Curating Safe Spaces for Conversations About Race Through a District-Wide, Sustained, Antiracist Professional Development Program

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Sesion 4
  In Roundtable Session: School Leadership: Creating Spaces and Places for Critical Activism

Abstract

This mixed-methods study documents the impact of one school district’s commitment to professional development designed to explicitly address systemic racism. The RRP (pseudonym) program incorporates the curation of safe spaces for courageous conversation around white supremacy and racism, including all the tentacles associated with negative impacts on marginalized communities. The program addressed underlying belief systems and utilized an ethnic studies foundation. The impact of a year-long mandatory professional development for all 298 staff within a school district was documented through pre/post surveys and focus group interviews. Participants’ knowledge of key concepts presented in the program increased significantly comparing pre- and post-scores. Several themes emerged from the qualitative data analysis including the need to address issues of participant authenticity.

Authors

• Norma Jimenez Hernandez, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Margarita Jimenez-Silva, University of California Davis

• Andrea LATREASE Smith-Moore, California State University - Sacramento

• Sara Truebridge, Consultant

• Sonia Lewis, ASCRIBE Educational Consulting

• Ruben Reyes, Robla School District