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Setting the bar high for social justice in early education

  • 1.  Setting the bar high for social justice in early education

    Posted 09-13-2019 01:53 PM

    Do you regularly reflect on your practices as it relates to equity? What are some tips that you would give a beginner teacher in creating an equitable early childhood setting that promote justice?  I feel since we are the first stop for children and families we must set the bar high!

    How do you set the bar high for justice?



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    Yolanda Franklin
    Infant Toddler Professional Facilitator
    Professional Development Specialist
    Collaborative for Children
    Houston TX
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  • 2.  RE: Setting the bar high for social justice in early education

    Posted 09-14-2019 01:23 PM
    Best tip I can think of is for you to get NAEYC's Antibias Curriculum. It is full of suggestions for approaches and activities. It's been around for a long time so one of your colleagues might already have a copy you can borrow.

    Carol

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    Carol Day [Designation]
    Silver Spring MD
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  • 3.  RE: Setting the bar high for social justice in early education

    Posted 09-14-2019 03:17 PM
    Thank you for sharing that resource Carol!

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    Yolanda C Franklin
    Infant Toddler Professional Facilitator
    Collaborative for Children
    United Way Bright Beginnings
    Houston, TX
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  • 4.  RE: Setting the bar high for social justice in early education

    Posted 09-15-2019 06:55 PM
    Carol do you know how we can get a copy of this curriculum? Is it something that can be ordered through a central NAEYC office?

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    Joanie Calem
    Columbus OH
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  • 5.  RE: Setting the bar high for social justice in early education

    Posted 09-15-2019 07:07 PM
    Hello Joanie,

    In the NAEYC bookstore, there is a book for purchase "Anti Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves"...in addition, there's another publication titled "Spotlight on Young Children: Equity and Diversity" and of course there's a discount if you’re a NAEYC member.

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    Yolanda C Franklin
    Infant Toddler Professional Facilitator
    Collaborative for Children
    United Way Bright Beginnings
    Houston, TX
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  • 6.  RE: Setting the bar high for social justice in early education

    Posted 09-15-2019 07:18 PM
    Thank you!  I will go look.  I have the second book.

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    Joanie Calem
    Columbus OH
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  • 7.  RE: Setting the bar high for social justice in early education

    Posted 09-16-2019 11:31 AM
    Hi Yolanda,
    I love this question.  In addition to the resource suggested, I am suggesting the Black Lives Matter at Schoo Week Early Childhood Symposium at Bank Street College of Education in NYC.  If you are unable to attend, they live stream the symposium.  I attended last year and left feeling full of wonderful rich and meaningful ideas as well as inspiration.  Wishing you a wonderful school year. Here is the link https://www.bankstreet.edu/news-events/news/bank-street-hosts-black-lives-matter-at-school-week-early-childhood-symposium/

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    Sarai Nieves
    Director
    United Friends School
    Quakertown PA
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  • 8.  RE: Setting the bar high for social justice in early education

    Posted 09-18-2019 12:18 AM
    Thank you for sharing this resource Sarai and well wishes to you as well.

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    Yolanda C Franklin
    Infant Toddler Professional Facilitator
    Collaborative for Children
    United Way Bright Beginnings
    Houston, TX
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  • 9.  RE: Setting the bar high for social justice in early education

    Posted 09-17-2019 12:31 PM
    Thanks for starting this thread, Yolanda!

    I second others' advice to start with Anti-bias education book. Note that a new revised version is coming out in February! One major change will be the way they talk about gender, but the entire book is getting updated.

    Another main piece of advice as you're starting out (/at any point) is to identify some allies in your school community-- parents/families, coworkers, administrators-- to build with, so you're not trying to do this work alone! It's especially helpful to have allies in each of those categories, if possible.

    And, if you haven't already, I recommend joining relevant NAEYC interest forums including the Diversity and Equity forum, which has a lively facebook page with lots of people sharing resources and available to help think through things and offer advice.

    Sarai, thanks for sharing the Bank Street Black Lives Matter link. It looks like by following a few links, we can access videos of all of the panelists!




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    Encian Pastel

    Preschool Teacher, Children's Community Center, Berkeley CA
    Activist, Bay Area Childcare Collective
    Trainer, Gender Justice in Early Childhood
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  • 10.  RE: Setting the bar high for social justice in early education

    Posted 09-18-2019 12:28 AM
    Absolutely Encian,

    Establishing and building a relationship with parents/families, co workers and administrators are key to a firm foundation of continuos discussion and support. Also...thanks for the heads up about the upcoming  (new edition) of the Anti Bias publication. Don't forget...if you're a Standard NAEYC member you get a publication with your membership! 
    Thank you for sharing and contributing your thoughts to this thread.

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    Yolanda C Franklin
    Infant Toddler Professional Facilitator
    Collaborative for Children
    United Way Bright Beginnings
    Houston, TX
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  • 11.  RE: Setting the bar high for social justice in early education

    Posted 09-19-2019 05:24 PM

    This is such a wonderful conversation. I just want to clarify that the complimentary book for standard membership is chosen by NAEYC staff, but you do get 20% off items in our NAEYC catalog



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    Lark Sontag
    Community Engagement Manager
    National Association for the Education of Young Children
    Washington DC
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  • 12.  RE: Setting the bar high for social justice in early education

    Posted 09-20-2019 09:34 AM
    Hello
    I second the book recommendations, especially the Anit-Bias Curriculum book.  I have this one and I continue to go back and find new points I had missed before.  I also encourage you to seek out information on Culturally Responsive Practices.  Here is a NAEYC resource to start with: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/nov2016/culturally-responsive-strategies

    I took an 8 hour facilitator training in July with K-12 educators in order to help my locations nationwide and it was eye-opening how much I realized I still needed to learn. Gloria Ladson-Billings has some fantastic publications on culturally responsive practices which help a teacher realize whether they are teaching all students in a fair and equitable manner.

    This book also has a Culture Tree in it that is a deeply touching exercise for adult teachers to do.  It really helps them dig below the shallow approaches to culture to understand their students better:
    Culturally ResponsiveTeaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students 

    So wonderful to see this discussion!  Hopefully more ECE teachers can truly dive into this!

    Deanna Jackson

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    Deanna Jackson
    Education Support Specialist
    Goddard Systems Inc
    Upper Arlngtn OH
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