Welcome
Welcome to the home of the Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Center (SSS-TAC)! We provide technical assistance and/or web resources to districts, schools, parents and/or families on the topic of school climate as part of the New York State Education Department Supportive Schools Grant Program.
Our goal is to cultivate safe and supportive environments for all students. We know that readiness and excitement to learn is accompanied by a sense of belonging and safety, as well as strong relationships with adults and peers. Through collaboration with grantees, we support the implementation of research-based practices that promote a positive school climate and student engagement.
SSS-TAC Newsletter
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January 2020
April 2020
Helpful Links
Below are links to information you may find helpful. Please click on any link below to visit other websites with helpful content.
In The News
Teaching as Activism, Teaching as Care
I have begun to feel helpless during this time. But I never felt helpless as a teacher.
Teaching, for me, has always been a vehicle. A vehicle for freedom, for truth telling, for hell raising. It has long been my understanding and approach to solving complex problems that diseases and illness must be dissected, studied and understood so that we can act upon them.
May 15, 2020
Addressing Racism and Social Injustice
In a 2015 convening, the Harvard Graduate School of Education asked, “What strategies can educators use to promote justice, fairness, tolerance, and genuine communication in our schools and society?” The discussion came eight months after Michael Brown, an 18-year-old black male, was killed by a white police office in Ferguson, Missouri, sparking a campaign to confront racism and police violence.
June 16, 2020
How to Foster a Positive School Climate in a Virtual World
As COVID-19 upended schools across the country, leaders and teachers transitioned to a remote learning environment with unprecedented speed and managed an array of tactical issues. Schools raced to distribute laptops, provide free-and-reduced lunch to students in need and offer childcare to essential workers. Professional development around remote learning that typically would have happened over months or years was condensed into a few days.
May 21, 2020