Tuesday, November 29, 2016

War hurts the environment


A few times over the past couple of years during our school visits, we've asked students to write down some of the environmental costs of war. Each time, I have noticed how students focus on ways that war hurts people and community structure. While the question has been aimed at what war does to the natural world, students have naturally included we humans as inseparable from our surroundings. Here are their responses from today's SOY visit to Crockett HS:


Question: What are some ways that war hurts the environment? Your thoughts:

Destruction of natural biomass
In Vietnam, napalm burned the canopies of the trees. The gunpowder from bullets is polluting our air
Destroys homes, peace and humanity
Tears families apart
It destroys the environment, our rights and endangers mankind as a whole
It causes mental fears
Breaks relations between nations/countries
Increases harmful material production
Creates conflict within society
Ruins marriages and families
People are dying and it's hurting the community

Friday, November 18, 2016

Schools must continue to be "no places for hate"


In our school visits over the course of almost 20 years, we have been encouraged by all the ways that teachers, school administrators and students in AISD have worked to stop bullying, uphold the values of respectful communication and celebrate diversity in our public schools.  Seeing these efforts undermined by the extremely disrespectful discourse of the Trump campaign has been shocking.  Our group doesn't endorse particular candidates for public office, but we surely speak out on behalf of the core values of public education:  encouragement of critical thinking, respectful dialogue, inclusiveness of all ethnic groups, religious persuasions and sexual orientation, the promise of education for every child regardless of citizenship status and a bedrock belief in nonviolence toward each other.
As this article describes, the president-elect's behavior has been the opposite of a role model for our kids.     

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As Schools See Hate-Fueled Attacks Rise, Millions Demand Trump Speak Out

'The presidency is about many things,' groups declare in letter to president-elect. 'Chiefly, it is about setting an example through your leadership.'
President-elect Donald Trump "must repent, take responsibility, and challenge those who have been emboldened by his words, and he must also change the direction of his policies that undermine the cause of justice and civil rights," said Rev. William Barber. (Photo: Karla Ann Cote/flickr/cc)President-elect Donald Trump "must repent, take responsibility, and challenge those who have been emboldened by his words, and he must also change the direction of his policies that undermine the cause of justice and civil rights," said Rev. William Barber. (Photo: Karla Ann Cote/flickr/cc)
Facing increased reports of hate-fueled harassment, vandalism, property destruction, and assault in the wake of Donald Trump's election last week, more than 100 faith, labor, and civil rights groups on Friday sent a letter to the president-elect, urging him to "loudly, forcefully, unequivocally, and consistently" denounce such acts.
The organizations, which represent more than 10 million people across the United States, call particular attention to the number of incidents taking place at schools and college campuses—like in Michigan, where middle school students chanted "build the wall" at classmates, or in Pennsylvania, where parents received a letter about swastika graffiti in student bathrooms.
"There's no denying it—the election has had a profound and lasting impact on our nation's schoolchildren for the worse," said Maureen Costello, director of the Teaching Tolerance program at the Southern Poverty Law Center, which coordinated the letter along with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
"Many of these acts have been carried out in your name," reads the letter (pdf), signed by groups including the Human Rights Campaign, Badass Teachers Association, Muslim Community Network, and National Organization for Women. "Though you may not condone this behavior, your silence gives tacit permission to those who perform these acts."
And while Trump "spoke against bullying, intimidation, and hate crimes" during his "60 Minutes" interview on Sunday, his appointment of alt-right "hero" Stephen Bannon to chief strategist "sends the exact opposite message," the letter charges.
"The presidency is about many things," it concludes. "Chiefly, it is about setting an example through your leadership. You have said that you will be the president for all Americans, Mr. Trump. We ask that you keep your promise by loudly, forcefully, unequivocally, and consistently denouncing these acts and the ideology that drives them. We ask you to use your position, your considerable platform, and even your tweets to send a clear message that hate has no place in our public discourse, in our public policy, or in our society."
Added Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, architect of the Moral Monday movement and another signatory to the letter: "Mr. Trump's campaign has been one of unbounded vulgarityagainst people of color, immigrants, women, and people of different faiths. He must repent, take responsibility, and challenge those who have been emboldened by his words, and he must also change the direction of his policies that undermine the cause of justice and civil rights. Anything less than this will continue the deep distrust and apprehension we have regarding his presidency."
AFT president Randi Weingarten said her union plans to set up a support and resource hotline for people to report incidents and be directed to experts for guidance and counseling. She also said educators and others can find lessons and other materials on topics including bullying and grief, as well as the election and its meaning, for free on the AFT's Share My Lesson website.
And as Rethinking Schools noted in a recent newsletter, "racist and xenophobic celebrations were not the only response to Trump's election."
"In San Francisco, more than a thousand students walked out of class to join protest marches," Rethinking Schools editors and staff wrote. "As one student said, 'We're trying to inform people about white supremacy, racism, homophobia, everything.' And in the New York City high school where Rethinking Schools editor Adam Sanchez teaches, the art club hosted a 'No Allegiance to White Supremacy' t-shirt-making gathering, while the Feminism and Black Lives Matter clubs held a joint emergency meeting to discuss the election."
"These responses are also harbingers," the newsletter declared, "anticipating our schools and classrooms as sites of resistance to everything that Trump stands for."

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

SOY visit with Akins Eagles

 Tami, Hart, Susana and I had one of the best visits ever to Akins HS on Tuesday, October 25! Students were very interested in doing the t-shirt challenge and 54 students completed it over the two lunch periods. Penny Poll results showed 34% of the vote for Education, 26% for Health Care, 14% for the Environment, 14% for the Military and 12% for Humanitarian Aid. The reflection poster asked, “October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. When you get angry with someone, what is one way to handle your anger without hurting someone?” I think students get that some of the ways we can address conflict in our homes have parallels with how conflict can be handled on an international level. Here are their responses:

Talk it out!
Walk away
Distract yourself by doing something
Walk away and breathe and then come back and talk it out
Try to come to an agreement to not fight
Talk to them and apologize, then hug it out
I step away
Walk away and give time to cool down
Talk it over
Listen to some calming music
Distract myself with something else
Don’t let the negative people get to you. Focus on yourself.
Share ideas nicely
Just hold it in
Walk away with my life and ignore the negativity
Talk it out b/c fighting isn’t going to get you anywhere
Go to my room and calm down
Sit down and talk it out
Talk to someone you trust
Talk to them or talk to someone about the problem!
Eat food
Don’t kill people!
Talk to someone or the main source of your anger
Tell the person why you are mad, don’t hold it in
Cry to myself
Play a game of basketball
Talk about the problem
For civil equality
I think a way to handle anger is to talk it out to calm down
Solve our problems
Always use your words, never physical actions!
Go work out!
Compromise
Negotiate
Sleep it out
Communication and patience
Talk it out or go on a walk
I try to talk it out w/them b/c I hate arguing
Hater gonna hate
Walk away, be the bigger person
Square breathing
Talk it out! It’s important to communicate
t-shirt challenge questions for the day

t-shirts

Hart, Iraq Veteran Against the War


One of our posters

We added Muhammad Ali to the Peace Wheel

student responses during first lunch

student responses during second lunch

We were encouraged seeing this poster in a hallway