Collective Equity
A Movement for Creating Communities Where We All Can Breathe
Foreword by John Almarode
Administration & Leadership | Cultural Competence | Professional Learning Communities
It’s time for a new beginning
As we transition through very uncertain and challenging times, we have a chance to start again—and do better as a Collective. With newfound acknowledgment of the damage done by structural inequities, systemic racism, and implicit bias, we are ready to create communities that value and support everyone.
In education, that means challenging and dismantling systems that have harmed historically marginalized children and families for generations. Here you’ll find a powerful model for using relational trust, cultural humility, and appreciation of diverse perspectives to build learning communities that collectively uplift all students and all members of the learning community. Features include
- An original Collective Equity Framework for creating transformative equitable learning environments
- Protocols for enacting cultural humility, vulnerability, and mutuality dispositions leveraged to create culturally sustaining learning communities
- Strategies and tools for organizational analyses to guide conversations that support the implementation of culturally fortifying practices at organizational, curricular, programmatic, and instructional levels
- A behavioral-outcome measurement tool for charting the progress of the members of the Collective towards developing culturally conscious actions and equity focused outcomes.
- Vignettes and case studies from district and school leaders reflecting examples of how the collective members of their organizations work towards creating transformative equitable learning environments
Positive outcomes always take work. When we build relational trust, value and validate the dimensions of identities for all members in the learning community as a Collective, we are able to create Equity Pathways and Equity Pavers to chart a new course where we can ALL Breathe and achieve our shared objective: educational equity for all.
"Sonja Hollins-Alexander and Nicole Law use a highly interactive and practical approach to conveying the theories and best practices of realizing the imperative of collective equity."
"Collective Equity is timely at any stage of professional development. It will help to set the stage for prospective educators and challenge them to think deeply about the importance of collectively and authentically providing instruction. It will help to strengthen their capacity to engage and commit to consistent proven practices that best meet the varied needs of students. This book charges us to be lifelong learners."
"Successful implementation of educational equity requires joining forces with all school stakeholders to build brave spaces where all voices and perspectives are acknowledged, affirmed, and validated. This is the key to unlock creativity, innovation, and sustained commitment. Collective Equity provides a blueprint of the essential dispositions, components, structures, and reflection tools for engagement in this never-ending equity journey. Collective equity brings the plane down to earth so that we can close the knowing and doing gap."
"Sonja Hollins-Alexander and Nicole Law eloquently illustrate the synergy that can happen in a collective learning community to address inequities and make a real impact in schools. Send a copy of this book to every school administrator, classroom teacher, and policymaker you can find and urge them to read it."
This book is ideal for students to explore inequalities and equity linking it with their own values and ethics. The guided activities allow for focus and application of learning.