Partners in School Innovation

How important have teachers been to changing your world as a child? When you were a student? As you are now as an engaged community member and/or parent? Partners in School Innovation CEO Derek Mitchell shared the following recently: “Frankly, teachers are everywhere where we need things to improve…They spend a good amount of their time in the community where the need is greatest. They’re a tremendous source of knowledge about need, a tremendous source of connection to families and community if we leverage them that way.” The impact of teachers was one of many themes explored in the recent Coffee & Change Podcast on Episode 139: “Totems, Talent & Teaching the World to Change with Derek Mitchell,” where host Bill Kirst discusses with Derek the necessity of transforming teaching and learning in the most challenged schools so that every student thrives. In this energizing 64-minute episode, Derek shares insights on??? - Influential teachers who leveraged learning creatively - The importance of teachers in community - Double loop learning - Reconnecting with past ambitions to stoke motivation - …and more Check out the full interview on Spotify here: https://lnkd.in/geGdaQHW. #podcast #education #equity #EducationEquity #EducationalLeadership #EducationForAll #ThoughtLeadership #Teaching #TeacherImpact

Many schools struggle with chronic absenteeism, and initiatives to reduce such rates often go through multiple starts and stops. In this report by FutureEd at Georgetown, an independent solution-oriented think tank at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, the author chronicles Rhode Island's statewide strategy to curb chronic absenteeism, especially in the aftermath of COVID-19-related changes. The preliminary findings are promising, as shown in the pictured graph, and could be helpful if you're facing similar issues in your school or district. They highlight approaches of - Changing habits - Deepening the bench - Businesses stepping up - Engaging families and community members and more Read the details in the full report at https://lnkd.in/g-EC37yu #education #equity #EducationEquity #K12Education #EducationalLeadership #EducationLeadership #EducationForAll #ChronicAbsenteeism #CommunityEngagement [Image description: A graph depicts annual rates of Rhode Island chronic absenteeism from 2018-2019 to 2023-2024. The percentages are 19.1%, 27.6%, 34.1%, 28.9%, and 24.7% respective to the years, showing a trend of decreasing absenteeism.]

In developing structured support for the school leaders at a San Jose TK-8 school who were eager to deepen anti-bias and anti-racist work, we co-created professional development (PD) curriculum, resources, and focused coaching sessions. Following a year of this anti-bias and anti-racist (ABAR) work, they reassessed their improvement areas and saw significant progress. ?? In addition, we conducted a staff survey which revealed overwhelming support for the new initiatives. Check out these positive markers: - 93% of teachers felt that their colleagues were actively seeking to understand the role of race, culture, class, and power in their work. - 88% of teachers reported that the professional development sessions provided them with the opportunities to develop and apply personal and collective cultural proficiency - Approximately 70% noted that professional development clearly outlined expectations for the application of new learning. - More than 60% of teachers felt enabled to take immediate action based on what they learned. Dive deeper into the story of their professional development (PD) programming and its impact here ??: https://lnkd.in/ghrkCacv #education #equity #EducationEquity #K12Education #EducationalLeadership #EducationLeadership #EducationForAll #StorytellingForChange #ABAR #AntiBiasAntiRacistEducation #AntiRacism #CaliforniaSchools #SanJose [Image description: An infographic showcasing the results of the teacher satisfaction survey, showing strong support for anti-bias and anti-racist professional learning initiatives.]

Stories are powerful windows into lived experiences and hold the potential to connect people, help them learn and heal, and open eyes to how necessary equity work is. Change agents who work to disrupt inequity in education systems can more strongly build momentum through the impact of understanding, developing, and sharing critical stories that matter most to their communities and catalyze change. Explore three creative and intentional ways to open deeper dialogue for meaningful storytelling: - Empathy interviews: a powerful way to surface stories about the experiences of key individuals - Cogenerative dialogues (cogens): a tool to improve the experiences of students by structuring a systematic way for teachers to listen to students and iterate towards a more successful, equity-focused classroom - Collective sensemaking: an activity that reveals similar story clusters and emerging trends among a group Read more about how to facilitate each of these here: https://lnkd.in/gjrArJxu #DistrictLeadership #StorytellingInEducation #education #equity #EducationEquity #K12Education #EducationalLeadership #EducationForAll #EducationLeadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #StorytellingForChange

In partnering during the 2022-23 school year with a San Jose elementary school on integrating anti-bias and anti-racist (ABAR) practices into its curriculum and culture, we kickstarted the beginning of many visible changes in mindsets and instructional practice. School leaders started ABAR work by asking a reflective question to the school’s staff during a professional development session: "What should the student, teacher, and family experience be at our school?" ?The collected responses showed a readiness among staff to advance their work beyond superficial equity initiatives and engage in meaningful ABAR work! Read more about their full journey here: https://lnkd.in/ghrkCacv #education #equity #EducationEquity #K12Education #EducationalLeadership #EducationLeadership #EducationForAll #StorytellingForChange #ABAR #AntiBiasAntiRacistEducation #AntiRacism #CaliforniaSchools #SanJose [Image description: A photo showing a collective reflection session at this school, where teachers' responses to the question "What should the student, teacher, and family experience be at our school?" are visibly recorded on chart paper.]

"When students achieve or do great things, I go right to them," says Hempstead ISD Superintendent Herbert O'Neil who was recently celebrated in a District Administration article for his communications strategy. We applaud his commitment to uplifting student voices and successes in order to have ongoing conversations with the student body, parents, and community members. This type of vision and execution keeps everyone informed, engaged, and then motivated to collectively work towards student success. Read more in the DA article: https://lnkd.in/gn56T5KJ #DistrictLeadership #education #equity #EducationEquity #K12Education #EducationalLeadership #EducationForAll #EducationLeadership #Superintendent

Don't let your equity work stall out this year. The truth is that most equity initiatives fall short of the results that they aspire to achieve. Wondering why? Here are some common reasons that our friends at the National Equity Project have noted: - Not taking a deep enough equity lens - Relying on linear and hierarchical plans that do not honor complexity - Influences of white supremacy culture (moving too quickly and not involving those closest to the problem) To help you overcome the common roadblocks, we designed a complimentary on-demand course all about digging into root causes: From Root Causes to Grassroots Action ??. Check out 3 of the most visited lessons from this course: 1) Changing the Discourse in Schools: This lesson includes tips to reframe how you and your teammates look at problems so that you can avoid reproducing the same inequitable outcomes time and again. https://lnkd.in/gYZKVVjt 2) Prepare Your Soil: Access a checklist to prepare for root cause exploration. https://lnkd.in/gCdWNM7w 3) Centering Student Perspectives: Learn about ways to invite students into root causes analysis and truly listen. https://lnkd.in/ga5_awXb Or check out the full list of resources to help you unpack the root causes of your equity challenge here: https://lnkd.in/gJEBfb9f For more courses and resources like this, check out our Community (it's free to join!) where 575+ equity-focused leaders in education are sharing resources weekly: https://lnkd.in/g7A7zqhh #DistrictLeadership #education #equity #EducationEquity #K12Education #EducationalLeadership #EducationForAll #EducationLeadership #ProfessionalDevelopment [Image description: Green graphic with an open laptop icon on top and the words "Community Course: From Root Causes to Grassroots Action" toward the top. Examples of digital resources are shown with a call to enroll for free to gain access to similar resources. The Partners in School Innovation logo is at the bottom right; at the bottom left is the text "Learn more at https://lnkd.in/g98nGWrz"]

We partnered with a TK-8 school in South San Jose that wanted to focus on embedding ABAR practices throughout their professional development and school operations. With leadership coaching and targeted professional development, they enhanced their commitment to cultural proficiency and inclusivity, fostering culturally responsive teaching and a more inclusive learning environment. Read the full story of how together in partnership, we revolutionized the teaching and school culture by embedding anti-bias and anti-racist practices: https://lnkd.in/ghrkCacv #education #equity #EducationEquity #K12Education #EducationalLeadership #EducationLeadership #EducationForAll #StorytellingForChange #ABAR #AntiBiasAntiRacistEducation #AntiRacism #CaliforniaSchools #SanJose [Image description: A cover image for a case study titled "What Anti-Bias and Anti-Racist Work Looks Like in Education: An Elementary School's Story." The image features a photo of various books on cultural proficiency and equity, and at the bottom there is the Partners in School Innovation logo.]

Stories help people learn, connect, and heal. More importantly, stories are critical to achieving equity because they build empathy and bring to light the lived experiences of those who are most often overlooked. With a sprinkle of creativity and a dash of intentionality, you can tap into the power of stories to build momentum as you work to disrupt inequity in educational systems. There are many approaches to engage school teams, students, and community members in meaningful reflection. Here are six ways to surface stories that matter and catalyze change that call everyone in to reflect as a team: - Doing a “Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For” exercise - Building a “Story Frame” reflection together - Running a “Stop, Start, Continue” protocol - Conducting a deliberate team development self-assessment - Trying a heat mapping exercise - Holding an artifact share-out session Read more about how to facilitate each of these here: https://lnkd.in/ggjQx2MU. #DistrictLeadership #StorytellingInEducation #education #equity #EducationEquity #K12Education #EducationalLeadership #EducationForAll #EducationLeadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #StorytellingForChange

"Support staff's labor is inextricable from student learning, and our work as school and system leaders will never reach its full potential until we treat their leadership as core to transformational change." Wise words from the “The Centrality of Operations Leaders in Transformational Change” article authored by our board member Jennifer Cheatham and CEO Derek Mitchell in the latest issue of AASA, The School Superintendents Association's "School Administrator" magazine. They dig into the ways that schools can use the Partners in School Innovation Change Agent Framework (which focuses on mindsets, leadership, adult learning, transformation approach, and change management) to cultivate leadership in their bus drivers, nurses, custodians, accountants, and others who are all critical influences on student success. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gFF2C3gA (don't have a login? it's also available at https://lnkd.in/gHYinmzQ ) #AASAMag #education #EducationLeadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #SupportStaff #SchoolExcellence #EducationalLeadership [Image description: A screenshot of a digital magazine spread of two pages which feature the article "The Centrality of Operations Leaders in Transformational Change” next to a line illustration of people of various occupations.]