Advancing Educational Justice

(Re)discovering the power of play

stonevm@washington.edu — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 19:45:36 +0000

(Re)discovering the power of play

October 25, 2024

In a workshop space brimming with inventive tools and metal walls that seemed to pulse with creativity, Dr. Kathleen Artman Meeker, director of the Haring Center, and a diverse group of educators plunged into an exhilarating challenge. It was 2022, and the setting was Reggio Emilia, Italy, where they participated in ateliers during a study abroad trip. The task was to transform an assortment of everyday materials into imaginative constructs. The room buzzed with a palpable mix of excitement and uncertainty as participants navigated the boundaries of their creativity.

Meeker recalls the experience vividly: “We all jumped into the challenge with enthusiasm, though it wasn’t without its frustrations. We’d often find ourselves standing around, asking, ‘What do you want to do?’ and ‘I don’t know, what do you want to do?’ It was like being adults playing, trying not to step on each other’s toes and figuring out the best approach. Ultimately, we ended up creating a pretty cool construction that used the room’s space and materials in interesting ways.” This playful experimentation revealed a fundamental truth about creativity in education: play and collaboration are not just luxuries but essential components of effective teaching.

We’d often find ourselves standing around, asking, ‘What do you want to do?’ and ‘I don’t know, what do you want to do?’ It was like being adults playing, trying not to step on each other’s toes and figuring out the best approach.

Structured in two phases, the Learning Studio maximizes both engagement and reflection. The first phase immerses educators in interactive activities and material experimentation, allowing them to explore and document the effects of playful methods. Participants engage in problem-solving, negotiating, and collaborating, which are crucial for understanding the practical applications of play-based practices.

In the second phase, educators have the flexibility to apply their insights in practice or document their personal educational journeys. This adaptability ensures that participants can interact with the material in ways that align with their individual preferences and professional goals. Through this innovative approach, Meeker is reshaping teaching practices and inspiring educators like Noemi Mendez, signaling a shift towards more dynamic and inclusive classrooms.

From Learning Studio to classroom impact

Noemi Mendez, a recent master’s graduate in Early Childhood Special Education from the ��ߺ�� ߺ��, exemplifies the Learning Studio’s influence on teaching. Her journey through the Studio underscores the power of creativity and play in education. Mendez notes, “Regardless of how much information and experience you have within the field, there’s always more to learn.” This mindset fuels her commitment to continuous improvement and adaptability in the educational landscape.

One impactful exercise involved using ordinary items in unconventional ways, encouraging Mendez to ‘think outside the box’ and explore diverse perspectives. This collaborative experience inspired her to adopt a hands-on, interactive approach in her developmental preschool classroom. Drawing from her Studio experience, Mendez incorporates activities with “random pieces of tissue paper, strings, and yarn” to explore colors and textures creatively. She explains, “We talked about the colors and textures that we saw, and they started making little glitter designs.” This method not only enhances student engagement but also fosters a learning environment where creative exploration is encouraged. By repurposing everyday materials in imaginative ways, Mendez empowers students to take charge of their own exploration and learning.

Central to Mendez’s approach is cultivating student-led learning. She emphasizes allowing students’ interests to shape the curriculum, stating, “Let students join into the curriculum. Let their interest really influence how the day’s [going to] go.” For instance, if students show interest in leaves collected during walks, she integrates these into math and art lessons, demonstrating how everyday observations can enrich the educational experience. This student-centered approach flips traditional power dynamics by placing students at the helm of their own learning.

Similarly, Chi Baik, a second-year Ph.D. student in Special Education and a teaching assistant for Meeker’s course, observed the transformative effects of this approach. Baik recalls, “One student had a preschool-age son and tried out some activities with him. She was amazed at how much he knew, including words she didn’t even know he knew. Instead of redirecting him, she followed his lead and discovered new things about him.” This reflection highlights how student-led, play-based practice can deepen connections between educators and students, demonstrating the profound impact of allowing students to guide their own educational experiences.

A notable project from the Learning Studio featured a collaborative movement-based activity using various materials. Baik documented the process and reflections, observing that students developed a heightened awareness of inclusivity. The Learning Studio participants reported becoming more attuned to the diverse learning styles of their own students, recognizing whether they are visual or auditory learners and adjusting their methods accordingly.

In her classroom, Mendez applies these insights by addressing diverse learning styles. She adapts her methods to incorporate tactile, visual, and auditory elements. For instance, she describes a student who closed their eyes to focus on surrounding sounds, demonstrating her responsiveness to varied learning needs and her dedication to cultivating an inclusive setting.

What I have enjoyed the most about my class and building play as a pedagogical approach with adults is seeing them encountering the content and each other in different ways. They are problem-solving, negotiating, collaborating, talking about themselves and their histories.

The power of play

The Learning Studio’s emphasis on play represents a significant shift in educational philosophy. Rather than adhering to traditional methods, this approach centers creativity, exploration, and collaboration as fundamental elements of effective teaching. By establishing a space where both educators and students can experiment, take risks, and explore new ideas, play-based methods offer a refreshing alternative to conventional methods.

This shift is particularly crucial for addressing issues like educator burnout and student disengagement. Research indicates that students in play-based environments are 1.5 times more likely to succeed compared to those in traditional lecture-based settings.

Baik observed a notable change in educators’ attitudes as a result of the Learning Studio’s methods. Initially, educators often start with uncertainty and hesitation, unsure of how to engage with new materials or innovative practices. However, as they engage in hands-on activities and collaborate with their peers, their attitudes shift markedly. Baik notes, “There was an energy shift when they first came to class versus after [participating in] Kathleen’s activities.” This change reflects not only increased enthusiasm but a deeper, more confident engagement with the learning process. Educators become more willing to experiment and reflect on their practices, leading to more energetic and open interactions. Baik found it inspiring to witness how this newfound confidence cultivated a more vibrant and collaborative atmosphere among the participants.

Meeker’s play-based approach addresses the limitations of traditional teaching by making learning more versatile and engaging. “What I have enjoyed the most about my class and building play as a pedagogical approach with adults is seeing them encountering the content and each other in different ways. They are problem-solving, negotiating, collaborating, talking about themselves and their histories,” Meeker shares.

Embracing risk and uncertainty

Adopting play-based practice involves more than just introducing new activities; it requires educators to embrace the uncertainty and risks associated with creative experimentation. Meeker acknowledges the challenges of this transition, noting, “Starting with play-based methods can be daunting because it requires letting go of some control and embracing uncertainty.” Despite these challenges, Meeker emphasizes the importance of establishing a supportive space where educators feel safe to experiment and take risks.

The Learning Studio’s methodology represents a response to the limitations of traditional teaching methods. By integrating play into educational practices, Meeker aims to create a more dynamic and immersive learning space. Her enthusiasm for this approach is evident as she expresses, “I love that the class puts me on the spot in a different way. I can plan the overall structure, but then I learn a lot in real time about what participants take away from the observations and prompts I set up. It’s really active, and it’s not a lecture by any means. It’s really, really fun.”

Working with families of color has revealed many systemic issues. Although it's hard to change the whole system alone, making a classroom that respects and values diverse backgrounds is an important start.

A vision of inclusivity and creativity

Looking ahead, Meeker envisions expanding these play-based approaches beyond early childhood education. “I’m really excited about the potential for these approaches to transform other areas of education,” she notes. Her vision is part of a larger movement toward integrating creativity and problem-solving into educational practices, aiming to create more equitable and immersive learning experiences.

Mendez’s contributions align with this vision. Her dedication to inclusivity and responsiveness in the classroom reflects Meeker’s philosophy, creating spaces where diverse backgrounds are honored and respected. Reflecting on her experiences, Noemi explains, “Growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood, I often felt that the curriculum did not reflect my identity as a Mexican American. This lack of representation made it clear to me how important it is to create windows and mirrors in the curriculum where students of color feel seen and respected.”

In her classroom, Mendez applies this philosophy through play-based methods, engaging students and their families in meaningful ways. She acknowledges the challenge of addressing systemic issues but emphasizes, “Working with families of color has revealed many systemic issues. Although it's hard to change the whole system alone, making a classroom that respects and values diverse backgrounds is an important start.” Her approach demonstrates how play-based and reflective practices can address broader systemic issues, fostering a learning atmosphere that values diversity and responsiveness.

As Mendez prepares for her new role as Early Childhood Special Education teacher at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, she remains committed to applying the creative and inclusive strategies developed through the Learning Studio. Despite the broader systemic challenges in education, her approach demonstrates how integrating creativity, and inclusivity can reshape teaching and learning, offering an expansive vision for the future of education.

Envisioning the future of dynamic teaching

The Learning Studio exemplifies the catalytic potential of creativity and flexibility in teaching. It provides a hopeful vision for the future of education — one where play-based methods and reflective approaches are central to creating adaptive, supportive, and equitable learning environments. By integrating creativity and play into instructional techniques, the Learning Studio not only refines how educators teach but also celebrates the diverse experiences of all students.

Meeker captures this potential perfectly when she reflects, “What I get excited about is thinking about how I can take what I've learned from teaching this class and how much I feel like this play-based approach has kind of changed me and my knowledge of the students.” This sentiment underscores the profound impact that embracing creativity and play can have on both educators and students, highlighting the shift from traditional methods to a more dynamic and interactive model.

As Meeker observes, “I feel like my relationships are stronger. I feel like I know my students better. I feel like I have a deeper connection.” This reflection highlights the deeper, more authentic connections that can be established through a creative and engaging approach. The Learning Studio’s methodology enriches the way educators interact with students and enhances their overall experiences.

By fostering environments where students can explore, express, and engage with their world in meaningful ways, the Learning Studio envisions a future where educational experiences are more stimulating and reflective of diverse student identities. Meeker highlights the potential for educational practices to evolve in ways that truly support and inspire every learner, saying, “It’s exciting to see students learning and to imagine how this approach could be applied in different contexts.”

Contact

Vanessa Stone

Assistant Director for Marketing & Communications

stonevm@uw.edu

Game Changers: Elevating women and nonbinary leadership in sports

stonevm@washington.edu — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 01:40:50 +0000

Game Changers: Elevating women and nonbinary leadership in sports

September 26, 2024

From left to right: Sam Brown, Jennifer "JP" Peterson, and Dr. Hannah O. Olson

A bold action to combat the lack of women and non-binary coaches was essential. For years, this thought persisted in the minds of Drs. Hannah O. Olson, Sara Lopez, and Julie McCleery, leaders of the Center for Leadership in Athletics (CLA) at the ��ߺ�� (UW). United by a commitment to gender equality, they launched the Game Changers initiative in Spring 2017 to confront this challenge.

As the UW joins the Big Ten Conference, Game Changers finds itself on an even larger stage, amplifying the university’s dedication to gender equity in sports. With the Big Ten’s vast reach, this initiative is poised to influence sports leadership not just locally, but nationally, contributing to a broader cultural shift towards diverse and equitable leadership.

Initially self-funded by the CLA from 2017 through Spring 2021, the program aimed to build a nurturing community and provide professional development for coaches across Washington state. In Summer 2021, it gained momentum through a partnership with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) and funding from the Susan Crown Exchange, which brought on coach developers Sam Brown and Jennifer (JP) Peterson. Together, this dedicated team is reshaping the coaching landscape, striving for a more inclusive future.

The coaching gap

As the UW steps into the Big Ten, the stakes — and opportunities — have never been higher, especially regarding the advancement of gender equity. This broader stage comes at a crucial time, as efforts to increase the representation of women in coaching still face significant challenges. According to the 2023-2024 Women in College Coaching Report Card, head coach turnover presents a key opportunity to increase the percentage of women in leadership. However, despite some progress, a persistent gender gap remains.

While Title IX was a pivotal step toward gender equity in education and athletics, it also had unintended consequences, particularly regarding coaching roles. Before 1972, over 90% of women’s teams were led by female coaches. However, this number fell to around 50% by 1982 and further declined to approximately 40% by 2010. Between 2011 and 2021, the percentage of female head coaches stagnated, reaching only 42%. This trend highlights the systemic challenges that persist in achieving true equality in sports leadership, emphasizing the need for ongoing efforts to support and promote women in coaching roles.

Despite the proven benefits women bring to leadership roles — such as driving diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts and demonstrating creative leadership competencies — barriers remain. “Nationally, about 25% of youth coaches are women,” noted Olson, emphasizing a significant gap that affects how young athletes perceive leadership.

“Whoever you see in positions of power and leadership shapes your notions of leadership. When young people see only men —often only white men — in charge, it influences their assumptions about what a leader should look like and how they should act.”

Locally, data from the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, the ��ߺ��, and King County Parks show that women represent about 28% of coaches — consistent with national averages but insufficient given the ongoing shortages in the field. Olson, with over 20 years of coaching experience, points out the impact of this leadership disparity: “Whoever you see in positions of power and leadership shapes your notions of leadership. When young people see only men —often only white men — in charge, it influences their assumptions about what a leader should look like and how they should act.” She further adds, “There’s a reason I coach my sons’ teams — to show them that a woman can be in charge and be very capable.” This imbalance not only distorts leadership perceptions but also limits the development of future diverse leaders. Olson stresses that shifting these dynamics is crucial to providing young people with diverse and effective role models.

Echoing this concern, a report funded by the European Union emphasizes the critical need for support measures, including encouragement from parents and a strong sense of belonging among peers. Female coaches often encounter obstacles like gender discrimination, burnout and societal expectations, all of which hinder their career advancement and contribute to their underrepresentation in leadership roles.

Peterson, director of coaching initiatives & strategy, emphasizes the importance of a strong support network to counteract these various obstacles: “Part of Game Changers was creating that community of support — offering peer mentoring and professional development, but most importantly, building a network where coaches didn’t feel isolated or alone.” She reflects on her own career transition from Franklin High School to the Center for Leadership in Athletics, driven by her passion for supporting women in sports: “Leaving Franklin was a significant decision, but I wanted to be part of something that aligned with my focus on making a greater impact in the youth sports space through community engagement, coach development, research, and education.”

The impact of Game Changers

The success of Game Changers is both impressive and fitting, given its rapid evolution and the critical role it has played in fostering community support among coaches. What started as a modest event in 2017 quickly grew to meet an urgent need for connection and solidarity. “The first large-scale event in 2018 attracted over 100 experienced coaches seeking community,” Olson recounted. This enthusiastic turnout revealed a glaring gap in existing support systems and underscored the initiative’s potential for profound impact.

The real transformation came through the formal Game Changers cohorts, where the program’s emphasis on building a supportive network proved pivotal. Olson highlighted the feedback from these cohorts: “Coaches kind of reached out and just said, ‘Hey, we probably would have left coaching had it not been for this group.’” By focusing on creating a space where coaches could share their challenges and feel a sense of belonging, Game Changers has not only enhanced professional development but also played a crucial role in helping many coaches decide to stay in the profession.

Game Changers

Since its launch, the initiative has seen consistent growth, with initial applications increasing from around 150 to nearly 300 in subsequent years. This surge in interest underscores the program's broad appeal across the state. From these large pools, approximately 40 participants were selected per cohort. Retention rates further highlight the initiative's success. Peterson noted that in addition to growth in interest year to year, most coaches also completed the full year, reflecting significant progress. This supportive network has been pivotal in helping coaches navigate their roles and stay in the profession, even in the face of initial challenges.

Cohort 2 member Kayla Monroe, a math teacher and head golf coach at Rochester High School, exemplifies the initiative’s influence. Monroe’s decision to join Game Changers stemmed from her experiences in predominantly male coaching environments and the barriers she faced. “I’ve always been surrounded by a majority of male coaches, both being as a player and as a coach myself... I unfortunately didn’t have great experiences with my coaches, and I didn’t want anyone else to go through that,” Monroe explained.

The support and connection she found in the program proved invaluable. Monroe discovered more than just practical advice through the network; she found solidarity with other women and nonbinary coaches who provided invaluable emotional support long after the program. “Realizing I wasn’t alone in my experiences was transformative,” she reflected. “It made me even more determined to create a different, better experience for my players.”

Monroe's experiences and insights have not only shaped her journey but also influenced the Game Changers' initiative. As Peterson noted, “Cohort members shape the cohort community and Game Changers experience each year. They each bring their own sport and coaching journeys that shape their perspectives, but also add to their unique experiences, expertise, and strategies for navigating the youth sports and coaching landscape.”

By sharing their diverse perspectives and challenges, members like Monroe have played a crucial role in the program's development. Their contributions have guided professional development sessions, informed the initiative's structure, and enriched the shared learning community. This active engagement exemplifies how Game Changers evolves in response to its members, creating a dynamic program that continually adapts to the needs of its participants.

Building a sustainable path to inclusive sports

The Center for Leadership in Athletics' commitment to transforming sports leadership is evident in its comprehensive approach to addressing gender inequity. While the Game Changers initiative has made significant strides in fostering community and professional development, it builds upon the CLA’s long-standing research and teaching on gender inequity in coaching and education. The initiative complements the CLA’s broader efforts by providing valuable insights and support for female and non-binary coaches, while continuing to address systemic issues in sports coaching that have been a focus of the Center's research and academic programs.

Dr. Julie McCleery, CLA’s director of research-practice partnerships, has further illuminated the need for such data through her groundbreaking research, “Centering the Female Athlete Voice in a Sports Science Research Agenda”. McCleery’s research reveals a stark gap: despite increased female participation in sports, research addressing the specific needs of female and non-binary athletes remains critically underdeveloped. Her findings highlight a lack of focus on key issues such as menstrual cycle symptoms, recovery, and mental health, pointing to a significant oversight in sports science. This gap emphasizes the urgent need for inclusive research agendas that better support female athletes’ performance and well-being.

Recognizing the significance of these research voids, Olson understands that the Game Changers initiative is not just beneficial but essential. By addressing these gaps and supporting diverse coaches and athletes, the program is driving a much-needed shift in how sports science and coaching practices approach these needs.

"When you start hiring more women and diverse groups of coaches,” she notes, “they bring different perspectives and voices to the table. This change influences program evolution and decision-making, attracting a broader range of students and athletes who feel safer and more included.”

Peterson emphasizes the transformative effect of increased diversity within coaching staff: “When you start hiring more women and diverse groups of coaches,” she notes, “they bring different perspectives and voices to the table. This change influences program evolution and decision-making, attracting a broader range of students and athletes who feel safer and more included.”

This evolving perspective is evident in discussions from Game Changers professional development sessions. Initially, conversations about working with male colleagues focus on overcoming gender bias. However, a cohort member suggests moving from an 'us vs. them' mentality to an 'us and them' approach, highlighting the importance of collaboration and supportive interactions.

Peterson adds, “This shift from confronting biases to actively engaging supportive leaders and building diverse networks helps the group concentrate on practical strategies for collaboration and decision-making.” This perspective is instrumental in guiding the initiative’s direction, underscoring the importance of equity and cooperation in coaching environments.

Brown, associate director of coaching initiatives & strategy, further highlights the broad impact of diversity in sports leadership. She describes its ripple effect, which influences everyone in the sports ecosystem — from athletes to policymakers. “This is the ultimate ripple effect,” Brown asserts. “It extends from athlete to coach, from building administrator to those creating policies and laws around sport.” She emphasizes the responsibility of higher education and governing bodies to act on these issues, stressing, “It would be negligent if we, with access to data showing significant problems, did not address them.”

Despite funding uncertainties, the CLA remains committed to the Game Changers initiative and its mission to close the gender gap in coaching. Exciting plans include a summit for women and non-binary coaches, which will take place as part of the upcoming "Our Space in Sport" event. This conference will also feature a student advisory board and a parallel coaches conference to enhance the experience for high school girls and non-binary athletes. Olson states, “We are working on making this program more sustainable and impactful on a broader scale.” Additionally, this fall, there will be a virtual workshop led by Dr. Marsa Daniel, teaching associate for the Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership and Leadership in Higher Education M.Ed. programs, focusing on supporting female athletes.

By building networks, providing mentorship, and addressing systemic barriers, Game Changers is reshaping the landscape of sports coaching and championing a more inclusive future. The program’s commitment to immediate support and long-term sustainability aims to create lasting systemic change, ensuring diverse coaches and athletes can thrive.

Contact

Vanessa Stone

Assistant Director for Marketing & Communications

stonevm@uw.edu

Faculty Q&A with Professor Ann Ishimaru

alxbclrk@washington.edu — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 20:58:21 +0000

Faculty Q&A with Professor Ann Ishimaru

December 19, 2023

As the newly appointed Kerry and Linda Killinger Endowed Chair in Diversity Studies, Professor Ann Ishimaru looks forward to continuing her work convening collaborative spaces of research and inquiry to advance educational justice in our schools and communities. Next month, Ishimaru and a dedicated committee of UW scholars, alumni and staff — including Professor of Practice and Director of the Leadership for Learning Program Anthony Craig and Teaching Professor and Director of the Danforth Educational Leadership Program Ann O'Doherty — will host the inaugural Leading Towards Justice Symposium on January 19-20, 2024 in the Husky Union Building. The symposium will build on the Leading Towards Justice Series begun in 2022, and invites scholars, practitioners, educators and leaders to share their work and evolve our collective leadership practices of justice-seeking in education.

Learn more about the symposium and Professor Ishimaru’s vision for educational justice in our Q&A with her. Please note that responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

The symposium asks participants to engage the question, “How do we lead towards justice within these territories?” Can you elaborate on this central question and its criticality in the work you and your colleagues do?

This question really emerged not only from my own research, teaching and partnerships, but also the work that many of us do at the ��ߺ��, as we seek to grow and support the leadership of our students in their schools, systems and communities. We know that leadership is crucial in efforts to disrupt longstanding racial and intersecting inequities in educational systems. But disruption alone is insufficient; leading towards justice calls us to set our sights beyond the system as we know it and towards realizing futures that are “answerable” (as Leigh Patel would say) to young people, families and communities and to the knowledge and learning on these Indigenous lands, in particular.

For ourselves and our students, that means developing ongoing, sustained relationships with communities, especially those systematically marginalized or erased. It means discarding heroic, individualistic approaches to leadership and instead moving collectively and relationally with others in the challenging work of fostering well-being and wholeness for young people and the adults who support them. And it means transforming systems and our own practices towards more expansive visions of the possible.

The symposium will feature a keynote conversation with scholars Michelle Jacob, Dana Nickson and Betina Hsieh. Why is it important to create spaces for collaborative conversations through this keynote as well as throughout the symposium?

We refer to this collective engagement as an “un-keynote” because we wanted to provide a platform for these three scholars that does justice to their brilliance while also enabling them to model the collective knowledge-building and change-making we see as core to the work of leadership. We deliberately invited scholars whose work seeks to realize justice in these territories, because leading is always contextual and because we wanted to push back on the notion that expertise resides solely in luminaries from afar — lucky for us, they are right here!

Dr. Jacob, a member of the Yakama Nation, traces her leadership and educational work around Indigenous well-being on these lands back to her ancestors since time immemorial. Dr. Nickson, who has taught in the ��ߺ�� since 2020, will bring her scholarship on Black student and family knowledges, geographies and placemaking into the conversation. Meanwhile, Dr. Hsieh will have just arrived at the UW as the new Boeing Endowed Chair of Teacher Education, and we are delighted to introduce her to our community and can’t wait to witness the synergies between her work in teacher identity, teachers of color and critical digital literacies with the work of the other two scholars. We feel that the very act of bringing these scholars and aunties together to share knowledge and space with each other and with us is an act of critical hope in this moment.

What do you and your co-organizers hope participants will contribute to the symposium as well as learn and take with them to their communities?

Our committee has been very intentional about ensuring that this symposium is not a typical talking-heads conference with a couple of “experts” lecturing behind a podium. Rather, we have designed the symposium with the presumption that everyone brings crucial expertise to the challenging work of transforming education. Thus, participants will learn with facilitators and have opportunities to interact, move, connect, remember, bear witness, imagine — and cultivate joy amid times of enormous challenge and weight. The concurrent sessions will be led by current Leadership for Learning Ed.D. students on topics as broad-ranging as student voice, restorative practices, Indigenous knowledge in schools, humanizing data, justice in instructional leadership, BIPOC women in leadership, Theater of the Oppressed, transforming state agencies, and inquiries into identity, well-being and vulnerability in leadership.

Thanks to Collective Liberation in Practice and Franklin Elementary School Principal Constance Daw, we are also delighted to screen elementary student-created films centered on narratives of Black liberation and Indigenous Sovereignty that connect educational justice to food, housing, creativity, land, water and language.

Through our collective learning, we hope to catalyze a sustained network of leaders that weaves across our different degrees, certifications and programs to build community and solidarities between current students, alumni, faculty, educators, youth and community members.

As the newly appointed Kerry and Linda Killinger Endowed Chair in Diversity Studies, what is your vision for the College’s advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion and how do you imagine leveraging your position to support it?

I want to deeply appreciate the first and original holder of this chair, Professor Emeritus James A. Banks. His work has been so influential across all of education — I think many of us can quite easily say that without his and his Center’s work for decades, our own work would not be possible. It is a credit to James and Cherry Banks’ profound (and ongoing!) contributions that the field continues to evolve as we work to transform and realize more just educational systems. I look forward to continuing that legacy by leveraging this chair to support the Just Educational Leadership Institute’s work of cultivating cross-racial leadership and solidarities in our communities and schools — a vital effort especially as external political forces seek to undermine or suppress equity-focused learning, dialogue and change. Thanks to the ��ߺ��’s collective of leadership programs, the Corbally Fund, and Kerry and Linda Killinger, the Leading Towards Justice Symposium is one of the ways that legacy is already bearing fruit!

Anything else you’d like to add?

If you are a student, educator, or community member who cares about education and the role of leadership in catalyzing more just schools, we hope you’ll join us! The symposium is an unparalleled opportunity to explore what our multiple leadership programs have to offer and to learn and grow community in this work.

The Leading Towards Justice Symposium is hosted by the ��ߺ��’s Danforth Educational Leadership Program, Leadership for Learning Program and the Educational Foundations, Leadership and Policy area with support from the Corbally Fund and the Just Ed Leadership Institute. Register for the symposium here.

The Kerry and Linda Killinger Endowed Chair in Diversity Studies will ensure the ��ߺ�� maintains its national prominence in diversity studies, multicultural education and community-centric research to advance educational equity in Washington state and beyond. Established through a gift from The Kerry and Linda Killinger Foundation, this endowment permanently sustains the College’s capacity to recruit and retain national luminaries and advances efforts to diversify the College’s faculty body. Additionally, the endowment continues the legacy of impact begun by “the father of multicultural education” Professor Emeritus James A. Banks and will unite and lead efforts across the College related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Contact

Charleen Wilcox

Director for Marketing & Communications

wilcoxc@uw.edu

High Tech Meets High Touch

alxbclrk@washington.edu — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 23:34:48 +0000

High Tech Meets High Touch

Published

September 18, 2019

Paraprofessionals do vital work but lack access to professional development. Researchers at the ��ߺ��'s Haring Center for Inclusive Education are taking a novel approach to make coaching more available to educators.

Let's do this together

alxbclrk@washington.edu — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 23:33:07 +0000

Let's do this together

Published

September 18, 2018

Centering the lifeways and very lives of communities denied educational justice will be the focus of the ��ߺ��'s Banks Center for Educational Justice. Professor Django Paris, the inaugural director of the center, discusses the promise of advancing educational justice.

Driving diversity with data

alxbclrk@washington.edu — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 23:31:28 +0000

Driving diversity with data

Published

September 13, 2019

In Seattle Public Schools, strengthening support for first-year teachers is an essential element of diversifying its workforce, with research assistance from the ��ߺ�� ߺ��. First-year teacher Halle Mahlik and her mentor Lana Sumner, along with Professor Min Sun, discuss the school district's Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) program and the importance of supporting teachers of color who are entering the profession.

Principals Matter

alxbclrk@washington.edu — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 23:30:01 +0000

Principals Matter

Published

January 19, 2020

The ��ߺ�� Center for Educational Leadership's Max Silverman and Joanna Michelson discuss how the center partnered with Blaine School District to develop a shared vision for instructional improvement, equip Blaine’s instructional leaders with tools to aid teachers in their professional growth and more.

Piecing together the puzzle | A conversation about literacy and intellectual disability

alxbclrk@washington.edu — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 23:28:05 +0000

Piecing together the puzzle | A conversation about literacy and intellectual disability

Published

September 18, 2020

��ߺ�� ߺ�� Professor Roxanne Hudson, Research Assistant Ali Wilhelm, and Down Syndrome Community of Puget Sound Vice President Alison Burchett discuss their involvement in The Reading Development Project. Through this project, UW ��ߺ�� researchers are partnering with families and school districts in Washington state to better understand the ways in which students with intellectual disability learn to read.

Unite:Ed alliance | Advancing educational opportunities for underserved communities together

alxbclrk@washington.edu — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 23:19:40 +0000

Unite:Ed alliance | Advancing educational opportunities for underserved communities together

Published

September 18, 2020

The ��ߺ��’s ��ߺ�� commitment to create authentic and impactful relationships with community partners, tribes and school districts led to the creation of the College’s Unite:Ed alliance. Established in 2017, Unite:Ed brings together families, community leaders, practicing educators and researchers in long-term collaborations to co-design solutions to the issues that matter to our partners. This effort is strengthening justice-oriented research practice partnerships with the goal of advancing educational opportunities for historically underserved and marginalized communities.

Truth and Excellence: Teachers bringing their best

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 03:45:10 +0000

Truth and Excellence: Teachers bringing their best

January 17, 2023

As part of a team-building activity at the start of the school year, students in Carlos Garcia's fifth-grade classroom create posters with positive affirmations about bilingual education.

"I am a role model, a leader, a father figure," says Antonio "Tone" Morton, a Cleveland High School special education teacher.

"I can create a classroom where people love being," says Will Powell, a resource teacher at Chief Sealth International High School.

“I have a passion for dual language education and a love for teaching social studies." says Carlos Garcia, a fifth-grade teacher at a Spanish-English dual-language school in the Bellevue School District. “It is important for students to learn from multiple perspectives and get the full story when learning about our history.”

"Leading is like having a buffet of food. What is it you need? Let's eat together, let's grow together," says Salvador Gomez, who teaches Spanish and culture to middle schoolers in the Highline School District.

Morton and Powell completed a master's in education in UW’s Special Education Teacher Education Program (TEP) and Garcia and Gomez completed a master’s in teaching in UW’s Elementary Education TEP program. In addition to influencing and inspiring students in the classroom, these leader-educators also changed the TEP programs for the better.

Welcoming, Hearing, Seeing

When Powell was a sophomore in high school, he finally had a class he loved. It was a Spanish class, and it wasn't easy. "I felt respected," he says. "I enjoyed the environment. The teacher had high expectations." It made him imagine what school could have been like for him and his friends if they had felt seen and valued in all their classes.

"I was put on this earth to motivate them," Morton says of his work with young people after describing being supported at home but doubted at school. When he ran after-school programs, enrolling hundreds of students, a teacher encouraged him to go further. "She saw more in me than I saw in myself," he says. First, he became a paraeducator, helping kids who struggled to understand math. Then he connected with the Academy for Rising Educators (ARE), going on to UW so he could do more. "I'm connecting resources, building relationships, making change and changing the narrative," says Morton.

By unapologetically coming into spaces, being ourselves and still using slang, showing a different perception of what it means to be a teacher, it switches the trajectory of what students can do with their own lives.

"There's just not many teachers like us," says Powell. "By unapologetically coming into spaces, being ourselves and still using slang, showing a different perception of what it means to be a teacher, it switches the trajectory of what students can do with their own lives."

Gomez describes his desire to break free of assumptions about trauma being the same across racial and ethnic groups. He's also tired of so much emphasis on narratives of oppression and wants more focus on the many ways people are growing and prospering in community. "Leading doesn't mean I need to lead the discussion," he says. "I like to get to the core of being a human being with people. If we aren't okay emotionally, we're not going to be able to progress as a community."

After feeling like people were always making assumptions about him and his abilities in school, Garcia eagerly gives his students something different. "This month, I've been pushing my students to think critically about everything and to think about the conversation and who it impacts," he says. "There are different ways we can help one another."

Taking Care of the Teachers

It's precisely this intelligence, life experience, empathy, schooling, and wisdom that all students need in their teachers. Now, they need it even more, after the long pandemic years, meeting the moment and imagining how they might lead into the future. Like the stories of Morton, Powell, Garcia and Gomez, research shows that students thrive when they can see themselves in and relate to their teachers. But the teachers themselves also need support.

To attract, train and keep educators who reflect the demographics and needs of students requires attending to many parts in a complex system. Programs certifying teachers must be accessible through recruitment and affordability. Once candidates enter a program, they need relevant materials and welcoming faculty and classmates. When teachers become certified, there is also the piece of feeling welcome and having support in the educational settings where they work. Then the cycle must repeat and grow with more students seeing the pathway open before them as they become inspired to teach.

Salvador Gomez poses for a selfie with his students.

Initial funding has helped to further many of these efforts in the UW TEP programs. While a recruitment specialist position is still open, Gwen Sweeney serves as the teacher candidate retention and support specialist. In 2020, the first cohort of 16 students received full-tuition scholarships as Diversifying the Educator Workforce (DEW) Fellows. Having graduated from the Special Education program more than fifteen years ago, Sweeney has a unique perspective. "I can see transformation," she says. “We’re not where we want to be yet, but we’re definitely different from 2005.”

Sweeney describes how the TEP programs are shorter than many degree programs but more intense. Her job is to normalize support and resources, meeting students' needs from applying to paying to attending. "How do we better set up folks for success early on?" she asks. "Directors can change the format or structure of a class, spread the class into two quarters if a lot of students need more time, address issues with financial aid, layer upon layer of systems that we have to keep chipping away and changing how things work."

How do we better set up folks for success early on?

Another critical piece is partnering with other institutions. Seattle Public Schools ARE collaborates with the City of Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) to identify high school seniors and recent graduates, staff, and community members who may want to teach. Suppose these candidates commit to teaching for four years in SPS. In that case, the program pays for their tuition and teacher certification at Central Washington University, City University, North Seattle College, Seattle Central College and the ��ߺ��. Additionally, all these programs have the potential to work together in their support and funding options as students advance toward their goals in various programs of study.

The cohort model in classes is also crucial, so the students have a network of supportive colleagues. With more students of color comes a more dynamic environment and more feedback. "For me, as a Black student, when I was with only one or two other Black students in a class, I didn’t feel comfortable speaking up honestly about my experiences," says Sweeney. “We will get more feedback as we have larger groups of students with under-represented identities."

Mentoring is another way to increase networks of support. Garcia's principal asked him if he would become a mentor after his third year of teaching, and he's continued since then. "I love it," he says. "The student I mentored last year is now a 4th-grade teacher here. It's nice because I can help future educators and also help dual language teachers better their practice."

Next Generation Rising

Dual language is another area with lots of planned growth in the coming years. Since 2017, the UW's Elementary Teacher Education program (ELTEP) has credentialed more than 50 bilingually endorsed teachers. Associate Teaching Professor Teddi Beam-Conroy emphasizes the importance of dual language in preparing educators committed to racial and linguistic justice.

Beam-Conroy’s leadership on behalf of UW at the state level has influenced an initiative recently announced by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal to increase the number of dual language teachers so that all K-8 Washington students have access to dual language education by 2040. This commitment continues investments to expand the dual language workforce and dual language programs made by the Washington State Legislature since 2015.

Gomez wants to break any existing ideas of what a dual language teacher should or shouldn't be. He remembers a time in school when Spanish language teachers would ask students only to speak Spanish — solo Español. But he also had the experience in elementary school of a teacher saying that he couldn't speak Spanish.

As a teacher, Gomez embraces the cultural richness that comes from being first-generation or fifth-generation and speaking multiple languages or mixing them in new ways. "Sometimes we have 5 to 10 minutes of Spanglish, or Viet-English, or Vietnamese, Spanish and English. That's what it is to bring your culture into the classroom, getting to be you and figuring out who you are in the process," he says.

In Garcia’s district, dual language classrooms are taught in a 50-50% model. The program is very intentional in forming classes with half native Spanish speakers and half non-native speakers, with an emphasis on supporting multilingual learners. The focus in these classrooms is on learning grade level content while also bridging both languages and building students sociocultural competence. “My students have been doing a wonderful job with that,” he says.

In all of this, there's the sense that some things are changing, but there's still so much to do. Morton and Powell talk about navigating the many challenges. Powell mentions that he has 27 students on his Individualized Education Program (IEP) caseload, making it difficult to support them in the ways he wants to. Morton explains that there wasn’t enough time to collaborate and build a relationship with his co-teacher. “I also have a huge IEP caseload with 25 students, which makes it difficult with co-teaching,” he says. “Teachers need to understand each other’s teaching style to serve each student to the best of our abilities.”

It's the job of programs like TEP, with people in positions like Sweeney’s, to continue to listen and evolve and share the load of making real a future equal to the hard work and excellence these leaders bring and the next generation they inspire.

"I feel like when we were coming up, we saw the teacher as the all-knowing," says Powell. "What I love about this generation is they are so much more outspoken. I tell them I don't have all the answers. I'm learning from you all."

Contact

Charleen Wilcox

Director for Marketing & Communications

wilcoxc@uw.edu