On Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (and Cohorts)

A reader - Isolation from Peer - recently had this to say about inclusion (bold mine):

The HCC issue is part of much bigger philosophical issues at play in the district, which really don't just have to do with HC students. It goes well beyond that. There has been a misunderstanding and an oversimplification of detracking and inclusion. Just because these are OFTEN forces for good does not mean that in every case they are ALWAYS forces for good. HCC is caught in that battle, but HCC students aren't the only ones.

Some students benefit from having access to peers who are like them, from not being the only one like them in their class or school.


This can be true for a variety of students. Is it better to force Native American students to all attend their neighborhood schools even if there is one Native student at each assignment area school? What if this robs that one student of access to other Native American peers ? Or the chance to set aside a very general common core lesson on "What is Culture?" and focus on a very specific lesson about the Standing Rock water protectors? The chance to build community and make connections?

Do Native students benefit more from having access to other Native peers or by bringing "diversity" to students at assignment area schools?

Do deaf and hard of hearing students benefit from access to other peers like them? Does this help them learn language and allow opportunities to socialize with peers like themselves? There are numerous studies that show that mainstreamed deaf/hard of hearing students experience isolation and numerous articles citing a huge risk factor to mainstreaming deaf/hoh children because it increases isolation for that student without access to peers like them.

Do GLBTQ students benefit from having access to GLBTQ peers? It increases isolation for that student to not have access to peers like them.

Do HC students benefit from having access to HC peers? It increases isolation for that student to not have access to peers like them.

Do African American students benefit from attending a school where they are not the only African American student at the school?

In general, in a SPED context, the point to inclusion is making sure students have access to the least restrictive environment.

But for so many categories of students, inclusion performed blindly (by mandatory attendance of a geographically assigned school which can result in depriving the student of peers like them) can CAUSE ISOLATION when students are a member of a minority group.

Detracking and inclusion have been shown to be forces for good in some contexts, butit is not in the best interest of ALL students to merely blindly apply detracking/forced inclusion without attention to the needs of the particular student in question.

 Let's just start this discussion by saying this is NOT a discussion about HCC.  It's about this thought-provoking idea that if grouping is good - a cohort grouping - for some students, why not other students?  Should a student be denied a cohort they might do better with just because of where they live?

What got me thinking about this story is because Director Jill Geary is getting loud opposition via a Facebook page from a leader in the Native American student community, Sarah Sense-Wilson, about remarks Geary made at the May 9th Board meeting.  (Here's the link; Geary's remarks start at 4:01 in this section of the videotape which is immediately after public testimony.)  Ms. Sense-Wilson volunteers for Urban Native Education Alliance (UNEA).

Geary said she hesitated to "pull people out of their schools when it's more important to continue to look for ways to make sure everybody's voice is heard and everybody's culture is respected in our schools and by making any group not that, I hesitate on 1) everybody's ability to get to the school in order for them or having to choose between that which is offered for their identity safety versus what is offered in a comprehensive setting.  And also those voices being absent then from our comprehensive high schools because I understand that our comprehensive high schools are not safe places for everybody.  

But I don't think the solution is withdrawing from them because that doesn't change the comprehensive environment. And so it doesn't allow everybody to learn and struggle with the safety of the other individuals around them.

That is my perspective.  I am wedded to it and I'm not saying I'm not open to another view or vision but it is something that I have a hard time with."

She also said to the Native American group, "We need to hear more."  That's a bit of a "let's push this off" kind of statement, given how long this group has been advocating.

There is much that might be said about those statements but I'll let Ms. Sense-Wilson start.


What Sense-Wilson says:

Jill Geary, SPS elected Board member's recent comments in response to Native community appeal for a Native focused H.S. was (sic) outrageous.  She suggested Native students sacrifice and compromise their academic success and cultural identity for the sake of white student 'diversity.'  Diversity should not be at the cost of Native student success.  SPS track record for the past 15 years reflects failure, upon failure, despite an overwhelming Native communities advocating for a Native focused option H.S.  For an elected official to make claims that a native-focused H.S. would diminish White student diversity is absurd, ignorant and racist.  Deconstructing systems of oppression requires white allies and white decision makers to LISTEN to people of color.  She is as tone deaf as is Nyland.  Jill Geary is using her power an status to dissuade board members from seeing the facts and solution. She is working against the voices of Native organizations, families, students and community.  Please contact her and state your support for a Native focused H.S.  Allies step up because White to White conversations and appeal is the only way to break through her white supremacy line of thinking.

Let's note the history here when there was a Native-focused high school, from KIRO tv.

For Seattle's Native American community, the 1990s were glorious days when an entire Seattle high school was devoted to the education of the city's indigenous population.  

The community says the late Superintendent John Stanford made a promise to Eagle Staff's widow.

"That the Indian Heritage High School from 1986 to 1996 would be continued," said Tom Speer, a member of the Duwamish Tribe who was appointed to the Elders Advisory Council for Urban Native Education Alliance. 

He says subsequent superintendents have not kept Stanford's promise.

"What have they done then?" he was asked.

"They have gradually cut the monies to Indian Heritage High School time after time," said Speer. "So now all that remains of the Indian Heritage High School program is six classrooms in the attic of Northgate Mall."

Info here on the Idle No More Native-focused H.S. petition.

To note, the district has an effective manager in Gail Morris who heads the Native Education department. I have heard several of her reports to different Boards and she truly seems committed to the work AND has actually got initiatives going.  From the district's webpage:

• Seattle has about 2910 self-identified Native American students, however, we must call all the families that are Hispanic to determine if they are from a federally enrolled tribe and if they are Native American/Alaskan Native. If they are not we then have to manually remove them from this list, once this is achieved we will send the list to Department of Technology and they will remove them from the Native American/Alaskan Native list. We suspect the number will be somewhere around 1,200-1500.
• Students are distributed widely across the district.

Federal funding for each student is available but only if a parent fills out at 506 form that is turned in on time.  I recall several years back where forms were not completed correctly (both by parents and the district) and the district had to give back money given from the feds.

Ms. Sense-Wilson continues, saying she wants a "viable, inclusive, comprehensive, alternative option, Native-focused, indigenous pedagogy H.S.  A school which would attract students of all races, ethnicities, cultures, abilities, and interests.  A school which would centralize support and unique academic, social and cultural needs of Native students.  The Native programs currently funded by SPS with Huchooesdah oversight are too susceptible to funding droughts and as programs could be defunded and closed or drastically cut based on changes in leadership and politics.  Please think outside the box and consider our standing proposal and review the petition."

 On the one hand, done right, this kind of high school could attract the interest of more than Native American students.  As well, we are going to have a superintendent of Native American descent soon so the time might be ripe.  Here's the UNEA statement about Denise Juneau's appointment:

We are cautiously hopeful and optimistic for Denise Juneau to make big bold direction-changing moves to bridge the great cultural socio-economic divide which pits affluent in positions of power over decision making in Seattle Public Schools. 

We need a leader not a bureaucrat and a champion for our voiceless not a politician. It is unclear to me how Denise will strategically approach the necessary task of aligning the SPS goals and plan with current business as usual tactics. How will Denise mend and connect community based organizations with these priorities, Nyland served to promote tokenism, favoritism and effectively fractured our urban Native community.

Many of so-called leaders do not truly represent voice of community, in fact many have conflict of interest and are serving as barriers to change. Conflict of interest because they are SPS staff and employees.  Nyland elevates these folks at the expense of community, youth, and parents. I hope Denise has the stamina, open mindedness, clarity, and shared vision for real solutions and joint decision making collaboration with us. As you know UNEA represents a lot of foster care kids, native families and youth, as a grassroots organization we have boots on the ground mentality, we liste, we interact with youth and parents on regular basis.

On the other hand, where to put it?  The district has little land left.  It would have been great to do it at Wilson-Pacific or even Boren.  Wilson-Pacific could have had a preK-12 school if there were some place to move Cascadia.  There is one other place left - Memorial Stadium.  (To note, I am not in favor of ANY high school at the Memorial Stadium site but a Native-focused one could possibly convince me.)

Sense-Wilson says maybe "shared space" at Hale or Lincoln (but I doubt either school would consider it).

Here's what raised Sense-Wilson's ire - Geary's statements at the Board meeting on Wednesday, May

Geary said this back to Sense-Wilson:

I have made it clear to anyone who will listen that I believe we need to create safe spaces for students in every one of our schools. I also believe that every student needs to have access to whatever kind of education they want (including AP courses) - while being in a culturally safe space. I come from a special education background, where inclusion, respect, safety are seen as the absolute goal. I don’t support segregating “smart” kids, kids with disability, or kids with strong cultural identities (gender, racial, national, religious).

I cannot reconcile creating a school where native students would have to choose between the full spectrum of educational offerings and supports, and cultural identity. I would far rather we continue to build the model where there are regionally distributed spaces where native students can go to celebrate and share culture, get the academic and advocacy support they need, and not be in a marginalized, “hidden”, underfunded school (this is what we on the board hear all the time from our small high schools). In the meantime, I will continue to support Licton Springs k-8, and look forward to its growing enrollment from within the Native American and non-native communities. Perhaps if Licton Springs is able to create a robust pipeline to a similarly focused high school, future board members, with different perspectives than mine, would be more inclined to look at siting an option school that would have a chance at the financial resources to be successful for the students who attend, resources that are determined by headcount.

I understand that my perspective is not shared by all Native Americans, but it is understood and respected by some. What I do know is that there is not consensus among the many sovereign nations and their members about how SPS should address this issue.

Geary is right; if the students are not there, the money isn't there.  But, if you build it, will they come?  That's always the question.  From past history - seeing the African American Academy get their own building, their own leadership and then see it fall apart and end - well, that was not pretty.  It would be important to ask hard questions around that effort so there would be that knowledge of lessons learned.

I'm not sure why - if a school was funded properly - that she thinks students would have to choose
"between the full spectrum of educational offerings and supports, and cultural identity."  Why would they?

Sense-Wilson then said this:

A school would provide a hub for consolidating resources and support optimizing funding streams, currently Huchoosedah is overstretched, and offers supplemental academic support NOT in class instruction or curr application in class settings. Afterschool tutoring, i.e./504, credit retrieval is not enough to fill the gaps.

Our reality is that mainstream schools or neighborhood schools are not working for 1/2 population of Native students.

It is not segregation, the school is optional, inclusive and would be diverse student population just as Licton Springs.  A shared space H.S. With shared IB/ HCC or advanced course opportunities is thinking outside the box, this is actually what we envisioned for L.S. Is for our L.S. To have access to RES resources, classes, library etc.....somehow you all got that wrong too. 

Trib nations support Native schools Jill! Look around and every tribe in region has tribal schools.......are they perfect of course not, but evolving and making improvements for success. Many tribal leaders stand in support of this effort, so the very small group with loud decision-making are not representative of the vast majority, but Nyland empowered them, many of whom also work for SPS....conflict of interest, in addition many of these folds you speak of are home-owners and not of same sociocultural and economic fabric of the vast majority of people WE volunteer with. 

Your logic does not hold water and reflects white privilege and power. I'm hopeful you will move out of the way on this, you will be standing on the wrong side of history.

 Geary:

I would love to see the Native American community go to Licton Springs and really foster the vision that you have for a high school. It would be a lot easier to roll it up from the vibrant holistic k-8 school you envision than to try to pull a school together from a population that is spread over the whole city. And if that won't/can't happen, for all the reasons it hasn't, then why should I think it would happen at high school? Why wouldn't we get that wrong too? And then who pays the price? ** A public high school will never be "your" school - because it is a state government entity; funded through a stream of state and federal mandates. To have something different it needs to be created through different funding streams, with different constraints. BIE and tribes fund schools, and those are the schools people seem to be testifying about. I will continue to support Licton Springs, with all of the funding constraints, and look to the Native community to show me how it can grow within our very regulated, funding constrained system to the betterment of our native students

What Geary isn't saying is there is not room to expand at Licton Springs.  They are already jockeying for space with RESMS.  I again note that staff said maybe they could move Cascadia.  Well, that wouldn't be great either because 1) where? and 2) Cascadia is an elementary building and not suited for a high school (but then again, they turned TT. Minor Elementary into the World School). 

But Geary is right about tribal schools versus traditional schools that operate under different rules and funding.

She continues:

I think your vision is similar to Aviation High, with a Native focus. That is populated by multiple districts and has a huge funding and "staffing" support from the aerospace and engineering sectors. (Each student has a mentor for all 4 years.) Super cool..hard to do well... hard to replicate.

Aren't there Native American students in other nearby districts who might benefit if there were  Native-focused high school?  If it was done once, why not again?

Sense-Wilson fired back that Geary is not an expert in this area and that Licton Springs doesn't have Native advocacy or leadership.  

Geary, clearly stung:

I consult with any number of folks, as well as do research on line when people come to testify. I want to see where things are working, how they are working, what makes the. Work. I would love an example of what you propose in a large urban area, with multiple sovereign nations at play at once. I am who I am, can't change that. Tell you one thing, I will tell you what I am thinking to your face. I may be wrong, but not covert or dishonest. If that is white privilege, so be it. I will never deny that I am steeped in white privilege. That is a constant.

She did have some concrete ideas:

I will also support the expansion of Šəqačib, which provides instruction and support to kids at Chief Sealth/Denny, and will be expanded to the north (Hale/JAMS?) So we have both north and south opportunities in a traffic jammed city. And I would certainly support prioritized enrollment for kids at those schools so they have access over waitlists.

Now creating a new tie-breaker might comes as a shock to some but it's an interesting idea.

From leader for deaf-hard of hearing students, Laura Gramer:

One problem is that we can't force inclusion on top of a program already established. 

Second, it's natural and should be acceptable when certain groups. whether its POC or a communication access (ie deaf and HOH), NEED access to other peers just like them and peers like them help them learn language, history, social interaction, etc. 

Third- It infuriates me when people clump all disabilities including deaf/hh together. Yes, disability and deaf/hh want access but each disability have unique accommodation needs. There are numerous studies that shows that mainstreamed deaf/hh experience isolation and numerous articles citing a HUGE risk factor to mainstream deaf/hh children because it increases ISOLATION for that student without access to peers like them. 

I have been volunteering at BizTown for Deaf/hard of hearing kids- kids who are isolated in their school or town, always ask for more social time with other deaf kids because they don't get it at home. It doesn't matter how involved they are in sports or with family, or how good they are in school.

Again, noting that other students (and their parents) who are not from those groups might be very interested in attending as well.  It would not be a school just for one group but with a focus from thagroup's cultural background which is very much part of the history and fabric of this country.

I will try to reach out to Director Pinkham on this issue but he generally does not respond to email requests.

Reader thoughts?