This 3-part professional learning session will guide participants through race-conscious inquiry cycles to advance racial equity school improvement. Specifically, participants will collaborate to develop and implement policies and practices that cultivate and strengthen the following racial equity resources: Black and Brown People’s Influential Presence and Courageously Confrontational School Culture.
Each session will build on content from previous sessions. The first half of each session will be focused on critical reflection and learning. The second half of each section will focus on planning for strategy implementation. Participants will be expected to engage in active learning activities between each section, gather and analyze data to understand if racial equity progress and breakthroughs are happening; and share what they learn to advance the learning of their colleagues.
Outcomes:
- Design policies, practices, and routines that cultivate organizational resources in the pursuit of racial equity in schools
- Implement policies, practices, and routines that cultivate organizational resources in the pursuit of racial equity in schools
- Use race-conscious inquiry cycles to grow and strengthen racial equity learning and change within TrueNorth’s teaching and learning community.
Who Should Attend: The book, Stuck Improving, and professional learning program are designed for “educators who want to stop the violence of school-based racism; transform schools into racially equitable and affirming places for Black, Latinx, and racially marginalized students; and improve students’ educational experiences and outcomes.” (Irby, 2022, p. 1).
Participants are strongly encouraged to attend with other building representatives.
All individuals and teams from elementary and high-school districts interested in learning together are welcome to join, regardless of background knowledge and prior equity work on this topic.
Satisfactory completion requirements:
- Attendance is based on your signature in and out of the session using the QR code. 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 are expected to attend all sessions in the series (Part 1 - 3) to earn full credit. Partial credit will be awarded based on attendance.
- 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 $450.00. 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 Presenters: Decoteau J. Irby is a creator, activist, musician,
education leadership professor and author of 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. Learn more at www.decoteauirby.com.
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.
