Addressing Institutional Racism: One Districts Story

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Addressing Institutional Racism One Districts
Story

• Tammy Campbell
• Dr. Lorna L. Spear
• Executive Directors of Teaching Learning
  Services
• Spokane Public Schools

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Leaders for Social Justice

• According to Singleton Linton
• Effective anti-racist/equity leadership goes
  beyond working to address obvious examples of
  institutional racism and inequities. This work
  is necessarily personal and far-reaching.
  Marching toward equity emerges as a life purpose
  for many educators as they focus on eradicating
  the racial caste system that exists in their
  classrooms, schools, and larger community. It
  appears insufficient, however, just to believe in
  and support anti-racism on a personal level.
  Systematic transformation requires that
  individual anti-racist efforts actually translate
  into improvements in pedagogies that positively
  impact colleagues work and improve students
  learning. (p.261-262)

Singleton, G., Linton, C. (2006). Courageous
conversations about race. Thousand Oaks, CA
Corwin Press
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Previous Strategic Plan
Goal 1 All students succeed at each grade level
and graduate from high school well prepared for a
variety of post-secondary pursuits in our
democratic society. Strategic Objective 1
Create quality relationships and successful
learning conditions for all students and
staff. Goal 2 All district resources,
programs, and departments are aligned to achieve
high levels of student achievement and
instructional excellence. Strategic Objective 5
Recruit, support, and retain a highly qualified
and diverse staff. Goal 3 Parents and the
community are actively engaged in supporting high
levels of student achievement and instructional
excellence. Strategic Objective 2 Engage
parents and the community in securing and
enhancing local, state, and federal funding to
support the Districts mission. Strategic
Objective 3 Use information and perspectives
from students, staff, parents/guardians, and
community to ensure continuous improvement of
our school district.
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Newly-Revised Strategic Plan
Our Goal All students succeed at each grade
level and graduate from high school well prepared
for a variety of post-secondary pursuits in our
democratic society.
Strategy 1 Ensure all students reach or exceed
individual learning goals aligned with district
standards and high school graduation
requirements. Objective 1 Create quality
relationships and safe, successful learning
conditions for all students and staff. A.
Support, empower and expect all staff to have
knowledge of and be responsive to students and
families of all cultures and
circumstances. Strategy 2 Align all district
resources, programs, and departments to attain
high levels of student achievement and
instructional excellence. Objective 3 Recruit,
support, and retain a highly qualified, diverse
and culturally responsive staff. Strategy 3
Engage parents and the community in supporting
high levels of student achievement. Objective
1 Ensure quality relationships with all parents
and guardians to support student academic
achievement. A. Support, empower, and
expect school, district and program staff to
engage with and be
responsive to families of all cultures and
circumstances.
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Spokane Public Schools Journey to Close the Gap
to Standard for Students of Color

• Why are we still on the journey?
• What strategies are we using?
• What are our successes and challenges?
• Whats next?

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What Story Does the Data Tell?

• The single most important thing an organization
  can do to ensure its achieving the goals of its
  mission is to look for evidence.
• Anthony Alvarado

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Framework for Change

• Self-to-Self
• Staff-to-Student
• Student-to-Student
• Staff-to-Staff
• Staff-to-Family
• Institution-to-Student
• Institution-to-Community

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This Work Begins with Self-Knowledge

• White Privilege Unpacking the Invisible
  Knapsack
• Read the article
• When reading the daily effects of white
  privilege, highlight any conditions that jump out
  at you.

McIntosh, P. (1990). White privilege Unpacking
the invisible knapsack. Wellesley, MA
Wellesley College Center for Research.
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Why Race?

• Find a partner
• Chalk-Talk Activity
• Take 5 minutes to quietly read the article at
  each station
• Jot down your thoughts on the butcher paper
• Take 5 minutes to discuss your thinking with your
  partner.
• You will repeat this process by moving clockwise
  to different stations when prompted by the
  facilitator.

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The New Leader of Todays Schools Can See the
INVISIBLE

• Limited or no eye contact
• Expecting knowledge expertise from white
  students/employees
• Curriculum/classroom images that depict whiteness
  as the norm
• Assuming staff of color are affirmative action
  hires
• Saying being smart is white

• Racial Micro-aggression-- subtle insults (verbal
  and nonverbal) aimed at people of color either
  consciously or unconsciously
• Counter Spaces-- spaces in schools/communities
  that people of color, ELL, or other groups create
  to nurture an environment where they feel
  validated and important

• Students gathering together in the cafeteria
• Classrooms where students see images of
  excellence and contributions of diverse peoples
• Teachers who look to all students as having
  knowledge and expertise
• Seeing staff, teachers, who look like you

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New Lenses to See the Invisible

• Racial Micro-aggressionsubtle insults
  (verbal and nonverbal) aimed at people of color
  consciously or unconsciously
• Using a pink highlighter, identify instances of
  racial micro- aggression in Curtis Lintons
  autobiography.
• Counter Spacesspaces in schools/communities
  that people of color, ELL, or other groups create
  to nurture an environment where they feel
  validated and important
• Using a yellow highlighter, identify instances
  of counter spaces in Glenn Singletons
  autobiography and using a pink highlighter,
  identify instances of racial micro-aggression in
  Glenn Singletons autobiography.

Singleton, G., Linton, C. (2006). Courageous
conversations about race. Thousand Oaks, CA
Corwin Press.
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How Will We Know We Have Truly Great Schools?

• When Race and Class cease to be predictors of
  achievement.
• Pedro Noguera

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Reflection on Implications for Your District

• What are your entry points?
• What are the implications for your work? Your
  students? Your staff? Your community? Your
  district?

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How Long Can Our Students Wait?