february 22, 2015
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THOUGHTS- EXPERIENCES- AND OBSERVATIONS
OUR REAL STORY/ Page one
A SUMMARY OF OUR WORK WITH PPS FOR A
MORATORIUM ON PUSHOUT AND CHANGING SCHOOL DISCIPLINE CODES
After Eleven Months
from the Director of PPU
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This statement of concerns prompted a PPU report card see
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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THOUGHTS- EXPERIENCES- AND OBSERVATIONS (E.I.T.R. Our Real Story/Getting It Off Our Chest) Summary Page 2
after 18 Months
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AN OUTLINE COMES FROM THIS "INTRO "
Success and Failures ( After 24 Months)
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INTRODUCTION WHO ARE WE? WHERE ARE WE?
OUR Community organizing is a process where we as a people who have had the same experiences of "marginalization " with our families or ourselves. We sometimes live in proximity to each other. We came together into an organization that acts in a shared self-interest. Unlike those who promote more-consensual community building, PPU organizing generally assumes that social change will inherently involve conflict and social struggle in order to generate collective power for the powerless. The disparities didn't happen overnight. Our educational oppression has been a timeless message that tells of the struggle of our marginalized families and how every day for generations we push our children to rise above the education system's expectations. We must see and name the process of knowing and connecting to the PPU's message as our Families' capital. PPU's core goal of community organizing is to generate durable power for Portland Parent Union representing the community, allowing us to influence key decision-makers on a range of issues over time. In the ideal, this can get community organizing groups a place at the table, consistently, before important decisions are made.
​Portland Parent Union works with, loves up, supports, educates and helps to encourage partnerships, parent leaders, as well as facilitates and participates in coalitions and assists in or creates the development of campaigns to be inclusive of all stakeholders. We have a desire to influence all tables that claim they are working in our behalf.
Portland Parent Union is representing the needs of the Families most impacted by “Push out” from educational institutions.
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We have been intentional about being inclusive of all stakeholders in the conversations. It is important to hear all voices especially the parents and students whom we label as "impacted families." PPU's common sense and critical thinking on this matter tells us that someone is always skeptical of hearing the voices most impacted. The most impacted do not trust because they can sense the skepticism. How many times have we said to those who are educating our children directly or indirectly, " it must be a team effort." This means including and listening to the parents for the needs of the child. Parents know their children. It seems very hard for those who are in the professional realm to understand this concept, even if they are parents themselves. The difference is they have not been affected. We all speak it but practicing inclusivity has been the problem. We must define collectively what "inclusivity really means".
REFERENCE: Organizing for school reform offers an urgently needed alternative to traditional approaches to school reform. While many current reforms are innovative, they often fail to thrive due to lack of trust, understanding, or cultural relevance to the community being targeted by the reform (Oakes & Rogers 2006; Payne 2008). The high turnover of reformers (superintendents, principals, or outside organizations) in high-need schools and districts is another major cause of school reform failure (Mintrop & Sunderman 2009). Finally, reforms also fail because they do not address extreme inequities in resources and empowerment between poor communities and their more privileged counterparts (Oakes & Rogers 2006; Renée, Welner & Oakes 2010).
Restoration And Determination
Many children act out because of adult low expectations of them. Adults meaning parents, teachers, community, etc. That means making sure that all are intentional about the child's needs and not just hoping child will go away. What we are dealing with is a lot of internalized stuff that people are carrying in their hearts. I say this to all, if adults do better the children do better. Children watch adult behavior and copy that. They will live up to adult expectations of them. If it's negative expectations that's what will manifest.
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Our intentions have been to unpack some of this stuff. If people will put their egos down and start gathering, talking and listening to each other a whole "paradigm shift" will happen. If we are intentional about practicing talking and listening to each other a restorative essence will penetrate the hearts and minds of people. Until that healing takes place it will still be business as usual. The powerful ones overshadowing the not so powerful. Humans' insecure natures will keep us fighting each other. We know that for sure. PPU is determined, as well as others, to use a different approach this time. We truly know what we could be up against and do need all kinds of experts. It is possible to slow down and pay attention to the real needs of our families!
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Healing And Judgement
WHAT IS THE PATH? WHAT IS THE SOCIAL CHANGE? LOOK FOR A WAY TO LIFT SOMEONE UP!
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From PPU's truths we believe we have done our best and we are standing in our own light and our own joy? Are others really doing the best they can?
We are discovering that PPU is the main character in this story. Promoting a Paradigm Shift, encouraging all to come together, encouraging the most impacted as the leaders. Navigating the intentional surrendering of our power. This means heart action instead of head action. Now we get it, realizing things happened the way they happened. Someone once said to me don’t want it more for others than they want for themselves. In our desire to bring folks together through our storytelling and the “Loving Up Movement”, a discovery happened. Even though we all think this movement is a great idea we do not have the capacity or the patience to embrace it. This is a fast food society and we are fast food thinkers and doers. We get impatient with the process. Investment in the process is out of the question for whatever reasons. Also there is the class system we are up against. I have observed those at the table who think they know better and grow impatient with our process. We are the ones harmed, you are not the ones harmed, but you are in those positions to help us make the changes necessary for our children to get the best education possible.
Liberation And Confessions
The practice for us is that uncovering. We attempted to do this in the first phase of this process. What is happening to this process? Are we grateful for the process only because it looks/sounds good on paper and to the world. Of course us who have not been trained show up for this process to be supported, validated and mentored. Do we understand this is a work in progress? Do we give room for those who are experts in professional facilitation or do we make room for a slower process for those who are not professional facilitators or professionals at all!
Cultural, Academic, and Class differences is the blend we want but not at the expense of marginalizing the experienced/most affected voices on "push out".
The whole idea of the trust circles and relationship building
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We need to be in a clear space for all to accept our offerings. This is directed to both sides. We do see the more we meet the more divided we become because we are approaching this process with all levels of expectations. The provision of materials and information to start bringing us to more common ground and to get the ball rolling has not been successful. To PPU this looks like business as usual.
Relationships are waiting to be healed. From that healing comes productivity. It is not just enough to show up. Most of us who come from the "professional privilege" lens refuse to surrender our hearts. We will not talk or give input. We proclaim to all we just want to observe. We who are most impacted say this is equal to not showing up at all! We've observed after the gatherings most are comfortable with talking with their own professional colleagues, but not with those it is most important to talk to. Yes a shift is imperative.
Some do come with issues against us especially those who claim to be for us. PPU has observed these traits:
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A school board member thinking he could criticize our efforts because of a closed door policy. Meeting to protect and make a safe space for our parents to participate.
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show up because have to, but sure ain't going to participate.
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become the gatekeepers of this process.
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get offended by our words (our truths) writing us off by not showing up or participating at all. never considering that offensive words, community gate keeping, marginalization, exclusivity, low expectations, stereotyping and class-ism is what the impacted/affected ones have to put up with everyday of their lives. the internalized distrusting is there.
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show up with own self interests, to take away, to use against us. a teacher walked into our meeting with a smirk look on her face, she thought she was infiltrating the process. showing up to get information to take back to her camp. it was ironical for the simple fact we want teachers to be at the table and most times, include them in the process, share materials and invitations. we always honored teachers in our space as one of the key advisers, but they didn't show up.
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PPU is concerned by some being in a position were all could finally come together as a common ground community. We ask for simple things but there are excuses.. We show up unprepared but yet we think we know what our families are going through. Some think they can speak for us or speak of the process to the public without mentioning the partnerships/relationships with PPU and others. This action gives the illusion that all changes are the District's ideas. The communities on the ground and in the know hear this and become more skeptical of the District's motives.
The district- it feels -appeases us by sending a team that really doesn't have the power to make a decision, are new to the process, or do not have an understanding of the agreed upon subject matter. This cannot be acceptable.
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PPU is a logical- common sense- organization whose life skills/experience navigates our heart actions, instead of the intellectual stuff. We hold on to the promises made to us to many times with the good intentions. How do we dismantle that distrust we have? How do we keep our promises to each other?
So many decision makers don’t ask questions or respond with truths when asked. This comes under the word "assumptions". Meaning they assume we buy the politics. We have begun to call them lies. A gesture that perpetuates distrust!
If you have any objections towards us or our ways understand it is because we show up with life long harms. Any opportunity we get we will speak of our harms because there is never a space to just to let that happen. There is never anyone who will just listen without interjections, judgement, pity, guilt, professional privilege or time constraints.
continued:
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THOUGHTS- EXPERIENCES- AND OBSERVATIONS (E.I.T.R. Our Real Story) "Getting it off our chest" Summary Page 2
after 28 Months
