ThreadReader_thoughtxchng_ve_ee.21.01.13

13 Jan • 17 tweets • thoug htxchng/status/1349416450201690117

We're LIVE for the first of our 3-part # EquityInEducation Series! It's not too late to join us... Follow along in this thread ⤵

@EquitySupt1

@ShaneSkjerven12

@KafrissenKai

@CosimoTangorra # Brin g PeopleTogether

ThoughtExchange

@thoughtxchng

Join us today at 10 am PT/1 pm ET to discuss how & why @ShaneSkjerven12 & @CosimoTangorra have committed to #EquityInEducation, & the steps they’re taking to ensure eﬀective & permanent #DEI in their districts. Register now: bddy.me/3oIDrQx #TeVirtualEvents @EquitySupt1

1:30 PM · Jan 13, 2021

See ThoughtExchange’s other Tweets

# TeVirtualEvents # TeVE

@KafrissenKai opens with a heartfelt welcome. In this work we are supporting each other! We (@thoughtxchng) are learning & growing (with you). We are committed to showing up at co-conspirators, we won't let "perfection" immobile us in starting this important work! # Equity 💜

0:00

@kaileymetcalfe, thank you for standing by to jump in for @KafrissenKai in case of a # PowerOutage! Are any of you joining us from # BritishColumbia today? Quite a storm we are having! # BCStorm 🌬🌨 # Brin g PeopleTogether

What is our WHY for joining today? @EquitySupt1 ponders his place in this # equity conversation. To convene, # Brin g PeopleToegther & elevate voices! There is no right way to do this, there is only the wrong way - To do nothing, explain it away, preserve yourself and not do the work

It's @ShaneSkjerven12's turn to tell us his story, he says that he is grateful to share his journey in # leadership #equity. His story is beautiful and starts back in 2004 when he was appointed to a school in # Saskatchewan with almost 100% Indigenous population. # EquityinEducation

Serving a community with one of the lowest socioeconomic ratings in Canada has been one of the greatest gifts of @ShaneSkjerven12's life 💜 He just recently got to witness a 21 year old Indigenous woman graduate that he has known sine she was 5 years old.

What has been essential to @ShaneSkjerven12?

He built trust by recognizing his own privilege. He had (and still has) and GREAT

team that supports him, you cannot do this work alone! And he embraced traditions of the culture. # Brin g PeopleTogether #Equity

@CosimoTangorra has spoken with us now and it was truly powerful. Cosimo says that he started his journey in # equity way too late in life, in his mid thirties when he when he realized that systemic racism exists and he had become complacent and was actually benefitting from it.

The honesty & vulnerability from both of these speakers is inspiring.💜 @CosimoTangorra explains his arrival at a # NewYork school district where every single BIPOC family that he spoke with would reveal their concerns about the inequity of opportunity. # Brin g PeopleTogether

@CosimoTangorra explains how he is now able to work with a Chief Equity Officer who is a tremendous resource for him. This CEO helped to engage the community in conversation, radical changes in onboarding process (recruitment) & policy review.

# Brin g PeopleTogether

We have now engaged in # crowdsourcing with everyone in the virtual event to see which Q&A questions are the MOST relevant to the entire audience. We are able to do this in less than 4 minutes! How would YOU answer this question if it was completely anonymous? # LOUDtocrowd

We love how @KafrissenKai is digging into the data in the exchange we just ran. Themes, differences & understanding how our ideas/thoughts have changed throughout this event. Stay tuned for the replay of this session to hear Kai explain more about the wisdom of the crowd.

We're now hearing from both speakers about how # studentvoice has helped in this work @ShaneSkjerven12 - Understanding privilege! ProD for # EdLeadership is so much about helping # EdLeaders understand implicit bias & privilege - pass this learning on to your students! # Equity

What if?

Your district has such a small minority population they are saying "it's not our work".

As a white leader, you don't feel like you should be the one doing the leading in the # equity conversation?

# TeVirtualEvents #Brin g PeopleTogether

Answers ⤵

@ShaneSkjerven12 - Leadership is about humility. It's for ALL of us and we need to embrace it, challenge ourselves to work together.

@CosimoTangorra - Doesn't feel like he is "leading" it, work TOGETHER. It's not just about race. It's about inclusivity for ALL.

Equity in Education - Addressing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in our… Learn how to engage your staff, students, and communities in irreversible, sustainable equity work. A virtual event series led by Dr. Dennis Carpenter.

https://bit.ly/2XCc6nd

That's all for today - we know your time is precious! Thank you to everyone who joined us today, & especially to our speakers, @CosimoTangorra & @ShaneSkjerven12 for truly speaking from the heart 💜 Our next # Equity in Education # TeVE is Jan 27, join us!

LiveTweet Thread

Leading for DE&I While White
January 27, 2021

We're LIVE for the 2nd in a 3-part series around #EquityinEducation! We are grateful to have @DrDBL & @SuptEnfield joining us today for this important conversation. Follow along in this thread ⤵

@EquitySupt1
@DrDBL
@SuptEnfield
@KafrissenKai
#BringPeopleTogether

@KafrissenKai starts us off with a group activity to recognize our White Privilege. Kai acknowledges that she is showing up today in her own way, and leaning into these conversations as best she can. How are you showing up today? #BringPeopleTogether #TeVirtualEvents

@EquitySupt1 reminds us why we are bringing people together for this work. 90% of school district leaders in the US are white. 90% also stated that the work of n#DEI is important but only 20% believe that they are equipped with the skills and talent to lead this work! #Equity

@EquitySupt1 - Hope is not a strategy! For marginalized populations hope is the only thing they have to hold on to, unless leaders like us pick up this work and accelerate it. #BringPeopleTogether #DEI

@SuptEnfield tells us that when she moved to Highline public schools (diverse population) she was criticized for moving too quickly in this work. There is a sense of urgency because we are so behind and we are playing catch up! #EquityinEducation #DEI

Highline Public Schools is richly diverse with over 100 different languages spoken in their district. @SuptEnfield recognizes that as a minority in her district, leading this #DEI conversation is not a choice, it's a mandate. She asks "how are WE as adults doing for our kids?"

@DrDBL (has been in #education for over 50 years!). She speaks about taking hope and turning it into action - How do we do that? Inside out approach - First know who WE are in relation to those we serve.

Privilege = responsibility = action

@DrDBL - You don’t just TEACH #equity training - you LIVE it. It's not about being an ally, speaking FOR someone, they have their own voice! We open doors for those conversations so that they can be there to speak for themselves. 💜 #AlwaysLearning #BringPeopleTogether

We are now #crowdsourcing some fantastic thoughts in a safe and anonymous space. Our Speakers will take turns answering the top thoughts once our exchange is closed (in less than 4 minutes!) while @KafrissenKai & @EquitySupt1 facilitate the conversation and keep us on schedule.

@SuptEnfield - You don’t change people’s beliefs by TELLING them. You change beliefs & mindsets by giving them a different experience. Exposing them to examples of that which we aspire to. It will come from peer pressure - not from leaders! #TeVirtualEvents

@DrDBL - How do we change mindset? We can’t change peoples minds & hearts. We CAN create the conditions where they can examine their own thoughts & beliefs. Just seeing something in action can sometimes help people change their opinion. #BringPeopleTogether

@DrDBL - Well-facilitated dialogue that asks people to confront the problem. Breakthrough questions - break through long held assumptions and biases! Bring the biases to the centre of the dialogue - confronting with DATA. You can’t deny the DATA. #BringPeopleTogether

Discussing now the word cloud from our #ThoughtExchange. The general feeling is that white leaders have a lot of work ahead of them! #BringPeopleTogether #LOUDtocrowd #DEI #Equity

@DrDBL - A SAFE environment is VITAL for these conversations. It is NOT always a comfortable environment, but it must be safe. #BringPeopleTogether #EquityinEducation

@SuptEnfield Building trust happens through clear commitment & follow through. Highline started an annual #equity symposium (3 yrs ago) for all staff in August. 1st year started mild, 2nd year, Implicit bias class was mandatory to establish common language. #BringPeopleTogether

@SuptEnfield - Annual #Equity Symposium is meant for staff to engage & launch the school year from a place of “what is most important". Their equity symposium still happened these year (virtually) - Over 3000 people joined on @zoom_us! #EquityinEducation

In closing - @SuptEnfield - This work is messy, we will screw up regularly. Be forgiving of yourself and one another! 💜

Thank you to everyone who joined us today, especially @DrDBL & @SuptEnfield! Stay tuned for the replay & join us for our next #EquityinEducation event Feb 3.

@thoughtxchng

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