Creating circles of support for girls in schools and on campuses

The women of NYSUT have built a safe space to gather and create, plan and advocate for women's equity and equality through the NYSUT Women's Committee, which was established for the first time in NYSUT's 50 year history at the 2017 NYSUT Representative Assembly. 

As grown women, we know what this circle of support has meant to us. 

The question, how do we replicate this model for our students both in P-12 and in higher education? 

For the answer we needed to look no further than our own NYSUT women leaders who had already started this work in communities, locals, and districts across New York state. Young girls ages six to early adulthood shared their experiences with us. What we found was how profoundly these clubs have impacted these girls. Their words were the inspiration to spread this message in every space and place that needs to hear it.

Women Empowerment Clubs should be everywhere, particularly for girls of color!

Why? 

Just listen to what students had to say about these clubs:

• It's incredibly important for women to know they have a safe space to be accepted just as they are.
• This club offers a space where competition and comparison among women doesn't exist and doesn't matter.
• Knowing that other girls are going through the same things you are is really comforting.
• We've created a community that is constantly adapting and changing to meet our needs.
• This group has fueled a desire to be curious about things, engage in dialogue with an open mind, and seek out education on topics of interest.
• Being surrounded by my fellow students in this way made me confident and comfortable in my own skin.

The young women who participated in these clubs continually used the word empowered to describe how they felt about the work they accomplished. They all referenced the clubs as a starting point for their leadership development. 

These women referenced the roles they played in their club like secretary, vice president, or president. They saw these roles as essential to their personal growth. 

Another common thread was wanting to pay it forward to other girls and women. Even at their young ages they saw the value in giving back. These clubs helped these women see themselves as service leaders in their communities. What more could we ask of the students we teach? 

We want our students to see themselves as having a voice in our communities and society. These clubs did that for these girls.

Growing up, my school and community certainly did not offer anything like this, and I would have benefited from it so much. I was painfully shy, extremely introverted, and certainly never saw myself as a leader. These young people already have a strong idea of who they are as women and who they want to be as they continue to evolve. What. A. Gift! 

Sure, these clubs benefit the students who make up the fabric of the club, but it should be said that ALL students, not just girls, are welcome in these clubs and do attend and participate in the meetings, and these clubs get things done!

Clubs like these change the school climate for the better. Members...

• ensure the bathrooms are stocked with free period products.
• lobby for gender neutral bathrooms, so all students feel safe and comfortable. 
• speak up so dress codes are equitably enforced.
• model the language students should use toward one another to create a respectful environment. 
• rally for causes they care about in their communities by attending marches or by collecting items or money to assist others in need.  

The State Education Department has created a workgroup entitled The Girls of Color Interagency Workgroup with the goal of creating equitable learning spaces and addressing inequality in our educational system. Seems to me that Women Empowerment Clubs might be one small way to address this goal. A link to their work can be found here: Girls of Color Interagency Workgroup

The point is this. 

Achieving equity and equality for everyone and building a world where we all belong, are seen, and respected will take many forms. 

A club like this in your community, school, or on your campus can be anything you want it to be and can start with students as young as elementary school and continue into college. There are no rules except to say if you build it, they will come. 

The women of NYSUT have designed a tool to help you get started with your club. It is found here at NYSUT Women. We even have a grant to help you get your club started. Learn more about our grant: Mosaics of Sisterhood Grant

It took nearly 50 years for NYSUT to create a standing committee for women to find their voices, share their experiences, and support and empower one another. Let's not make our girls, particularly our girls of color, wait 50 years to have this same deep connection. Start a club in your community, school, or campus today and watch these circles of support grow! 

 

And how are the teachers?

The traditional greeting of the Maasai people in Africa asks, "And how are the children?" The response, "The children are well." 

As educators, we spend countless years of our life ensuring that in fact the children are well. However, right now, during this pandemic there is a second question to ask, "And how are the teachers?" Unfortunately, the response right now from most teachers is, "We are not well." 

If we do not take care of our teachers, right now, we will not have anyone left to take care of the children in our public schools. It is just that simple. 

I spent the morning of October 19th listening to the International Summit on the Teaching Profession (#ISTP21). It was an important conversation that included education and labor leaders from countries around the world including the United States. 

What struck me was the overwhelming focus on teachers and their wellbeing.  

As an advocate for teachers and their wellbeing, I was heartened to hear so many discuss the reality that teacher wellbeing and student achievement are linked — something we all know but seldom hear acknowledged so openly. 

Much of the discussion was focused on a cultural shift within education. I could not agree more with that! However, what needs to happen, in my humble opinion, is to rebuild trust. Teachers have lost trust in those making educational decisions to utilize their expertise. Even when we have good leadership at the state and federal levels, teachers are weary. They wonder how long it will last and whether any good initiatives or thoughts will be able to sustain once those leaders are no longer in those seats. That is why we need a complete and utter cultural shift within education.  

We are in a pivotal moment for education. One where we must think transformatively about the culture we want to create in our schools. However, we cannot get to where we need to be without valuing, honoring, and listening to teachers. For far too long we have talked at them, to them and around them. Policies have been top/down and test/punish. Teachers and their schools have been placed on lists without any rhyme or reason and without the necessary supports to help them achieve and grow. 

Here are some straightforward steps we can take to help rebuild the trust that has been eroded: 

• Listen to teachers and value and respond to what they have to say. Ask what they need and then give it to them. Check in with them without punishment to see how it is going, monitor, and adjust as needed. 
• Fund public education in P12 and higher education. Invest in education. Provide the funding promised so teachers can innovate, create, and imagine a culture of education that supports the whole child and the whole teacher. 
• Fund and provide high-quality embedded professional learning for our teachers like the type we provide through NYSUT's Education and Learning Trust. We must ensure our teachers are supported as they navigate the challenges they face.  
• Do away with systems that test, punish and sort teachers, schools, and children into inequitable categories they cannot shake.  

NYSUT has just put out our Future Forward report with five pillars to keep our public schools as the center of every community. You can read it here: NYSUT's Future Forward Report And, as I shared earlier, NYSUT has professional learning to help all educators attend to their wellness and the wellness of their students. Go to www.ELT.nysut.org to learn more. Don’t consider ELT PD; consider it time for yourself, because until each and every teacher can answer the proverb with the answer, "Yes, the teachers are well," we are not doing enough to support our schools, colleges, educators, and of course, the children.