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A District’s Courageous Conversations about Race Tigard-Tualatin School District Carla Randall Petrea Hagen-Gilden Dan

A District’s Courageous Conversations about Race Tigard-Tualatin School District Carla Randall Petrea Hagen-Gilden Dan Goldman. or… why are all these white administrators talking about race in a suburban Oregon school district?.

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A District’s Courageous Conversations about Race Tigard-Tualatin School District Carla Randall Petrea Hagen-Gilden Dan

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  1. A District’s Courageous Conversations about RaceTigard-Tualatin School DistrictCarla RandallPetrea Hagen-Gilden Dan Goldman

  2. or… why are all these white administrators talking about race in a suburban Oregon school district?

  3. “ the toughest part of this challenge is not about looking at issues of racism. Our toughest challenge is in the fact that we simply do not know how to talk with each other.” Faustine Jones (2000)

  4. Why are we talking about race? • Oregonian article in February 2007 about the disproportional discipline data for students in our neighboring urban district • Superintendent’s courage to take a closer look at our own situation

  5. Working with Associate Principals Quotes from the March Meeting: • We have to apply the rules as if we’re color-blind • These students come to school looking to fight • It’s not race, it’s poverty • The families don’t support education • The Hispanic gang problem is HUGE!

  6. Working with our teacher-data teams: EBS • Showing EBS teams the data…

  7. % Hispanic Students Not Meeting = 75% % Caucasian Students Not Meeting = 28%

  8. Despite the data… • Action Plans completely avoided dealing directly with Race

  9. WHY DIDN’T THE DATA MAKE US DO SOMETHING?

  10. “…I procrastinated. I hoped someone else would write it. “There must be someone else who knows more, or writes better, or knows how to say it the right way. There’s certainly someone who could do it without making mistakes or looking foolish.” These thoughts went through my mind as I waited for someone else to step forward. . . . When confronting the reality of racism we become sad, angry, overwhelmed, confused, numb, lonely, tired, bored, anxious, and passive. When faced with the need to intervene, speak up, or take action against racism, we become tentative and uncertain, filled with questions and concerns, waiting for someone more qualified to step up.“ Uprooting Racism, Paul Kivel

  11. Translated: • We procrastinated • We didn’t think we were qualified • We were afraid • We thought we needed someone “qualified” (e.g. African-American or Latino) to tell us what to do We were paralyzed

  12. We couldn’t talk about race because: We thought we were supposed tobe colorblind, AND We didn’t know we had a race

  13. We COULD talk about race because: TTSD Core leadership values include: Social justice Inclusion Issue Confrontation Data Based Decision Making Risk Taking Success for Every Child

  14. Time YEAR 1 (Administrators Only): • Beyond Diversity Seminar – 2 days • Six additional 1-day seminars • Six 1-day DELT meetings • Standing agenda item on monthly administrative meetings

  15. Time Year 2 (Principals and teacher leaders): • Beyond Diversity Seminar – 2 days • Six additional 1-day seminars • Six 1-day DELT meetings • Coaching for school equity teams • Standing agenda item on monthly administrative meetings • Equity team activities in schools

  16. Finances • Title V – Innovative Funds • General Fund

  17. What have we learned? • Racial identity • SLOOOOOW change • Systematic change • Listen more/dismiss less • Patience

  18. Next Steps • Principal actions • Journey partners • Continuous Improvement Plans • Create a challenge structure • Build racial identity, skill, and will • Build equity leadership teams • Seek multiple perspectives • Listen to student voice

  19. “ For me white privilege has turned out to be an elusive and fugitive subject. The pressure to avoid it is great, for in facing it I must give up the myth of meritocracy. . . “

  20. “ If these things are true this is not such a free country; one’s life is not what one makes it; many doors open for certain people through no virtues of their own.”

  21. Questions?

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