I hope you are well and would like to begin by wishing you all a belated Happy New Year! Your tireless efforts on behalf of the children and communities you serve are greatly appreciated and much admired.

In the most recent episode of my CASDA podcast, It’s Intentional, titled “The Big Reset,” I reflect on the seemingly surreal events of the first few weeks of the new year and suggest we are at an inflection point. It is time to reset, to make adjustments in our professional and personal lives. Relationships are where we need to begin. CASDA’s latest reset reflects this perspective, with the first of our new quarterly newsletters focusing on the voices of educators and students. These are the voices politicians and other decision makers need to hear. CASDA will use this space as a place for grassroots advocacy.

Our intent in this and future newsletters is to more deeply explore important topics in education and society. Voice! What vehicle of communication is more powerful in or out of the classroom than voice? Yet, during the current pandemic we have discovered that many educators, students and families feel their voices are not being heard or valued. As I have stated previously in articles and podcasts, solutions to the challenges we faced prior to the pandemic and current challenges require a markedly different approach. Educators, students and families must have a seat at the decision-making table. However, being invited isn’t enough, the power dynamic needs to change. An authentic collaboration, where the real issues individuals face are discussed and solutions are posed as equals, regardless of title, color of skin, gender or socioeconomic status. This must become the norm going forward. A helpful resource for educators to use in creating culturally responsive environments included in this newsletter from the Institute of Education Sciences and REL Pacific is called, Including Voice in Education: Addressing Equity Through Student and Family Voice in Classroom Learning.

The power of student advocacy is highlighted in the latest publication of research from NYKids, a special project of the University of Albany School of Education. A CASDA partner, NYKids recently published phase two of an ongoing study of college and career readiness in positive outlier schools entitled, College and Career Readiness: Students’ Perspectives on Life After High School (2020). Four central themes emerged from the study including cultivating student agency. Three dimensions of students' experiences related to cultivating agency found in the study were: Exploring Choices and Leadership Opportunities; Being Heard and Hearing Others; and Advocating for Self and Others. For further depth on the study’s findings check out the introduction to the study and link to the full study in this newsletter.

CASDA is intent on creating and providing a space for educator and student voice. In an effort to achieve this goal, contributions from local educators take the spotlight. For example, Ashley Girard’s “Empowering Student Voice in the Math Classroom” provides insight to the power of student voice. An AIS Math Teacher, Girard describes the positive student learning that comes from structuring a classroom environment that encourages student voice and discussion. If you want to learn more about the positive learning results which can occur when adults reset from a deficit to an asset approach to learning, read “Empowering ELL Voices in the Integrated Classroom,” by National Board Certified ENL and ELA Teacher Kurt Hassenpflug. He provides a mix of practical examples for how to empower ELL student voices in the classroom with an empowerment mindset.

CASDA is utilizing the popular podcast format as another method of sharing educator and student experiences. Listen to my conversation about antiracist leadership with Elementary Principal Aaron Thiell, where we discuss how leaders can establish adult cultures that actively confront racism. Or, if you would prefer to hear student voices, watch the webinar Students in the Struggle: Voices on Policing and Protest, moderated by CASDA partner Common Thread and featuring student perspectives on the reaction by community police to Black Lives Matter protests this past summer. Another podcast offering titled, Activism as Education: Young Leaders Confront White Supremacy, delves into the high school experiences of Samira Sangare, a recent college graduate, and her brother T.J., who is currently a sophomore in college. The siblings speak about their experiences as Black students in a predominantly white district, which failed to prepare them for the challenges of racism in their adult lives.

Our January newsletter endeavors to achieve the goal of grassroots advocacy through a commitment to educator and student voice. CASDA is intent on sustaining the voice of advocacy from the field. To that end, I would like to extend an invitation to educators throughout our region to contact me if you are interested in writing an article for a future newsletter, or one of CASDA’s Weekly Roundups, sent each Friday. I am always looking for educators to speak with me about their experiences, so join me as a guest for a CASDA EdCast or my It’s Intentional podcast.

In closing, let me reiterate, CASDA’s commitment to voices from the field is unwavering and our respect for the work of educators, students and families is unquestionable. Thank you to the educators and students who contributed to the inaugural quarterly newsletter and I hope to hear from other voices from the field in the future. Be well, be strong!