Daily Archives: August 6, 2022

A failing building with a leaky roof was the home of two schools in Allston: The Jackson Mann and the Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. On June 27th, the Jackson Mann was closed, but the Horace Mann will remain in the same structure for at least another year. This is a tale of two schools.

You might call it the tale of two schools. Because under one roof-- and a leaky one at that-- the Jackson Mann School was permanently shut down on June 27its students and staff dispersed, its supplies transported across the city. But, there is another school in the same failing building. The Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing will remain in the same structure for at least another year.

The Jackson Mann Horace Mann complex has the highest buildings needs score in the entire school system. Thats BPS-speak for the building in the worst shape that impacts the most students. Eventually, the building will be torn down. The plan is to build a new one at that location. But the Horace Mann school population is filled with students who are some of the most vulnerable, who require the most services. They need a very specialized learning environment. And the Boston Public Schools has nowhere else to put these learners until a swing space is retrofitted - hopefully in fall 2023.

The decision to keep the building open for one school while closing it for the other has left people confused and outraged.

Good planning, of which weve not had a lot in the Boston schools for a while, should have been able to figure out an alternative," Larry DiCara, a former Boston city councilor and author of a memoir on busing and the Boston Public Schools said.

Meanwhile, it is the families who pay the price.

Christian, a third-grade student with autism gets off the bus for one of the very last times as a Jackson Mann student.

Christian was a student at Jackson Mann until the shutdown at the end of the school year.

"I loved it for like years," Christian told NBC10 Boston. "Im working with my after-school teacher Miss Laura. Im going to miss her."

While the building was failing, what happened inside was a success, according to Christians mom and other families we spoke with.

Jenny Millien said her son thrived at Jackson Mann with its strong special ed program.

"Through Jackson Mann, hes had an amazing abundance of resources." And she was intentional in choosing it.

I get emotional thinking about it because it is so much upheaval.

"Jackson Mann is K -8. And that was the biggest thing for us, that he would be in a solid place. He's a kid who is, routine based. So it was just really devastating." Millien gets choked up talking about it. "Its overwhelming. We found our home."

For Millien it feels unfair to be pushed out until the building closes for everyone. "Im really upset at that. I get emotional thinking about it because it is so much upheaval."

Rising eighth graders wonder too. "I wish we could stay for another year so I can graduate," said Nushrath Ismail, while acknowledging some of the building flaws. "In one of my science classes, the ceiling was like falling apart and there was leakage and we had to use a garbage can to hold the water in."

NBC10 Boston was not allowed inside the building until after the Jackson Mann closed for good and then for only about an hour. In the spaces we saw, there were numerous signs of water damage and open classrooms without doors.

Water damage inside the Jackson Mann school building.

The building problems provided hints the school might close. But the messaging changed over the years.

"What we saw at the Jackson Mann previous to this year with the previous administration is a failure of planning and communication," said Will Austin, who runs the Boston Schools Fund, an organization aimed at delivering high quality education in every neighborhood of Boston.

"The way that it was closed resulted in a lot of disruption for families...these things are all knowable. Like we knew the Jackson Mann was in bad shape in 2016, and you should have known theyre going to close the building."

But plans to close Jackson Mann didnt become public until 2019. That April, a top BPS official wrote to Jean Powers, a Jackson Mann parent and activist "as of now we are planning to close the Jackson/Mann facility but not the school."

"A lot of us stayed here thinking that we would have more time here. I mean, we were told two years ago thinking that, you know, we would stay here until another place came for us. But that didn't happen," says Jackson Mann teacher Christine OKeefe.

A lot of us stayed here thinking that we would have more time here.

Later that April, Interim Superintendent Laura Perile wrote the school community to say the building was technically safe, but the "level of work is so extensive and time-consuming that the safest course of action, long-term, is to vacate the building."

But the exact plan and timeline were vague.

"If you know that a building is in bad shape, you have to communicate that clearly to the community and really clearly communicate a plan," argued Austin.

Instead, families didnt learn the school would shut down for good until this winter, dispersing the students to schools around the district.

"I think," explained Austin, "that when you dont bring people into the solutions, you cant have trust. If families feel like they werent engaged in the solutions, theyre going to feel like they dont have the full story."

The Boston public schools refused to make anyone available for an interview about the Horace Mann Jackson Mann plans. Instead, they offered a statement saying in part:

After two years of meetings and conversations with families, BPS decided to close the school because it was not a safe learning space for students.

"The City of Bostons Public Facilities Department (PFD) commissioned a full-scale external engineering review of all the building's systems in 2019. The engineering reports findings suggested that keeping the site open long-term is not a viable option. The district had enough seats in other schools in Allston-Brighton for students who live there and enough seats in other schools closer to home for non-Allston-Brighton students. About 50% of the students at the Jackson Mann live in the Allston Brighton Neighborhood and there were local seats at other schools available for them."

The Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing currently has fewer than 100 students. Ranging from K-12, they also serve children from beyond the City of Boston. And now they are staying put in a deficient building for at least another year. Earlier this year, Mayor Michelle Wu released her Green New Deal plan for the future of Boston Public Schools. As part of that, a wing of the Charles Edwards School in Charlestown will be retrofitted, at a cost of more than $31 million to be a swing space for the Horace Mann. The location is a former middle school that had been promised to the community of Charlestown for an early childhood center. Now they will share the building.

"That's why we had to fight literally the community to be able to move in there temporarily," said Charlie Kim, a Horace Mann parent and co-chair of the school's site council. "And by temporary, were talking seven or plus years. Thats the final place for a lot of these students."

Founded in 1869, Horace Mann has a rich legacy of innovation for the deaf and hard of hearing community. Kim is pleased about the upgraded facility.

Others we spoke with off camera raised concerns about the commute to Charlestown, six miles away. And through an interpreter, the first deaf principal of Horace Mann makes it clear where she wants to end up.

"We look forward to a permanent home back here in Allston/Brighton," said Dr. Michelle Eisan-Smith.

The journey to this swing space and the fact that this school community remains in this building is frustrating at best.

"They blamed COVID," said Kim. "They blamed budgeting, planning, all these things. But the bottom line is they just didn't move when they had to move. They were very indecisive. They were showing us sites, the Timilty. They showed us the Edwards facility. If you knew about how many times that was given to us, offered, then taken away, then offered again and then taken away," said Kim. "We should always assume that folks will advocate for their kids. They should," said Austin. "But it should be done in a way where the process is clear. Right? The rules are clear. The planning is clear. So people can all engage."

Last year, Horace Mann applied for school building assistance to get a new facility. The application notes "many building deficiencies" including leaks and obsolete equipment. It states the cost of ongoing "inspection maintenance, and repair is unsustainable." And yet, the City of Boston did not give the application the highest priority designation.

What is clear now is that a new facility for The Horace Mann School is part of the plan. The location and budget remain unclear. But as part of the Green New Deal, there is $150,000 in the budget to explore a permanent site for a new Horace Mann.

This is the statement we got from BPS about Horace Mann:

"Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is moving to a new swing space location beginning in the school year 2023-24. A swing space is a space that a school moves into while permanent space is being built or restructured to appropriately fit the program. Because the Horace Mann School services a special population of our students, we needed to find them a swing space. To support the needs of the HM students, renovations to the swing space (Edwards Building in Charlestown) needed to be made before the school could move location. Working with the City, it was determined that it was OK for the HM school to remain at its current location until their swing space was ready."

When Jackson Mann Horace Mann opened in 1975, the Boston Globe described a school where educators taught racially diverse classes of students, both mainstream and special needs, all together.

"The goal was to construct large school buildings in neighborhoods where Black children and white children could both walk to school," said DiCara.

But did the building itself interfere with that success?

"Buildings were built big and thick because there was urban rioting in the sixties and people were interested in being sure that buildings could be fortresses," explained DiCara.

More than 60% of the 120 buildings in the Boston Public Schools were built before 1950. Some are older than Fenway Park. But it is the facilities built in the 60s and 70s that have failed the most. The West Roxbury education complex which opened in 1976 was deemed unsafe and closed in 2019.

"The 1970s buildings in the district are really uniquely designed," said Austin, "and use a lot of materials we don't use anymore."

"In some cases, there were also efforts," said DiCara "to have open classrooms, which sounds really great at the Harvard School of Education, but doesnt really sound very good if you're a parent of a small child."

Austin agrees.

"That was a bad idea. And we spent a lot of money undoing all of that."

"We have as many buildings, even a little bit more than we did 20 years ago. And we have significantly less kids," said Austin.

In 2001-2002 more than 62,000 kids enrolled in BPS. Twenty years later it's just over 46,000. Thats a whopping 26% decline.

In 2015 then Boston Mayor Marty Walsh rolled out Build BPS" - $1 billion to upgrade schools, close some and build others.

"Construction involves timetables, specific projects, resource and implementation. Build BPS never produced that," said Austin.

"There was never a set process of saying over the next 10 to 15 years, this is what we are going to do. And so that resulted in school communities kind of wondering every year, are we going to get closed this year?"

This June at Jackson Mann, the answer was yes.

Its heartbreaking, said teacher Christine OKeefe. "Im devastated. Were leaving our families and all our friends."

And the families will deal with the stress of new transitions.

"Ive always been comfortable in knowing he's good where he's at so I can thrive where Im at," said Jenny Millien, whose resilience will be put to the test once again.

"We're going to make the best of this. And Christian has always thrived regardless. So Im just hopeful that we continue that streak," she added.

There are more than 20 grade configurations in the Boston Public Schools system. BPS is now working eliminate middle schools in order to cut down on confusion, align with exam schools and create fewer transitions for kids.

Guthries parents moved from Somerville to Mattapan so their son could start pre- kindergarten this fall in the Boston public schools.

"I'm excited for him to go to a school where probably, you know, as a white kid, he'll be in the minority. I think that that would be good for him and for us," said future BPS mom Andrea Wells.

We were there last spring when Guthries mom learned her son was assigned to the Haley Pilot school-- their second choice. When Boston parents pick schools for their children, they find all kinds of grade configurations. In fact, there are more than 20.

To limit these options, cut down on confusion, align with exam schools and create fewer transitions for kids, BPS is working to eliminate middle schools. Its one solid legacy from the Build BPS plan. Two middle schools closed for good this June: the James Timilty in Roxbury and the Washington Irving in Roslindale. On the other side of that equation, schools like the James Otis in East Boston recently expanded to include the sixth grade.

"Its been such a success and our parents couldn't be more thrilled," said Paula Goncalves, principal of the James Otis Elementary School in East Boston.

The goal is to move to a model where schools go from Pre-K to 6th grade and then 7th through 12th.

We want to make sure that every single kid in the City of Boston has access to high-quality schools," said Austin, "and we do that through supporting schools like the Otis to expand and serve more kids over time."

Right now, the Boston Schools Fund is working with 12 schools across the city to add sixth grades.

"The best way to have the city progress over time and reach educational equity is to send more and more kids to good schools, said Austin.

On a tour of the Otis, Principal Goncalves stops by a third-grade classroom and points to a sign on the door.

"This is the college of Class of 2035." At another door she tells us, We are a school of 415 students. Lots of us classrooms are half the size of this classroom, and they have 20 students in them."

As part of Boston Mayor Michelle Wus $2 billion Green New Deal, the Otis is expected to get a new, modern and much improved building just a couple of blocks away.

It will provide us with a state-of-the-art auditorium, hopefully a science lab for our students, a Spanish lab for our students, a music room, an art room, says Goncalves. We've also asked that it be a community space for families to gather if they need a place to go to utilize technology.

Wu said we need a large-scale shift in how we manage our school facilities. The city launched a website you can look at to see how upgrades and changes are going at your own school. Shes working with the city and BPS to hire 25 people to manage building projects. They are looking at creating new K-to-6 schools in Roxbury, Dorchester/Mattapan, and Allston/Brighton. Its a process that will involve merging school communities.

"School closures are traumatic for families, traumatic for educators. No one wants to do them. But our leaders also have to tell people the truth. And the simple truth is we have too many school buildings and most of them are old. And so it's going to take leadership to fix that problem and time to fix that problem," said Austin.

School closures are traumatic for families, traumatic for educators. No one wants to do them. But our leaders also have to tell pepople the truth.

The first step in the process, make sure that all the data collected is correct and accurate and relevant. After that, said Austin, "you need a real community process, where you hear directly from people. What do they want in their schools and why? So you're being responsive to the needs of students, families and educators. Then you have to look at the mechanics of all this. Where are kids? Where are they most densely populated? What schools are under-enrolled? Which schools are over enrolled? Which means that more families want to send their kids to them and then making a decision about how you put buildings in the right places for the right number of kids. That is the work."

Again, the BPS would not make anyone available for an interview for our story. This is what they shared about the Green New Deal.

Last spring in Mattapan, families, educators, and community leaders gathered for a celebration outside the P.A. Shaw, a neighborhood K- 3 school. After pressure from students, parents and teachers, the Shaw will expand in the fall to include two fourth grade classrooms

Amid chants of Hey Hey, Ho Ho we want the Shaw to grow, the community made it clear, they love this place and they want to see a fifth and sixth grade added in the years ahead. But the future remains unclear.

Will the building expand or merge with other school communities in a new facility? Its one of many hard questions the new superintendent Mary Skipper will have on her plate when she begins her job in the coming months. Meanwhile, families across the city await the fall and the challenge, promise and excitement of a new school year.

View post:

A Tale of Two Schools: A Failing Boston School Building and the Impact on Two Communities - NBC10 Boston

In our new podcast, Unpacked by AFAR, we explore the world of ethical travel in a friendly, accessibleand dare we sayfun way. Every other Thursday join us as we answer your ethical conundrums from how to engage with animal tourism (I know I shouldnt ride an elephant, but can I swim with dolphins?) to travel that doesnt harm the Earth (What is zero-waste traveland is it even possible?). Heres the transcript from our July 28 episode.

Listen now. And be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

KRISTY DRUTMAN, HOST: Welcome to Unpacked by AFAR. Im Kristy Drutman, also known on the internet as Browngirl Green. I tell stories about how we can solve, or at least try to solve, the big environmental issues of our time, and today we are focusing on the travel industry. What exactly does sustainability in travel mean? Turns out, so much more than most of us think.

Travel is one of the most beautiful activities and privileges in the world. But unfortunately, it also comes with its own share of environmental and social impactsand we need to talk about that. As we know, the climate crisis is a huge issue, and yet for many of us, it can be so easy to set that aside in our excitement to get back out in the world. But given that travel is skyrocketing and has now even exceeded prepandemic levels, theres really no better time to figure out how we can make it better than right now.

Maybe you already think about sustainability when you travel. If so, youre not alone.

In 2021, Booking.com released a report on the state of sustainable travel around the world. According to their research, a whopping 87 percent of travelers want to travel more sustainably. So clearly a lot of people are talking about this.

But the reality is, only 39 percent of travelers actually manage to travel sustainably all the time. And 43 percent said that they sometimes, rarely or never manage to travel in a sustainable way.

Well, why is that? To begin with: Its difficult.

Look: Im an environmentalist, but I also love to travel. And for years, I struggled to reconcile the two. What does it mean to be an ecofriendly traveler? I felt guilty about traveling and the potential negative impact it has on the environment. There are carbon emissions to consider, single-use plastics on airplanes and hotels, and all the little items you bring along to use only for travel but throw away and never use again, like mini deodorant.

I tried to minimize my impact by doing things like trying out soap and conditioner bars, offsetting my flights by purchasing some carbon offsets, trying to eat less meat, and so forth.

But I had an inkling that there was more to it.

Lets get a little academic for a second. The International Labour Organization says that sustainable tourism is composed of three pillars: social justice, economic development, and environmental integrity.

Id spent a lot of time focusing on environmental integrity but hadnt considered the others as much.

So in this episode, well meet two travel experts who expanded my perspective on what sustainable travel truly means.

As I learned, sustainability goes beyond, say, choosing public transportation over a car, or choosing a metal straw over a plastic one. It is the framework we use to travel, the decisions we make before and during our trip, and interactions we have along the way that leave a far greater impact on the places that were visiting.

First, were going to hear my conversation with Amanda Ho, cofounder and CEO of Regenerative Travel. Amanda works with hotels to create experiences that involveand benefitlocal communities as much as possible, what she calls regenerative travel. Her whole mission is to figure out what a sustainable travel experience looks like. We started by talking about what exactly regenerative travel means.

KRISTY: For people who dont know, what are some of the ways travelers impact the environment and world negatively without realizing it?

AMANDA HO: Climate change is the most imminent threat to human well-being and the health of our planet. Tourism is actually the second fastest growing industry in the world as of 2019 and it [is] responsible for 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In order to achieve the goal set forth in the Paris Climate Agreement, the travel sector has to implement far-reaching rapid efforts to reduce emissions to restore and protect our planet.

But I think what we are seeing, from our perspective, is really that theres a lot of mindless travel in terms of thats not intentional, not engaging with the local community. Travelers are really not taking the time to be more respectful and enjoying themselves and also more of an extractive mindset rather than looking at how they can contribute when they do travel.

So we really are championing this more intentional, non-extractive, inclusive, diverse, and equitable type of travel at our organization. We really believe that it has to go beyond just sustainability. We have to take it into account, everyone within the whole ecosystem. Travelers are an inherent part of how they contribute when they travel to a place. We really are trying to change the nature of how people are traveling.

KRISTY: I love that, and I love what you were saying about extractive versus non-extractive travel because I feel like thats at the root of rethinking the ways in which sustainability is done as youre participating in tourism. I wanted to know if you could dive a little bit more deep into what is extractive versus non-extractive tourism?

AMANDA: Starting from the basics of just the language and terminology, we say that being green or eco is just doing no harm. Sustainability is reaching net-zero, but regeneration is actually making something better. We really believe that being non-extractive is creating better conditions of life for everyone within the environment, within the community. This really looks at how all parts are connected through this concept of whole ecosystem thinking. Both humans, lands, animals, wildlife, everyone is really a part of this whole ecosystem. We really believe that as a traveler, you have to tap into that whole ecosystem.

We really believe that from a regenerative travel perspective, any type of experience you can have in a destination can really act as an inspiration to really connect you deeper with nature. So actually, returning home to yourself and being more mindful. I think first and foremost, we believe that regenerative travel starts with your own intentions and your mindset, and how you want to engage with the community, with the destination. Its not just coming into a place and seeing, OK, what boxes can I check off? I think we see a lot of this with cruising, for example, just going from jumping around from point A to point B, and just maybe having an hour or half a day, just come in.

It really just brings about this type of traveler that is not really deeply engaging with the community. The dollars that theyre spending and the port might really not be reaching back to local businesses because they dont have the time to really explore, take the time to get to know the locals, and really understand what makes the destination so special.

KRISTY: You mentioned earlier that regenerative travel thinks about benchmarks. How do you even develop benchmarks for that? Could you explain that a little bit more?

AMANDA: Yes, of course. This really came about because we realized that there was so much greenwashing within the travel industry. I think as sustainability became a trend, everyone was just saying theyre sustainable, theyre eco, youre green. It really goes beyond just not washing your towels every day and no plastic water bottles is great. That should be at the minimum, but we really realized that without any measurement or benchmarking, we really have no idea what youre doing. We realized that we had to mandate all the hotels to then actually measure what theyre doing across environmental and social impact.

We developed 29 metrics that connect to broader frameworks like the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals and also the B Corp certification where theyre customized for small hotels. We measure 29 data points looking at waste, water, energyon the social side, inclusion, education, and distribution, and then the last point is also legacy, but I think as a company, as an organization, we really are trying to champion social regenerations, so looking at how a hotel can build their operations and programming to support underrepresented groups.

Do they have upper management and underrepresented groups at the top? How much money is flowing back into the local community? How much money is being spent on educational outreach programs or skills training for staff? We really are trying to help hotels understand how theyre uplifting their locals, uplifting their staff, and really providing more opportunities for staff to be trained and rise within the organization rather than having to import GMs that are not based in the destination.

KRISTY: Do you have any specific examples you could offer of maybe a hotel or a travel experience that you felt really embodies what youre talking about?

AMANDA: I went to another one of our hotels last summer in Tuscany, its called Oasyhotel. I think most people dont think of forest or nature as part of a traditional Italian experience, but Oasy is definitely one that really honors that. Its located near Pistoia. Its about the northern region of Tuscany.

Again, being [a] European gastronomic experience, I ended up doing cheese making. You can do wolf tracking, the whole preserve has been well honored by WWF, so its in partnership with World Wildlife Fund to protect the land and theyre opening up other locations around Italy. Essentially when you go there, youre on these hectares of land, and you really are immersed in the most local northern Italian Tuscan experience.

Again, being [a] European gastronomic experience, I ended up doing cheese making. You can do wolf tracking, the whole preserve has been well honored by WWF, so its in partnership with World Wildlife Fund to protect the land and theyre opening up other locations around Italy. Essentially when you go there, youre on these hectares of land, and you really are immersed in the most local northern Italian Tuscan experience.

Oasy is also really incredible because at the base of the camp, they actually provide schooling and education for underprivileged disabled children. A lot of the funds generated from the hotel actually support that organization called Oasi Dynamo.

Theyre the beacon within the community. They also produce their own products, their own cheese and jams, and so forth that are from the local community. Its such an incredible gastronomic experience that I think people dont normally associate with Italy.

We really are trying to get people out to explore these destinations that arent traditionally associated with Italy or Portugalfor example, most people go to Lisbon and the cities. Were really trying to get people out of these areas that are highly trafficked and almost dealing with over-tourism, to get them to explore these places that are more under the radar.

KRISTY: I really like that. I wanted to know just because people who are going to be listening to this are maybe at the beginning of their sustainable travel journey, what are some tips that you have for people before, during, and after their trip?

AMANDA: That intentionality is first and foremost, but from some more practical measures its really looking at, what is your accommodation? How are you going to choose your hotel? Are you going to go with Airbnb? Maybe youre going to try and choose a more sustainable property.

I think one option, one of the most basic ones, is actually trying to maybe not go through a traditional OTA, like Booking.com or Expedia. These OTAs, they charge quite a high commission rate. Actually, if you go direct through the hotel, you actually give the hotel much more backthey dont pay a commission.

For example, if youre booking a property thats supporting conservation that allows up to 30 percent commission that would normally go to the OTA, maybe that can be then contributed back to conservation and their foundation. Anything that theyre supporting in terms of sustainability and regeneration. Thats just a basic one in terms of accommodation.

I would then look at, what type of tours are you going to do there and experiences? Can you choose experiences that are really integrating locals? I would say that one of the biggest parts of this is definitely doing your research. Are you supporting an organization thats a multinational or a big corporate brand, or are you supporting a local mom-and-pop independent shop that really is run and operated by locals?

Looking at transportation, can you take public transportation? Can you take the bus? Can you take a train? Do you have to fly? Can you rent a bike instead of maybe renting a car? Other more practical things are: Can you pack to reduce waste, like bringing your own reusable instead of plastic water bottles, a simple one? Can you bring your own conditioner and reduce use of single-use plastics at the properties?

Lastly, really essentially around its really just how you can immerse yourself back into local culture.

KRISTY: I love that. I think its about, like, when you are traveling, based on what youre saying, to travel sustainably or thinking in this regenerative mindset, youre ultimately thinking about what youre exchanging. Whether that be your energy, your money, your resources, the waste that you produce. Youre thinking constantly about that cycle as youre traveling, is what it sounds like. You realize that its going to leave some sort of impact and ideally you want it to be a positive one. Thats the mindset.

AMANDA: Yes. Thats exactly it. Obviously, theres more technical in terms of the environmental side of your carbon footprint and so forth. We really believe that it ultimately comes back toits an embodied experience ultimately, and yes, you can choose to support certain businesses, but again, whose lives are you impacting when youre traveling? Where is your money going?

I think thats everything that we try to preach in regenerative travel is, our hotels just act as that transformation opportunity because they have the experience on-site where they have you releasing baby turtles into the ocean or youre having this amazing sundowner looking at elephants and a pack of lions over the horizon. Youre like, Wow. This is incredible. How can I save this for kids in my future generation? How can I ensure that we protect this Earth?

I think really travel offers that moment of realization and transformation. But I think its then how to translate that realization into actionable steps not just when youre traveling, but when youre home. When you continue on your travels, how can you really embody that understanding into your own life?

KRISTY: You know, for some people, they may see that trying to find sustainable travel options, like you were saying, requires some more research and time and maybe some more money since it is going directly back to local people. For people who may see that it might be a little bit more expensive or time-intensive to invest in sustainable travelyouve already hinted at itbut could you explain a little bit more about the short- and the long-term benefits on both those local communities and the travelers, if they do make that investment?

AMANDA: I definitely get that at the end of the day price point can be a barrier to making some of your decisions and supporting certain businesses but ultimately, we really believe that travel, it should cost what it is. We are ultimately supporting, like you said, we are supporting local communities. We are paying people fair wages, we are looking at giving benefits to the people that are employed in tourism and all that has a cost. Ultimately, there is a cost [for] conservation and it shouldntit has to be sustainable and profitable.

For example, like we just mentioned with OTAs thats a very simple way. Like instead of looking at Booking.com and trying to get that cheapest rate, that $20 that you were trying to save on Booking.com, if you book directly with the hotel, that ultimately can go back to the property and enable them to do more of the work that theyre doing. I think its just trying to not think about this, but how much are you actually saving in terms of choosing one or the other. There are still so many things that you can do on the ground in terms of how youre being more sustainable, more regenerative.

Like I said, with the tourists, transportation, good businesses youre supporting. I think it really goes beyond accommodations. Definitely, I think people just have to ultimately realize that there is a cost to investing into these new types of businesses, and I think they should have more or have joy and appreciation for that because you should feel good about where your money is going.

KRISTY: Yeah, no, I think its also this idea of the kind of experience youre trying to have. Like you were saying, there is that very short-term Insta pic like consumerist mindset of like, Let me go in and just extract from this place basically, to show x, y, and z people that like, Hey, I got to experience this. Its like are you really present? Are you really engaging with the environment that youre in with your surroundings? Are you thinking about, you know, the impact youre leaving or is it just using this up, trashing it, and leaving. If you do care about the environment, its something worth investing into.

AMANDA: Its a way for you to really just to see how other people are living, appreciate their worldview and maybe that will shift yours to really be more in tune with our society or the global connection of the whole planet and realizing that we all have such a part to play in terms of saving our planet from climate change and just creating a more inclusive, equitable society, we can do that every day in how we interact with people.

I think travel offers that opportunity for us to see that outside of our own environments, I think that people are just a bit more at ease when theyre traveling and feel a little more open to experiencing. I think thats just such an important part of really helping us shift our mindset. I definitely hope that people will continue to seek out this type of regenerative travel experience because I really think it has to be the way forward in terms of how we are living our lives.

KRISTY: If you want to learn more about how Amandas work is helping change the travel industry, go to regenerativetravel.com. Amanda opened my eyes to how easy it is to opt-in to most mainstream travel experiences, without realizing the heavy environmental impact on areas that are often already over-extracted and over-visited. So regenerative travel in this way offers a simple alternative. This also made me realize how valuable travel can be in the future as a teaching tool to bring more people into the sustainability conversation.

Were going to take a break for a quick word from our sponsor. Well be back in a minute to look at a specific example of a place that has suffered from this type of nonsustainable traveland how we can instead apply a regenerative mindset to our future trips.

KRISTY: Welcome back to Unpacked by AFAR.

My conversation with Amanda made me think about my most recent trip. In May, I spent two weeks in the Philippinesa place I know really well. Its where my family is from, and Ive visited and lived there at different points in my life. Ive observed that many outsiders have a misconception of the Philippines as just a dirty and dangerous place, and because of that they overcrowd the most travel-friendly locations like Boracay or Palawan.

On this most recent trip, I even decided to be more of a tourist myself and visit Palawan, a highly sought out destination. I told my family I was traveling there and my aunt found an all-inclusive, pre-prepared travel package for me.

I was coming off of a long work trip in Cambodia, and I was all-in on an experience that would require a lot of enjoyment but little thought. I also assumed it was sustainable, because the experience seemed to be run entirely by locals.

During the trip, some of my online community members shared that there are a lot of Indigenous land protectors in Palawan whose land is threatened by mining and logging operations. They said that much of the tourism industry on Palawan actually covers up and, in some way, profits from this exploitation. I was so shocked. I knew that my trip benefited the local economy to some extent, but to be honest, I hadnt really done my research. When you grow up in a brown family and they tell you they just got the plug, you kind of just go for it. It felt too awkward and weird to challenge my family and demand an ecofriendly experience, when that wasnt something as readily known or accessible to them or myself.

I now know I didnt make the most sustainable or ecofriendly decision. But, Id like to make a better decision in the future for my next trip. So in this next segment, as a case study, I was able to talk to a travel expert and storyteller in the Philippines to get his advice.

PACO GUERRERO: For us, for myself and the team at Grid, the real crux of sustainable travel really is about engaging in a sustainable way with local communities so that they can develop their model of the travel industry and have it become an income for the community and have it last for a very long time.

KRISTY: Thats Paco Guerrero. Paco is one of the founders of Grid Magazine PH, which offers tips and advice about how to be a more intentional traveler within the Philippines, especially when it comes to different communities.

Paco shared that, one of the things that makes the Philippines so special is the number of Indigenous people who call the islands home. He wants to see more travelers seek these communities outand he wants to see more communities offer these travel experiences.

He used the island of Coron as an example. Coron happens to be in Palawan, where I was on my trip. But on Coron, the Indigenous Tagbanua people have full control. Paco explains more.

Travelers should aim to engage with a new destination in a way that is mindful and positively impactful on the local environment.

Illustration by Tara Anand

PACO: It was given over as an Indigenous territory by the Philippine government.

This means that any development or any tourism that happens in Coron is actually planned, controlled, monitored by the Indigenous group. Now that also means that the profits go directly to them, which is a big help to the community. Its an interesting model because it was a long fight to get to that point where they could control their own island, but now its one of the Philippiness best tourism destinations. To stress the fact, one of the reasons it is the best is because it is purposefully kept underdeveloped.

Basically Indigenous people have limited the access of travelers and developers to the island. You go to Coron on their terms, not on your terms. They give limited access to the beaches and the lagoons. Its controlled, as far as the number of people who are allowed every day. Also, there are no large hotels or big structures on the island. The Indigenous people have chosen to keep the structures there built with natural materials and in the local way of constructing, the very famous nipa huts that you see from around the Philippines.

Its one of the most photographed islands in the country because you have these beautiful limestone cliffs and then these really quiet, very beautiful, original nipa hut, which is just made out of bamboo and some weeds. Thats a good example of how this tourism can really succeed.

KRISTY: But its not like travelers have to choose Coron over, say, a more packaged experience in Palawan. The travel industry does support local communities.

PACO: The reality is the Philippines actually is a very densely populated country, so employment and economic development is definitely at the forefront of any push the government or the industry might have, and thats a good thing. I think we all agree on that. Certain areas necessarily will be what we would say overdeveloped.

But theres a lot left out there. Small communities that are trying to develop their own form of tourism. I think as a traveler, if when you book your trip, if you try and do a little bit of both. You know, yes, do the five-star resort, enjoy your time and then try and find something off the beaten path. Try and find something thats community-based. I dont think for the traveler, it should be an either-or situation.

KRISTY: When travelers look for, ask for, and book these experiences, it can create demand that also helps communities refocus on their natural resources. Paco shared that the Philippines has a problem with people using dynamite and cyanide to fish in the coral reefsbut outsiders supporting the tourism industry can help.

PACO: As a traveler, I think, what you can bring is yourself. The local communitythere are many stories like this around the Philippines, where local communities were poisoning the reefs with cyanide and dynamite, and discovering that theres a dive site nearby transforms them into tourism. They realize, Why throw dynamite into this water when I have these divers who are willing to come here, stay in a small hut or resort, open a dive shop, and theyll hire me as their boat guy?

The more they see these things happening, these success stories happening, the side effect is sustainability. I think in these rural communities that are struggling with poverty, struggling with access to resources, sustainability really isnt the primary goal, its always a side effect of sustainable development first.

KRISTY: Paco shared one of the ways the pandemicand the lack of tourismunexpectedly affected the Philippines negatively.

PACO: I heard, anecdotally, not the statistics yet, from several friends who are conservationist marine biologists, they were saying that, sadly, because of the COVID lockdowns, there were no tourists traveling around the Philippines. They were seeing more evidence of poaching in marine-protected areas just because the local communities had no money, they had no jobs, there was no tourism, and they needed to feed their families.

It sounds horrible, but thats the reality of it. Conversely, you can see that with tourism operations and with profits from the tourism industry, it does have a direct impact, it can have a direct impact on sustainable practices.

KRISTY: I shared my Palawan experience with Paco, and this tension that can exist between relaxing and enjoying a place and while also caring about being a good steward of it. Ive realized more and more that, in the face of the climate crisis, we must be active rather than passive observers.

PACO: To build on what you said, I think the strongest role the traveler has in this issue of sustainable travel is exactly where they spend their money on.

Thats the most powerful. You can pick up trash, you can travel with your own bottle, not use straws. Really, the power you have is in your pocket. If other businesses see that the resorts and the tours and the islands that are pushing sustainability are making a profit, then it becomes a logical choice.

KRISTY: Paco talked about how tourism in the Philippines really started in Boracay, an island thats become one of the countrys top destinations for travelers.

PACO: All the other islands and mayors and communities who wanted to start a tourism program, the only model they had to look at and to study and to emulate was Boracay, which had a lot of failings: sewage, energy, waste, very unsustainable, but those werent issues when the island started to develop. What happened?

Its a model thats been extrapolated to many other communities around the Philippines and tourism destinations, and now theyre suffering the same problems Boracay has. But there are resorts, resort developers, restaurant owners, and other communities that are showing a different model, showing a different way of doing it.

KRISTY: If you want to learn more about Paco and his team, visit gridmagazine.ph.

Now as we wrap up this episode, I want to share what I gathered from our guests.

First, yes, environmental protections are important. But sustainable travel comes down to acting with intentionality and honoring and respecting the places we visit. We can all aim to be the traveler who leaves the land, people, and waters better than they were before you arrived.

Second: Traveling sustainably can add more curiosity, joy, and connection to your travel experience. Thats because you are not just purchasing or buying into the first activity, item, or option you see. It might take a little more time, yes. But by being mindful, and evaluating the options in front of you, you can consider the ecosystem of the place and how to make a positive impact on it. That might mean buying locally made products and food or reading literature or watching movies about the treatment of land and Indigenous peoples in that area.

It doesnt have to be perfect. Even if your trip isnt 100 percent supporting the local economy, thats OK. As long as you intentionally try to invest some of your dollars, time, and effort into locally driven, sustainable tourism, you are ultimately shifting the tourist economy. Increased demand for these experiencesand increased efforts to protect local laborreally can make all the difference.

Thanks so much for joining me on this episode of Unpacked. If youd like to learn more about me and my workincluding my own show, Browngirl Greenhead over to browngirlgreen.com for podcasts, videos, and blog posts discussing a wide range of environmentally conscious topics. We also have a green jobs board if youre looking to build a career in the sustainability space. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Im @browngirlgreen.

Ready for more unpacking? Read more at afar.com/unpack, and be sure to follow AFAR on Instagram and Twitter. Were @afarmedia. If you enjoyed todays exploration, we hope youll come back for more great stories. Subscribing makes this easy! You can find Unpacked on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. And please be sure to rate and review the podcast. It helps other travelers find the show.

This has been Unpacked, a production of AFAR Media and Boom Integrated. Our podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene, Adrien Glover, and Robin Lai. Postproduction was by John Marshall Media staff Jenn Grossman and Clint Rhoades. Music composition by Alan Carrescia.

And remember: The world is complicated. Being an ethical traveler doesnt have to be.

>> Next: Podcast: Is it Really Possible to Travel Like a Local?

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Unpacked by AFAR Podcast 4: All About Regenerative Travel - AFAR Media

In December of 1994 I was walking with a group of people to the French Quarter when a kid stopped us, clearly sized me up as a tourist in my dusty-rose, suburban-Western snap-front shirt, and said, For five bucks I can tell you where you got your shoes.

Being ridiculously smarter than anyone else on that fey and bacchanal street, I said to this young fella, Go ahead. Tell me. Youll never get this. How could you, living in New Orleans, have seen me hungrily roaming the orange and tan aisles of the Payless Shoe Source in downtown Boston? The boy said, quickly, with a straight-ahead grin, You got your shoes on your feet and your feet on the street.

I hope he used that fiver to buy himself a beignet and a nice rosary.

Members of the Society of Jesus have been called in recent years to see as mission territory not just our works out in the world, but the very communities in which we live. The vineyard, we are told, is not simply the refugee center, retreat house, painter's studio, communion line. It is more than the dun tiled walls of a slouchy geometry classroom; it is the homes we live in, the meals we share, the liturgies we celebrate. We are sent to one another.

This means, in part, shifting the measure of our lives away from only seeking success in our work. It calls us to bring a sharp apostolic game to dinner, faith sharing, preprandials (a recharche way of saying gin); those seemingly mundane things a Jesuit tends to want to finish so as to be able to rush off to pray with the JV basketball team before tipoff. . .

The call instead is to notice where we live, who we live with, and actually live there. To pay real attention, in other words, to where we got our shoes when our shoes are at home.

This new (though not really new) angle on Jesuit life is intended to aid us in giving witness to that which we exhort others to do. If we live together with at least some measure of esprit de corps (even if you have to fake it until you make it), if we engrain in ourselves some kind of ecological awareness, if we live in solidarity with the poor, we will authenticate what we proclaim, as one decree from our General Congregation 35 puts it. If we are living it, we can better preach it.

Jesuit leaders point us to the time the ten First Companions spent in Venice in 1537. Ignatius, Xavier, Faber, Lainez. They had taken vows together in Paris but were thwarted from going to the Holy Land. Finding themselves in Venice, they decided to work where they were. They were priests and academics but chose to minister directly to the sick, cleaning wounds, emptying slop buckets, hacking graves out of the soil. They piously licked sores and slept next to lepers. They ventured into other cities, going into town squares, yelling and waving their arms to gather people to be preached at.

As the documents of the Jesuit General Congregation 36 put it, During their time in Venice, the companions were not always together.nevertheless, it was at that time that they shared the experience of constituting a single group, united in following Christ, in the midst of the diversity of their activities.

Being intentional as Jesuits in here apparently seeded and fueled their mission out there, and vice versa.

Gerard Manley Hopkins writes:

Honour is flashed off exploit, so we say,And those strokes once that gashed flesh or galled shieldShould tongue that time now, trumpet that fieldBut be the war within, the brand we wieldUnseen, the heroic breast not outward-steeled,Earth hears no hurtle then from fiercest fray.

Ahhh, the war within! It is one thing to be in solidarity only with the poor out there, to flush out sin and ignorance in the vasty fields of France; it is often more elusive and even uncomfortable to also be in solidarity with the poor in our own houses: the guy whose mother is fading into incomprehension and what do you say; the brother who everyone says is a fantastic teacher but, assuming hes already stuffed to the gills with accolades, few of us praise; the one who lives astride a burning wire of low-grade resentment that is never dealt with.

Being present for those men, can be a far less romantic solidarity, but still solidarity; creating a vital organic community in here as enthusiastically as we would create a vital organic community garden out there. Thinking globally and acting very locally.

This is not an internal memo just for Jesuits. Nearly any passionate, good-hearted Christian who wants to serve the world with everything theyve got, and also has obligations domesticallychildren, spouse, parents, housematesmight find themselves in this tension. Can you actually serve well both inside and outside?

In the Society, how can we in good faith spend a generous portion of time and energy attending to other men in our homes who seem to have so much already? Who already have been taught to run through with alacrity the five steps of the examen; who have already studied and worked their way into (pretty much) secure and (mostly) fulfilling jobs; who have long since read at leastthe first hundred pages of Ulysses and can swiftly translate Buck Mulligans opening lines to Dedaulus? Why spend our time working in fields that have already reaped their harvest?

Shouldnt a Jesuit communityor the residence of any world-embracing Christian soldierbe pretty much just a flight attendants apartment? A place shared by three gals outside OHare where they briefly stay in between their jaunts around the airborne world, a kind of timeshare we visit for a hot second and then rush off into the mission fields to shepherd a waiting flock through the great journeys of their lives. Isnt that more fitting for us?

There is that somewhat eye-rolling spiritual line found in retreat houses and spirituality centers, about the nature of the human creature. You know the one: stitched Amishly into a framed yellow cloth resting on a quivering end table in a small overheated mauve prayer room, it proclaims: You are a human being, not a human doing.

It is a spiritual axiom that, once you see it, you cannot get out of your mind. Because it makes a piercing claim: that people, no matter how much we do the opposite, are not simply doers of things; not even of the most socially just, pastorally beautiful, academically groundbreaking things. These words make the case that, no matter how vital those things are to our mission, the ultimate work of a Jesuit, and of anyone, is not work; that when it all comes down to it, every Christian, every person is called like St. Ignatius was, to lay down before the Black Madonna the sword of our labors and just simply be alive; be alive, and be with each other, and with our God.

Is that really true? That ultimately were just sort of supposed to sit around andexist? Or is that the case only for the type of people who have time to stitch aphorisms into fabric?

There was a moment, once, in the dim sacristy of a chapel with five other Jesuits before the wedding of a mutual friend. The Jesuits were priests I had studied or worked with over the years. Some were friends, some just friends in the Lord. One I knew only distantly. They were vesting to celebrate the Mass, putting on albs and stoles and chasubles. Quiet tones, not the typical banter; the congregation a stones throw away outside the door, the main presider paging through the sacramentary, placing ribbons in the right places.

I would be serving the Mass and was putting on my cream-colored cassock, one of those kinds that has a thin braided rope that ties around the waista cincture. I didnt know how to tie up the cincture of my cassock correctly, how to make the rope go just right. I felt, just for a moment, that way you feel when you are an adult and do not know how to do something it seems like you should know how to do. Ever so faintly stricken.

One of the priests, a former youth rancher who knew well the cinching of cassocks, came over and gently tied it for me. He showed me how the rope goes, over here and under there and down this way, a couple of the other guys coming over and watching his deft work. He got it to just the right length, trailing smartly down the waist and it looked just very good.

One of those moments on a Saturday afternoon in the back of a Marian chapel at a small northeastern women's college. If it seems very small, insignificant, if it seems like not the kind of heroic thing you give everything up to join religious life for, you are probably right. It probably does not matter that much.

But then why do I remember it so distinctly? And why is it a catch in time that I slip back into every so often as the years pass, the cincture, the ribbons, candles flickering just outside the door, the pre-liturgy quiet. A man is fixing, so to speak, the black bowtie of a fellow groomsman. The world doesnt know and doesnt care. A simple moment with a few men who were all trained basically the same waydiscernment of spirits, bedpans, Aristotle, El Salvador, meretricious sophomoresand appear to have liked it; a moment with these guys that was wildly unproductive for the common good and later you realize is the common good.

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For Jesuits (and everyone else), the people you live with can be the hardest to serve. But that's what we're called to do. - America Magazine

TRENTON Governor Phil Murphy today announced Mark Dinglasan as Director of the Office of the FoodSecurity Advocate. In September 2021, Governor Murphy reaffirmed his commitment to ending hunger in New Jersey by signing a comprehensive legislation package aimed at combatting food insecurity and establishing the Office of the Food Security Advocate.

Ensuring access to proper nutrition is essential to solidifying New Jersey as the best state to raise a family, for every family,said Governor Murphy.Today, I am excited to announce Mark Dinglasan as the Director of the Office of the Food Security Advocate. I am confident that under Marks leadership, we will make great strides in our ongoing commitment to end food insecurity by strengthening food assistance and providing support to communities across the state.

The Office of the Food Security Advocate will coordinate the administration of the States food insecurity programs, advocate for the food insecure, and develop new policy initiatives to combat hunger and facilitate greater access to food relief programs.

I am truly delighted by the appointment of Mark Dinglasan as New Jersey and the nations first ever state-level Food Security Advocate,said Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin.We were very intentional in crafting this office to oversee statewide anti-hunger efforts, break down silos, and facilitate partnerships across all levels of government and organizations working in the food security space. Leading CUMAC as its Executive Director for the last five years, Mark brings deep knowledge about New Jerseys food landscape and a unique skillset focused on food justice that together make him highly equipped to step into the role. I will look forward to meeting with him in the coming weeks as he builds out the vision for the office and to partnering in the future to ensure everyone can have their most basic food needs met.

Im extremely humbled and excited for the opportunity to serve the state of New Jersey as as Director of the Office of the Food Security Advocate,said Mark Dinglasan.Ending hunger has nothing to do with giving people food and have everything to do with advocating for food security. New Jersey has the leadership, the systems, and the change agents that we can partner with to pursue that advocacy.

Mark Dinglasan is currently the executive director of CUMAC, the largest anti-hunger organization in Passaic County. As Executive Director, Dinglasan led CUMACs mission to fight hunger and its root causes through a holistic, trauma-informed approach that provides groceries and basic necessities to families and individuals in need. With more than 15 years of experience in corporate and nonprofit sectors, Dinglasan has led teams in program management, youth development, sales, & strategic planning. He received his MBA from DePaul Universitys Kellstadt Graduate School of Business and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Monmouth University.

For a picture of Mark Dinglasan, clickhere [t.e2ma.net].

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Governor Murphy Announces Mark Dinglasan as Director of the Office of the Food Security Advocate - InsiderNJ

Statistics Canada released itsCrime Severity Index(CSI) data on Tuesday, outlining the amount ofcrime reportedacross Canada for 2021, as well as the severity of the crimes reported.

The higher the number, the more crime is happening in a municipality, and the more severe those crimes are.

The city of North Battleford is ranked at the top of the index for communities with a population of 10,000 or more. It has responded to the report.

Despite this ranking, in a statement the city said there is some good news. The CSI shows that in 2021, violent crimes in the city dropped nearly 7.5 percent, despite increasing provincially.

The citys partners with provincial resources like Community Safety Officers, Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN), which monitors and reports suspected drug and prostitution houses, and RCMP units like the Gang Task Force and the Crime Reduction Team.

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Provincially in 2021, crime rates were trending upward, with an overall increase in crime at 2.9%, a 3.7% increase in violent crime, and a 2.5% in non-violent crimes.

The escalation in non-violent crimes is concerning and it is something that weve heard over the past year at our quarterly reports from local RCMP at Council meetings, Mayor David Gillan said in the release.

While the City is pleased to see its intentional efforts at reduction of violent crimes is paying off, the increase in crimes of opportunity is troubling. As residents, we can all do our part to ensure that thecrimes of opportunity are lessened.

Lock your house doors, do not store items in your vehicles, and remove your keys from your vehicles. It is important to be vigilant as we strive to continue improving the general safety and security of the City.

To report a non-emergency matter or unsightly properties, contact Community Safety Officers/Bylaw Enforcement at 306-445-1775. To report a suspected drug den for further observation, contact SCAN at 1-855-933-6411 or file a report here. To contact the Battlefords RCMP for non-emergencies, call 306-446-1720. For an emergency, dial 9-1-1.

2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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North Battleford, Sask. comments on crime severity index ranking - Global News

In June of this year, when we sold and said goodbye to our blue-shingled bungalow-style house of nine years and left Maryland for California, my family and I hadnt stepped foot inside the Oakland, California, rental we were about to move into. But it didnt matter that our living situation was about to change drastically, or that we were about to move across the countrybecause I was going home.

My husband and I started our family on the West Coast, more specifically in Southern California, where he and I met, and where I and my two daughters, who are now 10 and 12, were born. Ill forever love its tangled freeways, sherbet sunsets, and strip-mall sushi restaurants. My husband never did, and likely never will, and since Id been conditioned to believe in the American dreammarriage, children, a single-family home in the suburbsI agreed to go east, where the prescribed lifestyle wouldnt put us in debt.

We bought our standalone in 2013 and spent our days watching the kids run barefoot through our grassy yard and chase fireflies. They swung on the porch swing eating ice cream, climbed the Japanese maple in the front yard, and, during the winter, built snowmen and snow forts in the backyard.

At Quimper Village in Washington, cottage-cluster residents benefit from the workshop and consensus-driven process practiced by McCamant & Durrett and other cohousing architects.

But as they grew older, they didnt stay outside as long in the winter. My husband bemoaned having to shovel snow, and I dreaded having to wake up in the dark to de-ice the car before school drop-offs. Fall and spring were temperate and undeniably magnificent, but spring was often short-lived, giving way to brutally hot and humid summers. Playing or even sitting outside was difficult, the mosquitos merciless. I dreaded summer the most.

More troubling was that as the years wore on, the promises of homeownership started to wear thin. Demanding work weeks gave way to weekends spent in full maintaining our yard. Paychecks would go straight to repairs. Walking around the house some mornings, Id stare at paint cracks in the ceiling, a leaky washing machine, and windows that needed replacing, and feel so overwhelmed that Id want to crawl back into bed. I longed to be able to call a landlord.

Thats about the time my escapist tendencies took over. It was 2020, and I would scour Zillow for single-family homes in Oakland, where my husbands company headquarters were (and where hed be paid more), where we had family and friends, and where a multicultural population would better suit our family (my husband is Afro-Caribbean and Im of Mexican, Scottish, and Danish descent). Everything about it was inviting except for the price tags. Purchasing or renting a standalone in any highly rated public-school district was more than we wanted to pay, and a higher mortgage would mean more work, more stress, and less free time, putting us right back where we started.

Designed by Richard Renner, this coastal cohousing project in Maine consists of three connected homes with shared amenities intended for six individuals. Its small by cohousing standards but remains an effective unit for analysis.

Multifamily rentals, however, were a different story. Options on Zillow still looked relatively expensivein some cases double our Maryland mortgage. But they were cheaper than a California one, and, as renters, if a repair were needed? We could call the landlord.

It got me thinking about my familys needs and preferences for housing, and how they might figure into one of the more dense and expensive areas of California. We knew we wanted all of our interior living spaces to be private, but were happy to share the rest, like yard space, or storage areas. There was even more to gain by moving to a city setting: grocery stores, restaurants, and coffee shops within walking distance, a public transit system that granted more immediate access to museums and music venues, and, with temperate weather year round, a more outdoorsy lifestyle.

"As the years wore on, the promises of homeownership started to wear thin."

The multifamily rental we found was the top level of Victorian-style house thatd recently been remodeled and converted from a single-family residence into two units. While still living in Maryland, the landlord gave us a tour over FaceTime, explaining that a single dad and his five-year-old son live on the lower level in a two-bedroom, and that four UC Berkeley graduate students occupied the four-bedroom ADU at the rear of the backyard, which is shared by all residents. He showed us the laundry room, also shared, which was located in the main houses sizable garage, where every tenant stored things. The day after the tour, we signed a lease. I was in love.

As someone who traded in a standalone in the burbs for a unit on a multifamily property, it was validating to learn about others who are choosing to share aspects of their lives, too. In architectural historian William Richardss new book, Together by Design: The Art and Architecture of Communal Livingfrom Princeton Architectural Press, he covers nearly every corner of community-oriented lifestyles, from cottage clusters in Washington state to an eco-village in Sweden that practices permaculture farming. Richards describes co-living specifically as a "community of unaffiliated individuals renting in a non-ownership position who seek out and utilize shared amenities designed to facilitate sociability." Who knew that would be us, in our new Oakland rental.

From its start in a farmhouse and barn, Suderbyn Permaculture Ecovillage on the Swedish Island of Gotland has grown to a small village of several new and rehabilitated structures and spaces, including a greenhouse for the winter garden and an expansive plot for the summer garden.

After seven weeks here weve grilled and spent time in the yard with our downstairs neighbors, the father and son. Our landlord harvested golden plums from a backyard tree and passed them out to all the residents. Our dog regularly meanders the yard off-leash, wandering through the open back door of the downstairs unit where hes a welcome visitor.

Everyone takes turns wheeling the trash and recycling containers to the curb on pickup day, and recently, my husband and I were on work calls when we heard our downstairs neighbor pleading with parking enforcement not to ticket our car when street sweeping was scheduled. Another neighbor knocked on the front door with my keys after Id unknowingly left them on my car roof. Where Richards writes that living together "can create solutions-oriented structures of mutual support" and "proffer solutions on the front lines of our everyday lives," this, at least in part, must be what hes talking about.

Our new three-address multifamily home facilitates a couple of concepts Richards outlines that werent present in Maryland: selective sharing, and a balance of privacy and togetherness. As a unit, my family has the separation from our neighbors it needs to bond, rest, and recharge, which, as minorities, is especially important to us given the current socio-political climate. We can engage as much or as little as we like while easily contributing to our little community.

When I walk our new neighborhood, I see a significant number of multifamily dwellings that were once single-family houses. And if I walk about three blocks to the east, theres a small "edible park," formerly the site of Merritt College (and where Bobby Seale and Huey Newton met in 1966 and formed the Black Panther Party.) The park, maintained by neighbors and Phat Beets Produce, features numerous fruit trees and a huge vegetable garden that include figs, pomegranates, artichokes, berries, tomatoes, kale, and fava beans, all free to anyone whod like to pick them. Again it brought me back to Richardss book, where he mentions that eco-village in Sweden.

Unsurprisingly, Americans are slower to embrace shared amenities and a community-minded ethos when compared to our European counterparts. Says Richards, "The Cohousing Association of America tracks nearly two hundred cohousing communities in the United States. Globally, that number is much higher, with more examples in every European country (including cohousings origin, Denmark, where an estimated seven hundred communities have formed since the early 1990s), as well as Australia, Canada, China, and New Zealand."

Like the rest of restad, Bjarke Ingels Groups 8 House is far outside of central Copenhagen. The southern half of the neighborhood occupies a borderland between new residential housing and a nature preserve, and the airport and the old city.

The numbers abroad are impressive, but the figures he cites there and in the States dont paint a complete picture, which, I understand, is by design. The communities listed by organizations like the Cohousing Association are formally arranged, making them easier to track. But that doesnt make my familys new arrangement or anyone elses who chooses to live in a similar way any less intentional when it comes to our desire to share amenities or the support systems we benefit from.

Like my family, our downstairs and backyard neighbors made a choice to be where they are. They chose not to commute from a suburb to their places of work and school, or to live in a traditional apartment building that only shares access, and perhaps laundry. In choosing to live with density and share more aspects of daily life, weve all opted to balance privacy and sociability in the same way. That commonality alone connects us, providing a starting point for growing yet stronger as a community.

"In choosing to live with density and share more aspects of daily life, weve all opted to balance privacy and sociability in the same way. That commonality connects us."

As I look around my neighborhood and more in Berkeley and San Francisco, and when I visit Southern California and drive through the East and West Sides of Los Angeles, I see multifamily properties practically everywhere. Personally, I have friends with children whove opted to share property with other friends and their children. More recently, I met two unmarried millennial couples who share a two-bedroom condo on the coast in Dana Point, California. Its easy to see that choosing to live more closely together is happening at a large scale.

When my family and I first arrived in Oakland, we drove to the Emeryville marina two miles from our new home to escape the heat on one unseasonably warm day. I stared at the bays expanse of water and San Francisco beyond. From that vantage, its towering buildings glittered in the sunlight, taking on the appearance of some sort of promised land. For so long Id convinced myself that contentment was a single-family house in the suburbs. But in that moment I thought to myself, my multifamily residence in Oakland is exactly where I want to be.

With a growing population comes a growing need for innovative, sustainable housing. Together by Design explores the architectural and social benefits of communal living and shared spaces.

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The Unexpected Satisfaction of Leaving Behind the American Dream - Dwell

What is accessibility and digital inclusion?

It means that websites and web tools are appropriately designed to ensure that people with disabilities can use them to complete tasks in the same amount of time and effort as others who do not have a disability. The critical component of accessibility is being intentional about providing an inclusive and more equitable experience. One goal of accessibility is removing barriers for all members of the community and beyond.

In the panel, Kyle pointed out that an accessibility spectrum exists. There is no single definition of accessibility that applies to all user needs and preferences when utilizing digital products.

Penns Digital Accessibility Policy states that the University websites and web applications that are created or undergo significant revisions or redesign after April 1, 2022, are expected to meet The Worldwide Web Consortiums Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1, according to Penns Accessibility website.

Why is it important to have these conversations in the workplace?

Accessibility is a component of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, so it is important to have these conversations because web accessibility is a shared, continuous professional responsibility for members of the Penn community. We are all involved in developing, creating, publishing, or sharing digital resources. Its our collective responsibility to bring awareness and take action, to increase inclusion and decrease exclusion.

As Kara pointed out in the discussion, accessibility doesnt just stop at websites and tools; it extends to include our emails, registration forms, and all other methods of digital communications. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that one in every four adults in the United States has a disability. Members of the panel further drove that point home during the discussion, mentioning we run the risk of excluding roughly 20 percent of the adult population from participating in and consuming digital content if we dont work to make digital spaces accessible.

What did the panel reveal about barriers for people with physical disabilities?

The panel revealed a range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities, which should be taken into account when implementing accessibility measures.

The panelists also pointed out that physical disabilities can be temporary, permanent, or situational. An example is if someone suffers from a car accident or sports injury, this may temporarily impact their mobility to use a mouse, hindering their ability to navigate digital spaces. Even aging can play a factor in our ability to interact with websites and web tools. Many of our web tools, computers, and mobile devices have built-in accessibility features that allow those with mobility issues to navigate the digital world without using a mouse.

What were the obstacles in digital spaces that were addressed during the panel discussion?

The panel discussed issues for people using assistive technology such as screen readers. People using screen readers can encounter obstacles in understanding the image content on the page that does not have alt text. When images do not contain ALT text, a person who is blind will not be able to see the image, and the screen reader will tell them it is there with no further context or explanation. The ALT text attribute of an on-page picture will be read aloud to people who use screen readers; this helps them understand the value and context of images on the page. Another obstacle mentioned during this panel was how using flashing objects, transitions, and other effects might harm our community members who suffer from epilepsy. These effects should be used sparingly and should contain a content warning or be avoided. These are examples of technological obstacles that impede users ability to engage with the content and have a similar experience as someone who does not have a disability.

Why does representation matter?

Representation matters because we all have a role to play in creating a more inclusive community and working towards normalizing conversations that address systemic issues that further marginalize people. Representation in digital accessibility can offer affirmation and support to the underrepresented members of our communities and provide an equitable experience for all. It fosters an inclusive culture and creates a sense of belonging.

What were some ways to improve digital inclusion and accessibility?

Awareness is essential and will help members of the Penn community work closely with and utilize the accessibility guidance and resources that Penn offers. Ask a question, schedule a consultation, or get help from Penns Web Accessibility Team.

We received sound advice from the panel; during the panel discussion, one tip was to be mindful the next time you create content, email, registration forms, etc., and think about accessibility first. Consider organizing your content differently and in different formats, using captions, text-based transcripts, descriptive labels in form fields, and especially images. Provide multiple ways users can consume your content. An example from the panel was if you are presenting something visual, be sure to use ALT text, and you can also audibly describe images, charts, and tables.

Anything to add?

To help foster digital inclusivity here at Penn, there are four things you can do to get started:

And lastly:

See more here:

How to improve accessibility and digital inclusion | Penn Today - Penn Today

Minneapolis, MN As the Twin Cities metro area becomes more diverse, the city of Minneapolis trails behind the regions growth in diversity, with a population trending disproportionately whiter, wealthier, and, consequently more conservative in the past decade. This article demonstrates the intentionality behind this shift and the various tools at the citys disposal to turnover undesirable neighborhoods, and challenges the notion that upzoning on its face will create a more equitable city.

What has replaced the dialogue on urban problems is a public discourse that indicates active antagonism towards the poor.

Minneapolis has experienced a real estate boom since the economic crash of 2008 which was triggered when lenders gave out millions of discriminatory home loans with adjustable interest rates to mostly Black and brown families causing a massive nationwide mortgage default.

In the past decade, the city added over 20,000 new units to its housing stock, with the overwhelming majority being rental units. With increased housing supply, Minneapolis added 60,000 new residents, according to the 2020 census. In recent years, the City of Minneapolis has attempted to codify upzoning, a practice where multi-family housing stock is increased citywide, with its 2040 plan that banned the new construction of single family homes throughout the city.

Despite the massive increase in housing stock, recent data suggests that the vast majority of new residents are white and of higher income. In 2010, Minneapolis was still a homeowner majority city but today it is a majority renter city with renters making up 53% of housing occupants.

At the same time, the median household income has skyrocketed by 42%, from $46,508 in 2010 to $66,068 in 2020. That suggests that its not just a construction boom but rather a luxury apartment rental boom targeted at a higher income demographic.

A former Minneapolis police officer told Unicorn Riot that the city used the war on drugs as the pretext to remove Black and brown communities from targeted areas to help make way for the population boom.

Sarah Saarela, a former cop turned vocal critic after officers from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) murdered Jamar Clark, said Weed and Seed was a federally funded war-on-drugs-era program MPD used to police certain parts of the city. The Central neighborhood was targeted heavily by MPD in the 2000s to arrest and remove the Bloods, referring to the notorious street gang that made their homebase in Central.

George Floyd was murdered by officer Derek Chauvin on the border of the Central neighborhood. 38th Street and Chicago Avenue where Floyd was killed, is still home to the Bloods. That corner has been a prime target of MPD for decades, according to Saarela. However, it didnt start and end with the Bloods. The whole Black community was swept up in overzealous policing, as demonstrated by Floyds murder. It was all about arresting people for livability crimes, which really was just white people calling the cops on Black people for anything, Saarela said.

Livability offenses stem from post slavery vagrancy policies, also known as Black Codes, which were codified into law at the beginning of the Jim Crow era in order to criminalize Black men for petty issues in efforts to re-enslave them.

The Central neighborhood is part of Minneapolis historic Black Southside. Due to past racist housing policies such as redlining, where banks would systematically deny loans in Black communities after labeling them risky for investing, and racially restrictive housing covenants, it was one of few neighborhoods in South Minneapolis where Black families could live and put down roots.

However, in the past decade, the white population of Central has increased over sixty percent, growing from 21% of the neighborhood in 2010 to 34% today. Conversely, the Black population has halved in past decades, going from 46% of the community in 1990 to just 24% percent today. These trends are part of a bigger agenda, according to the former cop. Weed and Seed was designed to displace Black and brown people and make way for gentrification, Saarela said.

Downtown Minneapolis has some of the most expensive real estate in Minnesota. According to the Star Tribune, the increase in downtown Minneapolis residents alone accounts for more than one third of the citys population boom. Downtown increased by more than 22,000 people, growing from 34,000 residents in 2010 to 56,077 residents in 2021, largely due to its massive increase in luxury rental units.

Throughout this series, Unicorn Riot has reported on the SafeZone surveillance program in downtown Minneapolis. Target Corporation, downtowns largest employer, in partnership with the city and county, created the SafeZone in efforts to rid the citys center of undesired populations including unhoused people and transform downtown into a playground for young corporate professionals.

A former Target insider who wishes to remain unidentified recently told Unicorn Riot that former CEO Robert Ulrich is a staunch racist and constantly complained about Black men hanging outside Targets flagship downtown store. Target and local authorities created the sweeping surveillance program to deliberately target Black men with state-of-the-art surveillance cameras, livability crime arrests, and a vast network of law enforcement partners.

Target explicitly worked to suburbanize downtown. One Target executive said candidly in an interview from 2012, [T]he guest demographic we seek is very much a woman with childrenwe want to be a lot more like Disney World and a lot less like a flea market. Targets stake in downtown Minneapolis is more like that of a real estate investor than a big box retail corporation because of its massive headquarters located there, according to sociologist Dr. Michael McQuarrie.

The geographic restriction policy, which has been detailed in this series by Unicorn Riot, is a commonly activated tool used by SafeZone authorities to make downtown more livable for new, wealthier residents. A judge could geographically restrict someone from being downtown after theyve acquired a number of livability offenses and it has been determined by the judge that they refuse to follow conditions outlined by the court.

The overwhelming majority of people on the downtown geo-restriction list are Black. Geo-restrictions, which critics say resembles Jim Crow segregation, were struck down as unconstitutional by a grand jury years ago. But as previously reported, thanks to legal loopholes the practice continues today as prosecutors and judges found ways to work around it and placate corporate backers.

Dr. Edward Goetz, the Humphrey School of Public Affairs professor and director of the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, has written extensively about the tools the City of Minneapolis has at its disposal to remove poor people from the city, primarily the war on drugs. What has replaced the dialogue on urban problems is a public discourse, that he says, indicate[s] active antagonism towards the urban poor.

CODEFOR, which is short for Computer Optimized Deployment Focused on Results, was the citys first predictive data analytics program that tracked arrests and mapped crime hotspots in efforts to predict future crime trends, also known as predictive policing.

In his book Clearing the Way: Deconcentrating the Poor in Urban America, Dr. Goetz wrote about the controversy the program caused. Shortly after its rollout, The program became a flashpoint in the African American community, which regarded CODEFOR as simply an institutional form of harassment. The NAACPcalled the program an unchecked abuse of police power aimed at people of color, Goetz wrote. They labeled this technology racially discriminatory because of its focus on minor offenses committed by Black men in core urban neighborhoods, including downtown, while ignoring those of white men occuring in wealthier parts of town.

Saarela remembers using CODEFOR when she was on the force. At roll call the sergeant would tell us we needed to get our numbers up, Saarela told Unicorn Riot, referring to livability crime arrests. They would tell us what neighborhoods we needed to target more. Saarela said they never used any racist language but it was implied.

CODEFOR had adverse effects on real estate in targeted communities. By using data to identify crime hotspots, this drove down demand as real estate agents steered people away from communities labeled high crime. But in communities that were being gentrified, realtors used racial undertones to assure clients that the neighborhood was turning over, according to Saarela, whose parents were Twin Cities realtors for two decades.

Many activists believe that crime data in communities of color is intentionally inflated to harm those communities making them more vulnerable to real estate investors and predatory lenders. The inflation of crime data hurts communities by driving down home values thus decreasing the already struggling communitys wealth, even when those neighborhoods are not particularly unsafe.

Former Minneapolis Ward 2 City Council member Cam Gordon told Unicorn Riot that he too believes CODEFOR crime data was inflated in communities of color but cannot prove it. Even we [council members] encouraged people to call 911 over any little thing. Former officer Sarah Saarela confirmed to Unicorn Riot that MPD absolutely inflated crime data in communities of color using CODEFOR.

Gordon said CODEFOR data was public and the City of Minneapolis gave it to lenders and realtors regularly. Leading up to the Great Recession, data indicates that lenders including Wells Fargo and Countywide sold Black and brown families riskier home mortgages. With sophisticated technology, similar to CODEFOR, and numerous sources of publicly available data to identify potential customers, predatory lenders turn towards those very same neighborhoods police deem hotspots to market their products.

Big banks target communities with predatory loans where they believe the customers are financially unsophisticated or vulnerable, and therefore most likely to accept highly unfavorable loan terms, according to the federally sponsored lending corporation, Fannie Mae. In turn, this leads to increased mortgage defaults, home foreclosures, homelessness, and incarceration, thus completing the cycle of removal and achieving the desired outcomes of public and private interests.

Urban policy is less about revitalizing cities and neighborhoods, and combating the disinvestment of capital, and it is more and more about controlling the dangerous classes.

Through heavy-handed policing and predatory lending public and private interests converge, resulting in the loss of wealth, greater criminalization, continued discrimination and increased state violence against communities of color.

Although Minnesota ranks above all other states and Washington, D.C., for how well its residents are doing collectively, it ranks as the fourth most segregated state in the country. The gap between white and Black households in Minneapolis is one of the most pronounced in the U.S.

The Minneapolis metro has the lowest homeownership rate for Black people and the largest homeownership gap in the nation with a 51% gap between white and Black residents.

The median income for white households in Minneapolis is almost $74,000, while Black households earn slightly over $23,000 today, amounting to a $51,000 pay gap on average, which is the second worst in the nation following Milwaukee.

Democratic political strategist Kendal Killian, who formerly worked in city hall and currently serves as senior advisor to Congresswoman Ilhan Omars reelection campaign, recently tweeted that this conservative shift in the city is not a natural one but one that was intentional by city leaders. Our politics have shifted, and the very people we sought to attract are voting in their own self-interest. This is the city we deliberately sought to create.

In a phone interview with Unicorn Riot, Killian said that the City of Minneapolis fate is not inevitable. The way it trended whiter and more conservative in the past decade, it can also trend the opposite over this decade, if there was political will for it.

Coming out of the 2008 recession, the mayor at the time, R.T. Rybak, used loud dog whistles and talked about attracting a certain demographic of young corporate professionals to the city with promises of breweries, boutique eateries, dog parks, grocery coops and farmers markets. Importantly, critics point out that behind the mayors rhetoric were draconian policies that displaced poor residents of color.

Recent data presented in this article demonstrates that the practice of upzoning alone wont ensure population diversity or racial equity when authorities have at their disposal a number of policies to deconcentrate communities of color that they have deemed problematic.

Dr. Goetz believes such policies are little more than the authorities way to target communities they consider threatening. Urban policy is less about revitalizing cities and neighborhoods, and combating the disinvestment of capital, he wrote, and it is more and more about controlling the dangerous classes.

About the author: Marjaan Sirdar is a South Minneapolis based freelance writer and host of the People Power Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @peoplepowerpod1.

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Clearing the Way for a Whiter, Wealthier Tax Base in Minneapolis - UNICORN RIOT - Unicorn Riot

In April, the North Star Civic Foundation, a good-government think tank, received results of a poll it had commissioned a month earlier to gauge public sentiment about charter reform to change the city of Portlands form of government. Less than two months later, the 20-member Charter Commission would send its reform package to the November ballot on a 17-3 vote.

The survey asked 500 respondentswith an intentional overrepresentation of BIPOC Portlanderssuch broad questions as whether they wanted a big overhaul of City Hall or only minor tweaks; what voters top concerns were regarding government effectiveness; and whether people felt represented by City Hall.

It listed three major reforms the Charter Commission was poised to recommend: ranked-choice voting, multimember geographic districts, and a city administrator form of government.

It asked another question of respondents, one that now appears freshly relevant: Would you prefer to vote on charter reform as separate ballot questions or combined into one measure?

Charter Chart

The groups most in favor of separate proposals are young women, voters in North Portland, and lower-income voters, pollsters wrote.

The polls findings appear to fly in the face of the measure placed on the November ballot by the Charter Commission, which voted overwhelmingly to bundle all three reforms into a single ballot question. Charter commissioners have said the reforms they proposeda city administrator, ranked-choice voting, and multimember districtsare too interdependent to separate.

The Portland Business Alliance has challenged the single-question measure in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Oral arguments are scheduled for Aug. 11.

The PBA was among the funders of the North Star poll, along with Oregon Smart Growth, the Metropolitan Association of Realtors, and the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland. That was back when the citys chamber of commerce and its leading business interests were eager to see charter reformbut in a much different form than its now taken.

What now appears peculiar is why the complete poll results werent presented to charter commissioners in April.

On June 15, Charter Commission project manager Julia Meier sent an email to all Portland City Council chiefs of staff. It linked to three public opinion polls that Meier said were presented to the commission.

The Lake Research poll commissioned by North Star was one of the three listed. But it was a truncated version. That 72% of respondents said they wanted separate ballot questions did not appear in the version sent to City Council offices.

This week, WW obtained the full survey that included that particular questionwhich was never presented to charter commissioners and never provided to the public.

Caitlin Baggott Davis, executive director of North Star, says the omission was not intentional, but rather her group wanted to focus on the core takeaways from the poll so it could message appropriately when promoting charter reform: Our focus in the March poll was to understand if voters feel represented by Portland city government, and if they feel that services are being provided well. They dont. We focused the presentation on that.

Its also important to contextualize the period in which the poll was taken: It was before anyone knew that the issue of separate questions versus a combined question would so badly splinter interest groups on charter reform.

Four charter commissioners tell WW they never saw the poll, nor the shorter version.

Commissioner Robin Ye says seeing this question doesnt change anything for him: Theres an overwhelming sense of support for big structural change, and the policy proposal from the commission is best and only can be presented in a single package, because thats how the reform policy works together, in tandem.

(Sofia lvarez-Castro, communications coordinator for the Charter Commission, says the truncated version was publicly available but not formally presented to charter commissioners.)

The full Lake Research poll raises a number of questions. Perhaps the biggest one is about transparency: Why was an important question in a public opinion poll not shared with charter commissioners?

Meanwhile, results of another poll presented to charter commissioners in April asked a similar question.

Commissioned by Building Power for Communities of Color, which now leads the campaign to promote the reform measure, and Represent.Us, a nonprofit that advocates ranked-choice voting, the poll asked respondents which of two statements they agreed with more: Portland government is such a mess that we need to pass this whole package of reforms or We should only focus on changing Portlands form of government. Fifty-seven percent of respondents chose the former statement, and 31% chose the latter.

A slide from a March GBAO poll about charter reform. (GBAO Strategies)

(Another poll by FM3 Research, commissioned and funded by North Star and BPCC and presented to charter commissioners in March, asked about combining two of the three proposals. In that poll, adding more than one reform to the ballot question did not hurt, or help, the favorability of either reform.)

North Star, which commissioned the poll that showed voters had doubts, is now joining the campaign to pass the full charter reform package.

The campaign tells WW its raised $200,000 so far.

Link:

A Polling Result Never Seen by the City's Charter Commission Shows Portlanders Overwhelmingly Favored Placing Three Reforms on the Ballot Separately -...

Teen pregnancy can upend a students life and educational career and can set families back for generations. For Miami-Dade County School Board Member Steve Gallon, the issue is a personal one: his first child Kastevia Gallon-Martin was born when he was just 16 years old.

He talked about his experience as a teenage father at a recent school board meeting during a debate over whether the district should adopt two comprehensive health textbooks and teach sex education in the fall.

I look at it based on my journey that started in 1985, as a product of this or lack thereof. A former teenage father while a student at Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Gallon said. So it is personal for me.

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Miami-Dade County Public Schools will be offering sex ed in the fall after the school board reversed its previous vote to throw out the two textbooks. The decision to reject the books, and effectively opt out the entire district from receiving sex education, drew public outcry and national attention.

WLRN education reporter Kate Payne spoke with Gallon about his experience as a teen dad raising his daughter Kastevia, and the importance of sex ed for him and for students in the district.

The following is an excerpt of their conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity.

Courtesy of Steve Gallon

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Courtesy of Steve Gallon

GALLON: At that particular time I was 16 years old. The mother was 16 years old. We were high school students and we found ourselves in that situation. Fortunately, we had resources. We had information on how to navigate our way through that particular challenging time.

All fathers are not as responsible as I was at a very young age, because I really accepted that obligation and fulfilled it with fidelity and integrity. But let's face it: life would have been different had I not had to have that additional responsibility. Tremendously blessed with my children. Would not have had it any other way. It was part of God's plan. But obviously, it was not intentional.

I've been tremendously blessed, graduating from high school, attending college, earning a master's and a doctoral degree. But I know that I'm the exception, not the rule. And obviously many of our young people are shackled. Teenage parenthood can become an albatross for the rest of their lives.

Once you drop out of school, you're compounding many of the challenges in life. And information is power. And what we cannot do in any educational scenario is deny children an opportunity to be powerful in their decision making.

WLRN: What was that time like in your life? How did you experience that in the moment, as far as trying to stay on the path of education and graduating high school?

GALLON: Very difficult. But again, I had tremendous support that did not simply come from my home. Educators, counselors, administrators, members in the community, wrapped their arms around me, gave me some guidance, gave me some support.

But again, never would say it was easy. We have legions of young people that fall to the wayside educationally because of decisions they make at a very young age. Find themselves terminally on the margins of our society. And that's something that education should try to mitigate as much as possible.

WLRN: Youre a product of Miami-Dade public schools. What did you learn in middle school and high school about sex? Could that have put you on a different trajectory if you had more information during that critical time in your life?

GALLON: Yeah, absolutely. It could have. I graduated from Miami Northwestern Senior High School. My parents once again did not have the talk. But it's not that I was not able to have access to the information. Could it have been amplified a little more?

But at the end of the day, it comes down to individual decisions that we all make. I think our children and our youth need to be equipped with as much information to make the best decisions possible.

WLRN: For teen mothers, only half of them will go on to graduate high school. Their children are more likely to struggle in school, to drop out and to be incarcerated. What more can the district do to support teen parents?

GALLON: I think the district has been a leader. In my last position in this district, I was [in charge of] alternative education. I was over the schools that served young mothers and teenage parents.

I want to say mothers and teenage parents, because fathers, they can get the resources, they can access additional information and guidance. Our district does provide these particular programs.

Can we do more? Absolutely. And as you indicated through those particular data points, those issues show up not simply in our schools. They show up in our communities, they show up throughout the state, and quite frankly, they show up in underserved, underperforming and under-resourced communities. It often leads, specifically for young African American or Hispanic males, to a pathway toward prison, poverty or an early death.

And we have an obligation, we have a responsibility both professionally and morally to make sure that we equip students with the lifelong skills that they're going to need. And some people believe that that's not our role, that's not our responsibility. But our parents, our families many of them are depending on us.

WLRN Senior Editor For News Jessica Bakeman contributed to this story.

Excerpt from:

This Miami-Dade school board member was a teen father. That shaped his views on sex ed - WLRN