Dec 1BELE Beyond 2023As the BELE Network has grown and evolved over the past six years, our charge has remained the same: creating more equitable learning environments that support all students to succeed and thrive. While we will not be continuing as a formal network in 2024, we will remain steadfast in that…Bele Network2 min readBele Network2 min read
Sep 26Changing Student Narratives to End Racial InequityEducational disparities between Black students and white students are glaring in our education system. “Black boys tend to be at the bottom of every positive academic indicator and at the top of every negative academic indicator,” says Chris Chatmon, Founder and CEO of Kingmakers of Oakland. …Kingmakers Of Oakland3 min readKingmakers Of Oakland3 min read
Aug 22Leveraging Growth Mindset to Enhance Student ExperienceAs schools kick-off the 2023–24 school year, the question remains — how can we design equitable schools and structures that create positive student experiences and prepare all young people to learn and thrive? …Bele Network3 min readBele Network3 min read
Aug 9The King Mural ProjectCreating a foundation of effective relationships with caregivers By the BELE Network CASEL’s latest brief in the BELE Learning Series, Collaborating With Communities and Caregivers: Conditions for Building Authentic Partnerships, focuses on the fourth EA: Partner with Caregivers and Communities. A community-led racial reckoning at King Elementary began when someone…Casel4 min readCasel4 min read
Apr 26Collaborating in Community: Philanthropy’s Role in Cultivating Equitable K-12 Learning EnvironmentsDr. Gisele C. Shorter speaks with The 16:1 Podcast about the BELE Network and prioritizing student experience. Dr. Gisele C. Shorter, Director of National Education Strategy at the Raikes Foundation, was recently featured on The 16:1 Podcast, a show about education, teaching, & learning. …Bele Network5 min readBele Network5 min read
Dec 8, 2022Redesigning School District Systems and Structures for Human ThrivingDistrict-Level Learnings from the Field By the BELE Network In order to create learning environments where all students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally, school districts must design schoolwide systems and structures that center students. This is at the core of the BELE Network’s first Essential Action, making systems human-centered…Bele Network3 min readBele Network3 min read
Dec 8, 2022Building Authentic School and Family Partnerships:Insights From the Caregiver Community By the BELE Network To holistically educate young people, school leaders must engage caregivers as co-designers of their students’ learning environments. This is at the core of the BELE Network’s fourth Essential Action: Partner with Caregivers and Communities. …Caregivers4 min readCaregivers4 min read
Oct 27, 2022Making Kids Safer at School With Newly Available FundsAn overview of the BSCA education funds By the BELE Network With the school year well underway, educators have an opportunity to redefine what they mean by student safety. Parents are justifiably concerned about their kids’ safety at school, and Congress has made important investments in protecting students. Those investments…Bele Network4 min readBele Network4 min read
Sep 21, 2022Back-to-School Nights — A Missed OpportunityBy Karen VanAusdal (Senior Director of Practice at CASEL), Melissa Schlinger (Vice President of Practice and Programs at CASEL), and Tyrone Martinez-Black (Practice Integration Specialist) Imagine walking into your child’s high school, where members of the marching band are performing outside the building. Student greeters hold the doors open and…Back To School5 min readBack To School5 min read
Jul 28, 2022Meet Dr. Dionne Blue: Chief Equity Officer at Columbus City SchoolsBy Education Resource Strategies Creating equitable outcomes for all students requires identifying and exposing existing inequities within school systems. One shining example is Columbus City Schools, which appointed Dr. …4 min read4 min read