EQUITY PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

  • EQUITY PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAY 2024 - 2025

    The Equity Professional Learning Day emerged from the DCTA Contract discussions in August 2022.  The contract was amended to include revisions to Article 8 - Professional Standards, and a new section, Article 31 - Equity in the School District, was incorporated into the DCTA contract.  These changes aimed at ensuring we would be held accountable for promoting equity in various aspects, which involve the creation of the District and Association Collaborative Equity Committee and the addition of an Equity Professional Learning Day to professional development days. This work is in addition to the completion of the Year 1 of the Equity Experience Modules. Detailed information can be found can be found here.

    Based on feedback from last year’s learning, the District and Association Collaborative Equity Committee, the Culture, Equity, and Leadership Team (CELT), and the Professional Learning team made adjustments to the format of this year’s learning. For the 2024 - 2025 school year,  educators will self-select a learning path to grow in their equity journey. All paths are asynchronous with the exception of the Film Study. Participants must complete reflection questions and surveys for credit.  Educators will be auto-enrolled into the first session of the year and register themselves for the remaining sessions of their learning path after completing the first session.

    OVERALL OUTCOMES

    • Intentionally reflect on one’s role in confronting and acknowledging bias and privilege. 
    • Gain resources and strategies to confront and acknowledge bias and privilege and how this contributes to individual work and the larger system.
    • Engage in sessions designed to provide tools and strategies that support school teams with providing safe spaces and building trust. 
    • Intentionally reflect on and understand the individual’s responsibility in anti-racist work, the larger system affecting that work, and the current environment and gain strategies to support my role in implementing anti-racist education.

  • The Four Pivots Year #1

    THE FOUR PIVOTS YEAR #1 | EQUITY TOOLS AND STRATEGIES

    Session Overview

    Educators will engage in the introductory session grounding in equity, self-reflection, and healing. In this session, racial equity, social equity, and educational equity are named and defined. Educators will engage in the material by providing responses to their work in these equity areas and by making a commitment to equity in their own practice. Educators will be introduced to The Four Pivots as a self-reflection and healing tool and dive deep into the component of the first pivot - From Lens to Mirror : Reflection. 

    Educators will continue engaging in content from The Four Pivots. Educators will expand understanding of the practice of reflection work by learning about the Truth and Clarity components of the first pivot From Lens to Mirror. Educators will be introduced to Colin Seale’s RACK and Six P’s for Actually Doing Something about Educational Inequities tools and apply learning by intentionally reflecting on explicit bias and the role mirror work plays in repairing the harm caused by explicit bias.

    Outcomes

    • Name and identify intersections of equity by defining racial equity, educational equity, and social equity
    • Apply understanding of equity definitions by making a commitment to equity
    • Prepare and assess where you are on the equity journey through intentional self reflection journaling
    • Name and identify explicit biases and the role they play in self reflection work.
    • Acquire and practice the RACK tool for assessing equity.
    • Acquire and practice the Six P’s for Actually Doing Something About Educational Inequities tool 


    Suggested Workflow | September 27

    • Lesson #1 - 8:00 AM - 8:25 AM | Inclusive Welcome | 45 Minutes
    • Lesson #2 - 8:25 AM - 9:10 AM |  The Intersections of Equity | 30 Minutes
    • Lesson #3 - 9:10 AM - 9:55 AM | The Four Pivots - From Lens to Mirror  | 55 Minutes
    • Break - 9:55 AM - 10:05 AM | 10 Minutes
    • Lesson #4 - 10:05 AM - 10:50 AM | Tangible Equity | 25 Minutes
    • Lesson #5 - 10:50 AM - 11:15 AM | Intentional Closure - Action Planning  | 25 Minutes

  • The Four Pivots Second Pivot Deep Dive

    THE FOUR PIVOTS: SECOND PIVOT DEEP DIVE | FROM TRANSACTIONAL TO TRANSFORMATIONAL

    Session Overview

    This session explores the essential elements of building trust and authenticity while cultivating empathy and understanding in educational and professional environments. Participants will learn how to create safe spaces that foster vulnerability, genuine expression, and risk-taking, establishing the foundation for transformational relationships. Through a focus on empathy and understanding, this course will equip educators with the skills to connect deeply with students and colleagues, addressing diverse needs and promoting inclusivity and equity. 

    Outcomes

    • Understand the shift from Transactional to Transformative Relationships
    • Analyze and Reflect on Key Concepts from Transformative Relationships
    • Gain action steps to build transformative relationships
    • Reflect on the Intersection of Equity and Relationships

    Suggested Workflow | September 27

    • Lesson #1 - 8:00 AM - 8:25 AM | Inclusive Welcome | 45 Minutes
    • Lesson #2 - 8:25 AM - 9:10 AM |  Understanding Transformational Relationships | 40 Minutes
    • Lesson #3 - 9:10 AM - 9:55 AM | Building Trust and Authenticity | 45 Minutes
    • Break - 9:55 AM - 10:05 AM | 10 Minutes
    • Lesson #4 - 10:05 AM - 10:50 AM | Cultivating Empathy and Understanding | 30 Minutes
    • Lesson #5 - 10:50 AM - 11:15 AM | Intentional Closure - Action Planning  | 25 Minutes

  • Ruthless Equity Book Study

    Session Overview

    This session empowers educators to understand and overcome the barriers to achieving equity in educational settings, focusing on systemic, institutional, and personal obstacles that impact student outcomes. Participants will explore how these barriers manifest in classrooms and schools, while gaining practical strategies such as culturally responsive teaching, differentiated instruction, and inclusive practices. The session emphasizes sustainable, equity-focused approaches and continuous professional development, equipping educators with actionable strategies for creating a more equitable learning environment. Additionally, participants will examine their own environments, identifying where equity efforts may fall short and learning to replace superficial initiatives with action-driven commitments. By addressing the dangers of performative allyship, complacency, and equity rhetoric, the session encourages participants to maintain momentum and push through discomfort. Through reflection, participants will identify areas in their professional practice where courage is needed, set goals for courageous action, and develop leadership skills for enacting real change.

    Outcomes

    • Identify and critically analyze systemic, institutional, and personal barriers to equity
    • Explore the role of courage in disrupting inequitable systems and practices
    • Reflect on role in promoting or hindering equity
    • Create an action plan to integrate Ruthless Equity principles into their daily practice
    • Learn to identify and critique performative allyship and superficial equity initiatives

    Suggested Workflow | September 27

    • Lesson #1 - 8:00 AM - 8:25 AM | Inclusive Welcome | 45 Minutes
    • Lesson #2 - 8:25 AM - 9:10 AM |  Equity Initiatives and Radioactive Rhetoric | 40 Minutes
    • Lesson #3 - 9:10 AM - 9:55 AM | Complacency and Ruthless Equity | 45 Minutes
    • Break - 9:55 AM - 10:05 AM | 10 Minutes
    • Lesson #4 - 10:05 AM - 10:50 AM | The First Rule to Ruthlessness | 30 Minutes
    • Lesson #5 - 10:50 AM - 11:15 AM | Intentional Closure - Action Planning  | 25 Minutes

  • "Reclaiming the Narrative" Film Study

    "RECLAIMING THE NARRATIVE" FILM STUDY | VIEWING SESSION

    Session Overview

    In this in-person session educators will view Reclaiming the Narrative at a pre-assigned school site. The viewing will be an active viewing, with educators participating  in a series of discussions and activities  facilitated by the film's producers: Levi Arithson (DPS),  Dr. Sara Staley (A Queer Endeavor), or Dr. Bethy Leonardi (A Queer Endeavor). Locations for viewing and engaging will be John F Kennedy High School, Montbello High School, and South High School.

    Outcomes

    • Investigate moments of discomfort and curiosity related to justice work generally and LGBTQ+ topics in particular in order to Reclaim the Narrative and Go For Broke through discussion, self-reflection, analysis and action planning
    • Educators will leave the session with a self-determined action plan they will bring back for reflection, discussion, and next steps to  our final session in April 

    Session Schedule 

    The session schedule will be structured around the films four chapters:

    • What Happens When We Listen? 
    • Our Complex Identities: 
      • Gender, Specifically
      • Intersectionality
      • The Borderlands
    • Friction and the Need for Coalitions
    • Queer Joy!

  • EQUITY PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAYS SCHEDULE 2024 - 2025

    Calendar

    The following schedule only includes the required Equity Focus Professional Learning Days and other optional Central Office-led and Teacher Directed days.  The full professional learning schedule can be found by clicking here and locating the 2024 - 2025 school year calendar.

    August 13

    Equity PL Intro

    8:00 AM - 9:30 AM 

    Central-led Role-based PL

    9:45 AM - 4:00 PM

    September 27

    Equity PL 

    8:00 AM - 11:15 AM 

    Teacher - Directed

    12:30 PM -   4:00 PM

    April 18

    Equity PL  

    8:00 AM -  9:45 AM

    Central-led Role-based PL

    10:00 AM - 11:15 AM

    Teacher - Directed

    12:30 PM -   4:00 PM