![Education Summit Promo w speaker highlights (instagram 60 sec)](https://childrenatrisk.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Education-Summit-Promo-w-speaker-highlights-instagram-60-sec.png)
This annual summit featured educators and community leaders working in the field to provide both teachers and students with a high-quality learning experience as schools work to improve and innovate in the wake of the pandemic.
On Thursday, September 8, the Texas Family Leadership Council, CHILDREN AT RISK and Shell USA, Inc. presented the annual Education Summit. The summit, co-sponsored by AIG Life & Retirement and Amazon, explored the enormous strain placed on teachers and students as they attempt to navigate an uncharted learning environment.
Opening speaker, Frazier Wilson, VP, Shell USA Company Foundation, Manager, Workforce Development & Diversity Outreach, Shell USA, Inc., spoke about how the pandemic highlighted things in our community that effect students socially, emotionally, and academically.
During the last year 73% of Texas youth with depression did not receive treatment… Texas does not meet any of the recommended number of mental health workers… We need to look at the pockets of success across the state to see what we need to do to move our students forward.
In the first session, CHILDREN AT RISK Chief Programs Officer, Kim Parker took a deep dive into the data from CHILDREN AT RISK’s newly released Pandemic Learning Loss Report. The report emphasized the importance of supporting the whole child, especially when it comes to mental health as Texas does not have the recommended number of mental health workers.
During the Creating a More Equitable Learning Environment, moderator Kristen Wells-Lewis (Prairie View A &M University) and panelists Jonathan Feinstein (Education Trust), Tonee Shelton (Communities In Schools of the Heart of Texas), Dr. Sharla Horton-Williams (The Commit Partnership) and Robin McDurham (Transformation Waco) discussed how schools cannot only recover from the pandemic but can come back stronger and better, however, “a mindset shift has to occur if we are going to come out of this pandemic better than we went into it” according to Dr. Sharla Horton-Williams.
The Supporting Teachers Today & Tomorrow panel saw moderator Sharon Jones (CHILDREN AT RISK) and panelists Harrison Peters (Men of Color in Educational Leadership), Erica Milson (Houston A+ Challenge), Rochelle Darville (West St. John High School) and Eduardo Rodriguez (CREED) discuss the challenges that teachers face in the classroom that has led to a teacher shortage in schools across the country. Peters shared how “teachers just want to be heard and want people to listen.” Most importantly, as Rochelle Darville states, “Teachers are more than just educators. We are everything that a student needs in that space. You have to be innovative and have an open mind to reach today’s students.”
In the keynote interview, Alex Shub (School Empowerment Network) talked about the importance of building school leadership pipelines, as he found what makes a new school best is a good school leader. Also, it is important for schools to bring back the joy of learning.
In the first session, CHILDREN AT RISK Chief Programs Officer, Kim Parker took a deep dive into the data from CHILDREN AT RISK’s newly released Pandemic Learning Loss Report. The report emphasized the importance of supporting the whole child, especially when it comes to mental health as Texas does not have the recommended number of mental health workers.
During the Creating a More Equitable Learning Environment, moderator Kristen Wells-Lewis (Prairie View A &M University) and panelists Jonathan Feinstein (Education Trust), Tonee Shelton (Communities In Schools of the Heart of Texas), Dr. Sharla Horton-Williams (The Commit Partnership/School Leadership for Social Justice) and Robin McDurham (Transformation Waco) discussed how schools cannot only recover from the pandemic but can come back stronger and better, however, “a mindset shift has to occur if we are going to come out of this pandemic better than we went into it” according to Dr. Sharla Horton-Williams.
A mindset shift has to occur if we are giong to come out of this pandemic better than we went into it.
The Supporting Teachers Today & Tomorrow panel saw moderator Sharon Jones (CHILDREN AT RISK) and panelists Harrison Peters (Men of Color in Educational Leadership), Erica Milson (Houston A+ Challenge), Rochelle Darville (West St. John High School) and Eduardo Rodriguez (CREED) discuss the challenges that teachers face in the classroom that has led to a teacher shortage in schools across the country. Peters shared how “teachers just want to be heard and want people to listen.” Most importantly, as Rochelle Darville states, “Teachers are more than just educators. We are everything that a student needs in that space. You have to be innovative and have an open mind to reach today’s students.”
In the keynote interview, Alex Shub (School Empowerment Network) talked about the importance of building school leadership pipelines, as he found what makes a new school best is a good school leader. Also, it is important for schools to bring back the joy of learning.
Finally in the High Performing Schools panel, moderator Claire Dutriex and panelists William Clark (Step Charter School), Carol May (H.R. McCall Elementary School) and Josué Covarrubias (Barr Middle School) discussed how their schools have succeeded during the pandemic and how other schools can replicate their success. Josué Covarrubias talked about the importance of building strong communities in schools: “Professional learning communities are a clear tool and system that keeps teachers coming back, even through burnout. They help them feel less alone, they assure you that someone else is going through this and that we can still learn from each other. It gives us the ability to lean on each other. That is so important.”
WATCH THE RECORDING
Thursday, September 8, 2022
The past two years have placed an enormous strain on teachers and students as they attempt to navigate an uncharted learning environment. On Thursday, September 8, CHILDREN AT RISK and Shell invite you to join them virtually for the annual Education summit, Education in Transition: Reshaping America’s Schools in a Post-Pandemic World. Hear from the educators and community leaders working in the field to provide both teachers and students with a high-quality learning experience. Experts from across the nation share innovative practices while C@R’s latest research will explore how students are recovering.
This post was written by Jessica Bundage, Assistant Director, Texas Racial Equity Collaborative, and Rebecca Hernandez, Director of Media Activism at CHILDREN AT RISK.
Include a Holistic Assessment Approach in Texas Rising Star
This post highlights a policy recommendation from our new report, The Quest for Equity and Quality Examining Provider Experiences and Participation in Texas Rising Star. This report, released 4/4/22, explores data from a statewide survey and focus groups in which...
Increase Investments in the ECE Workforce
This post highlights a policy recommendation from our new report, The Quest for Equity and Quality Examining Provider Experiences and Participation in Texas Rising Star. This report, released 4/4/22, explores data from a statewide survey and focus groups in which...
CHILDREN AT RISK & TXFLC host “A Fighting Chance: Summit on Basic Needs and Child Success”
Health leaders, researchers, and advocates gathered to explore the basic needs children need to thrive and the best practices we can implement to better support them. In today's uncertain world, it's more important than ever to make sure our children have everything...
CHILDREN AT RISK Receives $25,000 Donation from Amazon
Media Contact: Rashena Flagg, 713.301.4577 Amazon has generously provided Children at Risk with $25,000 to support the statewide collaborative Texas Family Leadership Council (TXFLC). The TXFLC was created out of the statewide need for accessible information,...
CHILDREN AT RISK and Texas Family Leadership Council Host Second Annual State of Black Children in Texas
On Thursday, February 24, the Texas Family Leadership Council and CHILDREN AT RISK hosted the second annual State of Black Children summit. The summit, sponsored by Amazon and Amerigroup, explored the challenges Black children face growing up in Texas and how to best...
Children at Risk Statement on Access to Healthcare for Transgender Children in Texas
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE On Feb. 22 the state of Texas issued a non-binding opinion declaring pediatric gender-affirming care to be criminal child abuse. This was followed by a directive to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to classify...
Economic Empowerment: A Path to Recovery for Survivors of Human Trafficking
By Lauren BiegelDiscussions around human trafficking are often focused on identifying victims and punishing their traffickers. Unfortunately, removing a victim from the situation in which they are being exploited is far from the end of the road to recovery and...
The Kids’ Case for Build Back Better: 5 Potential Wins for Texas Families
In the next few weeks, the US Senate is expected to vote on the Budget Reconciliation package (commonly referred to as "Build Back Better") which passed the House of Representatives on Nov. 19, 2021. The 1.9 trillion budget reconciliation packs in a number of...