v Speaker 1>they're like trying to do these ips with you. Whatever

0:13:08.280 --> 0:13:10.240
<v Speaker 1>button you tell them the press, They're like, I see it.

0:13:10.280 --> 0:13:12.320
<v Speaker 1>Can you hear me? Now, okay, I tried it. I

0:13:12.360 --> 0:13:15.040
<v Speaker 1>did a reset. You have those parents too, so then

0:13:15.080 --> 0:13:17.840
<v Speaker 1>it's like you don't want one parent to be able

0:13:17.880 --> 0:13:19.520
<v Speaker 1>to get away with I don't know what to do,

0:13:19.640 --> 0:13:21.760
<v Speaker 1>so I don't even know where the iPad is, miss Fowler,

0:13:22.160 --> 0:13:24.960
<v Speaker 1>you know, or you know, and then that's it. So

0:13:25.280 --> 0:13:29.120
<v Speaker 1>that's been a real struggle, and it really showed an

0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:35.760
<v Speaker 1>inequity to access for parents materials and things that see

0:13:35.760 --> 0:13:37.600
<v Speaker 1>that their child is learning at home, I mean in

0:13:37.640 --> 0:13:40.400
<v Speaker 1>the school when they're with us. It really should be

0:13:40.720 --> 0:13:44.719
<v Speaker 1>a transparency of like oh yes, when Leona brought that home.

0:13:44.760 --> 0:13:46.880
<v Speaker 1>She did show me in her Google classroom, so that

0:13:46.920 --> 0:13:50.160
<v Speaker 1>when she's now in the language should just be so even.

0:13:50.720 --> 0:13:53.680
<v Speaker 1>And it's going to take work because we have English

0:13:53.760 --> 0:13:56.120
<v Speaker 1>language learners, we have parents from other countries, like it's

0:13:56.240 --> 0:13:58.640
<v Speaker 1>New York City is a huge, one of the largest

0:13:58.640 --> 0:14:01.400
<v Speaker 1>school districts, right, so it's never easy to try to

0:14:01.400 --> 0:14:04.400
<v Speaker 1>get every parent to attend a training. But if that

0:14:04.559 --> 0:14:07.000
<v Speaker 1>was just like a huge rollout or more of a

0:14:07.040 --> 0:14:10.520
<v Speaker 1>megaphone of a thing we need parents to get on

0:14:10.559 --> 0:14:13.040
<v Speaker 1>board with, that would be something I rally for. And

0:14:13.080 --> 0:14:15.400
<v Speaker 1>I too do policy work, have a degree in policy,

0:14:15.679 --> 0:14:18.640
<v Speaker 1>so I'm really trying to push, even on a community

0:14:18.720 --> 0:14:21.760
<v Speaker 1>level that parents really take advantage of when they see

0:14:21.800 --> 0:14:25.880
<v Speaker 1>these blasts for training on Google, for training on Zoom,

0:14:26.040 --> 0:14:30.600
<v Speaker 1>we're training on adaptive communication devices. Tackle it, try it,

0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:36.840
<v Speaker 1>try it out. My roundtable with Leona, Teresa and Brian

0:14:37.000 --> 0:14:40.200
<v Speaker 1>was an incredibly deep, insightful discussion and one that I

0:14:40.240 --> 0:14:43.240
<v Speaker 1>do hope you will check out in full. At patreon

0:14:43.320 --> 0:14:46.240
<v Speaker 1>dot com slash wokaf We're coming up on our one

0:14:46.320 --> 0:14:49.680
<v Speaker 1>year anniversary of being on Patreon, and I have hundreds

0:14:49.720 --> 0:14:53.000
<v Speaker 1>more conversations with friends and experts that you can access

0:14:53.040 --> 0:14:55.720
<v Speaker 1>starting at just five dollars a month, and there's more

0:14:55.720 --> 0:14:58.320
<v Speaker 1>to come every single week, so don't be shy. Join

0:14:58.400 --> 0:15:01.720
<v Speaker 1>Woka f Nation and become part of the conversation until

0:15:01.800 --> 0:15:03.640
<v Speaker 1>next week or when I see you in the comments

0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:07.240
<v Speaker 1>on Patreon. Power to the people and to all the people. Power,

0:15:07.640 --> 0:15:09.800
<v Speaker 1>get woke and stay woke as fuck.