– Nicole Anderson
Diversity and Equal Access Executive
Nominations open for 2018-19 ACSA VP
The nomination window for vice president of ACSA for 2018-19 is now open , with a deadline of Sept . 8 , 2017 .
The office of vice president is seen as key in helping set the direction of the association , as it is the direct route to the presidency .
“ The nomination window for ACSA state vice president has officially opened , and I highly encourage any eligible member who has considered this role to take the opportunity in hand and apply ,” said ACSA Past President Ralph Porras . “ Our leadership structure provides the vice president with great opportunities to help shape and refine how ACSA continues to serve leaders and students throughout California , and reinvigorates the amazing ACSA State Board governance process .”
Duties and responsibilities of the vice president include :
• Attend all board meetings .
• Know the association and the board president ’ s duties .
• Be prepared to perform the board president ’ s duties when called upon .
• Serve on the Executive Committee .
• Chair the association ’ s Finance Committee .
• Work closely as a consultant and advisor to the board president .
• Develop rapport and a close working relationship with the executive director and board president .
• Carry out special assignments from the board president .
A major responsibility of the vice president is to serve in the place of the presidentelect or president during their absence , or to assume the office of president-elect should it become vacant .
To prepare for this role , service on the Board of Directors or Leadership Assembly as region president or state chairperson is preferable . ACSA aims to present a slate of multiple candidates statewide . The nominating committee will work to solicit a sufficient number of candidates to ensure a balanced slate .
“‘ Leadership Matters !’ This mantra has been at the very core of ACSA for many years , and speaks to the critical role leadership plays in the governance of our association and the impact it has on education policy at the state and federal levels ,” said Porras , who will be chairing the VP Nominating Committee this year . “ We have a wonderful and effective team , and look forward to the possibilities .”
A major consideration of the committee will be the association ’ s Diversity Action Plan .
A nomination form may be found online at www . acsa . org / vpnominations . For more information , contact Suzanne Caffrey at scaffrey @ acsa . org or ( 800 ) 608-ACSA .
Toolkit a resource for undocumented students
Last month marked the 35th anniversary of Plyler v . Doe¸ a Supreme Court decision upholding education as a civil right for all students – regardless of their immigration status . To reinforce this crucial civil rights protection , members of the California Equity Leadership Alliance have created a toolkit housed on the Education Trust- West website , designed for educators to better support undocumented students and their families .
ACSA is a member of CELA and fully supports the effort .
“ We know that in the current political climate there is a lot of uncertainty and even fear ,” said ACSA Legislative Advocate Iván Carrillo . “ This toolkit provides valuable resources for students , parents and educators to help them protect and serve undocumented families .”
Following is a statement from CELA .
California is a state sustained and enriched by immigrants in a nation founded by immigrants . As such , the California Equity Leadership Alliance wholeheartedly supports the fundamental right for all children – regardless of their immigration status or the status of their family members – to receive a strong , equitable education . This commitment not only reinforces the legal right to education , it is in the best interest of California and our continued leadership as a state at the forefront of innovation , industry and progress .
Our roles as leaders in education – from administrators and educators to parents and policy advocates – compel us to reaffirm our dedication to these students and offer guidance for a more equitable California . We believe this means not only supporting efforts to keep our students safe , but also ensuring we do all we can to offer them the best chance to graduate prepared for college , a career , leadership and life .
For too long , the arena of education advocacy has been siloed from the arena of immigrant rights advocacy . It is imperative that education organizations such as ours bridge this divide and do all we can to support the educators , administrators and advocates who work with these students and their families every day . As such , we have launched a new initiative to provide resources , support and stewardship for educators in order to understand our undocumented student community .
Collectively , we ask that the California
State Legislature promote and use this toolkit as a resource when working with educators , school district leaders and community members to support the unique needs of undocumented students and their families . We also ask that greater attention be paid to creating professional development opportunities for entire school communities to understand the resources that exist to support immigrant families .
Living our values as Californians means standing up – and standing with – the hundreds of thousands of undocumented students in our schools and the 1 in 8 California P-12 students who have an undocumented parent . Our students deserve nothing less than our steadfast support .
The toolkit can be accessed at http :// bit . ly / CELAtoolkit .
The California Equity Leadership Alliance ( CELA ), is an action-oriented group committed to the educational success of all California students . Our efforts support the educational success of Latino , African American , Asian Pacific Islander , Native American , and English Language Learner students as well as at-risk students , low-income students , and students with disabilities .
Study compares district-run and charter schools
A study that examines district-run and charter schools in Oakland across three dimensions – student need , resource levels and resource use – has raised a number of important and troubling equity issues that require further conversation and action , according to the Oakland Achieves Partnership .
The partnership commissioned the study , “ Informing Equity : Student Need , Spending and Resource Use in Oakland Public Schools ,” conducted by Educational Resource Strategies as a baseline assessment in the 2014-15 school year . The aim is to begin the work of collaborating across sectors and schools to find solutions to students need .
The Oakland Achieves Partnership includes First 5 Alameda , Urban Strategies Council , Educate78 , Oakland Chamber of Commerce , GO Public Schools , Rogers Family Foundation and Oakland Public Education Fund .
The study found that Oakland Unified School District serves a greater proportion of higher-needs students , in terms of incoming academic proficiency , students in need of special education services , and late entering students . There is significant variation among schools , as well as among charter organizations and schools .
Compared to peer districts in California and nationally , OUSD places 30 percent more of its special needs students in restrictive environments , which are more costly . In addition , the state funding law that caps concentration funds for charter schools is resulting in millions of dollars of lost revenue for charters serving high-needs students , making it more challenging for charters to serve them , according to the partnership .
ERS released a report in June it said is the first of its kind , exploring K-12 spending and resource allocation patterns across charter and district-run schools . ERS acknowledged that since the 2014-15 school year there have been changes in spending , student populations and strategies for serving special education students , among others , but the “ core facts and takeaways continue to reflect overall trends and patterns across the city and are still relevant and timely .”
The research was guided by a Citywide Study Steering Committee , including OUSD leaders , charter leaders , and education advocates . The purpose of the study was to build a shared fact base .
“ While this project aspires to ultimately impact student outcomes , we focused this analysis on resources and needs rather than performance outcomes ,” according to an ERS statement . “ We believe that such a report is the first step in helping the many stakeholders in Oakland to explore new opportunities and solutions to common challenges .”
Key findings include :
• Student need : Overall , the student population in OUSD schools had greater needs than did the Oakland charter school student population .
• Special education : District-run schools have a higher share of students receiving special education , and provide special education services in more restrictive settings . Twelve percent of students in district-run schools received special education services , compared to 7 percent in charters . Special education students who are served by district-run schools were more likely to have disabilities requiring intensive services compared to those served by charter schools . Across all disability types , district-run schools served a much greater share of special education students in more restrictive – and costlier – settings than both charters and other large urban districts nationally .
• Academic need : When high-performing students , as measured on state tests , transition from elementary to middle school or from middle to high school , they disproportionately enroll in charter schools rather than district-run schools . On the other hand , students who performed below grade level in the prior year disproportionately transition into district-run schools . This means that district-run schools receive new sixth grade and ninth grade students who are academically less proficient on average than do charters .
• “ Late-entry ” students : District-run schools also served a larger share of lateentry students – those who enrolled well after the beginning of the school year and who typically have greater needs and require additional supports .
• Other aspects of need : There were not major differences in the concentrations of English learners and socio-economically disadvantaged students . District-run schools did serve higher percentages of
See STUDY , page 5
August 7 , 2017 EDCAL 3
Equity is the buzz word around the state , as well as nation . The LCFF legislation , LCAP process , and the new accountability system have moved us into a process of focusing on continuous improvement in the areas that reveal equity gaps . Multiple measures have revealed a need to redistribute resources and allocate them in innovative ways for the students who have the highest need .
It is a moral imperative to close educational gaps that have been evident in schools , where some students have not been served well in the public school system for centuries . Educational data reveals numerous gaps , including opportunity , access , achievement , service and acknowledgment gaps .
These gaps exist as a result of multiple factors including state and federal legislation that were considered historical advancements , but have currently yielded large gaps in outcomes for students . Busy educators are mandated and driven by the current educational legislation and initiatives , that often result in the perpetuation of these gaps when mindsets and practices don ’ t evolve . Thus it is crucial that educators intentionally commit time and resources to professional learning that provides the opportunity to deepen belief systems and awareness of diversity in their schools .
Now , more than ever , there is a deep need to truly define the word “ equity ” in order to apply it as a lens to our policy and practice if we are to close these educational gaps . Defining equity requires us to reflect on our own personal and professional experiences in order to shift from “ talking the talk ” to “ walking the walk .” Here is a simple activity school leaders can do with school community stakeholders to define equity :
“ Defining Equity ” Activity Steps
Activity prompt # 1 : Reflect , write , and share an “ equitable ” and “ inequitable ” moment in your professional and person life .
Activity prompt # 2 : If your organization were to articulate a definition of equity , what would it say ?
The “ defining equity ” activity is a simple and practical tool to support equity work and can be revisited at deeper levels throughout the school year with staff , students , parents and other school community stakeholders . The definition created by the group can be used as a lens to address equity issues , implement policy and improve practice . It can be used as a tool to gain buy-in from stakeholders on major initiatives and policy changes through the process of connecting “ equity ” to each person ’ s experience , as it cannot be defined by someone else . Most importantly , it creates a shift from equity being a side item on the agenda to being the agenda .
Register for the upcoming Equity Institutes at www . acsa . org / equity .
– Nicole Anderson
Diversity and Equal Access Executive