Willowbrook staff members present at College Board Conference

On March 11, four Willowbrook staff members presented during the College Board Conference in New Orleans.

Willowbrook Guidance Counselor LeVar Ammons presented a session titled “How the VICTORS/WARRIORS Mentor Model Produces Critical, Transformative Pedagogy.” During that presentation, participants brainstormed how a mentoring model for adolescent black males can be employed in school districts as a supplement to the educational pathways already in place. Participants explored the importance of engagement and discussed how to develop creative activities that will intrinsically motivate black males to choose education as a catalyst for success.

Willowbrook Director of Guidance Cathy Bendicsen, Special Education Department Chair Sara Courington and Community Outreach School Counselor Dana Whittaker presented a session titled “Different Isn't A Disability: Addressing the Overrepresentation of Minority Students in Special Education.” That presentation discussed how historically, minority students have been labeled with an “emotional disability” in greater numbers than their peers. As a result, their access to general education has been restricted. The session analyzed District 88’s ACHIEVE program, an innovative Tier 2 program that meets the behavioral, social and emotional needs of students with and without special-education eligibility. That program is a multi-layered system of progress monitoring and support that better prepares students for their senior year and life beyond high school.

The topics were aligned to the theme of the conference, which was A Dream Deferred™ The Future of African-American Education.