The Piney Branch Action Team brings together parents, teachers and administrators to build a community-owned culture that supports and celebrates the school's multicultural identitiy.
Piney Branch held its Open House on Monday, October 11th. The event was an opportunity for parents to see their children's classes in action. Also, it was yet another opportunity for the Action Team to put the Multicultural Criteria into practice. The Team primarily focused on taking steps to ensure that:
* The school fostered a warm and welcoming multicultural drop-in environment.
* Clear/transparent/consistent communication was provided between parents and other school stakeholders that was multiculturally sensitive.
Action Team projects included hanging posters announcing the event in apartment complexes surrounding the school. Parents were greeted in the school lobby by friendly patrols handing out school maps and Open House Tip Sheets for parents. The Tip Sheets were designed to help parents understand the purpose of the Open House and how to get the most from it.
Fifth grade student patrols were posted in the hallways as escorts to help guide parents to classrooms.
Parents were encouraged to provide Open House feedback via an Action Team-created survey. More than 70 parents expressed their views. School staff, the PTA and the Action Team will use the feedback to inform ongoing efforts to promote a thriving, multicultural Piney Branch!
The PBAT kicked off its second year of school transformation with a retreat on Saturday, October 9th. The team has grown to include new teachers and parents: Kathy Rutledge (paraeducator), Kerry Danner-McDonald (3rd grade parent), Kristen Dunlap (3rd grade teacher), Ally Zevin (PTA co-president), Tasha Winns (Speech/language specialist).
The retreat was a moment for relationship building, visioning, and strategic planning. The team spent the morning engaged in interactive exercises to help break down barriers and create connections. After lunch, we revisited the mission statement and began crafting operating principles to help give definition to the team. The draft principles include this suggestion from Ally: "It's the blending of our ideas that enables us to create the widest/best opportunities for parental involvement." Ken offered: "The members of the Action Team have found that by initially building personal relationships, we are able to more effectively blend our voices."
The end of the day was devoted to working on action projects that will impact Piney Branch's October 11th Open House. The team wants to encourage more families to attend the Open House and to have it be a more meaningful experience for parents and teachers. Look for a report on the projects in the next blog post.
Ken closed the retreat by sharing a poem that he was inspired to write during our day together. Enjoy!
Hello PBES parents, teachers, administrators, and students, Nora Stephens here, Lanita's summer intern. I'm helping Lanita write a final report for this pilot year of the Action Team and I want to hear what you all have to say about it!
We're interested in what everyone thought were the original goals of the program, if these goals were achieved, or if maybe they turned into other goals. Did certain events make more of an impact than others? What are some of your fondest memories of the year? Have any of your opinions on the school system changed/stayed the same? What recommendations would you have for others interested in being apart of an Action Team at their school?
Please reply to whatever questions pop out at you and elaborate on anything else you feel is relevant to the program. The more people that reply, the more accurate our report will be, helping us to possibly reach out to other schools and undoubtably make next year's Action Team at PBES even more affective than it was this year.
thanks, Nora
To comment to this blog all you have to do is click on COMMENTS below this entry and type whatever you feel appropriate!
I participated in the Piney Branch Action Team (PBAT) door knocking, and much more than doors opened for my partner, Lanita and me. It didn't take long for us to connect to the tentative Sligo Elementary door openers. As soon as we introduced ourselves and shared our welcome to the Piney Branch School community, we became instant celebrities in the neighborhood. Children and family members gathered around us eager to introduce us to other families. We invited them all to the PTA event on June 3 and to tour the school. They asked lots of questions and were most excited about the swimming pool. I truly believe this very personal touch will make a difference in the transition for these families and their children to their new school in the fall. It was my first time as a door knocker and it will not be my last. I am sold on this very intimate way of connecting with others. And this personal touch reflects the spirit of the Piney Branch Action Team and the whole school community!
Piney Branch principal and Action Team member Bertram Generlette has been named by the NAACP as the 2010 Montgomery County Public Schools Principal of the Year! The award is given yearly to a county administrator who's shown an outstanding commitment to closing the achievement gap through programs designed to meet the academic and social needs of all students.
We believe that Bertram is truly deserving of this award. As an engaged and dedicated Action Team member, he has set a standard of commitment that's been a model for others.
The Action Team has been working hard to create a more inclusive school culture that works for everyone by:
>developing Multicultural Criteria that guide what a thriving multicultural school should look like and feel like,
>creating a more welcoming, multicultural environment at parent-teacher conferences,
>helping parents and teachers gain more from their time together during conferences,
>increasing awareness for parents about the MSA and the achievement gap,
>providing MSA test prep practice and materials for families,
>experiencing the two-way benefits of taking the school out into the community,
>modeling a new way of collaborating among diverse parents, teachers, and administrators.
Although the accomplishments of the Action Team have certainly been a "team" effort, the brave and whole-hearted participation of the school's leader (every step of the way) certainly helped to set the tone and create the environment necessary for getting the work done.
Want to hear Action Team members sharing their amazing projects with principals from other schools? Check out this clip.
On Thursday, April 15th Action Team members and IMPACT staff partnered to share the story of ongoing school transformation at Piney Branch Elementary School.
Listening to the story were administrators from six Montgomery County schools:
Richard Rhodes, Sligo Middle Joe Rubens, Jr., Colonel E. Brooke Lee Middle Ruth Green, John F. Kennedy High Aara Davis-Jones, Georgian Forest Elementary Adrienne Morrow, East Silver Spring Elementary Carmen Van Zutphen, Bel Pre Elementary
Also in attendance was Bronda Mills, Community Superintendent of the Downcounty Consortium.
Chapter. 1 What Does IMPACT Do?
IMPACT Executive Director, Frankie Blackburn, began the story with the big picture. She explained the organization's mission as one of closing the gaps that often exist between diverse people--gaps that result in cultures that work for some to the exclusion of others.
How do you close those gaps? It often requires . . . change. Chapt. 2 IMPACT's Theory of Transformation
IMPACT has been working in the community for years to bring about the kind of change (transformation) that results in neighborhoods, institutions, and organizations working equally well for everyone. Although the positive impact can be on entire systems, the "change" begins with individuals.
The story continued with the sharing of IMPACT's theory of transformation.
Chapter 3. Transforming a School
So, IMPACT took its Theory of Transformation and (in partnership with a courageous principal) decided to apply it to closing the achievement gap in one local elementary school. How did we do it? By creating an Action Team that:
> Brought together 14 diverse parents, teachers, and administrators.
> Kicked off with intense relationship-building at an overnight retreat.
> Embarked on a 9-month journey of bi-weekly sessions facilitated to help team members:
- craft a new school vision, - build relationships of trust, - define multiculturalism, - create safe spaces for difficult conversations, - effectively move into action.
Chapter 4. A Happy Ending?
Yes, we have a story to tell, but it's not a fairy tale. The diverse school stakeholders on the Action Team are certainly modeling a new way of problem-solving in a multicultural environment. And, they are definitely initiating projects that will sustain change and honor the school's diversity. But, there is much work yet to be done. The Action Team will be continuing at Piney Branch for the 2010 - 2011 school year.
Keep following this blog to read the sequel and find out if this work moves beyond Piney Branch and into other school communities!
The school year is winding down and the pilot year of the Action Team is drawing to a close as well. Although perhaps our most ambitious project is ahead of us (more about that in a moment), we find ourselves in a reflective mood. During our most recent session, we took time to revisit the original program goals to determine just how well they've been met. Of course, this being the Action Team, we found a creative way to share our conclusions . . . through drawing. Below are the goals, the drawings created, and the ideas shared.
(1) Action Team members will increase their knowledge, skills, and awareness of their personal power and how to use it to effect change in the school community.
"WIth our newfound personal power we feel like the world is now open to us and we have the ability to make positive changes in it."
(2) Team members will have a deeper understanding of their own racial and cultural identities and how to work with others of diverse backgrounds.
"We can now see other races within ourselves. The picture also represents the transfor-
mation that we feel."
(3) Team members will create a new guiding vision and way of being within the school.
"This picture represents the school embracing families. The rainbow represents our new vision. All of the ideas in the rainbow have been a part of our projects."
(4) Team members will develop action projects to build toward the new vision.
"The ground is the community. IMPACT and the school are the strong stem. The projects emanate from the stem, supported by the ground. The projects have been helping the school grow into a limitless, positive (smiling question marks) multicultural (all the different colors) future."
Final Project (for this school year)
Action Team members brainstormed several fantastic ideas for the next and final project of this school year. Some of the suggestions included creating a family resource center at the school, increasing the amount and quality of volunteer opportunities for parents, and outfitting the school building with multi-lingual signage. Although Team members intend to pursue each of these actions in the future, it was decided that the next project should be welcoming the 60 new students to Piney Branch who will be coming to the school for the 2010 - 2011 school year because of re-drawn school boundaries. This is a big and potentially high impact project. Check back with us soon to find out how the planning is going!
Testing, Testing, 1 2 3, Testing MSA testing Testing for racism, testing your patience Shaping your experience Your culture A culture of racism, cultural or institutional Testing our institutions, our resolve Our children are testing Our preferences, bias, and power The power of a test The racism of the test Testing
--Ken, Action Team Member
Written after our last session during which we evaluated our MSA Night project through the lens of racism. Powerful conversation. Powerful poem.
Action Team members join with IMPACT's Neighbors Campaign volunteers to go door-knocking at Essex House apartments on Maple Avenue in Takoma Park. We knocked on 130 doors to share info and make connections with our neighbors living at the complex. We also invited residents to a Neighbors Exchange being held in their community room the following Tuesday.
The Neighbors Exchange at Essex House had record breaking attendance! Here, Ken (5th grade teacher at PBES and Action Team member) chats with a parent about the upcoming MSA. Ken staffed a resource table at the event.
By all accounts, the February 24th MSA Night event at Piney Branch Elementary School was a big success! MSA stands for the Maryland State Assessment—the state standardized test taken by 3rd through 8th graders. MSA Night provided an opportunity for parents and children to learn more about the test and gain tips for improving student achievement.
The large turnout (more than 100 parents and children!) showed that there was a high level of interest in the topic. The parent-child event brought out diverse families, with representation from just about every demographic group at the school.
The MSA Night event was a project developed and implemented by members of the Piney Branch Action Team. The MSA event embodied many of the Multicultural Criteria developed by the Team. It was an event that: Created trust and relationship building opportunities across cultures. Fostered a warm and welcoming multicultural drop-in environment. Encouraged passionate teaching, learning and parenting to support all cultures.
Action Team members thought long and hard about ways to make the event inviting and interesting to the multicultural school community. Amharic and Spanish translation were provided and handouts were offered in those languages as well. Childcare and dinner were provided. The test prep book used during the event was trimmed down to make it more accessible. An MSA Night information table was staffed by Action Team members during the previous night’s Black History Month event. Nine of the families engaged at that event came out the next night to the MSA event!
Principal Bertram Generlette began the evening with an overview of the MSA that included information about how the test is administered, what is covered, and statistics on Piney Branch’s performance. Also included in the overview was a discussion of the achievement gap and how it plays out related to the MSA.
One of the highlights of the evening was a segment called “Taste of the Test.” Ken Allen, a 5th grade science teacher and Action Team member, led the interactive session that had parents and kids working together to answer sample test questions. Ken had this to say about the segment:
“After I handed out the tests and explained what I wanted them to do, everyone got to work. Ten or fifteen minutes later I looked out over the parents and children and saw how hard they were all working. I commented to someone that this was the ‘perfect class’: a low murmur of conversation exactly on task. The conversation was going both ways: children explaining some things to their parents and parents encouraging and challenging their children. Perfect!”
The evening ended on a fun note as ESOL teacher Rachna Rikhye (also an Action Team member) raffled off prizes that parents could use at home to help children learn math skills. Kids enjoyed coming up front to receive clocks, measuring cups, tape measures, and cake pans. Action Team members hope that this event represents the first of what will become an annual school gathering.
Check out this video of what PBES parent Tina McGuire and Principal Generlette had to say about the event.
Despite having to cancel two consecutive meetings because of snow, Action Team members were able to connect today to continue planning for the next round of action projects. Just how did we do that? Via conference call. Hurrah for technology!
Even though our last meeting was a distant three weeks ago on January 20th, Team members were able to quickly pick up where we'd left off. We'd already determined that our next round of projects would have an MSA (Maryland State Assessment) focus. Today we reached consensus on holding at least three MSA Night events--one at the school and two in the community (most likely at apartment complexes close to the school). Bertram suggested that February 24th would be a good date for the school event.
Why an MSA focus? Well, the Action Team's larger concentration is on student achievement and, as Jane put it, the MSA can be a big hurdle to that achievement. Vineda offered that the MSA is an interesting case study for our group's ongoing conversations about the achievement gap. Tebabu said that his assessment is that, "for immigrant parents the MSA is totally foreign to them." Lora offered that the MSA can be a mystery for many parents. One big goal of the MSA action projects is increasing parental awareness and empowerment.
Our next Action Team meeting is on Wednesday, February 17th. Prior to that meeting, Ray and Tebabu will develop action research questions that Team members can take out into the community to gather MSA feedback. Team members will be dividing into smaller groups to plan each of the MSA Night events. Undoubtedly the community feedback will be helpful to that planning.
There is much to be done in a very short period of time, but as the saying goes, "Many hands make light work."
Joining the Action Team has been, for me personally, a surprisingly powerful experience. I strongly believe in making the world a better place, but I'm also an introvert, and trained as a scientist/computer programmer, so I gravitate to work that is solitary, and hope that others will be able to use what I produce in a good way. How to create change in a community setting, with all of the competing interests that implies, has always been a discouraging mystery to me.
The most important part of this experience for me was the retreat. To be honest, when I came to the retreat I was rather cautious, feeling that I wouldn't have anything to talk about for two days. The early conversations made me feel even more isolated, as it became clear that the group as a whole had a strong religious / spiritual foundation which I did not share. However, several of the sharing and trust building exercises helped me see the human experiences I had in common with people, and in the end I talked about non-belief with the entire group and found that it was not a barrier. This was a first for me, because in the I've never shared my atheism with a large group -- and usually I've only joined groups where non-belief is assumed (as in many scientific circles). It was also (literally) a frightening moment for me, as I'd slowly come to the conclusion that I actually wanted to be accepted by the group.
Often, living in Montgomery County, I feel like I'm walking back and forth on a daily basis between two different counties -- one very diverse community at Montgomery College and on the metrobus and at Action Team meetings, and a different and less diverse community at Girl Scouts and carpools and play dates and doctors' offices. Takoma Park is filled with people of good will, but good will without actual exposure and activity doesn't get you very far. It would be amazing to see the kinds of trust-building experiences we went through repeated on a smaller scale in, for example, the PTA, or among parents within homerooms.
I also feel that my ties to the school itself have been strengthened. Ten years ago, I pulled my two older children out of this same school after meeting with teachers and counselors, and I continued homeschooling them through graduation. I decided to try the school again with my daughter (now in third grade) but I was skeptical. When I found out about the Action Team, I decided to join partly to try to avert another meltdown. Hearing so much about the school and its efforts has certainly allayed many of my concerns, and knowing that the school administration is open to changes and improvements has been *hugely* important in helping me be more comfortable.
So, thank you everyone who has made this possible and participated along the way. Can't wait to see how the rest of the year goes...
On Thursday, January 7th Tebabu Assefa and Ken Allen spoke to members of the Piney Branch Elementary School PTA about their experiences as members of the Action Team. IMPACT staffer Lanita Whitehurst was on-hand to give background on both the organization and the program. Also there, lending moral support, were Action Team members Rachna Rikhye and Bertram Generlette.
This forum was a great opportunity to share with others what is happening with the Action Team. It was also a time to begin spreading the work and experiences to the larger school community. Action Team members extended an invitation to sign-up to be a part of the spring Action projects. That work will be kicking-off soon with even more members of the PBES community participating!
Thanks to PBES PTA co-presidents Ally Zevin and Adrienne Tilton for the opportunity to be a part of the meeting.
The Piney Branch Action Team is comprised of diverse parents, teachers, and administrators from Piney Branch Elementary School in Takoma Park, Maryland.
IMPACT Silver Spring
IMPACT Silver Spring is creating new community environments and new capacity among residents to build and sustain a thriving, multicultural Silver Spring. IMPACT is proud to support the work of the Piney Branch Action Team.
