+

Diversity/Equity Coordinators of Color: Common Pitfalls and

Strategies for Success

Eugene School District 4J The only time we talk about equity, diversity and inclusion in schools is when there’s a problem.

-A Eugene School District parent

+ Going from _________________

To______________________

+ Disclaimer

Gratitude and respect to all the elders that

have come before us.

Gratitude and respect to all the elders that

navigated the path of resistance of white

spaces.

Gratitude and respect to all the elders that

have lost their lives for this work.

Courageous Conversation

Courageous Listening

Courageous Actions

+ In the “NOW” what are we expected

to do and know Poverty, class, and anti-poverty

education and activism

The connection between self-transformation and institutional transformation

Organizational reform for the elimination of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and other inequities

The digital divide digital equity

Multicultural curriculum transformation

Leadership development and the development of training equity and diversity

Assessing intercultural competence

Education of African American children

Education of Latino children

Education of Asian American, Asian, Pacific Islander children

Education of Native American children

Education of Mutlti-ethnic-Multi-racial children

GLBTQ Children

Multicultural curriculum development

Eliminating the achievement gap

School-community partnerships

Parent/guardian and community involvement in schools

+ In the “NOW” what are we expected

to do and know

Student success through high

expectations and interest

Strategic planning to move from

"celebrating diversity" to

ensuring equity

Conflict resolution amongst

students, families, and staff

from diverse backgrounds

Building inclusive schools,

classrooms, communities

Anti-racism activism: how do

we do it?

Creating community in the

classroom

White privilege: how it plays out

in our lives

Fighting the racism of low

expectations

Creating classrooms of hope

+ Working Session: Groups of three

At different points of the presentation your group will have 2 to

3 minutes to answer the following questions:

1. What are the common pitfalls that you see?

2. What are the strategies that you see can make an impact?

+ Answer three essential questions:

Staff at all levels are informed about what this means?

I can clearly articulate what this means for me in the role that I

have in my District/Building/Environment?

In one sentence how does your District define each one of

these words?

+ Diversity

DiversityDiversity includes all the ways in which

people differ, and it encompasses all the different

characteristics that make one individual or group

different from another. It is all-inclusive and recognizes

everyone and every group as part of the diversity that

should be valued. A broad definition includes not only

race, ethnicity, and gender — the groups that most often

come to mind when the term "diversity" is used — but

also age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual

orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital

status, language, and physical appearance. It also

involves different ideas, perspectives, and values.

+ Equity

EquityEquity is the guarantee of fair treatment,

access, opportunity, and advancement for all

students, faculty, and staff, while at the same time

striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have

prevented the full participation of some groups. The

principle of equity acknowledges that there are

historically underserved and underrepresented

populations and that fairness regarding these

unbalanced conditions is needed to assist equality

in the provision of effective opportunities to all

groups.

+ Inclusion

InclusionInclusion is the act of creating

environments in which any individual or

group can be and feel welcomed, respected,

supported, and valued to fully participate. An

inclusive and welcoming climate embraces

differences and offers respect in words and

actions for all people.

+ Essential questions for this journey Historical-- in my organization why was this position created?

How was this position structured within the organizational power structure?

Who was initially hired to do “be” the job?

Who is currently hired to do the job?

How many times has the name shifted?

Does your position have power or strength?

Does the leadership know what you are doing for the organization?

Did you define your job or did you collaborate with others to define your job?

(is it connecting the dots)

Or you had to define your job?

Is your job set up for success or failure?

Where should you exist within the organization

Who are you

+ Historical Design of these positions

in our K-12 systems.

Civil Rights Violation (compliance)-Oops we

made a mistake

NCLB-No, we don’t have children of color, Where

did they come from? S^@#t, we

have to do this ow?

Community Pressure-Come ad save

me ad take the hits,

you look like them

ayway.

What do we do with “these” kids

+ Who is going to do this work?

Good Intentions – Competent- Expert

Someone that looks like Equity

Someone that will continue perpetuating status-quo (not push

to hard)

Someone that is a person of color and advocates for students

of color

Someone that has proven experience in our system

Someone that has deep understanding and knowledge on

how to make the connection between self-transformation

and institutional transformation

Someone with deep understanding of organizational

reform for the elimination of racism, sexism, heterosexism,

and other inequities

+ Pitfalls and Strategies for Success

+ What is in the name?

Coordinator or Director

Equity Coordinator

Diversity Coordinator

+ Who do you report to?

Superintendent

Instructional Directors

Others

+

Institutionally where are you

placed?

Do you want power or

organizational strength?

+ Superintendent

Instruction: Elementary

Instruction: Middle

Instruction: High School

Special Education

TAG

Data/CIS/Others

I am

Equity

SYSTEM

+ Superintendent

Instruction: Elementary

Instruction: Middle

Instruction: High School

Special Education

TAG

Data/CIS/Others

We are

equity

+ Pitfalls and Strategies for Success

+ What have been the previous or current

experiences of the systems with equity,

diversity and inclusion. The Hammer Approach

Bringing in the outside speaker

to hammer us about our

shortcomings and lack of

understanding. Hammering us

will improve student outcomes.

The Data Approach

Looking at and admiring the

achievement gap will improve

student outcomes.

Kumbaya Approach

If we just love and encourage students enough and love the work that we do, then that will improve student outcomes.

*The Learning, Healing, and Growth Approach

If we learn to recognize how our unconscious or conscious biases influence our practice as educators, we will improve student outcomes in real time.

+ Pitfalls and Strategies for Success

+ Who are your stakeholders?

and

How are you positioned with each

one of these stakeholders?

District

Administrators

Teachers

Staff

Parents

Students

Community

Other

+ Detours, Disruptions and

Discourse II

Race and Ethnicity Guidelines

In 4J, we have prided ourselves

on ensuring that we determine

the rigor, relevance and

relationships of student

learning. Now we engage in

discourse II conversations and

challenge ourselves by asking,

“Rigor for whom? Relevance

for whom? And with whom are

we willing to create

relationships?”

When faced with a difficult

conversation we seek first to

understand the context and

what is coming up for us as we

participate in the dialogue.

Our staff of color have white

allies to support their concerns

and their efforts.

Disrupting the status quo is

everyone’s work. There is no

longer an “equity person”. Equity belongs to everyone.

+ Discourse II

Discourse I

The way things are here

Making sure people aren’t uncomfortable

Limited time and ability for

change work

Making sure the change

process isn’t “too hard”

Discourse II

The way things could be here

Making sure there’s support for

people to be uncomfortable

Getting started despite limitations

Making sure the change process

yields desired results

Adapted from By Area Coalition for Equitable Schools. Built on the work of Eugene Banks,

Ralph Parish and Dianne Smith in “Changing the Discourse in Schools,” chapter 6 in Race,

Ethnicity, and Multiculturalism Policy and Practice, edited by Peter M. Hall, 1997.

+

What did we learn?

What did we learn?

Pre work with school staff is critical to student

panel emotional support and safety.

Building relational trust is key to the success of

any equity endeavor.

Differentiating participation by school size is very

important.

Holding space for people to wrestle with their

own bias is necessary.

Critical mass reduces feelings of isolation.

Asking students for their feedback and input

ensures that we learn about our schools through

the eyes of a student.

Not only continuing our data team meetings, but

continuing to hold director/principal meetings

about students in the gap: Who are they? What

are their strengths? What does the data tell us?

Who are they connected with at the school site?

+ And the journey

continues:

Equity Stances

provided by principals

I am convinced that our students of color constantly encounter

barriers to success in our schools, and I am committed to

working with others to dismantle or overcome these barriers.

I am committed to confronting the issues and institutional

practices that make learning a difficult task for students of

color. To this end, I will work in concert with teachers,

students, parents and community members to create a space

for dialogue that will ask questions about how it is that we are

part of a system that has different outcomes for students

merely based on race.

If we start changing what we talk about, we can begin to

change the culture of our school. I want our eyes to be open

to inequities and our voices to speak out courageously and

thoughtfully to confront these inequities so that achievement,

success, and opportunities are real for all of our students. I

want each and every student to believe in themselves, be

proud of themselves and who they are, and know, without a

doubt, that we do too!

I believe that all of our students - especially those who have

been historically marginalized are entitled to equal access to

educational opportunities and resources in an inclusive school

setting where they feel safe, welcomed,

respected, represented, supported, and genuinely cared for.

Principals were asked to develop their

own equity stance. All principals stood

shoulder to shoulder and shared their

equity stances with all of the staff in

their region.

It is these acts of courage that

seemingly bind leaders together in

their efforts to support one another and

collectively flex their equity muscle.

+ In the “NOW” what are we expected

to do and know Poverty, class, and anti-poverty

education and activism

The connection between self-transformation and institutional transformation

Organizational reform for the elimination of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and other inequities

The digital divide digital equity

Multicultural curriculum transformation

Leadership development and the development of training equity and diversity

Assessing intercultural competence

Education of African American children

Education of Latino children

Education of Asian American, Asian, Pacific Islander children

Education of Native American children

Education of Mutlti-ethnic-Multi-racial children

GLBTQ Children

Multicultural curriculum development

Eliminating the achievement gap

School-community partnerships

Parent/guardian and community involvement in schools

+ In the “NOW” what are we expected

to do and know

Student success through high

expectations and interest

Strategic planning to move from

"celebrating diversity" to

ensuring equity

Conflict resolution amongst

students, families, and staff

from diverse backgrounds

Building inclusive schools,

classrooms, communities

Anti-racism activism: how do

we do it?

Creating community in the

classroom

White privilege: how it plays out

in our lives

Fighting the racism of low

expectations

Creating classrooms of hope