Equity

Equity

Peter, Lanna, Katie, Liz

Poll

What defines your culture?

• Race

• Place/Country of Origin

• Economic Factors

• Primary Language

• A mixture of properties

The Cult of Culture

In education we tend to focus on culture: Multicultural education

- Culturally responsive pedagogy

- Culturally relevant education

- Cultural proficiency

- Cultural competence

By celebrating cultures, we often stereotype and simplify identities

Culture vs Equity

• Focusing on cultural practices can hide inequity and their underlying cause(s)

• Culture hides power dynamics at play

• Focus should always be on equity

• Racial Equity Detours

Racial Equity Detours

• Celebrating Diversity - avoiding racism by focusing on diversity

• Pacing - progress prioritizes comfort and interest, provides the feeling of progress

• Poverty of Culture - Focusing on the “culture of poverty” instead of the root inequality

• Deficit Ideology - Shifting the oneness onto those who are suffering instead of the schools. Coping not solving.

Equity Literacy

- Schools and educational systems are responsible for addressing the inequity present within them, and cannot afford to not take the problem head on. 

- 5 Principles of Equity Literacy

Direct Confrontation – Address the direct cause without beating around the bush

Redistribution – Make sure access to materials or immaterial are thoughtfully done

Prioritization – Prioritize the students of color, not the white people’s feelings

Equity Ideology – Teach the idea and the ideology, practices will naturally follow #FixJusticeNotKids – don’t try to correct the kids, address the problems.

Color-Aware Approach to Data

Why Disaggregate Data by Race:

- Gain insight into student performance 

- Show disparities 

- Reveal causal factors otherwise unnoticed

- Show strengths and weaknesses 

- Help counter anecdotal or bias-based ideas

Color-Neutral Attitudes & Excuses

- Don’t want to see race… “colorblind” mentality - Don’t see purpose

- Majority-minority schools don’t think it would even be possible given demographics

- Struggles with technology or limitations of current technology

How to…

Create a sense of urgency

Equity lens

Provide Professional Development 

Have teachers analyze within their own rooms :

Not just standardized: writing samples, exit slips, participation, oral responses

Community Equity Literacy Model

CEL Trivia Questions

Multiple Choice

Of the three communities, which has the largest land area?

• Bethany

• Orange

• Woodbridge

Multiple Choice

Which community was the site of the first computer camp in 1977?

• Bethany

• Orange

• Woodbridge

Multiple Choice

Which community has the most students who qualify for free or reduced lunch?

• Bethany

• Orange

• Woodbridge

Multiple Choice

Of the three communities, which town spends the least per student?

• Bethany

• Orange

• Woodbridge

Community Equity Leadership Model

In  sum,  based  on  the  four  leadership  theories  that  undergird  CEL, school-principals   and   their   leadership   teams   should   understand   the  social,  historical,  and  symbiotic  relationships  between  schools  and  local communities. 

An Assessment of Community Equity Leadership, 157

Critical Conversations

Poll

Do you feel comfortable with difficult discussion about equity and race in your classroom?

• Yes

• No

Effective leadership characteristics

Critical Conversations

Critical Race Theory Lens

Group Consensus

Stereotype Threat

Academic Disclosure

Honoring Constituents

Leading by Example

Trust with Mainstream

Servant Leadership

"Whoever is doing the talking is doing the learning." 

• Talking in all its forms—conversing, discussing, debating, and dialoguing—helps increase students' brain power and allow them to engage in deeper learning

• Everyday conversations play an important roles in shaping our expectations, our relationships, and outcomes.

• Navigating conversations effectively takes certain skills, such as social intelligence, courage, self-control, and even humility.

Critical Conversations

• Be open

• Talk gently

• Do not pretend to have the answers

• Be open to different perspectives

• Make times for these conversations

• Acknowledge the discomfort

Big Questions

1. How can we realistically break away from the over reliance on culture in the educational system?

2. Are there places in your teaching or leading where you could be more aware of possible racial equity issues?

3. How can you give students more agency in directing and facilitating academic conversations?

4. As leaders how can we create and support an environment where each classroom is open to critical conversations in a safe and meaningful way?

Resources

A “Color-Aware” Approach to Data, Rachel Roegman, Ala Samarapungavan, Yukiko Maeda and Gary Johns The Power of Protocols for Equity, Zaretta Hammond Rethinking the Role of “Culture” in Educational Equity: From Cultural Competence to Equity Literacy (2016)

Avoiding Racial Equity Detours (2019), Paul Gorski

Critical Change for the Greater Good: Multicultural Perception in Educational Leadership Toward Social Justice Lorri J. Santamaria (2013)