Facing growing class sizes and shrinking school budgets all educators must be supported and uplifted as we enter the 2022-2023 school year. In particular- educators who actively engage in the work of advancing equity in their classrooms and school communities must have the unwavering support of all parents and community leaders who know the vital importance of creating pathways of opportunity for all students in all schools. Communities of care and support must rally to provide these educators with tips, tools and strategies for taking care of themselves and each other.
Below are a few tips for our education equity warriors as they gear up for another year of creating the inviting, challenging and supportive environments our students deserve!
Get inspired. Use social media for good- find thought leaders who inspire you and follow them! Education Equity scholars like Dena Simmons and Chris Emdin, Ghouldy Muhammed and Yolanda Sealy Ruiz regularly offer bite sized nuggets of wisdom in their posts as do well known equity warriors Liz Kleinrock of Teach and Transform and Michael Pena of Antiracist Education Now. Education practitioner Jose Vilson and his EduColor Crew also offer regular doses of truth and humor as does Shauna Brown.
Get connected. Find organizations aligned to your goals and values and sign up! Go to meetings and meet others who share your passions and interests and work together to advance equity. Start here with us- check out our Afro.Scholar EDcollective webpage for a listing of upcoming events! If you can’t find an organization that meets your needs- look around for like minded colleagues in your school communities and create our own squad.
Get focused. There are so many lenses to use when advancing equity in school communities- each lens takes time and energy to advance. Zoom in on what matters in uplifting students in need in your school buildings and classrooms- and get after it. School wide community lenses might include student discipline or student attendance while classroom based lenses might include student engagement or reading instruction.
Get educated. Take a deep dive and learn more about the lens you have chosen. Find articles, books and colleagues who are expert in your chosen topic and lean in. Engage in a few action research cycles to see if the strategies you are learning about work for your students. If they do- awesome- add them to your equity toolkit and share them with others!
Are we missing something? What else should we add to our list? Leave your comments below! Stay connected- Follow us at @afro.scholared and join our Afro.Scholar EdCollective mailing list.
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