Q&A

"Cool courses" spotlight: EDUC 300: Community in education: Teaching and organizing

alxbclrk@washington.edu — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 10:18:43 +0000

"Cool courses" spotlight: EDUC 300: Community in education: Teaching and organizing

January 30, 2024

In this "cool courses" spotlight, Assistant Teaching Professor Edmundo Aguilar, Ph.D. shares information about a new special topics course he is looking forward to teaching called "Community in education: Teaching and organizing." Offered for the first time at the ��ߺ�� during spring 2024 quarter, the course does not have any prerequisites and is open to all undergraduate students at the ��ߺ��. Applying a Chicanx decolonial and humanizing framework, the course encourages students to discover the transformative potential of teaching and organizing, equipping them with the tools to bring about positive social change in their communities. The course will integrate classroom learning with fieldwork including interviews with teachers, activists and community organizers to help students bridge the gap between theory and practice. Learn more in our Q&A with Aguilar. Please note that responses have been lighted edited for length and clarity.

What makes this a "cool course" for undergraduate students? Who would benefit from taking it and why?

Even though this class is through the lens of a Chicanx decolonial framework, it will benefit every person who enrolls. The course content upholds principles of inclusion and belonging, creating a healthy learning environment where every student can reach their full potential and work toward living dignified lives in and with their communities. Decolonial education fosters educational environments that nurture a culture of rehumanization, with self-love being a fundamental concept within this framework. Furthermore, this class draws on Chicanx ancestral knowledge that fosters balance and harmony among all living creatures in an interdependent relationship. In essence, it doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from or what your background is, we need each other moving forward.

What are some of the authors, texts or other materials that students will encounter? How will these challenge or deepen their understanding of the world?

This class is drawing from a praxis-oriented model for teachers and community organizers called TIAHUI (Nahuatl for “moving forward”). This framework originates from the historical struggle for Ethnic Studies in Tucson. Despite the dismantlement of the Mexican American/Raza Studies Department (MARSD) in the school district, a collective (XITO) has emerged, creating a living archive of resistance. They have successfully trained thousands of educators, organizers, school counselors and administrators. This UW ��ߺ�� course will mainly draw from the work of the XITO collective and foundational and up and coming scholars in the field of liberatory education.

What do you want students to contribute to the course and what do you hope they will take away?

I want my students to continuously strive to discover their life’s purpose and develop a love for themselves, their families and their community. I hope they will willingly share their lived experiences to contribute to the discussions, so we all can learn and grow together as a classroom community.

How do you like to learn with your students? What's your approach to the classroom environment and the roles within it?

My teaching style is rooted in Critical Pedagogy. This pedagogy creates an environment of mutual respect, love and understanding, and leads students toward liberation. Our students are constantly teaching us how to be better teachers. We just have to listen to them. Also, I always work toward seeing the students’ humanity before seeing the student. They let us know that trust goes a long way.

Contact

Charleen Wilcox

Director for Marketing & Communications

wilcoxc@uw.edu

Alumnus William Jackson, Ed.D. '21 named 2024 Washington State Secondary Principal of the Year

alxbclrk@washington.edu — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 21:31:54 +0000

Alumnus William Jackson, Ed.D. '21 named 2024 Washington State Secondary Principal of the Year

November 28, 2023

Alumnus William Jackson, Ed.D. '21 has been recognized as the 2024 Washington State Secondary Principal of the Year by the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP). AWSP is a K-12 organization and each year recognizes two winners, one elementary and one secondary principal, as its Washington State Principals of the Year. Jackson will also be recognized nationally by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) in Washington, D.C. next year where he will compete with winners from other states for the NASSP’s National Principal of the Year award.

Jackson is a graduate of the ��ߺ��'s Leadership for Learning (L4L) program and currently serves as principal of Nathan Hale High School in Seattle Public Schools. He has been a school leader for seven years and leads with his strong belief that “honoring the brilliance of [his] students by centering their voice in curricular and school design is the justice-centered approach that leads to high engagement in learning and strong academic outcomes.” He received a record-breaking number of nominations from colleagues for this recognition. Nominations included phrases such as “transformational leadership,” “connector of people,” “loved and admired” and “deserves to be recognized with this great honor.” Brent Jones, Ph.D., superintendent of Seattle Public Schools and Jackson's supervisor, affirmed Jackson “has a clear vision of how to systemically build climate for equity, justice and academic outcomes” and that he leads with humbleness, intentionality and steadfastness resulting in “bold outcomes.”

In addition to his leadership at Nathan Hale High School, Jackson serves as an instructor in the L4L and Danforth Educational Leadership programs.

Learn more about Jackson's leadership journey in our Q&A with him. Please note that responses have been lighted edited for length and clarity.

How do you aim to show up in your role? What have you learned is important about how you support your school, staff and students and cultivate a community of learning?

For my daily sustenance, I focus each day on fulfilling my “why”— advancing equity, access, justice and service through radical love. Moreover, my goal is to be consistent every day with the small things, such as greetings and my presence in the community. I have learned that being visible and present goes a long way in creating a community that is belonging and safe, which ultimately will lead to high academic outcomes. For example, each student I see I make sure to stop and say “Good morning, have a great day” or “How was your learning for the day?” and “Have a great afternoon, looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.” If I am observing a class, I like to ask students how they are experiencing the learning, what they are learning and how they are being graded. For educators, similarly, I like to ask questions like “How was that last class for you?” and “How is your morning?”

I have learned that the most important part of my community for students, educators and families is collaboration. Furthermore, centering student voice in decisions, collaborating with educators to make consensus-based decisions and centering family and community voice in hiring, staffing, budgeting and scheduling have all represented the justice-centered approach that I see has had the strongest impact on academic outcomes.

How did your experiences at the UW — and specifically your experience in the L4L program — shape your work and/or outlook today? Was there a specific experience, course or assignment that sparked something important for you or otherwise supported your leadership journey?

My experience as a student in our Leadership For Learning program was life changing. Any course with Drs. Anthony Craig and Ann Ishimaru really pushed me and my cohort (L4L 7) to take justice-centered risks, but also to understand our movement within our decisions and risks. For example, in taking a justice-centered approach to a school or district budget, I learned from Dr. Craig and Dr. Ishimaru how to slow down, take a cycle of inquiry approach where I learned to listen to students furthest from educational justice about what their academic needs are, listen to family and community about what their academic needs are, then take steps to collaborate with my staff focused on the data that students and families shared in order to make justice-centered decisions. Moreover, I learned from Dr. Craig and Dr. Ishimaru how to leverage tension and hold angst while fighting for justice and futurity, regardless of the current climate. I learned deeply that this learning was to understand where I was situated in my decisions, in how my leadership moves impacted others. Was I a passive onlooker as a leader while hoping for justice to happen? Or was I active in taking a stance to address inequities? I hold this learning consistently as I lead, teach and mentor. I am privileged to have the opportunity to come back and teach for the Leadership for Learning program with these principles centered in my teaching. I also teach for the Danforth program as well, so what I learned from Dr. Craig and Dr. Ishimaru is how to show up in all my areas of leadership and growth.

What do you enjoy most about your role as a principal and leader in your community?

First, I find the most joy in bonding with my administrative team, Makela Steward-Monroe and Jessica Proctor. They are lightning rods in education and make the job fun and engaging. Secondly, I enjoy learning and growing with students, learning about the new challenges faced by each class and generation, and supporting them as they push me to be a better educator and leader. Lastly, I enjoy learning from our Nathan Hale educators. The ideas and challenges they bring always keeps me inspired and on my toes.

Is there anything that has stood out to you about returning to the College as an instructor in the L4L and Danforth programs? What has that experience been like for you to return and partner with your former faculty mentors in a new capacity?

This has been inspiring. Specifically, what has stood out to me in returning to the College as an instructor in the L4L and Danforth programs is the mentorship and support I have received from my colleagues, former professors and now peers. Being in faculty meetings with my former teachers has been fun and exciting, especially as they see me as their peer. It is really affirming. Lastly, I am always inspired by educators continuing their education, so having an opportunity to teach courses that school and district leaders are inspired by lifts me and motivates me to continue to learn and grow.

Contact

Charleen Wilcox

Director for Marketing & Communications

wilcoxc@uw.edu

Inaugural Northwest Early Learning and Pyramid Model Summit convenes

alxbclrk@washington.edu — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 21:25:05 +0000

Inaugural Northwest Early Learning and Pyramid Model Summit convenes

November 28, 2023

The 2023 Northwest Early Learning and Pyramid Model Summit drew hundreds of educators from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska earlier this month for in-depth learning and networking to promote young children's social emotional development and equity in early learning. During in-person and virtual sessions offered over multiple days in early November, early childhood administrators, coaches, behavior specialists and state teams delved deeply into ideas and collaborated with regional educators during sessions focused on specific aspects of Pyramid Model implementation and systems-level supports. Attendees discussed the unique needs and opportunities across urban and rural communities; planned for coordination across childcare, public school, special education, mental health and community agencies; and discussed how to build racially just and culturally and linguistically responsive approaches to Pyramid Model implementation in communities across our region. More than 150 people registered for pre-summit sessions and close to 400 registered for the full in-person summit hosted in Seattle, while the virtual sessions drew up to 100 individuals each.

The summit featured presentations from several ��ߺ�� alumni, staff and faculty including Haring Center Education Specialist Em Dandridge, M.Ed. '20; former Director of My Brother's Teacher William White, Ph.D. '21; Assistant Teaching Professor of Justice in Early Learning Jamie Cho, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of Special Education Angel Fettig, Ph.D.; Haring Center Senior Director of Professional Development and Training Ariane Gauvreau, Ph.D.; and Haring Center Research Scientist Jennifer Baumingham, Ph.D.

Kathleen Meeker, Ph.D., associate professor and director of research for the Haring Center for Inclusive Education, co-organized the summit with support from faculty and staff at the ��ߺ��. ConnectEd's Kenda Lomax and Jael Gibbs ensured the event ran smoothly and attendees' experiences were positive.

Learn more about the triumphs and lessons from the inaugural Northwest Early Learning and Pyramid Model Summit and plans for future summits in our Q&A with Meeker. Please note that responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Now that the summit has concluded, what are some of the lessons or takeaways that you will use to guide planning for the next event and/or incorporate into your work now?

As we were planning the summit, we leaned on other models that we had seen nationally and in other regions of the country. This really helped us feel like we weren’t building something brand new. We were building on momentum that had already brought us together in the past and had worked well. But as we built out the summit, I think we built more confidence to try new things and make sure this summit truly served educators in communities across the Pacific Northwest. For example, each afternoon we had local “success story” panels that featured educators and coaches from each state sharing their successes and challenges. The cross-state learning and connections were amazing. As we start planning the next summit, I’m particularly excited to keep building awareness of local expertise and creating opportunities for programs to share with one another.

What did you hear or observe during the summit that excited, challenged or sparked something for you? And for the participants?

A highlight for me was our opening keynote session with Dr. Martina Whelshula, Cree Whelshula and Dr. Mary Louise Hemmeter. Their heartfelt conversation about the future of the Pyramid Model in our region set the tone for the entire summit. The Whelshulas challenged each of us to recognize cultural and linguistic bias in our daily interactions and to approach each child with what Cree Whelshula called “radical love.” Dr. Hemmeter inspired us to think about the ways our region can lead and inform national efforts.

What was some of the feedback you heard from attendees?

I'm delighted to share the following feedback from a couple of our attendees:

"The conference was FANASTIC! Every single session I attended was wonderful — presenters were so engaging, had great real-life examples and were so approachable. Thank you!"

"This was a powerful testament to the strength of regional collaboration and engagement. I loved that it was small and that there were opportunities to talk with partners and professionals across the early learning system and with national researchers."

Are there plans to organize the summit as an annual event? If so, can you share anything about upcoming planning or goals?

The summit has been a dream of leaders in our region for many years, so we are energized to carry this summit forward as a regular event — either annually or every other year. The Oregon team has offered to “host” the next event, so we are beginning to look at what it will take to rotate the summit around our region. The planning teams from Oregon, Alaska, Idaho and Washington have been amazing partners, and it is exciting to think about how this summit can be carried forward in ways that reflect the unique contexts of each state and community.

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