" . . .contrary to myth, effective collaborative cultures are not based on like-minded consensus.  They value diversity because that is how they get different perspectives and access to ideas to address complex problems.  Under such conditions, inequity is far less likely to go unnoticed or to be tolerated."    -Fullan, 1999,  p.37
This quote absolutely resonated with me.  Often we like when groups flow and are easy- no resistance, no tension.  True collaboration that is worthwhile and leads to positive change must contain diversity in order to see an issue from as many angles as possible.  Without diversity, sometimes decisions are made that leave out one or many perspectives, which is, of course, problematic and counterproductive.

As I read about Maple View School District I couldn't help but compare my school district with Maple View.  They sound very similar.  The authors of the book asked the question "How do you learn about the families of your students?" That question got me thinking, and I'm not really sure how.  I meet the families of the students I work with individually sometimes, but I don't know if our school really has a conscious, intentional, plan for meeting and getting to know families besides the standard Back-To-School-Night, Open House, and PTO meetings.  I definitely see that as an area where our school site can grow.

As I think about how Cultural Proficiency can have positive impact on education at our school site, I see the most impact coming from having teachers use this approach in order to become aware of their own biases, prejudices and expectations.  Since teachers at my site work very often one-on-one with students, they can personally impact and influence students in a big way.

Reading of Supt. Campbell's story in striving for major change in Maple View two components struck a chord with me.  The first is that Dr. Campbell recognized the need to "strengthen the connection between teaching to standards and culturally proficient instruction" (p.57).  If a standards-based instruction approach was to be implemented effectively in the classrooms of Maple View, the teaching staff would be much more connected and successful if they were also culturally proficient.  The second item that struck a chord with me was the idea of viewing diversity as an opportunity rather than a challenge.  That is HUGE!  So often educators get stuck in talking about what is wrong and why the circumstances within a given population create barriers. The shift to looking at diversity as an opportunity is vital.

In table 4.1 on page 59 I also took particular notice of the shift in language between "assumptions that hold us" and "assumptions that we hold."  If, as educators, we see assumptions as something we hold, then there is the possibility to challenge and change. When assumptions hold us we are powerless to do anything about it.  Language is powerful!  The most important question in this chapter is the one that asks us what it is going to take for us to grow as culturally proficient learning communities.  I don't know that answer to that question, but I do know that being willing to look at ourselves and our communities honestly, and with an positive attitude, along with being aware of the language we use, will go a long way toward progress in that direction.

"We can work to change the embedded structures so that our schools become more hospitable places for student and adult learning.  But little will really change unless we change ourselves."
                                                 -Barth, 1991, p. 128


A true learning community must be intentional, inclusive, aware, connected and realistic.  There are many challenges in bringing together diverse groups of people to work, learn, and grow together.  In an educational setting a learning community must begin with a shared understanding of the population being served by schools in the area and must be lead by leadership that is committed and open to sharing ideas for the common good of students.  I loved the quote on page 38 that suggests that success lies in the ability for school leaders to transform their thinking ". . . from accountability as a matter of compliance to thinking about accountability as their moral, professional responsibility."  This chapter really gets at the crux of true leadership in suggesting that true leadership comes from within the leader, and is not a set of motions that a leader puts him or herself through.  When it comes to looking at the achievement of all students within a community, the leadership has to have the ability to look beyond the circumstances and ask, "What are we going to do to ensure student achievement despite these circumstances?"  A community is just like anything else... the situation is what it is.  Judgement and the throwing up of hands doesn't help in any way.  A community needs leadership that can approach the situation with an acceptance of what is- and the determination to see what can be pulled together through learning, community, collaboration and shared vision to enact and implement true change that leads to achievement for as many students as possible.

I have worked as part of several learning communities through the span of my almost 20-year career- each of them different. My current school site is a school of choice, and attracts a variety of students for a variety of reasons.  It is probably the most diverse group of students with diverse backgrounds and circumstances I have ever worked with. Fortunately our current leader has a heart of gold and carries empathy with her wherever she goes- which balances well with her business sense and ability to run a school building, and leads to her making student-centered decisions that consistently improve student achievement and student experience at our school.  Like most schools though, we still have a lot of work to do.  We have an extremely close and caring staff who have been together through several iterations of our school plan and several changes in leadership.  As a staff and learning community we are in need of a consistent mission and vision for our students, or as mentioned on page 45, we have to ask ourselves, "What is the business of our business?"  It is my hope that in this coming school year we hone in and define that vision and purpose so that it can be incorporated into every single aspect of what we do as a school and a learning community.  I hope to see our parents and families come to feel welcome and valuable to our learning community as well. Clearly the best thing for students is for their community, parents, school leaders, teachers, and peers to share an understanding of community culture and circumstances and be able to keep that in mind as we work to educate students and lead them to achievement and success. The lens of cultural proficiency might help our learning community stay on an authentic path, and not fall into the trap of just going through the motions for compliance. 

I was not able to join our virtual session on June 2nd as I was attending my high school's graduation. Congrats to the hardworking students of the Vista Visions Academy Class of 2015! In lieu of attending class I listened to the recorded session, and I was still able to enjoy the discussion and interaction.  Here are a few of my thoughts as I listened to this session:

Article on Confronting Racial and Religious Tensions-
I agreed with Christina, Ulisses and Sara that it is important to allow time for students to express themselves in  terms of their confusion, questions, and anxieties regarding these issues.  Validating students and creating a supportive environment in which they can discuss and come to understand these issues is really the foundation for true understanding and change. I also agree with the quote that Angelica shared about these issues being distracting to students in their academics if these are issues students are struggling with.  Anyone who knows me knows that I love Story. Our personal stories are such strong driving forces within us, and when we find ourselves in supportive environments we can learn so much from the stories of others and also use our own stories as point of reference and/or filters for understanding the world, people, and dynamics we yearn to learn more about.
Fiore Chapter 2:  My thoughts and observations on the class discussion:

• I thought the discussion on home visits was so interesting.  I don't know how educators find the time to make home visits, but I do absolutely see the value in them.
  
• Community communication and involvement is an important part of an administrator's role, and while it is time consuming, it is a worthy investment.
  

Code switching: switching from one culture to another as needed. 
"Validate, Appreciate, & Celebrate all students' cultures"- Will Mellman (while also teaching them how to navigate and be successful in mainstream American culture)
Case Study: Caroline Jackson
Connection is EVERYTHING . Don't wait for the community to come to you.  Reach out. Be approachable.
Food is common denominator that people can feel proud of & share

"The future is in our hands . . . . A history that leaves out minorities reinforces separation, but an inclusive history bridges the divide."  -Takaki, 2008

We have to look critically at our history books and ask ourselves whose story is being told . . . and whose story isn't being told.  An inclusive history is the only history that matters, as the TRUTH is the only foundation that serves to help us move forward in a meaningful manner.  Chapter 2 of Culturally Proficient Learning Communities brought up so many important issues- so many, actually, that it is tough to organize them.
Three Key Learnings:  

• The achievement gap is not only a socioeconomic issue.
• Across U.S. history, federal legislation has been put in place to help create equity and promote equality.  While that has helped, it has also created (unintended?) labeling, especially within the public education system. These labels are tied to ethnicity, and have created a new hurdle in equity in education.
• Many programs have been created in the U.S. education system that were intended to raise awareness of difference and multiculturalism, and while they did raise awareness, many times they created separate practices that weren't natural and part of the everyday routine and culture of the classroom or school. 

Three Key Quotes/Comments:

• "Cultural proficiency is a way of being."  (p. 29)
• Business executives "recognized it was good business to address diversity-related issues." (p.28) -while I think businesses should address diversity-related issues, this quote clearly makes me question the motives of the executives. Is it about understanding diversity or is it about the bottom line?
• The assimilationist, or melting pot model of approaching cultural diversity"worked well for eastern and southern Europeans but did not work as well for people of color." (p. 28) 

Key Questions:

• Do we have the will to educate all children?
• As we move forward in our efforts to become culturally proficient, with schools, districts and various levels of government creating programs, laws and initiatives, how do we minimize the negative unintended outcomes of such initiatives?
• Today in education, are educators taking the broader approach to addressing equity issues by emphasizing diversity or is the less-broad focus on multiculturalism the norm?

Thoughts On My Practice As An Educator:

• Good intentions are good, but they have to be followed with thoughtful and inclusive practice.
• The learning of my students takes place within a cultural context that is shaped by their individual cultures and their communities. As a teacher I have to be in touch with that so that I keep that context in mind as I create learning experiences.
• Involving the learner in the creation of learning experiences is of high importance in order for the learning experiences to be relevant and tailored to the cultural needs and context of the learner.

Overall, understanding the history of the strive toward equality, equity, and cultural proficiency is vital to understanding how to continue to strive toward those things in today's world.  Creating intentional learning communities is an important part of the process, as educators who have decided they have the WILL to educated all children come together to learn how to "place learning within the context of the cultural communities they serve." (p.30)

"Most people I meet want to develop more harmonious and satisfying relationships- in their organizations, communities, and personal lives.  But we may not realize that this desire can only be satisfied by partnering with new and strange allies- curiosity and disturbance."     -Margaret Wheatley, 2001

 I agree with the above quote. The only way to truly develop harmonious and mutually satisfying relationships is to become curious about others, which many times will create the needed disturbance and disruption that leads to change. Becoming curious about others challenges us to soften our boundaries and edges and make room for different perspectives and realities.  In my current roles as an educator, I can see areas within where I work that are strong in creating learning communities, whether at the site or district level, and I can also see plenty of room for growth that I think will be beneficial to our larger learning community as well as to myself. (Pg. 4)

As I read through the vignettes on page 5 that describe different learning communities and experiences, it all sounded rather familiar.  My observation is that many of these vignettes describe experiences that are well-intentioned or have the ability to affect the learner, but what is lacking is a cohesive plan, focus and structure to take well-intentioned ideas to a place where deep learning can take place.  There is power in a group, rather than an individual, in engaging in focused learning- the kind of learning that disrupts and transforms individuals as well as PLCs. Many times the well-intentioned ideas and experiences are met with obstacles like: not enough planning time, not enough time to research and implement, politics, and conversations like: "That's the way it's always been done,"  Having the vision to create true professional learning communities has the potential to impact learning for all stakeholders in education. (page 6)

When I read "Cultural Proficiency Is About Intention," that resonated with me (Cross 1989). Cross is spot on in describing cultural proficiency as an inside-out process.  It is inside-out both personally and as an organization and community.  If the people involved are willing to search themselves first, then they open themselves up for truly looking at their own assumptions, biases, and cultural knowledge, noticing (with the respectful help of others) misconceptions or gaps in accurate information and learning. Working within professional learning communities to intentionally learn, grow and practice, can help individuals fill in the gaps in their cultural knowledge.  From that newly gained perspective, individuals will transform the way they engage with the communities they are part of.  Resistance to Change, Systems of Oppression and A Sense of Privilege and Entitlement are all barriers to true cultural understanding, empathy and equity.  What struck me is the idea that people benefit from membership in a particular cultural group, but many times aren't even aware of those benefits. That is important for individuals to learn about and consider. The Guiding Principles of Cultural Proficiency are vital. My reaction to reading those is that it is important to realize that each student in our classrooms and each colleague we work with, all have a cultural story and an individual story, and intentionally learning about each other and each other's perspectives creates optimal learning for all. (pg. 16)

The Cultural Proficiency Continuum really got me thinking.  I imagine many people would place themselves farther over on the right of the continuum than they really are.  I am looking forward to learning more about myself and where I truly fall on that continuum, as I also work to enhance my awareness and actions in working toward my own cultural proficiency. (pg. 18)

The Essential Elements of Cultural Proficiency seems like a refined, laser-specific summary of the ideal elements present in a healthy, culturally proficient community.  A learning community which has reached that ideal state is one in which the culture of the learning environment is such that differences are embraced and informal and formal procedures are in place to meet the needs of all stakeholders. 
(pg. 20)

Three Key Learnings From Chapter 1:  

• "The underserved could be colleagues, students, and/or members of the community." (pg. 19)  This is so important to remember.  Everyone is affected by lack of cultural proficiency and inequity.

• "...many educators have turned a blind eye to students underserved." (pg. 15)  Why is this?  I would guess in most cases it isn't because educators don't care.  I think it is because educators don't know what to do to help.  Sometimes the challenges of a community are overwhelming to educators who are already tasked with so much. There is a hope and assumption that "somebody else" will make that cultural or community situation better. 

• It is important for leaders to "shift their perspective on change from reforming structures, policies, and rules in schools to transforming relationships, interactions, and the behaviors of people within the schools and districts." (pg. 15) - This signifies that the focus should primarily be on the people, not the policies.