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July 2020
#EdEquityVA Monthly Newsletter
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A Note From the State Superintendent,
Dr. James Lane
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Dear Educators, School Division Leaders, Parents, and Community Members-
As our nation, state, and local communities continue to grapple with the legacy of racism in our country, we are all being called to respond to the increasingly loud calls for social and racial justice amplified by protesters across the nation. It is important that as education leaders we affirm our commitment to advancing equity in Virginia’s public schools and facilitate courageous conversations in our school communities on racism and its continued impact on students and families of color. Now is the time to double down on equity strategies and lean into courageous leadership.
Many school divisions have designed new positions, Equity Directors, Equity Coordinators, or designated equity leads to advance equity outcomes at the division level. These members of our teams, in the current climate, are being called upon to lead and facilitate conversations on racism, bias, cultural proficiency, and inclusive curriculum in ways they never have before. At the same time, they have in many communities been positioned as the “face” of equity work - and therefore also the face of anti-racism in their communities. It is important that as leaders we recognize that this positioning may also put these leaders at risk for increased public scrutiny, so they need our support more than ever.
I recognize that the time that we are living in, balancing the health and safety of our students and workforce in the midst of a global health pandemic, while at the same time confronting the legacy of systemic racism in our schools is daunting. While many of us rely on the expertise and leadership of our equity directors and equity teams, it is equally important that we support and amplify their leadership and perseverance in our effort to eradicate racism from public schools. The work of advancing equity and confronting racism is often met with great resistance. During this time of social unrest, we must acknowledge the heavy burden our equity leaders are being called upon to bear.
These are the times when our vocal and demonstrated commitment to the work they are championing is imperative. We do this by establishing clear anti-racism and equity strategies, priorities, and policies. We do this by advocating for and allocating resources necessary to fully support their work. We do this by acknowledging and empathizing with the personal racial trauma many equity leaders endure while working to achieve racial justice and equity for all students. We do this by ready-ing our teams to guard against attacks on equity leaders’ professional and personal integrity by those who desire to thwart progress. This is how we become anti-racist education leaders.
This time calls upon us as education leaders to embrace anti-racism and strategically embed it into every part of the organizations we manage. While some may find discussions about race and racism to be uncomfortable and full of inconvenient truths, the problem of racism and its adverse effects on academic outcomes requires talking about it. No system can be eradicated if not fully confronted. At the Virginia Department of Education, we are committed to establishing concrete plans to dismantle any and all forms of systemic racism in Virginia’s public education system utilizing the principles of anti-racism. Anti-racist education leaders are critical partners in our efforts to advance our broader equity priorities including; developing a culturally competent educator workforce, eliminating disproportionality in student outcome data, closing opportunity and achievement gaps among marginalized student groups, increasing access to high quality early learning opportunities, and maximizing the potential of every Virginia student. I encourage you to join with me in this work by publicly affirming the contribution of education equity leaders across the Commonwealth as you join together to embrace becoming anti-racist educators and leaders in Virginia.
Read more: Working Together to Fight Inequality
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SAVE THE DATE:
2020 #EdEquityVA Virtual Summit
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In lieu of the annual Education Equity Summer Institute, the Virginia Department of Education's Office of Equity will host an #EdEquityVA Virtual Equity Summit.
Join Governor, Ralph R. Northam, Virginia Secretary of Education, Atif Qarni and Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. James Lane for the 2020 #EdEquityVA Virtual Summit.This virtual conference will bring together educators and leaders from across the state to explore the implications of institutional racism in public education and raise state discourse and action around courageous teaching and leading, equity, and anti-racism to ensure that Virginia’s public education system is one that maximizes the potential of all students.
This year’s Summit will convene over two days:
- Sessions on day one (August 5th) are designed for teachers, principals, instructional leaders, and equity coordinators.
- Sessions on day two (August 6th) will focus on superintendent teams, administrators, school board members, and division level equity leads.
- Both days will include a keynote address by Dr. Bettina Love, author of We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom.
All sessions provided will focus on building an educator workforce that is positioned for anti-racism and cultural proficiency. Registration will open July 21, 2020 at http://www.virginiaisforlearners.virginia.gov/ed-equity-va/.
Please direct all inquires to EdEquityVA@doe.virginia.gov.
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#EdEquityVA Webinar Series |
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ICYMI:
Return to School Equity Audit Tool
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The Virginia Department of Education offers our monthly #EdEquityVA webinar series to provide educators with professional learning opportunities aimed at advancing education equity in Virginia schools.
July #EdEquityVA Webinars
COVID-19 Slide Recovery: What Summer Learning Loss Can Tell Us
- Dr. Aaliyah Samuel, Executive Vice President of Government Affairs & Partnerships, NWEA
- Dr. John A. Caggiano, Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Hampton City Schools, Hampton, VA
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Dr. Angela Byrd-Wright, Mathematics Curriculum Leader, Hampton City Schools, Hampton, VA
- Presented in Partnership with NWEA
- July 21, 2020 from 3:00-4:30 PM
Register for the July 21st webinar here.
Watch the Recording for Multilingual/English Learner Students and Remote Learning: Strategies to Support Multilingual/English Learner Students in Remote Learning Environments
- Jessica Costa, English Learner Instructional Specialist, Department of Learning and Innovation, Virginia Department of Education
- Jose A. Velazquez, Director of Academic Instruction & School Support, Education Service Center-Region 19
- Presented in Partnership with IDRA
For the full 2020 schedule and the most up-to-date information about the #EdEquityVA Webinar Series please visit the Virginia is for Learners website.
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Tools You Can Use
General Equity Resources, Guides, and Webinars
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Multilingual/English Learner Students
LGBTQ+ Students
Anti-Racism
School Safety & Climate
COVID-19
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DEADLINE EXTENDED:
Mary Peake Award for Excellence in Education Equity
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Virginia Department of Education is extending the deadline to submit applications for The Mary Peake Award for Excellence in Education Equity to Saturday, August 1, 2020 by 11:59 pm EDT. Please consider nominating an educator, policy maker, education advocacy group, or stakeholder organization in your community whose service and leadership is impacting equity outcomes in the state.
All nomination materials must be submitted online by
August 1, 2020 by 11:59 PM EDT.
For more information about the nomination process and selection criteria, visit the Virginia is for Learners website.
For direct access to the nomination form, click here.
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