creating safe and productive learning environments for ... definition of school climate was...
TRANSCRIPT
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Creating Safe and Productive Learning
Environments for Students
Alternate Route to Certification
March 2013
Introduction: How do I Know What I Know?
Brief background Experience
Education
My “day” job at the Connecticut State Department of Education Bureau of Accountability and Improvement
School Climate Improvement, Bullying and Character Education Professional Development
“Bullying” Complaints
© JAF 1999 - 2013 2
The Role of Positive Climate on Optimal Learning: Safe and Productive Schools
Core reason: create climate that ensures every student is physically, emotionally and intellectually safe and has the optimal chance for high academic achievement
Align practices with brain-based research on creating learning environments that support student engagement and attainment
Students must be present to learn…it is a necessary prerequisite
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Absenteeism and Academic Success
Learning requires that students be in class Absent because of sickness Absent because of “vacations” Absent because of being fearful “Opt out” to visit the nurse or guidance
Learning requires that educators be present, available and use engaging and ethicalteaching methods Adult actions and reactions determine student
outcomes © JAF 1999 - 2013 4
Lessons Learned from My Own Bullying Case Load
Seven 1/2 years worth of data…trends are clear Bullying knows no demographic boundaries
Bullying takes ALL forms without patterns
Bullying affects all grade levels
Very slight increase in the middle school years
Bullying overwhelmingly involves children with special needs (IEPs & 504 Plans) Children who are “different”
The family perceptions about what is happening to the child is in a separate universe from what is objectively happening at school
© JAF 1999 - 2013 5
Known Risk Factors: Everyone Is Affected
Perpetrators of mean-spirited behaviors More likely to experience failure and crime
Targeted Individuals More likely to be socially isolated, depressed
and absent from school
Those individuals who are “bystanders” Experience guilt and trauma over feeling
powerless to intervene and help
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If Only It Was This Easy!
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Ultimate Remedy for Bullying
To Create and Maintain Positive School
Climate…Environments that do not support any form of mean-spirited
behaviors (physically, emotionally and intellectually)
Healthy and happy “Climates of Respect”
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A Positive and Respectful School Climate is one that is physically,
emotionally and intellectually safefor all school community members… which is the
antithesis of a school that is “violent”
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Physical Safety:Safety Violence Continuum
Early Manifestations
by Students and/or Adults
ExclusionTeasing
Name-callingRidiculeSarcasm
Threatening and/or Real
“Bullying” Behavior
Extreme Physical Violence
HomicideSuicide
Dangerous “Weapons” In School: Direct Negative Impact on Learning Words! The silent and most devastating
weapons used by school community members
Putdowns and slurs Degrading language heard daily by 90% of
school community Girls/women Gay/lesbian/bi-sexual/transgender individuals Special education students Racial groups Religious groups
© JAF 1999 - 2013 11
National School Climate Standards: Finalized March 2010
“There is growing appreciation that school climate – the quality and character of school life1 – fosters children’s
development, learning and achievement. School climate is based on the patterns of people’s experiences of school life;
it reflects the norms, goals values, interpersonal relationships, teaching, learning and leadership practices, and organizational structures that comprise school life.”
1This definition of school climate was consensually developed by members of the National School Climate Council (2007). The terms “school climate”, “school culture” and “learning environment have been used in overlapping but sometimes quite different ways in the educational literature. Here, we use the terms interchangeably.
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National School Climate Standards
(1) The school community has a shared vision and plan for promoting, enhancing and sustaining a positive school climate.
(2) The school community sets policies specifically promoting (a) the development and sustainability of social, emotional, ethical, civic and intellectual skills, knowledge, dispositions and engagement, and (b) a comprehensive system to address barriers to learning and teaching and reengage students who have become disengaged.
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National School Climate Standards
(3) The school community’s practices are identified, prioritized and supported to (a) promote the learning and positive social, emotional, ethical and civic development of students, (b) enhance engagement in teaching, learning, and school-wide activities; (c) address barriers to learning and teaching and reengage those who have become disengaged; and (d) develop and sustain an appropriate operational infrastructure and capacity building mechanisms for meeting this standard.
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National School Climate Standards
(4) The school community creates an environment where all members are welcomed, supported, and feel safe in school: socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically.
(5) The school community develops meaningful and engaging practices, activities and norms that promote social and civic responsibilities and a commitment to social justice.
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12 Dimensions of School Climate Measured
Safety (1) Rules and Norms
(2) Sense of Physical Security
(3) Sense of Social-Emotional Security
Teaching and Learning (4) Support for Learning
(5) Social and Civic Learning
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12 Dimensions of School Climate Measured
Interpersonal Relationships (6) Respect for Diversity
(7) Social Support – Adults
(8) Social Support – Students
Institutional Environment (9) School Connectedness/Engagement
(10) Physical Surroundings
Staff Only (11) Leadership
(12) Professional Relationships© JAF 1999 - 2013 17
“School climate is ‘much like the air we breathe’ – it tends to go unnoticed until
something is seriously wrong.”
H. Jerome Freiberg, 1998© JAF 1999 - 2013 18
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School Culture
Culture as…Descriptive of current situationMission or goal
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School Climate: It is All About the Quality of Relationships Defined as: how well the people within
the school treat each other Physically Emotionally Intellectually
Actions [+/-] Verbal and non-verbal exchanges [+/-] Tone of voice [+/-] Use/abuse of inherent power advantages [+/-]
Adult Adult
Adult Student
Student Student
Adult a a
c Cchild © JAF 1999 - 2013 20
Levels of School Climate
Personal (one to one interactions) Adult Adult Adult Student Student Student
Classroom (tends to have the most positive climate)
School (tends to have the least positiveclimate)
Community (tends not to have enough systemic focus)
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Why “School Climate” ? Issues with nomenclature
“Character/Moral Education” “Values Clarification” “Citizenship” and “Religious Education”
Politically correct: everyone is supportive No one questions the “content” of lessons Not a separate subject - integrated into all
subject matter School Climate Discipline Climate Focus on Climate > Intervening with Bullying
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School Climate Development Model
Adults Often Ignore “Bullying” Behavior
Adults in school do relatively little to stop bullying behavior at school
Adults overlook or wait to intervene when initial instances of mean behaviors or language occur
Adults in school who are physically present during acts of meanness
Uninvolved or ignored 71% of observed incidences
May be unintentional due to lack of knowledge about what to look for
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What is “Bullying”?: Abuses of Power
“Bullying” is a public activity needing a stage on which to perform…when the audience is not there, the show closes
Power imbalance, measured by effects it has on the vulnerable target
It’s about power and not about conflict Conflict resolution and peer mediation are
not appropriate as means of addressing bullying
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Solving “Bullying” by Passing State Anti-Bullying Laws
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Missouri’s Law only pertains to “Cyber-Bullying”CT and WY: Only two that combine Bullying and
School Climate legislation
1999 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
GA
2000NH
COLAMSORWV
CTNJOKWA
ARCARI
2004VT
AZINMDVATXTNMENV
IDSCAKNM
DEIAILKSMNOHPA
NEKYUTFLMO
ALNCWY
MAWINY
NDHIMI
SD
NO LAWMT
Columbine As Crucible . . . First of the Bookend Research
Since 1974, 65 American “rampage” school shootings have occurred:
1970s 3 shootings1980s 5 shootings (1 per year from ’85 – ’89)1992 3 shootings1993 2 shootings1994 3 shootings1995 3 shootings1996 4 shootings1997 4 shootings1998 4 shootings1999 5 shootings
(Columbine: April 20, 1999)27
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…And This Decade2000 4 shootings2001 6 shootings
2002 2 shootings
2003 3 shootings
2004 0 shootings
2005 2 shootings
2006 4 shootings
2007 5 shootings
2008 3 shootings
2009 0 shootings
2010 0 shootings
2011 1 shooting
2012 1 shooting 28
Honor the “Spirit” (intent) of the law, not merely the “Letter” of
the law to create truly physically, emotionally and intellectually
safe and positive learning environments for every single school community member,
student and adult alike.
The Reason for Legislation
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Even the “experts” do not agree about what
“Bullying”looks, feels and sounds
like…© JAF 1999 - 2013 30
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“Bullying” is about Abuses of Power
One person’s “bullying” is another’s… “Kids will be kids”
“They were only joking around”
“Oh, they’re really friends”
“It’s not bad enough yet”
They’re just roughhousing”
“That is just teasing”
And, so many more…..
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What Is “Bullying”: The Difficulty With Definition
No standard or consistent definition 49 States…49 different definitions
Most involved acts of harassment or intimidation that continue with regularity for a certain period of time (usually six months or more)
At the core, “bullying” is about power abuses Wideness or narrowness determines how
many children involved: 5% - 30%
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Sample Definitions
“Intentionally harmful behavior that occurs repeated over time.” (JAMA 2001 research study)
“Any overt acts by a student or group of studentsdirected against another student with the intent to ridicule, harass, humiliate, or intimidate the other student while on school grounds, at school sponsored activities, or on a school bus, which acts are committed more than once against any student during the school year. (My italics) Such policies may include provisions addressing bullying
outside of the school setting if it has a direct and negative impact on a student’s academic performance or safety in school.” (Connecticut General Statutes 10-222d)
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And More Definitions…
“Harassment, intimidation, or bullying” means any intentional written, verbal, or physical act that a student has exhibited toward another particular student more than once and the behavior both:(1) Causes mental or physical harm to the other student(2) Is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that it
creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for the other student.” (Ohio HB 276)
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And, More… “Bullying” means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act
or conduct, including communications made in writing or electronically, directed toward a student or students that has or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following:(1) Placing the student or students in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s
or students’ person or property,(2) Causing a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s or students’
physical or mental health;(3) Substantially interfering with the student’s or students’ academic
performance, or(4) Substantially interfering with the student’s or students’ ability to participate
in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school. Bullying as defined in this subsection (b) may take various forms, including without limitation one or more of the following: harassment, threats, intimidation, stalking, physical violence, theft, public humiliation, destruction of property, or retaliation for asserting or alleging an act of bullying. This list is meant to be illustrative and non-exhaustive.” (Illinois SB 3266)
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Public Act 11-232 (CT)
Effective July 1, 2011
Safe School Climate Coordinator District level
Safe School Climate Specialist School level
Safe School Climate Committee School level
School Climate Assessments© JAF 1999 - 2013 36
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Public Act 11-232 (CT)
Defines bullying Student to student only
Enumerates targeted groups Confuses protected with non-protected classes
Procedure for filing bullying complaints
School employees must be “trained”
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Looking For Bullying: We Miss What is Right Under Our Noses
To understand how difficult intervening whenever “bullying” occurs… As you watch the short video clip…
Count the number of ball passes that occur among the students with WHITE SHIRTS
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Two Questions…
How many of you are parents, aunts, uncles or mentors of children?
How many of you are raising/mentoring “BULLIES”?
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A TOXIC School Concept: A True Conversation Closer No school wants to have any of it**
No parent/guardian will admit their child is one**
No child will own up to being one** ** Bullying, Bully, “Bullier”, Bullying
Behaviors
Everyone avoids these terms except the Target’s family
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Another Way to Think About This…
Think about individuals in your lives…
Have they every been MEAN to anyone? You?
Peers?
Siblings?
Adults?
Anyone????
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‘BULLY’ and ‘BULLYING’ are OUT!!!“Mean” Is A Better Term/Concept
No one knows what “bullying” looks, feels and sounds like We miss what is right under our noses
Everyone knows what “mean” looks, feels and sounds like If “mean” is the standard, we are much
more likely to help make it safer
If it’s mean…Intervene!!!!© JAF 1999 - 2013 43
The World Of Inappropriate Behavior
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Bullying
Protected Class
Harassment
Criminal Behavior
Mean Spirited
Behavior
“Empathy” As True Antidote For Meanness
Having compassion for others Includes animals and property
Being able to perceive the feelings of others
Learning to be empathic diminishes levels of meanness
Core concept in both emotional and social intelligence
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Targets Of “Bullies” Are Vulnerable
A public activity requiring a willing audience Active: “egging on”, laughing, etc. Passive: standing by watching, but not
encouraging Power struggle Relationship between the aggressor and
target is always uneven Boys identify those they do not know or like Girls identify those within their friendship
circles © JAF 1999 - 2013 46
Research On Playground Supervision
Adult perceptions of successful intervention Adults believed they were intervening in 50% of
incidences Adults actually intervened in approximately 20% of
incidences When effectiveness of intervention considered, it fell to
12-15% of incidences Children’s ability to intervene successfully is
significantly higher than adults Effective student intervention was double that of adults
Lessons learned from research Adults need to listen and intervene more often Adults need to empower students to
intervene© JAF 1999 - 2013 47
“Negligent Privacy”“Negligent privacy occurs when those who supervise and
monitor children do not remain vigilant and unwittingly provide the opportunity for victimization to occur.
Negligent privacy can occur on a playground filled with second graders, in a crowded high school cafeteria,
during a youth group camping trip or even 10 feet away from a teacher in a classroom. Simply put, negligent
privacy occurs when adults are not paying close attention to children under their care.”
Weakfish: Bullying Through the Eyes of a Child by Michael Dorn, p. 62Safe Havens International, Inc.
www.safehavensinternational.org
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Video: Social Cruelty
Addressing Those Who Act in Mean-Spirited Ways
Apply appropriate identified disciplinary measures from policies
Respond quickly and firmly to any retaliation toward targets and/or witness(es)
Enforce policies consistently and fairly Students believe honor students, athletes, and students with
positive relationships with adults receive less severe punishment than known “bullies”
Inconsistent application leads to diminished school connectivity:
Distrust in faculty Increased cynicism Decreased willingness to follow school rules
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“School Connectedness”…The Other Bookend Research
Funded by the Military Looking at “student mobility”
Conducted by Johns Hopkins University
The University of Minnesota
Occurring simultaneously with the research on the rampage school shooters
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“When students feel they are a part of school, say they are treated fairly by teachers, and feel close to people at
school, they are healthier and more likely to succeed.”
“Improving the Odds: The Untapped Power of Schools to Improve the Health of Teens.” April 2002
The Power Of Connection To School
School Connectedness: Simple Measures
I feel close to people at this school I am happy to be at this school I feel like I am part of this school The teachers at this school treat
students fairly I feel safe (physically, emotionally
and intellectually) in this school
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Factors Associated with School Connectedness: THE SCHOOL
School size mattered (larger than 1,200 students matters)
…classroom size did not School type is not associated with
connectedness…public, private, parochial
Location of school is not associated with connectedness
…urban, suburban, rural
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Factors Associated with School Connectedness: SCHOOL POLICIES
No single school policy was associated with connectedness
A climate of harsh discipline is associated with lower school connectedness It is possible to write policies to make connectedness not
happen Zero tolerance policies tend to be unevenly applied The more punitive the policies, the less connected
students feel
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Factors Associated with School Connectedness: SCHOOL CLIMATE & CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
The single strongest association with connectedness was school climate
Kids feel engaged when the classroom environment is seen as a safe place
1) Physically2) Emotionally (no peer cruelty/”bullying”)3) Intellectually/academically (no ridicule for taking academic risks: not made to feel a
failure …this is often the least attended to
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Toward A Solution
We have a desperate need to reconnect and value one another. The solution will be:
Complex RTI Framework utilizing Tiers I, II and III
(prevention/intervention continuum) Multidimensional Long-term Culturally and ecologically grounded Never-ending
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Known Needs and Remedies
Perpetrators Develop a sense of empathy for others
Must be removed from the social group and earn their way back
Close supervision
Targeted individuals Develop healthy and meaningful friendships
Do not ask them to change who they are
Do not have to own what is being portrayed
Bystanders Need to be empowered to become “allies”
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Deal With the Individual Who Is Being Mean: Do Not Blame the Target
Isolate those individuals being mean rather than protecting and supervising the target Social access is required in order to hurt
others Those being mean must earn the right
to rejoin the social group Long term: help them develop empathy
toward others© JAF 1999 - 2013 60
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Popularity: Two Sides Of The Coin
Bad/”Evil” Popularity: Getting noticed Very odd notion of “popularity”
“The meanest to everyone” “People live in fear” “They have all the power and will retaliate”
Good Popularity: Teach THIS concept When a student is genuinely liked because
she/he is nice to everyone The legacy of Alex
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Creating A Caring Majority: Tapping Into The Here-To-Fore “Silent Majority”
20% of the population begins change Shared primary goal: 100 % of school
population must be safe Give students permission to stand up
for each other Adult role- modeling Adults cannot do it alone
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The Story about Marcus. . .
Cultural Change
Paradigm Shift
Years to Fully Realize
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Developing Common and Systemic Language That Works:
“We don’t do that in our school.”
And…
© JAF 1999 - 2013
If it’s mean… intervene!!!
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Adult Actions and Reactions Determine Student Outcomes: The Foundation for Building Safe & Productive Learning Settings
Student SuccessStudent Success
EducatorEthical
Behavior
EducatorEthical
Behavior
Quality of Adult Role
Modeling
Quality of Adult Role
Modeling
Adult Responsiveness to
Cultural Differences
Adult Responsiveness to
Cultural Differences
Adult Awareness of Mistreatment
of Others
Adult Awareness of Mistreatment
of Others
Quality of Adult to Student
Relationships
Quality of Adult to Student
RelationshipsAdult
Reaction to Student
Misbehavior
Adult Reaction to
Student Misbehavior
Use of Effective Teaching Strategies
Use of Effective Teaching Strategies
Ability to Differentiate Instruction
Ability to Differentiate Instruction
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We can create these kinds of schools, but only if we
demonstrate leadership – only if we stand up and speak up for
civility and respect.
We can create schools where every single school community member
feels respected and valued.© JAF 1999 - 2013 67
A Useful Reflection: Stories of favorite teacher
Think back to experiences in yourschooling…elementary, middle or high
Recall your most favorite teacher of all time Precisely…what did that teacher do to inspire,
motivate and make learning engaging for you? Share with your colleagues the word or phrases
which come to mind
© JAF 1999 - 2013 68
Success For Students In School
Single most important factor determining success is students’ perception that their teacher(s) like(s) them
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Administrators MOST Difficult Task: The Adults Recognizing and confronting
inappropriate adult interpersonal conduct Words Actions Abuse of power Non-verbal exchanges Unfair/biased treatment
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The “Golden Rule” as the ultimate measure:
Treat others the way in which you would wish to be treated
Even Better…The Platinum Rule: Treat others the way they
wish you would treat them
The Standard for the Treatment of Others
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Successful School Climate Improvement Requires:
Systemically implementing a comprehensive prevention/intervention continuum of practices (Tiers I, II & III in a RTI/SRBI Framework) Teach and model school-based expectations for
conduct Identify interfering behaviors early
Manage these behaviors appropriately Such behaviors must not be overlooked or
ignored Appropriate continuum of support (medical, social
and/or psychological) should be identified and utilized
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The school must be a true “destination”
Every school community member, adult and student, should leave his or her house in the morning with a smile, go through the entire
school day wearing that smile and arrive back home looking forward to returning to
school the following day
Mandates Make It Difficult…The IDEAL, However…
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A Call To Action:Improving School Climate
Improving school climate is among the most effective ways of
improving the lives of youth, preventing violence and creating
physically, emotionally and intellectually safe, supportive and
positive learning environments
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Synopsis: The Bottom Line
In other words, what we need to do is to create and
maintain healthy climates of respect
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Climates of Respect: True Professional Learning
Communities
Not an add-on: a necessitySchools and community
organizations should be modeling the best, not perpetrating the
worst
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Jo Ann Freiberg, Ph.D.
CSDE: (860) 713-6598© JAF 1999 - 2013 79