The GSP Monthly Dispatch – January 2021
Welcome to the archive of The GSP Monthly Dispatch, our monthly roundup of upcoming events as well as fresh and insightful writing from our school coaches. Did you know you can get the Dispatch delivered to your inbox every month for free? All you need to do is sign up.
Welcome to 2021! In less than three weeks, we’ve endured what feels like a year’s worth of bad news. Domestic terrorists stormed the Capitol, the heart of our democracy. Our country is grieving. But amid this grief, we must not lose sight of the work. Your work. Our work. Together, we can bring justice to our schools and progress to our communities. Let 2021 be the year we take unbridled strides toward educational equity.
Now, to the January issue of The GSP Monthly Dispatch. This month, we bring you:
The last chance to register for our upcoming discovery session on the Elements of Effective Instruction
A few words from our executive director about the insurrection at our Capitol on January 6
Two insightful blogs about loving your students and bringing humanity to the virtual classroom
New tools for school leaders and facilitators of racial affinity groups
A reminder (and video!) about the Common Data Project Annual Report
Visit our event calendar for a full list of upcoming events.
It’s your last chance to register! Our next discovery session will introduce you to the Elements of Effective Instruction (EEI), with a particular focus on remote and hybrid learning. The EEI framework is grounded in the understanding that students are more interested and invested in their learning when they feel safe in their learning environment, understand what they are learning and why it matters, have opportunities to practice, receive clear feedback on their work, and engage in complex, meaningful thinking.
Learn how to apply this framework to remote and hybrid environments:
Last chance to register:
January 6, 2021: A Growth Obligation
“Talking with our students and children about the historical reality of America is not an opportunity but an obligation. And maybe, January 6 can help us all start to have an honest—and eventually, healing—conversation about racism and privilege in America.”
Loving Your Students Is the First Step, But It Can’t Be the Only Step
“For months now, I have been sitting in my suburban town in Connecticut, still in a position of privilege, reflecting on my former role as a White teacher in a room filled with Black and Brown students. I wasn’t prepared for the conclusion I would reach.”
Bringing Humanity to the Virtual Classroom: Lessons Learned From My Desk
“Feeling, as in actual feelings, is an overlooked part of student engagement right now; the sense of belonging and positive connection to others (besides immediate family and close friends) is a large and important part of what school currently has to offer.”
Racial Affinity Groups: Tools for School Leaders and Facilitators
A racial affinity group is a group of people sharing a common race who gather with the intention of finding connection, support, and inspiration. Racial affinity groups can happen within any profession or organization, including education. The resources included here are specifically targeted to the development of racial affinity groups for educators of color where such groups can provide participants support to survive the racial isolation that exists in many schools and institutions.
Common Data Project Annual Report
In case you missed it: Last month, we released the NESSC Common Data Project Annual Report, which provides transparent, comparable data about high school and college outcomes from across the New England states.
Click the image above or the button below to visit our website. Here you can read or download the complete report, as well as hear Hayley Didriksen, our director of research and evaluation, talk about why data matters and how this report can inform and galvinize efforts to improve educational systems across the region.
Thanks for reading! See you next month.
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A free monthly roundup of upcoming Great Schools Partnership events, as well as fresh and insightful writing from our school coaches.