NOTES FROM - AASA



URBAN SUPERINTENDENTS ACADEMY SUMMIT—RACISM AND EQUITY

August 21, 2020

On August 21, 2020, AASA, The School Superintendents Association, celebrated the beginning of its sixth cohort of the Urban Superintendents Academy with a national summit on “Racism and Equity.” The academy is a cross-institutional professional development program involving a partnership between AASA, Howard University, and the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. It offers a dynamic approach to urban superintendent preparation and certification and is designed to bolster the effectiveness of school district leadership in our nation’s urban areas. The following synthesis report presents highlights of the summit and key ideas and strategies presented by guest speakers.

|Summit Highlights |

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|Our nation is facing perilous times, including increasingly evident long-term effects of racism, socioeconomic inequities, and the |

|pandemic. Public education continues to be one of the greatest civil rights issues facing us today. |

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|The transformation of public education—particularly in urban centers—is a national priority. Now more than ever, educational |

|leadership must be intentional, strategic, and dedicated to overcoming the inequities that continue to impede the achievement of |

|minority and socio-economically disadvantaged learners. |

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|These are times when leaders must push the equity agenda. Our work is about taking action to remove the barriers that prevent |

|children from accessing programs and opportunities. However, it is not enough to raise the issue of equity. Leaders need a plan and|

|a strategy for communicating its importance to staff and community—and to follow through on it. |

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|Exercising political courage is key. Educational leaders have to be bold enough to demonstrate the political courage required to |

|effect change and engage with the inevitable conflict that comes with the change process. This is systems work—It must start with |

|leaders. |

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|Now more than ever, leaders must work with staff to confront the phenomenon of implicit bias: i.e., the way our brain uses our |

|experience to classify and make generalizations about individuals and groups. Leaders must ask: What does implicit bias look like |

|in the real world and K-12 education? Why does implicit bias exist? How does this bias affect the target of the bias? How can |

|implicit bias be managed/reduced at the personal and organizational levels? |

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|Educational leaders must become true advocates of diversity equity inclusion. They must work closely with staff to use a range of |

|practical long-term strategies designed to help educators become conscious and intentional about how to address the impact of |

|organizational and individual biases on expectations, climate, and interactions with students and parents—leading to more |

|inclusive, engaging, and personalized learning environments. |

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|This is a time when educational leaders must lead and encourage conversations about race and racism. Instead of avoiding these |

|discussions, they must become a critical and sustained part of our discourse. On a positive note, there are practical and |

|straightforward strategies educators can use to engage in conversations about race and racism—strategies that must become a part of|

|every school and district’s organizational culture and protocols. |

|Opening Remarks |

Dr. Mort Sherman, Associate Executive Director of AASA, greeted participants at the beginning of this sixth annual Urban Superintendents Academy Summit (the beginning of the latest Urban Aspiring Superintendents Academy). He began by acknowledging Dr. Joseph Hairston, a Howard University professor who co-founded the academy six years ago with AASA, as well as others who have given support to this academy. According to Sherman: “Our commitment is to take action and work together. Equity is a key principle guiding our work so that we honestly serve each child. Public education can and will create literate, productive, and participating citizens who will help to sustain our democracy, which is dependent on the work we do together.”

Sherman then introduced Dr. Samuel King, who has served as program facilitator from the beginning six years ago. He works with the Georgia Boards of Education in superintendent searches. King affirmed: “I am honored to serve as a lead educator for the sixth consecutive year. Our nation is facing perilous times, including racism, socioeconomic inequities, and the pandemic. Public education continues to be one of the greatest civil rights issues facing us today.”

Dr. Shawn Joseph, Co-Director of the Urban Academy at Howard University, reinforced the power and importance of the cross-institutional collaboration represented by the academy. He thanked McGraw-Hill for its sponsorship, introducing Nicole Harris, Senior Director of Equity and Inclusion for that company. Joseph concluded by recognizing CIGNA and its President for U.S. Commercial Business, Michael Triplett, for its support of Howard University students via scholarships to participate in the academy.

Dr. Maria Ott, currently a professor at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education and Lead Faculty of Urban Superintendents Academy (USC), reinforced the critical importance of the Urban Superintendents Academy and the power of cross-institutional collaboration. Like all summit speakers, Dr. Ott asserted that this is a critical time in American education—a time when issues of racism and inequity are in the forefront and must be addressed.

Finally, Dr. Traci Davis, the former superintendent of Washoe County Public Schools and a graduate of the first Urban Academy as well as a current academy facilitator, concluded: “We are still fighting for change, knowing that change will come. The first AASA Urban Academy cohort began the process of maximizing our opportunity to take action. Subsequent academies continued that tradition. We need equity champions to join us!”

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|Dr. Bryant T. Marks |

|“Hidden Bias of Good People: Implications for School Superintendents and the |

|Students and Families They Serve” |

Dr. Bryant T. Marks, the summit’s first guest speaker, has extensive background in bias training. He serves on several national boards and is the founder and Chief Equity Officer for the National Training Institute on Race & Equity. He is also a Professor of Psychology at Morehouse College. According to Dr. Marks, all human beings have unconscious biases that can be both implicit and explicit. He emphasized that “awareness training” is insufficient to change human behavior. Instead, impact/mitigation training that is slow and incremental is essential to change actual behavior—an intensive long-term process that is essential for all districts and schools to address issues of inequity and racism.

Marks asserted that implicit bias training is difficult and challenging work—and is frequently “awkward, messy, uncomfortable, and emotional.” He also reinforced that the human brain is highly associational, with our minds wired to be efficient and categorize our reality according to recurrent perceived traits and roles. Our differential treatment of other human beings is derived, according to Marks, from the groups to which we belong—a primal trait that helps human beings to survive in the face of danger—distinguishing between allies and foes. Although each of us is innately inclined toward implicit bias, we must ask ourselves: To what extent are we systematically advantaging or disadvantaging other human beings as a result of our biases?

He then asserted that implicit bias results in stereotyping (via group-trait associations) that can unconsciously affect how we think, feel, and behave, including how we judge and make decisions, demonstrate prejudices, and/or dislike someone or the group they represent. Marks then presented a series of recommended strategies for managing or reducing implicit bias (both individually and organizationally), including: (1) removing the basis for our bias(es) through raising our awareness; (2) removing bias cues (e.g., removing student names from assignments before grading); (3) avoiding bias cues; (4) institutionalizing accountability structures to minimize the effects of bias, including laws, policies, and practices; (5) using shared dialogue and discourse to explore our biases; (6) emphasizing education that analyzes the positive achievements of targets of bias and the history of targeted bias; and (7) practicing implicit bias “mindfulness,” including using such phrases as “in my experience,” “I believe,” or “some” as well as anti-bias reminders (e.g., screen savers, wristbands, t-shirts, affirmations on post-it notes).

Marks concluded with a series of recommendations for educators to become advocates of diversity equity inclusion (DEI), including the following strategies: Own the biases you have. Accept them as being part of being human and develop management strategies. Have the “tough” conversations. Keep diversity equity inclusion at the top of mind when developing strategic plans and hiring. Conferences, retreats, and standing meetings should include a DEI factor or lens. Invest now before the winds of change blow. Raise the equity question: Regardless of who is in the room, ask how a decision, policy, or initiative will affect various groups within the organization.

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|Panel Discussion: |

|Dan Domenech (Executive Director, AASA), |

|Dawn Williams (Dean of the School of Education, Howard University), and |

|Pedro Noguera (Dean of the Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California) |

Dr. Dan Domenech began the panel by stating: “As superintendent for 27 years, the percentage of superintendents of color is still no greater than 4% although minority enrollment in our nation is over 54%. We must develop the skills of individuals willing to take on the challenge of running an urban school system. The turnover of superintendents is also disproportionately greater for those of color, a continuing problem we must confront to ensure that they have the necessary skills for the position. It is essential that children can see themselves in the leaders they have.”

Dr. Pedro Noguera reinforced this powerful sense of urgency: “As a new Dean at USC, I understand the importance of leadership during so much uncertainty. The politics of the moment can be overwhelming, including the pandemic, the racial justice movement, and economic inequities. We need leaders who can assure the public that we can get through this. Remote learning not easy. Having leaders who understand their role in helping others feel calm is critical. However, our training for educational leaders often comes up short. Knowing what to say at critical moments while affirming values related to integrity and honesty—these are real leadership challenges that we must do a better job at addressing. It comes down to superintendents since we are missing national and state guidance.”

Dr. Dawn Williams then reinforced the historical longevity of the issues being discussed throughout the summit: “With additional scholarship support from CIGNA, we can expand our ability to develop leaders for urban centers. 1867 was the year when both Howard and AASA were formed, beginning a process of collaboration that continues to the present. As partners, we need to demystify what the role of superintendent is: It is about leading people, not just the system. We want people who are unapologetically willing to lead urban centers. As James Baldwin asserted: ‘There is never a time in the future when we will work out our salvation. The challenge is always now…’”

Each of the panelists reinforced that we are living in times when leaders will find themselves in a precarious situation—therefore, training is critically important. We must push the equity agenda. It is a critical piece from a political perspective, but the superintendent frequently has a better understanding of equity issues than others. It is about taking action. Our job is to remove barriers that prevent children from accessing programs and opportunities. The panelists also agreed that there is a need for superintendents and their districts to develop and implement both a plan and a strategy for communicating the importance of equity to staff and community—as well as the will and commitment to follow through on it. Noguera asked: What are you trying to do and why? Why do you have confidence in asking people to do this work? You have to be prepared about who your critics will be and how they will come after you.

Domenech then asserted that many of our leaders are taking a lead in addressing issues of inequity in the face of the pandemic, e.g., 13 million homes lacking access to wireless connectivity. Still there are millions of students without access to technology today. Superintendents are taking the initiative to deliver computers, hot points, buses that reinforce connectivity, and getting Congress to provide monies to support this. Many superintendents took the lead to ensure that students are receiving food. Many are having SPED and EL students return in person to address learning gaps, providing a level of equity we have not achieved before. This is a great opportunity to personalize the learning experience.

Noguera cited the New York Times, which has a daily briefing comparing various countries’ response to education during the pandemic. Many nations are addressing the issue of learning loss in light of equity issues. We must look at the big picture to see how other places are handling this, especially related to staff and students with vulnerable immune systems. What are districts doing to have conversations with students about racial justice? We are seeing a reckoning happening. Superintendents must model how to deal with these emerging conversations.

Williams then asserted that anti-racism must start with educational leaders: “Teaching for Change is a great tool to help teachers. We must ensure safety for teachers who wish to investigate this. Also, I have been impressed by leaders’ commitment to addressing the needs of disadvantaged students.” She then stated that “the network that AASA has provided is a great example of positivity. We need coalitions to advance the work you are doing in your school districts. Who can you tap to work with you to ensure progress? It may need to be the ‘coalition of the willing’ to start. You cannot do this work alone: you must be part of a network.”

Pedro Noguera concluded: “I have been thinking of the example of Congressman John Lewis, who represented the moral courage of activism and a moral leadership that made it impossible for even his critics to deny. He found a way to connect with others on a human level. Leaders must lead with moral clarity and not engage in the petty fighting. They must stay focused on the work at hand and not engage in attacks.”

The panel concluded with Dan Domenech affirming: “The secret sauce is the opportunity for cohorts to come together and work together. That coming together gives you the strength and confidence to do the work you need to do.”

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|Dr. Shawn Harper: |

|“Leading Conversations About Racism at School” |

Dr. Shawn Harper concluded the summit with a powerful discussion of how superintendents and other educational leaders can lead meaningful and sustained conversations about racism in their learning organizations. Dr. Harper was the founder of the USC Race and Equity center and leads conversations about racism in K-12 schools throughout the country as well as universities and corporations/businesses. He began by reinforcing the enormous importance of these conversations during this turbulent time in our country’s history, particularly our national response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.

Harper contends that “the nation is saying we have had enough killings of unarmed Black people by police. They are also protesting other manifestations of systemic racism, anti-Blackness, and white supremacy. Educational inequity is a key national priority—and the well-being, progress, and achievement of Black people is a critical priority, including the reality that Black people are typically at the bottom of data related to these key areas.” He was especially adamant that inaction on racism, racial inequities, and racial problems requires much more guidance for educational leaders to help them become comfortable and proficient when talking about race with staff.

Without such training, educational leaders can expect a range of predictable responses, including avoidance (based on fears about the reactions of others and feelings of unpreparedness to handle potentially volatile conversations), limited and cloistered discussions in small groups, the tendency to talk about race only after significant racial crises occur, and the critical necessity for everyone to take a lead in discussing these issues. Harper then advocated that real-time racial issues be integrated into students’ curriculum. He also affirmed that Black teachers and administrators are frequently asked to lead this discourse, but it is the responsibility of everyone to sustain this communication.

Harper was extraordinarily practical and detailed in his presentation of strategies for engaging educators in the discussion of race-focused issues and problems. For example, he suggested that all educators write a 1-2-page personal racial history to share discoveries and reflections with colleagues. Colleagues should be encouraged to discuss firsthand experiences with racism both inside and outside of school. Problem-solving opportunities are also key: How could this situation or issue have been avoided or fixed—or responded to appropriately? Harper also emphasized the importance and value of polling, scenario sharing, vignettes, and staff exploration of exemplary sites where racial issues have been addressed effectively.

Harper concluded his presentation by reminding participants of the importance of formally assessing school and district racial climate. He reinforced that typical organizational climate surveys tend to overlook or minimize the issue of race. Findings from a racial climate survey can be used to inform and sustain subsequent conversations about race in the school and solutions for addressing issues of inequity and disproportionality. He concluded by encouraging participants to “completely disrupt the culture of avoidance—making race a salient component of school and district continuous improvement.”

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