Leading Equity

About Nancy Markowitz, Ph.D.

Nancy Lourié Markowitz, Ph.D. is Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Reaching & Teaching the Whole Child, where  her work focuses on integrating social, emotional, and cultural competencies into teaching and learning across the educator professional development pipeline. She is also Professor Emerita in the Department of  Teacher Education at San José State University and has been an urban elementary school teacher and K-8 school administrator. Her recent book, Teaching with a Social, Emotional, and Cultural Lens: A Framework for Teachers and Teacher Educators, (2020), written with Dr. Suzanne Bouffard, serves as a resource for  bringing a social, emotional, and cultural lens into teacher education and school classrooms. 

About Suzanne Bouffard, Ph.D.

Suzanne Bouffard is a writer, researcher, and developmental psychologist who focuses on making research and best practice accessible to educators and families. She is currently Vice President of Publications at Learning Forward and editor of The Learning Professional magazine. She is the author of The Most Important Year: Pre-Kindergarten and the Future of Our Children (Avery, 2017) and co-author of Teaching with a Social, Emotional, and Cultural Lens (Harvard Education Press, 2020) and Ready, Willing, and Able: A Developmental Approach to College Access and Success (Harvard Education Press, 2012).

Show Highlights

• Shifting from academic to social and emotional
• Things to consider regarding the first few weeks of school
• SEL everyday
• Reciprocal vulnerability
• Culturally Responsive SEL
• Staying grounded and self-care

Connect with Nancy

Email: [email protected]

Center for Reaching & Teaching the Whole Child

Connect with Suzanne

Learning Forward

Suzanne’s Website

Additional Resources

Teaching with a Social, Emotional, and Cultural Lens: A Framework for Teachers and Teacher Educators

Annihilating Racial Injustice in School Course

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

Learn more about the Advocacy Room

Book Dr. Eakins

About Richard “Pete” Hill

Richard “Pete” Hill, served 22 years on active duty with the United States Army and retired in 2006 at the rank of Master Sergeant.  While serving on active duty he deployed to combat in the Middle East twice. He served in both Operation Desert Storm in 1990 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.  For his service, he earned the Bronze Star Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster.

Pete is a self-taught historian who focuses on legislation and court decisions that have shaped and are shaping how Black America is perceived by the rest of the world. 

Pete’s educational achievements include a Masters in Human Resource Management and a Masters in Management with an emphasis in Leadership.  Pete is also a Certified Diversity Executive and is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Business Administration with Walden University.

Show Highlights

• The Great Flood of 1927
• The Great Depression
• The Great Migration

Connect with Pete

Gmail: [email protected]

Additional Resources

The Story of the Great Flood of1927 and How it Changed Black Voting Patterns

How 2,000 Blacks were used as barriers at gunpoint during the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927

Minorities and the New Deal

Episode 206: I Never Learned That in School

Annihilating Racial Injustice in School Course

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

Learn more about the Advocacy Room

Let's Work Together! 

About Richard “Pete” Hill

Richard “Pete” Hill, served 22 years on active duty with the United States Army and retired in 2006 at the rank of Master Sergeant.  While serving on active duty he deployed to combat in the Middle East twice. He served in both Operation Desert Storm in 1990 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.  For his service, he earned the Bronze Star Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster.

Pete is a self-taught historian who focuses on legislation and court decisions that have shaped and are shaping how Black America is perceived by the rest of the world. 

Pete’s educational achievements include a Masters in Human Resource Management and a Masters in Management with an emphasis in Leadership.  Pete is also a Certified Diversity Executive and is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Business Administration with Walden University.

Show Highlights

• The Gag Rule
• Emancipation Proclamation
• 13th Amendment
• 15th Amendment
• The Exodus of 1879
• 19th Amendment
• Maceo Snipes

Connect with Pete

Gmail: [email protected]

Additional Resources

Compensated Emancipation Act

Black Codes That Challenged the 13th Amendment

The Colfax Massacre and the End of Reconstruction

The South's Response to the Emancipation Proclamation of 1862

 The Exodusters (The First Mass Migration From the South)

Annihilating Racial Injustice in School Course

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

Click here to book Dr. Eakins for a speaking engagement

About Carissa McCray, Ph.D.

Carissa McCray, PhD. (she/her), is an English instructor in K12 with over 11 years of experience. She has her B.A. in English, Master’s in Educational Leadership, and PhD in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. Her ongoing scholarship and work as an educator are driven by creating equitable learning opportunities through the inclusion of multicultural literature and media to transform curricula.

Show Highlights

• The basic needs of a child
• “Learning Loss”
• “Achievement Gap”
• “Resilience and Grit”
• “Parents don’t care”
• “Giving voice to our students”

Connect with Carissa

Twitter: @booked_wellread
Instagram: @readwithris

Additional Resources

Annihilating Racial Injustice in School Course

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

Learn more about the Advocacy Room

About LeTanya Lawerence, Ed.D.

Dr. Le`Tanya T. E. Lawrence has built her career as an urban educator, researcher, and advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion. As product of urban education, Le`Tanya is committed beyond the call of duty to lift the voices of BIPOC student and family voices. She began her journey in equity leadership twenty years ago as a student in the Today’s Students Tomorrow’s Teachers program (TSTT). In the TSTT program she fostered a love for mentoring, and nurturing students’ critical consciousness. Le`Tanya graduated Manhattan College with a B.S and M.S. Ed in childhood and special education, Sacred Heart University with a CAS in Education Leadership and the University of Bridgeport with a Doctorate in International Education and Educational leadership. After graduating Manhattan College she joined the courageous educators in New York City, DOE. During her induction with NYCDOE she was as a self-contained teacher, inclusion co-teacher and a curriculum designer. Le`Tanya transitioned from her home in New York City to Connecticut after she got married and started a small family. Le`Tanya is a mom to three beautiful Black unicorns: 11, 8 and 1 years of age. Her eldest son thrives with epilepsy and autism. Le`Tanya prides herself that being a mother and wife made her a better teacher and advocate. Le`Tanya is a passionate advocate for Intersectionality issues of race, gender and ability as well as she serves on the Board of Directors for the Epilepsy foundation of Connecticut.

For the past couple of years Le`Tanya has supported school partners across the Tri-state area on various topics including racial equity, special education transition, student discipline, co-teaching, culturally responsive family engagement, student attendance, special education leadership, culturally intelligence as well as she served on the advisory for the Black and Latino Studies curriculum as a contributor to the Black curriculum designer. This year she joined the leadership team of the Consolidated School District of New Britain to support the evaluation and development of a small program for students with social, emotional and behavioral challenges.

Dr. Lawrence was honored by Dr. Bettye H. Perkins, CEO of the Today’s Students Tomorrow’s Teacher with the Trailblazer award for her lifetime commitment to equity, excellence and education and most recently through her dissertation research study. Dr. Lawrence completed her dissertation study Mosaic of Thought: A Qualitative Case Study on the Individual Induction Experiences of Black Women Educators (BWEs) in Connecticut Urban Public Schools." Driven by her own intellectual curiosities and professional reflections she wanted to know what have been the experiences of BWEs Her dissertation study focused on the intersection of race and gender to illuminate the teacher induction experiences of Black women in Connecticut. Some of the major themes in her study included Black Girl Magicians at Work and The Placeholder Effect (Lawrence, 2021). Dr. Lawrence developed the Blossom model, a three-dimensional research informed framework to support the mentoring of Black women educators and leaders.

Dr. Lawrence is the founder of Elle’s H.E.A.R.T LLC. Her organization focuses on helping the community through a lens of equity for education, advocacy, research and teacher mentoring. Elle’s H.E.A.R.T provides support around: program evaluation; increasing inclusion options for students with disabilities; making space for BIPOC families’ voices; coaching instructional teams to develop culturally intelligent curriculum; and executive coaching for educational leaders on how to address access barriers for staff and students of color. Throughout her work Dr. Lawrence persists in the face of adversity as she noted, “Because our kids need to see us… because our kids need to hear us,” she presses on.

Show Highlights

• Trends in Special Education
• Deficit mindsets
• Understanding cultural differences
• Implicit and Explicit experiences
• Mentoring Black Women educators
• Staying grounded and self-care

Connect with LeTanya

Twitter: @UptownMagic

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lètanya-lawrence-ed-d-752ba854

Please send all requests for support to [email protected]

Additional Resources

Annihilating Racial Injustice in School Course

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

About Rosa Isiah, Ed.D.

Dr. Rosa Isiah has served students in her community for 28 years. Currently, she serves as Director of Elementary, Equity, and Access in NLMUSD.  Dr. Isiah is passionate about equity and social justice, multilingual Ed, leadership, and closing opportunity gaps for historically underserved students. Dr. Isiah’s experiences as an immigrant, English learner, and a child in poverty add to her passion for her work.

Dr. Isiah is founder of #WeLeadEd Twitter chat and the WeleadED BAMradio radio podcast focused on Ed Leadership and Social Justice. Dr. Isiah co-authored five books on the whole child, equity, leadership, and the power of relationships, including Beyond Conversations About Race (2021). Dr. Isiah contributes her voice to blogs, podcasts, and books on social justice, diversity, equity, access, and women in leadership. Dr. Isiah was the recipient of the Loyola Marymount University 2019 Leader for Social Justice award.

Dr. Isiah is a Solution Tree Culture and Equity professional development associate. She has also presented on social justice topics at conferences including AMLE Guatemala City and Hawaii, UCLACenterX Math Parent Project, San Diego County Office of Ed, NY SPED Collaborative, ASCD, ACSA Region 14, CA League of Schools, ISTE, EdSurge, Future Ready, ALAS and CALSA. 

Show Highlights

• Parent engagement at the district level
• Parent Engagement vs Parent Involvement
• Re-engagement strategies

Connect with Rosa

Twitter: @RosaIsiah

Instagram: @rosaperezisiah

Website: www.rosaisiah.com

Podcast: WeLeadED BAMradio

Beyond Conversations About Race: A Guide for Discussions with Students, Teachers, and Communities

Additional Resources

Annihilating Racial Injustice in School Course

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

Learn more about the Advocacy Room

About Elizabeth O. Crawford, Ph.D.

Elizabeth O. Crawford is a teacher educator and curriculum designer specializing in global education. She has taught in a variety of school contexts, including elementary and middle schools in France and the United States. Currently an Associate Professor of Elementary Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Elizabeth supports educators to address interconnected global challenges in the curriculum. She values collaborating with other teacher educators, classroom teachers, and organizations globally to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership from the College of William & Mary.

About Carla Marschall

Carla Marschall is an experienced educator, curriculum developer, and pedagogical leader, who has worked in a variety of leadership roles in international schools in Switzerland, Germany, Hong Kong, and Singapore over the past ten years. She currently works as the Director of Teaching & Learning at UWC South East Asia, with the mission to make “education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.” A certified Lynn Erickson Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction Consultant, Carla is the co-author of Concept-Based Inquiry in Action (Corwin, 2018). Carla holds a Masters in Elementary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Masters in Applied Educational Leadership and Management from the Institute of Education, University of London.

Show Highlights

• Worldwise Learning
• Developing just citizens
• Global competence
• Connecting history with current issues
• Getting started with Worldwise Learning                                            

Connect with Elizabeth and Carla

Twitter: @TeachGlobalEd

Twitter: @CarlaMarschall

Worldwise Learning: A Teacher’s Guide to Shaping a Just, Sustainable Future

Additional Resources

Annihilating Racial Injustice in School Course

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

Learn more about the Advocacy Room

About Michael Essien, M.Ed.

Michael Essien is an educational leader committed to equity. He is the founder of the Essien Education Group and is a certified Education Specialist in the State of California with 3 decades of experience. Michael became known for creating "Push-In Services", a successful strategy known to reduce suspension rates for Black and Brown students in multiple school districts. Currently, Michael provides workshops on Anti-Racist Discipline, Push-In Services, Project Based Leanring, and the Community School Strategy.

Show Highlights

• Antiracist discipline
• Ways we perpetuate stereotypes
• Sage on the stage teaching
• Helping teachers understand cultural norms
• Additional strategies for antiracist discipline                                        

Connect with Michael

Website: essieneducationgroup.com

Blog: insidethemindofaprincipal.com

Twitter: @MichaelCEssien

Facebook: Essien Education Group

Additional Resources

Annihilating Racial Injustice in School Course

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

Learn more about the Advocacy Room

About Leena Bakshi, Ed.D.

Dr. Leena Bakshi is the founder of STEM4Real, a nonprofit professional learning organization committed to combining STEM and NGSS standards-based content learning and leadership with principles of equity and social justice. She also serves as the Board Secretary for the California Association of Science Educators. Leena currently works with pre-service teachers at UC Berkeley and Claremont Graduate University teaching STEM methods and Universal Design for Learning. She is a former county and state level administrator and mathematics, science and health teacher. Her research interests include Science/STEM education and how we can create access and opportunities for each and every student regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or socioeconomic status.

Show Highlights

• Real Life Science
• Going beyond the textbook
• Equity in state standards
• Standards, Hook, and Society (SHS Method)
• Antiracist Science teachers
• Culturally Responsive Classrooms                                     

Connect with Leena

Website: www.stem4real.org

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/leenabakshi

https://www.linkedin.com/company/stem4real

Twitter: 

https://twitter.com/stem4real

https://twitter.com/leenabmc

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/stem4real

https://www.facebook.com/STEM4Real

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/stem4real/ 

Clubhouse:

@LeenaBMc

Additional Resources

• CASE/CSTA Equitable Science Education: Anti-Racism in Science Education: https://www.nsta.org/blog/building-anti-racist-science-classroom
• Equitable Access to Science Education: https://cascience.org/application/files/8515/6261/0691/Equitable_Access_to_Science_Education.pdf
• STEM4Real Website with our free lesson plan on Climate Change: stem4real.org
• Children's Book: There's Something in the Water:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/theres-something-in-the-water-leena-bakshi/1131140550

Annihilating Racial Injustice in School Course

FREE AUDIO COURSE: Race, Advocacy, and Social Justice Studies

Learn more about the Advocacy Room

About Principal Baruti Kafele

A highly-regarded urban educator in New Jersey for over twenty years, Principal Baruti Kafele distinguished himself as a master teacher and a transformational school leader. As an elementary school teacher in East Orange, NJ, he was selected as the East Orange School District and Essex County Public Schools Teacher of the Year, he was a New Jersey State Teacher of the Year finalist, and a recipient of the New Jersey Education Association Award of Excellence.

As a middle and high school principal, Principal Kafele led the turnaround of four different New Jersey urban schools, including "The Mighty" Newark Tech, which went from a low-performing school in need of improvement to national recognition, which included U.S. News and World Report Magazine recognizing it three times as one of America's best high schools.

One of the most sought-after school leadership experts and education speakers in America, Principal Kafele is impacting America’s schools! He has delivered over two thousand conference and program keynotes, professional development workshops, parenting seminars and student assemblies over his 34 years of public speaking. An expert in the area of “attitude transformation,” Principal Kafele is the leading authority for providing effective classroom and school leadership strategies toward closing what he coined, the "Attitude Gap.”

A prolific writer, Principal Kafele has written extensively on professional development strategies for creating a positive school climate and culture, transforming the attitudes of at-risk students, motivating Black males to excel in the classroom, and school leadership practices for inspiring schoolwide excellence. In addition to writing several professional articles for popular education journals, he has authored eleven books, including his six ASCD best sellers - Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School & in Life, Closing the Attitude Gap, The Teacher 50, Is My School a Better School BECAUSE I Lead It?, The Principal 50 and The Assistant Principal 50. He is also the author of the ASCD book, The Aspiring Principal 50. His latest book is The Equity and Social Justice Education 50.

Principal Kafele is married to his wife Kimberley, and is the father of their three children, Baruti, Jabari and Kibriya. He earned his B.S. degree in Management Science/Marketing from Kean University and his M.A. degree in Educational Administration from New Jersey City University. He is the recipient of over 150 educational, professional and community awards which include the prestigious Milken National Educator Award, the National Alliance of Black School Educators Hall of Fame Award, induction into the East Orange, New Jersey Hall of Fame, recognition as one of the World’s Top 30 Education Professionals for 2020 & 2021 by Global Gurus Top 30 and the City of Dickinson, Texas proclaiming February 8, 1998 as Baruti Kafele Day.

Show Highlights

• Social Justice Education
• Critical Race Theory
• Black Wallstreet
• Booker T. Washington and the Negro Business League
• Juneteenth
• The Equity and Social Justice Education 50                                       

Connect with Principal Kafele

Website: principalkafele.com

Twitter: @PrincipalKafele

Facebook: PrincipalKafele

YouTube: Virtual AP Leadership Academy

YouTube: Principal Kafele Speaks to Educators

The Equity and Social Justice Education 50

Additional Resources

Annihilating Racial Injustice in School Course

Learn more about the Advocacy Room