Real Talk: How Do
School Leaders
Facilitate
Conversations
About Racial Equity
with their Staff?
Salomé Portugal
Javier Cabra
April 2013
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
Cultivating the
unique gifts and
talent that every
human possess
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What is at stake?
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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
•
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
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Constructivist 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.
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Listening
Listen to your partner for three
minutes then switch.
Constructive Listening Structure
Each person:
1.
2.
3.
What are you doing in your
school to move the dial on
racial equity?
•
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.
Any bright spots? How has it
gone?
Is there any place you feel
stuck? How do you feel about
that challenge?
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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
Cultivating the unique gifts
and talent that every human
possess
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Guided Self-Reflection
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?
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Residency Equity Leadership
How identity
impacts leadership
Analytics for Systems Thinking
(Pattern) (Structure) (Process)
(Relationship) (Information) (Identity)
Listening as a
Leadership Tool
Strategic Planning
Discourse I/II
Systems/Root Cause
Observation Tools
Staff Capacity/Collective
Learning
Inside Out
• Leadership
Approach
• Experiential
Learning
Cycle
• Anticipating
Tensions
• PD
Templates
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Javier Cabra
Aspire California College Preparatory Academy
Enrollment, 2012-13: 224
Grades served: 9-12
Student Ethnicity
African American: 34%
Hispanic: 60%
Filipino: 2%
Asian-American: 3%
Multi-ethnic: <1%
White/European Am: <1%
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Uncovering our thinking...
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?
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Mini-consultancy
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)
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Resources
• Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the
Persistence of Racial Inequality in America
Eduardo 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.reducingst
ereotypethreat.org/Linton
Mission
Our 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.
Vision
We 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