Leadership Council Chronicle

January 2020

You're Not the Only Expert in the Room

In the last two issues of the Leadership Council Chronicle, we focused on tenets of culturally responsive education. In November, we discussed the importance of intellectual engagement. In December, we talked about the role of caring in the classroom.

This month, we focus on the idea (and reality) of shared power:

How do teachers and students share leadership and power in classrooms?
How do teachers and students see and respect color vs. being colorblind?

A Local School's Perspective

Mariela Banuelos is a teacher candidate at the University of Northern Colorado Center for Urban Education (CUE). Like most of the students at CUE, she works as a paraprofessional in the mornings—her school is Green Valley Elementary in Denver, Colorado. Her major is Special Education, and she does her best to create an inclusive classroom.

CUE Student Mariela Banuelos with her students,
who all completed their goals that week

“I accommodate the students’ needs,” said Banuelos. “They have a say in what will be helpful for them that day. That might be turning off the overhead lights and turning on the lamps, or it might be multiple check-ins with a child who is having a bad morning. It’s not just the teacher’s classroom—it’s everyone’s classroom.”

That’s shared leadership and power.

In terms of students seeing color vs. being colorblind, Banuelos said, “Ours is a diverse student population. When we meet in groups, the students are very accepting of each other’s differences. For example, the students have said, ‘It’s so cool you can speak another language.’ And they teach each other ‘small words’ that they know in that language.”

OPEN HOUSE FOR COUNSELORS, PRINCIPALS, AND ALL SCHOOL LEADERS

The Center for Urban Education is hosting an informational session for all school leaders who are interested in learning more about how we can work together to solve the teacher shortage. Lunch will be provided.

February 11, 2020
11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Center for Urban Education
1059 Alton Way
Denver CO 80230

RSVP here.

REFER A FUTURE TEACHER
It takes a village to prepare teachers for success in urban classrooms. Do you know someone who is interested in becoming a teacher? Ask him or her to watch a short video about why UNC Center for Urban Education is a an excellent option for people who want to gain experience in classrooms while attending classes.

PRESENTATION:
THE ESSENCE OF BRILLIANT TEACHING
Dr. Yemi Stembridge will define brilliant teaching and explain how it empowers students. Friends of the Center are invited.

March 20, 2020
1:30 to 4:00 PM
Center for Urban Education Auditorium
1059 Alton Way
Denver, CO 80230

RSVP here.

Principal Blake Hammond, addressing the student population at
Green Valley Elementary in Denver, Colorado

The principal of Green Valley Elementary, Blake Hammond, also works hard to create an inclusive school. “All children, particularly children of color, should be able to envision themselves in any career or profession that interests them. We must expose them to the people in those professions who share their background and interests.”

“Mariela Banuelos is a good example. She helps students see their true potential and instills the belief in them that their future is bright. If a student feels like he can’t overcome a barrier, Mariela stands with him, and they tackle it together.”

Sharing Leadership and Power: in Action

Below are two more examples of how teachers share leadership and power:

A teacher at a Denver school said, “I encourage the kids to be the teachers for their friends. When I help one of the students, and I feel pretty sure he or she is comfortable enough, I ask that student to go and help another student who is struggling.”

Another teacher said, “When they request it, I sometimes group students by race so that there is increased comfort in the conversations that they have. Sometimes, I group kids by language so that kids who speak Spanish as their first language can speak Spanish while solving the problems.”

Seeing Color (vs. Being Colorblind) in Action

Below are two more examples of how teachers demonstrate inclusivity:

A teacher said, “I regularly talk to students about their weekends, and the church that they go to, because in many cultures, religious practices are an important component of their culture. Some of the African American kids in Algebra were surprised to hear that their friends who are Hispanic participated with their families in the Martin Luther King march in January. It was a good opportunity for all of us to talk about interracial relationships and the value of cross-racial alliances.”

Another teacher said, “Because of the diversity of the students in my classroom, I pay special attention to all of the language and vocabulary that we use. In one instance, some of the kids didn’t know the words campsite and campground. No one laughed at or made fun of them. We looked up some pictures of campsites on the Internet and filled in the knowledge gaps these students had. Then, we continued with the problem.”

Self-Assessment

These three questions will help you do a quick assessment of where you are when it comes to sharing power and leadership in the classroom, and seeing color vs. being colorblind.

1. I take into account the various cultures and norms represented in my students’ demographics when I create my classroom practices and expectations for behavior.

Most of the time
Some of the time
Never

2. Holidays are equally represented, and celebrations are sensitive to the various religious and cultural practices of my student population.

Most of the time
Some of the time
Never

3. I examine academic and behavioral data for achievement gaps by race and heritage language.

Most of the time
Some of the time
Never

Have an Example of How You Share Leadership?

If you’d like to submit a real-life example of what sharing leadership and power looks like in the classroom, or how it has made a difference to a student, email us. We’ll include the best examples in a future issue of the newsletter.

Resources

For more information about the imbalance between student and teacher demographics, read the Washington Post article, America’s schools are more diverse than ever. But the teachers are still mostly white.

CUE Hosts DPS Paraprofessional Open House

On January 6, Denver Public Schools and the Center for Urban Education (CUE) welcomed approximately 20 paraprofessionals who are interested in becoming teachers. Word is spreading—a few of our guests were from other school districts as well.

Dr. Rosanne Fulton, the Director of CUE (pictured left, standing), explained the options for attending classes at the Center.

Denver Public Schools principals Blake Hammond and Leah Schultz-Bartlett also addressed the group. Hammond said, “We will go above and beyond to support you, because we believe in this program. We want you to work as paraprofessionals while you attend classes at the Center, and we want you to teach at our schools when you graduate.”

Denver Public Schools principals Leah Schultz-Bartlett and Blake Hammond,
talking with prospective educators

Fulton then took prospective students on a tour of the building. Students in the Science Methods course, taught by Jessica Feld, said a few words to the prospective students. One commented, “What I love most about this program is that I get to take what I learn in class and apply it the very next day.”

Prospective students, listening to current students talk about how much they love the Center

We are hopeful that several paraprofessionals will apply to the program as a result of their experience at this open house. New students who are accepted into the program now will start classes in August. We encourage you to invite your colleagues to our next open house for school leaders on February 11. See the calendar section of this newsletter for more details.

Newsletter Archive

Did you miss previous issues of the Chronicle? Visit the Leadership Council page on our website, scroll down, and click on past newsletters.

Contact Us

Rosanne Fulton, PhD
Director, Center for Urban Education
University of Northern Colorado Extended Campus
1059 Alton Way
Denver CO 80230
Office: 303-637-4334
rosanne.fulton@unco.edu
www.unco.edu/UrbanEd

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