Afternoon Breakout Sessions
- PM1 / Room 11: Leveraging Student Voice to Transform Curriculum
- PM2 / Room 12: Connecting Dots and Color Lines: Helping Students Identify Hard Truths of American History to Create a Better Future
- PM3 / Room 13: Equity-Centered Leadership: Building Cultures of Value, Inclusion, Opportunity & Belonging
- PM4 / Room 14: A Call to Collective Action
- PM5 / Room 15: Is My School or District Equitable? Creating a Shared Equity Vision
- PM6 / Room 21: Starting and Supporting a BIPOC Affinity Group for Staff
- PM7 / Room 22: Is My School or District Equitable? Creating a Shared Equity Vision
- PM8 / Room 23: Finding Alternative Tools to Dismantle the ‘Master’s House’ and Build an Anti-Racist Organization
- PM9 / Room 24: Dismantling Racism to Achieve Success From Classrooms to Community
- PM10 / Room 25: The Third Space: Using Art to Reconstruct Cultural Identity Narratives
- PM11 / Room 26: Ready to Rise: Literacy Engagement and Affirming Student Identities
- PM12:: Museum Touring for Social Change: One Conversation at a Time
Please Note!
PM1 Room 11
Leveraging Student Voice to Transform Curriculum
In this workshop, participants will learn how to use student voice as a method for transforming curriculum into validating, relevant, and culturally appropriate documents. Participants will be given the theory behind student voice work and will then learn how to apply that theory.
Intended Audience: Teachers, Administrators, Middle and High School Students
Jason Scavotto, Coordinator of Alternative Services
Pine Meadow Academy, Windsor Locks, CT
Jason Scavotto is currently an Ed.D. candidate at Northeastern University. His research is focused on using student voice and narrative to transform curriculum practices within the public school system. He currently is the Coordinator of Alternative Services for Windsor Locks Public Schools and has served in both teaching and leadership roles in traditional and alternative settings for 19 years.
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PM2 Room 12
Connecting Dots and Color Lines: Helping Students Identify Hard Truths of American History to Create a Better Future
This presentation invites participants to place themselves in the role of a student in a history class. The Social Studies classroom can and should be a place where students connect with the content, their teacher, and with each other. As members of the first cohort to implement Connecticut’s African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino Studies course, Denise, Alima, and Hiromi will break down their experiences into three parts: First, they will explain how course content galvanized their education and activism. Second, they will facilitate a Hexagonal Learning Activity that encourages active participation, discussion, and critical thinking about ways in which themes, values, people, and events are interconnected. Finally, they will provide the audience with examples of student-centered learning projects based on connecting events to the themes of the course, and discuss why courses like this lend themselves to student engagement and creativity.
Intended Audience:
General audience – Teachers, Counselors, Paraeducators, Administrators, Family Members, Community Members, High School Students
Denise Moller, Social Studies Teacher
The Bridge Academy, Bridgeport, CT
Though born and raised in Connecticut, Denise “grew up in Louisiana,” where experiences in pre-Katrina NOLA and post-storm North Louisiana instilled the desire to deepen her understanding of the legacy of enslavement that continues into the present day. Back in Connecticut, she has been able to teach factual, often hard, history in her classes at The Bridge Academy, where she was among the first group of educators to pilot the state’s African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino Studies course.
Alimatou Kao, Student
University of Connecticut, Storrs
Growing up a bookworm, Alimatou Kao has always been curious about the world around her and about the history behind it. Most books didn’t tell the whole truth, so she never stopped searching. During her senior year, when able to take the African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino Studies class, she realized how important learning her history really was. She is now a psychology major, hoping to help and to educate the people in her community.
Hiromi Lozano, Student
University of Connecticut, Storrs
Hiromi Lozano has experienced life from a variety of perspectives from Portland, Maine to Bridgeport, Connecticut. Her perspective as a Latina piqued her interest in the Black and Latino experience. Hiromi had felt estranged from her Colombian roots, and the African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino Studies course made her appreciate her heritage even more. She hopes to pursue a career in occupational therapy and assist Black and Latino communities who may require this treatment but lack the resources to receive it.
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PM3 Room 13
Equity-Centered Leadership: Building Cultures of Value, Inclusion, Opportunity & Belonging
Intended Audience:
General audience – Teachers, Counselors, Paraeducators, Administrators, Family Members, Community Members
Kevin Walton, Director of Equity & Inclusion
Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES), North Haven, CT
Kevin E. Walton, Sr. serves as the Director of Equity & Inclusion for Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES) in North Haven, CT. In this role, Mr. Walton works collaboratively with the Executive Leadership Council and the agency leadership team to develop, implement and monitor programs and initiatives designed to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all stakeholders including employees, students and families.
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PM4 Room 14
A Call to Collective Action
Stamford’s Alliance for Black Achievement (AFBA), a grassroots coalition of educators, parents, Board of Education members and alumni, and interested nonprofit partners, grew out of informal discussions about the disparities in educational opportunities and achievement in Stamford Public Schools between Black and non-Black students. As these discussions progressed, it was decided that such a complex and urgent problem deserved dedication and attention to its various solutions. Thus, the AFBA was born. This unique story will demonstrate how the group identified the specific challenges its community faces. Participants will begin to discover the systemic and structural impediments to equity in their own schools and districts, and begin to identify the people and organizations in their communities that would be interested in forming a coalition to do and promote this work toward dismantling systemic racism together.
Intended Audience:
General audience – Teachers, Counselors, Paraeducators, Administrators, Family members, Community members, Middle and High School Students
Edith Presley, President
Stamford Cradle to Career, Stamford, CT
Edith Presley is the President of Stamford Cradle to Career. She has decades of experience in the public education and nonprofit sectors, with expertise in school culture, specialized instruction, and educational equity. Edith has learned to navigate Stamford’s education system as a student, teacher, and now as a parent of two Stamford students.
Lyndsay Wyman, CEO
Stamford Public Education Foundation (SPEF), Stamford, CT
Lindsay Wyman is the CEO of the Stamford Public Education Foundation (SPEF). Previous to that, she worked as a teacher, administrator, and literacy consultant in special and regular education for 15 years. Lindsay holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Virginia and a dual Master’s degree in Childhood & Special Education from Manhattanville College.
Michael Hyman, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Domus Kids, Stamford, CT
Michael Hyman is director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for the nonprofit Domus Kids in Stamford, CT, and co-founder of the Equity Institute. He has been a passionate community activist in Stamford for social justice for 25 years. A 2016 Aspen Institute presenter on “What Every American Should Know,” Hyman is a 2022 recipient of the Sydney Bridgett Medal for his work in social justice. An ordained Baptist minister, Hyman is also a member of Stamford’s Board of Education.
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PM5 Room 15
It’s All In a Book: Promoting Positive Self Identity in Young Children
Optimum development of positive identity is supported by learning experiences that highlight a child’s multifaceted identity. Books can be used to support student learning and development starting at birth and throughout a lifetime. During this session, participants will:
• Learn about the importance of positive identity development for young children ages 0-8,
• Discuss the stages of identity development (ethnic, race, cultural identities), and
• Explore a variety of children’s authentic multicultural literature that promotes positive self-identity.
Intended Audience: General audience – Teachers, Counselors, Paraeducators, Family members
Paquita Jarman-Smith, Consultant
State Education Resource Center (SERC), Waterbury, CT
Paquita Jarman-Smith has been a consultant at SERC since 2006 specializing in Early Childhood leadership, administration and supervision. Her background includes curriculum design and implementation, as well as equitable program improvement and quality practices, for programs serving children birth to age 8. Her current work includes the development of Connecticut’s African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino High School Course of Studies.
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PM6 Room 21
Starting and Supporting a BIPOC Affinity Group for Staff
What is the Wethersfield Public Schools Affinity Group for Staff of Color? A place where staff who self-identify as people of color come together to support one another and provide suggestions for how WPS can recruit, celebrate, and support staff, students, and families who self-identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color).
This session will provide background on how this affinity group was created and facilitated and the positive impact it has on individuals and schools and the district. Participants will brainstorm extensions or other ways to approach affinity groups as a strategy to support and retain staff members of color.
Intended Audience: General audience – Teachers, Counselors, Paraeducators, Administrators, Family members, Community members
Sally Dastoli, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
Wethersfield Public Schools, Wethersfield, CT
Sally Dastoli is Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction for Wethersfield Public Schools, a steering committee member and co-founder of the Wethersfield town-wide Social Justice Coalition, and facilitator of the District Equity Team. The team focuses on the district priority of: deliberately identifying inequities in our policies and practices that impact our community, and changing structures to ensure equitable outcomes for all, by specific characteristics, and specifically by race.
Doris Duggins, Social Studies Teacher and BSU Advisor
Wethersfield High School
Doris Duggins is a social studies teacher at Wethersfield High School and is the co-facilitator of Wethersfield’s BIPOC Affinity group. She is the advisor to the Brothers and Sisters United club, a member of the WHS Equity Team, and a member of the steering committee and co-founder of the Wethersfield town-wide Social Justice Coalition steering committee.
Pam Jones, Teacher and Equity Team Member
Emerson-Williams Elementary School, Wethersfield, CT
Pam Jones is a first grade teacher at Emerson-Williams Elementary school and is the co-facilitator of Wethersfield’s BIPOC Affinity group. She is a member of the school-based Equity committee and a member of the steering committee and co-founder of the Wethersfield town-wide Social Justice Coalition steering committee.
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PM7 Room 22
Is My School or District Equitable? Creating a Shared Equity Vision
Many school districts consider undertaking an equity audit or review to provide a roadmap to close student outcome gaps. An equity audit can be a robust foundation for a school district’s equity journey to achieve this end when properly designed and implemented. An equity audit begins with a clear vision of what an equitable school district looks, feels, and sounds like. Most districts undertake an equity review with a strong commitment to equity, often taking the form of a short equity statement or briefly including equity in the mission statement. These nods to equity, while passionate, are not sufficiently detailed to guide an equity journey. Without a clearly articulated shared vision, compromises based on competing interests and understandings will occur. These compromises can derail an equity journey. This session will focus on creating a clear and shared vision to guide a district’s equity journey.
Intended Audience: General audience – Teachers, Counselors, Paraeducators, Administrators, Family members, Community members, High School Students
Regis Shields, Partner and Founder
Equity Journey Partners, Cambridge, MA
Regis Anne Shields is a founder and principal of Equity Journey Partners (EJP). EJP has facilitated several school district equity audits in New England and has conducted professional development on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging for schools, charter schools and districts in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Ms. Shields was a co-founder of Education Resource Strategies, a nonprofit, focusing on the equitable distribution of resources and a district administrator in Providence Public Schools.
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PM8 Room 23
Finding Alternative Tools to Dismantle the ‘Master’s House’ and Build an Anti-Racist Organization
When Audre Lorde said the master’s tools would never dismantle the master’s house, she didn’t give us an alternative toolkit. As a result, many equity-focused educators have attempted to generate transformational change and foster a strong sense of belonging for BIPOC students and staff while utilizing the very tools that have historically promoted disconnection, centered whiteness, and led to systemic racism.
In this interactive session, participants will explore Lorde’s notion of the master’s tools; discuss current research on white supremacy culture (WSC) with a focus on the ten characteristics of WSC and how they show up in personal, interpersonal, and institutional contexts; and center the experiences of BIPOC folk by reviewing focus group and interview data collected from local school districts. Participants will also work collaboratively to identify alternative tools to dismantle the master’s house and foster and protect belonging.
Intended Audience:
General audience – Teachers, Counselors, Administrators, Family members, Community members
Rydell Harrison, Program Coordinator
Partners for Educational Leadership, West Hartford, CT
Dr. Rydell Harrison is a Program Coordinator with Partners for Educational Leadership, where he works closely with leaders on high-quality instruction, equity and continuous improvement. A career educator and equity advocate, Rydell is the co-founder of Harrison Solutions, LLC where he draws from his experience as an activist, teacher, principal and superintendent in Connecticut, North Carolina, New York City and New Jersey. Rydell sheds light on practical ways organizations can operationalize their equity-focused mission and social justice goals.
Stephen Higgins, Director of Equity and Inclusion
South Windsor Public Schools
Stephen Higgins has over two and a half decades of organizational experience, including internal and external consulting, work with not-for-profit organizations, and experience with public-sector agencies. Stephen’s career includes his current role as the Director of Equity and Inclusion for South Windsor Public Schools, where he was previously an Associate Principal. He began the first 17 years of his career as a classroom teacher giving back to his hometown of East Hartford.
Natalie Simpson, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator
Farmington Public Schools
Natalie Simpson is the Equity and Inclusion Coordinator for Farmington Public Schools, where she started her career as an Open Choice Coordinator and high school teacher. Before Farmington, she served nine years as a high school English teacher, curriculum writer, and leader of equity and anti-racism work for Bloomfield Public Schools. In Bloomfield, she saw success as an AP teacher and exam scorer for the College Board. She is currently pursuing her Connecticut Administrator Certificate.
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PM9 Room 24
Ready to Rise: Literacy Engagement and Affirming Student Identities
The rationale underlying the framework that will be presented is that it is insufficient to focus only on language learning issues in developing school-based action plans to promote achievement in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts. A large proportion of multilingual students who are currently underachieving are also experiencing the effects of social disadvantage and of the marginalized status of their communities in the wider society. Opportunity gaps associated with these realities must also be addressed by the school.
Intended Audience: General Audience – Teachers, Counselors, Administrators
Gladys Labas, Consultant and Associate Professor
Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT
Dr. Labas is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Southern Connecticut State University, where she has been instrumental in the implementation of its Ed.D. Program. She has served as Director of Equity and Language for the CT State Department of Education, an Adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education, and was an urban administrator for 30 years. Dr. Labas has published numerous articles, chapters, teacher training manuals, and guidebooks, and has presented research and training papers at several state, regional, and national conferences. Her research interests, publications, and teaching areas include teacher education, leadership, literacy, bilingual program development and implementation, discourse analysis of bilinguals, effective leadership that promotes and sustains student achievement, quality teaching and successful schools and districts, and effective learning environments for the ever-increasing diverse student population in the state. She has received the National Milken Leadership Award, Connecticut Association of School/CIAC Recognition and the NEASC Recognition Award.
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PM10 Room 25
The Third Space: Using Art to Reconstruct Cultural Identity Narratives
In this session, participants will engage in the works of contemporary Black and Brown artists to explore the metaphor of a third space as a way to reconstruct narratives about cultural identity and belonging. Participants will understand core concepts and how they shape the experiences of Black and Brown students in the school environment, including third space, white spaces, counternarrative, and culture/cultural responsiveness. They will consider ways to use visual representation as a culturally responsive practice in their classrooms.
Intended Audience:
General audience – Teachers
Kerry Lord, Director of Programs
Partners for Educational Leadership, West Hartford, CT
Kerry Lord is the Director of Programs for Partners for Educational Leadership, working with district and school leaders to create an antiracist school culture that transforms access, opportunities, experiences, and outcomes for students. Kerry taught for seven years in San Francisco and served as a principal in Denver for 12 years.
Frank Mitchell, Curatorial Advisor
Toni N. and Wendell C. Harp Historical Museum at The Dixwell Q House, New Haven, CT
Frank Mitchell is a cultural organizer in visual arts and public humanities. He is curatorial adviser for the Toni N. and Wendell C. Harp Historical Museum at The Dixwell Q House. From 2007-2019, Mitchell worked with The Amistad Center for Art & Culture at Hartford’s Wadsworth Atheneum. He holds a PhD in American Culture from the University of Michigan
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PM11 Room 26
Dismantling Racism to Achieve Success From Classrooms to Community
The presentation will include current research on the types of systemic racism that exist in our own educational community. Next, the interactive session will highlight the steps one school has taken to address the bias that impacts teaching and learning. Presenters will discuss how educators should be encouraged to revisit the traditional learning space in a classroom, assisting staff members and students to internally reflect on their identities and how they impact their teaching practices, learning styles, and views of school. In addition, the presentation will examine how schools can partner with their school community in order to address the bias that impacts teaching and learning. The session will discuss the positive changes made to ensure that equitable educational opportunities are accessible to all students, with concrete examples of steps taken to dismantle racism.
Intended Audience: General audience – Teachers, Counselors, Paraeducators, Administrators, Family Members, Community Members
Emma Balter, Assistant Principal
Thurgood Marshall Middle School, Bridgeport, CT
Emma Balter is the assistant principal at Six to Six Interdistrict Magnet School in Bridgeport. She is a member of the school Social Justice and Equity Committee and was lucky enough to attend the Courageous Conversations Summit in Washington, DC, in October 2022. She is committed to promoting equity and diversity within her school and district.
Catherine Nguyen-Ho, Math Specialist
Thurgood Marshall Middle School, Bridgeport, CT
Catherine Nguyen-Ho is a math specialist at Six to Six Interdistrict Magnet School, which is one of the programs of Cooperative Educational Services (CES). She is a member of the school and CES Social Justice and Equity (SJE) Committee. She has facilitated several workshops at school on identity with Michelle Stewart-Copes and the Six to Six SJE team. She is committed to promoting equity and diversity within her school and district.
Terri Davis, Guidance Counselor
Thurgood Marshall Middle School, Bridgeport, CT
Terri Davis is a school counselor at Six to Six Interdistrict Magnet, a Cooperative Educational Services (CES) school. She is a member of the school and CES Social Justice and Equity (SJE) Committee. She has facilitated several workshops at school on identity with Michelle Stewart-Copes and the Six to Six SJE team. She is committed to promoting equity and diversity within her school and district. Ms. Davis is also a Licensed Professional Counselor.
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PM12
Museum Touring for Social Change: One Conversation at a Time
SESSION CANCELLED
This session covers how one cultural organization explores issues of Dismantling Systemic Racism with youth on field trips through a 45-minute tour about enslavement and contemporary social justice issues that connect the past to the present. Participants will learn about the techniques and arcs of dialogue.
Intended Audience:
General audience – Teachers, Counselors, Family members, Community members
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