Early Childhood & Anti-Racism

12:00 PM EST

Dr. Kerry-Ann Escayg

Dr. Escayg's research focuses on anti-racism in early childhood education and children and race. As a social theorist, Dr. Escayg has utilized precepts of Critical Race Theory, Black Feminist Thought, and Anti-racist Education to offer new exegeses on children's racial identity development, including strategies to promote positive racial identity among Black children; a research-derived protocol to assess children's play and an anti-racist approach to U.S. early childhood education. She is the co-author of "Don't look away: Embracing anti-bias classrooms." Dr. Escayg has published several peer-reviewed journal articles on race, racism, young children, and early childhood education. Central to Dr. Escayg's work is a commitment to racial equity in the early years and the holistic well-being of children of color, and Black children in particular.

Math & Anti-Racism

2:00 PM EST

Dr. Nicole Joseph

Nicole M. Joseph is an assistant professor of mathematics education in the department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University. She is the recipient of the 2018 AERA Scholars of Color Early Career Contribution Award. Her research explores two lines of inquiry, (a) Black women and girls, their identity development, and their experiences in mathematics and (b) gendered anti-blackness, whiteness, white supremacy and how they operate and shape Black women’s and girls’ underrepresentation and retention in mathematics across the pipeline. Her scholarship has been published in seminal journals such as the Review of Research in Education, Harvard Education Review and the Journal of Negro Education. Her activist work includes founding the Tennessee March for Black Women in STEM, an event held every fall that seeks to bring together the Tennessee community to raise awareness about issues Black women and girls face in STEM learning, education, and industry. You can read more about the March for Black Women here https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2019/09/12/third-annual-march-for-black-women-in-stem-oct-12/

Dr. Bettina Love

Dr. Bettina L. Love is an award-winning author and the Athletic Association Endowed Professor at the University of Georgia. She is one of the field’s most esteemed educational researchers. Her writing, research, teaching, and activism meet at the intersection of race, education, abolition, and Black joy. Dr. Love is concerned with how educators working with parents and communities can build communal, civically engaged schools rooted in Abolitionist Teaching with the goal of intersectional social justice for equitable classrooms that love and affirm Black and Brown children. In 2020, Dr. Love co-founded the Abolitionist Teaching Network (ATN). ATN’s mission is simple: develop and support teachers and parents to fight injustice within their schools and communities. In 2020, Dr. Love was also named a member of the Old 4th Ward Economic Security Task Force with the Atlanta City Council.

Dr. Love is a sought-after public speaker on a range of topics, including: Abolitionist Teaching, anti-racism, Hip Hop education, Black girlhood, queer youth, Hip Hop feminism, art-based education to foster youth civic engagement, and issues of diversity and inclusion. She is the creator of the Hip Hop civics curriculum GET FREE.

In 2014, she was invited to the White House Research Conference on Girls to discuss her work focused on the lives of Black girls. For her work in the field of Hip Hop education, in 2016, Dr. Love was named the Nasir Jones Hiphop Fellow at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. In April of 2017, Dr. Love participated in a one-on-one public lecture with bell hooks focused on the liberatory education practices of Black and Brown children. In 2018, Georgia’s House of Representatives presented Dr. Love with a resolution for her impact on the field of education. She has also provided commentary for various news outlets including NPR, Ed Week, The Guardian, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

She is the author of the books We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom and Hip Hop’s Li’l Sistas Speak: Negotiating Hip Hop Identities and Politics in the New South. Her work has appeared in numerous books and journals, including the English Journal, Urban Education, The Urban Review, and the Journal of LGBT Youth.

Imani Fonfield

Imani Fonfield (she/her/hers) is a student activist and rising senior at Newton South High School in Newton, MA. As a young Black woman raised in Newton, a predominantly white and wealthy city, Imani attained great purpose from hardships in her early life that continue to inspire her to advocate for social change. As a high school freshman, she embarked on a New York Times Student Journey educational travel program to the American South — New Orleans, LA.; Montgomery & Selma, AL.; Memphis, TN.; Clarksdale & Greenwood, MS. — to research the rooted truths of injustice and systematic oppression that are not thoroughly and thoughtfully expressed in textbooks. Throughout her academic career, Imani has worked on many initiatives within her school and community while continuing her research and analysis of America’s legacies of bondage and white supremacy. At Newton South, Imani is a member of the Legacy Scholars Program made up of high-achieving African-American and Latinx students and is a co-president of the Black Student Union. Additionally, Imani is a leading facilitator for Newton South’s Anti-Defamation League Peer Leaders and Courageous Conversations On Race Programs with the mission of educating younger students on equality, equity, white privilege, prejudice, bias, and how to be vocally antiracist. Imani was the first-place winner for Newton South High School’s 2019 Sophomore Speech competition for her speech on mass incarceration titled “The Conscience of Intent: Black Skin Behind A Dollar”. Following her school-wide performance, Imani appeared on Tod Gross’s local news show On The Sunny Side Of The Street, in which she spoke about her beliefs, knowledge, and dedication to social activism.

Within the larger Newton community, Imani is a mentor for black and brown students in the Williams Elementary School Affinity Group and was a guest speaker for Dever Elementary School’s webinar series on the topic of youth activism and leadership. A four-year member, second-year sergeant, and candidate for next year’s lieutenant cadet in the Newton Police Cadet Program, she is also determined to help bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community it is obligated to protect. She also serves as the student representative to Newton’s Human Rights Commission, a student voice for Newton’s Families Organizing for Racial Justice, and a new member of Newton’s Coalition of Black Residents. Most recently, Imani was named a recipient of a 2019-2020 Newton Human Rights Youth Award for her activism, was recognized for her intellectual curiosity and persistent advocacy with the C. Wayne Altree Award for Excellence in United States History from her school, and submitted an article for the Newton South Lion’s Roar newspaper on the current energy shift taking shape to fight against systemic racism titled “Phase Two: Extinguishing The Amerikkkan Fires.” In her future, Imani aims to combat racial disparities in a range of settings including the healthcare sphere.

Carrie Ryter

Carrie Ryter (she/her/hers) is an activist, aspiring educator, and rising senior at Newton South High School. Within the school community, Carrie serves as a student facilitator for Courageous Conversations on Race, a group which strives to educate and foster conversation with underclassmen about racism and privilege. She is also a part of the Anti-Defamation League Peer Leader program, where she undergoes training and conceives lessons on microaggressions and identity to present to freshmen. In both hands-on and behind-the-scenes capacities, Carrie has a passion for working with and supporting children from different racial, socioeconomic, and ability backgrounds. She volunteers with young children — many of whom come from marginalized communities — at a shelter for families recovering from substance abuse, providing trauma-informed activities and emotional support. As a youth advisor to Harvard’s Making Caring Common (MCC) project in the 2019-20 school year, Carrie collaborated with peers from across the country to tackle prevalent teen issues, including mental health and substance use, while supporting MCC’s mission of raising children to seek kindness, justice, and equity over traditional success. This summer, Carrie is participating in a seminar on Education and Citizenship, with a focus on equity and diversity, through the Telluride Association Summer Program. She is also interning with Harvard’s Ecological Approaches to Social Emotional Learning lab on a project aimed at increasing the accessibility of social emotional learning. In the future, Carrie aspires to combat educational inequities and help children from challenging backgrounds of all kinds.

Special Education

& Anti-Racism

5:00 PM EST

Panel

Panel Facilitator: Kiana Kapono

Kiana Kapono began her career in Special Education at the age of 20 as a paraprofessional at a non-public school that provided “intensive Applied Behavior Analysis Education.” While her early career upbringing was in ABA, her adherence to anarchist principles led her to critically examine the methods of ABA in regards to the trauma caused by teachers, staff, and administrators towards students who receive Special Education services.

In her 20s she worked alongside members of the Che Cafe Collective and Food Not Bombs participating in punk rock culture and mutual-aid community work. Her involvement in these communities exposed her to radical politics and non-hierarchical/non-authoritative decision making and consensus building, which would heavily influence her pedagogical orientation and continually affirm her commitment to helping her students seek self-agency.

Kiana’s classroom is not only a place to learn vocational, applied academics, and independent living skills, but also a forum to question authority, be aware of the rationales for rules and expectations, as well as self-advocacy. After 10 years as a Transition teacher, Kiana started the Aloha Transition Program in 2018 at Mount Miguel High School. She was joined by her long time colleague and friend Vanessa Francis. Together they are in the process of developing A Work In Transition, which is a Transition classroom resource and strategy share.

In addition, Kiana is a firm believer that environmental justice and social justice are deeply intertwined and one cannot be effective without the other. She will be on the panel for Leveraging Resources to Expand School Recycling Countywide in August at The California Resource Recovery Association Conference. She will be presenting on the interventions her classroom implemented on campus to divert over two tons of waste away from landfills by repurposing and redistributing to local organizations.

Panelist: Maria Davis Pierre, LMHC

Meet Maria Davis-Pierre, Founder and CEO of Autism in Black Inc., located in West Palm Beach, Florida. This organization aims to bring awareness to Autism Spectrum Disorder and reduce the stigma associated with the diagnosis in the black community. As a licensed mental health therapist, Maria primarily works with parents to provide support through education and advocacy training. Her passion for working in the field stems from her personal journey with ASD when her daughter received the diagnosis at a very early age. In addition to therapy, Maria dons many other titles including coach, speaker, advocate, and author. Her first published work, The Self-Care Affirmation Journal, is currently available for purchase on Amazon. Maria’s unique approach to coaching and counseling exemplifies her drive and motivation toward greater acceptance and overcoming the barriers and personal struggles associated with raising a child on the spectrum.

Panelist: Dr. Subini Annamma

Prior to her doctoral studies, Subini Ancy Annamma was a special education teacher in both public schools and youth prisons. Currently, she is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. Her research critically examines the mutually constitutive nature of racism and ableism, how they interlock with other marginalizing oppressions, and how these intersections impact youth education trajectories in urban schools and youth prisons. Further, she positions students as knowledge generators, exploring how their narratives can inform teacher and special education. Dr. Annamma’s book, The Pedagogy of Pathologization (Routledge, 2018) focuses on the education trajectories of incarcerated disabled girls of color. She is also a Ford Postdoctoral Fellow for the 2018-19 school year hosted at UCLA.

Panelist: Braelan Martin, Special Education Teacher

Braelan Martin (she/her) is a Special Education Teacher who is passionate about providing quality education for all students. Braelan believes that teachers must take the time to reflect on their own practices and biases in order to provide quality education to all of their students. In order to accomplish this, Braelan also believes that teachers must be given free resources, education, time, and training for them to constantly improve their craft. Braelan received her Bachelor's degree in Special Education and Visual Arts from Wheelock College in Boston, MA. She then went on to her Master's degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Early Childhood Special Education. Besides learning about education, Braelan is an avid researcher. Her research focus revolves around African American students with disabilities and preparing educators to provide equitable education for all students.

Along with teaching, Braelan runs the Youtube channel and Podcast entitled "That Special Educator". Braelan has combined her love of visual arts and visual learning and her passion for special education. On her channel Braelan shows classroom management, curriculum, adaptations, modifications, and a peak into a teacher's life. On the podcast, Braelan digs deep into topics related to education equality, race, positive teacher stories, and more. In her spare time Braelan loves teaching Barre and Spin at her local studio as well as spending lots of time at the beach.

Samantha Arpallan

Case Manager & Former Special Education Student

Samantha is a former foster youth and mother who attended many public and charter schools with the assistance of an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Samantha is a case manager for individuals impacted by homelessness and a social justice advocate for the community of San Diego. She recently obtained her BSW at San Diego State University and is working on her Masters. While in middle school and high school Samantha and her brother with disabilities experienced both psychological and physical trauma by teachers. In this panel she aims to bring awareness of the language and models currently used to address student behavior and communication.

Panelist: Mr. Derek Francis

Mr. Derek Francis is a passionate school counselor with years of experience focusing on a proactive, equity based and proactive approach. He currently serves as the Manager of Counseling Services for Minneapolis Public Schools. Derek specializes in helping students and staff build trusting cross cultural relationships and has presented at conferences throughout the country including American School Counselors Association, Minnesota School Counselors Association, Texas School Counselors Association and Wisconsin School Counselors Association. . Recently, Derek lead a webinar for over 20,000 counselors and educators on “Proactive School Counseling After a Major Racial Incident.” Some of Derek’s published work includes contributions to Contemporary Case Studies in School Counseling, published blog “This Is Not A Fire Drill – Supporting students after George Floyd” and July/August publication articles for American School Counselors Association and American School Board Journal.. Spending time with his wife and daughter and traveling are Derek’s favorite hobbies.

Panelist: Dr. Laura Owens

A prior urban school counselor and district counseling supervisor, Dr. Laura Owen's research focuses on understanding the interventions, programs and practices needed to imbed equitable school counseling and postsecondary advising practices into every school across the US. Dr. Owen is a co-author of the Revisiting the Path Forward Report (2016) which addresses the need to unpack the systemic inequitable advising and counseling structures that have been purposely maintained to withhold resources and support from groups and communities that have been traditionally marginalized and left to navigate their postsecondary path in isolation. In partial response to recommendations made in the Revisiting the Path Forward Report, Dr. Owen served as the Inaugural Director of the Center for Postsecondary Readiness and Success at American University. This Fall (2020) Dr. Owen will open a west coast center at San Diego State University (SDSU) which will focus on identifying and magnifying counseling systems that support equitable access and postsecondary opportunity for all students, especially those who have been traditionally left under-resourced and sitting outside of systems of support. The center will work with K-12 and Higher Education partners, as well as community organizations, college access providers, students and families.

Dr. Owen co-led the SDSU White House Convening (2014) focused on Strengthening School Counseling and College Advising with Dr. Trish Hatch and Dr. Joey Estrada. She also assisted with the American University White House Convening (2016) that addressed culturally appropriate counseling and advising programs and policies. The Convenings called for renewed attention and evaluation of practices and interventions that create postsecondary pathways for all students, especially students who have been marginalized, are living in poverty or are first in their family to attend college.

Panelist: Dr. Ahmad Washington

Ahmad Washington is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development at The University of Louisville. He teaches in the School Counseling program where he works with pre-service school counseling students as they prepare to transition into the profession. Dr. Washington received his Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University Iowa. He is the co-editor of the recent book, Black male student success in 21st century urban schools: School counseling for equity, access and achievement. Dr. Washington has received various counseling related awards recognizing his work, including the First Annual Association of Multicultural Counseling and Development Asa Hilliard Scholarship Award (2009). His primary research interests are social justice counseling and hip-hop school counseling. In particular, he is interested in exploring how, and under what circumstances, school counselors engage students in conversation about issues of social injustice through the multifacted lenses of hip-hop culture. Dr. Washington recently partnered with The Louisville Urban League to create a program for local African American high school students that examined forms of systemic and institutional oppression (i.e., mass incarceration, the school-to-prison pipeline, environmental racism) and how various members of the hip-hop community have used their respective platforms to resist these forms of exploitation and domination. Additionally, he is currently working with educators and administrators within Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) to develop instructional resources to assist teachers and school counselors who want to learn how to integrate aspects of critical hip-hop pedagogy and critical hip-hop counseling into their everyday practice with secondary school students.

Elementary Education

& Anti-Racism

2:00 PM EST

Dr. Takiema Bunche Smith

Takiema has worked for over two decades in support of children, families and educational programs and systems through her work as a teacher, teacher educator, curriculum director, parent activist, and executive leader. Her life’s work has been guided by a deep commitment to racial equity, social justice, and a belief that centering the histories and perspectives of marginalized people can support individuals, institutions and systems to become more equitable for all. Her work lives at the intersection of theory, policy and practice, and she uses a culturally responsive and anti-oppression lens to re-frame and re-imagine what educational experiences could look like for children, adults, families and communities. Her wide range of professional and personal experiences, and deeply reflective approach to life and learning, helps her create a culture of collaboration wherever she goes, centered around a vision of liberation for all.

Takiema has presented on education related topics to a variety of audiences across New York, the United States and Sweden, and has published articles and op-eds in venues such as Childhood Education Innovations, NAEYC Young Children, Al-Jazeera and The Washington Post. She is also a doula, and is passionate about creating a culture of self-care, particularly as it relates to professional environments.

Takiema holds Master’s degrees in Early Childhood & Elementary Education from Bank Street College of Education, Urban Education Policy from the CUNY Graduate Center, and from NYU Wagner’s School for Public Service.