September 2019 Envision Equity

ENVISION 

EQUITY 

G I R L S O F C O L O R S T E A M A C A D E M Y 

A F R I C A N A M E R I C A N S T U D I E S 

T H E M O D E L 

AND MORE! 

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JCPS BOARD 

APPROVES GIRLS 

OF COLOR STEAM 

ACADEMY 

By Abdul Sharif, Generalist—Diversity, Equity, 

and Poverty Department 

On August 28, 2019, the Jefferson 

County Board of Education (JCBE) 

unanimously approved an academy tailored 

to middle school girls of color, which will 

open during the 2020-21 school year. 

Much like the W.E.B. DuBois Academy for 

boys, the girl’s academy will be aimed at 

promoting student equity and will have an 

Afro-centric curriculum and classes that 

focus on science, technology, engineering, 

art, and mathematics (STEAM). 

During the August 28 JCBE meeting, several 

community members voiced their support 

for the girls of color academy. Louisville 

Continue on next page 

2 

Photos: Continue Abdul on next Sharif page

Urban League president Sadiqa Reynolds, Bates Memorial Baptist Church 

Pastor Bruce Williams, AMPED CEO Dave Christopher, Metro Councilwoman 

Jessica Green, and several others attended the meeting to let JCBE members 

know why they support the girls of color academy. 

“It is time for us to have an opportunity to do for ourselves what it seems that 

the system has not been able to successfully do," Sadiqa Reynolds told board 

members. "Somehow, it seems that people in our community and our 

country have been convinced that little black girls and girls of color, brown 

girls, cannot learn in the same way that others can," Reynolds said. "And what 

we would like the opportunity to do is to show you just like with these boys, 

that there is something wrong with the system. There's nothing wrong with 

them." Reynolds continued. 

Additionally, Metro Council 

Woman Jessica Green 

compared the girls of color 

academy to her alma mater, 

Spelman College in Atlanta. "A 

single-sex institution 

dedicated to women of color 

decreases the amount of time 

a woman or girl has to spend 

Council Woman Jessica Green. 

fighting gender stereotypes in 

the classroom," Green said. "You can focus on learning. You can focus on 

soaring." 

To help the community understand why our district needs a girls of color 

academy, our office will be holding a series of girls of color community 

conversations. 


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Staring on October 17 at the 

W.E.B. DuBois Academy, Dr. 

Crystal deGregory will present on 

the importance of the HBCUs and 

a sense of belonging for girls of 

color. On January 22 at the 

W.E.B. DuBois Academy, Dr. 

Cherie Dawson-Edwards will 

present on the history and 

examples of injustice inside the 

school system. On March 25 at 

the W.E.B. DuBois Academy, Sam 

O’Bryant from SchoolSeed in 

Memphis, TN, will share his 

research on what an urban city 

needs to do in order to loosen the 

Diversity, Equity, and 

Poverty Department 

GIRLS OF 

COLOR 

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS 

Please join us for our 2019-20 Girls of Color Community 

Conversations, featuring local and national experts who 

will share their research, best practices, and strategies to 

teach and reach girls of color in our public schools. 

Dates & Speakers 

Dr. Crystal deGregory, Independent Scholar 

Dr. Cherie Dawson-Edwards, University of Louisville 

October 17 | 6–8 p.m. | W.E.B. DuBois Academy 

Dr. Crystal deGregory will present on the 

importance of the HBCUs and a sense of belonging for 

girls of color. 

January 22 | 6pm–8pm | W.E.B. DuBois Academy 

Dr. Cherie Dawson-Edwards will present on the history 

and examples of injustice inside the school system. 

Sam O’Bryant, SchoolSeed, Memphis 

March 25 | 6pm–8pm | W.E.B. DuBois Academy 

Sam O’Bryant from SchoolSeed in Memphis, TN, will 

share his research on what an urban city needs to do in 

order to loosen the grip of whiteness and proliferate 

equity. 

April 23, 2020 | 6pm–8pm | Louisville Urban League 

Dr. Shantel Crosby will discuss the book Sister Citizen iz 

and 

the disparate impact befallen Black girls. 

For more information, or to R.S.V.P., please contact Vanessa McPhail at 

485-3631 or email vanessa.mcphail@jefferson.kyschools.us. 

Dr. Shantel Crosby, University of Louisville 

grip of whiteness and to proliferate equity. And lastly, on April 23 at the 

Louisville Urban League, Dr. Shantel Crosby will discuss the book Sister 

Citizen and the disparate impact befallen Black girls. 

Each Community Conversation will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. All 

community members are encouraged to attend! 

For more information, please contact Vanessa McPhail at 485-3631 or 

vanessa.mcphail@jefferson.kyschools.us. 

!4

The Model 

Recognizing Culturally Responsive and Innovative Classroom Teachers 

Name: Bryan Smith 

School: Frederick Law 

Olmsted Academy North 

Growing up in a small town in 

western Kentucky, Bryan Smith and 

his siblings grew up in a close Christian 

community. Living in a single parent 

household, Bryan experienced economic, 

social, and cultural hardships. “I never 

really paid attention to the fact that my 

father was missing. We never had time to 

feel the void,” stated Bryan Smith. New 

challenges occurred once his family 

relocated to a city in Georgia. “When we 

moved, poverty became the backdrop of 

our lives. Alcoholism, drugs, gangs, and the 

threat of “lack” competed daily with our 

family values, faith, and 

resiliency,” Bryan recalled. Eventually 

returning to Kentucky, Bryan pursued his 

degree in Education. He now uses his past 

experiences to inspire others. 

Click here for video story. 

5 


Photo: Abdul Sharif

AFRICAN 

AMERICAN 

STUDIES 

ELECTIVE 

How Does it Prepare 

Students to be Critical 

Citizens? 

By Ryan New— 

JCPS Instructional 

Lead Social Studies 

The new Kentucky Academic 

Standards for Social Studies have 

opened up the possibility of really 

exploring the historic and contemporary 

world through the process of inquiry 

based instruction. Gone are the days of 

memorizing facts and dates—gone are 

also the days of standards that only 

reflect European history, people, and 

ideas. Inquiry based learning is about 

asking compelling and supporting 

questions, investigating these questions 

through the multidisciplinary lenses of 

civics, economics, geography, and 

history, exploring and using sources to 

build evidence, creating arguments that 

answer compelling questions, and taking action in classrooms, schools, 

and the community. This course aligns with the backpack of success skills, 

help building innovators, communicators, collaborators who will become 

more resilient and globally and culturally competent citizens. 

While there are great opportunities to explore the historical and 

contemporary lives of our global neighbors, electives help us narrow our 

investigations to specific groups or events so they can be better understood 

in a broader world context. African American Studies is an elective course 

that narrows this focus to trace the historical, political, societal, economic 

and cultural issues from ancient Africa through to contemporary issues 

facing African Americans—especially in a year marking 400 years 

(1619-2019) since people of Africa were enslaved in the English colonies. 


!6

Students in this elective will 

use the inquiry process to 

raise questions, explore 

sources that provide 

necessary perspective, 

build arguments, and take 

action. The spirit of the 

course meets race where it 

meets students, using their 

lived experiences to 

investigate the past while 

questioning the present and taking action so that they can experience and 

influence their communities in a way that will be worthy of future history. 

The course ends in a capstone, wherein students will present on the 

knowledge, skills, dispositions, and actions based upon their year long 

experiences. 

Mansa Musa, the 14th century African king of the Mali Empire. 

While we have built a course that we think is a good starting point, our goal 

is to make a course like this foundation to all student experiences—part of 

the core and not only an elective. This should not diminish this course, 

which was inspired by and in some cases, co-created by students of Black 

Student Unions across JCPS. Thank you to the students of Atherton, 

Seneca, Moore, and TJ Middle, Brown, and duPont Manual who reviewed, 

asked questions, and challenged our thinking. Thank you also to Dr. 

LaGarrett King, Dr. Ryan Crowely, as well as the resource teachers from DEP 

who reviewed the elective and will help make on-going modifications. Our 

goal is always to build transformative courses worthy of study and 

experience. 

!7

Resource Teacher Spotlight 

Name: Kennita Ballard 

Position: Resource Teacher, Accelerated Improvement Schools 

Kennita Ballard is an alternative certification teacher originally from 

the Washington D.C. area. Kennita came to the state of Kentucky by 

way of the program Teach 

Kentucky. She received her Masters 

of Arts in Teaching from the 

University of Louisville, and is 

currently in pursuit of a doctorate 

degree of English Pedagogy. 

Formerly, Ms. Ballard was a middle 

school 6th grade teacher at 

Olmsted Academy North where she 

engaged, inspired and empowered 

students each and every single 

day. 

Kennita has been recognized for 

Photo provided by Kennita Ballard. 

her work by being awarded the 

2019 Kentucky Council of Teachers of English (KCTE) Middle School 

Language Arts Teacher of the Year. She currently serves on the steering 

committee for the Kentucky Center for School Safety (KCSS) and KCTE as the 

diversity chair. Ms. Ballard has grown in her capacity as a teacher-leader and 

will be functioning as a district DEP resource teacher for the 2019-20 school 

year. 

!8

WE DON’T 

NEED 

ANOTHER 

ALLY 

By Kennita Ballard—Resource Teacher, 

Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Department 

Photos, Google Images. 

Ioften think about these lyrics by the 

great Tina Turner, “all the children say, 

we don't need another hero, we don't 

need to know the way home,” as it applies 

to the world of education specifically to 

how teachers engage with advocacy and 

ally-ship as a performative act. We see this 

all too often on social media, where social 

media has served as the platform for 

performative acts of allyship with 

adjectives taking precedent over verbs. 

That is not to imply that teachers who 

identify as advocates and allies are 

disingenuous, but the field of education is 

oversaturated with the celebration of and 

attention to rhetoric. Understandably so, 


!9

considering that the identity of being an advocate and ally does begin with 

rhetoric—the recognition and awareness of power, oppression is the critical and 

necessary foundation of any advocacy-based identity. That foundation, in turn, 

has to be maintained through consistent awareness of the privilege and power 

we have access to, however, there has to be more because there needs to be 

more. Our schools' current climate and culture demand that we begin to shift our 

mindsets, attitudes and more importantly our actions to standing with others. 

More than allies and advocates—our learners, especially those from diverse 

populations, deserve and need solidarity workers. 

Jon Greenburg, public school educator and creator of the Citizenship and Social 

Justice curriculum describes the need best in his blog post Curriculum for White 

Americans to Educate Themselves on Race and Racism–from Ferguson to 

Charleston. 

When teaching about race and racism, I invite participants to consider the 

following analogy: Think of racism as a gigantic societal-sized boot. 

“Which groups do you think are fighting the hardest against this boot of racism?” 

I ask them. Invariably, participants of diverse races answer that those fighting 

hardest to avoid getting squashed by the boot are people of color. (Keep in mind 

that I don’t ask this question on day one of our study of race. Rather, participants 

come to this conclusion after exploring the concept of White privilege and 

studying the history of race and racism in the United States through multiple 

sources and perspectives.) 

“If that’s true,” I continue, “then who do you think is wearing the boot?” The 

participants’ answer (though it often only reluctantly hits the air): White people. 


10

ENVISION EQUITY SEPTEMBER 2019 

“If that’s true, then whose responsibility is it to stop the boot from squashing 

them? The people of color already pushing upward and resisting the boot? Or 

the people wearing the boot–consciously or not–who contribute to a system 

that pushes downward?” 

Everyone has a role in ending racism, but the analogy shows how little sense it 

makes for only those facing the heel-end of oppression to do all the work. It’s 

time for White America to take on a far bigger role in taking off the boot. 

Photo Google Images. 

There are no 

doubt 

complexities that 

come with White 

Americans 

working for 

racial justice. 

White privilege 

can lead to a 

chronic case of 

undiagnosed 

entitlement, 

creating poor 

listeners, impatient speakers who talk over others, and people unaccustomed to 

taking orders. Nevertheless, the movement for racial justice needs more White 

Americans to get involved. And it is our responsibility to help each other get 

involved—and get involved productively. 


!11


This productively comes as a result of awareness and action combined, which is 

why we as educators 

can no longer allow 

ourselves to just be 

satisfied with being 

allies to our diverse 

learners. When we 

can make the shift 

from ally to solidarity 

workers, we are 

effectively 

decentering our roles 

in this type of social 

justice work and 

putting our diverse learners at the center of their empowerment. Solidarity is 

not going to come without growing pains, but it is a necessary and needed step 

to support the empowerment of disenfranchised populations and the 

destabilization of oppressive structures. 


!12

September 2019 

Check out our monthly update video featuring JCPS Chief of 

Communications Renee Murphy, and Community Affairs Specialist 

Vanessa McPhail, to find out what DEP has coming up this month! 

Click Here to Play 

!13

J C P S D E P 

#AREyoujcps? 

Podcast 

September 2019 

The ARE tool stands for "Affirming Racial Equity.” It is a tool that teachers can 

use in their planning as they strive for racial equity in their classrooms 

according to the district's racial equity policy. Professional Learning Communities 

(PLCs), and teachers should become comfortable planning with the ARE tool lesson 

descriptors in mind as a part of connecting the standards to the learner. 

The lesson descriptors of the ARE tool are: 

• Content integration 

• Knowledge construction 

• Prejudice elimination 

• Equitable pedagogy 

• Empowering classroom culture 

• Assessment 

The JCPS DEP Resource Teacher team developed this tool using the Center for 

Collaborative Education's Building Equity in Your Teaching Practice Framework. The 

ARE tool is located in the JCPS teacher backpack. Follow us on our journey toward 

racial equity #AREyoujcps? 

Click here to listen to the September 2019 JCPS DEP Resource 

Teachers Podcast. 

14

DATA MANAGEMENT 

RESEARCH TECHNICIAN 

Each month we will highlight one of the Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Department’s Data 

Management Research Technicians. This month we would like to introduce you to Telva Hogan! 

Hello my name is Telva Hogan. I proudly support the 

work of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Poverty in 

my role as a Data Management Research Technician 

(DMRT). Originally from a small college town in Northeast 

Ohio, I came to Louisville in 1997. I have two children, Tyler 

and Kyra, both of whom attended Jefferson County Public 

Schools (JCPS). 

After working in early childhood education for more than 14 

years, and with my own children becoming young adults, I 

chose to take a leap of faith, leaving my comfortable job to 

come to JCPS as a clerk. I “landed” in DEP after only 5 

months with the District. It has been amazing! In the last 

three years I have seen the creation of the W.E.B. DuBois 

Academy, the passing of the Racial Equity Policy, and most 

recently the Jefferson County Board of Education approval 

of a Girls of Color STEAM Academy. 

Through my behind the scenes work in DEP, I am able to be 

a part of an incredible effort to positively impact the lives of 

our children. Daily, I am challenged to work outside of my 

comfort zone and pushed to be my very best. This has 

become even more important and personal to me as I 

embrace my newest role as a grandmother. 

To contact me, please call 485-3506 or email 

telva.hogan@jefferson.kyschools.us. 

15


FOUR WAYS 

TEACHERS CAN 

SUPPORT 

STUDENTS OF 

COLOR 

By Jennifer Gonzalez 

The difference between 

teachers and their 

students has never been 

so stark. A recent report from the 

National Center for Education 

Statistics shows that since 2014, 

white students no longer make 

up the majority in American 

schools. Future projections show 

the white population shrinking 

to a smaller and smaller 

proportion of the whole, and the 

combined populations of of 

students from other ethnic groups increasing so that together, they make up 

a steadily growing majority. 

By contrast, teachers in the U.S. are overwhelmingly white. 

What this tells me is that the life experiences of most of the people in charge 

of our classrooms have been pretty different from the experiences of most of 

their students—and that matters. 

It matters because our work is not strictly academic. Not by a long shot. In 

order for our students to perform well academically, they need to feel safe, 

both physically and psychologically. They need to feel a sense of belonging. 

They need to feel seen and valued for who they are. For our students of color, 

finding this safe, accepting place is rare, especially if most of their teachers 

have a dramatically different background from their own. This problem can 

be even more pronounced for students of color who attend schools where 

their peers are also mostly white. 


!16


This does not 

mean that all 

white 

teachers are 

racists or that 

they are 

deliberately 

doing things 

to hurt their 

students of 

color. But 

what IS 

happening, 

far too often, 


is that 

teachers are doing things that harm these students’ self-perception 

without even realizing it. 

Dena Simmons, the director of education at the Yale Center for Emotional 

Intelligence, understands this problem far too well. 

In her 2015 TED talk, “How Students of Color Confront Impostor 

Syndrome,” she tells the story of how, as a young black girl, she left the 

Bronx neighborhood where she lived with her single mother and two 

sisters to attend a prestigious boarding school in Connecticut. Although 

she got an excellent education there and followed that up with a series of 

impressive academic and professional accomplishments, she always felt 

out of place, torn between the world she’d grown up in and her identity as 

an accomplished scholar. “Eternal impostor syndrome,” she calls it. 


!17


This struggle was made much harder by many of her teachers, in the things 

they said to her and the messages they sent, messages that basically told 

Dena that who she was was not okay. 

Later in life Dena returned to the Bronx to teach middle school, and she was 

determined to create the kind of atmosphere she wished she’d had, one that 

values each student’s unique identity and history. In her TED talk, she gives 

us a glimpse of how that worked. 

Now, we pick up where that TED talk left off, with some specific advice 

about what teachers can do to help their students of color not just survive, 

but thrive in the classroom, with a fully developed, strong sense of pride in 

who they are, where they came from, and what they’re capable of. 

1. TEACH STUDENTS OF COLOR TO LOVE THEMSELVES 

“There’s nothing more revolutionary than teaching our young people in 

general to love themselves,” Simmons says, “and particularly young people 

of color, because they don’t have to look too far to see negative images of 

themselves displayed throughout the media. We can teach our young people 

to love themselves by centering our instruction on their lives, their realities 

and their experiences, and using their lives as cultural reference to our 

instruction.” 

Here are some things teachers can do to nurture this self-love and pride in 

their students: 

Really get to know your students. This is the first step toward helping 

students love themselves. This should be done in both formal and informal 

ways: A simple survey can help you gather information quickly, and spending 

time with students outside of class can help you see them in a different light. 


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In her school, Simmons occasionally attended gym class with her students 

and invited them to have lunch with her off-campus. 

Create ways for students to bring pieces of their lives into the classroom. 

By allowing students to share in school the things they value outside of 

school, we demonstrate that every aspect of who they are is important. 

One way Simmons did this was to have students create personalized 

playlists of their favorite (school-appropriate) music that could be played 

during certain class activities. 

Honor their 

language. When 

teachers 

attempt to “fix” 

students’ 

language to 

make it more 

standardized, 

they often 

communicate to 

students that 

their way of 


speaking is 

wrong. Instead, we could explain that students need to become bilingual, 

that using academically standard language will open doors for them in 

some contexts. This approach honors where students come from and 

acknowledges the value of their home vernacular. Simmons advises 

teachers to have an honest conversation with students: “How we speak 

when we are outside is how we speak. It’s totally fine. Then there’s a way 

we speak in the classroom, and that just makes us bilingual as opposed to 

right and wrong. When you say to someone, ‘Cut it out,’ you’re saying, ‘Cut 

out who you are,’ and we don’t want to do that.” 


!19


Tell them you love them. “When I was in the classroom,” Simmons says, “I 

actually had posters that would say, ‘Ms. Simmons loves you,’ and it wasn’t 

uncommon to walk into my classroom and for me and a student to share I 

love you’s with each other. When we do that, we create a space for our 

students of color to know that their schooling values their experiences, and it 

values who they are.” 

2. INVITE FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BECOME PARTNERS IN 

EDUCATING STUDENTS 

“When you partner with communities, when you partner with families,” 

Simmons explains, “students really internalize that they matter. They 

internalize that their communities matter, and they also begin to understand 

that they have a role in developing and engaging in their communities. What I 

learned when I had to leave the Bronx to go to boarding school was that the 

Bronx had nothing to offer me. How painful it was to think of the place that 

raised me, the place that I called home was actually not good. And so I had to 

spend some time reshifting and reframing how I thought about the Bronx, 

that the Bronx was something to return to as opposed to something to leave. 

And I think educators, in the process of seeing their communities and their 

families as assets, begin to shift from deficit-based mindset to an asset-based 

mindset.” 

Take inventory. Using a community development approach called asset 

mapping, build a list of all the various resources you could take advantage of, 

partnerships you could form with parents and community members to enrich 

the education of your students. 

Use community resources as curriculum. Find ways to tie local resources to 

the things you’re teaching in class. You can invite community members in as 

guest speakers or take students on field trips to local establishments. Doing 


!20


this gives students a sense of pride in their neighborhood and helps them 

see home as an abundant place. 

Keep parents involved through multiple channels. Invite parents to attend 

classroom events, use digital and non-digital means to let parents know 

what’s going on in class and what they can do to help. If what you’re doing 

now isn’t working, try something else. Ask families what would work for 

them until you find an effective approach. 

3. EXPOSE STUDENTS TO ROLE MODELS OF COLOR 

Growing up, Simmons says most of the role models she saw in the media 

were white. “So in many ways, I would say implicitly I learned to favor 

whiteness. I learned to think that everything white was better … I think that 

is true for many people of color.” By making sure all of our students—not 

just students of color—are exposed to a variety of diverse role models, we 

help them broaden their own goals and see what’s possible for everyone. 

Invite guest speakers and mentors of color into the classroom. Find ways to 

arrange visits or guest presentations people of color who work in all sorts 

of industries. These guests can come from your local area or, with the help 

of video conferencing, anywhere else in the world. 

Make sure your classroom or school library has a variety of texts that 

include positive, diverse characters. The site We Need Diverse 

Books maintains a growing list of books that meet this need. Canerow is 

also building a similar list, and their blog expands the definition of “text” to 

other forms of media like music and film. 

Support efforts to improve teacher diversity. Currently, there is a shortage 

of teachers of color in the U.S., which further limits our students’ 

interactions with professional role models of color. This report by the 

Center for Amercian Progress outlines steps that can be taken by states, 


!21


districts, school leaders, and universities to attract, train, and retain 

teachers of color. If you are a classroom teacher and have no direct impact 

in this area, what you can do is learn more about the problem and support 

efforts in your own school to improve it. 

4. DISRUPT THE SINGLE NARRATIVE OF STUDENTS OF COLOR 

“I think a lot of times when teachers go back home, and they talk to their 

friends, the stories they tell about their students only perpetuate the status 

quo, what it means to be a kid of color,” says Simmons. “These single 

narratives are perpetuated, and in many ways, I think are problematic 

because they’re incomplete, they flatten the wholeness of our students.” 

The concept of the single narrative is illustrated beautifully by 

Chimamanda Adichie in her TED talk, The Danger of a Single Story, which I 

strongly recommend you watch to fully understand this idea. 

We are all part of this 

conversation, with 

many of us only 

perpetuating the 

existing 

narrative about our 

students of color in the 

anecdotes we share 

about them. So how 

do we disrupt that? 

How do we work to 


change that narrative 

so society at large begins to see our students of color with more 

complexity, and so the students see themselves differently? 


!22


Empower students to tell their own stories. Look for ways to let students 

share their own diverse experiences, whether it’s through spoken word, in 

conversations, or in more finished products like written pieces, podcasts, 

videos, or other multimedia. 

Pay attention to your own storytelling, your own language.When you are 

retelling a story of something one of your students did, ask yourself if the 

story is contributing to a negative narrative, if it perpetuates a stereotype 

about a particular group of students. And check your language: When you 

talk about certain groups of students, do you say “these kids,” or “our kids”? 

A subtle shift in language represents a major change in thinking. 

Challenge others. When your colleagues tell these kinds of single-narrative 

stories, dig for context. Ask about the strengths of the students being 

described. Push for the full picture. 

SMALL CHANGES MAKE A DIFFERENCE 

None of the actions outlined here are simple, and none of them offer a quick 

fix. But implementing them consistently, with the belief that this work is 

important, will make your classroom a place where students of color will 

flourish. 

!23

Homeless Students 

and Education 

Resources and Advocacy for K-12 Students Experiencing Homelessness 

According to data released by the Department of Justice, more than 1.7 

million teenagers experience homelessness within the United States each 

year – a number that is considered low given students’ reticence to share details of 

their living situations. Education should be a basic right of every citizen, yet far too 

many students who find themselves without permanent housing aren’t aware of 

the wealth of resources available to them – both on campus and in their local 

communities. The following guide addresses this as well as other common barriers 

to academic success, current legislation, and meaningful ways that educators and 

administrators can make a difference for both K-12 and college students 

experiencing homelessness. 

Fast Facts on Student Homelessness 

For too long and for too many students, the issue of homelessness has not received the 

attention it deserves. This is especially true when considering the dramatic rise of 

homelessness within K-12 students over the previous decade. The statistics below show 

just how pervasive this issue is: 


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Reality for Homeless Students: 

Barriers to Academic Success 

When basic needs such as running water, food, and a bed cannot be met, it stands to 

reason that academic success suffers. By gaining a better understanding of all the 

obstacles homeless students face, administrators and educators are better equipped 

to be an empathetic voice that advocates for them in the classroom and beyond. 

Attendance Problems 

Because homeless students are transient, many face barriers when it comes to finding 

reliable transportation, completing homework assignments, and finishing a full grade 

at one school. The National Network 4 Youth found that 20 percent of homeless 

students repeat at least one grade while in school. 

Sleep Deprivation 

Without access to a permanent bed of their own, many homeless students sleep 

wherever they can find shelter – including storage units, vehicles, shared motel rooms 

with other people, or even on the street. Because they seldom get a restful night’s 

sleep, many of these students struggle to stay focused while at school. 

High Stress 

Aside from the normal stressors related to growing up, homeless K-12 students also 

must face much larger questions: When will I get my next meal? Will I be taken away 

from my parents? At the postsecondary level, homeless college students are often 

struggling to balance a full-time job while in school and are constantly concerned 

about being able to pay for housing, utilities, and possibly even costs related to 

supporting other family members. 

Understanding Homelessness and 

Legislation for Students 


25


The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act defines homeless children and youth 

as any individual who does not have access to a permanent and satisfactory 

dwelling to return home to at night. Student populations included in this definition 

are those who are sharing transitory housing (e.g. motel, motor home, trailer) with 

other people who are also experiencing loss of housing; those whose primary 

dwelling was not created for residence and functions in a different capacity during 

daytime hours; those who are living in any type of vehicle, public structure, or 

abandoned space; and those who are considered migrants. The McKinney-Vento 

Act covers homeless children and youth who are aged 21 or younger. 

Aside from McKinney-Vento, numerous other laws are on the books to help benefit 

homeless students trying to complete K-12 and college educations. 

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) 

Commonly known as the No Child Left Behind program, Title I funding exists to 

ensure low-income students can access programs and support systems designed 

to enhance their academic achievements. Even if a school attended by a homeless 

student doesn’t typically receive Title I funding, provisions are in place to providing 

funding to offer services to that student. Examples of support mechanisms include 

tutoring programs, after-school programs, and individualized support. 

Head Start Act 

Since 2007, Head Start has worked to prepare students in low-income areas for 

grade school by providing pre-school programs. While not specifically aimed at 

homeless learners, they typically meet all the requirements for receiving the 

service. At present day, however, the issue is that demand far outweighs supply. 

Many students are placed on waiting lists at their neighborhood school, but 

homeless learners who are constantly moving may struggle to take up their spot 

when the time comes. 

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 

IDEA was enacted to ensure learners with disabilities – including those who are 

homeless – are able to receive specialized educational services that address 


!26


individual learning disabilities. Because homeless students have a higher risk of 

exhibiting learning or developmental delays, laws like IDEA ensure they have access to 

all the same services, regardless of their home situation. 

Child Nutrition Act 

CNA exists to ensure students from low-income families have access to free and/or 

reduced meals at school that are healthy and filling. While most parents must 

complete an application and show proof of income to qualify, parents of homeless 

students are permitted to bypass this step so their children are immediately eligible. 

Assistance For JCPS Students 

The mission of the JCPS Access and Opportunity Office is to develop and 

maintain a comprehensive education program by coordinating resources and 

services for homeless students living in any temporary living arrangements 

because of the lack of a fixed, regular, and adequate residence and to foster a 

climate where each student is positively received and not stigmatized or isolated. 

For information about the JCPS Access and Opportunity Office, please contact 

Giselle Danger-Mercaderes, Access and Opportunity coordinator, at (502) 

485-3650 or email her at giselle.danger-mercaderes@jefferson.kyschools.us. 

!27

ENVISION EQUITY JANUARY 2019 

LOUISVILLE 

N E E D S 

UNCLES 

TO VOLUNTEER 

By Bryan Smith—Teacher, Frederick Law 

Olmsted Academy North 

After a long day at work, an uncle steps out onto his driveway to finally change 

the spark plugs in his truck. Though the maintenance of his old pick-up truck 

is important, other demands were given a higher priority. For instance, the 

uncle had to mow his mother in-law’s lawn because it was her turn to host the local 

bridge tournament. His three year-old nephew had to be picked up from daycare 

and babysat a few times. He also attended his neighbor’s fundraiser to support the 

A.A.U. League. These selfless acts speak volumes of the uncle’s character and 

commitment to his community. 

Just as he loosens the second spark plug with his socket wrench, a skateboard 

approaches his truck. “What cha’ doing?” a familiar adolescent voice asked. At this 

moment, the uncle knows this question will require more than meets the eye. The 


Photos, Google Images 

!28

uncle patiently responds, “Tuning up my truck.” The adolescent eagerly says, “My 

dad used to do that.” The uncle senses the teenager’s need for affirmation, 

knowledge, and fellowship. Wisely, the uncle says, “Hand me that wrench over 

there.” 

Louisville’s Uncles Volunteer (L.U.V.) is an organization that understands the value 

of moments to mentor young men. As a result of creating community events, L.U.V. 

offers encouragement, mentoring, and support with an authentic approach. L.U.V. 

is an organization of honorable men with diverse experiences and 

accomplishments that will empower a younger generation. Essentially, we take 

our “If I had known then” experiences in life, and enrich the lives of young mentees 

over the proverbial hood of our old pick-up trucks. Join us and support the future 

of our community with L.U.V. 

For more information about how to join or support L.U.V, send an email to 

louisvilleunclesvolunteer@gmail.com, or scan the QR code below. 

!29


How Do I Begin To Be A Culturally 

Responsive Teacher? 

By Donna Lawson—Resource Teacher, Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Department 

Ask any teacher why they went into education and the answers are usually 

predictable. “I went into education to make a difference, because I care 

about students, because I care about the future.” Most teachers truly care 

about their students, believe they have good intentions toward their students, and 

feel that their actions reflect their good intentions. Often, teachers believe that this 

is enough to teach and reach students. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to care about 

students and to have good intentions. Our mindsets, values, beliefs, and 

assumptions contain bias that impact and often impair our interactions with 

students, especially with students of color. Instead of building our students up, we 

end up tearing them down. How can we change this? We can begin by Affirming 

Racial Equity (ARE), by being introspective, and by questioning our beliefs, values, 

and commitments. 



!30

ARE you aware? According to the 

US government, 82% of US 

teachers identified as White in 

2016, a number which has not 

significantly changed in over 

fifteen years. Students of color are 

expected to make up 54% of the 

US population of schools by 2024. 

Subsequently, the culture of most 

teachers is not reflective of many students’ culture, which is why we must 

incorporate students’ culture into every classroom. By doing so, students see 

themselves in the learning and they understand more easily and at deeper levels. 

They will begin to contextualize their own experiences, identities and cultures 

within the learning. By bringing student cultural ways of learning into the 

classroom and using the methods of learning used by their families and 

communities, students’ established information processing systems more 

effectively contextualize new information. However, to do this we need to know 

our students’ cultures, languages, traditions, beliefs, assumptions, norms. 


According to NEA's C.A.R.E. Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gaps, culture is 

students’ lived experiences. Specifically, “while culture is often defined and 

perceived by schools as the celebration of important people, religions, traditions, 

and holidays, as well as an appreciation of the customs of different groups, it is 

also more than that. Culture is as much, or as little, as the everyday experiences, 

people, events, smells, sounds, and habits of behavior that characterize students' 

and educators' lives. Culture shapes a person's sense of who he or she is and 

where he or she fits in the family, community, and society." How do we learn about 

our students’ cultures? We can have students complete a survey, ask them 

questions, listen to their answers and their conversations, and communicate with 


31

parents. We can also change how we teach and the learning opportunities given 

to students to gain better insight into student perspectives and experiences. 

While we work towards learning about our students’ culture, it’s also important 

that we know our own culture and biases and how they impact and influence our 

interactions. We can reflect on our culture and learn about our own bias through 

professional development or personal learning such as the online Harvard 

Implicit Bias tests. 

ARE you humble? As teachers we need to recognize that we don’t know 

everything and that we learn from our students as much as they learn from us. 

We need to be self-aware and reflective and to be willing to change from 

instructor to facilitator. We also need to recognize when we have made a mistake, 

perhaps with regards to assumptions or cultural expectations and make amends. 

Being part of a team (even in our own classrooms), being willing to work together, 

and being able to validate and affirm all cultures and experiences move work 

forward and encourage student success. 

ARE you approachable? We need to be available, pay attention, and really listen 

to our students. Relationships take time, energy, and effort. Pay attention to 

what students are reading, how they spend their time, who are their friends, and 

what are their interests. Attend extracurricular events. Letting students know 

that you care about them and that they are important to you goes a long way 

towards motivating them to work hard and achieving success. Having authentic 

relationships with students is a key way to learn how to incorporate their culture 

into the classroom. To develop relationships with students, a teacher needs to 

be approachable. 

ARE you curious? Teachers need to be curious about student cultures and norms, 

how they learn, how they interact, and how they prioritize. Be curious about 

student hopes, dreams, ambitions, struggles, successes, and interests. Teachers 

always need to learn new things and be willing to do things differently. Allow 


32


students to be creative and innovative and to show you what they know in 

different ways. Give them actionable feedback and be curious to see how they 

improve their work and grow their understanding. 

ARE you strong? Some days are going to be hard. Some days there will be 

resistance. Some days you will be discouraged. Keep trying. Consider the 

words of Frederick Douglas. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those 

who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want 

crops without plowing 

up the ground. They 

want rain without 

thunder and lightning. 

They want the ocean 

without the awful roar 

if its many waters. 

This struggle may be a 

moral one; or it may 

be a physical one; or it 

may be both moral 

and physical; but it 

must be a struggle. 

Power conceded 

nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” We have to recognize 

the struggle, allow our students to be strong, and be strong for our students to 

reach their full potential. It may not be popular or easy to require students to 

redo their essay for the third time, to have students learn non-Euro centric 

curriculum, to teach them to analyze power dynamics, to encourage them to 

fight inequities, to demand social justice, but we do it to positively impact our 

future and theirs. 


ARE you bold? Teachers must be willing to do things differently and to 

challenge the status quo. Teachers have to be able and willing to analyze the 


!33


dynamics of curriculum, situations, and society regarding power and equity, 

to recognize and rectify the cumulative effects that micro-aggressions have 

on their students, and to teach their students to do the same. Teachers have 

to be bold to have high expectations for all of their students, to scaffold 

instruction and supports, to believe that all students can learn and be 

successful, and to work until they are. 

ARE you encouraging? Students are willing to try and work harder when they 

feel encouraged and empowered. To quote Gloria Ladson-Billings, “Students 

need teachers who are convinced kids can succeed and will tell them, "I 

believe in you, I’m committed to you and your success."” When students 

know that it is safe to try again and maybe even fail again, they are more 

willing to make 

the effort and 

“put themselves 

out there”. It’s 

crucial that we 

create safe 

spaces for 

students to try, 

to fail, and to try 

again. Safe 

spaces for them 

to be themselves, to think critically, to have difficult discussions, and to learn 

different perspectives. We must create structures and give students tools 

that make it possible for them to discuss the dynamics of difference safely. 

We have to encourage students to do these things and to take ownership of 

their learning by communicating our belief in them. 


By being introspective, we begin the work to affirm racial equity. When we 

are aware, humble, approachable, curious, strong, bold, and encouraging, 


!34


we make our classrooms powerful spaces for all of our students, but 

especially for students of color. As teachers, it is our privilege to shape 

the future by teaching the next generation. By affirming racial equity, we 

achieve what many of us went in to education to do, to positively 

contribute to the future by making a difference for ALL of our students, 

and not only the ones who look like us. 

Resources: 

“3 Tips to Make Any Lesson More Culturally Responsive.” Cult of 

Pedagogy, 10 Sept. 2017, www.cultofpedagogy.com/culturallyresponsive-teaching-strategies/. 

“20 Powerful Quotes from Frederick Douglass.” Mental Floss, 14 Feb. 2018, 

mentalfloss.com/article/92216/20-powerful-quotes-frederick-douglass. 

Capital Times. “Cap Times Idea Fest: Gloria Ladson-Billings Says Students 

of Color Need Teachers Who 'Think They Can Do Anything'.” Madison.com, 

18 Sept. 2017, madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/cap-timesidea-fest-gloria-ladson-billings-says-students-of/ 

article_21737df7-9de1-570a-ac51-2365fc4554f8.html. 

“Diversity Toolkit: Cultural Competence for Educators.” NEA, 

www.nea.org/tools/30402.htm. 

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy 

Development, Policy and Program Studies Service, The State of Racial 

Diversity in the Educator Workforce, Washington, D.C. 2016. 

!35


Muhammad Ali 

Center Field Trips 

By Elliott Mitrani— Program Coordinator, Muhammad Ali Center 

The Muhammad 

Ali Center 

offers amazing 

field trip experiences 

for students of all 

ages. These 

interactive field trip 

experiences are 

aligned with Kentucky 

and Indiana Core 

Content Standards 

and are developed for 

specific grade levels. 

The Center offers both self-guided and guided tours focused on Civics/ 

Citizenship & Civil Rights. During a Guided Tour, groups will explore of the 

Center’s permanent and temporary exhibitions with one of our Educators and 

will receive 45 minutes of classroom instruction that will reinforce concepts 

and produce a “Backpack” artifact. In addition, the Ali Center offers pre- and 

post-visit lessons and resources for teachers to implement in their own 

classrooms. Students will leave the Ali Center feeling inspired to “Be Great and 

Do Great Things!” For more information please contact the Education Team at 

(502) 992-5340 or email at education@alicenter.org. 

!36


By Kadia Turner—Resource Teacher, Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Department 


Welcome Back! 

Welcome Back, 

these words 

rang through the halls of 

Jefferson County Public 

Schools in the last few 

weeks. Students were 

greeted with smiles and 

warm hugs, and stepped 

into spaces with 

glistening freshly waxed 

floors, decorated with care. Brightly colored posters, numbers, letters, signs and 

bulletin boards are filled with encouraging words. What if our wall could talk? 

According to Culturally Responsive expert Zaretta Hammond they do, “When 

our neuroceptive mechanisms confirm that our surroundings are physically, 

socially, and intellectually safe, we go into a state of relaxed alertness and are 

primed for learning. (Hammond, 2015).” 


!37



So what do the 

walls of your 

classroom say? 

What values are 

communicated to 

your students? 

Can they see what 

you think is 

important? Do 

they see 

themselves 

reflected in their 

learning environment? When we consider what we want the physical 

environment of our classrooms to teach our students chevron and polka dots 

or the hottest teacher trends are not enough. It becomes the hottest trend 

because the majority says so. Perhaps without meaning to, our students who 

should be the center of our work struggle to find their place in our classrooms. 

This is particularly true for our minoritized students. 

To become culturally responsive practitioners we must learn to leverage our 

students culture by activating their schemas. Creating a welcoming 

environment for all students the moment they enter the space is a dimension 

of being culturally responsive. We can not build on culture without knowing 

about it. Although we may not have met many students before the first day the 

desire to promote that “state of relaxed alertness” requires planning. Consider 

the known information about our students, their families, their history, their 

communities, their faith, their interests. 

Well now, it September. Don’t file this article away for next year. Stand in your 

classroom and look through the eyes of your Black students, your Asian !38


students, Latinx students, and other minoritized groups. Where do they 

connect? What says you belong here. It’s never too late to do the right thing, 

and our classrooms should be growing and changing with the students’ 

learning. 

Zaretta Hammond points out that authenticity equates with value. Of course 

student work is on the wall, but what kind of student work? We need 

authentic student work with specific feedback over worksheets or multiple 

choice assessments with checks and red marks (or green because red slashes 

are taboo, but green slashes are “better”) Our classroom decorations and 

bulletin boards can also connect students to the colors, art forms, places, and 

people that represent their cultures. 

Authenticity =Value 

Consider trying these strategies 

! Photographs of people of various identities 

! Photographs of community murals 

! Photographs of community art 

! Use Naturalistic elements ( many cultures embrace nature) 

! Consider an “artwork on loan” program with parents 

! Posters with people of color as role models ( consider connections to content, but do not limit by 

content) 

! Inventions, designs, creations by people of color 

! Hang patterns, artistic styles, and colors representing student’s cultures ( decor, backdrops, or 

borders) 

! Student Art 

(Hammond, 2015) 

!39


!40


!41


!42

Asia Institute-Crane House is looking for 

teachers with a sense of adventure and a 

curiosity about the world to participate in 

a unique opportunity to visit Asia to 

provide English language instruction and cross-cultural experiences to 

Asian teachers and students. 

Since 1988, AICH has sponsored a Teach in Asia program. In 

cooperation with Asian 

educational institutes, Crane 

House provides short-term, 

intensive conversational 

English training for Asian 

teachers and/or students at 

select Asian education host 

sites. 

Teaching generally last 3 

weeks, with intense 

immersion into the culture, and 3 to 4 days of an immersion tour, 

visiting popular and historic sites. Previous years our immersion tours 

have taken us to Hong Kong, Xi’an, Beijing and Shanghai. 

Our next TIA info 

session/dinner for 

2020 is on Thursday, 

Oct 3 rd from 6- 

7:30pm. 

Interested 

individuals, should 

visit 

www.cranehouse.org/teach-in-asia or contact Ruchi Malhotra at 

rmalhotra@cranehouse.org 

43

T h e r e a r e o v e r 3 5 0 

s h o r t - t e r m t r a i n i n g 

p r o g r a m s o f f e r e d 

a c r o s s t h e s t a t e 

i n c l u d i n g : 

M e d i c a l a s s i s t a n t 

P a t i e n t c a r e t e c h 

A i r C o n d i t i o n i n g 

T e c h n o l o g y 

Did you know you can get trained for a high paying, 

in-demand job in four months or less, tuition free! 

Benefits of completing a short-term technical 

program: 

Increase your earning power! Starting 

salaries for those with certificates can be up 

to $40, 000! 

A u t o m o b i l e T e c h n i c i a n 

S u r g i c a l T e c h n i c i a n s 

P h y s i c a l T h e r a p y 

A s s i s t a n t s 

P i p e l i n e W e l d e r 

C o m p u t e r S u p p o r t 

T e c h n i c i a n 

Those with certificates can “stack” them and 

earn more $$$ 

The Department for Community Based Services will 

provide a $250 gift card to any foster youth who 

earns a short-term technical certificate! 

D e n t a l A s s i s t i n g 

E l e c t r o n i c s 

M e d i a l C o d i n g 

E m e r g e n c y M e d i c a l 

T e c h n i c i a n ( E M T ) 

For more information on available training 

programs at KCTCS visit: 

https://workreadykentucky.com/program_search 

R o u g h C a r p e n t e r 

P i p e l i n e W e l d e r 

I n d u s t r i a l M a i n t e n a n c e 

A n d m a n y m o r e ! 

F i n d a c o m p r e h e n s i v e 

l i s t o f p r o g r a m s a t : 

h t t p s : / / w w w . k h e a a . c 

o m / p d f / w r k s _ a p p r o v 

e d _ p r o g r a m s . p d f 

To be eligible for the gift card, youth must be 

currently committed; Eligible programs include any 

short-term training program in a high-demand field, 

where youth can earn a certificate or diploma. The 

youth is eligible for the incentive after they have 

completed the program and passed the required 

industry certification test. For more information, 

contact: chafee.ilp@ky.gov. 

!44


KYTESOL Conference Accepting Proposals 

Proposals are being accepted for the 2019 Kentucky TESOL 

Conference, which will be held on October 4-5 at the JCPS ESL 

Newcomer Academy. The last date for submissions is August 2. 

More information, including the link for proposal submissions, can 

be found at https://kytesol.wildapricot.org. For additional details, 

contact Gwen Snow at gwen.snow@jefferson.kyschools.us or (502) 

485-6324. 

Creating New Futures for Newcomers 

The JCPS ESL Newcomer Academy was featured as a bright spot in 

the Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium (MAEC) publication, “Creating 

New Futures for Newcomers.” The complete report can be read at 

https://maec.org/resource/creating-new-futures-for-newcomers/. 

The Louisville Free Public Library Presents: 

Exploring the Black Family: Intergenerational Transmission of 

Trauma 

This new four-part series led by Dr. Steven Kniffley—Associate 

Director of the Center for Behavioral Health and Assistant Professor 

in Spalding University’s School of Professional Psychology—will 

examine how cultural and negative messages are passed down in our 

families and how to change our narratives to implement new positive 

ones. 

Understanding How Cultural Messages are Passed Down 

Participants will be engaged in a discussion about the mechanisms 

through which both positive and negative messages are shared across 

members. For more information, please call (502) 574-1779. 

!45

J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y P U B L I C S C H O O L S 

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND POVERTY DEPARTMENT 

EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES TO 

ADDRESS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT 

GAPS FOR ALL STUDENTS 

C O M M U N I T Y F O R U M 

Please join us for a community forum to discuss the Jefferson 

County Public Schools (JCPS) Racial Equity Analysis Protocal 

(REAP). Speakers will include: 

Giselle Danger-Mercaderes - Will discuss creating equal access to 

educational opportunities for all students. 

Michelle Dillard -Will address resources and strategies for parents that can 

eliminate the academic achievement gap. 

Donald Dillard - Will outline the JCPS Racial Equity Policy. 

Saturday, September 14, 2019 | 2 p.m. 

619 Lampton Street 

(Across from Bates Memorial Church) 

Speakers: 

Donald Dillard, Supervisor 

JCPS Satellite Offices 

Giselle Danger-Mercaderes, 

Coordinator Student Access & 

Opportunity 

Michelle Dillard, 

Assistant Superintendent for Middle Schools 

FOR MORE INFO, PLEASE CONTACT 

DONALD DILLARD AT 485-6788. 

!46

Diversity, Equity, and 

Poverty Department 

GIRLS OF 

COLOR 

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS 

Please join us for our 2019-20 Girls of Color Community 

Conversations, featuring local and national experts who 

will share their research, best practices, and strategies to 

teach and reach girls of color in our public schools. 

Dates & Speakers 

Dr. Crystal deGregory, Independent Scholar 

Dr. Cherie Dawson-Edwards, University of Louisville 

October 17 | 6–8 p.m. | W.E.B. DuBois Academy 

Dr. Crystal deGregory will present on the 

importance of the HBCUs and a sense of belonging for 

girls of color. 

January 22 | 6pm–8pm | W.E.B. DuBois Academy 

Dr. Cherie Dawson-Edwards will present on the history 

and examples of injustice inside the school system. 

March 25 | 6pm–8pm | W.E.B. DuBois Academy 

Sam O’Bryant from SchoolSeed in Memphis, TN, will 

share his research on what an urban city needs to do in 

order to loosen the grip of whiteness and proliferate 

equity. 

April 23, 2020 | 6pm–8pm | Louisville Urban League 

Dr. Shantel Crosby will discuss the book Sister Citizen and 

the disparate impact befallen Black girls. 

For more information, or to R.S.V.P., please contact Vanessa McPhail at 

485-3631 or email vanessa.mcphail@jefferson.kyschools.us. 

Sam O’Bryant, SchoolSeed, Memphis 

Dr. Shantel Crosby, University of Louisville 

!47


D I V E R S I T Y , E Q U I T Y , A N D P O V E R T Y D E P A R T M E N T 

LITERACY & 

YOGA 

@KING 

KING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 

SEPTEMBER 25–OCTOBER 21 

MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS 

4—6 P.M. 

OPEN TO STUDENTS IN GRADES K—5 

Space is limited. 

Literacy & Yoga connects standards-based literacy instruction and 

interventions to yoga using the book The Impossible Dream by Kathe 

Hudson. Literacy & Yoga will also expose students to calming strategies in 

order to reduce in-school behavior incidences. 

For more information, please contact 

Rachel Fields (school contact) at 485-8351 or rachel.fields@jefferson.kyschools.us. 

!48



D A N C E • R E A D • L E A R N • G R O W 

Mondays & Thursdays 

Indian Trail Elementary School 

3709 E. Indian Trail 

Time: 4 to 6 P.M. 

Open to 3rd, 4th, & 5th Graders 

For more information, please contact 

!49 

Dana Cunningham (school contact) at 485-8268 or dana.cunningham@jefferson.kyschools.us.



HACKS FOR 

ACT REGISTRATION 

Please join us for an informational session and round table 

discussion on how to help schools overcome barriers that 

prevent students from taking the ACT test. 

Seneca High School, Stickler Theater 

Wednesday, September 11, 2019 

3:30-5:30 p.m. 

PD# 19-20106440 

Facilitators: 

Dr. Whitney Stewart, TAPP 

Clay Hollister, Central High School 

FOR MORE INFO, PLEASE CONTACT 

TAYLOR UTLEY AT 485-6331. 

!50


D I V E R S I T Y , E Q U I T Y , A N D P O V E R T Y 

F L A S H D A D S 

Flash Dads will: 

•Pledge to support and encourage JCPS 

students at ten different schools located 

throughout Jefferson County. 

.•Be present once a month to greet students as 

they arrive at school in the morning. 

•Be a positive role model for our students. 

August 28, 2019 

September 26, 2019 

October 30, 2019 

November 20, 2019 

December: NO FLASH DADS 

DATES: 

January 29, 2020 

February 26, 2020 

March 25, 2020 

April 22, 2020 

May 13, 2020 

For more information, contact 485-3799. 

!51

BOOK STUDY 

WITH 

DR. CHERIE 

DAWSON- 

EDWARDS 

*Participants must attend 

all three sessions in order 

to receive PD credit. 

!52

ï 

Coaching Students with DACA 

College Access 

DACA and undocumented students can go to 

KY colleges and universities. 

Per CPE policy KRS 13:0245 Section 8: 

An undocumented student who graduates 

from a Kentucky high school can enroll at 

Kentucky colleges/universities as in state 

residents for tuition purposes. 

Need help navigating the application process? 

Contact Assistant Director, Diversity 

Recruitment Aimee Huffstetler 

502.852.1295, aimee.huffstetler@louisville.edu 

Scholarships 

These scholarships and resources are 

open to DACA, and in some other cases, 

undocumented students: 

» Migrant Network Collection 

» Hispanic Scholarship Fund 

» SHPE Foundation 

» Latino Student Resource Guide (LLEO) 

Resources 

» United We Dream (UWD) 

» Dream Educational Empowerment Program 

(DEEP) 

» Scholarships A Z 

» My (Un)Documented Life 

Programs & Organizations 

The Latino Leadership and College Experience 

Camp is a local, community based program 

that provides college coaching and leadership 

development to Latinx and immigrant youth 

including undocumented and DACA students. 

For more information visit www.thellcec.org 

Kentucky Dream Coalition is an immigrant 

youth led organization focused on supporting 

the undocumented and DACA mented youth 

and students in the state through organizing, 

workshops and mentoring. 

For more information visit www.facebook.com/ 

kentuckydream/ 

FAFSA 

Unfortunately, undocumented and DACA mented students cannot 

receive state or federal fi nancial aid. 

DACA students can complete the FAFSA for scholarship purposes. 

Step 1: Like all applicants, your firs t step should be to create an FSA 

ID for yourself and your family. If parents do not have a SSN do NOT 

create an FSA ID with an ITIN (individual tax identifica tion number). 

Undocumented parents and students cannot create an FSA ID or use 

an ITIN on FAFSA forms at https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm 

Step 2: There are 6 sections on the FAFSA: Student Demographics 

(which includes student eligibility), School Selection, Dependency 

Status, Parent Demographics, Financial Information and Sign & Submit. 

The two sections that are most confusing for DACA recipients are 

the Student Demographic section (particularly, the student eligibility 

questions) and Parent Information (if parents are undocumented). 

Step 3: Students can enter their income information manually or 

through the IRS retrieval tool if they fil ed taxes. 

Step 4: If the parents of a DACA recipient are undocumented, they 

must also not misrepresent themselves. When reporting parental 

information, do not use an ITIN in place of a Social Security Number. 

Parental information should be entered as follows: 

» A parent can complete FAFSA using ì 000 00 0000î for PARENT 

I SSN AND ì 999 99 9999î for PARENT II (Note: if parent holds 

ITIN to file taxes, do not use in place of SSN) 

» Parentsí income info must entered manually. Do not try to use the 

IRS Data Retrieval tool. 

» Because parents donít have a SSN, they cannot create an FSA ID. 

Therefore, parents must print, sign, and mail in signature page. 

There is a bar code on the signature page that will match your 

parentí s signature to your specific application once the signature 

page is mailed into the FAFSA office listed on the signature page. 

There is no need to print the entire application. Just send in the 

signature page. 

Step 5: On the signature/submission pages, students can sign with 

their FSA ID. The parent must sign and mail in the signature page. For 

the 2019 2020 school year, send the parent signature page to: 

Federal Student Aid Programs 

P.O. Box 7652 

London, KY 40472 7652 

Step 6: You will be able to check the status of your FAFSA online 

via www.fafsa.ed.gov with the same FSA ID and PIN number you 

created when you fil ed the FAFSA. Once the parent signature page is 

processed, you will be able to access your Student Aid Report (SAR) 

to view your EFC (expected family contribution), which is the number 

that demonstrates your need This information is important for need 

based scholarships. 

Adapted from BCTC Latinx Outreach ìC oaching Students with DACAî 

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When Grandmama Sings 

By Mitchell, Margaree King 

Illustrator Ransome, James 

HarperCollins, 2012 

Ages 9-14 

Books for Young Readers 

Black Is Brown Is Tan 

By Adoff, Arnold 

Illustrator McCully, Emily Arnold 

Photographer McCully, Emily Arnold 

HarperCollins, 2004 

Ages 5-10 

When Grandmama Coles gets a big chance, Belle gets one, too. 

Belle's going to spend the summer touring the South with 

Grandmama and a swing jazz band Belle's never been outside 

Pecan Flats, Mississippi, and she can't wait to go on the road 

with Grandmama, helping her read signs and menus and 

hearing her sing. 

Pecan Pie Baby 

By Woodson, Jacqueline 

Illustrator Blackall, Sophie 

2010, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers 

Grades 4-8 

Brown-skinned momma, the color of chocolate milk and coffee 

pumpkin pie, whose face gets ginger red when she puffs and yells 

the children into bed. White-skinned daddy, not white like milk 

or snow, lighter than brown, With pinks and tiny tans, whose face 

gets tomato red when he puffs and yells their children into bed. 

Children who are all the colors of the race, growing up happy in a 

house full of love. This is the way it is for them; this is the way 

they are, but the joy they feel extends to every reader of this 

book. 

Gia is tired of hearing about the new baby. It hasn't even been born yet, but 

everyone, even her friends, seem fixated on it. Gia thinks things are fine just 

the way they are And she's worried: if the baby's such a big deal now, what's 

going to happen to Gia's nice, cozy life with Mama once it's born? 

Images obtained from Google Images.. 

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Title Session Code Date & Time Location Contact 

Introduction to 

School-Based Decision 

Making (for SBDM 

members only) 

19-20104889 September 4-5 

4:30 to 7:30 p.m. 

Norton Commons 

Elementary 

Dr. Shawna Stenton 

(502) 485-3056 

Bylaws and Policies 

(for experienced 

SBDM members only) 

19-20104922 September 4 

4:30 to 7:30 p.m. 

Norton Commons 

Elementary 

Dr. Shawna Stenton 

(502) 485-3056 

Culture, Attitude, 

Students, and Equity 

(CASE) 

19-20105936 September 10 and 24, 

October 15 and 29, and 

November 12 (All dates 

are 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.) 

Marion C. Moore 

Traditional 

Dr. Toetta Taul 

Microaggressions 

Cohort 

19-20105758 September 12, November 

14, January 16, March 12 

and May 7 

JCPS Shawnee Satellite 

Office @Shawnee 

Kadia Turner 

Diversity Mobile 

Summit 

See pdCentral for 

individual session 

titles. 

19-20105850 

19-20105819 

19-20105828 

19-20105837 

19-20105860 

September 12 

4:30 to 6:30 p.m. 

Rutherford Elementary 

Dr. Monica Lakhwani 

(502) 485-7269 

Diversity Mobile 

Summit (Instructional 

Classified Sessions) 

See pdCentral for 

individual session 

titles. 

19-20105904 

19-20105893 

19-20105896 

19-20105901 

19-20105898 

19-20105908 

September 26 

4:30 to 6:30 p.m. 

Iroquois High 


(502) 485-7269 

Sensory Simulation 19-20105684 September 30 

3:30 to 6:00 p.m. 

Muhammad Ali Center 


(502) 485-7269 

To view a complete list of DEP professional development sessions, visit https://www.jefferson.kyschools.us/node/1350 

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Announcing... 

"The Model" 

Starting in the September edition of 

Envision Equity, we will highlight sample 

lesson plans and videos of Jefferson 

County Public Schools (JCPS) classroom 

teachers who are culturally responsive and 

innovative. This new section of Envision 

Equity will be called “The Model.” 

If you are a JCPS teacher or know of a 

JCPS teacher who should be highlighted as 

a model of culturally responsive and 

innovative classroom practices, please 

submit his or her contact information to 

abdul.sharif2@jefferson.kyschools.us by 

the 15th of each month. 

Editor—Catherine Collesano 

Editor, Photo Contributor—Abdul Sharif 

Credits 

Special thanks to all of our community partners and educators who helped make this special edition of 

Envision Equity possible. 

Envision Equity is a publication of the JCPS Department of Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Programs. All 

submissions should be sent to Catherine Collesano at catherine.collesano@jefferson.kyschools.us or Abdul 

Sharif at abdul.sharif2@jefferson.kyschools.us. If you are interested in becoming a subscriber or a 

contributor to Envision Equity, please contact one of the editors at the above email address. 

www.jefferson.kyschools.us 

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities 

!56

September 2019 Envision Equity

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