Equity Education

District Mission

Inspire a Caring Community to Ignite Learning, Innovation, and Success for ALL.

Equity Education Mission

Jordan Public Schools accepts and values others for who they are and is committed to producing the structures and resources learners need to thrive in a safe and affirming environment. Equity Education focuses on opportunity and access in all realms of student life — social and emotional needs and academic success — for ALL.

Equity Education Core Values

Excellence: Setting a high bar for learning, behavior, commitment, and service
Integrity: Doing the right things at all times with honesty, trust, and respect
Innovation: Finding courageous ways to excel through research and action
Collaboration: Working in partnership for shared goals
Respect: Showing pride in who we are and celebrating our differences
Diversity: Strengthening through our many stories and backgrounds

This website section was updated to offer clarification and transparency on Culturally Responsive (Teaching) Pedagogy at Jordan Public Schools.
As a district we have engaged in Culturally Responsive (Teaching) Pedagogy for many years to focus on understanding ALL students and connecting with ALL students to “...Inspire a Caring Community to Ignite Learning, Innovation, and Success for All."
The necessary equity work being done by Jordan Public Schools was defined long before current discussions of Critical Race Theory began, and is separate from the current national and statewide dialogue about Critical Race Theory.
However, Culturally Responsive Teaching and Critical Race Theory share the same acronym — CRT. We have received feedback that this is confusing. It is our goal to provide as much clarity as possible, minimizing confusion to support our Jordan Staff, Students and Families in updating our language from Culturally Responsive Teaching to Culturally Responsive Pedagogy.

Highlights of Equity Education

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Equity and Outreach

"Educational equity is the condition of justice, fairness, and inclusion in systems of education allowing all students access to opportunities to learn and develop to their fullest potential. The pursuit of educational equity recognizes the historical conditions and barriers that have prevented opportunity and success in learning for students based on their races, incomes, and other social conditions. Eliminating those structural and institutional barriers to educational opportunities requires systemic change that allows for distribution of resources, information, and other support depending on the student's situation to ensure an equitable outcome. Equity is different from equality. Equity is a principle that is based upon justness and fairness, while equality demands everyone be treated at the same level." (Minnesota Department of Education, 2018)

P's of Equity

Power
Position
Perspective
Perception
Preference
Pet Peeves
Policy
Process
Procedues
Programs

Student Leadership Groups

D.L.C. Jr's (Elementary School)
D.L.C. (Middle School)
E.L.C. (High School)

Community Outreach

Student led "Activity Night" – 60 in attendance
"International Dinner and Talent Show" – 100 RSVP

Professional Development

Restorative Justice Practices
District team attended Sharroky Hollie event and presented to staff
Dr. Rev Hillstrom, Director of Educational Equity for Osseo Area Schools, presenting Native American curriculum to staff
Presented Culturaly Responsive Pedagogy at Eastern Carver County School District

Malik Peer
Equity & Outreach Specialist
mpeer@isd717.org
612-401-8220 cell
952-492-6200 main

Malik Peer has been working at Jordan Public Schools since 2013 and currently serves as the District Equity and Outreach Specialist. He has a bachelor degree in Equity and Inclusion, licensed in mediation, certified in restorative justice/practice, public speaking, working with the Freedom Schools as a Student Leadership Servant (SLS). Mr. Peer is pursuing his Masters degree at Metro State College in Leadership in Intercultural Communication Education. In the summer of 2020, Mr. Peer opened a B4ME summer program in Little Rock, Arkansas that will focus on creating a CRT environment to support equity students, to include students of color. He has spoken on issues of equity at colleges and schools across the nation.

Diversity Consciousness Process

The Diversity Consciousness Process invites organizational and individual leaders to participate in a process involving consistently engaging in conversations designed to raise equity, diversity, restorative consciousness, and promote professional and personal growth. The dialogue in this process will inspire participants to seek out awareness and exposure training allowing all aspects of the educational environment to become a place that honors and celebrates diversity and promotes UNITY.

PHASE ONE: Caring and Committed Conversations and Surveys

Jordan's process begins with personal reflection and Caring and Committed Conversations with staff. This phase is crucial for setting the tone for program development. Everyone has a voice and that voice matters. During Phase One, people also becomes aware of their stage of diversity development.

PHASE TWO: Raise Awareness and Invite Expose

After the initial conversation, leaders and stakeholders decide what training is needed to continue their relationship with diversity and equity knowledge. Professional Development is focused in the areas including -- Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Equity, Inquiry Based Learning, Project Based Learning, etc.

PHASE THREE: Transform Yourself and Create Change

This phase includes proof that organizational and personal practices are indeed transforming.

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

What is Culturally Responsive Pedagogy?

Culturally responsive pedagogy is good for ALL students in ALL schools. The foundation of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy is creating equitable classrooms. Being aware of diversity [culture, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, socio-economic status] in a classroom creates a learning environment that promotes success for all students by recognizing individual strengths, acknowledging successful and harmful behaviors, and connecting students and staff to a positive school culture.

The Role of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Equity Education

Equity education is learning environments that create fair and equal access for all students, and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy is the vehicle to make sure we are creating opportunities and access for ALL. A goal of equity education is equity consciousness – becoming aware of the unconscious bais staff and students bring to all relationships and the learning environment.

Examples of not creating opportunities and access for all:

If I’m a history teacher and only teach history from the victor's perspective, I may be denying opportunity and access to students of color, women, LGBTQ students, etc. Those students are not learning a truth about their identity throughout history.
If I’m an English teacher and I only teach from white male novels, I may be denying opportunity and access of the self awareness and identity of so many other role models.

Sarah Miller
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Specialist
smiller@isd717.org
952-492-4305 direct
952-492-2336 main

Sarah Miller has been teaching at Jordan Public Schools for 25 years. She earned her master's degree in Educational Leadership at Concordia St. Paul, completed her principal coursework at St. Mary's, and earned her Culturally Responsive Teaching certificate at St. Mary's University. Currently, she is working on her EdD in Equity and Inclusion Leadership. At the elementary school, she was the Behavior Specialist and Instructional Coach. For the district, she is the Culturally Responsive Teaching Specialist. In addition, she is co-facilitating the integration of Culturally Responsive Teaching strategies into the classroom and school culture. Sarah is passionate about assisting individuals and districts to create classrooms and school cultures that acknowledge and celebrate diversity so ALL students can achieve and succeed.

Focus of Responsive Pedagogy in Jordan

Cultural Responsiveness

Teacher's response to culture in the classroom. It is the classroom managment style that honors the way students learn and behave.

What responsiveness looks like in the classroom:

Recognize Acknowledge and Connect (RAC) -- Behavior Management
Administration Supporting Discipline Practices
Movement Protocols, Response Protocols, and Discussion Protocols
Collaboration Contracts

Cultural Competence

Teachers make a committment to engage and understand cultures around the world and value differenes.

What competence looks like in the classroom:

READO -- Reading Curriculum
Stories of America
Refugee Integration Unit
Harambee -- Monthly School Celebration
Celebration of Learning
I See You: I am Here to Be Seen -- Celebrating Differences Curriculum
Multiculutural Education Courses
Literature Studies Curriculum
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Team
Heritage Nights

Cultural Relevance

Student voice is honored through a meaningful curriculum and instructional methods that relate to student interest.

What relevance looks like in the classroom:

Inquiry Learning
Project Based Learning
Caring and Committed Conversations
Elective Courses
Student Leadership Groups -- ELC, DLC, and DLC Jrs.
Cultural Field Trips

What is Culture?

According to Zaretta Hammond (2015) in Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, culture is the way that every brain makes sense of the world. Every individual has a culture that the brain uses to turn everyday happenings into meangingful events. Culture has three distict levels:

Surface Culture: observable and conrete elements of culture such as food, dress, music, and holidays.
Shallow Culture: unspoken rules around everyday social interactions and norms.
Deep Culture: tacit knowledge and unconscious assumptions that govern our world view.

Equity Education Leadership Team

Erin Hjelmeland

Director of Teaching and Learning

Contact Info and Profile for Erin Hjelmeland

Sarah Miller

Behavior Specialist / SURGE Teacher

Contact Info and Profile for Sarah Miller

Chad Williams

Director, Special Services

Contact Info and Profile for Chad Williams

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