MLK Jr Prayer Service: I Have Decided To Stick With Love

An excerpt from Dr King’s speech titled “I Have Decided To Stick With Love."

I’m concerned about a better world. I’m concerned about justice; I’m concerned about brotherhood and sisterhood; I’m concerned about truth. And when one is concerned about that, he can never advocate violence. For through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can’t murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can’t establish truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can’t murder hate through violence. Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that.

And I say to you, I have also decided to stick with love, for I know that love is ultimately the only answer to humankind’s problems. And I’m going to talk about it everywhere I go. I know it isn’t popular to talk about it in some circles today. And I’m not talking about emotional bosh when I talk about love; I’m talking about a strong, demanding love. For I have seen too much hate. [...] and I say to myself that hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love. If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. And the beautiful thing is that we aren’t moving wrong when we do it, because John was right, God is love. He who hates does not know God, but he who loves has the key that unlocks the door to the meaning of ultimate reality.

And so I say to you today, my friends, that you may be able to speak with the tongues of men and angels; you may have the eloquence of articulate speech; but if you have not love, it means nothing. Yes, you may have the gift of prophecy; you may have the gift of scientific prediction and understand the behavior of molecules; you may break into the storehouse of nature and bring forth many new insights; yes, you may ascend to the heights of academic achievement so that you have all knowledge; and you may boast of your great institutions of learning and the boundless extent of your degrees; but if you have not love, all of these mean absolutely nothing. You may even give your goods to feed the poor; you may bestow great gifts to charity; and you may tower high in philanthropy; but if you have not love, your charity means nothing. You may even give your body to be burned and die the death of a martyr, and your spilt blood may be a symbol of honor for generations yet unborn, and thousands may praise you as one of history’s greatest heroes; but if you have not love, your blood was spilt in vain. What I’m trying to get you to see this morning is that a man may be self-centered in his self-denial and self-righteous in his self-sacrifice. His generosity may feed his ego, and his piety may feed his pride. So without love, benevolence becomes egotism, and martyrdom becomes spiritual pride.

MLK Jr Prayer Service: We Shall Overcome

An excerpt from Dr King’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech in December 10, 1964 titled, “We Shall Overcome.”

I refuse to accept the idea that the "is-ness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "ought-ness" that forever confronts him.

I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him.

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.

I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of nuclear annihilation.

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.

I believe that even amid today's mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow.

I believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men.

I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.

I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men other-centered can build up.

I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed and nonviolent redemptive goodwill proclaimed the rule of the land. And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together, and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, and none shall be afraid.

I still believe that we shall overcome.

No Phones

We live in a society of constant distraction.  With rampant instant messaging and social media use, our ability to communicate face-to-face, to socialize in a positive way, and resolve conflicts has dwindled.  To the end, students are prohibited from using their mobile phones or smartphones while at school in order to encourage face-to-face conversation, socialization, and to practice conflict resolution.  

From the hours of 8.00 AM until 4.35 PM, all mobile phones or smartphones must be turned off and stowed away in the backpack before the student enters the school building.   

If a phone is visible or rings while at school, the student must relinquish the phone at the request of the teacher or the administration.  The school employs a graduated discipline philosophy.  

The first time a phone is confiscated, the student can pick up the phone from the Assistant Principal at the end of the school day following a restorative conversation.  

The second time a phone is confiscated, a parent or guardian must meet with the Assistant Principal to explain the rationale behind why we do not allow mobile phone use at school and to pick up the phone.  The phone will not be released to the student following this second infraction.  

The third time a phone is confiscated, the school will make arrangements with the family to keep the phone at home for the remainder of the year, or if necessary, to hand the phone to school administration at the start of every school day. 

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

Academic integrity and right ethical conduct are expectations of all students.  Cheating and plagiarism are violations of academic integrity and right ethical conduct.  Cheating is defined as using unauthorized resources of any type on any exam, quiz, paper, major project, or class assignment.  Plagiarism is copying exact words or paraphrasing ideas without crediting original sources. Providing access to another student to such resources is also considered a violation of academic integrity as is allowing another student to copy from one’s own exam, quiz, paper, major project, or class assignment.  

In keeping with our model of restorative justice, the school treats first violations of academic integrity as a learning event.  In these situations, the student will receive an “I” for the assignment or activity in question. The student then has a conversation with the teacher who debriefs what occurred, next steps to rectify the action, and the teacher coaches the student on how to tell their parents.  Owning up to the action is an important step in understanding the severity of the violation of academic integrity.

The student is then responsible for telling their parents about the incident and to let them know that a face-to-face conference or phone conversation with the teacher will be forthcoming—this gives the students an opportunity to be at the center of the conversation.  

The teacher then has a face-to-face conference or phone conversation with the family and the student.  From there, a letter is sent home that recaps the meeting, and it serves as a record of the entire incident. In this letter, it states that all future offenses will result in more serious consequences. The student writes a letter of reflection which answers the following questions: 

“How have your actions impacted your relationship with others, including your classmates and teacher?  Looking back on this past incident, what would you have done differently? How has your understanding of integrity changed since this incident?” 

This reflection is then sent to the parents, the mentor, and the teacher.  Copies of the teacher’s letter and the student’s reflection are included in the student’s file.  The student is responsible for re-doing the same assignment or an alternative as assigned by the teacher which addresses the same Cognitive Skills or Content Knowledge assessed in the original assignment.  Please, note that any additional violations of academic integrity may include expulsion from the school.  

Learning Modalities

Last year, we had the opportunity to partner with three organizations dedicated to personalized learning.  These include Silicon Schools, Summit Learning, and New Classrooms: Teach to One: Math.  We continue to partner with the first two, and for a multitude of reasons decided to carve our own path with the latter.  And, before we parted ways this year, we decided to retain the learning modalities approach that was an essential component of the New Classrooms approach.  

We know that students can learn in a variety of ways.  They can learn directly from a teacher, they can learn from a colleague, classmate, or small group, and they can also learn independently with a learning management platform.  We leverage the use of these learning modalities to ensure that students get what they need, when they need it, and how they need it.  

Guided Learning is the traditional direct instruction approach where teachers, for a limited time, may engage in a lecture about a topic.  

Collaborative Learning is the learning modality assigned to students who work together in a small group setting to practice, to learn, or to explore a particular topic.

Leveled Learning is where students may work directly with a technology-assisted platform in order to learn about a topic.  

Informed by data, teachers can use these modalities in a myriad of ways.  All three modalities could be happening simultaneously in a classroom setting as necessary depending upon the objective for the day's lesson.  

Huddles and Meetings

It goes without saying that communication is important.  In addition to our use of the application Slack, which has cut our internal email down dramatically, we like traditional face-to-face meetings in order to connect.  Our Academic Leadership Team has three types of meetings: (1) A Daily Huddle; (2) A Weekly Meeting; and (3) A President's Council Meeting.  

The Daily Huddle is comprised of myself, our Principal, and our Director of Wholeness.  This is a meeting of no more than 10 - 15 minutes in length where we check in and talk through any special events of the day.  We try our best to stand during these morning meetings to keep the blood flowing.  This huddle is operational in nature. 

Our Weekly Meeting is where we look at the week and review events.  We allot about 60 minutes for this meeting which ensures that we have plenty of opportunity to dialogue and reconnect.  These weekly meetings are more tactical in nature.

Finally, our Academic Leadership Team combines with other heads-of-departments to form our President's Council.  This is where we talk about larger school issues and where we test out ideas.  Most importantly, we have an opportunity to support and align with one another once collective decisions are made.  These meetings are also an hour long and are strategic in nature.  

We take a copious amount of notes and keep a running agenda.  This ensures that the meetings do not become cumbersome.  An agenda-less meeting is a recipe for unnecessarily lengthy meetings!  

Huddle Break

At the end of every huddle or meeting, we "break" in the same way that sports teams do.  The last member of the team to place their hand in the middle has to give "the word" that everyone will repeat with enthusiasm after the count off.  Also, each team member has to hold their weight.  This fun little ritual ensures some levity and positivity is always a part of our gatherings.

Words and Phrases: A Lexicon of Sayings at School

Here's an ongoing lexicon of words and phrases we use at Cristo Rey De La Salle High School that we use with intentionality.

Glows: Appropriated from the Summit Learning Network to identify positive attributes that we wish to highlight and reinforce.

Grows: Also appropriated from the Summit Learning Network to identify the challenges that we need to overcome in order to get to the next level.

Little by little / paso a paso: A phrase used by our Enrollment Manager to remind ourselves that we'll achieve our goals, little by little.  

We'll Make It Happen: Another catchphrase by our Enrollment Manager.

Huddle:  A quick 5 - 10 minute meeting to go over essential details of an event, to discuss items of concern, or to talk about recurring issues which need special attention.

Run of Show: A cue-to-cue sequence or detail of an event. 

Feedback is Gold: We are working on becoming a community that can analyze and synthesize data through surveys about our processes and programs.

We Hear You: Words often spoken in a circle, a communal, or a prayerful context by those present to affirm the speaker.

Assume Positive Intent: Consider that a person's actions or words are well-meaning.  That said, there are times in which unintentional actions or words, or bias needs to be addressed.

Correct: Interestingly, my coworkers remarked that I tend to use this term quite frequently in place of a simple yes.

I Appreciate You: Most people seem to say "I appreciate it" where "it" refers to the action that somebody may have undertaken for another.  Replacing "it" with "you" wonderfully acknowledges who is undertaking the action.  Our former Director of School Culture introduced this to us.

EOD / EOB: Stands for "End-of-day" and "End-of-business" to cue folks to respond to an ask before same.  

RBO: A locally developed term which stands for "Relationship Building Opportunities" a way of reframing supervision to make it a positive opportunity for adults to build relationships and community with the students entrusted to their care.

New Language

Part of our new "way of doing school" involves retiring old language.  Old language handcuffs us to old ways of doing things.  This is not to say that traditional approaches to education aren't without merit.  We are simply committing to approaching schooling in a new way.  New language allows us to unlock new possibilities.  

For instance, we've reframed "proctoring" and "prefecting" assignments.  Rather than thinking of them as mere supervision of certain spaces, we've rechristened them "RBO" or "Relationship Building Opportunities."  Truly, they are opportunities for our faculty, administration, and staff to bond with our students during those time periods between classes.

New language also permeates our curriculum and instruction practices.  For instance, we've retired our "Religion" and "Theology" classes and we now call them "Catholic Studies" as a way of attending to our unique Lasallian Catholic identity within the Cristo Rey Network.  

Our classroom spaces are reflective of the instructional modality that happens most frequently.  So, traditional direct instruction is called "Guided Learning," while group work is called "Collaborative Learning."  Finally, "Leveled Learning" is where students can work independently with our personalized learning platforms to "level up" in the same way that video game players "level up" their characters in their games.  

In Praise of Dance

In Praise of Dancing by Saint Augustine

I praise the dance, for it frees people
From the heaviness of matter
And binds the isolated to community.

I praise the dance, which demands everything:
Health and a clear spirit and a buoyant soul.

Dance is the transformation of space, of time, of people,
Who are in constant danger of becoming all brain, will or feeling.

Dancing demands the whole person,
One who is firmly anchored in the center of his life,
Who is not obsessed by lust for people and things
And the demon of isolation in his own ego.

Dancing demands a freed person,
One who vibrates
With the balance of all his powers.

I praise the dance.

O People, learn to dance,
or else the angels in heaven
Will not know what to do with you.

Academic Explorations: Media Literacy: Toxic Masculinity

Original Gillette Short Film

Today Show Response

Jesse Dollemore Response

Fox Business Response

Academic Explorations: Media Literacy: Social Media

Marshall Davis Jones - Touchscreen

Pressures of Social Media on Teen Girls

Seven Essential Characteristics of a Teacher at Cristo Rey De La Salle East Bay High School

(1) Loves working with young people, and empowers our student associates to become agents of their academic success;

(2) Exhibits the flexibility to pivot and is comfortable with change and transition;

(3) Listens to new educational research, displays a growth mindset, and commits to lifelong learning;

(4) Models mindfulness, culturally responsive and relevant teaching, wholeness and restorative justice practices;

(5) Collaborates openly and communicates authentically with colleagues to build an inclusive educational community;

(6) Takes creative initiative, and is self-directed and reflective in disposition;

(7) Appreciates our Lasallian Catholic heritage and tradition, and respects religious plurality.

A Future Not Our Own

A Future Not Our Own
in memory of Oscar Romero (1917 - 1980)

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. 

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent
enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of
saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.

No prayer fully expresses our faith.

No confession brings perfection.

No pastoral visit brings wholeness.

No program accomplishes the Church's mission.

No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.

We plant the seeds that one day will grow.

We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.

We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.

This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an
opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master
builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own. 

This prayer was first presented by Cardinal Dearden in 1979 and quoted by Pope Francis in 2015. This reflection is an excerpt from a homily written for Cardinal Dearden by then-Fr Ken Untener on the occasion of the Mass for Deceased Priests, October 25, 1979. Pope Francis quoted Cardinal Dearden in his remarks to the Roman Curia on December 21, 2015. Fr Untener was named bishop of Saginaw, Michigan, in 1980.

Three Draft Versions of Schoolwide Student Learning Outcomes

Version 1:

A Cristo Rey De La Salle East Bay High School graduate is a person who …

… witnesses with authenticity to the Holy Presence of God in the world.

… perseveres in the face of adversity, and through a Quality Education is academically prepared to pursue a lifetime of learning.

… shows mercy, compassion, a Concern for Those in Poverty, and for Social Justice through contemplation and action.

… Respects All Persons by caring and advocating for self, for our communities, and for our environment with sincerity.

… understands the value of an Inclusive Community by showing an appreciation for the creative potential that sees unity within diversity.

Version 2:

(1) … is academically prepared, is self-directed in their learning, and is empowered with the cognitive skills, the content knowledge, the sense of purpose, and the habits of success to persevere through life’s challenges.

(2) … demonstrates a concern for the marginalized and disenfranchised, for social justice, and for the environment, and participates in the co-creation of a more just, verdant, and peaceful world.  

(3) … understands the value of healthy relationships as fundamental building blocks of human coexistence.


Version 3:

A Cristo Rey De La Salle East Bay High School graduate is a person who …

(1) … Develops Academic Excellence and Intellectual Agency

Masters the cognitive skills, content knowledge, and habits of success needed to pursue a college education and a lifetime of learning.

Works diligently with our corporate partners, faculty, and classmates to respond productively to constructive feedback.

Practices self-direction, resiliency, and agency.

(2) … Contributes to the Common Good Through Social Justice

Communicates with knowledge and awareness of socio-political and economic issues through a Lasallian Catholic worldview.  

Exhibits cultural competency, builds socio-political capital, and leverages both for the common good.

Examines the structural injustices of our world, particularly the needs of Oakland and the San Francisco Bay Area, and takes right action.

(3) … Leads with Integrity and Respect

Builds community through the development of authentic relationships.

Maintains a lifestyle dedicated to wholeness through healthy mindsets and choices.

Utilizes restorative justice tools to heal interpersonal harm.

(4) … Pursues a Life of Faith, Purpose, and Service

Appreciates our Lasallian Catholic heritage and tradition, and respects religious plurality.

Discerns personal gifts and talents and cultivates a sense of spiritual purpose.

Manifests compassion for self, our communities, and our environment.

Our Personalized Learning Approach

As a Lasallian Catholic learning community, we at Cristo Rey De La Salle East Bay High School believe in the power of a progressive, transformative, and relevant education.  We have partnered with Summit Learning and New Classrooms Teach To One: Math to enhance our student centered personalized learning experience. The basic tenets of our model are aligned with the Core Principles of a Lasallian Education.   

Respect For All Persons: One-on-one mentoring for every student associate.

Every student associate has a mentor at school.  Students work closely with their mentors to set goals and to realize a sense of purpose through their work.  Teachers develop strong relationships with students to understand their passions, interests, and aspirations and how they can work to achieve those learning goals.  

Concern For Poor and Social Justice: A focus on real-world projects that build cognitive skills and core knowledge.

The Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity identified 36 cognitive skills as most critical for college and career readiness.  Our student associates develop those cognitive skills and core knowledge through real-world projects whose focus is on making our local and global communities a better place while contributing to the common good.   

Inclusive Community: Multiple learning modalities that allow students to learn in different ways.

We embrace three learning modalities that give students and teachers the flexible learning environment they require in order to meet their learning goals.  The Leveled Learning modality is an independent learning zone where students work on skill proficiency or lesson reinforcement through practice.  The Guided Learning modality is where teachers help to guide students through new skills or knowledge acquisition.  The Collaborative Learning modality is where students engage in peer-to-peer or small group learning.

Quality Education: Qualified teachers along with relevant and rigorous content that meet our student associates’s needs.

All of our teachers are highly qualified and trained in personalized learning and bring a diversity of experiences to bear in the classroom.  In addition, our course content is relevant, rigorous, and designed with the best pedagogical practices in mind.

Faith In The Presence of God: Each student associate is made in the image and likeness of God and is a unique individual with their own gifts and talents that need nurturing.  

The personalized learning experience is a way for us to nurture a student’s individuality within a community of learners who strive for competence and mastery.  We acknowledge that each student learns at different speeds and in different ways and what works for one may not work for another. We know that what students learn has to be important to them.

Stillpoint | 09.07.18

At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the stillpoint, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.

from The Four Quartets, TS Eliot

How good it is to center down!
To sit quietly and see one's self pass by!

The streets of our minds seethe with endless trafic;
Our spirits resound with clashings, with noisy silences,

While something deep within hungers and thirsts 
for the still moment and the resting lull.

With full intensity we seek, ere the quiet passes,
A fresh sense of order in our living;
A direction, a strong sure purpose that will
structure our confusion and bring meaning to our chaos.

We look at ourselves in this waiting moment - the kinds of people we are.

The questions persist:
what are we doing with our lives?
what are the motives that order our days?
What is the end of our doings?
Where are we trying to go?
Where do we put the emphasis and where are our values focused?
For what end do we make sacrifices?
Where is my treasure and what do I love most in life?
What do I hate most in life and to what am I true?

Over and over the questions beat in upon the waiting moment.

As we listen,
floating up through all the jangling echoes of our turbulence,
there is a sound of another kind -
a deeper note which only the stillness of the heart makes clear.
It moves directly to the core of our being.

Our questions are answered.
Our spirits refreshed, and we move back into the traffic of our daily round
With the peace of the Eternal in our step.

How good it is to center down!

from Meditations On The Heart, Howard Thurman

Evening Sky

... poetry by Carmel Cronin '41 from the Elizabethan of 1940.

A (Short) History of Saint Elizabeth's High School

... an excerpt from the Thuringian / Elizabethan Saint Elizabeth's High School 1929 yearbook.  

Redlining the Fruitvale Neighbourhood of Oakland

Cristo Rey De La Salle High School is located within the Fruitvale neighbourhood. This article gives an excellent overview of how the redlining affected this community.

An excerpt from the article: "In the 1930s, as the country was recovering from the Great Depression, the federal government wanted to encourage homeownership in cities that had suffered from waves of foreclosures. So it established the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC), to refinance mortgages at risk of default. As part of that effort, HOLC created maps of cities, to identify which neighborhoods were good investments and which were bad investments.

HOLC assigned each neighborhood a grade, according to the "favorable" and "detrimental" influences in the neighborhood. The presence of minority communities was among the so-called detrimental influences. Take Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood, for instance. A 1937 HOLC map of the area indicated these so-called detrimental influences: "Odors from industries. Predominance of foreign inhabitants. Infiltration of Negroes and Orientals.

Fruitvale and other neighborhoods given low grades were colored red on the maps, which spawned the term "redlining."

https://www.kqed.org/news/11648307/has-oaklands-fruitvale-neighborhood-recovered-from-redlining