Equity, Inclusion & Social Justice
Educator & School Supports
As part of Washtenaw ISD's commitment to Equity, Inclusion & Social Justice, we have created opportunities for educator learning and growth around issues of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, culture and diversity over the past several years. Our work with educators began with the Understanding Race Project in 2012 and continued in the 2014-2015 school year with the founding of the "Culture & Diversity Task Force" to help create a vision for this work over the next 5-10 years. In the 2016-2017 school year we started Justice Leaders, multiple, in-depth professional learning series for educators passionate about issues of equity, diversity, inclusion and social justice.
Email Dr. Shayla Griffin
Justice Leaders: Core Course *prerequisite for all other courses*
1The Core Course is open to all school and WISD personnel passionate about issues of equity, inclusion and social justice. Learning will focus on issues of privilege, oppression and inequality along lines of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. Educators will come to understand their own social identities, biases, and prejudices; increase their knowledge about the histories and present realities of various social identity groups; and begin considering how to incorporate this knowledge and awareness into their practice. Participants must be willing to reflect deeply in ways that may challenge previously held assumptions and world views. Homework readings required to prepare for each session. 16 HOURS.
For more information please contact Dr. Shayla Griffin.
For more information please contact Dr. Shayla Griffin.
Justice Leaders: Advanced Course
The Justice Leaders Advanced Course is for educators who have **already completed the Core Course** and would like to continue learning and growing personally and professionally when it comes to issues of equity, inclusion and social justice. Participants will continue deepening their personal learning about EISJ issues and will use the Education Justice Assessment and Transformation Tool (EJATT) to enhance their practice around teaching and learning, relationships and school climate, behavior and discipline, images and celebrations, and/or policies and procedures. In addition, educators will improve their skills engaging in difficult conversations about social justice in formal and informal settings with students and colleagues. 16 HOURS.
For more information please contact Dr. Shayla Griffin.
For more information please contact Dr. Shayla Griffin.
Justice Leaders: Systems Course
The Justice Leaders: Systems Course is for educators who have *completed the Advanced Course* and want to understand and advocate for education justice beyond the classroom. How are schools funded? Why do they remain so racially and economically segregated? What would it look like to change the system? Who is advocating for such change? Are you concerned about the big picture of education justice in America? Join us! 16 HOURS.
EJATT-Education Justice Assessment & Transformation Tool Deep Dive: Planning for Action
The EJATT Deep Dive supports educators in transforming their classrooms, schools, and districts for equity and justice in six areas: Knowledge, Biases, & Beliefs; Relationships & Climate; Teaching & Leaning; Images, Celebrations & Events; Behavior & Discipline; and Policies & Procedures. Participants will collaborate to assess how they are doing in each of these areas and begin planning to make their schools and districts more equitable and just. Series includes email follow-up after each session and access to our online drive with homework readings, handouts, and other resources. 16 HOURS.
White People Working for Racial Justice
White People Working for Racial Justice is an affinity group space specifically designed for white people committed to racial justice to lean together, ask questions, make mistakes, work through defensiveness and guilt, and examine fears without burdening People of Color in the process. It invites white people to do the deep work required to claim and embody an anti-racist identity, understand the privilege they carry, and interrupt racism in their lives and work. 16 HOURS.
People of Color Working for Racial Justice
People of Color Working for Racial Justice is an affinity group space superficially designed for Black, Indigenous and other people of color committed to racial and social justice. Participants will learn the history of race and racism in the United States, explore their own internalized racism and bias toward other People of Color, understand how they can have privilege even as they experience racial oppression, and engage in practices to help in their personal growth and healing. 16 HOURS.
Interrupting Bias & Bigotry: Skill Practice
Interrupting Bias and Bigotry is an opportunity for participants to practice the skills of interrupting microaggressions and biased and bigoted comments. Participants increase comfort and skill in showing up for justice. 3 HOURS.
Building & Sustaining Equity Teams & Justice Squads
Building Equity Teams & Justice Squads guides educators through the Equity Teams & Justice Squads Section of the Education Justice Assessment & Transformation Tool (EJATT) so they have the knowledge, skill, and reflective practice to form a successful team of Justice Leaders ready to take action in their school or district. We highly recommend that participants come with a partner or team from their school or district. Note: The Core Course is a mandatory prerequisite for all team participants. 3 HOURS.
Just Books: Helping Students See Themselves and Others Through Diverse Literature
Just Books helps preschool and elementary educators identify why it is essential to diversify literature, the kinds of books that exist, how to choose good books for students, how to prepare themselves to read them, and some tips for scaffolding student learning. 2 HOURS.
Socially Just Holidays & Heritage Months
Socially Just Celebrations and Holidays guides educators through the 11 principles of planning holidays and history months that are socially just, move beyond stereotyping, and empower students from all backgrounds. 2 HOURS.
A RIDE: Lesson Planning for Social Justice
(Aligned Objectives & Assessment, Relevant Social Justice Concepts, Interesting Pedagogy & Skill Practice, Diverse Social Identities, Empowering for Identity Development & Action). A RIDE: Lesson Planning for Social Justice guides educators through the A RIDE lesson planning process so they can create lessons that further social justice learning for students. A RIDE lesson planning centers social justice concepts, identity development, action, and harm reduction to cultivate a new generation of youth knowledgeable about inequity and committed to making the world more just. 4 HOURS.
Social Justice Primer: A Very Brief Overview*
For schools, districts, and universities not yet ready to commit to our full training courses we offer a 1-time overview of issues of social justice.There are no prerequisites for this course. 3 HOURS.
Image showing 5 components of the EJATT tool: teaching and learning, relationships and climate, images and celebrations, behavior and discipline and policies and procedures. The 5 components are surrounded by a box with four sides, where each side is representing context: Curriculum, standards and testing, state and national policy, unions and boards and education industrial complex
The Education Justice Assessment & Transformation Tool is designed to help educators, schools and districts assess and improve efficacy in six areas of practice related to equity, inclusion and social justice. Revised and updated in January 2022.
For more information please contact Dr. Shayla Griffin.
For more information please contact Dr. Shayla Griffin.
Transgender Task Force
Transgender Task Force, a joint project with the Coordinated School Health Network
Publications
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Image of Those Kids, Our Schools book cover.
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