The Open Choice Leadership Institute held on December 6 included discussion of the N word; a parent panel; activities reflecting on privilege and on structural racism in education, and an equity school self-assessment.

Parent panelists Erwin Hurst and Joanna Bremmer, both former Open Choice (then Project Concern) students, and parent Lorenzo Milledge all asked for a greater understanding of the challenges Hartford youth experience within suburban school districts. Erwin described the challenge of living in the city while attending a suburban school. "I'd arrive home from school and kids would say, 'you think you're better than us because you attend school in Farmington?'" They noted that teachers who recognize Hartford youth's struggles and make efforts to connect with them go a long way toward establishing the trust and feeling of belonging that is so vital to student success.

Leadership Institute participants also appreciated the small group activities. The Privilege 4 Sale session helped participants understand the overlapping experiences of identity that influence our lives. Each group received a different amount of "money" to purchase their privileges, clearly and quickly driving home the point that access to resources greatly impacts outcomes.

For the second group activity, educators divided into three groups and brainstormed examples of racial inequities within the school system at either the individual, institutional, or systemic level. Each group performed a skit demonstrating one example of each level of inequity. Discussion followed about how the individual, institutional and systemic inequities are occurring simultaneously, and how easy it is to ignore or minimize, within a fast-paced, demanding school environment, these occurrences and their impact on students of color.

Participants will revisit their examples of levels of racial inequity during the final Leadership Institute session and develop strategies to address those challenges.They also will deliberate further on the equity school self-assessment they started, concentrating next time on developing an action plan or a recommended action idea to take back to their school.

Some teachers noted in their evaluations an appreciation for the activities, which some plan to use with teams in their schools.Others expressed a commitment to reflecting further on the impact of their actions on Hartford students, recognizing the vital role that they as educators play in all children's lives. One educator summarized a growing realization in the room -- the need to become more comfortable with accepting non-closure; it's an ongoing journey.