Leading for Educational Equity

Addressing issues of racial equity is uncomfortable. On the other side of the discomfort and confusion, the change we need to see happen for our children to thrive awaits. In this workshop veteran educator, Dr. Jones-Holt and experienced board member and community leader Hardy Brown II share insights and strategies for addressing educational equity for students and adults through development of cultural proficiency, experiences that illuminate racial empathy, and non-traditional approaches to education that capitalize on vocational careers, entrepreneurship and life management for all.

School board has two main roles. First they must provide the unified vision and support for any endeavor that focuses on previously underserved groups of children and promotes non-traditional approaches to learning and growth. Understanding the historical challenges, mindset barriers and forming a united approach to governance that includes transparent messaging will be key to the success of any initiative. This begins by learning and understanding systemic change and how to support the leadership to make the shifts and decisions necessary for people to overcome the discomfort that change leadership inevitably brings.

Secondly the school board must become community champions for the work by actively seeking out partnerships and external support while managing the internal uncertainty of change. Through bold leadership training and effective governance structures this is not only possible, it is necessary to address the current and future challenges that courageous change brings.

The Footsteps to Freedom historical racial empathy tours have been in existence for over 20 years and have supported hundreds of educators, legislators and decision makers to shift their views on the power of history to change the future throughout California and expanded in 2018 to include educators from Michigan.

The Leadership Legacy Academy started in the Spring of 2019 with the acquisition of a home and the beginning of a property management apprenticeship outside the campus of Tuskegee University. The program has expanded to 10 internships, 5 apprenticeships, 3 properties and 2 full time staff in the Family Legacy 5 non-profit. With both programs student achievement and success as measured by qualitative assessments increased a minimum of 15% and has received stellar qualitative results indicating the social emotional impacts on students and adults.