Objective 1: Work with the Leadership of Owatonna Public Schools on a year-long Racial Equity Professional Development.
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Dr. Jinger Gustafson and I presented to the Owatonna School Board to outline the year-long racial equity professional development we were providing the district's leadership.
Starting in August of 2018, we conducted monthly 90-minute professional development trainings for Owatonna Public Schools' district leadership comprised of the superintendent, directors, building principals, assistant principals, managers and supervisors. On January 21st, 2019 we also provided several sessions for a district professional development day for Owatonna teachers. |
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Objective 2: Chair, Curriculum and Instruction Advisory Board
I was named the new chair the Curriculum and Instruction Advisory Board. By default, this also made me a member of Leadership Council. The work before me was to devise a way to bring racial equity - which was outlined in Goal 2 of the University and also Goal 2 of the College of Education - into the curriculum and instruction of the classrooms in the College. As a board, we thought the best way would be to create a repository of groundings, videoes, articles and strategies to share with those who would like to utilize them to . bring topics of racial equity into their lessons. Below is a link to the Google folder that contains this repository.
Objective 3: Launch the Institute for Courageous Teacher Leadership.
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The Institute for Courageous Teacher Leadership
I, along with Dr. Jinger Gustafson, Dr. Bernadeia Johnson, and Ms. Pam MacKinnon launched the inaugural cohort of this Institute designed to develop the racial equity lens of teachers whose principals had completed the Institute for Courageous Principal Leadership. Topics addressed in the teacher institute echoed those learned by their principals but with more of a classroom pedagogical emphasis. Participants were challenged to use the Courageous Conversations protocol when wrestling with issues of race, bias, and white privilege & supremacy. |
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Objective 4: Lead in the planning, preparation, and execution of the 2019 Equity Conference.
Coordinator, Leading Courageously for Racial Equity Conference
This year's LCRE conference was an exciting, well attended event. The coordination was a bit different this year as compared to last due to the fact that our department's administrative assistant took another position. I took on several of the roles that she had previously done such as working with IT to design the registration website, working with the business office to make sure our fees were collected, coordination of the book sales and accomodations with the keynote speaker, and working closely with Social Butterfly, the media specialists who promoted the event via social media and captured the conference via photography and videography. It was a wonderful experience being able to be involved in the granular details of this conference. I will gladly do it again next year. The video clip below shows some of the day's highlights.
This year's LCRE conference was an exciting, well attended event. The coordination was a bit different this year as compared to last due to the fact that our department's administrative assistant took another position. I took on several of the roles that she had previously done such as working with IT to design the registration website, working with the business office to make sure our fees were collected, coordination of the book sales and accomodations with the keynote speaker, and working closely with Social Butterfly, the media specialists who promoted the event via social media and captured the conference via photography and videography. It was a wonderful experience being able to be involved in the granular details of this conference. I will gladly do it again next year. The video clip below shows some of the day's highlights.
Objective 5: Serve on the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development Dean’s Advisory Board.
CEHD Dean's Advisory Board Member
In addition to our board meetings, we sometime use our professional, political, and social leverage to support the college's causes. In this particular instance, we were asked to contact our legislators about funding for a capital project for the Institute of Child Development.
In addition to our board meetings, we sometime use our professional, political, and social leverage to support the college's causes. In this particular instance, we were asked to contact our legislators about funding for a capital project for the Institute of Child Development.
Additional Work
Library Liaison
I volunteered to be the Department of Educational Leadership's Library Liaison. I worked closely with librarian Barb Bergman, to assess our current needs and make recommendations for books and materials to be purchased for our department. Most of the materials paired educational issues with some aspect of racial equity.
I volunteered to be the Department of Educational Leadership's Library Liaison. I worked closely with librarian Barb Bergman, to assess our current needs and make recommendations for books and materials to be purchased for our department. Most of the materials paired educational issues with some aspect of racial equity.
Advisory Board Retreat Facilitator
I, along with Dr. Beth Beschorner and Dr. Kyena Cornelius facilitated a retreat for the different advisory boards represented in the College of Education. Our intent was to create a space to have conversations about how each advisory board could collaborate in using Teaching Tolerance's Critical Practices. We then shared our syllabi and scored them using a rubric to see if we were reflecting Critical Practices.
I, along with Dr. Beth Beschorner and Dr. Kyena Cornelius facilitated a retreat for the different advisory boards represented in the College of Education. Our intent was to create a space to have conversations about how each advisory board could collaborate in using Teaching Tolerance's Critical Practices. We then shared our syllabi and scored them using a rubric to see if we were reflecting Critical Practices.
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Speaker, Justice Page Middle School
I was invited to do a presentation to the 8th grade Junior Page Scholars, a group of students of color who will be the first in their families to go to college. Justice Alan Page was in attendance and participated in the presentation. Students were asked to vision about what their high school years could look like and how best to position themselves for success. Below is the slide presentation: |
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Representing the College of Education at MEA 2018
I represented the College of Education at the MEA conference, where I connected with many prospective students as well as those who were curious about our programs. I also had the opportunity to meet then candidate, now Governor Tim Walz. |
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Facilitator, STAR Retreat
I was asked by the administration of Anoka Middle School of the Arts to facilitate an all day retreat with their students of color in the STAR program (Standing Tall Against Racism). Several of the students had recently experienced a very painful racially motivated incident in the school and were in need of some guidance and healing around this issue. I was brought in to present an educational perspective on how to move past the hurt and continue being advocates for change while still keeping one's focus on academic excellence and personal growth. The students and staff were fantastic in their transparency, their willingness to confront racism in their school, and their ability to work toward healing and forgiveness.
I was asked by the administration of Anoka Middle School of the Arts to facilitate an all day retreat with their students of color in the STAR program (Standing Tall Against Racism). Several of the students had recently experienced a very painful racially motivated incident in the school and were in need of some guidance and healing around this issue. I was brought in to present an educational perspective on how to move past the hurt and continue being advocates for change while still keeping one's focus on academic excellence and personal growth. The students and staff were fantastic in their transparency, their willingness to confront racism in their school, and their ability to work toward healing and forgiveness.
Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations Anti-Bias Reader
In a group table setting and over two full days reviewed hundreds of potential standardized test questions in order to check for any bias in terms of race, gender, socio-economics,religion, sexual orientation, language, or citizenship status. If bias was determined, we made recommendations to amend or eliminate the question.
In a group table setting and over two full days reviewed hundreds of potential standardized test questions in order to check for any bias in terms of race, gender, socio-economics,religion, sexual orientation, language, or citizenship status. If bias was determined, we made recommendations to amend or eliminate the question.