Equity Professional Learning Pathways
We recognize that every person, school, and office in our organization has different needs when it comes to equity professional learning. We are all on different points on the road toward equity. As such, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has taken an approach that addresses both individual and collective learning.
Our team of Equity Training Specialists have developed a set of core pathways that address both the relational (mindset, beliefs, relationships, etc.) and technical (action oriented) aspects of equity work. These pathways offer a variety of learning opportunities and different points for engagement.
Vision
In order to cultivate prosperity and liberation for students and staff, starting with historically marginalized populations, by removing barriers, increasing access and inclusion, building trusting relationships, and creating a shared culture of social responsibility and commitment to organizational accountability, we need to:
- Possess the knowledge that helps build our own awareness of the various facets of equity broadly and racial equity specifically,
- Enhance the skills that support the application of this knowledge to our day to day practice and to our spheres of influence, and
- Demonstrate the mindset that this vision for equity is a central force in our work as educators, staff, and administrators.
Gain resources and strategies to confront and acknowledge privilege and how this contributes to individual work and the larger system.
Acknowledge that racism is systemic—woven throughout all of the structures of our nation.
Historical and Cultural Understanding
Engage with multiple historical frameworks and cultural perspectives in order to avoid falling victim to centering a single story in teaching and learning.
Intentionally reflect on individual role in anti-racist work, the larger sytem affecting that work, and the current environment.
Actively engage in cross-cultural dialogue, confronting issues, owning difficulty, and being vulnerable. Actively work to listen without bias or judgment.
Understand the importance of individual role in anti-racist work. Gain strategies to support my role in implementing anti racist education.
Use primary sources, various types of media, and differentiate individualized learning to support and not hurt the narrative.
Engage in professional learning activities that will be designed to provide a brave space and build trust.
In the Introductory Series, learners will understand key equity concepts and terms, begin having critical conversations about race and equity with a diverse set of peers, and engage in identity development and self-work in order to address inequities in their own lives.
Learning Opportunities Available:
- Implicit Bias 101
- Identity, Power, and Privilege 101
- Microaggressions 101
- History of Race and Racism 101
- Racial Equity and the History of Philadelphia
- Equity Talk: Intro to Core Equity Concepts 101
- SDP Equity Framework: A Deeper Dive
Equity Professional Learning Series
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is excited to offer the Equity Professional Learning Series (EPLS), a compilation of 21 professional learning opportunities available to employees of the School District of Philadelphia. These sessions are designed to take a critical lens to the world in which we live in order to ultimately cultivate prosperity and liberation for the school communities in Philadelphia. Participants will find introductory topics that lay a foundation for understanding and exploring racism and oppression, and how they show up in our daily lives and work. There are also specific topics that touch on historically marginalized populations and spark reflection and discussion on how we can advance equity and make lasting change.
Learning Opportunities Available:
- Intro to Equity Framework and Core Equity Concepts 101
- Intro to Equity Team Development
- History of Race and Racism
- Implicit Bias 101
- Microaggressions 101
- Model Minority Myth/Perpetual Foreigner Myth
- Adultification Bias of Black & Brown Children
- Dismantling Latin American Stereotypes & Biases
- The Gender Binary and Socialization of Gender Norms/Sexual Orientation
- The History of LGBTQ+ & Supporting Students
- The T in the LGBTQ+ Community
- Exotification of Asian/Latina Girls and Women
- Intersection of Disability & Race
- Linguistic Racism
- Motherwork: Politics of Black Motherhood
- Colorism within communities of color
- Uprooting White Supremacy Culture
- Asset-Based Parent, Family & Community Engagement
- Leading Courageous Conversations
- Racial Equity & the History of Kensington
- Indigenous Communities
Foundational Equity Knowledge, Skills, and Mindsets
In this pathway, learners will be provided the opportunity to (re) learn the root causes of institutional dysfunctions that produce racial inequities, and develop skills to address them.
Learning Opportunities Available:
Session 1: Telling Our Stories & Identity
Session 2: Checking and Challenging Biases
Session 3: Shared Language – How Inclusive Language Advances Equity
Session 4: Equity Detours & Traps
Session 5: Power, Privilege & Internalized Oppression
Session 6: Racial Literacy & Anti-Racism
Session 7: Engaging in Conversations about Race
Session 8: Intersectionality and its Impact on Inequities/Oppression
Systems-Level Change and Leadership
In this pathway, learners will be provided a guide to implement and sustain change in their schools on the institutional level. They will shift their practices and beliefs to create culturally responsive learning environments for their students and staff. Additionally, they will integrate their vision for equity into the development and assessment of equitable policies, practices, procedures, and institutional culture.
Learning Opportunities Available:
- Leading Courageous Conversations
- Problems of Practice
- Designing for Equity: Process as Product
- Uprooting White Supremacy Culture
- Equity Centered Leadership
- Asset-Based Parent/Community Engagement
- Resource Allocation & Hiring BIPOC Talent
At Tune Up Tuesday, learners will gain an understanding of the foundational equity knowledge, skills, and mindsets and how they can apply those understandings to their own work/practice
Learning Opportunities Available:
- Adultification Bias of Black & Brown Children
- Linguistic Racism: Impacts on Schools & Communities
- Examining the Intersection of Disability and Race
- Policy 252 & Exploring the “T” in LGBTQ+
- Dismantling Latin American Stereotypes & Biases
Last modified: October 26, 2023
