Week of February 1st

UAI Staff News

Volume VIII

Issue 28

February 1st, 2021

Principal's Message

Black History Month kicks off on Monday!!  We at UAI should be celebrating Black History every month - not just the shortest one.  February is our chance to EXTRA celebrate Black History.  In addition to the wonderful work that our UAI Culture Committee has done (see below), please find ways within your classes and advisories to make meaningful connections to Black History and find ways to center the black experiences in your lessons and activities.  Scroll down to the announcements to see some ways you can do this!

In addition to work in your own classes, please support our Culture Committee!

The Culture Committee is super excited about our Black History Month line-up of events and activities. 

In addition to in-day and after-school programming, Suzanna and Rebecca will also be sharing slides with you that cover African American Art and Culture and Historical Figures that can be used as Intro slides and attendance questions to engage kids in conversation. 

The month will not be successful, however, if staff does not hype-up and celebrate these activities with our  students. With student engagement and morale at a low, this is a perfect opportunity to insert fun, meaningful and culturally responsive activities into our everyday school experience. 

I know the 10th grade team is going to use a point system with students to encourage participation in activities and make the month a fun competition. Other ways to encourage student engagement: Offer extra to join, Join an activity as a class, Make daily announcements in Advisory and Classes, Post events in your GC, Invite parents from advisory, Assign student ambassadors from your grade to promote events on tik tok and social media. 

Thank you!

Jen, Nina, Elana, Phillan, Rebecca F. and Suzannah 

  

 

Don't Forget To Scroll To the Bottom to See This Week's Per Session Postings

There's QUITE A FEW NEW ONES this week!!!

Birthdays This Week

Happy Birthday Nadine (Today, 31JAN21)!!

Happy Birthday Pauline (Tomorrow, 01FEB21)!!

Couldn't Post Student Bdays this week

Lost the Doc when I upgrades my OS

And then ATS was down today

Next week we'll return!

                                                         

UAI Committee Updates.  Please see updated dates for Spring 2021 Staff Meetings.

Staff Circles Committee (Members: Annie, Jennifer, Juelle, Marsha, & Nakita) No updates this week.

School Restructuring Committee (Members: Annie, Courtney, Jen, Kiri, Laura, Marsha, Nadine, Nina, and SarahM).  The SRC next meet on Monday 08FEB21.  The SRC Subcommittees will begin meeting this week to begin their work on Scheduling and collecting COVID lessons learned.  We will be releasing updates to the Grading, Zoom, and Google Classroom Policies, integrating your survey feedback later this week! Thank you to all who contributed!

The Equity Team (Suzannah, Nina, Elana, Kelly, Phillan, Annie, Nakita, Rebecca C, Damon, Ms. King (Kianna’s mom), Ms. Barnes (Alyssa’s mom), Ms. Martuscello (Veronica’s mom), Kianna King, Emily Payamps, Jerlai Tyner, Jamilah Alshawish, Salia Naschel).  This week the Equity Team met to plan interview questions for Friday's staff PD to gain a better understanding of how teachers implement the grading policy.   We were able to conduct interviews and find examples of how teachers grade participation, progress, and performance.  Thank you everyone for your helpful insight and information! We will be discussing this data along with readings from Fair Isn't Always Equal in our next meeting on Thursday, February 4th.  

DOE Fall Learning Survey.  Thank you to all already completed the DOE Fall Learning Survey in their advisories this week.  We had 11 teachers, 108 students, and 3 families complete the survey.  Please make it a priority to complete this survey with your advisory (you should also complete it too) AND please encourage your families to also provide us feedback!  The deadline is Friday, 05FEB21. 

NX Tracker and Final MP2 Grades.  Please complete and upload your final MP2 grades by 3PM tomorrow, 01FEB21.  In addition, please complete the NX tracker for any student receiving an NX in your course by 3PM tomorrow.

PD Agenda for Tomorrow.  Here's tomorrow's Agenda and Zoom Link (We'll use the same link all day).

• https://zoom.us/j/94000753016
  
  Meeting ID: 940 0075 3016
  Passcode: uaistaffpd

• Agenda
• Goals
• Reflect on and evaluate our fall work towards becoming and Anti-Racist School in order to inform our work for the spring and beyond.
• Revisit Co-teaching agreements and reflect on the health and function of co-teaching relationships to inform and refine agreements for increased productive work for the spring.
• Build community relationships to create stronger foundations for our work as a school community.
• Streamline Google Classrooms to remove unintentional barriers to learning for students.
• Sessions
• 8:30 - Reflecting and Refinine our Anti-Racist Work
• 9:30 - Co-Teaching Relationships
• 10:30 - Co-Planning Time
• 12:00 - Lunch
• 1:00 - Staff Circles
• 2:00 - Google Classroom Standardization
• 2:40-4:10 - Co-Planning Time

>>REPOST<< Planning Ahead.  As you prepare to plan for the Spring Term, remember to be the light!  You are sanctioned to take a break from the "typical" curriculum path.  On Friday Pedro Noguera tweeted a quote that perfectly encapsulates the why this is so important now.

Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine the world anew. This one is is a portal between one world and the next. We can walk through dragging our prejudice and hatred, or we can walk through ready to imagine a new world.- Arundhati Roy (author of The God of Small Things)

No one is mandated to work collaboratively on interdisciplinary projects, but all are actively encouraged to find ways to take advantage of the current state of the world.  Whether is it within your discipline or alongside a peer, reach through the world's current events to maximize the relevance of the historical moment we are all living through to hook the excitement and engagement of our students.  Here are some ideas that Annie & I have had the opportunity to discuss with teachers during check-ins in the last couple of weeks.

• How do vaccines work and how is the COVID vaccine a huge scientific leap forward (and very different) from traditional vaccines?  How can I educate my community to better understand and thus feel safer about taking the vaccine when it becomes available? 
• Center The Black Experience now - how has COVID impacted black communities? Why?  What needs to happen now in order for this to be corrected?
  
  
• What is the "Point of No Return" when it comes to climate change?  Why do they describe it so and how close are we really?  How do we know? What can I as a young person do to help reverse our trajectory towards this point?
• Center Communities of Color - How does climate change disproportionately impact communities of color?  Why is that happening, and what needs to change?
  
  
• How have the structures and laws put in place by America's "Founding Fathers" created the institutionalized racism that exists today? What changes need to happen today to demolish these structures and rebuild a more equitable and just nation?
  
  
• What impact does social isolation have on mental health?  In particular, what is the impact of social isolation on the mental health of student of color? What are the symptoms of these impacts and what can I do to support myself and my community in rectifying these negative impacts? 
  
  
• What is the socio-economic impact of a college education for black and brown students living in poverty?  How can I know if college is a good investment for me and my family?

There's a bajillion other things to do.  Reach out to Kiri, Annie or Jen if you have an idea (or need ideas) and/or need help with developing activities, lessons or units!

Per Session Postings

To Apply for any of the following per session opportunities, please COMPLETE THIS FORM and email the appropriate point person listed in this posting.  

Peer Mentoring Program.  In a dual effort to provide students with academic support AND opportunities for leadership, we are launching a peer-mentoring program.  We are looking for 1-3 staff members to develop & lead this program that will be able to provide students with academic support from peers as well as provide students with leadership and mentoring experience.  In addition to building academic and mentoring skills, the goal of this program is to build student relationships and school community.  Please complete the per session form and email Annie with your interest.  Hours will range from 1-3 hours per week per staff member. Posting closes 01FEB.

Hiring Committee.  We are forming our hiring committee.  During hiring season, members selected to the committee should be ready to spend 1-5 hours per week doing the following activities:

• Candidate Recruitment
• Outreach to colleges and universities - Including NYS & NYC, and also HBCUs, 
• Researching and finding and attending hiring fairs for people of color
• Present at hiring fairs and actively recruit attendees to UAI Interviews
• Outreach to communities and community organizations
• Leverage Social Media, and current UAI Community Connections to find staff
• Develop creative approaches for reaching and maximizing the number of candidates of color applying to work at UAI.
• 
  
• Create a strong presentation of who we are (visual and verbal)
• Leverage what makes us special!
• Highlight anti-racist work, creative programming, Juneteenth, all-girls, college and career focused, mission as a whole, teacher growth focus, teacher-centered/planned PD’s
• Provide content on UAI Website around hiring, staffing, and UAI community to provide a public facing sense of what it is like to be part of our community
• Facilitate interviews and demo lessons/debriefs
• Conduct panel and individual interviews
• Review demo lesson plans, and independently learn any new content to be prepared to conduct comprehensive debrief of demo lessons
  
  

Candidates for this Position will be Selected using the following criteria:
Ability to present the school well - focusing on things to highlight
Capacity to remain open and intentionally weigh many factors, and refrain from making quick judgements
Commitment to criteria and the the UAI hiring process
Commitment to anti-racist work and mission of UAI
Effective teachers with a solid understanding of instruction and discipline

8 positions available (representing all positions in HS & MS) Posting closes 22FEB21.  Please complete the per session interest form and email Kiri & Annie.

Please CLICK HERE to indicate that you’ve read all the blogpost for this week.

Week of January 25th

UAI Staff News

Volume VIII

Issue 27

January 25th, 2021

Principal's Message

As we bring this semester to a close, each of you have worked so hard to reach through the silica screens to connect with and challenge our students.  Each day, you have wracked your minds to find new ways to help our students achieve the standards you have set.

Yet, each day, I know if feels as if it is just not enough.  Each day, I know I ask more of you and you feel overwhelmed and frustrated.  That sense of endless giving for little reward can be oppressive and darkening to your efforts and mood.

However, each day I see what is hard for you to see.  I see your faces, your love, and your care shine through the screens to your students.  I hear our families speak of the warmth and care our staff has when you reach out to them.  I can witness this easier than you.  As the amazing Ms. Gorman said, "There is always light if you are brave enough to see it."  I imagine that for each of you it is hard to see the light, because you are the light.  

So, today, as we begin our pivot to the Spring Term, I want to pause and be your mirror and encourage you to be brave enough to see yourself through the eyes of our students and families.  You are the light in their darkness!  You are the one who brings the structure of normalcy (classes, learning...and school).  You are the light who brings warmth and love when you call home and when you put firmly push for excellence - as Dr. Carrerra always called it - your firmth!  You are the light that brings reason and sense to their world that has been upended, blended, and just plain crazy.

Next week, we begin the Spring term and take our steps on the path back to some normalcy.  Make sure to create time to tend to your light and to be brave and strong enough to let it blaze fiercely.  You are leading us all back to a more just, culturally responsive, and enriching learning environment!  This Spring, allow yourself the joy of exploring the possibilities of teaching & learning and push yourself to achieving true wonder in your classes.   That is when your light shines brightest and when your students and our families find inspiration, love and support to grow and achieve!

 

Don't Forget To Scroll To the Bottom to See This Week's Per Session Postings

There's QUITE A FEW NEW ONES this week!!!

Birthdays This Week

No Staff Birthdays This Week

Wednesday, 27JAN:  Bashair (6), Sapphire (8)

Thursday, 28JAN:  Jamara (6)

Friday, 29JAN:  Aysha A (8)

Saturday, 30JAN:  Elysia (10), Haneen (10)

                                                         

UAI Committee Updates.  Please see updated dates for Spring 2021 Staff Meetings.

Staff Circles Committee (Members: Annie, Jennifer, Juelle, Marsha, & Nakita) No updates this week.

School Restructuring Committee (Members: Annie, Courtney, Jen, Kiri, Laura, Marsha, Nadine, Nina, and SarahM).  The SRC will meet on Monday 25JAN to review plans for moving forward with Sub Committee work on Hiring, Scheduling, and Thinking about what to Keep from our Lessons learned during COVID and Remote Learning.

The Equity Team (Suzannah, Nina, Elana, Kelly, Phillan, Annie, Nakita, Rebecca C, Damon, Ms. King (Kianna’s mom), Ms. Barnes (Alyssa’s mom), Ms. Martuscello (Veronica’s mom), Kianna King, Emily Payamps, Jerlai Tyner, Jamilah Alshawish, Salia Naschel).  The equity team met on Tuesday 1/19 to compare 8th grade ELA and Math Scores and GPA to ELA and Math Regents Scores and GPA throughout high school.  We identified that most students who enter UAI in 9th grade do make academic gains, but there is still disproportionality between our Black and Asian students' grades.  

We continue our work by breaking off into two teams to do research.  One group will be reading Fair Isn't Always Equal to explore and discuss what it means to equitable grade.  The other group will work with students and teachers to interview about our current grading policy and how it is implemented.

Last Chance!  Thank you to all who provided feedback on the Grading, Zoom, and Google Classroom Policies.  We got 32 responses!!  There's still a few more that we would like to hear from.  Please take a minute to complete this survey as soon as you can!

NX Communication.  MP2 ends this Wednesday, 27JAN21.  For any students who will be receiving an NX for your course, please make sure to do the following by Friday 29JAN21:

1. Please contact home and discuss with the families why the student has not yet met course standards and what they need to do in MP3 in order to meet standards by the end of MP3.
2. For any family that you are unable to speak to, please let Kiri, Annie or Jen know and we will provide you with assistance and support.  It's super important that you have conversations with families so that they understand why their child is not yet passing and they understand what they can do to better support learning at home!

 

Weekly Grade Upload.  This week, please work on finalizing MP2 grades.  If you can upload grades from last week, great!  If not, prioritize finalizing MP2 grades for upload into Skedula and for submission into PADs by next Monday.

Planning Ahead.  As you prepare to plan for the Spring Term, remember to be the light!  You are sanctioned to take a break from the "typical" curriculum path.  On Friday Pedro Noguera tweeted a quote that perfectly encapsulates the why this is so important now.

Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine the world anew. This one is is a portal between one world and the next. We can walk through dragging our prejudice and hatred, or we can walk through ready to imagine a new world.- Arundhati Roy (author of The God of Small Things)

No one is mandated to work collaboratively on interdisciplinary projects, but all are actively encouraged to find ways to take advantage of the current state of the world.  Whether is it within your discipline or alongside a peer, reach through the world's current events to maximize the relevance of the historical moment we are all living through to hook the excitement and engagement of our students.  Here are some ideas that Annie & I have had the opportunity to discuss with teachers during check-ins in the last couple of weeks.

• How do vaccines work and how is the COVID vaccine a huge scientific leap forward (and very different) from traditional vaccines?  How can I educate my community to better understand and thus feel safer about taking the vaccine when it becomes available?
  
  
• What is the "Point of No Return" when it comes to climate change?  Why do they describe it so and how close are we really?  How do we know? What can I as a young person do to help reverse our trajectory towards this point?
  
  
• How have the structures and laws put in place by America's "Founding Fathers" created the institutionalized racism that exists today? What changes need to happen today to demolish these structures and rebuild a more equitable and just nation?
  
  
• What impact does social isolation have on mental health?  What are the symptoms of these impacts and what can I do to support myself and my community in rectifying these negative impacts?
  
  
• What is the socio-economic impact of a college education for black and brown students living in poverty?  How can I know if college is a good investment for me and my family?

There's a bajillion other things to do.  You could analyze Amanda Gorman's speech in your English classes, take a deep dive into the Impeachment process, or study the Paris Climate Accords.  You could analyze the impact on of COVID on communities of color and conduct a research project on why that is and what needs to happen to ensure that those same communities are not further oppressed as vaccination begins to be more wide-spread.  Allow yourself to dream, and then reign it in to make it achievable and exciting for you and your students!  Above all, if you find something that excites and inspires you, you'll be giving yourself a little chicken soup for your own soul, and in so doing, you'll be strengthening your light!

Per Session Postings

To Apply for any of the following per session opportunities, please COMPLETE THIS FORM and email the appropriate point person listed in this posting.  

Peer Mentoring Program.  In a dual effort to provide students with academic support AND opportunities for leadership, we are launching a peer-mentoring program.  We are looking for 1-3 staff members to develop & lead this program that will be able to provide students with academic support from peers as well as provide students with leadership and mentoring experience.  In addition to building academic and mentoring skills, the goal of this program is to build student relationships and school community.  Please complete the per session form and email Annie with your interest.  Hours will range from 1-3 hours per week per staff member. Posting closes 01FEB.

Summer School Curriculum Writers.  In preparation for summer school, we need teachers to work collaboratively to write units and lessons plans for summer school NX students.  These curriculum writers will be expected to work 1-2 hours per week to meet/write/review units and lesson plans for the summer.  The goal will be to have fully complete lessons that can be reviewed with summer school staff by Monday, 14JUN21.  The team will be working on core subjects and working in conjunction with Annie and Kiri.  There will be 4-6 positions available.  Posting closes on 25JAN21.  Please complete the per session form and email Kiri to apply. Posting closes 25JAN.

SRC Sub Committees.  Positions Staffed

Applied: Scheduling Subcommittee - Damon, Brodie, Jean COVID Lessons Learned - Damon

Staffed: Scheduling Subcommittee - Damon, Brodie, Jean COVID Lessons Learned - Damon

Data Team.  The Equity Team and SRC are in need of data support.  We need a team of folks who have experience with basic functions in excel (using formulas, sorting, filtering, creating charts, etc.) and have a willingness to learn to master DOE data platforms (ATS, STARS, New Visions Data Portal).   The job will be to access DOE data platforms to pull requested data (as requested by the Equity Team or SRC) and use tools (like Excel) to present that data in accessible formats for the Equity & SRC teams and for the staff and community in general.  Hours will vary as needed, but will average at 1-2 hours per week (in training and working).  Posting is open through 25JAN, please complete the per session interest form and email Kiri if interested. Posting closes 25JAN.

Academic Skill Development Advisory Lesson Developer. The Counseling Team is looking for on person to help create advisory lessons that will support student academic skill building. Topics include, but are not limited to: Navigating GC efficiently, How to use Google Calendar to support time management and work submission, How to Navigate Pupil Path to support Informed decision making. The Ideal candidate will create at least 1 unit of lessons (8-10 lessons) . Lessons must include both the lesson plan for advisors and accompanying slides and student activities. Approx 20 hours of per session total. Posting closes on 25JAN. Please complete the per session interest form and email Jen if interested. Posting closes 25JAN.

Black History Month Community Activity Submissions. The Culture Committee is beginning to plan Black History Community Activities and we are looking for a wider range of staff voice and ideas. If you would like to help plan a community event for February, please complete the per session form ASAP. This year’s theme for Black History Month this year is: The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity. Approx 10 hours of per session total per position with a minimum of two positions. Posting closes 25JAN.

Please CLICK HERE to indicate that you’ve read all the blogpost for this week.

Week of January 19th

UAI Staff News

Volume VIII

Issue 26

January 19th, 2021

Principal's Message

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr day, and today, we are two days away from transitioning out of the tyranny of the Trump administration.  In his iconic I have a Dream speech, Dr. King said,

"So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed."

It is hard to listen and read this speech in the light of what we know today and what we have witnessed year after year as black men and women are subjected to oppressive and fatal treatment by those charged to uphold the laws of the "American Dream"

But believing and pursuing the dream in the face of all that we know and all that we have seen is precisely Dr. King's call to action.  There is no doubt we have gone through "difficulties" (too gentle of a word in today's sense or reality).  There is no doubt that these & new "difficulties" will continue through tomorrow and beyond.  However, our charge is to continue to dream and create the justice, equity, and egalitarianism for all people.  Together, in our daily lives and our daily roles, each of us are part of the work needed to realize the American dream as it should be (not necessarily as it was originally written).

Doing the work will be hard.  But know, that in doing the work, we are creating hope and preparing our future generation to continue building on this wave of change begun so many years ago, with a speech that generated a dream for generations.

  

Don't Forget To Scroll To the Bottom to See This Week's Per Session Postings

There's QUITE A FEW NEW ONES this week!!!

Birthdays This Week

No Staff Birthdays This Week

Sunday, 17JAN:  Vicaa (11)

Monday, 18JAN:  Shaniya P (8)

Tuesday, 19JAN:  Anissa SL (6), Jahya W (9)

Saturday, 23JAN:  Uniyah (10)

                                                         

UAI Committee Updates.  

Staff Circles Committee (Members: Annie, Jennifer, Juelle, Marsha, & Nakita) No updates this week.

School Restructuring Committee (Members: Annie, Courtney, Jen, Kiri, Laura, Marsha, Nadine, Nina, and SarahM).  The SRC met on Monday 11JAN to review plans for the staff engagement on Friday, 22JAN, a follow-up experience to understanding how Deficit Thinking appears in our classroom practices and how we can better plan and approach our lessons to remove barriers to learning and combat deficit thinking.  This Friday afternoon staff meeting will be facilitated by SRC members, Nina & Nadine!

The Equity Team (Suzannah, Nina, Elana, Kelly, Phillan, Annie, Nakita, Rebecca C, Damon, Ms. King (Kianna’s mom), Ms. Barnes (Alyssa’s mom), Ms. Martuscello (Veronica’s mom), Kianna King, Emily Payamps, Jerlai Tyner, Jamilah Alshawish, Salia Naschel).  The equity team has been working on gathering data to analyze growth of students after entering UAI. Suzannah and Nina have met with Phil to gain a better understanding of this data in order to share with all of the members of the equity team when we meet again Tuesday 1/19.

Focus Groups.  Thank you to all the folks who joined us for staff focus groups in thinking about how best to prepare for the remainder of the school year.  Thank you also to those of you who shared insights from your own student focus groups.  Those were incredible informative and helpful in thinking about next semester, and in some cases next year!  If you didn't get a chance to join a focus group and would still like to share your ideas or the feedback from your own student groups, please reach out to Kiri, Annie, or Jen.  We'll set up some time to meet with you!

NX Communication.  MP2 ends next Wednesday, 27JAN21.  For any students who will be receiving an NX for your course, please make sure to do the following by Friday 29JAN21:

1. Please contact home and discuss with the families why the student has not yet met course standards and what they need to do in MP3 in order to meet standards by the end of MP3.
2. For any family that you are unable to speak to, please let Kiri, Annie or Jen know and we will provide you with assistance and support.

 

Weekly Grade Upload.  As a reminder, please upload your grades by the end of the day on Monday (but Tuesday this week because of the holiday).  By the end of the day on Tuesday 19JAN21, all gradebooks should have at least:  7 Participation Grades, 7 Progress Grades, and 1 Performance Grade.  By the end of the Marking Period, you have a total of 8 Participation Grades, 8 Progress Grades, and 2 Performance Grades.  You can review the Grading Policy to better understand what kinds of grades go into each category.

Feedback on School Policies for SRC.  The SRC will be reviewing the policies set in place last November.  Many, many thanks to the 14 folks who already completed THIS SURVEY to provide feedback on the policies.  Surveys are not ideal, but they do allow us to gather your input without loading up your calendars with tons and tons of meetings.  Your feedback matters! Please take some time to complete this survey.

Per Session Postings

To Apply for any of the following per session opportunities, please COMPLETE THIS FORM and email the appropriate point person listed in this posting.  

Peer Mentoring Program.  In a dual effort to provide students with academic support AND opportunities for leadership, we are launching a peer-mentoring program.  We are looking for 1-3 staff members to develop & lead this program that will be able to provide students with academic support from peers as well as provide students with leadership and mentoring experience.  In addition to building academic and mentoring skills, the goal of this program is to build student relationships and school community.  Please complete the per session form and email Annie with your interest.  Hours will range from 1-3 hours per week per staff member. Posting closes 01FEB.

Summer School Curriculum Writers.  In preparation for summer school, we need teachers to work collaboratively to write units and lessons plans for summer school NX students.  These curriculum writers will be expected to work 1-2 hours per week to meet/write/review units and lesson plans for the summer.  The goal will be to have fully complete lessons that can be reviewed with summer school staff by Monday, 14JUN21.  The team will be working on core subjects and working in conjunction with Annie and Kiri.  There will be 4-6 positions available.  Posting closes on 25JAN21.  Please complete the per session form and email Kiri to apply. Posting closes 25JAN.

SRC Sub Committees.  The SRC met on 04JAN to plan for the spring term to address revisions/redoing of the school schedule and to reflect on and evaluate the new pedagogical practices we implemented during remote learning.  We are looking for staff to join one of two subcommittees (Scheduling and COVID Lessons Learned).  These committees will meet regularly (as determined by the committee) to create the schedule for the 2021-22 school year, and identify and refine pedagogical practices from Remote Learning that will continue into the next school year.  Timelines on this are imminent, so this special post will begin as of today and close two weeks from today on Tuesday, 19JAN20.  Please complete THIS FORM by 19JAN20 to apply for either of these subcommittees.  As an FYI, the SRC is joining with the Circles Committee and Equity Team to revamp the hiring process.  The goal is to complete the revamp by 01FEB in time to launch our hiring season.  As a result, there wasn’t time to post a new sub-committee position for two weeks and meet the 01FEB deadline. Posting closes 25JAN.

Data Team.  The Equity Team and SRC are in need of data support.  We need a team of folks who have experience with basic functions in excel (using formulas, sorting, filtering, creating charts, etc.) and have a willingness to learn to master DOE data platforms (ATS, STARS, New Visions Data Portal).   The job will be to access DOE data platforms to pull requested data (as requested by the Equity Team or SRC) and use tools (like Excel) to present that data in accessible formats for the Equity & SRC teams and for the staff and community in general.  Hours will vary as needed, but will average at 1-2 hours per week (in training and working).  Posting is open through 25JAN, please complete the per session interest form and email Kiri if interested. Posting closes 25JAN.

Academic Skill Development Advisory Lesson Developer. The Counseling Team is looking for on person to help create advisory lessons that will support student academic skill building. Topics include, but are not limited to: Navigating GC efficiently, How to use Google Calendar to support time management and work submission, How to Navigate Pupil Path to support Informed decision making. The Ideal candidate will create at least 1 unit of lessons (8-10 lessons) . Lessons must include both the lesson plan for advisors and accompanying slides and student activities. Approx 20 hours of per session total. Posting closes on 25JAN. Please complete the per session interest form and email Jen if interested. Posting closes 25JAN.

Black History Month Community Activity Submissions. The Culture Committee is beginning to plan Black History Community Activities and we are looking for a wider range of staff voice and ideas. If you would like to help plan a community event for February, please complete the per session form ASAP. This year’s theme for Black History Month this year is: The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity. Approx 10 hours of per session total per position with a minimum of two positions. Posting closes 25JAN.

Please CLICK HERE to indicate that you’ve read all the blogpost for this week.

Week of January 11th

UAI Staff News

Volume VIII

Issue 25

January 11th, 2021

Principal's Message

Last week was certainly a roller coaster of political chaos.  From a recording of over election tampering & bullying to inciting an insurrection, Trump is the chaos agent that won't stop giving.  It is a cloud of darkness in the storm of COVID that is traumatic for all of us.

 Yet, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and the cavalry is around the corner.  Educators are now eligible for COVID vaccination.   Annie shared the link posted on twitter to register for the vaccine.  I do hope many of you were able to see that email and register.  As of this morning, it looks like all the spots have been taken.  However, the city website for making appointments for COVID vaccination is now up and running for educators.  So, please check there, too!

Certainly, there are many steps between getting the vaccine and returning to normal.  But, cherish this pivot.  We are at the first step of exiting the storm of COVID.  In at most 10 days, we will take our first step in exiting the storm of the Trump presidency.  While the first week of 2021 seemed like a grim continuation of 2020, these upcoming events promise a turn to a brighter future.

Don't Forget To Scroll To the Bottom to See This Week's Per Session Postings

There's QUITE A FEW NEW ONES this week!!!

Birthdays This Week

Monday, 11JAN:  Happy Birthday Ms. Juelle!!

Tuesdya, 12JAN:  Happy Birthday Ms. Nancy!!

Sunday, 10JAN:  Yalani C (12)

Tuesday, 12JAN:  Shantana N (12), Lillian J (10), Alexis F (11)

Wednesday, 13JAN:  Jerlai T (6)

Friday, 15JAN:  Juvilee PB (12)

Saturday, 16JAN:  Stephanie M (10)

                                                         

UAI Committee Updates.  

Staff Circles Committee (Members: Annie, Jennifer, Juelle, Marsha, & Nakita) The Circle Committee met last Wednesday to plan this Friday’s upcoming staff circle. Friday’s discussion will be a continuation of our December Circle, with an emphasis on deficit thinking.

School Restructuring Committee (Members: Annie, Courtney, Jen, Kiri, Laura, Marsha, Nadine, Nina, and SarahM).  The SRC met on Monday 04JAN to plan out the spring topics and created three subcommittees to interrogate & evaluate scheduling practices, hiring processes, and pedagogical practices developed during Remote Learning to suss out instances of bias, areas in need of improvement, and components to refine and keep.

The Equity Team (Suzannah, Nina, Elana, Kelly, Phillan, Annie, Nakita, Rebecca C, Damon, Ms. King (Kianna’s mom), Ms. Barnes (Alyssa’s mom), Ms. Martuscello (Veronica’s mom), Kianna King, Emily Payamps, Jerlai Tyner, Jamilah Alshawish, Salia Naschel).  No updates this week

Get Vaccinated!  As soon as you can, please sign up and get vaccinated.  At present, neither DOE nor the unions have mandated vaccination.  However, it is not unlikely that this will inevitably happen. The DOE mandates all sorts of vaccines for adults and students alike.  They have not yet released the options for any exceptions, but when they do I will share.  If you have any concerns, please do reach out!  Sarah R offered to discuss the vaccine via email earlier this weekend.  Similarly, my sister lead teams of researchers at Pfizer in the development of their vaccine.  I would be happy to share your concerns and questions with her, and I know she would be happy to join our staff for a Q & A with anyone who would be interested.

Talk to Your Students to Get Ideas for the Spring.  Our current rate of failing students is triple and in some instances quadruple what it was in our classes this time last year, before COVID.  In some sense, this is to be expected because each of us are brand new to teaching and learning through a screen.  Teachers are learning to master lesson plans based in technology, and our students are rapidly trying to develop the digital literacy and social emotional skills required to learn through a screen, independently at home.

When we first launched remote learning, we were all blindly grasping at whatever might work.  As we grew our technical skills, we found ways that worked & improved our approaches, but much of this came from throwing things at walls to see what stuck.

Now we have 10 months of experience & learning.  It is time to pause and approach our current predicament with science & logic.  Kids are struggling; we are struggling...while the vaccine is coming for teachers, there will be some many months before our entire community will be vaccinate.  We will be relying on screens for a significant portion of our students' learning for the rest of the year.  So, as we close out the fall and ready for the spring, we need to take a beat and discover more intentional approaches to our spring work.

This week & next, we're holding a series informal focus group sessions to find out from teachers & staff what they feel has worked and what support or development they feel is needed to be more successful in their remote teaching methods for the spring.  The goal of these informal focus groups is to gather information and ideas to prepare for our next full day of PD on February 1st, and for other PD experiences throughout the spring term.

STAFF TO DO:  Similarly, this week and next, us advisory and/or class time to gather feedback from your students to learn directly from them.  Focus on the answers you don't have.  Shape those into questions for the students who are at the center of those puzzles.  Also think about the students in your classes who have demonstrated success.  What do you want to learn from their experiences to help your own understanding of what to keep or change in your curriculum for the spring.  Finally, examine your curriculum from the perspectives of students.  Ask them questions that help identify any barriers that may exist for them in terms of access, engagement, and academic success.  What is required to be successful in your class and are there barriers that exist for some students that prevent them from having access to success in your class?

 

Weekly Grade Upload.  As a reminder, please upload your grades by the end of the day on Monday.  Progress and Participation categories need to have at least 1 grade per week.  By the end of today, students should have at least 6 grades in Progress and Participation.  There are 4 more weeks remaining in the marking period.  If you do not have 6 grades in those categories do not create assignments to meet the minimum. Rather, shift your planning to meet the goal of at least 1 participation or progress grade per week.   

COVID Prognostication.  Now that we are in the pipeline for vaccination, many questions are popping up about what that means for a return to school.  DISCLAIMER - I do not KNOW anything for sure, but I will share my own DOE Tea Leaves interpretations.  Here's what I know and what I can best guess based on these knowings...

• Only Four Weeks to Feb Break.  This is the first week educators are getting vaccinated.  There needs to be at least three weeks between the first and second dose (for both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines), and there are 135,000 employees in the DOE (not counting all the Charter, Parochial, and Private schools).  We will not be returning to in person school prior to February Break.
  
  
• Almost 200K Vaccinated So Far.  DiBlasio has pledged to have 1 million vaccinations by January's end.  Since the vaccines arrived in NYC on 11DEC (one month ago), about ~192K (~177K - first dose, and ~15K - 2nd dose) have received vaccines.  NYC would have to more than triple that rate to reach DiBlasio's goal,  Given that they have not yet responded to the requests from Pfizer and Moderna to move the vaccines into pharmacies, that may be a hard goal to meet.  If they do make that move, the game will change and we will exponentially be able to near the goal. If that happens, there is a good chance that all DOE employees will be fully vaccinated by Spring Break.  
  
  
• Spring Break is the Last Week of March.  It would make the most sense that IF we were to return to in-person working (notice that word choice), it would happen no sooner than after Spring Break (05APR21).  Of course, "making sense" has not been this current administration's forte...so take that prognostication with a large grain of salt. 
  
  
• Not All Students Will Return To In-Person Learning This Spring.  Even if we reach a rate of vaccinating 1 million people per month, there are still 8 million people in NYC.  That means from today, it will take at least 8 months to vaccinate the entire population of NYC.   Many of our families will continue to choose to keep their children home until they themselves (and their children) are vaccinated.  Given our students and the majority of their parents age and health, many of our families will not be eligible for the vaccine for some time.  That means that we will need to have some form of remote learning for a chunk of our students and families for part or the rest of the school year.  What that specifically looks like will depend on the number of families choosing to send their children to in-person learning or remain in remote.  We are way too far out from that decision to make any clear guesses about that.  What we can say is that some form of Remote Learning is here to stay for the remainder of the year.
  
  
• What if I don't want to get the vaccine?  I really don't know.  I don't know if staff will be allowed to return to the building without having been vaccinated, and I don't know if staff will be allowed to work remotely (meaning that the only other option would be taking a medical leave).  I can share that I am personally confident in taking the vaccine (I have my appointment on Tuesday), and I am personally making sure that my own family gets vaccinated.  However, these are my personal decisions as is the decision for you and your vaccination options is yours.  No one can force you to become vaccinated.  That is certain.  What is not yet clear is what that means in terms of your working conditions with the DOE.  Please reach out to your unions for more guidance.  I can 100% guarantee that your unions will have more information on this subject than me!!

Per Session Postings

To Apply for any of the following per session opportunities, please COMPLETE THIS FORM and email the appropriate point person listed in this posting.  

Summer School Curriculum Writers.  In preparation for summer school, we need teachers to work collaboratively to write units and lessons plans for summer school NX students.  These curriculum writers will be expected to work 1-2 hours per week to meet/write/review units and lesson plans for the summer.  The goal will be to have fully complete lessons that can be reviewed with summer school staff by Monday, 14JUN21.  The team will be working on core subjects and working in conjunction with Annie and Kiri.  There will be 4-6 positions available.  Posting closes on 25JAN21.  Please complete the per session form and email Kiri to apply.

SRC Sub Committees.  The SRC met on 04JAN to plan for the spring term to address revisions/redoing of the school schedule and to reflect on and evaluate the new pedagogical practices we implemented during remote learning.  We are looking for staff to join one of two subcommittees (Scheduling and COVID Lessons Learned).  These committees will meet regularly (as determined by the committee) to create the schedule for the 2021-22 school year, and identify and refine pedagogical practices from Remote Learning that will continue into the next school year.  Timelines on this are imminent, so this special post will begin as of today and close two weeks from today on Tuesday, 19JAN20.  Please complete THIS FORM by 19JAN20 to apply for either of these subcommittees.  As an FYI, the SRC is joining with the Circles Committee and Equity Team to revamp the hiring process.  The goal is to complete the revamp by 01FEB in time to launch our hiring season.  As a result, there wasn’t time to post a new sub-committee position for two weeks and meet the 01FEB deadline.

Data Team.  The Equity Team and SRC are in need of data support.  We need a team of folks who have experience with basic functions in excel (using formulas, sorting, filtering, creating charts, etc.) and have a willingness to learn to master DOE data platforms (ATS, STARS, New Visions Data Portal).   The job will be to access DOE data platforms to pull requested data (as requested by the Equity Team or SRC) and use tools (like Excel) to present that data in accessible formats for the Equity & SRC teams and for the staff and community in general.  Hours will vary as needed, but will average at 1-2 hours per week (in training and working).  Posting is open through 25JAN, please complete the per session interest form and email Kiri if interested.

Academic Skill Development Advisory Lesson Developer. The Counseling Team is looking for on person to help create advisory lessons that will support student academic skill building. Topics include, but are not limited to: Navigating GC efficiently, How to use Google Calendar to support time management and work submission, How to Navigate Pupil Path to support Informed decision making. The Ideal candidate will create at least 1 unit of lessons (8-10 lessons) . Lessons must include both the lesson plan for advisors and accompanying slides and student activities. Approx 20 hours of per session total. Posting closes on 25JAN. Please complete the per session interest form and email Jen if interested.

Black History Month Community Activity Submissions. The Culture Committee is beginning to plan Black History Community Activities and we are looking for a wider range of staff voice and ideas. If you would like to help plan a community event for February, please complete the per session form ASAP. This year’s theme for Black History Month this year is: The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity. Approx 10 hours of per session total per position with a minimum of two positions.

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Week of January 4th

 UAI Staff News

Volume VIII

Issue 23

January 4th, 2021

Principal's Message

Welcome back from the winter recess everyone!  I do hope you were all able to find time to recharge & recenter.  As part of our collective new year's resolution, I hope we all find ways to create time within to claim this rest and recharge every day this year.  

As humans, we are naturally drawn to the problems and challenges ... to the things that we see are not quite right.  Then, as pedagogues, we are natural problem solvers .. trying to fix things and continually refine the challenges to be increasingly better.  Finally, as UAI staffers we are continually committed to working hard to uplift and support our students to thrive... a mission that is not without problems and challenges.  

The key to doing all of this well, we need to attend to our own mindsets, our own physical health, and our own motivations.  So, this week, as we launch into 2021 and relaunch our remote learning school, make space on your calendars to take at least a few minutes between each activity to stretch, walk, and breathe.  Then, make time in your week to step back from your choices and moves and move away from automaticity and towards reflective practice.  In so doing, we will all find our own sustainable and effective path to effectively supporting our students and their families!

Have a wonderful first school week of 2021, and I hope you find your joy this week!  

Don't Forget To Scroll To the Bottom to See This Week's Per Session Postings

Birthdays This Week

No Staff Birthdays this Week

Friday 01JAN;  Blessing (11), Ashley M (12), 

Saturday, 02JAN:  Anaia P (9)

Sunday, 03JAN:  Harmony A (7), Wedad (12)

Monday 04JAN: Zannyah (8)

Tuesday, 05JAN:  Fatima A (8)

Wednesday, 06JAN: Aya E (9), Alisia R (10)

Thursday, 07JAN - No Bdays

Friday 08JAN:  Jakiara G (9), Macadamia (9), Patricia D (11)

                                                         

UAI Committee Updates.  

Staff Circles Committee (Members: Annie, Jennifer, Juelle, Marsha, & Nakita) No updates this week.

School Restructuring Committee (Members: Annie, Courtney, Jen, Kiri, Laura, Marsha, Nadine, Nina, and SarahM).  The SRC will meet on Monday 04JAN to plan out the spring topics and create a calendar to address school concerns about hiring, scheduling, and more!

The Equity Team (Suzannah, Nina, Elana, Kelly, Phillan, Annie, Nakita, Rebecca C, Damon, Ms. King (Kianna’s mom), Ms. Barnes (Alyssa’s mom), Ms. Martuscello (Veronica’s mom), Kianna King, Emily Payamps, Jerlai Tyner, Jamilah Alshawish, Salia Naschel).  No updates this week

Reconnection.  Take time in class and advisory this week to teach into routine and organizational skills.  We have all been away from our normal routines for over a week and a half.  Getting back into the computer saddle requires more intention and attention then getting back into the classroom seats.  Please prioritize connecting personally to your students in both your classes AND advisory, and listen to them to hear how they are doing & what they need so that you can understand what they need to be successful.

 

Weekly Grade Upload.  As a reminder, please upload your grades by the end of the day on Monday.  Progress and Participation categories need to have at least 1 grade per week.  By the end of today, students should have at least 6 grades in Progress and Participation.  There are 4 more weeks remaining in the marking period.  If you do not have 6 grades in those categories do not create assignments to meet the minimum. Rather, shift your planning to meet the goal of at least 1 participation or progress grade per week.   

Per Session Postings

To Apply for any of the following per session opportunities, please COMPLETE THIS FORM and email the appropriate point person listed in this posting.  

No postings this week

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