District Leaders Pilot Professional Learning Tool to Deepen Discussion on Racial Equity
December 22, 2016—District leaders Wednesday employed an "equity simulator" to deepen their discussion about improving leadership and taking intentional steps to eliminate personal bias, institutional racism and racial disparities among students. The simulator is an interactive tool developed by the New York City Leadership Academy (NYCLA) to provide professional learning and personal reflection opportunities for school and district administrators about leading for equity.
Superintendent Barbara Deane-Williams and School Chief Beverly Burrell-Moore opened the meeting by sharing their experiences at a recent convening on racial equity for 20 invited districts sponsored by NYCLA. Rochester has agreed to pilot the interactive simulation tool, which is designed to help school and district administrators improve their understanding as they strive to create and lead equitable, intellectually rigorous, and culturally responsive learning environments.
Chief Moore led the simulation, dividing Cabinet members into small groups to function as Principals and address challenges that equity-focused school leaders typically might face. One of the simulations focused on how the Principal might address discipline inequities and a need to improve instruction; another focused on building an inclusive community in which students, families, and staff members all feel engaged and involved.
Superintendent Deane-Williams has charged the Cabinet with "leading through an equity lens" and to make equity a top priority in development of the District's 2017-18 budget and new strategic plans.
Using videos and text descriptions, the simulations presented scenarios that require Principals to make difficult choices, then face the consequences of their decisions as the scenarios unfold. The simulation tool provided instant feedback on how well each team did in leading with equity, and Cabinet members discussed as a group how the challenges and choices relate to their role in supporting Rochester schools.
Superintendent Deane-Williams, Chief Burrell-Moore and the leadership team will be providing feedback on the prototype professional learning tools for school and district leaders. They were developed by NYCLA and Ed Leadership Sims with funding support from The Wallace Foundation.