Introduction to Courageous Conversation About Race Training for

Introduction to Courageous Conversation About Race © Training for Parents

Training Agenda 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Introduction Why CCAR at PPS Group Norms Frontloading Introduction of Protocols Compass The 4 Agreements The 6 Conditions

Introduction • How do you identify yourself RACIALLY? • What is your student(s) grade?

Why CCAR at Portland Public Schools PPS RACIAL EQUITY PLAN June 13, 2011 • We believe that every student has the potential to achieve, and it is the responsibility of our school district to give each student the opportunity and support to meet his or her highest potential. • Focuses on the most historically persistent achievement gap, which is that between White students and students of color. Closing this achievement gap while raising achievement for all students is the top priority of the Board of Education, the Superintendent and all district staff. Race must cease to be a predictor of student achievement and success.

Stop the Predictability of Academic, Exclusion, and Special Education based on RACE • Academic data disaggregated by race showed significant achievement gaps between students of color and White students • Exclusionary data disaggregated by race showed a significant and persistent disproportionality in the rate of suspension and expulsions for students of color • Special Education data disaggregated by race showed a significant and persistent disproportionality in the number of referrals for students of color and Emergent Bilingual students

Equity at PPS • Every PPS employee is mandated to attend Beyond Diversity (CCAR) • Each school has an Equity team and a Climate coach support from the Department of Equity and Partnership

Group Norms • • • Open to Conversation Share Real Stories Honest with Ourselves Listen for Understanding Speak our own truth • Don’t be shocked or alarmed of new perspective • Confidentiality • Understand expectation • Don’t take anyone to task

Frontloading • This is only one training and one perspective • We will not be RACIALLY CONSCIOUS after this training • CCAR Protocols is a set of tools to help with RACE CONVERSATION Engage those won’t talk about RACE Sustains the conversation when it gets uncomfortable or diverted Deepen the conversation for authentic understanding and meaningful action • Race is complex and it requires on-going dialogue

Group Exercise • • • SLUMBER DREAM BED QUIET NAP • • • PILLOW NIGHT BLANKET PAJAMAS SNOOZE

WRITE DOWN WHAT WORDS YOU REMEMBER.

WORDS THAT YOU REMEMBERED…… • SLUMBER • NIGHT • BED • SLEEP

Courageous Conversation Compass SOUL/MORAL HEART/EMOTIONAL HEAD/INTELLECTUAL HANDS&FEET/RELATIONAL

The st 1 and nd 2 Agreements • Stay Engaged Stay in the conversation Morally, Emotionally, Intellectually, and Relationally. “Don’t Check Out” • Experience Discomfort Racial Dialogue will bring about personal racialized experience and leads to discomfort. Lean into the discomfort to gain insights into different racial perspective.

The rd 3 and th 4 agreements • Speak your TRUTH Don’t speak for others. • Expect/Accept NON-CLOSURE Focus on the conversation and not the solution to the conversation.

The st 1 and nd 2 Conditions • Focus on PERSONAL, LOCAL and IMMEDIATE Establish a racial context that is personal, local, and immediate. • ISOLATE RACE Isolate RACE while acknowledging the broader scope of diversity and the variety of factors that contribute to racialized problems.

The rd 3 and th 4 conditions • Normalize SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION & multiple perspectives Normalize social construction of knowledge, thus engaging multiple racial points of view in order to surface critical perspective. • Monitor Agreements, Conditions and ESTABLISH PAREMENTERS

The th 5 Condition • Use a “WORKING DEFINITION” of race Establish agreement around a contemporary working definition of race that clearly differentiates it from ethnicity and nationality.

What is RACE ? • RACE is… Both Negative and Positive • RACE is … Inclusive of White and People of Color (POC) • RACE is… not a proxy for other diversity Characteristics

Differentiation • NATIONALITY • ETHNICITY • RACE

Working Definition • NATIONALITY- Citizenship and/or birthplace • ETHNICITY- Culture, Values, Beliefs, Language, Food, Religion…. . • RACE- Color of Skin, Physical traits (hair, skin, eyes…), How others perceive us.

The th 6 condition • Examine the presence and role of “WHITENESS”

HOMEWORK!!! • Read “White is a Color” and “Entitlement” • Write your own ‘Racial Autobiography’