Imagine if teacher meetings used norms that were informed by countering WSC. Social Justice.Īlso, it ensures that the change does not become overly simplified, or disconnected for the purpose. Ultimately, the work of creating more culturally responsive, restorative, and innovative classrooms rests on understanding why you are making said changes. Then, staff will be able to examine their mindsets and motivate each other to meet the needs of students. Once a leader begins to discuss racial bias, White Supremacy Culture, and social justice with their staff, there will be more clarity about the vision. Make sure it’s clear that you are developing a strong anti-racist adult culture, to prompt instructional moves necessary to close the opportunity gap. If your white staff are familiar with the concept of “white fragility,” it will support everyone sustaining the conversation. Folks need a baseline of information, context, and terminology. For instance, I started by making copies for both of my assistant principals. It only takes 2 people to have a conversation, and it will double the effectiveness of your action plan. Start by reading this article and sharing it with one other key person at your school. When a leader speaks about new initiatives or gives feedback on instructional walkthroughs, s/he must be able to explain how their recommendations advance equity and the liberation of oppressed students.Ī deep study of WSC will facilitate this work.ĭon’t forget to share your equity stance often! Now, our literacy scaffolds and technology integration has a purpose. Understanding WSC helps a leader to use both change management theory and critical race theory to implement reform. Once a leader has an understanding of this, including White Supremacy Culture, s/he can articulate it with confidence, but also offer alternatives to our traditional models of schooling. To more explicit, leaders should have an understanding of racial bias and institutional oppression. Why you need to understand White Supremacy CultureĬulturally responsive leaders should display strong personal ethics and integrity and belief system. It’s even in who speaks and who doesn’t in staff meetings! Interrupt it. I have thought about creating an audit for a school to conduct to assess their toxicity level. White Supremacy Culture is also in grading at large, in timed essays and drill and kill approaches to learning. And, it is in your letter grading system as well as your direct instruction pedagogical models. It’s everywhere, like in your meeting norms ( see safe norms vs. 15 Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture Tema Okun names these 15 elements of WSC in her article. This requires us to examine our biases and place students of color, especially our African American students at the center of our planning, assessment, and interventions. I believe that this foundational work will facilitate the many initiatives that we know can transform our schools, including PBIS, RP, CRT, PBL, Readers/Writers Workshops, and others. It informs our norms, guides our interactions, and ultimately limits our ability to truly close the opportunity gap.Ī leader must have a firm understanding of White Supremacy Culture, an action plan for addressing it, and a support system. It seeps around our organizations like overflowing sewage. We have left out an important foundational piece, white supremacy culture (WSC). We have discussed diversity, culturally relevancy, and even systemic oppression.
( White Supremacy Culture article by Tema Okun)! The good thing is that if we see it, we can name it, and we can address it! You have culturally responsive leadership on your side. But that system can be destroyed and rebuilt. It is the unnamed foundation of our system. The toxicity of white supremacy culture is ubiquitous. It’s the water that we swim in, the oxygen that we breathe.