Sharon Rendon: Alright, so with that i'm going to turn it over to bill and john and I guess I don't have like a formal introduction, but.
Sharon Rendon: i'm excited to hear from both of them i've had an opportunity to be their colleague, both as a Member of the CSM board and then in other roles and doing work and.
Sharon Rendon: I definitely am a better leader, because i've had a chance to learn and to work alongside both bill and john staley so with that i'm going to turn it over to them and let them get started on sharing with us about leading with a lens on equity.
Bill Barnes: Alright well thanks Sharon it's great to see everybody really no do quick introductions here.
Bill Barnes: and asked that I kind of model what I hope you would do in the chat box just.
Bill Barnes: If you could put your name and and talk about you know and give us a sense of where you're coming from tonight it'll be helpful it's good to see some.
Bill Barnes: Familiar names and faces john I are certainly honored to be with you and want to respect the time we have together yeah my name is bill Barnes and i'm coming to you from our county public school system in Maryland john.
John Staley (he/him): And i'm janice daily come to you from baltimore county public schools in Maryland also.
Bill Barnes: Then john and i've known each other work together for a long time, I used to work in baltimore county as well charted so.
Bill Barnes: You know we're excited to talk to you about a new ncsl series you take a look at the session outcomes.
Bill Barnes: Sharing previewed those and that link went in the chat that's going to be that website is live and ready to go just today.
Bill Barnes: And this this session sort of serves as the as the informal launch for that series.
Bill Barnes: And we'll talk a little bit more about what it is and why why it is but um and will and we'll go a little deeper with somebody at least one of the activities that john called author.
Bill Barnes: In terms of exactly the role of bias and mathematics education, so we don't want you to certainly learned about the series but also have some time together to to engage in important the important work of these transformational conversations for equity in mathematics.
John Staley (he/him): So Sharon mentioned some zoom norms and so let's definitely speak and think about those but let's think about types of norms, you need to set when you're going to have critical conversations where you're going to have conversations that sometimes.
John Staley (he/him): You might be wondering, should you have them is now the right time, but you also have colleagues are those that you need to have the conversations with.
John Staley (he/him): Especially when you're working in groups, and this is not a necessarily a one on one type of structure that we're talking about here, so when you think about some of the norms, one of the norms that.
John Staley (he/him): one set of norms that we've used and we've used this in baltimore county we have our equity work.
John Staley (he/him): Is these three to these points that you see here one staying engaged experience discomfort you know, sometimes some messages some statements.
John Staley (he/him): make you think make you wonder, but you might experience discomfort when we talk about speak your truth we talked about your truth, so I can speak my truth as a black male.
John Staley (he/him): But I cannot speak bill's truth as a white male Nor can I speak sharon's or sean's or anyone else true so when we talk about speak your truth is your truth your experience, so I can speak from that perspective.
John Staley (he/him): expect in a certain non disclosure all of these kind of conversations do not have a way to take and wrap a big bow around them.
John Staley (he/him): So you're not going to always come to a point where you're like okay we've we've solved this issue so expect that and then that last one share the air air time.
John Staley (he/him): Sometimes we need to step back and let others step up and so that's the idea of of listening for others voices in the space.
John Staley (he/him): So when you think about this work, and we think about the norms, these are the north we're going to sort of push through with this critical conversation tonight as we talk about.
John Staley (he/him): The series, but also as we engage in somebody's activities let's go on and talk about in CSM vision and mission so here's the mission and vision statement.
John Staley (he/him): When you really think about the mission and CSM is a mathematics education leadership organization that equips and empowers Those are two key words there.
John Staley (he/him): A diverse education community to engage in leadership that support sustains and inspires high quality mathematics teaching and learning.
John Staley (he/him): Every day for each and every learner the vision statement in CSM is the premier mathematics education leadership organization and we think about the bold leadership, and we think about the pieces that are necessary.
John Staley (he/him): That part of the end guarantees that all students engage an equitable I quality mathematical experiences.
John Staley (he/him): That lead to powerful flexible uses of mathematical understanding to affect their lives and improve the world so think about the mission and the vision.
John Staley (he/him): And how they go together and how this and having these kind of conversations that we're going to talk about the night, are all a part of this work of being bold leader.
Bill Barnes: And certainly as we think about a Zen CSM thought about how, how do you best achieve that vision, how do you live or that vision, how do you live up to your mission statement and in the wake of you know, racial injustice that sort of culminated with the murder George floyd.
Bill Barnes: Over a year ago ncs am Board was really grappling with its own values belief systems and structures around you know race racism in.
Bill Barnes: All these conversations and it set out the equity subcommittee brought to the board, an idea that you know we can't sit on the sidelines and be passive participants in this in this in these discussions, because the all of these issues, all of the issues that face our society are also.
Bill Barnes: Present prevalent in our schools and our classrooms that includes mathematics classrooms so we set out.
Bill Barnes: To develop a transformational conversation series, you know that that with with these understandings and so we can develop some some grounding understandings that that leaders of mathematics are leaders and educators.
Bill Barnes: You know, may or may not be equipped to engage in these very challenging discussions and challenges can be covered challenging people come with their own.
Bill Barnes: bias their own beliefs their own truths, and it can be you know experiencing that level of discomfort may not be typical for a club for that work environment.
Bill Barnes: So the serious desire to serve as a starting point, not at any point provide leaders with the tools and the confidence to engage stakeholders in the really important work.
Bill Barnes: And so, each series is little written so that leaders have some knowledge and tools and resources to really.
Bill Barnes: To engage their team are those look to them for leadership and we want to, we want to demonstrate, we want to preview some of those activities, some of those discussions tonight, so that you have that same level of confidence, as you work with your teams.
Bill Barnes: As I mentioned a little while ago and Sean put in the chat box and shot, a few of my dropping out and again that way, because I think some folks enjoy the sense.
Bill Barnes: That the website has launched and CSM reached back to two of its former presidents and john is here tonight and TIM TIM kaine old who's.
Bill Barnes: A former president and john recruited, you know important thought leader and Lisa Dr Lisa Williams, to offer to pay the first two papers and what we hope will become.
Bill Barnes: A whole series of papers and those first two papers, as you see, on the screen one is focused on the discussion about believing that all students can learn.
Bill Barnes: And how do we address that conference, how do we engage in that conversation, why is important that we, we really we address that tackle that what what does that mean for us as a as a.
Bill Barnes: field of education, and then the the paper that john and Lisa wrote focused on bias in the mathematics classroom.
Bill Barnes: is the one that will talk more about tonight two very important starting points as ncs and watches this we hope over the over the next months and years.
Bill Barnes: To fill out this series with really meaningful and purposeful papers and activities and resources and we're hoping that maybe one of you will someday can consider or even now consider offering a paper that we can.
Bill Barnes: place on the site so there's the thing good job.
John Staley (he/him): build a site is looking great and the thing I was offer when you raise that last question is sometimes you have an idea, you need a thought partner to the right with you that's when you need to reach out to somebody and say hey i'm thinking about this, who, who will co write with me.
John Staley (he/him): that's how I get at least the Co write this paper with me.
Bill Barnes: yeah that's That was a smart decision right, and so you know it is a journey that we don't need to take a while.
Bill Barnes: And if you're new to the ncs am space or not that is connected, then please do reach out through the membership, you know.
Bill Barnes: will certainly make our emails available, and I can put you in touch with with the board members who are continuing this process or an off the board.
Bill Barnes: Jon snow support but anyway, so please take advantage, take a look, I know that the first papers up and live the bleeding all students can learn it, I know that we're way also waiting to get that.
Bill Barnes: From the printer the second paper so and that's why we decided to preview some of those activities tonight it'll be up in the coming days so you see the tabs across the top screen.
Bill Barnes: Little House all the resources, you need.
Bill Barnes: One of the kind of transition before really started with the activities, I think it's you know john I have a very, very strong belief that.
Bill Barnes: You know it's important that we understand why we're doing this thing or why we agreed to be part of this project, or why it's important that the the mathematics education community.
Bill Barnes: stands up steps in and provides in this space and active player in the discussions about.
Bill Barnes: equity quality racism and what it means that our classrooms and for our students and so.
Bill Barnes: What i'd like to do is john i'm going to just kind of have the conversation and ask john would you know what his, why was and what.
Bill Barnes: Why he thinks is important, and as you listen to john and I just have a really informal quick conversation i'd invite you to also add your why, why do you why are you here tonight.
Bill Barnes: Why do you think this, what are you hoping to learn and why do you think this is a really critical.
Bill Barnes: topic for math education Community so john just to get us started, I was, I was just thinking that you know, as she said out and agree to say yes to write one of these papers and the at least to get engaged in this work.
Bill Barnes: What brought you to the work, why did it, why did it connect with you, why did you feel like it was a really important project to be part of you know i'll just leave it at that.
John Staley (he/him): Well, well to two key things one is, I think.
John Staley (he/him): Sometimes, having critical conversations having crucial conversations having conversations that sometimes.
John Staley (he/him): bring into the space discomfort anytime you sometimes have racial conversations not racial conversations conversations where race is a part of it conversations where you're talking about.
John Staley (he/him): Disparities between racial groups or even socio economic groups or language learners any of those kind of conversations sometimes.
John Staley (he/him): You just don't know where to start you don't know how to start, and so, therefore, if you can be quick with tools to help me get started tools to help you take that first step.
John Staley (he/him): tools to help guide you down provide you with an activity provide you with some options, I think that's all a value, and so I think part of.
John Staley (he/him): me saying yes to saying hey let's let's take a stab at writing one of these, and really listen I started off writing too, but then got caught up in a whole bunch of other projects and everything like that, so another one might be coming down the road.
John Staley (he/him): The the thought is how do you help equip people with tools you saw the tools of the norms part of the work that we've done in baltimore county and Lisa Dr Lisa Williams was the one leading that work when she was our equity.
John Staley (he/him): Our executive director in charge of equity.
John Staley (he/him): Is equipping us with tools tools to help us have the conversations norms the compass and those kind of tools to help us really engaged in the work so that we can allow this space so.
John Staley (he/him): bill, I think the, the main reason for writing and been able loving being a part of this, and thank you for the opportunity and CSM was to help provided a tool that can be used, let me, let me build piggyback because tools is one part, but when you think about these kind of conversations.
John Staley (he/him): How have you seen in equities or inequality manifests itself in the mathematics classroom So why is this really important.
Bill Barnes: yeah thanks john and and.
Bill Barnes: that's a good question is a person who you know the dominant culture is a white male who is really curious about how to do this well who wants to be both.
Bill Barnes: A fierce advocate but also respectful and responsible listener, and to understand and not just.
Bill Barnes: not get out ahead of myself, I think this series important to is i'll need these tools and resources that you know i've seen it over.
Bill Barnes: Our shared careers, and we see we've seen in equity manifest itself in the mathematics classroom and obvious ways if we walk into our advanced placement courses.
Bill Barnes: Or are different balance of courses, you know you often see underrepresentation by African American Hispanic.
Bill Barnes: Communities students with disabilities, he saw students receiving he saw services and.
Bill Barnes: You know that's always struck me when I go into a school to be able to find find those spaces, without almost any information about a school and so whether it's placement.
Bill Barnes: Because because placement really equates to Opportunity right So if you have an opportunity to engage in rigorous mathematics, you have an opportunity to probably qualify for different different kinds of experiences and you know that that work.
Bill Barnes: You know sort of builds and convinced tax on itself year over year I also think there are less obvious ways, and in my district right now that we're really grappling with in equities and manifest themselves through school discipline.
Bill Barnes: You know, and so we ended proportion and number of.
Bill Barnes: African American males specifically who are being suspended or.
Bill Barnes: removed from instruction and what does that look like and that's also happening in the mathematics classrooms and but why you know what what interactions or behaviors are what are thoughts or bias, or people, bringing with them.
Bill Barnes: That learned, leading to a different kind of outcome for our students of color than students in the dominant culture and so.
Bill Barnes: You know I used to see all the obvious ways, but over the over the past few years there have been some less obvious things i've learned more about micro messaging and micro aggressions.
Bill Barnes: You understand the problem, a little deeper than.
Bill Barnes: What I thought, and so, how about you Johnny thing is at or below that before you.
John Staley (he/him): know I think going in and go to the question, so that people can read it, why we we just sort of keep because I think.
John Staley (he/him): As you mentioned it, I think a big part of what we see happening, when you talk about either been suspension when you talk about sometimes who shows up in the different classrooms when you think about.
John Staley (he/him): students who might have opportunity and might not have opportunity, based on preconceived notions of ours, based on, and when I say ours even mine.
John Staley (he/him): i'll speak for my me myself, and I personally, you know as a as a high school mathematics teacher, I was always in this in a sense, i'm.
John Staley (he/him): Trying to advocate for and gravitating towards when I saw black males in the math classroom and especially when I can push them to encourage them.
John Staley (he/him): So that was just a piece of the work, but also a real critical part of the work also and I, and I continue to think through as we think through the roles and think through.
John Staley (he/him): I have a granddaughter and when I think about my granddaughter my work my why.
John Staley (he/him): For continue to push it on this work has been my first granddaughter who's now in seventh grade I want her to have one of the best math experiences she can have.
John Staley (he/him): I can't necessarily navigate it the way I did for my own children.
John Staley (he/him): But you know and now our next grandbabies doing February i'm sure enough to navigate that one a little bit more, but let's talk about our question of the night, because when we think about it.
John Staley (he/him): What role does a teacher's bias play in shaping students' mathematics identity and agency and let's talk about learners so.
John Staley (he/him): Not only just the students that show up in the classroom but also those learners who show up in PD.
John Staley (he/him): And so let's ground our work in mathematics identity and agency and sort of use this as our as our structure and use this as another structure but use this as our our starting off point this idea of mathematics identity.
John Staley (he/him): And i'm not one to to read slides to people so i'm just going to pause right here, but I keep going back and forth.
John Staley (he/him): With this idea of identity, and in my mind I keep settling in on this is that students self belief in themselves as a doer of mathematics that's the one I keep thinking about it but don't be in a door of mathematics.
John Staley (he/him): And then having a confidence that agency is them doing them having that belief, not only that they can do it, but then being willing to go on and show what they know.
John Staley (he/him): And so I sort of think about the two things of identity and agency, we think about them and you see a nice quote here from robber Baron came in one of his newsletters when he was in CT and President.
John Staley (he/him): You know now he's past President and they put the link in the chat for you to look at, but let's let's keep going in and let's start to think about.
John Staley (he/him): bias, think about how we go about unpacking bias and some of the terms that sort of come up underneath that lead to bias, so when you think about unpacking bias and what I want you to think about.
John Staley (he/him): And we're going to pause as we go throughout this is let's unpack these terms to think through.
John Staley (he/him): Two key things some of the things are obvious to as they present themselves so so let's talk about preferences.
John Staley (he/him): When you think about preferences, these are your your likes, so what I want you to do is either jot down on a piece of paper or drop into the chat a preference something you like.
John Staley (he/him): It could be as much as um.
John Staley (he/him): let's see.
John Staley (he/him): vacations I like taking vacations where they are relaxation vacations you just go and you chill if you don't have 100 things to do.
John Staley (he/him): or something to do every single day I can relax on the beach sit on a chair, have a cool lemonade.
John Staley (he/him): or something along those lines and and that's that's sort of preference, whereas some people they might have a preference to camping they might have a preference to.
John Staley (he/him): go into active places and doing a whole lot of high level activity and everything I want to get to that point where I can do that, but right now my preferences, the kind of vacations that are relaxation vacations.
John Staley (he/him): I won't say I quite have an inversion to this, but when I think about a virgin's I think about dislikes.
John Staley (he/him): And so.
John Staley (he/him): I want you to think about what might be a dislike.
John Staley (he/him): And if version that you have.
John Staley (he/him): So, like i'm not going to say.
John Staley (he/him): camping tense sleeping on the ground, I would consider a vacation I would consider that an overnight trip or I would want to consider that an overnight trip if that turned into like a week long vacation type experience.
John Staley (he/him): i'm not sure that's something I prefer to do right now, but when you think about an aversion think about what's something that's a dislike for you so.
John Staley (he/him): i'm i'm slowing down this a little bit because I want you really anchoring in or some thoughts around.
John Staley (he/him): preferences and aversions because all of them all of us having this is the key part, all of us have these concepts and all of us work with these pieces that build up his show.
John Staley (he/him): A bias and some type in some way, well, we need to do is be mindful of them as we think through it let's go talk about prejudice now.
John Staley (he/him): Attitudes we have about social groups hmm.
John Staley (he/him): Well let's i'll use one example.
John Staley (he/him): About attitudes, we might have about social groups.
John Staley (he/him): If i'm out and about maybe in the mall well haven't been in a mall in a while, but maybe in a mall.
John Staley (he/him): Maybe downtown.
John Staley (he/him): You know walking around and you hear or see youth, making a lot of noise use loud loud voices and everything like that.
John Staley (he/him): what's your attitude about that group, what do you think maybe it's in a school building maybe it's in the cafeteria maybe it's in the classroom and you have groups in the classroom and one group is getting loud in the group, and you know.
John Staley (he/him): What what might your attitudes they is it about this quietness all the time, is it about.
John Staley (he/him): The volume of the voice being you know do some students sometimes get excited about trying to prove their point about who's right and who's wrong in the math classroom i've definitely seen that happen.
John Staley (he/him): But what's your attitudes about it, and some of those attitudes makeup what's your prejudice.
John Staley (he/him): let's keep going so when you think about your prejudice they think about your stereotypes how some of your attitudes turn into your beliefs about social groups when I see students and they get loud.
John Staley (he/him): hmm I believe that troubles going to happen, I believe that they're doing something wrong, I believe that they're off task I believe so what's the stereotype that's attached to that social group.
John Staley (he/him): I grew up in Philadelphia.
John Staley (he/him): easily as a male walking down the street, not that I saw this happen to me.
John Staley (he/him): directly.
John Staley (he/him): With.
John Staley (he/him): A female suspect, especially have a different colored in my race black, so why females often crossing the street, but not necessarily crossing the street, but.
John Staley (he/him): You know if you're walking down the payments sliding over to the side you know, trying to get out of your way avoid avoid not that we're head on head collision but avoiding you So what are some of the beliefs that they might have about me as a black man.
John Staley (he/him): walking down the street, and this is when i'm younger because So this was in my youth so as we think about those stereotypes, how does this come to association.
John Staley (he/him): How does this really get to i'm linking people to characteristics of social groups.
John Staley (he/him): I think about black males in the classroom I think about youth in the classroom I think about those who express themselves and they get hyped about expressing themselves but.
John Staley (he/him): They express themselves do I link certain characteristics to those individuals to those students who those learners to those groups.
John Staley (he/him): So, as you think about your examples and you've taken it from preferences to aversions to prejudice the attitudes to their beliefs hmm.
John Staley (he/him): Now this association characteristics of social group and automatically linked people to automatically linked people to it now we're looking at that categorization grouping like things together, and we really think about that concept of grouping like things together.
John Staley (he/him): And this is not necessarily I will say this is like a precursor we talked about characterization to bias.
John Staley (he/him): And i'm not going to say, this is a bias or not a bias or character racer and not a characterization, I remember showing up in a school building one year to help with support testing.
John Staley (he/him): Two of US showed up two of us happen to be males one of us, happen to be a white male one of us happened to be a black male both of us presented ourselves in the office at the same time.
John Staley (he/him): Both was happened to have on sport coats or suit with a tie, and everything one of us happens to be a doctor and have a title a doctor one of us happens to not.
John Staley (he/him): For association process, who do you greet as the doctor who do you agree, as the Mr.
John Staley (he/him): What biases might have come into play, what thought process was stereotypes might have come into play, because I don't think it was a preference or a version piece that came into play.
John Staley (he/him): But like who do you associate with having a doctor.
John Staley (he/him): When they show up in your school building or do you just ask who is who you know some things to think about as you think about this whole idea of unpacking bias, this whole idea of thinking through.
John Staley (he/him): How the parts and the components of what you see here the characteristics, the elements that sit up underneath of it can easily go to this bias so let's talk about what we see.
John Staley (he/him): How we think and and what we and what we do, what I want you to think about it this time is really.
John Staley (he/him): Think about how you might see bias showing up in the classroom.
John Staley (he/him): How, you might see bias showing up in professional learning that you might be conducting meetings that you might be holding.
John Staley (he/him): I want to pause and just have you reflect for a quick minute as you think through that part because I believe this this piece of really thinking about.
John Staley (he/him): What we see what we think and what we do is critical.
John Staley (he/him): Especially when it comes to our students and in the math classroom.
John Staley (he/him): See because bias conditions, how we look at the world and the people within it.
John Staley (he/him): And so what we really need to think about is, as we unpack these pieces and really think about what how biases show up really get into.
John Staley (he/him): seeing how it plays itself out so bill i'm going to pause right now and ask as we've talked through bias and this piece here anything you're thinking anything bubbling up for you that you want to highlight or just really.
John Staley (he/him): Pushing on at the moment.
Bill Barnes: yeah thanks john and i'd invite anyone to either raise your hand, or you know jump on with the chatter or unmute and enjoying the conversation is meant to be.
Bill Barnes: A discussion, you know kind of conversation john you made me think of one thing that happened when I interviewed I attended, my first interview there in baltimore county.
Bill Barnes: Loch Raven middle Blocker in the Academy now and, as I was sitting there I got the question about okay I got a question about how.
Bill Barnes: I would be supporting students of color in in my classroom and the locker room is very diverse school and I grew up in a very.
Bill Barnes: You know not non diverse part of Maryland and so that was an important question to the.
Bill Barnes: The principal i'll never forget, my answer, because I think it's the the prime example of color blindness and in a way that bias it influenced my early teaching career when I really wasn't thinking about it.
Bill Barnes: And I remember my response being that I didn't see color.
Bill Barnes: In the classroom I didn't that the math was the universal language and I kind of landed in that space of that so so see i'm going to treat everybody equally instead of understanding.
Bill Barnes: That the culture, students, culture and students that diversity, was the strength of my classroom space and that by not seeing color I wasn't seeing all my students and I was you know sort of almost.
Bill Barnes: Saying out loud that students were going to get my worldview of the mathematics classroom and mathematics instruction, which was my Eastern shore of Maryland worldview.
Bill Barnes: and very, very much not an inclusive, or you know inclusive view you know we we might have had a project that celebrated diversity in mathematics, but it wasn't.
Bill Barnes: embedded in the in the core of the class, and so I think about just that simple answer as I was coming into the profession and I wonder.
Bill Barnes: How many others carry that kind of colorblindness around as sort of a thinking about it, the way I did, is a positive, you know I treat everybody, the same but it's not really about equality it's about.
Bill Barnes: equity and seeing kids for who they are, and diversity and embracing the strengths that come with it, so that was just on my mind, as you were talking and we'll if anybody else.
Bill Barnes: Has anything they'd like to add, we have about a minute to do that in the thanks for jumping into chat.
John Staley (he/him): And bill going to show the the notes, not the notes what the statements here's what i've gone in and take a minute to read through these which one.
John Staley (he/him): jumps out at you, which one resonates with you, which one, are you saying hmm which you know one through four.
John Staley (he/him): And you can't say one dash for you can't say all of them.
John Staley (he/him): But we, when you think about how bias shows up and you think about we do all of us have bias, the part we really need to think about is how we.
John Staley (he/him): i'm.
John Staley (he/him): Engaging conversations how we engage in the work, how we have colleagues that will quote unquote help us support us challenge us, you know, have we have colleagues to have dialogue with.
John Staley (he/him): and dialogue, in a sense of not a you know you're the boss on the worker type of perspective but conversations, where we can we can just have a conversation have have a chance to talk to really push in on this work to have grappled with it because it's not about.
John Staley (he/him): right or wrong, and everybody is on their own equity journey as they go along the path.
John Staley (he/him): But it's around where you are that continuing movement that continued piece, so this part about implicit bias, we really need to think about.
John Staley (he/him): Our implicit biases the ones that we aren't haven't acknowledged as a biased ones that sometimes show up some ones that sometimes you don't even realize, you have and to somebody pointed out, do you realize that you always call on.
John Staley (he/him): The students who just raised their hands and not that you have a bias to students who raise their hands.
John Staley (he/him): But that might be a practice of pattern or something that you've done, how do some different things show up in the classroom as biases, though.
John Staley (he/him): So let's let's keep going because really we wanted to get you into groups so that you can talk and chit chat because really the thought is how do we go about uncovering our own biases.
John Staley (he/him): What implicit biases must we address, because the issue with, I think, and I think about the work in the classroom your work with teachers.
John Staley (he/him): Your work with parents your work with other educators, those who work in professional learning communities source teams and planning, you know what biases that you bring to your space.
John Staley (he/him): The ones, you know about hey good you can you know sort of like you know you got this this niche the ones you don't know about.
John Staley (he/him): Those are the ones that we need to think about the implicit biases so in a minute we're going to be sending you into breakout rooms, because what we want you to think about is.
John Staley (he/him): Think from association.
John Staley (he/him): To, and so what we want you to do we're going to show eight different things so get a piece of paper, if you don't have a piece of paper number one to eight.
John Staley (he/him): Okay.
John Staley (he/him): So.
Bill Barnes: Think about your number that one day Sean, this is a good time to.
Bill Barnes: to drop in those breakout rooms instead Oh, there you go john i've also been working together long enough to read my mind, thank you yeah john one day.
John Staley (he/him): One day, eight and what you're going to do is write down, the first thing that comes to mind for each statement.
John Staley (he/him): The first thing that comes to mind for each statement, so what we're gonna do is we're going to allow space on this side of the breakout room.
John Staley (he/him): For people to get enough time to record something for each of the one to eight, the first thing that comes to mind that way when you get into the breakout room.
John Staley (he/him): You can grab the Google Doc it'll tell you what you do when you get in there and then you can launch in your room and the thinking, time is on this side before we send you into the rooms so let's go on and be quiet i'm a big why the show on.
Excuse me.
John Staley (he/him): So we know you might still be writing.
John Staley (he/him): But we've given you an opportunity to get a start.
John Staley (he/him): When you get into your breakout rooms, the directions are in the document they sent there, so you know, introduce yourself say hi to everybody and then go on and get it going with what we call a go around protocol go around one Protocol where everybody gets to share one.
John Staley (he/him): go around.
John Staley (he/him): And then bring it back around so everybody gets to share one.
John Staley (he/him): written response, a reflection as you think about and then we have some prompts there that you can have an opportunity to discuss so let everybody's voice be heard.
John Staley (he/him): You might be get a chance to go around once and then go around one more time and we've got about 10 minutes or so, for you to be in your breakout rooms bill, and I will drop in.
John Staley (he/him): Not so that we can make sure you're doing what you're supposed to be doing or what you came here to do but here's what I know if you're spending an hour of your.
John Staley (he/him): I think it's evening for most people set for West Coast, you might just be getting into early evening, if you spend in an area time online.
John Staley (he/him): And zoom with with ncsl look, then we know you're here, because you want it so um let's go ahead and go to the breakout room somebody do the magic for us.
John Staley (he/him): Okay, let me go i'm gonna join katie's room there.
bill.
Bill Barnes: As a meeting at church so she got to go.
John Staley (he/him): Over.
Sharon Rendon: Yet no not yet they're probably finishing up their conversation, because I think it's a minute cool.
yeah.
Katey Arrington: Sorry, I should have pitched it a few minutes ago, so.
John Staley (he/him): No problem, no problem.
Bill Barnes: 30 seconds.
Katey Arrington: surprised that they didn't just come back a lot of times they just pop back over.
John Staley (he/him): Eight they have rich conversations going on in it.
John Staley (he/him): Go on, Bill soda soda prompts again.
Bill Barnes: sorry about that.
John Staley (he/him): Oh that's all right, no problem oh.
Katey Arrington: It looks like they're all back.
Bill Barnes: There you go john welcome back.
John Staley (he/him): Welcome back welcome back so we know here's what I know I feel like i'm Alison Wonderland going down to wishing Cole every time i'm in a zoom and we go into a breakout room, then the camera comes in, is like.
John Staley (he/him): Like i'm being flushed down a world whirlpool hole but um let's, this is the chance i've had a chance to hear a little bit in the group, I was in.
John Staley (he/him): Anybody want to share, you know you just thinking about the different statements you saw up there, what first come to mind, but really we're thinking about the three questions that were in a Google Doc.
John Staley (he/him): And were there any noticeable patterns that emerged as you discussed your responses, how does bias influence our collective responses to the reflection questions.
John Staley (he/him): So, as you think through these pieces, how does, how does bias impact what we might be thinking about or how might you use this activity with those that.
John Staley (he/him): Look at look to you for leadership, what would be your intended outcome so anybody just want to share one of those.
John Staley (he/him): takeaways for you, one of those things you might be thinking about doing how this might be you could use this with your team, or something along those lines so go on and grab the MIC unless hear from you.
Jocelyn Dunnack: I think right before our breakout room close Michelle made a really great point that a lot of our reactions were based on how we as individuals would respond in these situations.
Jocelyn Dunnack: So some of us had mentioned our personal preferences, how we feel about parts of school and that that definitely would influence how we interpreted the situation, but also with experience we really change the way that we framed or thought about these situations.
John Staley (he/him): huh huh huh hmm.
John Staley (he/him): anyone else, want to share, thank you for that.
John Staley (he/him): I couldn't see who, who was that because I couldn't see.
Jocelyn Dunnack: Oh, that was awesome.
John Staley (he/him): Thank you jocelyn.
John Staley (he/him): Now let me ask this question about these eight statements anybody dealing with these are see teachers dealing with these in schools that you work with any of these eight showing up anywhere.
Jenny Sawmiller: The first one really resonates with me.
Jenny Sawmiller: Okay, I can put a few faces to that question.
Jenny Sawmiller: And it's always a question of Is it because they're not understanding it or because they're afraid to be taking risks and most of i'm in lower all right now they want to be participating so is the reason that they're not.
Jenny Sawmiller: A risk thing a confidence thing or is that a.
Jenny Sawmiller: Understanding.
John Staley (he/him): Type mm hmm.
John Staley (he/him): Thank you Jamie and and that piece about risk is something that I continue to think about.
John Staley (he/him): And this is was my experience as a black male in school.
John Staley (he/him): i'm a twin also so I happened to be a twin to twin brother and going into middle school, we were separated from the schools that we go to.
John Staley (he/him): We both ended up on the first day of school going to our zone school bus to cross the Philadelphia to a new school brand new school they're just open.
John Staley (he/him): Only to that day for me to be called down to the office and told oh you've been selected to go to this other school that they talked to my mom about it, and everything along those lines, and then I go school across the cross the street, not just cross the street, but across the city.
John Staley (he/him): To a different school that i've been you know because i'm grades and doing well.
John Staley (he/him): And identified to go to the school.
John Staley (he/him): Being a black male with brothers and mostly cousins that were boys and everything being good in math and being good in school, not that they were bad, but you know the names that you get call sometimes like one, I do not want to be called a nerd.
John Staley (he/him): and anybody who is around me that knows I don't wear nerd pins or anything like that i'm about how do we go about making math cool I also think about.
John Staley (he/him): As a black male, how do you, you know going through the teen years when is more about the teens and my peer acceptance than it is about me pleasing a teacher or sometimes them about pleasing parents, because i've had three of them come to the household and his days when you wonder.
John Staley (he/him): it's just how do we think about helping support students, so that their student who won't raise their hand is it because they don't know or they don't want to take a risk or they possibly know and they just don't want to you know they want to keep their coolness about them.
John Staley (he/him): And then, how do you think through structuring help, how do you make sure, in a situation like that you were circulating around So you can see, you can acknowledge, you can give the little head nod the little.
John Staley (he/him): The little Bob the really the recognition that you know what's going on, and you know they got it going on, sometimes and just some things to think about.
John Staley (he/him): anyone else, want to share one bill going and go to the reflection questions and before we go on and put a wrap on everything any one else want to share.
John Staley (he/him): Something that came out of your discussion that you might have come up with or that you discuss and then we're going to close out and be respectful your time, we know.
John Staley (he/him): We go for an hour so we'll be wrapping it up right at five after.
Bill Barnes: A jam right before we transition, and I know we're just going to last couple of slides here I think we'll share it and jocelyn neck really powerful points in the chat and I didn't know share jostle if you want to add to that because those we I did experience in our breakout room.
Bill Barnes: conversation that weren't necessarily race pace and yet you know you're getting it bias, there is a next natural question, so I think I don't know showrunner jocelyn you want to add.
Bill Barnes: anything to what you said in the chat because pretty right on point that's when it gets a little uncomfortable and some of those other norms are essential yeah.
Sharon Rendon: yeah so I was thinking that bill, I think you know if we want to be very surface and just be like oh they're shy they're embarrassed they struggle, they teach they don't really do the day you know they're good they play school.
Sharon Rendon: But the when you get to the heart of it if you add the second piece and say Okay, so now let's add race to it when you think of this what what race of students do you think about right.
Sharon Rendon: And I think that adds to the conversation right, so if we're using this with our colleagues.
Sharon Rendon: and teachers, we can say we might have them start with that initial thought and then say and do you think about a race with that so when you see a student walk in your classroom you think oh that's students going to be this way only because of how they look hey now you stole my idea.
Bill Barnes: You through that together, while you were talking.
Bill Barnes: Just in case you'd have brought it up.
John Staley (he/him): Johnson, did you want to share anything or add add any thought.
Jocelyn Dunnack: yeah I think I was i'm just kind of grappling with i'm like you kind of know you're not supposed to admit that you treat girls differently than boys or that you treat your black students differently than your White students but.
Jocelyn Dunnack: Because of bias like you end up doing that see implicit bias and that's one of the ways that it comes out and i'm just thinking about like, how do you actually get someone to notice that.
Jocelyn Dunnack: When they know that they're not supposed to admit that.
Jocelyn Dunnack: and actually i'm excited about this picture activity, because I was a middle school teacher, I actually also taught reading and one interesting thing for me is.
Jocelyn Dunnack: When you visualize a character in a story you're reading like what race, do you actually visualize them as so like when I was picturing students as i'm reacting I taught predominantly white students, so I was envisioning predominantly white students.
Jocelyn Dunnack: And i'm glad Sharon brought up that point of thinking about how might that be different if you actually named or identified or visualized a particular race for background for Stephen.
Bill Barnes: And I appreciate that I think that's why you know you talked about the idea of bias stereotypes about john's examples about versions or preferences.
Bill Barnes: You know, it was a safe space to come into, and you know agreeing that they're.
Bill Barnes: getting agreement that there is such a thing as bias and it does influence how we behave and that's that and that's human nature and natural, the first step to change behavior is building awareness around it and understanding ourselves.
Bill Barnes: You know I, so I thought that was a the activity can work on multiple levels, I mean you can do a first time through and get shy, and all those things, and you can do a second time through where.
Bill Barnes: You you know or or transition to this this activity was john at least put together as part of one of the resources that.
Bill Barnes: push a little harder, you know and and it does you know a lot of depend on the trust that's built on the team.
Bill Barnes: And their relationships and agreeing that we have to go together for this you're not always going to have people that are excited to have this conversation are going to.
Bill Barnes: accuse you of pushing this agenda that agenda but it's really about, you know how do we best serve all the children that are in our rooms each and every one of them, so thanks for thanks for all of that.
John Staley (he/him): And I think a big part of that work as we think about our commitment, as we think about the work as we think about pushing in on equity work, and I say pushing into equity work, because I, I continue to go back to everyone's on a journey.
John Staley (he/him): If you think you've arrived.
Then.
John Staley (he/him): Okay.
John Staley (he/him): um but, as you continue to think about the work as we continue to think about the conversations, as you.
John Staley (he/him): Read more engagement more conversations at 10 more sessions learn about more and hear more it's about centering our students, I was in a conversation.
John Staley (he/him): A week ago I can't remember what the session was for something along those lines, and someone was asking the questions sort of like, how do you get.
John Staley (he/him): teachers to focus in on this work or these conversations versus all the other kind of distracted ones that don't go down the path of.
John Staley (he/him): Helping support and talk about and focusing on students and and my response to that question was what I tried to do is say okay let's Center the student.
John Staley (he/him): let's Center the student work list Center the student, so that we can have our conversations about how do we go about.
John Staley (he/him): helping and supporting this student get better i'm i'm about the one at a time, the you know the starfish story.
John Staley (he/him): When you're walking down the beach and store official on and somebody throwing one you know they're throwing them back in the in the ocean, they want to on the sand.
John Staley (he/him): And somebody comes along and says well you know what are you doing, he says i'm throwing starfish back in ocean, he said, well you know, as so many of them and he's like look for that one.
John Staley (he/him): It was, it was a hell for me to throw him back in the ocean, so I think about this work with teachers this work with learners this work with teacher leaders.
John Staley (he/him): As a one, at a time, sometimes it's a commitment that we have to make to have those conversations it's a commitment to hold ourselves accountable, so I want you to think about.
John Staley (he/him): How will you hold yourself accountable to make a difference and it doesn't be half the beta that you're going to go after.
John Staley (he/him): A running this professional learning for your school for district, for you know this group that group and things along those lines and coming out the gate.
John Staley (he/him): With this high in knowledge of everything but it's about helping bring others along on the journey so God can do the journey together, I believe, so joke and walk together said, we can make a difference for our students so um what are offered to you, and what I challenge you to do is.
John Staley (he/him): step into the work and pushing the working and experienced the discomfort but also reach out to others.
John Staley (he/him): And when I say reach out to others it's a whole lot easier when you are locking arms with at least one other person.
John Staley (he/him): than it is when you think you're doing this all by yourself and you don't have anybody to bounce things off of anybody to help you level check.
John Staley (he/him): I will still text bill we haven't worked in the same school district in so many years now, but I will still text bill in the meeting will jump on the line or or talk through something real quick.
John Staley (he/him): Because it's about running this race with someone else and sometimes with their team that you're working with so bill any last things to push in with people on thinking about.
John Staley (he/him): Accountability and not necessary and don't want to use the word accountability, I want to use the word responsibility, because when I believe I take ownership of it.
John Staley (he/him): That i'm going to be responsible for it, when it's accountable somebody else's got me somebody else's checking off so i'm going to switch.
John Staley (he/him): A thought process there to how we want to be responsible for it, I know the accountability part I use the word here because it comes from the CSM social justice paper to totals work acknowledge aware.
John Staley (he/him): accountable acknowledge aware and accountability are the key components, but i'm at the point now where it's like okay.
John Staley (he/him): The move this work and for us to do, and have these conversations it's a responsibility, so what part, are you going to pick up what's your responsibility and doing this work bill i'm a hand it back to you.
Bill Barnes: yeah I would just say john just appreciate everyone's time and, and you know this little bit of time we had shared with each other and the know that john and I are here with you.
Bill Barnes: Along the journey, for you and you know we can we're not hard to five, if you have questions or.
Bill Barnes: Have a follow up or something, please do not hesitate to reach out I put this slide together because, as I mentioned, this is the beginning of what I hope it becomes very robust an organic.
Bill Barnes: series for and CSM that is for Members by Members and that could be you know something that that turns into the conference strand or theme or the time to get together and really learn how to do this work so we're not alone, but sometimes in our positions were one or two of.
Bill Barnes: You know very, very just wanted to have people in our district that that have this kind of kind of work, and so we need to count on each other across.
Bill Barnes: districts states provinces, you know across the CSM membership so.
Bill Barnes: You know, do through my email in the chat if you have an idea for head, like, I really would we need a conversation paper on this.
Bill Barnes: At my school or my district event CSM looking for a topic to write to that's helpful, or if you're like you know what i've got an idea for how we might write one or we do some work our districts that's helpful.
Bill Barnes: You know all of its welcome and appreciate it, because you know it's the essence of volunteer organization and you know it's.
Bill Barnes: it's it's connected well connected and will be all better if we share share our work and our journey, so thank you very much again for your time.
Bill Barnes: and your ideas sean's put in the survey for follow up and then you know, an infomercial with this is beyond conference really impressive pivot from having to unfortunately missed the Atlanta Conference, so thank you to Sean Thank you john.
John Staley (he/him): bill Thank you and CSM, thank you for inviting me.
John Staley (he/him): Take care and looking forward to next week man you got a powerhouse going next week to every.
Sharon Rendon: shaman thanks so much john and bill it just just these continuing to get better at these conversations and the tools, I think, are really going to be helpful to those of us that.
Sharon Rendon: You know, are continuing to lead in this work and I appreciate that So yes, so john did talk about next week and we have that site up for you to see, we do have a powerful lineup so.
Sharon Rendon: We have a couple, I think we have two more weeks left.
Sharon Rendon: So it's been a great way to spend our Tuesday nights and as a reminder, the recordings are available, so if there was somebody that was.
Sharon Rendon: On tonight with bill and john and you weren't able to hear them that recording will come up and then those recordings will be up for you to see probably shortly in the next week so.
Sharon Rendon: thanks again for spending your night some time with us this evening and for investing in yourself and, more importantly, investing in students and an improving math education so thanks everyone.
John Staley (he/him): Take care everybody.
Jocelyn Dunnack: Thank you all thanks for hosting Sharon.
Sharon Rendon: good to see you jocelyn see in the morning.
Jocelyn Dunnack: yeah see in the morning.
Bill Barnes: Thanks everybody.
John Staley (he/him): Take care.
Katey Arrington: excellent job.
Thank.