Welcome to summer. The summer of 2020 is not the summer you might have planned. As we enter month four of our altered COVID-19 reality, we find ourselves amidst a global “Tale of Two Cities." It has the potential to bring out the worst of humanity, and in equal measure, the best of humanity. In addition to the ever-present danger and uncertainty of our lives amidst COVID-19, we are witnessing ongoing crimes in the name of white supremacy and the rise of a collective voice around the world demanding racial justice. There is tremendous hope inherent in this global voice and the actions that individuals and organizations are beginning to take.

Since the founding of the IFL, our mission has always been to transform the "one size does not fit all" model of education. I am realizing the extent to which my assumptions regarding change and transformation have been made through the lens of white privilege. I have much to learn and much work to do and am starting with a workshop by Joe Truss on Dismantling White Supremacy in the Classroom. The pre-read has been eye-opening - might any of the following culture characteristics sound familiar?:

Perfectionism
Sense of Urgency
Defensiveness
Quantity over Quality
Worship of the Written Word
Paternalism
Either/Or Thinking
Power Hoarding
Fear of Open Conflict
Individualism
Progress is Bigger, More
Objectivity
Right to Comfort

The article provides helpful antidotes and ends with discussion questions. I will share with you what I learn in the workshop and resulting commitments.

Here are a few other resources that I have found helpful over these past couple of weeks: an interview by Joshua Spodek where he pushed my thinking on the IFL's role in education transformation, a beautifully written booklet on Practical Hope and, speaking of practical, an article on how brain research helped retool a school schedule for remote learning.

Thank you for reading and being part of the change we all want to see.