Equity Institute: Advancing Racial Equity in Education

Tuesday, December 1 - Thursday, December 3, 2020
Institute will be offered virtually through Zoom.

Grade: K-8
Hours: 11am-5pm Eastern Standard Time
Featuring: Sonja Cherry Paul, Shanna Schwartz, Arlène Casimir-Siar, Colleen Cruz, and Shana Frazin, with and guest speaker Frederick Joseph, author of The Black Friend: On Being A Better White Person
Payment: Purchase orders for this institute can be made out to: Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, 525 W 120th Street, Box 77, New York, NY 10027

Bettina Love says, “Pedagogy, regardless of its name, is useless without teachers dedicated to challenging systemic oppression with intersectional social justice.” This institute will spotlight the relationship between teaching, literacy, and equity as we galvanize our collective energy to disrupt silences around race and racism in classrooms, curriculum and schools. Presenters will demonstrate how culturally sustaining, antiracist, and critical literacy practices can bring about liberatory educational experiences that help all children thrive.

To achieve equity in education requires educators to continually examine and challenge ourselves to critically inquire into our own practices. This institute will begin by doing the brave work of interrogating our beliefs and practices about teaching and learning. Then, together, we’ll explore the kind of teaching that advances the work of equity. Over the past two decades, educational scholars have documented the impact of a culturally sustaining curriculum on students’ learning and identity. Presenters will spotlight the work of these educators. These efforts and others have informed educators of the significance of attending to the diverse linguistic, cultural, and social practices that students bring into classroom spaces. Across this institute, we’ll provide insights into culturally and asset-based pedagogies. We’ll demonstrate instructional strategies that honor linguistically and culturally diverse student populations, optimize student achievement, and positively reinforce cultural identity.

Because we know that stories are powerful tools for social awareness and identity development, we’ll dive deep into books and digital texts that are essential to use in reading and writing workshops to spark conversations about race and racism. We’ll provide a roadmap for raising our collective social awareness in classrooms and creating opportunities for students to access quality literature that can springboard conversations about systems of oppression and ways students can take action against inequity. Presenters will demonstrate reading and discussion strategies that help students understand how their unique reading and writing identities are shaped by their racial background, experiences, family and community cultures, and by the intersections of these and other multiple markers of identity. Tools to examine practice and texts, as well as additional resources will be provided.

Finally, presenters will help you to develop a vision for reading and writing instruction that is grounded in the key principles and research discussed throughout the institute. With courage and vision, participants will leave with a clear plan for implementing this work in our classrooms, schools, and communities.

Cost

$650/$600 NYC DOE

Where

This institute will be offered online, in real-time via Zoom, and will not be recorded for later distribution. We will accept attendees until the institute has reached capacity.