Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force

March is Women’s History Month! Check out the resources we’ve compiled for you herein. Still celebrating Black History Month? Check out last-month’s newsletter!

Please join the Equity and Anti-Racism conversation at Hyde-Addison by joining us on Konstella, utilizing the resources here and/or participating in the monthly group discussion. As parents, teachers and staff, we are interested in doing our part to promote equity and end racism in constructive, supportive ways.

Dr. Ivory Toldson attended the PTA meeting in late January to discuss his research on the role of statistics and information in education. Drawing on his research and personal story, Dr. Toldson outlined how all of us fall into traps based on limited information; we fill these gaps with prejudice and stereotypes. These blind spots or biases undermine the potential of children. Standardised tests, for example, are a narrow assessment of certain student’s learning and not the true value of a child. Instead, we need to use holistic and qualitative data based on deep knowledge and compassion for children and their families – to build a system that truly captures who is a student is. This approach is driven by empathy of the whole child - don’t say “I don’t understand why you can’t turn your homework in”, but “Help me understand why...”

Dr. Toldson’s most recent book is “No BS (Bad Stats): Black People Need People Who Believe in Black People Enough Not to Believe Every Bad Thing They Hear about Black People.” Bad Statistics (or BS) is pervasive in educational settings for black children because educators want quick and easy ways to understand longstanding and complex issues. Educators, families and policy-makers should question negative statistics and seek a better and more nuanced perspective of the issues, instead of just accepting BS as proof of failure.

Hyde-Addison has secured a number of copies of Dr. Toldson’s book to share with parents. Please complete this survey to request your copy.

What can parents do?

Family engagement in education and with school communities is one of the most important indicators of happy, successful students. Dr. Toldson’s work outlines parenting factors that increase students’ academic functioning, including:

• Academic socialization – families help students understand the goals and purposes of education and strategies for success.

• Positive parenting, which is when parents frequently tell their children they love them and are proud of them, and reinforce good behavior.

• Having high expectations, such as expecting children to finish college.

Listening to Dr. Toldson and discussing his ideas was energizing and we plan to have more speakers in the future. We always welcome your ideas for discussion topics and ways for Hyde-Addison ES to increase family engagement – join the Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force parent chat on Konstella. You can also read more about Dr. Toldson’s work here:

https://theconversation.com/stop-the-bs-when-you-hear-a-negative-statistic-about-black-students-question-it-110987

https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1355&context=numeracy

The next Equity and Anti-Racism discussion group will be held Thursday, March 11 at 7pm—a new and improved earlier meeting time. March is Women’s History Month. We’ll discuss feminism generally, and the role of Black and other women of color in feminism movements. Check out the short article Revolutionary Practice of Black Feminisms and other materials in this month’s newsletter. We’ll also discuss our favorite music, TV shows, movies, theater, sports and other entertainment—and how it intersects with gender equity, heterosexism, racism, etc. Can you overlook misogyny in a good bop? What do you think about gender pay equity in sports? What about this year’s crop of Golden Globe and Oscar contenders? Let’s talk about it. And looking ahead to our April 8 meeting, we’ll discuss Ibram X. Kendi's book How To Be An Antiracist, so if you’re looking for a longer read, get started!

Please join us! Here’s the Zoom meeting information, which can also be found on the Konstella calendar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88161788292?pwd=SFM2NWlaZzVyd1RmMDQvQVlYL0hCUT09

Meeting ID: 881 6178 8292

Passcode: EARTF

International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8 in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. Find out more about this global, UN-recognized day.

Explore this photo essay of young women activists around the world - https://features.unicef.org/teen-girl-activist/

International Women's day began with one single day in 1908 in New York City when thousands of women united and marched for better labor laws, conditions, and the right to vote.

Over the years, this has expanded in the US to be Women's History Month which celebrates the contributions women have made to the United States.

To explore more of the month's beginnings - https://www.oprahmag.com/life/a26294031/womens-history-month/

Also visit the Women's History Museum's collection of features to mark women's history month. https://womenshistorymonth.gov/

Hyde Addison teachers have compiled a list of their favorite books to celebrate Women’s History Month here.

Read Alouds

Two Brave Girls Virtual Storytime videos from the Women’s History Museum:

Equality's Call, by Deborah Diesen, read by Logan Browning - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxOTcSKAny4

Drum Dream Girl, by Margarita Engle, read by Gloria Calderón Kellett - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcTz0hhk6c0

Watch

Lupita Nyong’o reads her book, Sulwe where a shooting star helps a bright young girl born "the color of midnight" learn to embrace her beauty, inside and out - Lupita Nyong'o Reads "Sulwe" | Bookmarks | Netflix Jr

Hyde-Addison ES has been invited to participate in the annual History at the Lincoln Event, where students across the district celebrate the spirit of the history made on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, through speeches, poetry and song. Several of the 5th grade students will be participating and Dr. Hooks will provide opening remarks on behalf DCPS. Presentations will be virtual this year and you may find the information to join, below.

Thursday, February 25, 2021 @ 1:30pm

Join Here

Did your student celebrate any holidays or traditions related to their race or ethnicity this winter? Please share any photos or videos related to your celebrations via email: hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov.

• Women’s History Month (March 2021)

• Emancipation Day (April 6, 2021)
• Ramadan starts (April 13, 2021)

Disclaimer: The Hyde-Addison ES Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force is an independent group not associated with DCPS and any viewpoints or activities associated with this group are not endorsed by DCPS.