Apply Now for the 2016 Rida Institute

Detroit Future Schools mission is to humanize education in Detroit.  We believe that in order to transform our school system, we as educators must begin by transforming our own practices and by designing our classrooms to nurture the transformative leadership of our students. Detroit teachers and students need these leadership skills more than ever, as the actions of Michigan’s legislature threaten to dissolve public education as we know it, and as the learning environments of all schools (public, charter, and EAA) in Detroit become increasingly dehumanizing.

We are now accepting applications for the Rida Institute, a year-long professional development training with a focus on critical pedagogy.  The Institute will begin with a three day curriculum planning retreat taking place Monday, August 1 through Wednesday, August 3 in Detroit. The retreat will introduce teachers to the “Rida Framework,” one of Detroit Future School’s education planning tools for humanizing schooling. Participants will be trained in DFS’ best practices for curriculum planning and classroom culture-setting. DFS will continue to support participants in the Institute to reflect and course-correct throughout the year.

Apply here for the 2016 Rida Institute. The deadline to apply for the 2016 Rida Institute is July 18th.

Participants of the Rida Institute will attend the following training sessions:

 Rida Institute Retreat - August 1-3, 2016 This three day retreat will introduce teachers to the Rida Framework, DFS’s education planning tool. The tools supports teachers to articulate their purpose as educators within their context of their school, their neighborhood, their city, and the world. From there they will identify the skills and practices they need to cultivate (in themselves and in their classrooms) in order to fulfill that purpose. They will learn best practices for nurturing student agency and leadership. With the support of DFS staff, teachers will create unit plans and self-defined metrics by which they will measure progress towards their stated purpose and goals.

“Tune-up” Meetings in September, January and May Throughout the year, teachers will have the opportunity to come together to “tune up” their classroom plans and practices. The “tune-ups” will focus on classroom culture and instructional practices. Teachers will grow a supportive community of peers with whom they can troubleshoot challenges and share successes. Tune-ups will happen over brunch on the last Sunday of September, January, and May.

Classroom Documentation & Evaluation Every classroom will be observed and evaluated once throughout the year, using the Detroit Future Schools rubric of “11 Essential Skills” – skills which are needed to prepare students to solve real world problems. DFS staff will conduct interviews with students to evaluate their perceptions of the classroom and their attitudes towards school overall. Teachers will then reflect on these student evaluations during “Tune-up” meetings to understand what is working or not working in their classrooms, and adjust their instructional practices accordingly.

 The cost for the year long institute for individuals is $300. The cost to participate as a representative of an institution is $500. Meals will be provided throughout the three days of the Rida Institute Retreat and at other events throughout the Institute.

Scholarships are available – please indicate your need for a scholarship in the application form.

NOTE if you are not based in metro Detroit, please select the non-local option on the application. As a non-local participant you can only participate in the three day Summer retreat in August, for a cost of $150.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT COST OR THE INSTITUTE PLEASE EMAIL NATE@ALLIEDMEDIA.ORG

The Rida Framework The Rida Framework is the primary planning and evaluation tool that DFS uses to humanize schooling, inspired by the educational theories of Paolo Freire, Jeff Duncan-Andrade, and James and Grace Lee Boggs. Freire, a Brazilian educator and theorist, believed that cycles of critical reflection and action were key to any transformative learning process. From this approach, users of the Rida Framework articulate practices (action) that will result in desired/outlined outcomes within their classrooms, which they will document and evaluate via predetermined metrics (reflection).

Learn more about the Rida Framework here.

Read a recap of the first Rida Institute held in 2014 here.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT COST OR THE INSTITUTE PLEASE EMAIL NATE@ALLIEDMEDIA.ORG

Save the Date Rida Institute Summer Workshop Aug 1-3 2016

Just a quick heads up that this year's Rida Institute Summer workshop is coming up Aug 1-3rd.

New for this year the Rida Institute will be a year long! Kicking off in the summer with touch points throughout the year -- here is some of what we're planning so far

Rida Institute Summer Workshop 2016 (Aug 2016) This is the traditional three day institute will introduce teachers to the Rida Framework. This year we'll have talks by visiting Educators (to be named soon!) and we'll be focusing on developing unit plans for the school year.

Tune-up Meetings (NEW) At two points in the year, teachers will have the opportunity to come together after the summer workshop to “tune up” their classroom plans and practices. The Tune-ups will focus on troubleshooting challenges and sharing successes.

Classroom Visits (NEW) Every classroom will be observed and evaluated at least once throughout the year, using the DFS 11 Essential Skills rubric. DFS will also conduct interviews with students to assess their perceptions of the classroom. Teachers will reflect on the evaluations during Tune-up Meetings to understand what’s working and not working in their classrooms, and adjust their practices accordingly.

There will be more info soon and I'll be sure to pass it along to you --

Detroit Future Schools Youth Launch “DFS Ideas” Campaign

Two weeks ago Detroit Teachers closed 88 Detroit schools as a protest of inhumane school conditions. Last week students walked of several DPS Schools in support of protesting teachers. It's no secret, our school system needs serious change. At Detroit Future Schools we believe that this change should have Detroit’s young people at its center.

The Out-of-School Project (OSP) is an afterschool program that brings together young people from all over the city – including Detroit Public Schools, charter schools, private schools, alternative schools, and colleges. In this program, students create media that inserts youth voice into the conversation about the challenges and opportunities facing Detroit’s public education system.

We are excited to announce the launch of #DFSIdeas, a research project and social media campaign led by young people in our Out-of-School Project. These youth will collect and share stories from Detroit students who are thriving despite obstacles in Detroit’s school system such as high teacher turnover, poor access to transportation, lack of classroom materials and resources, unhealthy food, etc. We hope to bring to light the many ways in which students are responding to these problems and their unique visions for change within the system.

Over the next six months we will conduct interviews, identify broad themes across the stories we collect, and create a media project such as a video or blog that shares the big ideas and lessons from our research. We will present this work at public events such as the Allied Media Conference in order to uplift the youth perspective around Detroit schools and reform.  Ultimately, we hope this work will inspire and inform future OSP projects that provide youth-led solutions to problems within Detroit’s school system. See how you can participate below!

Tell us Your #DFSIdeas

Are you a young person in Detroit?  We want to hear what being a student in Detroit schools is like.

Are you always looking to switch schools because your school doesn't work for you or was closed? Do you struggle to get to school everyday because of transportation issues? Do you get up really early to travel to the ‘burbs to get to a “good school”? Do you feel like nobody cares about your education?

How are you dealing with the problems you face in your schools everyday? What are the things you want to change and how would you change them?

We’re looking for Detroit youth who want to share their stories with us! If you have a story and would like us to interview you, please email DFS@alliedmedia.org

You can also send us your ideas on twitter, facebook or instagram using the hashtag #DFSideas

Want more info?

Email us at DFS@alliedmedia.org

Follow us: Twitter: @DFStweets Facebook.com/DetroitFutureSchools