Feeling Helpless in the Wake of Yet Another Gun Violence Tragedy
Patrice Tanaka, Founder & Chief Joy Officer, Joyful Planet LLCWhat should have been a light, post-Valentine fundraiser for my Dancing Classrooms non-profit on Feb. 15 was heavy with sadness because of yet another gun violence tragedy the day before at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. It led Rodney Lopez, Executive Director of Dancing Classrooms, to address what our guests were feeling that evening at Lord & Taylor’s flagship Fifth Avenue store, which hosted our event.
Lopez said with a heavy heart, “Again. On Valentine’s Day. How much of this can we bear? This time, the violence is alleged to have been perpetrated by one of the school’s own. And once again, we are drawn into the false debate over mental illness versus gun control. It isn’t either/or. It’s both/and.“As an arts education leader, my heart breaks for all of our schools in general and for the Parkland community in particular. As a father of two teenage boys, my spirit is troubled.”Lopez later went on to say, “We acknowledge that the vast majority of schools in the United States are safe and caring environments for children. We know that administrators, teachers, parents and students themselves work hard to create positive settings in which to learn and grow. However, we also recognize that more can be done to foster emotionally supportive milieus in schools and reduce the need for young people to resort to violence. For this reason, Dancing Classrooms has embraced the growing social and emotional learning (SEL) movement taking hold in hundreds of schools across the country and urge all schools to do the same.”Supporting Dancing Classrooms as Board Chair is one of the ways I am working to foster more emotionally supportive milieus in schools and reduce the need for young people to resort to violence while we work to tighten gun laws that will, hopefully, reduce the likelihood of more tragedies such as at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.Below is the Op-Ed that Dancing Classrooms Executive Director Rodney Lopez wrote, following the gun violence tragedy in Parkland, FL:
Can Social and Emotional Learning Help Decrease School Violence?
Again. On Valentine’s Day. How much of this can we bear? This time, the violence is alleged to have been perpetrated by one of the school’s own. And once again, we are drawn into the false debate over mental illness versus gun control. It isn’t either/or. It’s both/and.
As an arts education leader, my heart breaks for all of our schools in general and for the Parkland community in particular. As a father of two teenage boys, my spirit is troubled. The statistics are as depressing as they are common. So common that we are in danger of becoming desensitized with each news report of gun violence in schools. By now we are all familiar with the numbers. According to Everytown Research, since 2013 there have been over 291 school shootings in America – an average of nearly one a week. While politicians, gun control advocates and the gun lobby wrestle with this problem, the casualties continue to rise in towns large and small, from elementary schools to college campuses.In addition to the gun crisis, bullying continues to be a stubborn source of anxiety for many children. According to StopBullying.org, 28% of U.S. students in grades 6–12 experienced bullying. Approximately 30% of young people admit to bullying others and 70.6% of young people say they have seen bullying in their schools.We acknowledge that the vast majority of schools in the United States are safe and caring environments for children. We know that administrators, teachers, parents and students themselves work hard to create positive settings in which to learn and grow. However, we also recognize that more can be done to foster emotionally supportive milieus in schools and reduce the need for young people to resort to violence. For this reason, Dancing Classrooms has embraced the growing social and emotional learning (SEL) movement taking hold in hundreds of schools across the country and urge all schools to do the same.What is SEL? According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), SEL is defined as the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. I think we can agree that in addition to the 3R’s, we also want all of our children to gain these skills.
Dancing Classrooms, which inspired the popular documentary Mad Hot Ballroom, provides 10-week, in-school residencies in ballroom dance that helps students develop these important life skills. In those ten weeks, our program teaches elementary and middle school students classic social dances like Merengue, Foxtrot, Tango and Swing, but it does a lot more. In getting initially reluctant children to make eye contact, touch each other respectfully and work together, understanding, tolerance and empathy are increased. Classrooms become friendlier places and teachers, principals and parents acknowledge the maturity and respectfulness that derives from the repeated and personal interaction with their peers that Dancing Classrooms provides.As a veteran teaching artist, I have seen firsthand how young lives are transformed by the experience of cultivating new social skills in a way that is fun and engaging. Boys and girls become ladies and gentlemen, parents find a new way to connect with their children and even the school culture is positively impacted. These results don’t just take place in New York City, but in 21 sites nationally and internationally, where we serve tens of thousands of children a year. Our founder, Pierre Dulaine, even established a Dancing Classrooms program in Israel. In his hometown of Jaffa, he successfully implemented our curriculum in a number of schools where Israeli-Jewish and Israeli-Palestinian children (and their families) overcame deep-seated prejudices to dance with each other. In describing his students’ experiences in the documentary Dancing in Jaffa, Dulaine said they initially felt like they “were dancing with the enemy.” Our program in Israel is now one of our fastest growing sites as more schools see the power of dance as both a vital art form and effective tool for developing the skills that decrease anti-social behavior.Am I suggesting that ballroom dance is a magic bullet that will make all school violence disappear? Of course not. However, comprehensive SEL programs that are implemented across schools and districts and include valuable and effective, arts-based programs like Dancing Classrooms make a difference. A survey of more than 600 K-12 teachers by Civic Enterprises and Hart Associates showed how those on the front lines of education view SEL. Over 93% of the teachers believe SEL is very important to have during the school day, 95% believe SEL is teachable and of teachers who view negative school climate as a problem, 80% view SEL as a solution. In fact, eight school systems in cities from Anchorage to Nashville are participating in district-wide efforts to create holistic SEL environments that support academic goals.Since 2011, the Collaborating Districts Initiative, launched by CASEL, has aimed to boost districts’ capacities to promote SEL for all their students. We look forward to learning about the results of this initiative and others that advance the cause of social and emotional intelligence in schools.In 2012, Jose, a student we served in an East Harlem school was the victim of relentless taunting and bullying. Even after switching schools, he continued to receive harsh treatment from other students over his size, intelligence and the death of his father. Meetings with the children, their parents and the police were unfortunately not enough to curb the harassment from Jose’s persecutors. He tragically hanged himself one night in an apparent effort to escape his troubles. His loss was deeply felt by his family, school community and our staff. The school’s principal noted that Jose’s participation in Dancing Classrooms was one thing that brought him great joy. Jose’s story both informs and inspires our commitment to bring these important social development programs to every child.
We mourn Jose’s untimely and unnecessary death. We mourn the deaths of the hundreds of children lost to gunfire on school grounds and surrounding neighborhoods. We await the day when statistics about bullying and gun violence are once again truly shocking. While our political leaders debate the legislative and policy measures to address the issue, we implore district superintendents, principals and other education officials to double down on the measures that give our children the internal resources that will make such violence less likely to take place. —Rodney Eric López, Executive Director, Dancing Classrooms
[author]About Dancing Classrooms: Dancing Classrooms is an in-school social and emotional learning program that cultivates essential life skills in fifth and eighth grade children though the practice of ballroom dance. The Dancing Classrooms program transforms girls and boys into mature, self-reliant, and elegant young ladies and gentlemen during its 10-week residencies. With core values of respect, compassion and creating a safe space, Dancing Classrooms Teaching Artists create environments and model behaviors that offer children a place to thrive during their school day. Principals, teachers and parents have praised our program for developing important skills and behaviors in their students, including civility, respect, teamwork and self-discipline. [/author] [author]About Rodney Lopez: Rodney Eric López is the Executive Director of Dancing Classrooms in New York City where he is responsible for leading new program initiatives, supporting business development efforts, and representing the organization publicly. His teaching work with Dancing Classrooms is featured in the Paramount Classics hit documentary Mad Hot Ballroom. His classes were named “Best in New York” by New York Magazine and were highlighted in the book Nueva York: A Guide to Latino Life in the Five Boroughs. He is also the principal of Rodney Eric Lopez Enterprises and the creator of its signature product, the Generosity and Abundance Process, or the G.A.P for short. Rodney has spent the last decade studying and implementing the principles of a generosity practice in his own life and has helped others to do the same. The G.A.P. helps individuals realize a healthier relationship with their finances by looking at them through a spiritual and emotional framework. Prior to his career in dance and arts education, Rodney was a public relations and marketing professional in both the non-profit and corporate fields. He holds a B.S. in Communications Studies from New York University where he was a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar.[/author] [author]About the Author: Patrice Tanaka is a serial entrepreneur, having co-founded three award-winning, PR & marketing firms and, most recently, Joyful Planet, a Business & Life Strategy Consultancy. “Through Joyful Planet, I am doing what I love and do best, leveraging my creative, problem-solving talent to help individuals and organizations discover and actively live their purpose to unleash greater success, fulfillment and joy in their lives, in their businesses and in their communities,” says Patrice. This is the subject of Patrice’s new best-selling book, Beat the Curve, co-authored with world renowned management consultant and coach, Brian Tracy, and other business leaders. Her chapter is entitled, “Live Your Life’s Purpose and Unleash Your Joy.” Patrice works to create a more joyful planet through her work as a trustee of three non-profits: Dancing Classrooms, Girl Scouts of Greater New York and the Phelophepa Train of Hope in South Africa. Connect with Patrice@JoyfulPlanet.com and via LinkedIn/Patrice Tanaka and Twitter/Patrice Tanaka. [/author]