Equity Work

As the School District of Waukesha continues on our journey to build capacity in all educators to become more culturally aware and sensitive to the growing population of diverse learners we serve, I wanted to give you an update on some highlights from our first 100 days.

https://sdw.waukesha.k12.wi.us/domain/1160  

Please visit the SDW Website as you toggle down from the Welcome tab, you will see our new Equity page.


We are also proud to highlight two new student groups, one at the middle school level and the other at the high school level. Brothers of Purpose, is currently focused on our 8th grade African American Males. This is our first cohort of student leaders who are working on goal setting, journaling, and dreaming big! Currently, we have 7 students involved at Butler, 4 at Les Paul and 5 at Horning.

We are also celebrating our first year of having a Black Student Union! Student leaders from each of our high schools are coming together to establish a common language, voice and structures as they work to create a positive, safe and welcoming learning environment for all. This will be open to everyone, not just black students as we work to increase the college, career and community readiness of all Waukesha students. Currently, we have 20 student leaders at South, 13 at North and 10 at West.

Equity in education is the foundation of our district along with partnering with families and community stakeholders to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of all students.
Thank you for growing your own equitable classroom practices in order to positively build upon this important work.

ACCESS 2.0 Preparation

ACCESS 2.0

The Access 2.0 Testing Window opens December 2, 2019-January 31, 2020.  The Access 2.0 Compliance Document will support our schools in preparation of:

• the spaces for assessment
• accommodations for students with IEPs
• scheduling
• technology resources (headphones, chrome books)
• Kindergarten 1:1 Assessment
• preparing multilingual students and the school climate around the purpose of the ACCESS assessment in measuring their Bilingualism and Biliteracy (* these scores are used in part to help students meet Criteria for the State Seal of Biliteracy)

Demetri Beekman

Demetri Beekman is our Director of Equity and Educator Development and as a colleague, friend, and ally, I want to remind you all that he will frequently be visiting schools and classrooms across our district.  Demetri, along with myself and others make a point to visit with students, observe teaching and learning in classrooms, as we support teachers and principals.

Please continue what you are doing and please be welcoming to all that might be visiting your schools and classrooms.

This video link on microaggressions is from 2010 but it is a short, reflective clip nonetheless. The definition of microaggression is a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group (such as a racial minority).

The goal of this blog is two-fold. One, to reintroduce you to Mr. Beekman and second, to empower you to understand that words matter.
Words matter.
Words are a container of power...so how are you using yours?

Waukesha Public Library Staff and Community Resources

WAUKESHA PUBLIC LIBRARY: 

SUPPORTING LEARNING WITH SHARED RESOURCES & SERVICES

RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

• All SDW teachers, including those who live outside Waukesha County,  can register for cards at Waukesha Public Library.  Just stop in at our Special Services Desk with your School District ID. 

• Waukesha Public Library is a great resource for materials to supplement your classroom and curricular collections.  Looking for books on a specific topic? Give us a call at (262) 524-3692, or email our Children’s Reference Desk at kidsref@waukesha-wi.gov, and we can pull books and have them ready for you the next day.  

• Most materials that aren’t being held for other library users can be renewed up to three times, which allows teachers to keep materials for up to twelve weeks.

• Teachers can also place holds on materials from Waukesha Public Library and the other 23 libraries in the Bridges Library System.  Log on to your library account, search for materials, and place them on hold.  You’ll be notified when items are ready, and can simply pick them up for checkout on the holds shelf at the library. Need multiple copies of a title? Call the Children’s Reference Desk, and we’ll place a hold for you.

SUPPORTING STUDENT LEARNING

• In addition to our large collection of children’s, young adult, and adult books and AV material, Waukesha Public Library’s databases are a great resource for student research. Several databases, such as teachingbooks.net and NoveList K-8, are useful for teachers seeking resources as well.

• Gale Courses offers free, instructor-led courses for individuals with library cards. Courses offered include computer applications, foreign languages, and test preparation.

• Overdrive gives library cardholders access to thousands of children’s, young adult, and adult ebooks and audiobooks through a statewide consortium.  Students and teachers can download the Libby app to make browsing and checkout even easier.

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE

• Beginning September 3, the library is no longer charging overdue fees for children’s department materials (all items on the second floor). The policy will apply to both children’s and adult library cards, including teacher cards. Library users will still be billed for lost or damaged materials.

• Waukesha Public Library can help connect students who don’t have access to WiFi outside of school.  Library cardholders may use internet computers in the children’s, young adult, and adult reference areas of the library. Printing is also available.

• Wifi hotspots are available to check out and use at home.

•  Discounted internet may be available to some of your students. 

• WPL’s comprehensive collection includes Spanish, bilingual, and hi/low fiction and non-fiction books for readers at all grade levels.  Contact us if you have a specific need.

PROGRAMMING AND MORE

• Waukesha Public Library offers a wide variety of programming for children and teens, from technology and art programs to book discussions.  Check out our calendar, and feel free to share it with your students!

• Interested in scheduling a library orientation or special storytime, or having your students get library cards?  Contact Community Library Liaison Michele Gagner at (262) 524-3692, or mgagner@waukesha.k12.wi.us.  

Math AVMR Learning Opportunities Starting in January

There are many learning opportunities in AVMR that will be occurring second semester.

Please sign up now to reserve your spot. About one month before your class starts, you will

receive an email confirming your registration and any necessary information.

AVMR Trainings:

AVMR Course 1 involves teachers learning about Add+VantageMR assessments and focusing
on a continuum of learning in relationship to the Learning Framework in Number.  Teachers learn
to use a series of three assessments to develop a profile of number knowledge for children:
number words and numerals, structuring, and addition and subtraction.  The profile then assists
teachers in making informed instructional decisions to advance students' knowledge and skills.

• January 15th   8:00 - 3:30
• January 16th   8:00 - 3:30
• January 23rd   4:15 - 7:15
• February 1st    8:00- 3:30

AMVR Course 2 is a continuation of numeracy continuum of learning in regards to t

he Learning Framework in Number.  You will learn about place value and multiplication/division
assessments that can be administered to your neediest students to know exactly where they are i
n their numeracy development so you can make instructional decisions that will help to move
the students along in their learning. To sign up for this course, you need to have completed
AVMR Course 1.   

• January 22nd    8:00 - 3:30
• January 23rd     8:00 - 3:30
• February 5th     4:15 - 7:15
• February 12th   4:15 - 7:15
• February 19th   4:15 - 7:15

Fractions Course (AVMR Course 3) is the newest AVMR Course!  

Developing Fractions Knowledge by Amy Hackenberg, Anderson Norton, and Robert Wright
serves as the course text and provides a detailed and comprehensive guide to classroom and
intervention teaching of fractions.  This course combines online learning with team meetings.
The teaching approach for this course relies heavily on working with students and then observing
and documenting students' mathematical activity and thinking.  Instructional sequences take into
account detailed information about students' current levels of knowledge, as well as how students
reorganize their ways of working with whole numbers in order to meaningfully work with fractions.
It is highly recommended that you have completed AVMR Course 1 and 2 before signing up
for this course.

• January 22nd   4:15 - 6:30
• January 30th    4:15 - 6:30
• February 6th    4:15 - 6:30
• February 13th  8:00 - 3:30
• February 20th  4:15 - 6:30
• February 27th  4:15 - 6:30
• March 12th      8:00 - 3:30
• April 2nd         4:15 - 6:30
• April 9th         4:15 - 6:30

AVMR Book Studies

AVMR Book Study/Make 'n Take - Teaching Number in the Classroom with 4-8 Year Olds -
Sign up for this one by November 8th

This book study will read and discuss the purple book that teachers receive with course one of
Add+VantageMR.  The topics covered in this book are beginning number and early counting strategies,
multi-digit addition and subtraction, and early multiplication and division. This book study will look at
the various assessment tasks and teaching activities that can be used in your classroom. Participants
will make and share resources for the various activities.

Teaching Number in the Classroom with 4-8 Year Olds  - Purple Book Study

November 13th 4:15 - 6:30 November 25th 4:15 - 6:30 December 4th 4:15 - 6:30 December 11th 4:15 - 6:30 December 18th 4:15 - 6:30

AVMR Book Study/Make 'n Take - Developing Number Knowledge: Assessment,
Teaching and Intervention with 7-11 Year Olds

This book study will dig into the red book that teachers receive with course two of Add+VantageMR.  
The key domains of number instruction, conceptual place value, mental computation, written
computation methods, fractions, and early algebraic reasoning will be discussed.  We will look at
various activities that could be incorporated into your math instruction to help meet the needs of
students. Participants will make and share resources for the various activities.

Developing Number Knowledge: Assessment, Teaching and Intervention with 7-11 year olds  - Red Book Study

March 4th 4:15 - 6:30 March 11th 4:15 - 6:30 March 18th 4:15-6:30 April 1st 4:15-6:30 April 8th 4:15-6:30

AVMR Book Study - Developing Fractions Knowledge

This book study will dig into the orange book that teachers receive with the AVMR Fractions course.  
We will continue our learning by digging into the chapters and the activities that can be done with

students to build their fractional knowledge

Developing Fractions Knowledge - Orange Book Study

January 9th 4:15 - 6:15 January 20th 4:15 - 6:15 January 29th 4:15 - 6:15 February 13th 4:15 - 6:15 February 26th 4:15 - 6:15 March 12th       4:15 - 6:15 March 19th       4:15 - 6:15

TDP Courses:

The following TDP courses will be offered second semester of our 2019-2020 school year.

• Differentiation of Add+VantageMR (AVMR) Games and Activities (January 7th, 14th, 21st, and 29th)  How do you meet the needs of all students?  One way is to take a game or activity and consider how it can be tweaked for the different levels and constructs.  That is exactly what we will do in this course! We will look at several games across the various AVMR areas and discuss how they could be differentiated for our students.

• AVMR Course 1 Revisited (February 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th)   Did you complete Add+VantageMR Course 1 and end up with more questions once you got back to your classroom?  This course will review the information learned in AVMR and provide the time to further develop your understanding.  We will take time to ask questions, share ideas with each other, and look at resources with activities to do with students.  We will focus on Number Words and Numerals, Structuring, and Addition/Subtraction. 

• AVMR Course 2 Revisited (March 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 31st) When learning something new, it is often hard to remember all of the key concepts.  This course will review the information learned in AVMR Course 2 and provide the time to further develop your understanding.  We will take time to ask questions, share ideas with each other, and look at resources with activities to do with students.  We will focus on Place Value and Multiplication/Division, as well as information in the red book. 

If you are interested in participating in any of these learning opportunities, please fill out
this Google Form and indicate your choices.   Since only a limited number of spots
are available for each course, sign up early to guarantee a spot.  You must attend all of
the dates/times for each particular course.