Shared Tools on
Racial Equity

In this foundational, norm-setting session, we were joined by 228 Accelerator Steward Angela Stepancic to consider tools from Teaching Tolerance and Courageous Conversations about Race in preparation for future racial dialogues.  

THEMES

• The work of reimagining the high school experience is centered on the belief that every child deserves a high-quality school. Jenny shared framing remarks to start the session by reiterating the commitment to equity at the center of Catalyze New Models initiatives. She described how community members’ commitment and sense of urgency has inspired her over the last several months and expressed an eagerness to seize this opportunity to deepen understanding and practice in order to create equitable learning environments that lead to equitable student outcomes. The focus on racial equity is not a separate body of work, but inherent in the shared work and goals of the Catalyze New Models community. 

• This session lays groundwork for authentic and vulnerable dialogue by introducing tools and parameters for engagement. The deliberate choice to limit exchange and focus on reflection makes space for community members to build shared knowledge, language and culture before engaging in dialogue. Desiree and Angela provided some context for nonverbal check ins in the equity space and modeled revising a tool to make it more inclusive. 

• Having agreed upon definitions of terms is necessary to build a common language. Community members joined in by reading working definitions of key terms and Angela noted that we can’t talk about words unless we agree about their meanings. Desiree talked about being asked where she’s from from as a Latina to illustrate the concept of intent versus impact and community members journaled to reflect on how these terms might challenge their assumptions and provide language for their experiences.

• Tools like the Four Agreements and Six Conditions from Courageous Conversations about Race help create a welcoming space and support authentic and vulnerable dialogue. Angela pointed out some common social norms that can hinder racial dialogue to show how using tools from Courageous Conversations supports sustained engagement by offering parameters that can be used to short-circuit the instinct to shy away from uncomfortable topics and wrap up dialogue on a positive note. Desiree and Jason described some ways they’ve used the Courageous Conversation Compass in the past, as a way to recognize how they and the people around them are engaging with a racialized experience and as a control center for shifting the experience toward productive dialogue and action.

• Agreeing upon shared norms builds community and helps community members keep each other and themselves accountable during critical dialogues about race. Desiree shared a set of proposed norms that builds on the norms TLA has shared during web exchanges and includes language from the tools explored throughout the session. These norms will be revisited, adapted, and shaped by the community as sessions on racial equity continue. Community members journaled to reflect on the proposed norms and were invited and encouraged to share feedback following the session.