Proposed Agenda : Philadelphia Board of Education

The central question: How and when is policy 102 going to be implemented - who is going to do it - and when and how is everybody going to be included?

June 10, 1998 (General Recommendations are attached)

Board Participants include:

Floyd Alston, President of the Board

Pedro Ramos, Vice President of the Board

Christine James Brown, new Board member

and others

Today's Discussion Team includes:

Sue Cassidy, President-Elect, PFLAG/Philadelphia and Melina Waldo, Regional Director, PFLAG

Larry Gross, Ph.D., Cochair and Professor of Communications

Helen Gym, member, Asian Americans United

Ernest Jones, Executive Director, Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition

Aissia Richardson, parent, and staff member Black United Fund

Bertha Waters, MSW, formerly Pennsylvania Department of Education Equity Coordinator

joined by Rita Addessa, Executive Director, Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force and meeting convenor.

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Meeting Objectives

Participants will share their views and perspectives about Multiracial-cultural-gender equity

(Policy 102). We ask the Board to consider the general recommendations that will be shared with

you today and to discuss the following:

1. We would appreciate the Board's sharing with us their view of and institutional commitment to MultiRacial-Cultural-Gender Education (Policy 102) as adopted January 1994 and plans for implementation through the allocation of new resources or the reallocation of existent resources where necessary.

2. We would appreciate the Board's commitment to publish required annual reportsthat are specific, dated, attributed and which cite information sources together with results documentation (Policy 102. Section 4.4). Reports for the period January 1995 through January 1998 have not been released.

3. We would appreciate the Board's commitment to convene a larger meeting in December 1998 of (1) presenters today and others who could not participate; (2) key implementation partners (e.g. PEF, the Business Roundtable, University of Penn, Annenberg Challenge Grant etc), and (3) all leadership staff involved in the oversight, tracking and monitoring of Policy 102. Published reports could be circulated by mid-October 1998 for an efficient discussion (4 months lead time).

Recommendations follow:

To The Philadelphia School District

Board of Education and Staff

Policy 102 Implementation Recommendations

June 10, 1998

I. On Institutional Commitment 2

II. On Reporting (see also Trainings) 2

III. On Curriculum and Instructional Materials 3

IV. On Trainings and separately Student Services: 3-4

V. On Policy Conformance 4

VI. On the Power of Language 5

VII. On Partnerships, Hiring, and Reporting 5

VIII. On Structure 6-7

Attachment

Selected graphs and illustrations: Policy 102 philosophy; the District's Governance Structure and Cluster model; the Office of Leadership and Learning and Office of Standards, Equity, and Student Services and the Children Achieving Agenda curriculum component. Note: the term "multicultural" erases race and gender.

The Philadelphia School District Board of Education and Staff

Policy 102 Implementation Recommendations June 10, 1998

I. On Institutional Commitment Commentary

Multiracial-cultural-gender education (102 adopted January 1994) is a critical content and pedagogical framework that will, if implemented, inform each element of the education reform agenda. The Children Achieving Agenda references but does not center this philosophy and commitment to academic excellence and equity [Definition at 1]. It is important to infuse the Superintendent's Office, its Cabinet, its various Advisory teams, its consultants, its contractors, its faculty, administrators, staff, and all personnel with the spirit of, commitment to, and systemwide actualization of Multiracial-Multicultural Gender education reform (102). (A 1994 promise) .

II. On Reporting: It would be helpful to: (date references relate to an unpublished report)

(a) As Policy 102 at Section 4.4 notes, require staff to submit

to the board annually a 102 implementation report (that is detailed and specific) for public distribution. Require narrative reports that are attributed, dated, specific, quantified and which cite information sources and provide referenced documentation.

(b) Publish the performance goals for the Superintendent and cabinet related to the implementation of Policy 102 which were to be completed by October 1997 (Connor) and the publication of individual office plans which provide measurable objectives for the implementation of cabinet goals for the October 1997 through 1998 period. (September 24, 1997, p. 5)

(c) Publish quarterly reports produced by the School District Policy 102 implementation workteam. This workteam seems to meet monthly or quarterly; it is chaired by Katherine Connor with "representatives"- not key leadership- from the offices of leadership and learning, teaching and learning networks, curriculum support, family resource network, human resources, communications, student placement, language equity and categorical support (September 24, 1997 at p. 6).

(School District Implementation Team, continued) Commentary

It is helpful to know each office's outcomes as well as

collective outcomes noting the names of responsible parties

and the date of completion of the described outcome

Recommendation:

Policy 102 implementation would be enhanced if the Board and Superintendent designated both Associate Superintendents and

senior level administrators from each area of education reform

including: finance and budget, information technology and libraries, community and parent involvement structures as well as curricula, testing, and assessment, and student services to the 102 Implementation Workteam.

III. On Curriculum and Instructional Materials Generally

Enhance the Curriculum Frameworks Overview for grades 1-12 which

complement the document Standards, Benchmarks and Performance

Examples by specifically citing Multiracial-cultural gender education, its definition and the district's institutional commitment to 102 (Sec. 4).Further, provide for historical overviews of each of the areas cited in Policy 102.

Assure that historical overviews offer a gendered analysis of our various, intersecting communities. Assure that performance examples are reflective of each of our multilayered communities - i.e., the performance examples, from time to time, demonstrate that the School District has professionals on staff with knowledge about race and ethnicity, in part, but not in other areas covered

by 102.

IV. On Trainings and separately Student Services:

While it is clear that the District has made a strong effort to increase professional development for its faculty and staff, it is also clear that substantial resources will have to be committed to meet the mandate of Policy 102 and the Children Achieving Agenda.

(a) Report on the September 1996-1997 Teacher Induction Program

3 hour module on multiracial-cultural-gender education.

(b) Report on "summer institutes" and International Forums in terms of content, reach, evaluation, and outcomes.

IV. On Training (continued) Commentary

training initiatives

(d) Report on Asian bilingual teachers professional development opportunities, and on ESOL trainings.

(e) Report on trainings for Equity Support Coordinators, Cluster

Leaders, Family Resource Networks, etc.vis a vis the full panoply of Policy 102

(f) As noted earlier, report on Cabinet level trainings

(g) Discuss the scope and range of student support services and student support groups. Who is served, by whom, and where.

Address the question: How is each aspect of Policy 102 addressed

in these trainings. Are different standards and criteria applied to the content and material selection for any of the groups? How are the issues framed, i.e. race, gender and gender identity, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, religion/culture, disability, etc. What materials are provided to whom and by whom? Who designs and evaluates the trainings? (September 1997, 10-13)

V. On Policy Conformance

(a) Require legal counsel to conform and reissue now Affirmative Action Policy 103 so that each of the Policy 102 categories is cited at Sec. 1.1 (Purpose); Section 3.11 (Curriculum); Section 3.15 (Testing) of Policy 103. For clarity and accuracy, cite as authority the following sources: (a) Policy 102: Multiracial-Cultural-Gender Education; (b) The Fair Practices Act; (c) Title 22, Chapter 5 (Task Force repeated request in March 1998). In addition, the 1996 adopted Library Policy should reference Policy 102 explicitly.

(b) Order the distribution of a full copy of Policy 102 (3 pgs. plus 1 page graph) to all faculty, staff, and administrators with their paychecks (20,000 people est) by mail over the June through August 1998 period. (Task Force repeated request March 1998)

VI. On the Power of Language Commentary

It is also clear that the concept "cultural inclusion" as articulated by the Leadership and Learning Office is more exclusionary than inclusionary and must be broadened to reflect the spirit and commitment of Policy 102. The concept of "inclusion" privileges the dominant class. The term pluralism and diversity does not and is recommended.

Center, rather than marginalize Multiracial-Cultural-Gender Education (102) explicitly in all district documents, internal and external, and cite specifically the 102 definition [1]. For instance, as suggested earlier, in the Curriculum Frameworks Overview for grades K-12, one can cite Multiracial-cultural-gender education with its definition different from the framework's introduction which refers to "multicultural competencies" as part of a list of "cross-cutting competencies" without commentary or emphasis.

VII. On Partnerships, Hiring, and Reporting:

(a) On Staffing the Curricula Implementation Component of 102

While scholars and curriculum specialists should be multi-disciplinary, a minimum team of 25 dedicated scholars with support staff may be necessary to begin and to enhance the implementation of the curricula component of 102. These scholars would have expertise in the areas of race, ethnicity, class, gender and gender identity, religion (particularly non-christian), disability, and sexual orientation. Assure proportional representation of qualified staff that reflect the student body whenever possible.

(b) On Contract Compliance to 102: Require demonstrated professional expertise and require full reporting by all District partners, staff, trainers, contractors, vendors that includes participant evaluations when relevant and reports that specify outcomes when quantifiable, and if relevant, note agreements and next steps to provide a tool for review, follow through, and assessment . Assure that all District partners or contracted service providers incorporate and reference Policy 102 explicitly in published materials.

VIII. On Structure: The Office of Leadership and Learning and The Office of Standards, Equity and Services

In the spring-winter of 1996 , the Board of Education integrated the then Office of Standards and Accountability with the then Office of Equity to enable a structurally coherent education reform implementation plan. In the spring of 1997, after the hire of Kay Lovelace, Ph.D., a new office was created. The reorganization resulted in the segregation of curriculum, best practices, and professional development from what is called equity.

Recommendation:

It is extremely important to review the structure, mission, objectives, goals and responsibility charting for the now segregated offices of (1) Leadership and Learning and of Standards, Equity and Student Services to assess Policy 102 implementation. Some concerns are noted at footnote 2.

It is strongly recommended that the board and superintendent

encourage the adoption and publication of a shared framework for the Offices of Leadership and Learning and the Offices of Standards, Equity, and Student Services - whether integrated or segregated offices - which could read:

The School District envisions a society that will ensure respect for all cultures, dignity for all communities, and justice for all people The school environment will reflect multiracial-cultural-gender equity in all of its administrative policies, procedures, and practices and in its educational program inclusive but not limited to curricula, instructional materials, and library acquisitions; testing, assessment, and evaluation instruments; after-school programs and support services; parental involvement programs and community partnerships.

The school community including faculty, staff, and students, will reach its fullest human and intellectual potential by making an institutional commitment to teach to all children in every school a curriculum informed by the principles of gender-equity, multiracial and cultural knowledge and perspectives, including but not limited to the history, perspectives, and experiences of women of all colors; of racial, ethnic, and religious minorities; of the disabled; and of lesbian and gay people as well as bisexual and transgendered people

Notes: follow

Notes:

[1] Multiracial-Multicultural-Gender Education Policy 102 (excerpt)

Definition: .....is an educational process designed to foster knowledge about and respect for those of all races, ethnic groups, social classes, genders, religions, disabilities, and sexual orientations. Its purpose is to ensure equity and justice for all members of the school community, and society as a whole, and to give those members the skills and knowledge they need to understand and overcome individual biases and institutional barriers to full equality.

[2]. At Issue:

The Office of Leadership and Learning has not developed a mission

statement, nor published specific goals and objectives.

The Office of Standards, Equity and Services, offers a document called Equity Framework 1997-1998 and cites 10 guiding principles (2.5pages)

(1) There is no overarching mission. There is no definition of Equity.

(2) The ten points or guiding principles offer no reference to or consciousness of Multiracial-cultural-gender fair education reform (102)

(3) Related to: overall to public laws and policies; school climate, human and financial resources; curricula, instruction and assessment; accountability; professional growth and development; community and parental involvement; student services

(4) The term "Equitable Access" (p. 2) relates by inference, though it is not explicit, to mainstreaming disabled children. The Office performs very critical functions one hopes related d to Title I, ESOL, and special education but does not relate to academic equity.

(5) At Complaint Management (10), the standard to meet time and process requirements relates only to legal and court mandates -if not legally mandated, what happens?

(6) At the note, Single Set of Rigorous Standards cites that the standards are cited as having to conform to "national and state learning outcomes" but do not cite local district policies, regulations, and guidelines, most particularly, 102. Why?

Note: A July 1996 published version of this framework did include a mission state that talked to "ensuring equitable access...and cited specific groups, importantly and excluded "religious and cultural minorities" (within the characterizations, would be parallel though the parallel silences lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered students).

The central question: How and when is policy 102 going to be implemented - who is going to do it - and when and how is everybody going to be included?