{"id":7003,"date":"2015-11-02T16:25:04","date_gmt":"2015-11-02T20:25:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/?p=7003"},"modified":"2019-09-04T09:52:48","modified_gmt":"2019-09-04T13:52:48","slug":"equity_liaisons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/2015\/11\/02\/equity_liaisons\/","title":{"rendered":"Equity Liaisons: Everybody&#8217;s Cheerleader"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"669\" height=\"376\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-3YqA2URwfE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>At the beginning of second period at Arundel High School, 10<sup>th<\/sup> grade student Ayesha* sits with Katara West, a Mathematics teacher at the school, and looks over a grade report from the previous week. There are a lot of solid grades, but also several missing assignments. What we have to think about, Katara says to the student, is not where we should have been, but where we are now\u2014what are the next steps? Katara, who meets regularly with Ayesha, knows that Ayesha understands the content but struggles with assignments because of a situation at home. They create a plan to spend study hall each day in Katara\u2019s office so that, together, Ayesha can stay on top of her work. As Ayesha picks up her backpack, Katara pulls out a brush to help fix Ayesha\u2019s hair and reminds her to take a deep breath, before writing a pass to second period.<\/p>\n<p>Katara is the Equity Liaison at Arundel High School and, uniquely, the only full-time Equity Liaison in Anne Arundel County. Trained by the <a href=\"http:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/oeasa\/\">Office of Equity and Accelerated Student Achievement<\/a> (OEASA), every school has an Equity Liaisons who serves as expert in the building to offer resources and promote strategies to empower educators, families, and the community to achieve AACPS\u2019 goal of elevating all students and eliminating all gaps.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Building Relationships to Reach All Students<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Like all Equity Liaisons Katara works with the school\u2019s administration to look at a wide range of school-based information\u2014from test scores and classroom grades to attendance rates and number of referrals\u2014and identify where there are gaps in achievement between different groups of students. Whether they are between students of different race, socioeconomic status, gender, spoken language, or any other factor, gaps exist is every school. It is the responsibility of the Equity Liaison to find the students who are struggling and develop targeted strategies to help them reach their fullest potential.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7034\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/B1IixWOIEAAQyPa.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7034\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7034\" src=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/B1IixWOIEAAQyPa-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"From Elementary to High School, Equity Liaisons help connect students to role models throughout the building.\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/B1IixWOIEAAQyPa-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/B1IixWOIEAAQyPa-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/B1IixWOIEAAQyPa-66x66.jpg 66w, https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/B1IixWOIEAAQyPa.jpg 643w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7034\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><em>From Elementary to High School, Equity Liaisons help connect students to role models throughout the building.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Equity Liaisons know that one of the most important strategies to support these students is to build one-on-one relationships. By getting to know each child and learning their individual background and interests, Equity Liaisons can help them determine: Where are you now? Where do you want to go? And how can we help you get there? Together, they help students set goals, develop a path to reach those goals, and remind students that even though they may not be there yet, someday they will.<\/p>\n<p>At Arundel High School, Katara and other members of her Equity Team meet regularly with students one-on-one to look at their grades and discuss strategies for continuing on a successful path. By meeting once or twice each week, these students can address challenges as they arise instead of trying to climb out of a hole at the end of the marking period. Like many Equity Liaisons, Katara has helped develop mentoring groups throughout the school. While most Equity Liaisons fill this role in addition to their full-time job as teacher, counselor, or other member of the school team, as a full time Equity Liaisons, Katara has more time to reach out into the community and so has made outreach a primary part of her role. <em>(Arundel High School is currently the only school in the county to create non-teaching Equity Liaison position).<\/em> By making connections to existing mentorship programs in the area such as Aziza, Free to Rise, and Harvesting Hope, Katara has been able to leverage the experience of leaders from within the community to help groups of students develop a network where they belong. Any student in the school can participate in these groups, but they are also specifically encouraged to the students who may be in danger of falling \u201cin the gap.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But even beyond formal mentoring, Katara lets all students who walk through her door know that she is there for them. Whether it be offering tutoring for a math test, helping to get school supplies, or working with on a dance routine before an audition, Katara gives these students\u2014who may not feel like they belong anywhere\u2014someone to fall back on. When students know they have support they are more confident. With that confidence they are more likely to move out of their comfort zone and try something new, whether that be participating in a college visit or deciding to start a new club. \u201cBecause they know I\u2019m here for them and that I will guide them,\u201d Katara says, \u201cthey\u2019ll take opportunities they wouldn\u2019t otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Providing this emotional support is crucial because good grades are only one piece of what students need to be successful. Academics are important, but equally important are confidence, determination, grit, and social skills. And when students succeed socially, they will be able to succeed academically. As Katara says, \u201cAcademic success isn\u2019t born sitting at a table and doing work; it\u2019s about confidence, access, opportunity, being exposed to different things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Growing Learners, Growing Minds<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_7006\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Collage.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7006\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7006\" src=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Collage-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Creating a growth mindset culture requires the engagement of the entire school community. \" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Collage-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Collage-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Collage-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Collage-66x66.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7006\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><em>Creating a growth mindset culture requires the engagement of the entire school community.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p>To help students develop these emotional skills, AACPS recognized the importance and power of promoting <a href=\"http:\/\/qedfoundation.org\/fixed-vs-growth-mindsets\/\">growth mindset<\/a>, which is the conviction that every child is able to learn and is capable of success. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mindsetworks.com\/webnav\/whatismindset.aspx\">Research has shown that promoting a growth mindset can increase student achievement<\/a>, especially for those students who are most in danger of struggling. When teachers encourage their student to have a growth mindset, students learn the importance of perseverance, that mistakes offer an opportunity to grow, and that even if they are not mastered something <em>yet<\/em>, if they work hard, they can reach any goal. <em>(To learn more about the difference between growth vs. fixed mindset, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=brpkjT9m2Oo&amp;index=3&amp;list=PLOgAklNqu87PU7rUZsfkgMkvZxIKU0pba\"><em>click here<\/em><\/a><em>).<\/em><\/p>\n<p>To put this idea into practice, the OEASA created the #Room203 Challenge. Inspired by the true story of California teacher <a href=\"http:\/\/tedxtalks.ted.com\/video\/TEDxConejo-Erin-Gruwell-The-Fre\">Erin Gruwell<\/a> who inspired defeated students living in a gang-ridden neighborhood to believe in themselves and their ability to achieve, the #Room203 Challenge tasks teachers and principals to create a space and culture where each and every student feels valued, respected, and cared for. To promote this message from within the school building, AACPS relies on Equity Liaisons.<\/p>\n<p>While the role of Equity Liaison has been around for many years, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aacpsnews.org\/pressr\/?p=1554\">newly structured OEASA<\/a> has expanded the position over the past two years to become a more prominent leadership role within the schools. When selecting their school\u2019s Equity Liaison, principals are encouraged to look for an individual who is seeking opportunities for growth and who is already an advocate for all children. With the support of quarterly training and templates from the OEASA, Equity Liaisons have become empowered to present information and strategies about growth mindset and Room203 to their school and encourage individual teachers to facilitate an environment of inspiration and empowerment. As a result, Equity Liaisons and many individual teachers embraced the challenge and the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/room203?src=hash\">Room203 movement grew across Anne Arundel County<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Building on last year\u2019s momentum, Equity Liaisons are now expanding this movement to become <em>School203<\/em>, where everyone from students to teachers are engaged in a school-wide culture shift. Working with each school\u2019s leadership, Equity Liaisons are providing resources and ideas to empower staff to create a Room203 in every classroom and make sure every member of the school can work and learn in a positive, collaborative, and compassionate environment. From create an inviting physical space to building relationships with and among each member of the school community, Equity Liaisons help create a culture that is inclusive for everyone.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Creating an Environment for Everyone to Thrive<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_7033\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_20150726_201211.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7033\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7033\" src=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_20150726_201211-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Schools across the county showcase student artwork as constant reminders of students' creativity.\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_20150726_201211-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/IMG_20150726_201211.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7033\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><em>Schools across the county showcase student artwork as constant reminders of students&#8217; creativity.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Walking down the hallways of Frank Hebron-Harmon Elementary School, it is hard to miss the bright and colorful decorations that line the walls. Student artwork is displayed prominently in every hallway, photographs of students from the school hang by signs with sayings such as \u201cAll the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today,\u201d and individual passages are labeled \u201cResponsibility Road\u201d and \u201cKindness Court.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hebron-Harmon Elementary School understands the importance of creating an environment where all students are supported to learn. As a <a href=\"http:\/\/kidsathope.org\/who-we-are\/\">Kids at Hope School<\/a> with an <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aacpsadvancedstudies.org\/aacps\/Magnet\/International%20Baccalaureate\/PYP\/\">International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme<\/a> that uses <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pbis.org\/\">Positive Behavioral Interventions &amp; Supports<\/a> (PBIS), Hebron Harmon is committed to engaging all stakeholders in the belief that every child is a growing learner capable of success, no exceptions. But while all of these initiatives help create a supportive growth mindset environment for their students, building School203 depends on an equally supportive environment for staff.<\/p>\n<p>Stepping into Hebron-Harmon\u2019s faculty lounge, one of the first items you notice is the \u201cWall of Happiness,\u201d a large poster on one wall of the room that gives teachers a space to share encouraging thoughts, experiences, and quotes. On the center table there the \u201cGolden Apple Award\u201d box, where teachers can nominate a colleague for a monthly drawing, and in the corner are brightly decorated boxes for teachers to leave suggestions, questions, and comments for each of the school\u2019s committees. The atmosphere of the room is positive and relaxed, which is exactly what Equity Liaison Mabel Stoll was hoping to accomplish when she came in over the summer to redecorate the space.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7035\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/20151104_143154.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7035\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7035\" src=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/20151104_143154-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Equity Liaisons, and the OEASA, help create environments where teachers can have so that those teachers can feel empowered to help their students have fun as well. \" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/20151104_143154-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/20151104_143154-768x1024.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7035\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><em>Equity Liaisons encourage staff at each school to have fun and remember the joy that\u00a0should come with teaching and learning. <\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Mabel, who is a first grade teacher at Hebron-Harmon, is in her third year as an Equity Liaison. Guided by the support of the OEASA and her principal, Mabel has taken on a leadership role in her school and works hard to create an atmosphere that\u2014both physically and emotionally\u2014celebrates the staff as much as it celebrates the students. Whether presenting staff-wide professional development to implement a specific growth mindset strategy or dropping by a new teacher and asking about her day, Mabel reminds all teachers that they always have someone to whom they can turn. \u201cI\u2019m everyone\u2019s cheerleader,\u201d she says, \u201cI want people to be happy to be changing lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By supporting a caring environment for everyone at the school, Mabel both directly and indirectly encourages relationships among the staff and helps students see how to build relationships with each other. Ultimately, it is this network of relationships that encourages students to step out of their comfort zone and try something new, in school and beyond.<\/p>\n<p>In a school system of 126 schools and 81,000 students it can be easy to become overwhelmed with the data. But past these numbers, there are there are 81,000 individual children who each come to school with one goal\u2014to receive the best education possible. To reach this goal, students need more than strong academic programs; they need to know they are seen as individuals, each with a unique background and unique potential, and they need to know that their school wants to do whatever it can to serve them. With the support of the Equity Liaisons, this goal can become a reality and every child will be able to reach her fullest potential.<\/p>\n<p><em>Note: Students\u2019 names have been changed below to protect their privacy. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Each day 81,000 children come to school with one goal\u2014receive the best education possible. To reach this goal, students need more than strong academic programs; they need to know they are seen as individuals, each with a unique background and unique potential, and they need to know that their school wants to do whatever it can to serve them. In short, they need Equity Liaisons. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1001013,"featured_media":9182,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_expiration-date-status":"saved","_expiration-date":0,"_expiration-date-type":"","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[59,29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-behindthescenes","category-new"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1001013"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7003"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7003\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9183,"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7003\/revisions\/9183"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aacpsschools.org\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}