THE VOICE Summer 2021 Issue #12

BTN Voice of Baltimore Teachers

Baltimore City Public Schools Annual Peace and Remembrance Day Written by Koli Tengella It is an overcast and yet swelteringly humid Wednesday morning as I stand at the bottom of the stairs in front of Baltimore City Public Schools district headquarters. The three levels of the stairs form a huge semi-circular platform stage. ln, the center of it is a dark wood podium with a microphone. Behind the podium standing on further ascending steps are six well- dressed mask-covered men and women holding large white signs with black lettering. Each sign holds the name of a city school student who has died this year because of violence. This is the fourth annual Peace and Remembrance Rally of Baltimore City Schools. My name is Koli Tengella. I have been working as an actor and comedian for nearly 40 years and teaching theater/performing arts from a trauma-informed perspective with city schools for over twenty years. Currently, at Mount Royal Elementary/Middle. A week ago, I was asked to write and perform an original poem for this event. I have been both an opening act and a headliner in my show business life. Today, I'm the feature act, which is the guy in the middle but this morning's opening acts are straight-up "A" listers and headliners. This begins with the MC Dr. Sonja Santelises, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, City Coun- cil President Nick Mosby, and Mayor Brandon Scott. I'm introduced, share my truth not only as an educator but as a parent as well. Continued on page 2

My Child Struggled with Virtual Learning, What About Next Year? By Miles Armstrong

FEATURES 2 Living Differently : Autism Awareness is Pathway to Acceptance

3 When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated

During a regular year, the ending of May rolling into June signifies the upcoming summer 7 The Parents Korner break. We all remember as children getting out for the summer and the excitement it brought knowing we would be out of the building and enjoying our newfound freedom with our friends. But with emergency virtual learning taking over last school year and this one, this last quarter of the school year and summer should be used to figure out how to get your scholar back on track if they lost their way. Here are some tips if your child struggled with TEACHER INQUIRY GROUPS virtual learning and how you can get them to get on track. Teacher Inquiry Groups will com- • Have a conversation with your child’s teacher. Find out exactly what your child strug- mence in July 13, 2021 with the gled with this year. Virtual learning was extremely hard on students and teachers. Most teachers have never worked from a computer, they are in person educators, so most of reading of Dr. Eddie Moore Jr's them are willing to go above and beyond to work with you and your child. Now if you book: The Guide for White Wom- have not talked to the teacher all year, talking with them now may be a tad more diffi- en who Teach Black Boys. Teach- cult. But by having this conversation you can get as close as you can to an expert opin- ers interested in participating in the ion on the following steps to take. cohort should contact Community Continued on page 3 Advocate and Organizer Mr. Miles Armstrong at 410-469-9902.

“ If there is no struggle, there is no progress”

- Frederick Douglass Continued from page 1 Living Differently: Autism Awareness is pathway to acceptance Written by Avery Smith

In many ways, Janard is like many other children his age. The soon to be 10 -year-old enjoys an afternoon at his neighborhood playground, laying under the bed with a flashlight reading, and watching his favorite cartoon, The Amazing World of Gumball, drawing pictures of animals and devouring any candy or sweet baked goods he can get his hands on. He loves to sing, dance and does not mind showing off his talents for a crowd. But Janard is different from his peers in one specific way, he has what he calls “superman like powers.” He is on the autism spectrum. What does it mean to be on the spectrum? Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined as a neurobiological developmental condition that can impact communication, sensory pro- cessing, and social interactions. Generally, it is seen as a different way of thinking. Janard, has the most infectious smile you will ever encounter in another human. Since his diagnosis at the age of 3, his parents have made it a priority to give him the tools to be as confident in his identity and embrace his unique skill set. His differences are what makes him the special guy he is. His family celebrates his autism often, particularly during the month of April. This past April was Autism Awareness month. This is an annual event that encourages awareness and acceptance about the existence of autism and the roughly 4 million autistic individuals around the world.

Acceptance comes with understanding, and while individuals and families living with ASD live this life every day, there is still a need for factual education and awareness for the general public. Knowledge promotes acceptance because it allows people to understand how to be more inclusive and build more supportive experiences. For many members of the autism community, the goal of the month-long campaign is a greater acceptance and appreciation of autism. On social media, families like Janards’ will spend four weeks sharing insights about their children to help those who are not educated about autism, using the hashtags #celebratedifference, #austismchampions and #autismawareness. Each weekend in April, Janard, alongside his brothers host outside their neighborhood mall a bake sale, to sell cookies, cupcakes, brownies and lollipops. With every purchase, an awareness brochure card that Janard helps to create is giving to customers. Proceeds from the fundraiser is giving to Autism Speaks, an organization that increase global understanding and acceptance, supports research, pro- vides funding for early childhood screening, improving transition to adult- hood and ensures access to reliable and updated information. Many advo- cates see the annual event as an opportunity to act on behalf of autistic individuals, lobby for more services, the importance of equal treatment and an individualized approach to just about everything else autism related. As of March 26, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 1 in 54 children are living with autism. This number represents a 10% increase over 2014, when the estimate was 1 in 59. Continued on page 6

2 Visit us at www.baltimoreteachernetwork.org Continued from page 1 When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated • Have a conversation with your child. Find out what they did like How to Protect Yourself and Others about virtual learning, if anything, and emphasize how difficult Updated Apr. 27, 2021 this process was. All students, whether elementary, middle, high or master’s level, struggled with conforming to the new standards Choosing Safer Activities attached to virtual learning. For some, a lack of motivation per- sisted due to a lack of connection with classmates or an instructor. Let your child know that this was a once in a lifetime occurrence and that they will have options to rebound academically. Most of all let them know that this school year will only define them if they allow it to, creating a rebound plan will take care of this. Also utilize this conversation to figure out what your child wants to get out of school, connecting what they want to do for their career to their current academic situation is one way to make school more inviting for students. If they recognize that school can give them the tools to be successful in what they want to do they will treat it accordingly. • After talking to both the student and teacher do your own research. As a parent you should know the type of learner your child is and what they struggle with or need additional help with. Be diligent and do the research on summer options being offered whether in your city, county or another area your child may travel to. Find out if your school is offering summer learning and if they aren’t talk to them about their suggestions.

• Discuss with the other stakeholders in your child’s life if they should focus on returning to the same grade. Kids who may have If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing many things that you struggled in grades like 5th, 8th or 9th may need to repeat in order had stopped doing because of the pandemic. to get back on track. Passing them to the next grade could lead to • When choosing safer activities, consider how COVID-19 is them falling further behind and could create issues later on that spreading in your community, the number of people participating in could include dropping out. Other students outside of those transition grades may find benefit in staying put. the activity, and the location of the activity. • Outdoor visits and activities are safer than indoor activities, and • Lastly, talk with the prospective teacher for next year to find out fully vaccinated people can participate in some indoor events safely, what your child would ideally need to know prior to starting the without much risk. next grade. This allows for an opportunity to do a diagnostic, it also allows you to check in with the current teacher and find out If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, find a vaccine. what your child has fallen short on. With this information you can properly plan how to get your child these skills to be prepared for COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. next school year. Based on what we know about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had There are very few instances of people who enjoyed virtual learning, stopped doing because of the pandemic. whether a student or teacher, and we can all acknowledge that the last year was extremely taxing on both sides. But education will continue In indoor public spaces, the vaccination status of other people or to move forward as will society. In order to combat educational inequi- whether they are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 is likely un- ty and make sure that our students do not fall further behind we must known. Therefore, fully vaccinated people should continue to wear a take steps to ensure that as parents we are active, we are asking for mask that fits snugly against the sides of your face and doesn’t have help and we are diligent about our children receiving a great education. gaps, cover coughs and sneezes, wash hands often, and follow any Without parental involvement these students will only fall further be- applicable workplace or school guidance. hind and at worst they could leave school forever. It is up to us as These recommendations can help you make decisions about daily adults to make sure we are supporting our students and advocating for activities after you are fully vaccinated. They are not intended them to live up to their most full potential. for healthcare settings.

Have You Been Fully Vaccinated? In general, people are considered fully vaccinated: ±

2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or

2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

If you don’t meet these requirements, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated. If you have a condition or are taking medications that weaken your immune system, you may NOT be fully protected even if you are fully vaccinated. Talk to your healthcare provider. Even after vaccination, you may need to continue taking all precautions.

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3 Visit us at www.baltimoreteachernetwork.org BTN Teacher Book List

Did you know that the Teacher Resource Center (TRC) has books avail-

able to check out for “FREE” 30 days at a time with the option to renew (as long as that particular book is not in high demand). Please call the office at 410-469-9902 to check out one of the books from our resource

library.

Baltimore Teacher Network Please visit our website at www.baltimoreteachernetwork.org Board Meetings are held on every to see a full list of the books we have available. fourth Monday of the month.

June 28, 2021 July 26, 2021 August 23, 2021 September 27, 2021

Baltimore Teacher Network Staff

Elijah Etheridge Executive Director

Dr. Ron Howell Deputy Executive Director

Dr. Akeda Pearson Deputy Director of School Administration

Danise Robinson UPCOMING EVENT Office Manager Please join us on September 4, Ethel Best 2021 for our Back to School Fest Special Assistant to the from 3 pm— 8 pm at 940 Madi- Executive Director son Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201. The festivities will in- Cynthia Jacobs clude live entertainment and School/Community Advocate giveaways for teachers and & Program Coordinator students.

Miles Armstrong Dr. Akeda Pearson and Mr. Avery Community Advocate/ Organizer Smith to the BTN family ! Avery Smith School/Community Organizer

Bonita Freeman Community Advocate Assistant CONTACT US: Patricia Hemphill Front Desk Receptionist Baltimore Teacher Network 940 Madison Avenue, L1 Joseph Rochelle Baltimore, MD 21201 Facilities Management 410-469-9902 The Voice newsletter is a quarterly publi- Baltimore Teacher Network cation. Please submit all articles to: 940 Madison Avenue, Suite L1 Ms. Cynthia L. Jacobs at Contact Mr. Miles Armstrong at Baltimore, MD 21202 [email protected] 410-469- 9902 for additional in- 410-469-9902 formation. 4 Visit us at www.baltimoreteachernetwork.org

TEACHER CORNER

Baltimore City Public Schools 2021 Teacher of the Year We are Open!!! Designing a Place for Teachers

TEACHER RESOUCE CENTER Ms. Sydney Thomas Social Studies Teacher Technology for Teachers Copy Center at Resource Library Holabird Elementary School Conference Center Break Out Rooms Professional Development

Stay up to date with the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education http://www.mgaleg.maryland.gov/ Pubs/CommTFWorkgrp/2016- Innovation-Excellence-in-Education- Commission.pdf

The Parent Engagement Volunteer Initiative (PEVI), has been postponed until further notice due to COVID – 19. Baltimore Teacher Network wants to ensure and maintain the health and safety of our staff and others during this time. We will provide an update of our upcoming training classes at a later date.

We would like to thank the following supporters for providing grants to our charter schools.

Walmart of Catonsville $5,000 grant for school supplies

The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries ConneXions: A Community Based Arts School Awarded —$5,000 Independence Local 1 High School Awarded —$5,000 5

5 Visit us at www.baltimoreteachernetwork.org Continued from page 3 Continued from page 2

What You Can Start to Do If we picture people as computers, autistic individuals have one-of-a- kind operating systems that enable them to process life and experience the world differently from the rest of us. Those that study autism know relatively little about the condition that is considered one of the fastest- growing developmental disabilities. Researchers know on average that autistic brains are larger and that they shed, excess neurons more slowly than neurotypical brains. Scientists also have identified that autism af- fects linkages between the parts of the brain that govern emotions, sensory input and executive functioning. When you've met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person; that experience tells you nothing about autism as a whole. We need to be aware of, accept, and appreciate the incredible diversity that we find within the autism spectrum. What that suggests is that we need to get to know autistic people as individuals as opposed to a collection of charac- teristics.Janard walks on his tippy toes when barefoot. He will rewind a funny moment on tv over and over and laugh out loud each time. Prepare for an extended dinner time with Janard, as he eats small bites and chews slowly. He collects random objects, such as, bread ties, pieces of string, bottle caps, game board pieces, batteries, all of which he considers his If you’ve been fully vaccinated: “friends.” Tossing them around in his hand, rearranging them in different ways and talking to them will entertain him for hours. Sometimes this You can gather indoors with fully vaccinated people without brain moves faster than his mouth and he skips words or entire phrases wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart. hoping to catch up with his thoughts. A daily routine and schedule are important to him. You can gather indoors with unvaccinated people of any age from one other household (for example, visiting with relatives The core symptoms of ASD are social communication challenges and who all live together) without masks or staying 6 feet apart, un restricted, repetitive behaviors. Symptoms of ASD begin in early child- less any of those people or anyone they live with has hood, (though they may go unrecognized) persist and interfere with daily an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. living. Specialized healthcare providers diagnose autism using a checklist You can gather or conduct activities outdoors without wearing a of criteria in the two categories above. They also as- mask except in certain crowded settings and venues. sess autism symptom severity. Autism’s severity scale reflects how much If you travel in the United States, you do not need to get tested support a person needs for daily function. Many people with autism have before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel. sensory issues. These typically involve over- or under-sensitivities to sounds, lights, touch, tastes, smells, pain and other stimuli. Since symp- You need to pay close attention to the situation at your interna toms vary from person to person, medical experts talk about ASD as tional destination before traveling outside the United States. being on a spectrum, rather than consisting of a fixed set of symptoms You do NOT need to get tested before leaving the United States that all people will experience. Most experts agree that there is no cure unless your destination requires it. for autism. That’s why many of them approach ASD in a way that looks You still need to show a negative test result or documentation of at the management of symptoms or development of skills and support, recovery from COVID-19 before boarding an international flight which includes behavioral, psychological, and educational therapy. Ac- to the United States. ceptance is a continual process of embracing what is and being open to You should still get tested 3-5 days after international travel. differences even when struggles of its impact are present. Continued You do NOT need to self-quarantine after arriving in the United efforts surrounding awareness and understanding for everyone is impera- tive to help move towards acceptance and change. Without awareness States. and knowledge surrounding ASD, we cannot bridge the gap to ac- If you’ve been around someone who has COVID-19, you do no ceptance and understanding of individuals like Janard and his family’s need to stay away from others or get tested unless you have struggles related to ASD. By understanding the impact of ASD and each symptoms. However, if you live in a group setting (like a correc individual's experience, we can create a pathway to collectively shift the tional or detention facility or group home) and are around some mindset that will celebrate the unique individual abilities and strengths of one who has COVID-19, you should still get tested, even if you those living on the spectrum. don’t have symptoms.

Continued on page 7 Visit us at www.baltimoreteachernetwork.org 6 The Parent’s Korner Thank you to the parent’s who participated in our first vision board event on April 22, 2021. We appreciate your support and invite you to attend our upcoming parent involved events in support of ConneXions: Arts Based Community School. The Director of the Arts Department - Mr. Brandon Booth and School Site/Community Specialist Ms. Teri Ray showed up in support of this effort. Please call the office at 410- 469-9902 for more information about our future events.

Continued from page 6

For now, if you’ve been fully vaccinated: You should still protect yourself and others in many situations by wearing a mask that fits snugly against the sides of your face and doesn’t have gaps. Take this precaution whenever you are: In indoor public settings Gathering indoors with unvaccinated people (including children) from more than one other household Visiting indoors with an unvaccinated person who is at increased risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 or who lives with a person at increased risk You should still avoid indoor large gatherings. If you travel, you should still take steps to protect yourself and others. You will still be required to wear a mask on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States, and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations. Fully vaccinated international travel- ers arriving in the United States are still required to get tested within 3 days of their flight (or show documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months) and should still get tested 3-5 days after their trip.

You should still watch out for symptoms of COVID-19, especially if you’ve been around someone who is sick. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should get tested and stay home and away from others. You will still need to follow guidance at your workplace.. Contact Source: National Center for Immunization and Respir- atory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases.

Visit us at www.baltimoreteachernetwork.org 7 If you are a Baltimore City Resident and are having trouble paying for your basic household needs —you may be eligible for a $400 prepaid card. (That can be used for food and household goods as a part of Baltimore City’s COVID—19 Emergency Assistance Program). Find out and apply now.

Contact any one of the following community—based partners to learn more.

Banner Neighborhoods Community Corporation Bon Secours Community Works [email protected] [email protected] 410-585-8812 410-801-5100

CASA of Maryland, Inc. Center for Urban Families [email protected] 410-246-1388 410-732-7777

City of Refuge Baltimore Elev8 Baltimore [email protected] [email protected] 410-355-6707

Esperanza Center ( Catholic Charities of Baltimore) Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition [email protected] (HEBCAC) 667-660-2265 443-524-3575

Job Opportunities Task Force (JOTF) Safe Streets [email protected] Cherry Hill: 410-350-0081 410-725-6805 Park Heights Renaissance: 410-664-4890

Urban Strategies [email protected] 443-798-2774

Maryland Legal Aid attorneys provide FREE civil legal services by phone and email. Email: [email protected] Phone: 443-451-2805 Maryland Legal Aid attorneys are here to provide one - on - one advice by phone and email on a variety of civil legal issues including:

• Bankruptcy • Child Custody & Support • Debt Collection • Expungements • Government Benefits • Housing • Landlord/Tenant • Veterans Benefits • Unemployment Benefits

Visit us at www.baltimoreteachernetwork.org