Real Talk: How Do School Leaders Facilitate Conversations About Racial Equity with their Staff?

Real Talk: How Do School Leaders Facilitate Conversations About Racial Equity with their Staff?Salomé Portugal

Javier Cabra

April 2013

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Cultivating the unique gifts and talent that every human possess

Working Toward Equity Means

Removing the predictability of success or failure that currently correlates with a social or cultural factor

Interrupting inequitable practice, challenging biases

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What is at stake?

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• Constructivist Listening• Self-reflection on Equity Leadership• What is New Leaders up to with Equity

Leadership?• Javier’s Experience• Consultancy or Dyad with Reading• Wrap up/Reflections

Purpose & Agenda

• Reflect on our practice as leaders for equity

• Engage in listening activities with colleagues to support this work

• Consider current New Leader approach to equity leadership

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Each person:

• has equal time to talk.

• does not interrupt, give advice or break in with a personal story.

• agrees that confidentiality is maintained.

• does not criticize or complain about others during their time to talk.

Constructivist Listening Structure

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Listen to your partner for three minutes then switch.

1. What are you doing in your school to move the dial on racial equity?

2. Any bright spots? How has it gone?

3. Is there any place you feel stuck? How do you feel about that challenge?

Constructive Listening Structure

Each person:

• has equal time to talk.

• does not interrupt, give advice or break in with a personal story.

• agrees that confidentiality is maintained.

• does not criticize or complain about others during their time to talk.

Listening

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Cultivating the unique gifts and talent that every human

possess

Working Toward Equity Means

Removing the predictability of success or failure that currently correlates with an social or cultural factor

Interrupting inequitable practice, challenging biases

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1. What did you think racial equity meant when you first started as a principal? How do you see it now?

2. What are the equity challenges that are most urgent for you in your school? How do you need to show up as a leader in order to meet those challenges?

3. Who do you trust to push you to be the kind of leader that you want to be? What would they say to you now?

4. What is at stake for you if we/you don’t do this work?

Guided Self-Reflection

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Inside Out

Staff Capacity/Collective Learning

Systems/Root Cause

Residency Equity Leadership

How identity impacts leadership

Listening as a Leadership Tool

Discourse I/II

Observation Tools

Analytics for Systems Thinking (Pattern) (Structure) (Process)

(Relationship) (Information) (Identity) Strategic Planning

• Leadership Approach

• Experiential Learning Cycle

• Anticipating Tensions

• PD Templates

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Javier Cabra

Enrollment, 2012-13: 224Grades served: 9-12Student EthnicityAfrican American: 34%Hispanic: 60%Filipino: 2%Asian-American: 3%Multi-ethnic: <1%White/European Am: <1%

Aspire California College Preparatory Academy

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With a partner…

Pay attention to your emotions…

What feelings came up for you as you did this reading?

Do you know why that came up? Do you know what those feelings are about?

Paying attention to your thinking…

What resonated with you or surprised you?

How would you relate what you read to your school’s practice?

Uncovering our thinking...

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1. Speaker presents situation, “Consultants” listen and do not interrupt (4 mins)

2. Consultants ask questions about the facts of the case, (not questions that are solutions oriented or with judgment), Speaker answers (3 mins)

3. Speaker listens to consultants discuss other points of view of those involved in the case and potential solutions/approaches. (Speaker does not interrupt) (5 mins)

4. Speaker reflects back what he/she heard that resonated (2 mins)

(15 mins total)

Mini-consultancy

Resources

• Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in AmericaEduardo Bonilla-Silva

• National Equity Project http://nationalequityproject.org/

• Everyday Anti-Racism, Mica Pollock

• Can We Talk about Race?: And Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation, Beverly Daniel Tatum

• Courageous Conversations About Race: A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools, Glenn Singleton and Curtis Linton

• http://www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/)http://www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/Linton

MissionOur mission is to ensure high academic achievement for all children, especially students in poverty and students of color, by developing transformational school leaders and advancing the policies and practices that allow great leaders to succeed.

VisionWe envision a day when there is educational excellence and equity in America – when our country’s public schools ensure that every student is prepared for success in college, careers and citizenship.

www.newleaders.org