Equity in Action Leadership Academy

Dare to be BOLD: From Equity Aspirations to Equity in Operation

Addressing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion issues is one of the most pressing challenges facing schools today. What are your next steps? A collaborative and sustained professional learning experience can provide leaders, equity councils, and leadership teams with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to systemically respond to issues of equity through the exploration of a problem of practice unique to their site. In this four-session academy, participants will:

  • Deepen leaders’ knowledge and skills to use and adapt social justice practices to increase system-wide equitable outcomes for all learners;
  • Sharpen skills such as using street data, using student voice, and handling discord, disagreement and competing agendas;
  • Develop socio-political awareness/critical consciousness by acknowledging and exploring the current reality within the educational environment;
  • Investigate systemic barriers, within public education, that we knowingly or unknowingly reinforce and that may ultimately lead to further propagation of access and opportunity gaps;
  • Identify a reasonable Problem of Practice (PoP) and receive critical feedback on possible solutions and an action plan to resolve issues; and
  • Use evidence of impact to assess implementation measures of the PoP.

Cohort 8 – Virtual via Zoom, 9:00 am – Noon

  • Session 1: Sep. 21, 2023
  • Session 2: Dec. 14, 2023
  • Session 3: Jan. 29, 2024
  • Session 4: Mar. 7, 2024

Register for Cohort 8 Today!

Cohort 9 – Virtual via Zoom, 9:00 am – Noon

  • Session 1: Oct. 24, 2023
  • Session 2: Nov. 28, 2023
  • Session 3: Jan. 17, 2024
  • Session 4: Apr. 10, 2024

Registration for Cohort 9 coming soon!


Session 1: Journey into the Equity Imperative

Presenter: Pamm Moore

Are you ready to embark on a journey to dive deeper into the equity imperative? Session One of the Equity in Action Leadership Academy will create the groundwork to explore your equity journey. Only by exploring self-reflection, engaging in collaborative conversations, and uncovering structural and systemic assumptions, can you advance and change equity in your school. Participants will work collaboratively across teams to understand how advancing equity can create a healthier, more positive and engaging learning environment for all learners. Throughout the session, participants will begin to create a toolbox of strategies for equity work that will support you or your team in solving a problem of practice you are facing in your district.
(PSEL Standards 3, 5, 6, and 10)

Session 2: Driving the Equity Imperative Through Dialogue and Data

Presenter: Dr. George Jackson

How are you using data to identify your equity priorities? How will it be shared to begin the courageous conversations that will lead to implementation of equitable practices? Participants will name and share their WHY for engaging in this work and explore the three levels of data – map, satellite and street data – looking at each through an equity lens. The use of street data will be highlighted as an essential means of understanding student agency and voice. In preparation for developing a problem of practice, the power of guiding teams for taking action will be discussed.
(PSEL Standards 3, 5, 6, and 10)

Session 3: Moving the Equity Imperative to Address Systemic Change Progress

Presenter: Kerri Waibel

What barriers and challenges must be uncovered and addressed in order to create a system in which equitable practices are fully implemented in a culture that embraces access and opportunity? Participants will continue to build their capacity to create coherence within the system by maximizing shared accountability and embedding structures and processes that focus on deep learning practices. Using a coherence lens, presenters will provide additional feedback for participant’s problems of practice.
(PSEL Standards 3, 5, 6, and 10)

Session 4: Equity in Operation: Now and in the Future

Presenters: Pamm Moore, Dr. George Jackson, and Kerri Waibel

What are we learning as we create a coherent system for our learners through a focus on equity? What shared commitments, partnerships, and new practices have been implemented? The final session is driven by team and individual educator needs as presenters support participants in a deeper dive into why certain data was selected for the PoP and how to overcome barriers to implementing the intended actions.
(PSEL Standards 3, 5, 6, and 10)


Who should attend?

Superintendents and assistant superintendents, principals and assistant principals, supervisors, directors, members of district equity councils, college faculty, teacher leaders — in TEAMS or individually

Why attend?

Equity in Action Leadership Academy participants will engage in quality, engaging professional learning activities that leaders can apply immediately to their practice. Topics were selected based on educational priorities currently being discussed at the state and local level and on the identified needs of hundreds of leaders.

Equity in Action

Click here to read one district’s journey to create their equity culture.


Registration Information

Fee: $450 per person for 4 sessions

We strongly recommend participants come with a partner or team. Individual participants will be grouped with others in Sessions 3 and 4. If you are considering sending a team, you may wish to use the FEA Professional Learning Savings Account. For more information, contact Emil Carafa at ecarafa@njpsa.org.

  • Registration for Cohort 8 coming soon. (Begins Sep. 21, 2023)
  • Registration for Cohort 9 coming soon. (Begins Oct. 24, 2023)

Resources

For more information, please contact Vicki Duff at NJPSA/FEA at vduff@njpsa.org or (609) 860-1200.