​It seems as if at every meeting, workshop, or conference I attend lately there is one recurring message: tell your story. The message often continues by reminding us that if we don’t tell our story, someone else will, and it might not be the story we want told. One of the most effective methods we have to tell our story is through the use of social media. While this should not be the only way we connect with families and community members, it is certainly a way to reach many of them.
 
In the OCSU Board’s Strategic Plan, one of the key initiatives is for OCSU to develop a social media presence, and that is something I've been working on this year. The work began last year with the formation of a social media committee. That committee developed a first draft of a social media plan, and a subset of that original committee has finalized the plan and is now in the process of implementing it. The guidelines have been reviewed by our legal counsel and will soon be posted on the OCSU website. Both OCSU and Brownington School have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, and we have begun to develop a following on both platforms.
 
What are some stories we’ve been sharing on social media? 

LR students learning to do the “Cha-Cha”. Their instructor was Teresa Osborne from Washington. Fun fact: one of Teresa’s instructors is an instructor for Dancing with the Stars.

Many, many students across OCSU reading the book, Wonder, in preparation for seeing the movie. #choosekind

Student voice and choice in Irasburg as students choose animals to research in order to learn about the food chain. And in Orleans where students choose an explorer to research and also choose a way to demonstrate their learning.

​LR students participating in a texting and driving simulation

Albany students working on scripts to teach others about composting

Barton students learning about community service by collecting over 800 food items to donate to the Orleans Food Bank

Brownington students earning a celebration as they make progress towards safe, respectful, and responsible behavior. 

​These are just a few of the stories we have to tell. How are you telling your story?
 
Follow OCSU on Facebook at Orleans Central SU, and on Twitter @ocsuvt.

​As I visit schools and talk with teachers, support staff, administrators, and students what continually strikes me is the level of dedication and commitment I see among our employees, volunteers, and Board members. Some of the things that have stood out to me this month include:

• Custodians working before and after hours to address maintenance issues so that schools can operate safely
• A secretary spending time with a student who needed a little extra support in order to be successful when he returned to the classroom
• A whole host of volunteers (including staff) organizing fall celebrations during evenings and weekends
• Teachers collaborating after-school to plan engaging and differentiated lessons for their students
• Para-educators patiently working to support students with difficult challenges
• Administrators juggling many challenging issues while remaining positive and leading with students in mind
• Board members attending the annual conference to receive professional development and to network with Board members from across the state

 
I have had many opportunities to network with other superintendents over the last few months, and I am constantly reminded of how fortunate I am to be part of the OCSU community.  It is often difficult to find time to be reflective, but as October ends and we enter the season of thanksgiving, I am truly thankful for all of you and your dedication and commitment which makes OCSU such a special place.

As the first six weeks of school come to a close I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on those six weeks. I’ve been making a concerted effort to visit classrooms and talk with teachers and students. While I haven’t been able to get into all classrooms yet, it will continue to be on my priority list to do so. During my visits, and during meetings with various stakeholders, I’ve noticed many, many positive things happening. While I won’t be able to list them all I thought I’d make an attempt at some of them; here they are in no particular order.
 
10. - VSO Green Room Field Trip - One of the first field trip requests that I signed was for students to go on this field trip. If you’re not familiar with the Green Room Program (I wasn’t), it’s a program where students meet at the Eastside to have lunch with a composer, then attend a concert at the Haskell Opera House and a backstage tour after the concert. What a wonderful opportunity for our students!
 
9. – Photos from Parents - At the end of the first week of school some parents sent me photos of their children learning and playing with their classmates. This was the first opportunity these children have had to be integrated into a regular classroom and their parents were pleased with the quality of our program.
 
8. – Social Media -  The social media plan committee has been working hard to get social media guidelines in place so that we can engage with the community using social media platforms in addition to websites and newsletters. Stay tuned for a roll-out of school and SU Facebook pages and Twitter accounts.
 
7. – Everybody Wins Vermont - I had the opportunity to meet with a representative from Everybody Wins Vermont and to discuss expanding that program in OCSU. Everybody Wins is a program where volunteer mentors come into a school to read with students. Currently only one of our schools participates in this program which has benefits far beyond just reading (think about students being able to make connections with caring adults).
 
6. – Personalized Learning - Some staff members worked together to think creatively about personalized learning in order to meet the needs of a student who was on the verge of needing to attend an alternative school. It’s so challenging to think about all the changes in education, but if we start with just one student it feels much more manageable.

​5. – PBIS - One Friday afternoon I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and witnessed a first grade class filling the PBIS tube which meant the entire school received a reward. And what better reward then hiking Mt. Pisgah on a beautiful fall day! 

​4. – Hydroponics and Aquaculture - Touring the LR Ag rooms and seeing hydroponic gardening and the beginning of an aquaculture program was a real highlight of my month. Next time you’re at LR be sure to check out the ag rooms and have Tim tell you about his program. 

 ​3. – DACA - After the incidents of hate crimes in Glover, I was heartened to see teachers taking on social issues in their classrooms.  As middle-schoolers debated DACA, providing evidence for their beliefs and reflecting thoughtfully (and sometimes even changing their stance) it struck me how skillful OCSU teachers are at supporting students in a way that is respectful and kind.
 
2. – Disney Princesses -  In another middle school classroom students were learning about Disney princesses and about how long it took before Disney featured a non-white princess. All students were actively participating in their learning as was evident by the conversations they were having. If you have a lesson on social justice issues that you’d like me to see, I’d love to be invited to observe it.

​1.- Vermont Teacher of the Year - There are so many talented educators in OCSU and it’s always exciting when these people are recognized by colleagues outside of OCSU. Lake Region’s music teacher, Dr. D. (Sara Doncaster), was a finalist for the Vermont Teacher of the Year. Having an OCSU teacher as a finalist was exciting, but what was even more exciting for me was reading Sara’s speech on Removing Boundaries. Watch for her speech to be highlighted in a future blog post. Congratulations Dr. D. – well deserved!
 
I know there are many, many more great things happening in OCSU. If you’d like to share the amazing things happening in your classroom or in your school please drop me a line so I can come and visit!

Today's blog post was submitted by OCSU parent, Karen Ceraso.

“I don't know what most white people in this country feel, but I can only conclude what they feel from the state of their institutions.” – James Baldwin

From the moment of my son’s birth in North Country Hospital, when nurses did a double take, as if to see if they had taken him from the right mother, I knew people saw his color and the difference in ours. “Is he bi-racial?” one nurse asked. Between tears of joy at meeting my healthy beautiful, brown skinned boy, I think I answered vaguely “He’s Puerto Rican.” Today, with more information on his ancestry, I am raising my son to know he’s Black − alternately Afro-Puerto Rican, or formally African American − and to both embrace his heritage and understand what that means in this country. As a white parent of a Black child starting second grade in OSCU, this can be challenging. (Note: I asked my son for permission to discuss him in this blog. While he can’t simply “opt out” of racism and cultural bias, it’s important for him to know he has some choices.)

I want for my son what most parents want for their kids: the ability to grow, learn, and thrive with a healthy sense of self. My son is an only child and highly social. When he was not yet three, he approached a group of white children, stuck out his hand, and introduced himself by name, a gesture met with quizzical looks. My son has a Latino name not common here and at that age had a voluminous afro. I hear from other Black Vermonters that stares are a frequent occurrence. At 7, my son is adept at connecting with peers. Yet I worry when people fail to recognize his reality as a Black child in a white space.

I can never live my son’s reality for him, but part of my job as a parent is learning more about racism than I knew before and trying to fold this into my parenting and son’s education. I worry about cultural bias not being addressed or necessarily even recognized in school. I have come to learn that frequently in Vermont, classrooms and schools around the state miss the importance of including Black, Native, and multicultural realities on a regular basis. Last year, during Black History Month, I was glad to see some books shared in my son’s 1st grade class about the Civil Rights Movement and iconic Black figures – even a few other than Martin Luther King, Jr. Though not enough by itself to make a meaningful difference, this is a start. Black history month falling in the same month as President’s Day could present a great opportunity to begin teaching truths of U.S. history that are sometimes uncomfortable for those who have been raised to view the nation’s founders only as heroes.

Amid these classroom readings on Civil Rights and achievers, my son brought home a Scholastic News with a lesson on George Washington. The newsletter pictured Washington astride his trusty horse, riding off into the sunset. It discussed Washington’s leadership attributes, followed by questions such as, “What made George Washington a great leader?” There was no mention of George Washington the slaveholder. At six, my son already knew the reality of how his West African ancestors got here (the history of slavery in PR being similar to the mainland U.S.). When he spoke up to state the fact that Washington had been a slaveholder, the substitute working that day told him to follow the directions and write what made Washington great, according to the reading. My son found a way around this in his mind; he wrote that Washington favored presidential term limits, which made it possible for Lincoln to later be President. (Putting aside for the moment that depictions of Lincoln are also often whitewashed, I thought that was an inventive answer.) Yet I was frustrated that my son had to confine his answer to Scholastic News’ biased historical account.

It’s telling that the very first history lessons delivered to kids tend to serve to glorify U.S. history by presenting half-truths.  The point here is that a preview of the lesson might have made it possible to choose different or additional materials to fill in missing information, such as incorporating a lesson on a mural painting by Kerry James Marshall, which uses dot-to-dot drawings to create faces of Washington's hidden enslaved people. Sometimes mythology has been passed on as historically accurate content. For example, the link above documents that, rather than having teeth made of wood, Washington likely attained his teeth from the very people he enslaved (for payments perhaps, as documented above, but while forced into a lifetime of backbreaking unpaid labor, payment for one’s teeth sounds like merely salve for GW’s conscience). In Vermont, the frequent claim that the state was the “first to outlaw slavery” had a more complicated and tragic reality than popular mythology tends to recognize.

I spent time discussing with my son the problem with the lesson withholding a central fact about Washington and the founders from children of all backgrounds. The lesson served to erase kids of African descent from classrooms: how so many have come to be here; why so many are left with little direct information on family history than people of European ancestry; and the longstanding legacy of racism that has never been adequately addressed. For white kids, the costs of instilling these biases from an early age is a stilted and protected worldview and an ongoing divide between how many white people and people of color experience and live in the world.

Maybe to some educators here, working to bring a culturally inclusive lens, not only for learning opportunities like Black History Month but on a regular basis, seems unnecessary because of the predominant whiteness of the OCSU population. This leads to a sense that “We don’t have those kinds of problems here.” An incident of racially targeted graffiti in West Glover as the school year gets underway shows this isn’t the case; Vermont has these problems too. Maybe some think of addressing racism and difference as too overtly “political.” To that I simply say: this is far deeper than political affiliation. It’s about attempting to live up to the lofty declarations of the nation’s founders: words by which they themselves didn’t live; words our kids are led in reciting at the start of each day.

Maybe the hesitance is also due to a lack of practice in addressing the racism that’s been embedded in our society from the start. As a parent, I challenge myself to approach this as a lifelong process of learning and growth. Learning about the histories and realities of people of color can often feel overwhelming for white people precisely due to this lack of practice, and painful because we don’t like to think of ourselves as bad people passing on a legacy of injustice. Therefore we avoid, and the legacy that Black people and people of color have no choice but to deal with lives on.

The work of culturally expansive teaching is important not only for my son and kids of color in OCSU. At a critical time in our society, to be educated as if in a bubble does not serve to prepare Vermont students for citizenship. Among my son’s age group, the U.S Census has reported that non-whites (including Hispanics of various backgrounds) are now slightly more than half the national population. Even in Vermont, there are twice as many kids of color as 15 years ago. In light of a backlash against such cultural shifts, it’s important for predominantly white schools to stop ignoring these dynamics and to rise to the challenge to change and grow.

Those interested in exploring ways to frame lessons and engage students in inclusive content and discussions are invited to join the Identity and Education work group, comprised of teachers, parents, and administrators, at monthly meetings starting Monday Sept 25 at 4:30 in the Lake Region Library. In the meantime, please peruse a few resources in preparation.

https://www.thoughtco.com/racism-definition-3026511
https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/17/04/talking-about-race-mostly-white-schools
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/color-blindness-is-counterproductive/405037/

During the night of September 7, 2017 there was terrible graffiti spray-painted on roads and the side of a farm building in Glover.  Although this did not happen in our schools, it profoundly affects many of our students, families, and staff members.  I am deeply disturbed that these acts of hate happened in our community and I urge all of you to be aware of those who may need extra support during this time. 
 
The Orleans Central Supervisory Union is committed to teaching tolerance and raising awareness of social justice issues as evidenced by our opening in-service workshops this year.  Additionally, teachers and administrators will participate in focus groups throughout the year that are focused on topics affecting our students and community  and the Identity and Education Group will continue to meet after school, supported by a grant from the Rowland Foundation.
 
Below are some resources that might prove helpful in supporting teachers and administrators in responding to these incidents.

Pages 11-22 of this resource from Teaching Tolerance detail best practices for administrators in responding to instances of hate in the community. I encourage you to give it a look: http://www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/Responding%20to%20Hate%20at%20School%20ONLINE_3.pdf
In brief, their "checklist for administrators" is to:

• Put safety first
• Denounce the act
• Investigate
• Involve others
• Work with the media
• Provide accurate information—and dispel misinformation
• Support targeted students
• Seek justice, avoid blame
• Promote healing

Teachers and parents who are having conversations with students about this incident might also find these resources helpful:
https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/empowering-young-people-in-the-aftermath-of-hate?_ga=1.265904079.1555487405.1487980800
https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/documents/5-Tips-for-talking-to-Children-1.pdf

The next meeting of the Identity and Education Group will be on Monday, September 25, 2017 at 4:00 at Lake Region.  The meeting is open to students, staff, parents, and community members. I urge you to come and work with us as we consider ways to build a community where everyone feels valued and respected, and where kindness overshadows hate.

As we begin another school year I’ve been considering ways that we can work together to build a community where all people feel safe, respected and valued for their contributions; a community where students grow and learn and become responsible citizens. 
 
A flourishing community is one where students have personalized, project-based learning opportunities that provide them the chance to engage deeply in topics they are interested in. Building steps down to the athletic field, building a grape arbor, and cooking are all examples of cross-disciplinary learning experiences that have proven engaging for our students. When students are engaged learning deepens and discipline issues are reduced.
 
As we transition to a proficiency-based learning system, we begin to see students taking responsibility for their own learning and demonstrating proficiency in multiple ways and with authentic audiences. As our students work on becoming successful communicators, collaborators, and problem-solvers, it is critical that we support them in becoming proficient with these transferable skills. These are experiences that can’t be reduced to a single grade.
 
A flourishing community is one where all staff work together in a collegial and collaborative environment. As I collaborate with educators across the country, I can say unequivocally that I really appreciate the culture and climate we have here in OCSU. Our staff’s dedication and commitment to our community makes OCSU stand out as a special place to work.
 
One of the things I am committed to is our growth-based supervision and evaluation model. I believe that by supporting educators to reflect on their own practice and to commit to next steps for growth, we will strengthen our system and provide high quality instruction for our students. Part of this growth-based system is professional development experiences that are differentiated to meet the needs of all our educators.
 
We are fortunate to have an excellent staff and it’s important to find opportunities to recognize them. As we build our social media presence we’ll be looking for ways to showcase the wonderful contributions of our staff members.
 
A flourishing community is one where school boards engage the community and establish a vision. This year the OCSU Board will be revisiting the strategic plan, and taking a look at the vision, mission, and core values.
 
One of the responsibilities of the School Board is to provide direction for the superintendent and to set priorities to focus on. Proficiency-based learning will be one of those priorities as we continue to shift our system in that direction.
 
Although OCSU does not operate under a policy governance model, setting policy is one of the Board’s main responsibilities. We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of Board members who don’t take that responsibility lightly and who are engaged and thoughtful contributors to policy discussions.
 
One of the Boards toughest jobs is to develop a budget that meets the needs
of both our schools and our community. Again, we are fortunate to have Boards who take this responsibility seriously and who work hard to find a balance between what our students need and what our communities can support.
 
A flourishing community is one where families and community members feel welcome in our schools. As the new school year begins I’ll be asking schools to consider ways that they make families and community members feel welcome, and ways to include families and community members in decision-making and learning opportunities. I’ll be encouraging schools to “tell their stories” so our communities are informed about the quality education being offered here in OCSU. 
 
As we welcome our students back we will once again come face-to-face with the myriad of issues affecting our students’ lives. All of these issues affect how our students experience school. By partnering with families and community members we can share ideas and solutions for supporting our students.
 
OCSU truly is a special place to live and work. We are fortunate to have a community that works together to make it so.

Recognizing and identifying the challenges of holding discussions on race and race-related topics can be delicate. A couple weeks ago a team, consisting of parents Martha Braithwaite and Karen Ceraso, Lake Region Union High School teacher Stephen Tatum, Principal Paul Simmons, Director of Instruction Bev Davis, and me, came together to strategize how to initiate discussions with the school community. The outcome of the meeting was the creation of the Identity and Education Work Group.
 
It is certainly recognized that students of all ages and background, all across America, can struggle with their identity. This group’s primary focus is to bring race and racial identity to the forefront, to work with everyone – from students to teachers to administration – to enhance our school community by making everyone feel welcomed and valued.
 
A phrase that arose multiple times at the meeting is “micro-aggression,” a concept first coined by Harvard University professor and psychologist Chester Pierce, to describe insults and dismissals non-black Americans infected on African Americans. According to psychologist Derald Wing Sue, micro-aggression includes statements and actions in everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages. One hope of mine for this group is to enhance everyone’s understanding and recognition of micro-aggressions.
 
I recently obtained a copy of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum. This book, recommended by Steven Tatum, is focused on racial identities and the challenge of holding discussions about race. I look forward to the thoughtful read.
 
I especially look forward to continued work with this group and all the educators, students, and families.

On June 7, voters in seven school districts will have the opportunity to decide on a future governance model for their schools. The districts include Albany, Barton Incorporated, Brownington, Glover, Irasburg, Orleans Incorporated, and Westmore. By visiting the polls in your community and voting in favor of unification you are confirming that it is time to work together for our students by enhancing collaboration, sharing resources and opportunities, and spreading rising costs of education across a broader tax base.
 
A change in governance presents many opportunities for students and communities. These opportunities include continued access to financial resources, ability to broaden availability of programming across small schools, and increase capacity to support academic offerings to students. Our students ultimately transition to Lake Region Union High School and the goal is to ensure they do so on an equal basis.
 
Unifying the governance model presents an opportunity for community members to have full participation in the budgeting process. Beginning with initial budget development and continuing through public informational hearings, community members have opportunities to offer input and ask questions. Arguably, the greatest opportunity for input on the budget comes on Town Meeting Day when every voter, including those who work that day and those who are out of town, has an opportunity to vote by Australian ballot on the budget.
 
Voting in favor of Act 46 presents financial opportunities for communities. One opportunity is the ability to retain the approximately half-million dollars currently being used in small schools. A second financial opportunity allows the voter to have a direct say in the costs associated with the central office. A third opportunity includes the potential of cost savings through enhanced purchasing power associated with a broader base.
 
Unification strengthens small schools. Population in communities and schools across Vermont is decreasing and our communities are not immune to this trend. Unifying the school communities increase opportunities to ensure the local school can better respond to fluctuations in student population and keep the local school open so as to remain a valuable hub of its community.
 
Opportunities for students are wide-reaching in a unified model. Working as one entity for the needs of all our students provides small schools with opportunities to enhance program collaboration and share educational resources. Having these options in a time when population is decreasing across Vermont and in our towns helps your elected school board to ensure a continuous high quality program for students from prekindergarten through high school graduation.
 
 
Unification presents opportunities for families. On multiple occasions parents have requested that their child attend a neighboring school. These request have occurred for a variety of reasons, including challenges with being with the same classmates for many years to wanting their child to attend a school closer to the home. With a unified governance model, families will have the opportunity to request a change of schools and, as important, the school board will have the ability to grant the request.
 
School boards and the Study Committee faced the challenge of whether or not to present this opportunity to the communities for a vote. Members debated many benefits and obstacles of combining into one governance model. They decided it should be the communities that elect whether to move forward and offer a structure that gives the best opportunities of retaining local schools as we know them today.
 
Unification is an opportunity for your local schools to stay local and to have local decisions remain local. Please take the opportunity on June 7 to put your voice to this process. Please vote.

Blogger's Note: This opinion piece was submitted to the Caledonian Record, the Newport Daily, and the Barton Chronicle newspapers.