This workshop will introduce participants to a model of community-engaged partnership and scholarship that includes critical race theory strategies and a leadership framework that bridges K-12 and higher education settings. Based on two partnerships developed in Salt Lake City and San Antonio, you will be asked to extend your thinking on P-20 collaborations and to formulate methods for engaging with youth, parents, family members, educators, and community activists in your own community, as a starting point for developing educational pathways to higher education.
Enrique Alemán, Jr., is Professor and Chair in the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio. His research agenda includes studying the impact of educational policies on Latinx and Chicanx students and communities, the utilization of Critical Race Theories (CRTs) in educational research, and the application of community-based research methods as a way of creating pathways to higher education. Enrique is the co-author of Transforming Educational Pathways for Chicana/o Students (Teachers College Press) describing the ten-year journey he and Dr. Dolores Delgado Bernal took in creating and sustaining Adelante, a university-school-community partnership in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has published articles in Harvard Educational Review, Race Ethnicity and Education, Educational Administration Quarterly, and Equity, Excellence and Education, as well as numerous chapters in edited books. Enrique served as an Assistant Vice President for Student Equity and Diversity at University of Utah. In late 2014, he executive produced and co-wrote Stolen Education, a documentary about the forgotten history of a little-known federal desegregation court case from the 1950s, Hernandez et al. v. Driscoll Consolidated School District (1957). A first-generation college student, Enrique earned his Ph.D. in Educational Administration, with a concentration in Educational Policy and Planning, a doctoral certification in Mexican American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.
Educators oftentimes feel ill-equipped and paralyzed when encountering racial microaggressions in their classrooms. This workshop sets the stage for effectively engaging difficult dialogues on race by contracting educators to commit to the collective goal of addressing racial microaggressions when they occur in educational spaces. Participants will learn how partaking in productive race-based discourse can be an emancipatory practice for both white individuals and people of color (both students and teachers). An opportunity will be presented for a live discourse to take place, to help illustrate ways in which discussions on race can be approached. By applying these skills in their respective educational settings, educators and administrators can interrupt the recapitulation of racial trauma experienced by students of color that assail their racial identity and hinder their psychological and educational progress.
Mariel Buque is a Ph.D. Candidate in Counseling Psychology at Teachers College - Columbia University. Her clinical, research, and advocacy work foci are centered on the advancement of culturally responsive clinical and pedagogical interventions and on addressing racial health disparities by increasing access points to mental health for people of color. The Association for Hispanic Mental Health Professionals has recently recognized her for her consultative work and practice around the delivery of culturally and linguistically appropriate services for racial-ethnic minorities within healthcare institutions. She is a former Behavioral Health Integration Fellow of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), where she was involved in the integration and delivery of mental health services within multidisciplinary medical clinics at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. Mariel has additionally served a 2-year term as the Conference Coordinator for the Cross-Cultural Winter Roundtable Conference, which is devoted solely to cultural issues and social justice advocacy in the areas of psychology and education. She is currently serving in her role as Mental Health Program Coordinator within the New York City Mayor’s Fund (C2C) Connections to Care Program, where she helps facilitate the implementation of mental health services at a community based organization in NYC.
The ever growing linguistic and leadership makeup of schools and communities generally propels inquiries pertaining to student needs. This is especially true for school districts that mandate innovative leadership within language diversity. Concurrently, the recent political climate fuels an increased attention to ask ourselves, “Are we well equipped to be as inclusive and globally competent as we need to be?” In reality, despite our best intentions, some of our most significant efforts to better prepare teachers via language and leadership initiatives there is still an evolving need to increase active participation of learning communities through continuous engagement. This interactive session provides authentic conversations about how leadership intersects with language diversity for the purpose of fostering inclusive environments in schools. It also focuses on basic instructional and school community needs in an effort to develop intercultural relationships that will assist and enhance communication across school communities. The session will also cover leadership discourses around: the impact of school improvement via cultural competencies; the stages of organizational change that must happen for authentic inclusion to be institutionalized; developing and sustaining an inclusionary culture within the school building; and whose responsibility is it to adapt?
Soribel Genao is associate professor in Queens College’s Department of Educational & Community Programs, where she trains future school administrators. She works with schools in inner-city communities, like the one she grew up in, and also in some of the poorest communities in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Recently, she launched the first Educational Leadership Program with Advance Bilingual Extension program at Queens College. Soribel’s research centers on education policy, collaborative measurement and administrative and organizational behavior. She is currently in the preliminary stages of creating a study abroad program for Queens College pre-service teachers who are interested in developing a cross-instructional curriculum for both Haitian and American student populations. Soribel holds a master’s degree in urban affairs from Hunter College, City University of New York, and a doctorate in public administration from Rutgers University.
Luana Y. Ferreira is a New York State Empire Fellow serving as the Chief of Staff for the Deputy Secretary for Licensing and Corporations, where she enlists stakeholders and Hispanic leaders to plan, develop and execute outreach and community development, focusing on the Hispanic/Latino community. Luana began her career as a New York City Teaching Fellow, working with school districts as a teacher, staff developer, and data specialist. An advocate for closing the achievement gap, Luana has also worked for Summer on the Hill, I Have a Dream Foundation and Alianza Dominicana’s Summer Youth Employment program, all non-profit entities that support student success focusing on disenfranchised and bilingual populations. Luana received her M.S. Ed. from the City College of New York and her Doctorate in Hispanic Linguistics from the City University of New York Graduate Center.
One of the most important aspects of leading culturally relevant practice is ongoing work around diversity and identity with staff. To train teachers and staff to think about multiple perspectives, they have to be in the practice of doing that work themselves. In this workshop, we'll talk about an approach to "staff diversity training" that creates deeper level, on-going development for building a safe and trusting environment where staff will be able to discuss concepts of identity and diversity. We'll spend time thinking about how staff support can impact the classroom community and the relevance of this against our national landscape. Participants will leave having done some thinking about how this work relates to their own sites.
Sahba Rohani is Director of Community Development at Community Roots, a progressive, integrated, and inclusive K-8 school in Brooklyn, New York, where she was a founding teacher eleven years ago. Her work focuses on engaging staff, students, and families in the community building processes necessary to create an integrated school community where different perspectives are honored. This work is further explained in the 2014 book: A Smarter Charter. She recently helped launch RootsConnectED, an initiative to support intentional practices of integration in desegregated schools. She holds an MA in International Education: Family and Community Development from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Michael Gervais is a fifth grade teacher at Community Roots Charter School. He studied elementary and special education at Rhode Island College and graduated with a masters degree from the literacy specialist program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Michael has taught first and second grade, as well as fifth, and has been facilitating professional development around New York City for the past several years. He is the author of the children's book The Barefoot Champion.
In this workshop, you will be introduced to a framework for leadership in schools for diverse students. You’ll apply the framework in analyzing a school you care about and in identifying key tasks and strategies for leaders who hope to create and sustain inclusive schooling that honors difference and supports engagement and achievement for all. This workshop is appropriate for principals, assistant principals, teachers, parents, and others who provide school-based leadership.
Carolyn J. Riehl is Associate Professor in the Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a sociologist of education with special interests in organizational dynamics in schools and school systems, diversity and equity in schooling, public engagement, policies and practices for instructional management, and education leadership. She has been a high-school English teacher and has held faculty appointments at the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Dr. Riehl co-chaired an American Educational Research Association task force whose work culminated in a book co-edited with William Firestone, A New Agenda for Research in Educational Leadership. Her grant-funded research work has included an evaluation study of principal preparation programs with innovative university–school district relationships, a study of teachers’ use of information on students, a program evaluation of dropout prevention services, and a study of place-based, cross-sector collaborations for education. Her work has appeared in journals including Educational Researcher, Sociology of Education, American Journal of Education, Review of Educational Research, American Educational Research Journal, Educational Administration Quarterly, and in numerous edited volumes.
IntegrateNYC4me is a student-led organization that brings students from segregated schools together to investigate the impact of segregation and design solutions for integration. This workshop will share the organizational structure, political frameworks, pedagogical materials, and relationships that have yielded unprecedented connection, youth leadership, and political action by New York City public school students in the school integration movement. We will share the process of co-creating the platform for NYC’s first Youth Council on School Integration with a class of students from District 7 of the South Bronx, along with the opportunities, experiences, and classes that impacted students most and engaged them most deeply. Participants will leave with a student-generated toolkit for organizing youth for integration, special invitations to local and national opportunities to join the work of IntegrateNYCme, and stories of the personal and community transformation made possible by the work of elevating young people in the movement to integrate schools.
Kevin Guerrero and Christian Rivera, who will co-facilitate this workshop, are student advocates with IntegrateNYC4me representing New York City District 7. They identify as future politicians and education reformists. Sarah Camiscoli, Founder and Executive Director of IntegrateNYC4me, is a former ESL teacher.
New York State is one of the most socioeconomically and racially diverse states in the country, but more than 60 years after Brown v. Board of Education, New York State is one of the most segregated states in the country. According to 2010 data, White students on average attend a school where 80% of their peers are White and only 30% of their peers are low-income. Meanwhile, over half of Black and Latino students attend schools where fewer than 10% of their peers are White, and Black and Latino students on average attend a school where 70% of their peers are low-income. Research has found that segregated schools produce lower educational achievement and attainment for students of color and low-income students, and socioeconomic and racial integration leads to higher academic outcomes for all students and closes the achievement gap for students of different racial backgrounds.
The mission of the New York State Board of Regents is to ensure that every child has equitable access to the highest quality educational opportunities, services and supports in schools that provide highly effective instruction aligned to the state’s standards, as well as positive learning environments so that each child is prepared for success in college, career, and citizenship. Promoting socioeconomic and racial integration is a powerful mechanism to achieve these goals. As such, the New York State Education Department is taking steps to encourage school districts to voluntarily implement school integration strategies to promote equity and improve student outcomes. Currently, the Department is soliciting public feedback on a proposed state diversity statement, as well as considering strategies to promote school integration under the Every Student Succeeds Act. This presentation will provide an overview of these ongoing efforts.
Zack Mezera brings on-the-ground organizing experience to his role as co-founder and executive director of the Providence Student Union (PSU), a youth-led education advocacy organization in Providence, RI. Since 2010 he has supported youth leaders to build student power to ensure young people a fair say in improving their education. Over the years, PSU’s creative advocacy campaigns have changed state-level policies, moved millions of dollars toward public education priorities, and won student-centered learning-based reforms at the local level. Zack also serves on the Providence Ethics Commission, and is a founding Board member of the Rhode Island Working Families Party.
Taiwo Demola is a junior at Classical High School and represents CHS as a delegate in Providence Student Union, a youth-led education advocacy organization in Providence, RI. Taiwo currently assumes numerous roles as a representative on the Superintendent’s Student Council, a Teen Ambassador for Trinity Repertory Company, and a Member of the Principal's Inner Circle. She also serves on the Ethnic Studies Task Force, which was formed after a successful PSU campaign to introduce classes on ethnic history and culture into the Providence Public Schools Curriculum.
New York State is one of the most socioeconomically and racially diverse states in the country, but more than 60 years after Brown v. Board of Education, New York State is one of the most segregated states in the country. According to 2010 data, White students on average attend a school where 80% of their peers are White and only 30% of their peers are low-income. Meanwhile, over half of Black and Latino students attend schools where fewer than 10% of their peers are White, and Black and Latino students on average attend a school where 70% of their peers are low-income. Research has found that segregated schools produce lower educational achievement and attainment for students of color and low-income students, and socioeconomic and racial integration leads to higher academic outcomes for all students and closes the achievement gap for students of different racial backgrounds.
The mission of the New York State Board of Regents is to ensure that every child has equitable access to the highest quality educational opportunities, services and supports in schools that provide highly effective instruction aligned to the state’s standards, as well as positive learning environments so that each child is prepared for success in college, career, and citizenship. Promoting socioeconomic and racial integration is a powerful mechanism to achieve these goals. As such, the New York State Education Department is taking steps to encourage school districts to voluntarily implement school integration strategies to promote equity and improve student outcomes. Currently, the Department is soliciting public feedback on a proposed state diversity statement, as well as considering strategies to promote school integration under the Every Student Succeeds Act. This presentation will provide an overview of these ongoing efforts.
Khin Mai Aung is the Director of English Language Learner Civil Rights and Policy at the New York State Education Department (NYSED), where she enforces regulations and other laws that protect immigrant students’ access to public education, and ensure the programmatic rights of English Language Learner (ELL) students. She also works on an initiative to protect immigrant and other students from bullying, discrimination and harassment, and on a project to examine strategies to promote school integration in New York State.
Lissette M. Colón-Collins is the newly appointed Assistant Commissioner for Bilingual Education and World Languages at the NYSED. Her office provides guidance to over 700 districts, charter schools and non-public schools and implements educational programs and services for over 200,000 ELL students in New York State. In her previous role as Senior Fellow with the University of the State of New York Regents Research Fund Fellows Program she supported the implementation of statewide policy for ELLs.
Angelica M. Infante-Green is the Deputy Commissioner of NYSED’s Office of Instructional Support. Her portfolio includes overseeing the Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages; the Data Systems and Educational Technology Office; the Office of Assessment, Standards, and Curriculum; the Office of Special Education; and the Office of District and School Review.
Ira Schwartz is Assistant Commissioner for Accountability with the NYSED. The office has responsibility for School and District Accountability and Metrics, School and District Review, and programs funded under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. He is currently coordinating the development of New York State’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) application.
Arlen Benjamin-Gomez is an Engagement Manager at the Center for Public Research and Leadership at Columbia University where she leads consulting projects for education organizations. Prior, she was a Fellow at the Regents Research Fund/NYSED where she worked to improve educational services to English Language Learners in New York State. Arlen has worked with various immigrant and human rights organizations on issues such as worker’s rights, international human rights, and immigrant families’ access to education.
In many communities, parents face challenges engaging with teachers and administrators throughout the course of their children’s educational development. This can present barriers to parents who want to share their voices in educational decision-making, but feel disconnected from knowing what is happening in their kids’ schools. In Portland, Maine, students and families speak over sixty languages in the city’s school system and 35 percent of total enrolled students speak a language other than English in their homes. Portland Empowered, an organization supported by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, brings together parents, public schools and community members in face-to-face round-table conversations to help bridge the gap families often experience when they do not have a say in the decisions affecting their children. In this session, we will share how parents and educators can build relationships through community conversations to benefit families, teachers, administrators and students. Teachers in the audience will learn how they can create welcoming and engaging spaces with parents, whereas parents will leave the workshop with insights for working with families as advocates on behalf of their children’s educational interests.
Delia Arellano-Weddleton joined the Nellie Mae Education Foundation as a Fellow in the Associated Grant Makers Diversity Fellowship Program in 2007. As Senior Program Officer she oversees the Foundation’s extensive youth and parent organizing portfolio, in addition to serving on the Foundation’s Systems Design team focused on high school redesign.
Micky Bondo, a native of the Republic Democratic of Congo, is a French and Lingala interpreter for the Portland Public Schools system. She is also a Coalition Parent Leader Organizer for Portland Empowered, which brings together public schools, parents and community members in order to create strong pathways for student success.
Emily Thielmann is a Policy Associate with the Cutler Institute's Youth & Community Engagement team at the University of Southern Maine. She works to leverage opportunities for community-led systems change in order to improve long-term outcomes for young people, especially those facing barriers to education or employment.
Carlos Gómez teaches Spanish at Deering High School, the most diverse secondary school in Maine. During the past decade, Deering HS transformed from a mostly monolingual, monocultural school to a vibrant multi-ethnic community where over sixty home languages are spoken and almost one-third of the students are English Language Learners.
This workshop seeks to ignite rethinking on adult learning and educational leadership development by offering a race critical perspective of mentoring, and its use as part of the leadership development of school principals and senior leaders from racially and culturally diverse backgrounds. We examine broad definitions of the terms “culturally sustaining” and “mentoring” and their use and applicability as part of adult and leadership development. The workshop provides an opportunity for practitioners and educational leadership professionals to explore the nature of cross-cultural mentoring; the philosophies of “It takes a village to raise a child”, Ubuntu, and other Africentric leadership development models; as well as the role of critical spirituality within the field of education and leadership development. Through our collective exploration in the workshop, we will strive to formulate a new and comprehensive definition of culturally sustaining mentoring that emphasizes the importance of cultural integrity, affirmation of individual uniqueness and collective racial and cultural identity as part of leadership development.
Phillip A. Smith is a mid-career, Ph.D. candidate in Education Leadership, and a member of the Institute for Urban and Minority Education (IUME) at Teachers College, Columbia University. Phillip joins Teachers College from the United Kingdom with over two decades of experience in senior-level school district administration, including significant experience in the leading and project management of nationally and locally driven educational transformational change management. A key and essential element of his work and experience has been working with and supporting the development and training of teacher leaders, school principals and student communities in a variety of contexts. His current research and work explores how race/color conscious approaches to education leadership preparation and leadership development inform rethinking and understanding of educational leadership, and global leadership competencies. Phillip has presented his work in the US and internationally, and recently has published articles in Urban Education Research and Policy Annuals and Caribbean Educational Research Journal.