Creating a School Culture of
Racial Equity
Four Foundational Pillars to Creating a
School Culture of Racial Equity
Knowledge of Self
Organizational Trust
Strength Based Mind Set
The Protocol
Knowledge of Self (Beliefs to Actions)
Knowledge of Self
Growing up poor in MS
Childhood sacrifices for the family
Mixed messages from mom and dad about education
My decision to get a good education and become and education
Knowledge of Self (Beliefs to Actions)
Guiding Questions?
What influenced you to either go into the educational field and/or work for the
benefit of our youth?
Knowledge of Self (Beliefs to Action)
My beliefs: I believe that all students are capable of learning. I believe that
regardless of how the students come through our school doors, it is our jobs to
connect with them and make sure they get a quality education. All students will
learn at my school because of my belief that it is the educators’ responsibility
to educate.
Knowledge of Self (Beliefs to Actions)
My actions: My actions reflect my beliefs.
Ex1: Assemblies
Ex2: Field Trips
Ex3: Rituals and Routines
Knowledge of Self (Beliefs to Actions)
What are examples of inequalities you have witnessed or heard of in our
schools?
How should we, the educators, respond?
Organizational Trust
The belief in the integrity, character, and ability of a leader
Reciprocal faith in one’s intentions and behaviors
A confident reliance on the integrity, honesty, or justice of another
The role of interpersonal trust within work groups and work teams can also be
seen as an aspect of organizational trust
First Year- First Steps
EOY staff meeting
One-on-one meeting
Grade level team meetings
Expanded leadership team to racial equity team
My racial biography, my journey, my vision
Assess “The Work” at The Heights
What Got Us Here Won’t Get Us There
District Policies
Racial Equity
Gender Inclusion
Racial Equity Leadership Team
Supports
Beyond Diversity
The Protocol (revisited)
Benefits
Increases staff performance
There is a high degree of accountability
Transparency is a practiced value
Information is shared openly
People are authentic
Mistakes are tolerated and encouraged as a way of learning
Benefits (con’t)
Organizational justice:
Distributive justice - the perceived fairness of outcomes within the school
Procedural justice- the perceived fairness in the process of reaching
decisions about distributing outcomes
Interactional justice - the perceived fairness of interpersonal interactions
and treatment in the organization
Strengths Based Mind Set
Strength Based Mind Set
All people have strengths: one of the only countries in the world that focuses
on areas of weakness as a priority instead of focuses on strengths to enhance
the areas of growth.
Personal/Local and Immediate at Four Seasons A+ Elementary: ModelingFormal evaluations for educators.
Strength Based Guiding Question?
What strength do you bring to the table as a leader for racial equity?
How can you use this strength to enhance an area of growth?
Strength Based Mind Set
Student Strength Based:
Changing from a deficit model to a strength based…
Personal/Local Immediate at Four Seasons A+ Elementary: ELL/SPED students
focusing on strengths with high expectations.
Strength Based Guiding Question?
Think of a student who you feel is marginalized in your school and identify one
of their strengths.
How would you help them use this strength to enhance an area of growth?
Strength Based Resources
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath
The Protocol
The Protocol
The Protocol
The Protocol
The Protocol
Creating a Culture of Love
My Job - It’s my
job to love you!
Your Job - It’s your
job to love each
other!