Special summer edition
Aug. 7, 2020
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In this issue:
District explores offering limited childcare
Tahoma leaders begin equity work
Emilie Hard hired as equity director
Updated school schedules near completion
Look for family survey on childcare, food service, technology needs
State releases guidelines for return to school
Simplified, streamlined teacher websites debut Monday
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Editor's note: This is a special summer edition of the Tahoma Matters newsletter, which typically publishes every other week during the school year. We will resume regular issues in September.
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District explores offering limited childcare
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In response to parent requests, Tahoma School District is exploring whether it can offer childcare services to families of elementary school students, grades kindergarten-5, during the first quarter of the school year, when remote learning is being used for all students. The service would begin Sept. 1 and could be extended if remote learning continues beyond the first nine weeks of school.
A survey is being sent to all families today that will include questions about childcare. Survey results will help determine the level of interest and ages of students who would be participating. The cost would be $50 per day, per child.
The number of students who can be enrolled in childcare would be limited. Students would be required to wear masks, wash their hands and follow social distancing instructions. Students would have places to attend remote learning classes and to do homework. District food service also would be available for breakfast and lunch.
More details about childcare will be sent to families after survey results are reviewed.
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Tahoma leaders begin equity work
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Students of color in the Tahoma School district have not always felt heard, safe or protected.
To begin to change that, the district has committed to growing and improving as individuals and as a system, using restorative practices, cultural competence, and understanding implicit bias to learn about inequities and how the district can become anti-racist.
The work will be led by Director of Equity Emilie Hard, and also by Cultures Connecting co-founder Dr. Caprice Hollins, who helps organizations learn and have important conversations about race and equity. The overall goal, Hard emphasized, is to begin thinking about equity in everything that we do in Tahoma. “This is our first year of many years (of work),” she said.
Although some parts of the process began last school year, the work began in earnest this week as Tahoma principals, deans, supervisors and instructional coaches had their first session with Dr. Hollins. The four-hour training centered around awareness, the first of the four pillars she uses to lead clients through the process.
“I love to see and hear people growing together and deepening their commitment to equity and their sense of inclusion,” Dr. Hollins said during her introduction. “I like to go through the process with you.”
Superintendent Mike Hanson said the district is prioritizing equity work.
“In its simplest form, (this work is) really about meeting the needs of all our kids,” Hanson said. “It’s not a one and done. We won’t be done at the end of this day, and we won’t be done at the end of this school year. …I’m thrilled that we’re here.”
During Wednesday’s online training, Hollins began the discussion of awareness, asking staff members to reflect and share about their own lives in areas regarding implicit bias, stereotypes, privilege and racial identity. Staff discussed in pairs and small groups what it was like growing up, how family discussions, curriculum and other factors impacted their learning.
“When you were growing up, what were the messages you received about race,” Hollins asked. “Was it part of the conversation? Was it part of the curriculum? From whose perspective was the story told?”
Among other topics and activities, the group also discussed assumptions, judgements and biases. While the training is focused on race, Hollins and staff members began to discuss how to foster diversity in a way that makes everyone feel safe and comfortable, in all areas, including religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability and more. About 60 people participated in the Wednesday session with Dr. Hollins, who will also lead trainings for our building staff groups.
Here’s a look at prior developments in our equity work:
- Last fall, administrators began meeting with community members about experiences that some of our students, staff and parents have had in our buildings.
- After hearing about these conversations, School Board directors said they supported the work and asked for more information. Teachers, staff, and administrators had the opportunity to listen and learn during two sessions hosted by the Middle Schools of Tahoma PTA, called “Let’s Talk About it: Black & White.”
- The Board directed staff to create an equity ad hoc committee to identify a narrow focus to make our buildings a safe and supportive environment for all students. The committee’s work was due to start in April, but was paused by COVID-19.
- District leaders hosted listening sessions to hear from students and parents.
- Hired a Director of Equity, Emilie Hard, who provided support in this area throughout spring but officially began her new role July 1. See related article below.
- We are reviewing our hiring procedures for recruiting people of color when hiring across the district.
- This summer, a group of School Board members, teachers and administrators participated in a book study of “Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do,” by Claude Steele. The district will run the same book study this fall, along with a study of “Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People,” by Mahzarin Banaji.
- In addition to the Equity Ad Hoc Committee, an Equity Support Team will also be created to help establish goals and work directly to support the leaders of the district. Hard will facilitate both teams.
Tahoma High School Junior Hadley Johnson, who is serving on both district equity committees, said that the conversations so far have been impactful and moving.
“I was able to voice my opinions and ideas to a wonderful group of students and board members about how we can improve our school to make sure this school is a safe space for all,” Johnson said. “Being a person of color while having a transracial family, I am able to empathize with many about the importance of being accepted and understood. My goal from the start has been to educate everyone about issues they might not be aware of because they haven't truly experienced it firsthand.”
“By doing this, we will promote growth and acceptance throughout the community. With the incredible work ahead of us I am hoping every student will understand the impact their words and actions can have on others,” she continued. “This will ensure that all students feel safe and accepted and will be able to perform to their fullest potential.”
Equity work plans for this year call for:
- Looking inward. Prioritizing professional development in cultural competency on awareness and knowledge, reflecting on our own racial identities, recognizing implicit biases and stereotypes, and understanding white privilege.
- Listening to student voices. “We want to hear their voices,” Hard said. “We don’t want to assume that we know what they would bring to the table.”
- Using data to inform actions.
- Engaging diverse parents in equity work.
- Beginning curriculum review and revision. A committee will begin to provide some counter-narratives, or stories and books about and from people of color that counter common stereotypes. The books will be selected by grade/reading level, and will provide consistency across the system. The district is also working with a curriculum partner, Educurious, to make revisions of the eighth grade U.S. History curriculum.
Parent Joe Brazier, who serves on the Equity Ad Hoc Committee, said his sense is that the community may be ready to create some tangible changes that will benefit all students and families.
“The commitment to equity work by leadership is an opportunity to make the changes that our schools have long needed to begin to prepare students for life after graduation -- expanding the idea of being Future Ready to truly meet the modern demands for culturally and racially competent individuals in all levels of our society,” Brazier said. “As a parent of biracial children, (our family) returned to this district believing that change was happening out here. It was a leap of faith on our part.”
“We were met with a change that was occurring in the conversations around equity in diversity; however, we have yet to observe a deep and meaningful shift that we can feel in our actual experience as parents,” he continued. “We need to know that our children will feel represented, included and protected. This includes updating the curricula and reviewing the disciplinary data to root out any racial disparities. … Our hope as parents in the Tahoma School District is to hold the district leadership accountable to the safety of (our) children and every student.”
To read the equity update we sent to families and staff in June, click here.
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Emilie Hard hired as equity director
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When Emilie Hard first met and worked with Cultures Connecting co-founder Dr. Caprice Hollins, it not only helped her in the equity work she was conducting in the Issaquah School District -- it inspired a new career path for the former principal.
“(Dr. Hollins) has influenced me personally. She ignited a fire in me -- caused me to ask some questions about myself. Ultimately her leadership and friendship really changed the course of my life,” Hard said. Collaborating with Hollins and with staff in Issaquah inspired a passion in her for work around equity.
Earlier this year, the Tahoma School Board called for an Ad Hoc Equity Committee to be formed, and a work plan to be developed to support change in creating a safe and supportive environment for all students in all Tahoma schools. Hard will lead that work as the district’s new Director of Equity. Hard, who officially started her new role on July 1, is also Special Projects Administrator in the Teaching and Learning Department.
“We are fortunate to be able to draw upon the skill and experience Emilie Hard brings back to our work in Tahoma. Her deep knowledge of curriculum design and development, Future Ready Skills, and her commitment to improving equitable outcomes for students will allow her to provide a high level of support to our system,” said Dawn Wakeley, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning. “I’m confident the strong professional and personal relationships she has with community and staff members as a result of her history as an amazing principal and community member here in Tahoma will position her to have a positive impact in a short period of time.”
Hard said she wants the community to know that Tahoma is committed to examining the structures and practices that we have in place, and thinking about them through the lens of all students. “As we do that, we’re going to uncover some places that haven’t provided equitable access or equitable opportunities. We want Tahoma to be a safe, welcoming environment for all students, and we’ve heard that that’s not the case for our students of color.”
In 1992, Hard started working for Tahoma as an intermediate teacher at Rock Creek Elementary. She later was hired as a math specialist in Teaching and Learning, as principal at Cedar River Elementary (when it was a partner school with Shadow Lake Elementary) and served as principal at Glacier Park Elementary from 2000 to 2010 before shifting to Issaquah, where she led their Teaching and Learning Department and later their equity work.
“I’m really excited, and I feel as excited as I’ve ever been about leading some work because I feel that equity is so critical to our schools and our community,” Hard said.
As staff members begin some of the equity-related professional development, it’s important to know that the initial work of awareness, knowledge and skills is critical and it must come before advocacy (see related article above). Sometimes people want to jump past those first three areas of work and head straight to advocacy, she said. “It’s a really personal journey, of truly becoming aware, and learning what you know and what you don’t know. Awareness is so key. We need to keep it in the conversation always, and start to build knowledge while you’re doing that. The skills are focused on once people have some awareness and knowledge.”
Hard will also lead both the Ad Hoc Equity Committee and the Equity Support Team. There will be some overlap between the two, but they will serve different roles within the system. In addition to the smaller focus groups and listening sessions with students and parents, she is interested in hosting a Town Hall with small group work.
Superintendent Mike Hanson said, “We are so fortunate to have Emilie providing leadership. Her experiences will be invaluable and truly jump start the work forward.”
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Updated school schedules near completion
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Redesigned school schedules for remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic are nearing completion for all grade levels in Tahoma School District’s schools. Detailed schedules, which include starting and ending times, were planned for release by today but won’t be available until next week.
Tahoma’s remote learning plan is much different than the emergency remote learning model that was used last spring, when all schools in the state were ordered to close and switch to remote learning in response to the pandemic.
As families learned recently, the Tahoma School Board adopted a fully remote learning plan for the first quarter, or first nine weeks, of school. The School Board earlier approved a hybrid learning model that will be used when it is safe for students and staff to return to classrooms, depending on recommendations from county and state health authorities monitoring COVID-19 infection and transmission rates. (See related news brief below about the state’s new school reopening phases.)
One key element of the reopening plan is the creation of school schedules for elementary, middle and high school students. Committees of staff, students, parents and administrators created the schedules after many hours of work and input from families, staff and students who responded to surveys.
The resulting schedules offer core classes such as math, English language arts, social studies, science and reading. There is also room for electives at all grade levels. Built into the schedules are times for direct contact between students and teachers while allowing for break periods and time for students to work on their own or in small groups.
Here are some of the common features of remote learning when school begins Sept. 1:
- Students will receive 5.7 hours of learning each day.
- There will be synchronous (all together) and asynchronous (individual) learning experiences each day.
- There will be opportunities for student discussion and interaction.
- Struggling learners will receive support.
- Students will have support for social and emotional needs.
- Attendance will be recorded daily.
- Standard grading and student feedback practices will be used.
- Teachers and support staff will receive ongoing support and professional development.
- Online learning will be evaluated and adjusted to meet student needs.
Here’s a glance at what is included in schedules at elementary, middle and high school:
Elementary: three to four core subject areas per day such as reading, writing, math, science/social studies, about four hours; one to two specialists per day such as music, P.E., art, STEM, about one hour; and class activities such as SEL(Social Emotional Learning) lesson, lunch bunch or virtual field trip, about one hour.
Middle school: Six concurrent classes each semester. Three periods per day, about 4.47 hours; homeroom/WIN time, about one hour per day. Wednesdays would vary slightly, with about 5.7 hours of three periods, and no homeroom/WIN time. Homeroom would include SEL content, college and career lessons and activities, student connections and more. WIN time would include student support for those needing additional help, interventions and more.
High school: Four concurrent classes each quarter. Four periods per day for about 5.7 hours. This model keeps the eight-period semester schedule but focuses on four classes each quarter, instead of having all eight classes grouped in a blue-gold alternating arrangement throughout the semester. The scheduling committee tried many options before choosing the four-period model as what they believe works best for the majority of students. Teachers would be available for about one office hour per day outside of class hours.
Tahoma will provide students with Chromebooks and also will supply printed materials and manipulatives as needed. The district also will provide wifi hotspots to students who do not have internet access. Individual schools will be in contact with families soon to arrange for distribution of Chromebooks and other materials.
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Look for family survey on childcare, food service, technology needs
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The district is preparing another family survey on three important topics: childcare, food service and technology needs. Please watch for this survey and respond so that we can plan for and adequately meet student and family needs. The survey is being sent today to the primary guardian in each family from the email address [email protected]. Please check your junk/spam folders as some families have found that the surveys are considered spam by their email provider. If you do not receive the survey, email [email protected] for assistance.
As mentioned in the article at the top of this newsletter, Tahoma is in the final planning stages for providing limited childcare this fall. Responses to the new survey will help us gauge how many families intend to use this service, and plan for staffing, cleaning and facility needs.
The district will also serve meals this fall, although there will be a few differences. In the spring, meals were served free of charge to any child. The program was federally funded. This fall's meal service will be more similar to typical school lunches. Students may purchase a meal; or, if they qualify for a free or reduced-price meal we will provide that service. We are assessing whether we will be able to deliver meals.
We are aware that many families "made do" by sharing computers in the spring, and that some families circumstances have changed and necessitate checking out a device or devices. We will have Chromebooks available for students who need them and wifi hotspots for families without internet. The new survey will help us prepare for these needs. When we have details available for device distribution, we will share those with families.
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State releases guidelines for return to school
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This week Gov. Jay Inslee and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal released new recommendations for returning to in-person instruction. You can read the full announcement here.
In general, the guidelines call for allowing local health departments and school districts to decide if and how they will allow students back in the classroom; however, it is "strongly recommended" that districts remain in mostly online models until the rate of new cases per 100,000 people decreases.
The plan categorizes counties as "high risk," "moderate risk" or "low risk" based on the level of disease transmission. King County and most other counties are currently categorized as high risk. To view the dashboard on the state's website, click here and then select "Rate per 100K newly diagnosed cases" and "King County."
Once counties reach the "low risk" level of 25 new cases or fewer per 100,000 population over two weeks, then in-person school is recommended at the elementary level and hybrid models are recommended at the middle school and high school levels.
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Simplified, streamlined teacher websites debut Monday
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In the recent past, teacher websites across the district have varied widely, both in format and content. Beginning Monday, new, simplified teacher websites will be available to make information easier to find for students and parents.
Several years ago, the district and building websites were rebuilt by a new provider, School Messenger. The change was made to bring consistency among the school and district websites. The timing of that change coincided with the transition year that saw the opening of the new high school, the closure of the junior high, the opening of two new elementary schools and the shifting of a majority of all students and staff in the district, so changes to teacher websites were delayed.
Many of the websites for teachers across the district remained on a former system called SWIFT, which was originally provided by the Puget Sound Educational Service District. The system was outdated and will not be supported in the future.
In the spring, district technology and website staff members began working with teachers to create new, streamlined websites using one template for elementary teachers and one template for secondary teachers. At a minimum, every teacher website will include information about where to find student assignments, where to find grades, and how to connect with the teacher. In some cases for teachers who use Google sites, they may also link to their Google site from their district website.
The templates were designed based on feedback from focus groups of parents and staff at the elementary level, and parents, students and staff at the secondary level. In addition to making information easier for parents and students to locate, the changes will also be easier for teachers to maintain.
"I was really impressed with teachers figuring out how to do it, to help students and families out, and to do the work during the summer," said Kimberly Allison, Instructional Technology and Future Ready Skills Coordinator for the district. Allison worked with Elementary Technology Coach & Early Learning Coordinator Christine Thurston and Website Manager Jim Lagerquist to lead the changes.
The new websites will be available on each school building site, under "Staff Directory," then "Staff Websites."
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The Tahoma School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:
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Title IX Officer
Director of Human Resources
25720 Maple Valley Highway
Maple Valley, WA 98038
425-413-3400
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ADA Coordinator
Director of Human Resources
25720 Maple Valley Highway
Maple Valley, WA 98038
425-413-3400
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Section 504 Coordinator
Director of Special Services
25720 Maple Valley Highway
Maple Valley, WA 98038
425-413-3400
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25720 Maple Valley-Black Diamond Rd. S.E., Maple Valley, WA 98038
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