Equity in Action Leadership Academy

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

Addressing Diversity and Equity issues is one of the most pressing challenges facing schools today. What are your next steps? Collaborative and sustained professional learning 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;
  • 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;
  • Support leaders to identify a reasonable Problem of Practice (PoP) and receive critical feedback on possible solutions to create an avenue for developing a theory of change and an action plan to resolve issues; and
  • Use evidence of impact to assess implementation measures of the PoP.

Cohort 7 – Virtual via Zoom, 9:00 am – Noon

  • Session 1: January 12, 2023
  • Session 2: February 13, 2023
  • Session 3: March 21, 2023
  • Session 4: June 1, 2023

Register for Cohort 7

Session 1: Journey into the Equity Imperative

Presenter: Heather Moran

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 to understand how advancing equity can create a healthier, more positive and engaging learning environment for all learners. Throughout the session you 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 use the tenets of Michael Fullan’s Coherence Theory – focusing direction and cultivating a collaborative community – as levers to consider how to engage in data-driven dialogue. By sharing aspects of a problem of practice, trusted others will provide critical feedback to begin surfacing possible solutions.
(PSEL Standards 3, 5, 6, and 10)

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

Presenter: George Guy

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, trusted others 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: George Guy, Dr. George Jackson, and Heather Moran

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? Participants will engage in a facilitated sharing session of ongoing learning by reflecting on equitable changes within the system including successes and challenges that have occurred.
(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
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.

Resources

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