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Leadership
        page 6                                                                                                 Electronic Edition: www.teachingtodaywi.com


                  MpS Teacher Erin Sivek is Wisconsin global Educator of the Year


                                            and  English  as  a  second  language,  helps  the   the  technology  they  need  at  home  for  their   school  level  had  fled  Myanmar  themselves.
                                            speakers of those languages — young immi-  studies,  securing  Chromebooks  for  students   Now  students  are  predominantly  of  Central
                                            grants  and  refugees  in  grades  5  through  8   and making certain they have mobile hotspots   and  East  African  heritage  and  were  born  in
                                            — learn English and go about life in America.   at home if they are without WiFi or are in tem-  refugee camps. Many of Sivek’s students this
                                            For Sivek’s work, the Wisconsin Department   porary housing, as many who resettle are.   year  are  ethnic  Congolese,  arriving  from  the
                                            of Public Instruction named her Global Educa-  New  students  have  other  needs  that  are   Democratic republic of Congo, Tanzania, and
                                            tor of the Year for 2022-23.        addressed,  such  as  learning  how  to  take  the   Zambia.
                                                In  choosing  the  winner,  DPI  considers   bus to school, and obtaining clothing, hygiene   Some have been waiting their whole lives
                                            how  well  the  nominee  cultivates  students’   supplies, and furniture through vouchers from   to  see  which  country  they  would  settle  in,
                                            global  awareness  and  engagement;  promotes   Goodwill and solicited donations.   Sivek observed.
                                            global competencies beyond the classroom and   Students’  school  experience  varies.  For   Change  is  constant.  That’s  why  Sivek,
                                            includes colleagues and community members;   instance,  some  of  the Afghan  students  Sivek   who  is  pursuing  her  master’s  degree  in  edu-
                                            inspires  peers  and  others  by  modeling  best   taught last year had attended school before, but   cational  policy  and  leadership  at  Marquette
                                            practices  in  global  education;  takes  innova-  some had not.       University,  frequently  checks  the  web  pages
                                            tive approaches to global education; and aligns   It’s rewarding to Sivek when her students   of the United Nations and UN High Commis-
                                            teaching with the goals of Wisconsin’s Global   can do something well that they never could   sioner for refugees and avidly reads The New
                                            Education Achievement Certificate.   do before. For first-time students, it might be   York Times and National Geographic.
                                                Sivek  received  the  award  at  the  Mil-  writing their names; or, if they’d been in school   “It  keeps  me  wanting  to  update  myself
                                            waukee Public Schools UNSIL World Fair, a   previously,  it  might  be  writing  sentences  in   with  what’s  happening  in  the  world,”  Sivek
                                            gathering of students from the district’s United   English and eventually entire essays.   said, to see who might be coming to Milwau-
            Ask  Erin  Sivek  which  languages  are   Nations Schools of International Learning held   Sivek,  who  grew  up  in  Stevens  Point,   kee  next  and  what  kind  of  services  they’ve
        spoken by her current students, and the teacher   in April at the UWM Panther Arena in down-  majored  in  English  and  minored  in  Spanish   received.
        at MPS’ International Newcomer Center might   town Milwaukee. When she learned her award   in  college,  graduating  from  the  University   Despite their different backgrounds, those
        say, “Let me look at the class and listen.” And   would be presented at the fair, Sivek thought,   of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2009. She was a   in Sivek’s class find ways to relate. A student
        then she recites a remarkable list.   “This is perfect. My students will be there.”   student teacher at South Division High School,   from russia, seeing a new student from Malay-
            This semester, she hears:             The  MPS  Newcomer  Center  is  housed   “an amazing experience,” she said. She began   sia in class, went to greet and help her, even
          •  Russian  and  Tuvan  (also  from  Russia,   in  the  Milwaukee Academy  of  Chinese  Lan-  teaching  bilingual  and  monolingual  English   though they had no language in common. The
            north of Mongolia)              guage  (MACL),  2430 W. Wisconsin Avenue.   full time for MPS in February 2010 at South   students  automatically  help  each  other,  the
          •  Dari and Pashto from Afghanistan   A student who is new to the United States can   Division, in the same classroom where she had   teacher  said;  they  remember  being  “the  new
          •  Swahili,  Kibembe,  French,  Lingala,   attend the center for two years before making   been a student teacher.   kid,” and feeling scared and unsure.
                                                                                                                       And  Sivek  greeted  her  new  rohingya
            Chichewa,  Wolof,  and  Bemba,  from   the transition to MACL or another school of   After Sivek’s first year, refugee students   students in their native language. “They feel a
            Africa                          their choice.                       began  arriving  at  the  high  school.  Her  skills   little safer, a little more comfortable, like, ‘You
                                                                                with them were noticed, and she was offered
                                                Sivek  works  with  the  MPS  School
          •  Malay,  spoken  in  Malaysia  and  other   Community  Partnership  for  Mental  Health,   the job at the International Newcomer Center.   know about me,’” she said.
            countries                       Sebastian Family Services, and a school social   The experience is different from her time
          •  Burmese,  Rohingya,  and  Karen  from   worker to address the needs of students, some   teaching  at  South  Division.  At  first  it  was
            Southeast Asia                  of whom have endured trauma in their journey   simply the age difference, Sivek said. Now, the   mps.milwaukee.
          •  Spanish from Nicaragua         to settlement.                      situations of the students have changed.    k12.wi.us
            Sivek, a teacher of English language arts   Sivek  also  ensures  that  students  have   The  refugees  she  knew  at  the  high




        Saluting 2023 Wisconsin principals of the Year Continued from page 5
                                                                                   To ensure the school continues its path of   Farley received a master’s degree in edu-
                                                                                excellence,  a    Principal’s  Cabinet  made  up  of   cational leadership and a bachelor’s degree in
                                                                                approximately 60 students regularly reviews the   secondary education/history. He also has experi-
                                                                                core values to develop ideas and action plans to   ence as an associate principal and social studies
                                                                                ensure Brookfield East is meeting the needs of   teacher.
                                                                                all learners. The cabinet played a leading role in
                                                                                the school adopting a daily resource period to
                                                                                help students manage their stress and workload.  elmbrookschools.org/
                                                                                   Under Farley’s leadership, the school has   brookfield-east-high-school
                                                                                also aligned systems, structures, and priorities
                                                                                to  ensure  all  students  are  college,  career,  and   Supported by the Herb Kohl Educational
                                                                                life ready. This has led to 85 percent of students   Foundation, the Principal of the Year award
                                                                                selecting a two- or four-year technical college or   recognizes  school  leaders  who  have  helped
                                                                                university pathway after graduation.   drive  student  learning,  foster  instructional
                                                                                   “On  behalf  of AWSA,  I  am  honored  to   collaboration,  and  create  safe  and  positive
                                                                                recognize  Andrew  Farley  with  the  Wiscon-  school  environments.  Recipients  are  selected
                                                                                sin  Secondary  Principal  of  the Year Award,”   based  on  their  dedication  to  professional
                                                                                said Jim Lynch, executive director of AWSA.   excellence,  leadership  skills  and  service  to
                                                                                “During his time at Brookfield East, Mr. Farley   their communities.
                                                                                has fostered an incredible school culture. This   Reprinted with permission from AWSA
                                                                                award is a reflection of his outstanding efforts
                                                                                to  constantly  improve  teaching  and  learning
                                                                                throughout the school.”
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