Anti-Racist Curricula: 2020-21 Initiatives

Anti-Racism Fact Sheet (click to access flyer)The beginning of our work for the 2020-21 school year is outlined below, as well as in our Anti-Racism fact sheet.

  • The Teaching and Learning Department is creating an Anti-Racist Curriculum Ad Hoc Committee that will consist of teachers across the district. Our goal is to compile district-wide resources for teacher use.
     
  • The committee will create grade-level learning plans through the resources provided on Teaching Tolerance and Facing History and Ourselves curricula. Members of the district’s Diversity Council will pilot these plans in the first weeks of school and will serve as ambassadors of the work. Implementation of these plans is expected by the end of Trimester One.
     
  • During the summer, middle school teachers began planning for the following activities that will occur during the upcoming school year:
    • The middle school Language and Literature Department will begin the year with all sixth- through eighth-grade students reading Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi.
       
    • The Oak Park Public Library and E-Team will be facilitating parent/community literature circles around the book.
       
    • The middle school Individuals and Societies and Language and Literature Departments will unpack Teaching Tolerance Standards and incorporate them into their existing units and set goals for updating and replacing other units along with many other resources. (i.e. Facing History and Ourselves, 1619 Project, The Zinn Ed Project, etc.)
       
    • Julian Middle School will pilot an African American History course this school year.
       
    • We will support a common protocol and norms for teaching about race.
       
  • We will leverage our current partnerships and seek out new ones to support this work: Oak Park Public Library, E-Team, Ella Flagg Young Elementary School (Austin community), Afriware Books Company (Maywood).
     
  • We will continue to engage and deploy our climate and culture coaches and social workers.
     
  • To build the professional learning support necessary for this work, the instructional coach team will participate in a year-long professional learning community (CRE by Design) focused on implementing culturally responsive teaching practices. This professional learning community is facilitated by Zaretta Hammond, a leading expert in culturally responsive teaching practices, and will emphasize application of her Ready for Rigor framework.