Dr Chris Sarra-high expectations of Indigenous students

I listened to Chris Sarra at NZEALS and was highly motivated by his messages.

 I heard him again at NZPF conference and his messages still rang true. 

Take points from here to HES practice.  

Chris Sarra high expectations- NZEALS

Stronger smarter
In the late 1990s, Dr Chris Sarra became the first Aboriginal principal of Cherbourg State School where he made significant changes to the way that Indigenous students experienced education.

Dr Sarra challenged the whole school community to have high expectations of Indigenous students and fostered the ‘strong and smart’ approach which embraced a strong and positive sense of what it means to be Aboriginal in contemporary Australian society.

This success led to the formation of the Stronger Smarter Institute (formerly known as the Indigenous Education Leadership Institute) which was established in 2005 as an innovative partnership between Education Queensland and the Queensland University of Technology

STRONGER SMARTER PHILOSOPHY

The Stronger Smarter philosophy honours a positive sense of cultural identity, and acknowledges and embraces positive community leadership, enabling innovative and dynamic approaches and processes that are anchored by high expectations relationships.

High expectations relationships honour the humanity of others, and in so doing, acknowledge one’s strengths, capacity and human right to emancipatory opportunity.

http://strongersmarter.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/SSI-HER-Position-Paper-Final-lowres.pdf

Possible Implications for our school

• High expectations. V. High expectations rhetoric

Its easy to talk "high expectations" but it would be great to do a personal check to see if our talk is just rhetoric. Do we unconsciously reinforce lower expectations by our use of language, excuses made due to factors that learners bring with them to every learning experience, choices made when offering or not offering opportunities, assumptions based on other strengths?  Is there a hidden curriculum? Are our students ever sold short.......by us, the school structure and the choices we make?

Do we hold any negative perceptions- these need to be dissolved.

Do we collude with stereotypes eg a sporty child..that is his/her strength at the detriment of other expectations.

The need to have serious conversations about absenteeism etc same expectations is held for all students- no matter what their circumstances...'you need to be at school  so you can be the best that you can be - because that's what I expect from you.'

High expectations relationships- ask yourself.....'what  are you doing that's contributing to their disengagement underachievement or absenteeism?' 


Can we all say this with honesty?  'I believe our children can leave this school with a  very strong and positive sense of what it means to be ( their ethnicity) and with academic outcomes comparable to any other school in NZ. Chris Sarra says...if you don't believe this .. Then you should not be here...

Students and families...deserve to achieve their best. Would I accept this for my child? make it personal.

You say you hold high expectations  but is the data showing that you are matching this rhetoric with action?

• Never forget the humanity of others..ie all students..all parents..all caregivers

• The importance of developing a sense of connectedness to the school, their education, their dreams, their community.

•  The need to stop throwing agencies at them - support from within. Doing things with people...not to them. Implications of this as we refer for outside support... is more community involvement and direct parent contact and mentoring a better option? 

• Co- create solutions with the community eg uniforms supplied for a family and an adult provides  time supporting reading in class.

• Embrace and develop a positive sense of identity- based on the ethnicity/ies  they relate to. At everyone's core is their humanity- then time and place will have important impact on who they most relate to culturally/ethnically. Our migrant students have connection to many places of who they are. 

• Investigate further   -Roy Bhaskar

• Develop students thinking away from Being the Victim or Booting the Victim- ( both collude with low expectations)  Develop instead a mindset of moving Beyond the Victim(collusion with high expectations)

• Embrace them the student's community  as co- educators. Embrace positive community leadership.

• Develop the leadership you can see (within students and communities)you - by giving that leadership a place to be and grow.

 Do you reflect with defensiveness or inquiry?

Support for employing an 'expert' in Te Whariki

New Entrants in the re making for HES


 HES has  also  become interested 'in transforming the nature of the learning and teaching experience of young children entering school. They were interested in how they might provide greater continuity for children transitioning from ECE to school by making changes to the physical environment, the pedagogy, and what learning is valued (and how this learning happens) for children in their first years of school.'