Pace 4 Change Moving Toward Greater Equity, Access and Opportunity for All Proposal to the Lakeview School

District of Battle Creek January 10, 2014 This proposal is for a series of educational, dialogue and coaching sessions designed to increase knowledge and skills in several areas of diversity and cultural competency development for staff and students of Lakeview School District. The sessions are grounded in an underlying principle that cultural competency is not simply a process of learning about others, but that it begins with developing an understanding of ones own cultural background, beliefs, biases, worldviews and attitudes about differences. Ultimately, the focus of this effort is to move staff members of Lakeview School District toward the integration of culturally proficient practices into their work as administrators, teachers, school board members, team leaders and in other roles they play within the district. The proposal also incorporates strategies for working in partnership with students to address issues of diversity and multicultural change. Goals of the educational and coaching sessions include: Tap the wisdom, strengths and assets of diverse students, staff, parents and community members to guide and inform this effort. Create environments that are welcoming and inclusive for all staff, students and families. Learn about frameworks for diversity, multiculturalism and cultural competency development and apply these to personal, organizational and community change. Explore the concept of racial equity and ways to dismantle structural inequities that limit opportunities for some students. Understand historic and current realities and forms of oppression that create barriers to healthy development and student achievement. Learn ways to move beyond a focus on achievement gaps toward addressing opportunity gaps. Deepen understanding of issues related to race, gender, class and other differences. Explore culturally proficient practices and skills in order to improve overall school and classroom climates around issues of diversity. Look critically at current employment policies, procedure and practices to enhance opportunities to attract and retain a more diverse and culturally competent staff across the organization. Learn skills for engaging in difficult multicultural conversations and ways to move conflicts and disagreements from debate to dialogue. Develop skills for building and sustaining relationships across differences. Learn to develop youth and adult partnerships to address critical issues. Apply learning at the personal, interpersonal, institutional and cultural levels.

Pace 4 Change www.pace4change.com

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This proposal is meant to be a guide and suggests a month-to-month timeline that begins in January 2014 and continues through July 2014. It includes educational sessions for administrators, school board members and for teachers who are part of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) as well as for students, staff and community members who are part of the newly-forming Catalyst for Change and Core Teams. Also included are coaching sessions designed to build capacity around specific issues such as recruiting, hiring and retaining diverse staff members as well other topics to be identified. Coaching sessions can also be open-ended opportunities for consulting, listening and planning together. The proposal also includes a two-day retreat to be held in July (or other time to be determined). This retreat would involve older students who want to take a leadership role around these issues within the district and within the broader community. The two-day experience will bring youth and adults together to learn from each other, build trust, strengthen relationships and create a vision and plan for sustaining work around issues of race, gender, class and other differences. Adults who attend could include teachers, administrators, school staff, parents and other community members. All sessions described in this proposal will be provided by Pace 4 Change and will involve up to three facilitators to include Karen Pace, Dionardo Pizaa and/or a K-12 social justice educational consultant. All dates to be determined based on availability and scheduling of Lakeview staff and Pace 4 Change facilitators.

Pace 4 Change www.pace4change.com

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Proposed Timeline and Budget January through July 2014 January Kick-off and formal announcement of the initiative Finalize and formalize agreement with Pace 4 Change (Suggestion was made to do this on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day January 20, 2014) Two-half day educational sessions Scheduled on the same day for efficiency and savings One for administrators and one for Core Team Includes two or three facilitators One coaching session (2-4 hours) For administrative staff Includes one facilitator March Two-half day educational sessions Scheduled on the same day for efficiency and savings One for administrators and one for PLC Includes three facilitators One coaching session (2-4 hours ) For administrative staff Includes one facilitator One educational and planning session For Catalyst for Change / Core Team Includes two facilitators April Two-half day educational sessions Scheduled on the same day for efficiency and savings One for administrators and one for PLC Includes three facilitators One coaching session (2-4 hours ) For administrative staff Includes one facilitator May Two-half day educational sessions Scheduled on the same day for efficiency and savings One for administrators and one for PLC Includes three facilitators $ 3,000

February

600

3,000

600

1,200

$ 3,000

600

3,000

Pace 4 Change www.pace4change.com

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One coaching session (2-4 hours ) For administrative staff Includes one facilitator One educational and planning session For Catalyst for Change / Core Team Includes two facilitators Online evaluation to gauge changes in knowledge, attitude and behaviors and gather information about issues and skills needed For administrators, teachers and catalyst team Includes analysis and report July One two-day retreat For students, staff and community members Focused on working in partnership to address issues Two-day retreat format Includes three facilitators (facility and meals not included)

600

1,200

3,000

6,000

Sub-Total: Face-to-face consulting / coaching Administrative Fee: Travel expenses: Total:

$25,800 2,000 1,290 1,500 $30,590

Future Plans Additional proposals, plans and timelines may be discussed in order to continue to develop and sustain this work within the Lakeview School District beyond July 2014 (e.g. a day-long Professional Development day for all teachers in August is recommended). If possible, PLC team leaders and/or students who are in a place of readiness may be involved in helping to facilitate future sessions with teachers and others. The goal is to continue to build the capacity of Lakeview staff and students to be leaders of this effort. Payment Process To be determined upon acceptance of a final proposal and in agreement with policies of Pace 4 Change and the Lakeview School District.

Pace 4 Change www.pace4change.com

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PRESENTER BIOS

Karen L. Pace Director, Pace 4 Change Program Leader, Michigan State University Extension Karen Pace is a program leader, educator and facilitator with Michigan State University Extension. Her work is focused on youth development and social and emotional health while addressing issues of bullying, bias, harassment and dating violence. Karen is also director of Pace 4 Change an organization providing education and consulting for a wide variety of groups around issues of diversity, cultural competency and social justice education. She has worked as part of diverse teams for more than 20 years to create efforts that address root causes of complex issues at the personal, interpersonal, institutional and cultural levels. Karen and her colleagues have provided hundreds of impactful programs and processes for thousands of people across the United States and her work has extended to youth and family agencies, schools, universities, juvenile justice organizations, faith-based communities, businesses, foundations, American Indian Tribes, state and federal agencies and other groups. Karen is grateful to the activists and teachers who have come before her and on whose shoulders she stands as well as to the mentors and friends who continue to challenge and support her process of learning, growth and development. Dionardo Pizaa Diversity and Personnel Specialist, Michigan State University Extension Dionardo Pizaa is the diversity and personnel specialist for Michigan State University Extension (MSUE). He has more than 20 years of experience developing, teaching and facilitating diversity education programs through MSUE, Adrian College and Siena Heights University. Dionardo provides leadership to MSU Extension's multicultural organizational change process. He is a nationally-recognized, highly sought-after multicultural consultant, speaker and trainer and has received numerous awards that recognize his outstanding accomplishments. Dionardo has had the honor of learning alongside a variety of social justice educators and mentors who continue to influence his work and commitment to inclusion, equity and shared power. Dionardo has partnered with Karen Pace for more than fifteen years to engage co-workers, organizational leaders and community members in Michigan and across the country in discussions related to diversity, multiculturalism, authentic relationships across differences, cultural competence and other social justice topics. [A third facilitator (to be confirmed) who has expertise in racial equity and social justice issues specifically related to K-12 educational systems will be involved on a select basis in the educational sessions provided by Pace 4 Change.]

Pace 4 Change www.pace4change.com

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Moving Toward Greater Equity, Access and Opportunity For All

Administrators PLC Team Leaders Catalyst for Change Team Core Team Hiring TeamHuman Resources

February 11

February 11 8:00-11:00 Central Office

February 11 12:30-3:30 Central Office

March 6,14,28

day-March 6 8:00-11:00 Central Office

March 28-pm 12:00-3:00 Forum

day-March 6 12:00-3:00 Central Office

March 14 1:00-4:00

May 5,9,23

day-May 23 8:00-11:00 Central Office

May 5-pm 12:00-3:00 Forum

day-May 23 12:-3:00 Central Office

May 9 8:30-11:30

June 10,13,17

Full Day-June 10 8:00-3:00 Location:Forum

Full Day-June 17 8:00-3:00 Location: Central Office

June 13 8:30-11:30

July 10,11,21,22

Community Event TBD