Concordia St.

Paul

magazine
FALL 2016

Teaching
in the city
Urban Education
in Minnesota
Pages 2-9

ATHLETICS UPDATE

CSP MINISTRY

CSP NEWS

Pages 10-11

Pages 14-15

Pages 16-21

Language and literacy HONOR motivation

religious mental health economic honor
differences honor positive cultural
motivation learning resiliency religious
Language and literacyHONOR motivation
religious mental health economic honor

URBAN EDUCATION
As the neighborhood around Concordias campus has
grown and changed over the years so have the needs
of preparing teachers for the modern classroom. CSPs
teacher education program has evolved and adjusted
to these changes without sacrificing the founding
principals of a Lutheran education.
Today, Concordias teacher education courses
integrate urban, educational principles into course
work, paying attention to issues that impact students

in urban environments where neighborhoods and

communities are struggling with issues of poverty
and declining funding sources.
To prepare future teachers for these challenges, all
CSP students in education programs are expected to
spend time in an urban classroom setting as part of
their student teaching experience. This hands-on
training gives them the necessary tools to be effective
and influential educators in their own classrooms.

Language and literacy HONOR motivation

religious mental health economic honor
differences honor positive cultural
motivation learning resiliency religious
Language and literacyHONOR motivation
religious mental health economic honor
Language and literacyHONORmotivation

Cover Story

It was the final night of a long weekend, and AB Wright (11)

was nervous. An 8th grade language arts teacher at Best
Academy in north Minneapolis, Wright was sharing the
spotlight with ten other finalists for the 52nd annual
Minnesota Teacher of the Year award. The original 115
nominee pool had submitted portfolios and created videos.
The finalists had participated in interviews with panels of
people from all walks of life, including district court judges,
police officers, policymakers and students. Now it had come
down to this, the final night banquet, when the winner would
be announced. Amy Hewett-Olatunde, the 2015 Minnesota
Teacher of the Year, stood up to make the announcement.
Building the suspense, she told the crowd: The committee
members asked this person what three words would your
students use to describe their teacher, and the response
was: corny, loving, and there.
At that moment, Wright, 29, knew he was about to be named
the 2016 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, the first black male
and the first teacher from a charter school to win the award.
Sitting there, about to hear my name called, I was sent on a
quick reflection, Wright says. I thought about all my mistakes
and failures, the times Id doubted myself, and all of the grace
and acceptance Id received from people on my journey. I was
humbled and honored. To receive an honor like that, it was
such a blessing, and I have to thank God. It has changed the
trajectory of my life and has created a legacy I will be able to
leave behind for my children. Wrights school, Best Academy,
is part of the Harvest Network of Schools. According to its
website, 93 percent of our scholars are living in poverty,
and 100 percent are expected to excel.

As he continues to participate in a celebratory year that

includes visits to the White House, NASA space camp, and
professional development at Harvard, Wright realizes that,
at least for the moment, he embodies the face of urban
educationnot just for Minnesotans or fellow Concordia St.
Paul alumni, but for people throughout the country. Even
though I am an urban educator, I represent ALL educators
and that is not something that I take for granted, he says. I
will do my best to hear educators stories, learn their issues,
bring us together and get us to act on issues in education
that will make our state better.
Wright gives credit to Concordia St. Paul for launching him
on this meaningful career, I learned the importance of
questioning the world, and focusing on finding my purpose
and what I am called to do, Wright says. I think thats what
Martin Luther was all about.
As the leading example
of the relevance of urban
education, Wright is clear
that much of what he
does centers on guiding
his students to appreciate
people of all backgrounds:
When we have that respect
for all, we can make an oasis
on earth in our classrooms.
Then we can do it for our
communities, and then we
can do it for the world.

At Concordia I learned the importance of questioning the world,

and focusing on finding my purpose and what I am called to do.
I think thats what Martin Luther was all about.
AB Wright (11)

CONCORDIA S T. PAUL MAGAZINE FALL 2016

Cover Story

urban education

Leading the way

Providing an education for children and youth

who are experiencing language and literacy barriers,
who are of different racial, cultural, gender, religious,
mental health and economic backgrounds with
strategies which honor their differences and
promote resiliency, motivation, positive mental
health, safety and learning.

Wrights achievement is one more indication of the

success of Concordia St. Pauls efforts in the field of urban
education. The university has a proud legacy of dedication to
groundbreaking work in this field, a focus of study that has
been a hallmark of the campus for many years.
Dr. Sally A. Baas, Director of the Southeast Asian Teacher
Program (SEAT) and Associate Professor of Education, has
been a leader in Concordias efforts to make an impact on
issues relating to urban education through two key programs:
SEAT and the Hmong Culture and Language Program.

Urban education as a topic involves much more

than just ethnicity, Dr. Baas says. It also
has to do with poverty levels, immigration
status, issues of equity, family structure
and more. (See Dr. Baas definition of urban
education on board)

SEAT is a program for culturally and

linguistically diverse educational and teaching
assistants who are currently employed in Minnesota
schools, Dr. Baas says. It promotes student success
through expanding their potential, skills, talents and intellect,
while providing them with a circle of support that carries into
their first years of teaching. Since its inception, the program has
graduated more than 200 students. We have very successful
graduates who are serving as teachers, principals, deans and
curriculum directors, Dr. Baas says.
The Hmong Culture and Language Program operates as a lab
school to help university students build resiliency through

- Dr. Sally A. Baas

their opportunities to build cross-cultural competency

through service learning. Additionally, it helps students build
skills in creating and teaching curriculum, pedagogy, personal
relationship development and leadership. They learn about their
own values as they learn about others values, Dr. Baas says.
In addition to a two-week summer camp held on campus,
the program participants meet two Saturdays a month,
year round, to work on language and cultural literacy. The
program has gained attention from other universities, and
is now in place at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and
River Falls, and Southwest Minnesota State.
As we consider urban education, we need to look at issues
of equity, she says. Many urban children have parents who
are working three or four jobs, and theyre not able to provide
the same kind of support that children were receiving from
their families fifty years ago. Language is another factor that
intensifies the challenges faced by many urban educators.
There may be four or five different native languages in one
classroom, she notes.

?
Did you Know?
Many urban students face challenges that suburban and rural children will never encounter. One key study on the
consequences of violence-plagued urban communities was published by Dr. Shakira Franco Suglia from the Harvard School
of Public Health and her team, led by Dr. Rosalind J. Wright from Brigham and Womens Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
The study found that school-aged children who witness violence in urban communities show symptoms of post-traumatic
stress. According to the study, they also suffer physiological effects, with a disruption to their normal cortisol production
patterns, which may have long-term negative effects on their health. In the study, Dr. Suglia concluded: Important biological
effects occur in children living in high-crime neighborhoodsas a result, they may not come to the attention of healthcare
providers and a large number of children may be impacted with broad adverse health effects. The results of the study were
published in Springers International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

Lutheran education
in urban settings
Dr. Michele Pickel, Associate Professor of Education, believes
that God calls some teachers into urban ministry. As Lutheran
educators, they can be the hands and feet of Jesus serving
children and their families, she says.

Lutheran Classroom Teacher

Training as a Lutheran Classroom Teacher (LCT)
prepares you for professional Word and Service
ministry integrating faith and learning in the lives
of children, youth, and families in one of the more
than 2,500 preschool, elementary or secondary
schools of The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod.
- Dr. Michele Pickel

They bring Christ to the center of the city, building

faith one child at a time, and making a difference
in the lives of kids.
Lutheran urban education actually began with the
Reformation, when Luther translated scripture into the
common language of the people, Pickel suggests.
This empowered the newly literate to read Gods word
and understand it directly. With modern urban families
being so diverse, English is often not their first language,
so literacy and education are as critical now as they were
during the Reformation.

They are not only excellent teachers, but they also receive
additional theology coursework to help them put their faith
into action in everything they do, she says. It all comes down
to relationships. If we are in relationship with Christ, we can
relate to others more effectively. Keeping Christ at the center
of their work enables our teachers to be the best they can
be and bring glory to God.

She points to the thorough training received by those

studying to become Lutheran Classroom Teachers.

They are not only excellent teachers, but they also receive additional theology
coursework to help them put their faith into action in everything they do.
Dr. Michele Pickel

A history of leadership in urban education

Dr. Baas shared some documents created for the Metropolitan Teacher Education Program Selection
(M-TEPS). Records from the time indicate a strong desire on the part of Concordia St. Paul to lead by
doing, a tradition that continues nearly fifty years later. Here are minutes from a 1968 meeting: Even
though only one or two graduates from this program enter elementary teaching in the seven-county
metropolitan area, the progress will nevertheless be considered worthwhile, because it will stimulate
other colleges to initiate this kind of program or similar programs in other areasIf in this fashion, by
putting these bits of activity together, the community receives more consideration of the talents and
potential of the minority group students, the accumulative and combined effect of these programs
will be all good.

We owe this deeply to the community, due to their helpfulness to us in the past 75 years.
President Rev. William Poehler, December 9, 1968, at the launch of M-TEPS to graduate minority teachers
at Concordia College, St. Paul.

Cover
CSP News
Story

Meet the urban educators

Beatriz Desantiago-Fjelstad (Ed.S. 14)
Beatriz Desantiago-Fjelstad is Assistant Principal at Richard
Green Central Park School in Minneapolis, a school with
97% free and reduced lunch participation. Our school
historically has been among the lowest in the city for test
score performance, so weve been named a high-priority
school, she says. Our focus is on equity, relationships and
rigorous teaching.
My job is to set up a structure and a system that works. I
believe in the good of every child. We have a no-suspension
policy here. If children are misbehaving, that means we havent

met their needs, and we need to intervene with restorative

and responsive practices.
Her school is making a concerted effort to build stronger
connections with students families. Teachers prepared for the
2016-17 school year by making home visits to all families in the
school. We want to get to know the families and hear about
their hopes, dreams and goals for their child, she says.
Currently a student in Concordias first educational leadership
doctoral program, Desantiago-Fjelstad especially appreciates
the practical nature of the courses shes taken at Concordia
St. Paul: Im able to receive a wealth of knowledge from
working with retired principals and superintendents.

Our focus is on equity,

relationships and rigorous
teaching. My job is to set up
a structure and a system
that works. I believe in
the good of every child.
Beatriz Desantiago-Fjelstad (Ed.S. 14)

Richard R. Green Central Park School

Type: Public
Location: 3416 4th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN
Mission: Creating tomorrows community leaders by

engaging the hearts and minds of our diverse learners

FALL 2016 CONCORDIA

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CONCORDIA S T. PAUL MAGAZINE FALL 2016

Cover
CSP News
Story

Dao Lor (M.A. 13, Ed.S. 15)

Dao Lor is a SEAT participant who completed the Ed.S. program
and is pursuing his doctorate at Concordia St. Paul. He is an
assistant principal at Hmong International Academy, a public
elementary and middle school in Minneapolis. Lor and his
family immigrated to the United States when he was 13 years
old. I did not speak a word of English when I arrived, he says.
Education had always been only for the wealthy, so, because
my family was poor, I had very little exposure to the school
setting. I am very grateful for a public school system in which
everyone has the opportunity to learn.
Lor was drawn to education because he wanted to be a role
model himself. When I was in school, I never had anyone to
look up to who looked like me, he says. I think its good to
have more diverse teachers and administrators. Making our
schools more inclusive, equitable, and multi-racial is a better
reflection of our population.
A teacher for three summers in Concordias Hmong Culture
and Language Program, Lor also earned his masters degree
from CSP. Concordia St. Paul has prepared me very well,
because so many of my professors are current or retired
practitioners, he says. They encourage me to learn from their

successes and their failures, too. They might say: Heres how I
messed this up, so learn from my mistake.
He is concerned about the reputation his urban students
receive from many people, and cites a fear factor thats often
exacerbated by inflammatory media reports. In fact, a lot
of urban kids are really good kids who are very respectful
and nice to work with, he says. Many of these kids want to
learn and change their lives, but we have not always opened
ourselves up to understand them. We need to walk in their
shoes and let them know we love them and are willing to
listen to them. Sympathy and empathy are key.

Anna Schield (14)

Anna Schield teaches third grade at Trinity First School,
a Lutheran elementary school in the Cedar-Riverside
neighborhood of Minneapolis. I always had an interest in
how people learn, she says. I love to be around kids, and I
love watching them think. Throughout college, I recognized
the need for teaching kids in a Lutheran setting so they
have a better understanding of the world and the God
who created them and loves them. They need to be able
to defend their faith.

I think its good to have more

diverse teachers and administrators.
Making our schools more inclusive,
equitable, and multi-racial is a better
reflection of our population.
Dao Lor (M.A. 13, Ed.S. 15)

Hmong International Academy (HIA)

Type: Public
Location: 1501 30th Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN
Mission: Preparing culturally competent students

While she is clearly aware of the unique challenges

presented to an urban educator, she says she has a brother
who is teaching in rural Wisconsin, and they find there are
similarities between their two positions. We are still teaching
kids who are battling a world view that is not in line with
the Christian world view, she says. And while many people
equate poverty with an urban setting, economic hardship
can be just as prevalent in a rural school, too.
Trinity First School, she says, is very clear that its providing
a Lutheran education that holds to the teachings of the
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Our school is very diverse
in terms of faith backgrounds, she says. I teach faith by
starting with the basics: we are sinners, but Jesus came to
redeem us and gave his life for us because he loved us. I
repeat basic forms of the GospelJesus loves you, he died
for you, and you will live with him forever in heaven.

Anna (Shaw, 13) VanVleet

Anna VanVleet, known by many as the other Anna at Trinity
First School, is the schools Educational Support Coordinator.
Because Concordia St. Paul is in an urban setting, my years

of study there enabled me to have a variety of experiences,

preparing me for the environment at Trinity Lutheran, she
says. During her time at Concordia, she volunteered at Plus
Time, an afterschool program directed by Dr. Michele Pickel,
Associate Professor of Education. The kids in that program
had backgrounds similar to the kids I teach now, so it was
very helpful in building my experience. In her current
position, she teaches immigrant students from all over the
world. Last year, I had eleven students, and every one was
from a different cultural background, she says. Im excited
when we have people from other backgrounds, because
they have a chance to learn about Jesus at our school,
she says.
One of Trinity First Schools differentiators is its special
education offerings. We have students with behavioral
challenges, fetal alcohol syndrome, genetic issues and
learning challenges, she says. Its extremely rare for a private
school in a Christian setting to offer these services, so we
have an opportunity to serve these kids according to their
unique needs, and share the Gospel with them.

Our school is very diverse in terms of

faith backgrounds, I teach faith by
starting with the basics: we are sinners,
but Jesus came to redeem us and gave
his life for us because he loved us
Anna Schield (14)

Im excited when we have people

from other backgrounds, because
they have a chance to learn
about Jesus at our school
Anna (Shaw, 13) VanVleet

for success in a 21st century environment

Trinity First School
Type: Private
Location: 1115 East 19th Street, Minneapolis, MN
Mission: Equipping Learners, Sharing Hope

FALL 2016 CONCORDIA S T. PAUL MAGAZINE

CONCORDIA S T. PAUL MAGAZINE FALL 2016