In 2016, the West Hartford Public Schools kicked off a commitment to building our capacity for cultural competence. Achieving equity and excellence requires complex work. WHPS educators remain steadfast in our efforts to ensure equitable opportunities and support for each and every student. As West Hartford continues to see steady changes in our culture and climate, the drive to clear paths requires an adjusted lens through which we see; a shift in how we think; and measures to become more culturally responsive. The Equity for Excellence Election Day Professional Development is the result of the on-going persistence of our district’s social justice advocates to identify, disrupt and dismantle systemic inequities that exist within our organization.
Workshop Information
The Election Day Equity for Excellence Professional Development workshops are facilitated by WHPS certified staff and community partners. A preview of workshop topics relevant to equity, diversity and inclusion is made available to you to consider 1 morning choice workshop and 1 afternoon choice workshop. Participants are strongly encouraged to consider one less familiar workshop, intended to stretch your thinking and learning, and one workshop that aligns with your personal/professional interest and need.
Online Registration opens on Wednesday, October 16th at midnight and closes on Wednesday, October 23rd. An overview of the day, including registration details and logistics, will be provided during individual school faculty meetings in October.
Workshops
- Moving Beyond Bias: Working to Improve from the Inside, Out
- Uncovering Implicit Bias in our Schools and Classrooms
- The F Word: Body Size and Education
- An Islamic Conversation
- Disrupting Microaggressions
- Have You Checked Your Biases?
- Equity 101: A “Crash Course” for New Teachers
- What’s in a Name? Equity 102: Understanding Terms
- Cultivating Courageous Conversations about History and Race in the Classroom
- Eliminating Barriers to Talk About Race in Education
- Poison in the Soil: Dismantling Racism in the Classroom
- Witness Stones Project: How Can We Remember Slavery in West Hartford
- Migration Through Maps: A Cartographic Overview of American Immigration
- Native American and Indigenous History
- The Underrepresentation of Educators of Color in WHPS: Workplace Cultural Competency
- What Would You Do In This Situation? A Case-Study Style Workshop
- Where Am I Coming From? Understanding What Obscures Our Capacity to Relate With Compassion and Courage
- “What Happened to You?” Trauma-Informed Theory and Intervention
- Opening Hearts and Minds through Storytelling
- Belonging and Otherness: Exploring Interlocking Identities Through Book Discussion
- Beyond Pink and Blue: Gender in Elementary Settings
- Your Students Can’t Hear You: Making Your Classroom Accessible to the Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing
- Information Processing to Build Intellective Capacity in a Culturally Responsive Classroom
- Learning Partnerships and Classroom Culture
- Assistive Technology for Diverse Learners
- Awareness: Understanding the Roots of Culture
- Leveraging Classroom Environment to Create a Community of Learners
- Moving Toward Meaningful Inclusion in the General Education Setting
- Respect Me Because I’m Different
- Reflecting Identity through the Visual Arts: Making Cross-Curricular Connections
- Narratives of Immigrant Students
- Undocumented Students in the Classroom: A Discussion
- Clearing Paths to Bright Futures for Undocumented Immigrant Students
- Tried and True! English Learner Instructional Supports
- Books as Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors at the Secondary Level
- Beyond Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors
- Breaking Through Cultural Barriers to Partner with All Families
- Building Collaborative Relationships with the Special Education Family
Moving Beyond Bias: Working to Improve from the Inside, Out
Uncovering Implicit Bias in our Schools and Classrooms
The F Word: Body Size and Education
An Islamic Conversation
Disrupting Microaggressions
Have You Checked Your Biases?
Equity 101: A “Crash Course” for New Teachers
What’s in a Name? Equity 102: Understanding Terms
Cultivating Courageous Conversations about History and Race in the Classroom
Eliminating Barriers to Talk About Race in Education
Poison in the Soil: Dismantling Racism in the Classroom
Witness Stones Project: How Can We Remember Slavery in West Hartford
Migration Through Maps: A Cartographic Overview of American Immigration
Native American and Indigenous History
The Underrepresentation of Educators of Color in WHPS: Workplace Cultural Competency
What Would You Do In This Situation? A Case-Study Style Workshop
Where Am I Coming From? Understanding What Obscures Our Capacity to Relate With Compassion and Courage
“What Happened to You?” Trauma-Informed Theory and Intervention
Opening Hearts and Minds through Storytelling
Belonging and Otherness: Exploring Interlocking Identities Through Book Discussion
Beyond Pink and Blue: Gender in Elementary Settings
Your Students Can’t Hear You: Making Your Classroom Accessible to the Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing
Information Processing to Build Intellective Capacity in a Culturally Responsive Classroom
Learning Partnerships and Classroom Culture
Assistive Technology for Diverse Learners
Awareness: Understanding the Roots of Culture
Leveraging Classroom Environment to Create a Community of Learners
Moving Toward Meaningful Inclusion in the General Education Setting
Respect Me Because I’m Different
Reflecting Identity through the Visual Arts: Making Cross-Curricular Connections
Narratives of Immigrant Students
Undocumented Students in the Classroom: A Discussion
Clearing Paths to Bright Futures for Undocumented Immigrant Students
Tried and True! English Learner Instructional Supports
Books as Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors at the Secondary Level
Beyond Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors
Breaking Through Cultural Barriers to Partner with All Families
Building Collaborative Relationships with the Special Education Family
Acknowledgements
The Equity and Diversity Council (EDC) gratefully acknowledges the support of WHPS administration, faculty, staff and community partners.
Executive Team
Pk-12 Extended Leadership Team Equity and Diversity Council (EDC) School Representatives
Professional Learning and Evaluation Committee (PLEC)
Professional learning opportunities provided by:
WHPS Workshop Presenters
WHPS Community Partner Presenters
Made possible by the offices of:
Curriculum Instruction and Assessment
Facilities and Plant Services
Information Technology
Human Resources
Nutrition Services
Pupil Services
Security
Transportation
QUEST
Special Thanks
Conard High School Administration, Faculty and Staff
WHPS Paraprofessionals and Teaching Assistants
West Hartford Police Department
WHPS Graphic Design Artist
In Community
The Bridge Family Center
Fern Street Food Ministry
Harriet Beecher Stowe House
The Peace Center of CT
West Hartford Adult Education
CT Parent Advocacy Center
Foundation for the West Hartford Public Schools
National Conference on Community and Justice
Planning Across the Spectrum
YWCA New Britain Sexual Assault Crisis Service
In Partnership
State Education Resource Center (SERC)
The WHPS-SERC partnership will deepen our racial equity work throughout the year.