Seeing oneself only as “a nice person … eliminates our blindness ….”
— Dr. Matt Janger, Arlington High principal 
UPDATED, June 15: Two members of the Superintendent’s Diversity Advisory Committee returned to public participation to touch on their message delivered two weeks earlier: to make sure that training teachers in cultural competence takes place as promised.
One, Miriam Stein, suggested a wording change in the School Committee’s goal at the Thursday, May 25, meeting — from “awareness” to “proficiency.”
A second, Barbara Boltz, spoke for Lori Lennon, a member of the town’s Equal Opportunity Advisory Committee, who encouraged the committee to address the competency goal.
Nearly immediately after the presentation, and contrary to usual practice, Superintendent Kathleen Bodie responded to Stein’s plea. The difficulty of addressing the issue must come in steps, she suggested. “None of us will be culturally proficient,” but she said she would agree with changing the word to “competency.”
Seven principals were present, and a number provided wide-ranging responses before the committee had the second reading of its goals for 2017-18, which contains the aim for “cultural awareness,” or the ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures.
2nd meeting, June 19
At the May 11 meeting, Bodie promised to address the advisory committee’s request for a teacher-training plan in June. She has said that a report would not be ready by the June 8 meeting. It could come at the second June meeting, set for 5:30 p.m. Monday, June 19.
Chair Jeff Thielman had said earlier that it would help to hear what all principals had to say about the matter, and so seven appeared before the committee.
Listed as “Principals’ Improvement Plans for 2017-2018 School Year,” the agenda item addressed issues about cultural competency raised at the May 11 meeting. That took place with an accompanying slide show titled “Safe & Supportive Elementary Schools,” though principals at three levels spoke.
A state Department of Education Safe & Supportive School grant of $31,100, the largest awarded for 2017, is helping to pay for the effort, requiring each school to have action plan. “The funds from this grant could only be used for planning,” Bodie wrote June 15.
AEF also supported the district with a planning grant of $10,000.
At the meeting, Bodie’s called the agenda item’s focus “narrow,” not about overall plans, but how principals are addressing cultural competency in self-studies under the state supported grant.
Principals’ support
After hearing from principals at Ottoson, Hardy and Stratton, Dr. Matt Janger of Arlington High said: “What we do all rises on the shoulders of what happened before.” He pointed to those next to him at the table.
He said he is “really excited” about the variety of steps underway at AHS and hoped that “in five years I won’t have to do any of this any more.”
That is, the principal sees these efforts as growing in ways that no longer need to be led from the top down. Whether overly optimistic or not, he cited this evidence of change toward cultural understanding:
In three years, the Student Council has moved from a prom committee toward efforts on cultural competence, including gender, all led by students.
The downside is that students graduate. If they stayed around another year, “they could run the school.”
As to the political changes seen nationally, including a rise in hate speech, he said: “We saw that coming.”
Among the highlights at AHS, last summer an initiative called Voices United began looking at ways to build understanding among students. Included were the Greater Boston Students of Color.
AHS professional development included training about cultural proficiency, but it also extended to issues of identity, autism, gender and suicide,.
To address an increase in hate speech on bathroom walls, students promoted a series of efforts. They included “The Yellow Dress,” about dating behavior.
Getting specific
For Janger, the general conversation marks the length of his tenure at the school, beginning in 2013. He offered an overall point about awareness:
“You can’t only do the general — you have to do the specific,” he said. That is, “You can’t just be nice to everybody.”
Focus groups dating back three years showed AHS students saw the school as inclusive, yet “many students experienced on a daily basis some disturbing behavior below the surface.”
Later, he said, seeing yourself as only “a nice person … eliminates our blindness ….
“We want to create a safe space for students” — allowing, no matter the background, a person to say: “‘Here I am.’ That’s the really exciting part about learning.”
Looking ahead, Janger said he is excited about the arrival in September of the new director of social-emotional learning, Sara Fernandes Burd.
In addition, this Sept. 11, an Arlington Education Foundation grant supports a display in front of AHS until Town Day to express a uniting of cultures on the 16th anniversary of terrorists attacks.
The principals present were Stephanie Zerchykov, Brackett; Karen Donato, Thompson; Maureen Murphy, assistant principal, Ottoson; Kristin DeFrancisco, Hardy; Michael Hanna, Stratton; Thad Dingman, Dallin; Janger.
Once the principals’ presentation concluded, committee Chair Thielman summed up. He said he understood that raising cultural awareness does not mean seeking a certain level of “proficiency,” but creating a safe and supportive place where teachers and students can learn to grow.
May 17, 2017: Bodie says goal is to train teachers in cultural competence
Safe & Supportive Elementary Schools’ presentation
School Committee Goals for 2017-18 (not finally approved)
AHS Voices United
This news summary was published Wednesday, May 31, 2017, and updated June 15.
