Author and educator Dr. Decoteau J. Irby’s workshop will provide an overview into the dynamic process of working to achieve racial equity in schools. First, a one-hour keynote introduces the resources that are essential to achieving school-based racial equity. The introduction draws insights from his book Stuck Improving: Racial Equity and School Leadership, which offers an in-depth accounting of school-improvement practices and inquiry-based leadership strategies that create the conditions
Author and educator Dr. Decoteau J. Irby’s workshop will provide an overview into the dynamic process of working to achieve racial equity in schools. First, a one-hour keynote introduces the resources that are essential to achieving school-based racial equity. The introduction draws insights from his book Stuck Improving: Racial Equity and School Leadership, which offers an in-depth accounting of school-improvement practices and inquiry-based leadership strategies that create the conditions for educators to deliver Black and Brown school-aged students affirming school experiences and improved learning outcomes. Following a one-hour presentation, participants will apply the content in an interactive process of thinking about their own school’s capacity for racial equity improvement. Specifically, participants will take a deeper dive into the racial equity resources Dr. Irby identified in his research and examine what educators and community members must do to cultivate and leverage these resources for the purposes of improvement.
Outcomes: At the end of the presentation, participants will understand:
- What it means to have the capacity for racial equity improvement
- The role leadership and professional learning plays in strengthening a school’s capacity
for racial equity improvement
- What data to gather to understand if racial equity progress is happening in their schools
Who Should Attend: The audience would include anyone who is a member of District or Building Leadership Teams
Satisfactory completion requirements:
- Attendance is based on your signature in and out of the session. Failure to provide a signature in and out will result in no credit.
- Participants are expected to attend the entire session to earn credit.
- Participants must complete an electronic course evaluation within two weeks of the session date to be sent a certificate.
- Accommodations, questions and complaints can be directed to: professionallearning@truenorth804.org
Cost Information: Participation fees are waived for TrueNorth employees, TrueNorth member district employees, and parents of students in our TrueNorth member districts. For individual participants who do not meet the above criteria, this course participation fee is $100.00. Participation or material fees will be billed directly to the school district that employs the participant after the session is complete or the first session in a series is complete. Individuals are asked to not bring payment to the session.
Cancellation and Refund Information: There is no cancellation fee, though we ask for advance notice to open the spot for another person. TrueNorth reserves the right to cancel any session due to low enrollment. TrueNorth does not charge prior to the start of the offered session. If an individual attends the first day of a learning series but is unable to attend the remaining sessions, the school district that employs the participant is able to designate an alternate person. It is up to the individual no longer attending the program to give their replacement the information learned in the first session.
About the Presenter: Decoteau J. Irby is a creator, activist, musician, education leadership professor and author of several academic articles and books, including Stuck Improving: Racial Equity and School Leadership (published by Harvard Education Press) and a children’s book Magical Black Tears: A Protest Story. His activism, art, and scholarship explore the importance of struggle, progress, and equity in education.
Financial Disclosure: Decoteau J. Irby receives a presenters fee for this training.
Non-Financial Disclosure: Decoteau J. Irby has no relevant non-financial relationships.
*Member Districts include:
Northbrook 27, Northbrook 28, Sunset Ridge 29, Glenview/Northbrook 30, West Northfield 31, Glenview 34, Glencoe 35, Winnetka 36, Kenilworth 38, Lake Bluff 65, Lake Forest 67, Bannockburn 106, Deerfield 109, North Shore 112, Township HS 113, Lake Forest 115, New Trier 203, Glenbrook 225.
Have a question? Check out the Professional Learning FAQs or contact professionallearning@truenorth804.org.