Everyday Resistance: Diversity and equity work in schools

For more than 25 years, I have taught youth, prepared teachers and engaged in equity work in K-12 schools. I am glad you found me.

I know we are living through a time that is tough on teachers, and taxing on folks doing equity work. On this site I hope you will find resources to help keep you moving ahead. For folks who want to learn more about these contested issues (critical race theory, banned books) I hope you will find good food for thought on the blog.

Everyday we can engage in small (and large) acts of resistance that honor students, their families, their languages and their identities. I’m here to help you imagine how….

Every teacher, every day, gets to choose.

There really is no better career than working with youth. We get to expand horizons, model kindness, spark possibilities and shape how others experience the world. But teachers also have baggage to carry. Schools have a history of including some more than others. Of letting the truth occasionally slide. Of prioritizing policies over people. In my almost 20 years of being a university professor, I’ve been working with up-and-coming teachers, as well as experienced educators, to find the right “anchors” on which to establish our practices. These are the beliefs that keep us grounded, sane, and hopeful about the work we do. To me, teaching is rooted in truth, kindness, grace and equity. At the end of the day, we are in the youth uplift business.

What are you choosing?

  1. to honor kids who speak English AND kids who speak Arabic? Or Spanish?

  2. to explore histories of the US, AND of Western Africa?

  3. to include literature which represents the diversity of human experience?

  4. to speak back to policies that harm children’s well being (anti-trans policies, book bannings)?

  5. to model constructive conflict intervention that centers harm reduction and healing over exclusion and punishment?

  6. to talk about racism and sexism and homophobia in the classroom because as teachers we prepare youth for the world, and these things matter?