Rethinking Schools

 

Talking Points:

1. The first article I read about was Kicking ICE Out of Our Schools and Communities. Something that stood out to me was educators have truly been on the frontline of this matter because as an educator, we care about the wellbeing of our students. We do not want them to feel scared or feel like they are going to be ripped out of their school. Our students need to feel safe. From the classroom to the street, we need to defend our students and together learn the most effective ways to kick ICE out of our schools and communities”.  We need to stay inclusive and informed for the safety of our students. It is important we know about policies in place/what we can say, and how we can support these families (access to food or maybe even legal aid). This can be a very emotional and stressful time for students especially if it is affecting them (family members missing). Providing a supporting environment for them and letting them talk about how they are feeling. They may not be getting sleep at home or a meal because that support system has been taken away. Although I have not seen this in my school, I know that I want to be there to support my students during such a difficult time. 

2. LA Educators vs. ICE was the next article. A quote that stood out to me was “In California, about one in five K–12 students come from mixed status families, meaning at least one parent is undocumented. Every school day, these students face the possibility of coming home to find a close family member missing”. This does not only cause emotional distress but  food insecurities and other economic hardships. The educators in this neighborhood did things like raising money for food for these students and trainings have been created for staff members to get involved and take a stand. The more that come together to help, the better support we are able to provide. As I said before, although this has not happened in the community I work in yet, that does not mean we should not be prepared and educated about it. It is important for staff members at my school to know what to do if an immigration officer were to come. Our district did recently send out a memo on “what to do” if this happens which I did read and find helpful. Even though it is not directly happening in our district yet, we should not ignore what is going on around us.

 

3. In it for The Long Haul was the last article I decided to talk about. The author said “Those things that we need in a restructured society are foundational to our personal and community safety. Within that context, it’s not that you are taking abolition and putting it into an educational context; instead, it’s a process. It’s a practice, a way of being, and a way of acting in the world that provides you with an opportunity to reach the restructured world we are trying to build”. If we want a better world, we have to practice the good/correct values. Instead of just punishing students, we need to teach them about why their behavior is happening and what can be done better. Fostering trust with them can help build a better relationship for better outcomes. If we are consistent with values like fairness, we can change our society for the better. This I can do with the students I see in my clinic. I have a lot of frequent flyers and I have learned that if you solely focus on the fact that they come too much and send them back to class, they frequently return. If you focus on what is truly bothering them and setting standards (example: you can come see me, but it’s a 5 minute rest and then back to class)-not focusing on the negative which is that they come too much-I find they will realize on their own they are coming too much (if that makes sense). These students want to feel heard and sometimes listening to them and allowing them to open up is all you need to do to foster a better environment. 

Argument Statement:

To create a safe space for our students we need to continue to stay inclusive and respect each other. A space where students can learn without being in fear because their educators are advocating for their rights/needs.

Connections/Reflections:

Although I cannot directly connect ICE to my work at this moment, I would like to take a moment to discuss one of my favorite shows. The show The Pitt recently came out with a new season and had an episode that showed how ICE affected their emergency room. A patient came in needing medical attention who was in custody with ICE. She was being told by the agents she could not contact family and that she was just there to get checked out. They were making their presence so known in the ER to the point that patients were leaving. A staff member got involved when attempting to help the patient when he was then arrested. The head doctor of the ER is seen telling the agents that they need to get out of the waiting area in the ER because they are inflicting fear on not only patients, but staff. As a nurse and someone who once worked in a hospital for quite some time, it was hard to watch. I felt so bad for the woman. Everyone has the right and access to healthcare when they are need. The agents in this case were creating a barrier when all the hospital staff wanted to do was help.