Antiracist Praxis Study Circle Coming Soon!

What makes this study circle different?

The Antiracist Praxis Study Circle is not intended to be a basic “what is racism” professional development (PD) activity, so we have some working assumptions and hope those interested in joining can agree to start with these foundational beliefs:

• Racism is systemic. White supremacy and systemic racism are leading problems in our education system. These systems are especially harmful to people of color and the English language learners we serve.
• Identifying and addressing implicit bias is paramount to this work. It is a personal journey, and we all enter this work together from different places.
• It is not enough to be “not racist” but we have to be intentionally antiracist.
• We are willing to work in a collaborative environment and to hold each other accountable.

This study circle goes beyond defining antiracism and explores how the research around Translanguaging by Ofelia García and Culturally Responsive Teaching by Zaretta Hammond provide us with tools to change the way we approach teaching.

Why should YOU do this study circle?

I know that often educators who care about antiracism have many barriers keeping us from committing to the work. Sometimes, we don’t know where to start, we are scared of making mistakes, or we don’t have support from our administration or colleagues to do the work. In my experience, even if I have colleagues interested in doing this work with me, we have to do equity work on our own unpaid time, which makes it all the more difficult to create change at our schools. Even though this study circle doesn’t solve all of those issues, my hope is that it at least gives educators a starting place for content and discussions so that change can begin.

Remember: it’s okay to make mistakes. Ibram X. Kendi reminds us that mistakes are part of the antiracist journey. If we let the fear of making mistakes keep us from standing up for racial justice, then racial justice will never happen. I like to repeat this sentence to myself, and I invite you to do the same:

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou

Study circle details

Meeting Schedule: ONLINE via Zoom, on Wednesdays from 3:00-5:00 PM CDT as follows:

• Wednesday, June 15, 3-5pm
• Wednesday, June 22, 3-5pm
• Wednesday June 29, 3-5pm
• Wednesday, July 13, 3-5pm
• Wednesday, July 20, 3-5pm

Application Deadline: Friday, May 27, 2022

• APPLY NOW >>
• NOTE: Participation will be limited to keep the group to a manageable size.

Time Commitment: 5 two-hour meetings, plus an expected 1-2 hours per week of preparation by reading, viewing, and reflecting on assigned tasks.

CEUs: 20 for those who attend ALL 5 meetings and complete all study circle activities

Stipends: $100 for those who attend ALL 5 meetings and complete all study circle activities

Questions? Contact Cydnee at [email protected]