When John B. King was just 8 years old, his mother passed away. He was then raised by his father, who was living with undiagnosed Alzheimer’s disease. He, too, would pass away by the time King was 12. “In my house things were often crazy and unpredictable and unstable and scary,” King said in a 2016 speech. “But school was this amazing place that was compelling and interesting and safe. And I was blessed to have a teacher, Mr. Osterweil, who was our teacher in fourth, fifth and sixth grade, who created this space that countered the chaos in life outside of school with amazing experiences in the classroom.” King, who would go on to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education under President Barack Obama, credits school with saving his life and putting him on the path he is on today.  King will provide the keynote address at Educational Excellence: Pathways to Equity Summit, which seeks to give educators the tools to create safe and supportive experiences for all students. ACSA and the Los Angeles County Office of Education are hosting this day of workshops, discussions and learning moments designed specifically for teams of principals and teachers, parent leaders, and central office administrators to deepen their explorations of how these pathways can further the pursuit of educational equity. “When it comes to a school’s environment with low-performing student groups, leaders must create conditions and climates to give each student what they need to be successful. If not, a school’s system becomes the barrier to access and opportunity, which furthers the opportunity gap,” said ACSA Senior Director of Equity and Diversity Marguerite Williams. “We need to ensure that there are pathways for providing tools and resources to every student. This is not a one-size-fits-all approach. We must rethink schooling in order to personalize learning for each and every student, especially those who are most marginalized.” During this one-day session in Alhambra, attendees will be able to attend three breakout sessions. Scheduled breakout sessions include:

Bright Spots panel

• Peeling Back the Wallpaper: Finding Inequity in Policies and Practices in Schools
• Seeing and Responding to Student Emotional and Academic Distress (Trauma) through the Lens of Equity
• Cultural Proficiency and Supporting LGBTQ Families
• I’m not Broken! I Do School Differently: Addressing
• Disproportionality in Academics and Discipline for Students of Color
• Equity in Action: CA Dream Act Application (CADAA) and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - A Districtwide Approach

Despite the persistent challenges schools face, many districts are making headway on equity issues, as will be discussed during a Bright Spots panel luncheon.  “Schools will be sharing their exemplary practices so attendees can learn strategies from leaders who are the ‘boots on the ground’ doing great work around diversity, equity and inclusion,” Williams said. The panel is comprised of:

World Café The day will conclude with World Café, a debriefing session where participants will be able to unpack what they have learned and share it with others. This structured process will involve small group discussions of topics at several different tables. Individuals may switch tables periodically in order to get introduced to the previous discussion at their new table by a “table host.”