Submitted by: Jane Belton
Submitted by: james french
The Visual Arts Department did not meet. The meeting time is being applied to hours spent at the NAEA Conference.
Submitted by: Susannah Flicker
Learning Support Department Meeting Notes, 4/5/22:
We discussed:
-Our contribution to the curriculum review tool, our thoughts on how neurodiversity/disability can be more included across the curriculum.
-Two main areas for growth in this are: representation in curriculum/texts and in assessment methods
-Jess shared about next year’s work with Eye To Eye-mentorship/affinity groups
-We had a cross-division check-in/share about changes in personnel/programs for next year.
Submitted by: Pat Higgiston
This meeting, along with the next one, were a two-step approach to further integrating DEI principles into our personal and departmental goals for next year. We reviewed the discussions we’ve had over the last two years and revisited the criteria of Access and Achievement (along the “dominant” axis) and Identity and Power (along the “critical” axis) applied to math education to guide us in our work.
Following the discussion to determine what was most useful for the group, we talked about the challenge presented by addressing controversial topics in a math class, and what kind of training or preparation we might need to skillfully integrate contemporary issues with our math content, and also to facilitate discussions that exclude no one in the class. We also consider how the detracked model in the upper grades of the MS program and the changes planned for the HS program will dovetail with this effort.
Next time we meet we will set out personal professional goals related to both the dominant and critical axes, as well as departmental goals for the year.
Submitted by: Adele de Biasi Pelz
In the World Language Department, we used the meeting time to begin recording our work this year around equity, inclusion, bias, and representation, through our discussions, practice, and curriculum development. We are using a google doc that we can share with the summer curriculum working group..
Submitted by: Aedin Larkin
Present: Nick, Carrie, Joan and Aedín
We spoke about the drama position and how the hiring process was coming along. It is a very big job- 110%. Megan used to direct the HS musical and when she stopped Joanne took it over on top of her full workload.
What is the structure of the performing art department? We talked about presenting a restructure proposal of our department to our administration. The HS may benefit from an additional drama teacher to teach technical theater. There is nowhere to build sets nor do we have the full time personnel to support kids who want to work with their hands in theater. We don’t have the full scope of the curriculum from the 4’s through 12th grade and we need to begin collecting information from the members of our department to find out what their job description entails and what their curriculum looks like.
Some questions we asked ourselves: What is the philosophy driving the performing arts at LREI? What does access and equity in the PA department look like?
Difficulties that have arisen this year include lack of management over the PA spaces and calendar. Calendar in general – scheduling shows/performances alongside trips. It would be helpful to have one person in charge of spaces.
Upcoming Events:
Protest Music Elective (Nick) Wednesday April, 13th 9:00am
PA Night Middle School April 20th
MS musical May 19,20, 22
Spring Festival of Plays and PA Saturday May 21st
Spring Concert May 26th
LREI Street Fair June 4th
We began looking at the Curriculum Assessment Tool/ ideas for summer working groups and started documenting HERE.
Next time we meet we will continue the discussion and think about specific approaches to teaching and pedagogy.
Submitted by: Jane Belton
In our most recent meeting on 4/5, we wanted to gather some materials for the Summer Curriculum Working Group, focusing on sharing the tools we use for evaluating and reflecting on our curriculum and pedagogy through an anti-racist lens.
In preparation for the meeting, we read “12 Questions to Ask When Designing Culturally and Historically Responsive Curriculum.”
At the meeting we reflected on the following prompts together:
The conversation was generative. We will be sharing our notes with the Summer Curriculum Working Group.
Submitted by: Kelly
present: everyone!
The science department met to work on filling out the worksheet for the summer curriculum group. We added notes in about what we had there (still needs to be cleaned up to be viewed externally, so not attaching here), then had a discussion about our observations of students in various grades and how their behaviors, attitudes about learning, etc were developing this year given the disruptions they’ve experienced over the past three school years.
Submitted by: Luis Hernandez
DEIJ
We talked about how to align the template that was sent by Kalil. We continue to talk about inclusion and what it looks like in our classrooms. We will be celebrating Women’s History Month in March.
Submitted by: Jane Belton
On Wednesday 2/16, the English Department held a half-day retreat at the Brooklyn Museum, facilitated by Museum Educator, Bix Archer.
The goals for the retreat were to reflect on racial blind spots:
We started the morning examining the poem “Declaration” by Tracy K. Smith. The discussion prompts included open-ended questions like, “What comes up for you when you read this?” which allowed us to first consider the individual contexts we bring to the piece based on our own experiences and positionality, and then to hear the other contexts and interpretations that colleagues bring to the text.
From 10-11:30 am, Bix led us through an inquiry-based workshop reflecting on several pieces of art. First, we spent time discussing Blossom, by Sanford Biggers. We explored open-ended questions like, “What do you notice?” and “What do you feel?”, sharing our responses and observations together. The museum educator then shared some further context on the art piece, which then allowed us to re-examine “Blossom,” and refine, reshape, and develop our initial ideas.
Next, we spent independent time in The Slipstream exhibit, reflecting on pieces of our choosing. Bix provided us with a zine to collect our responses, which we shared with a partner. Prompts included:
When we returned to the conference room at 11:30, we pivoted toward our own classroom practices and units. The central questions were: