Summer Institute on Education, Equity, and Justice Transforming K-12 Education through an Antiracist Lens

Virtual Conference • June 27-29, 2022

Selected
Overview
Schedule
Speakers
Committee
Resources

About SIEEJ 2022

The annual American UniversitySchool of Education Summer Institute on Education Equity and Justice (SIEEJ) was developed to convene local and national educators and education advocates to highlight new practices and strategies for addressing the educational needs of Black, Brown, and indigenous students.K-12 educators, legislators, education advocates, parents, students (registration discount available), school board members, and those at community-based organizations are encouraged to attend this low-cost, high-impact conference. Join us to thoroughly examine the intersection of racism in education, and intentionally center the voices and experiences of people of color. All #SIEEJthemoment sessions will be offered virtually.

SIEEJ 2022

The 2022 theme was Courageous Educational Leadership: Transforming K-12 Education through an Antiracist Lens.Conference schedule and workshop details will be available soon.

Sessions are designed to change both mindsets and practices. The overall goal of SIEEJ is to build a community of practice singularly focused on the strengths, challenges, and opportunities in the lives of young people of color and the communities in which they live.

Participants will be provided links to livestream all sessions in advance.All sessions will be closed captioned. Full recordings of the sessions will be made available to registered attendees.

We encourage you to engage with the sessions by using the hashtag #SIEEJ2022.

***Recordings of sessions (where all panelists and speakers agreed to be recorded) will be posted online by the end of the summer, with a link sent to registered attendees to access it then.***

Please email questions at equityandjustice@american.edu.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

DAY ONE (Monday, June 27, 2022 - 11:00 a.m. to8:00 p.m. EDT)

11:00 to11:45 a.m.
Dean’s Welcome Address withDean Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, PhD,American University
Conference Overview
Introduction of SIEEJ Conference Planning Committee

12:00 to1:15 p.m.
Opening Keynote Speaker and Q&A
Dr. Andrae Townsel, Superintendent, Calvert County Public Schools

2:00 to3:30 p.m.
Panel Discussion
TOPIC:Standardized Testing and the Racial Implications of Data Use
DESCRIPTION:Testing has become an institution which affects the lives of Americans in a profound way. Early intheir educational careers, children are sorted and categorized on the basis of standardized tests. As they advance toward graduation from high school, the tests become more and more life-determining. Decisions about higher education are reached with test scores as a major factor. Decisions about graduate and professional schools are based partly on test results. Tests are used to guide employment decisions and to determine professional advancement in certain careers. Testing is pervasive and powerful in its influence on modern life. Testing is also difficult to check and control even when its influence appears to be unfair and/or counter-productive to the welfare of those being tested. This session will further examine the use of standardized testing and the racial implications of data use.
MODERATOR:Dr. Phelton C. Moss,American University
PANELISTS:Dr. Gregory Hutchings, Superintendent,Alexandria City Public Schools;Kendall Deas,University of South Carolina;Dr. Olatukunbo “Toks” Fashola, Research Professor in Residence,American University

3:45 to5:00 p.m.
Panel Discussion

TOPIC:Racism and School Discipline: Schoolsasa Prison
DESCRIPTION:The school-to-prison pipeline is a relatively recent phenomenon identified by researchers as a link between negative school outcomes, such as discipline, and involvement in the justice system. Further research is needed to understand and explain the relationship between school and penal policies, educational outcomes and involvement with the criminal justice system. Irrespective of whether the link is causal, the disparities that exist and increasing numbers of those impacted by exclusionary discipline coupled with negative educational outcomessuggest a new approach should be explored. This session will explore racism as it relates to school discipline andprovide recommendations for future practice and research.
MODERATOR:Kennetra Wood, Teacher, Dean, Assistant Principal, Executive Director of Equity & Alternative Programs, and Title IX Coordinator,Alexandria City Public Schools
PANELISTS:Alexander Duncan, Teacher, Dean, and Lead Principal of Minnie Howard Campus ofAlexandria City High School,Alexandria City Public Schools;Gregory Baldwin, Teacher, Dean, and Restorative Practice Coordinator,Alexandria City Public Schools;Charlotte Hayer, CTE Teacher and Senior NEA Director of Virginia,Richmond Public Schools;Yahney-Marie Sangare,High School Student,Alexandria City High School, Alexandria City Public Schools;Nathan Desta, High School Student,Alexandria City High School, Alexandria City Public Schools;Juan Cruz Cruz, High School Student,Alexandria City Public Schools; Kevron Coleman Terrell, High School Student,Arlington Public Schools

6:00 to7:30 p.m.
Mindfulness and Meditation Teaching and Practice
TOPIC:
Healing Meditation Practice: Mind, Body, and Soul
FACILITATOR:Rashid Hughes,Heart Refuge Mindfulness Community, LLC

6:00 to8:00 p.m.
Film Viewing
DESCRIPTION:Video presentation (in-person) offollowed by Q&A with the director.
LOCATION:Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th Street NW, Washington, DC
INTRODUCTION:Dr. Samori Swygert
Q&A:Jaquial Durham, Director

DAY TWO (Tuesday, June 28, 2022 - 9:15 a.m. to6:00 p.m.)

9:15 to9:30 a.m.
Smooth Jazz at Breakfast

9:30 to9:45 a.m.
Opening Remarks

9:45 to 10:45 a.m.
Film Discussion

TOPIC:,Jaquial Durham, Director
MODERATOR:Leslie A. Jones, Theatre Teacher,Alexandria City Public SchoolsandSIEEJ Committee Member

11:00 a.m. to12:15 p.m.
Morning Keynote Speaker and Q&A
Dr. Lisa Maria Grillo, President,Elizabeth Seton High School

12:45 to1:45 p.m.
Brown Bag Lunch Book Talk
GUEST AUTHOR:Dr. Ivory A. Toldson, Editor,Black College Leadership in PK-12 Education
MODERATOR:Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis,President,Benedict College

2:00 to3:00 p.m.
Panel Discussion
TOPIC:
When Black Women Rise: Centering Self-Care in the Professional and Personal Acumen of Black Superintendents
DESCRIPTION:The purpose of this Critical Conversation is to examine the ways in which Black women superintendents navigate and balance stressors and coping strategies, which may be relatively less accounted for or understood. The goal is to identify and encourage formal and informal strategies for current and aspiring Black women superintendents to “center” self-care as a part of their professional and personal acumen and to emerge stronger in their role as superintendent.
MODERATOR:Judy Alston, Professor,Ashland University
PANELISTS:Andrea Berry, Superintendent,York City Schools;Janeula M. Burt, Associate Professor,Bowie State University;Letrecia Gloster, Deputy Superintendent,York City Schools

2:00 to3:00 p.m.
Higher Education Doctoral Students' Panel Discussion
TOPIC:Anti-Racist K-12 School Leadership: Equity in Education for All Students
DESCRIPTION:This session explores the role of school leaders in effecting equity in schools and promoting the success of racialized students. While ongoing research identifies a positive correlation between educators’ understanding of racial issues and their effective engagement in promoting equitable practices within their schools, teachers and administrators are seldom prepared to work effectively with students, families, and communities from different ethno-racial backgrounds. Panelists will share fundamental concepts school leaders should know, as well as approaches and strategies they can adopt, in order to move towards achieving equity for racialized populations. Equipped with relevant knowledge, approaches, and strategies, school leaders will be better able to address inequitable practices, while proactively supporting socially just practices that ensure success for all students.
MODERATOR:Dr. Shari Watkins,American University
PANELISTS:Jaquial Durham,Clemson University;Fatima Baig,Drexel University;Desmond Goodloe,Howard University;Gary Hamilton,American University;Ashlie Roney,University of Maryland College Park

3:15 to4:45 p.m.
Panel Discussion
TOPIC:Dismantling Systemic Racism on Higher Education Campuses
DESCRIPTION:This panel will discuss the ways in which systemic racism shapes higher education systems and experiences within them, including how racism has influenced the development and execution of some of the most influential policies in higher education history. This session will analyze high profile contemporary policy issues in higher education from a race-conscious lens. In doing so, the goal is to highlight how racism and color-blind ideologies are shaping current policy discourse in postsecondary education. Lastly, the panel will examine how racism shapes the experiences of faculty within institutions of higher education.
MODERATOR:Dr. Anthony Greene,College of Charleston
PANELISTS:Dr. Tiffany Hollis,Coastal Carolina University;Dr. DeMarcus Jenkins,Pennsylvania State University;Dr. Ashley Gray,Temple University;Damaris Dunn, University of Georgia

3:15 to4:45 p.m.
Panel Discussion
TOPIC:From the Top-Down: Anti-Racism from an Educational Policy Perspective
DESCRIPTION:Educating and training teachers and administrators on how to enact culturally relevant and inclusive practices is one step towards eliminating racism in schools. Expressing a commitment to anti-racism through school policies, statements, guidelines, or codes takes these efforts a step further. Within the last decade, some schools and districts have penned their own anti-racist policies to detail the steps they are taking to disrupt racism within their locale. In this session, panelists will highlight K-12 school policies and highlight recent initiatives aimed at eliminating racism in schools. As school and district leaders advance their own anti-racist policies and objectives, this panel will provide guidance based on the practices of diverse districts in the U.S. and elsewhere.
MODERATOR:Dr. Andre Perry,American University
PANELISTS:Dr. Dwayne Ray Cormier,Virginia Commonwealth University;Angel Marie Miles,District of Columbia Public Schools;Dr. Jerlando Jackson,University of Wisconsin-Madison;Dr. Tyrone Howard,University of Southern California;Dr. kecia hayes,American University

5:00 to6:00 p.m.
Happy Hour Book Talk
GUEST AUTHOR:Getting Into Good Trouble at School: A Guide to Building an Antiracist School System,Dr. Gregory Hutchings, Superintendent,Alexandria City Public Schools
CONVERSATIONALIST:Dr. Annice E. Fisher, Antiracist Pedagogy Scholar,American University

DAY THREE (Wednesday, June 29, 2022 - 12:45 to7:15 p.m. EDT)

12:45 to1:00 p.m.
Dean’s Opening Remarks
Conference Overview
Introduction of SIEEJ Conference Planning Committee

1:00 – 2:15 p.m.
Panel Discussion
TOPIC:
R.A.C.E Mentoring Through Social Media: We All We Got
DESCRIPTION:The Ivory Tower is and can often be a lonely place for faculty of color. Social injustices run deep and are entrenched within academia. Faculty of color (FOC), more specifically Black and Hispanic, often lament about the ‘Black/Brown’ tax that frequently takes its toll both personally and professionally, and pushes them out of the academy. Similar to trends in P‐12 settings, educators of color in postsecondary contexts represent less than 10% of the profession. In essence, educators of color are an anomaly and the implications of this are clear and dire, as evidenced by persistent achievement, access, and expectation gaps within the academy. Moreover, many scholars of color receive inadequate mentoring, often substandard in comparison to the hand‐holding White students receive. This panel will broadly discuss the importance of mentorship for K-12 school leaders, teachers, and higher education faculty.
MODERATOR:Dr. Aaron J. Griffen
PANELISTS:Terence Mayo,Clark Atlanta University;Dr. Tonya Strozier,Tucson Unified School District;Dr. Donovan Blake,Oakland University;Dr. Javetta Jones Roberson,Independent School District
INVITED SENIOR SCHOLARSAND RACE MENTORING FOUNDERS:Dr. Cynthia Tyson,The Ohio State University;Dr. Donna Y. Ford,The Ohio State University;Dr. Malik S. Henfield,Loyola University Chicago;Dr. Michelle Trotman Scott,University of West Georgia

2:45 to3:45 p.m.
Panel Discussion
TOPIC:A School of Education Deans Panel: Developing a Generation of Anti-Racist Education Leaders
DESCRIPTION:Racial inequities in education persist in part because the solutions that districts and schools choose to employ largely ignore why and how institutional and structural racism is the root cause of inequities in education. Yet, racial inequities in schooling can be redressed if districts and schools have leaders who are deeply committed to combating racism in their daily practice and structures of schooling. This panel of university deans will underscore why we need more educational leaders who adopt an anti-racist stance in how they lead and are prepared to work toward racial justice and equity in a society so entrenched in racism. Through diverse perspectives and voices, this session will address issues related to anti-racist educational leadership at various levels.
MODERATOR:Dean Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy,American University
PANELISTS:Dr. Marvin Lynn,University of Colorado-Denver;Dr. Dawn G. Williams,Howard University;Dr. Don Pope-Davis,The Ohio State University;Dr. Pedro Noguera,University of Southern California

4:00 to5:30p.m.
Panel Discussion
TOPIC:A K-12 School Principals' Panel: Leading with Equity in Mind Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
DESCRIPTION:The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a historic shutdown of US schools for nearly two years. In some cases, students are still receiving instruction virtually. With a surge in new variants, the pandemic is now likely to keep many students out of the classroom until well into 2023. School principals know firsthand the high cost of this prolonged period of remote learning, from rising rates of depression and anxiety to the loss of student learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken an especially heavy toll on Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous communities. Along with robbing them of lives and livelihoods, in-person school shutdowns could deny students from these communities the opportunity to get the education they need to build a brighter future. The panel of school principals will discuss ways they lead schools with equity in mind amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
MODERATOR:Christopher Thompson, Doctoral Candidate and Academy Principal,Alexandria City Public Schools
PANELISTS: Dr. Aimee’ Cepeda,District of Columbia Public Schools;Dr. DeMarcus McMillan,District of Columbia Public Schools;Dr. Harold McCray,District of Columbia Public Schools;Dayna Anthony-Swain,Austin Independent School District;Margaret Tran,Alexandria City Public Schools;Carlos Gonzalez,Alexandria City Public Schools;Kelly Davis,Alexandria City Public Schools,Dr. Kourtney Miller,Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy

6:00 to 7:15 p.m.
The Dr. Edmund Gordon Lecture:Closing Keynote Speaker and Q&A
SPEAKER:Dr. David O. Stovall, Professor of Black Studies and Criminology, Law & Justice,University of Illinois at Chicago
MODERATOR:Dean Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy,American University
LOCATION:This session will be hosted in-person at American University School of CommunicationMcKinley Building in the Doyle Foreman Theater
*Reception following the lecture.

SIEEJ Speakers

Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis

Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis
Dr. Clark Artis became thefirst woman President of Benedict College on June 30, 2017. Previously, Dr. Clark Artis served as the 13th and first woman President of Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, Florida.Intentional, professional, and thoroughly committed to the proliferation and transformation of colleges and universities that serve underrepresented men and women of color, Dr. Clark Artis’ leadership has been recognized locally and nationally. In 2018, she was named “Female HBCU President of the Year” by HBCU Digest. In 2019, Dr. Clark Artis was named Diverse Issues in Higher Education’s “Top 35 Leading Women in Higher Education.” In 2020, Dr. Clark Artis was named “President of the Year” by Higher Ed Dive for her leadership in navigating the unprecedented challenges of 2020. Under Dr. Clark Artis’ leadership, Benedict College was awarded the 2019 American Council on Education (ACE) Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation. The award recognizes institutions that have responded to higher education challenges in innovative and creative ways and achieved dramatic results in a short period of time. Benedict was also named 2019 HBCU of the Year by the HBCU Digest. Dr. Clark Artis is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she earned a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy. She also holds a Juris Doctorate from West Virginia University College of Law, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political science from sister HBCU, West Virginia State University. The consummate professional, Dr. Clark Artis also holds a Certificate of fundraising Management from Indiana University and a Certificate of Mastery in Prior Learning Assessment from DePaul University.A prolific speaker, critical thinker and fierce advocate for educational access, Dr. Clark Artis is frequently engaged as a mentor, lecturer, and catalyst for strategic transformation. She is a widely respected innovator and thought leader on issues of higher education, specifically as it relates to underserved and vulnerable populations, having published countless articles and editorials on topics related to higher education equity and inclusion as well as the complexities associated with leading minority serving institutions. Clark Artis is the founding Co-Chair for the Historically Black College and University Annual Sustainability Summit, which is in its 4th year. She has received more than 300 awards and recognitions locally and nationally for her work.

Headshot of Dr. Lisa GrilloDr. Lisa Grillo
Dr. Lisa Grillo currently serves as President of her Alma Mater, Elizabeth Seton High School, an all-girls Catholic school located in Bladensburg, Maryland. As an leader, teacher and scholar, Dr. Grillo has over 25 years of experience in education.Prior to this role, Dr. Grillo was assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in the Howard University School of Education. Her research focuses on the experiences of Black and Latina women who lead in educational settings. As principal, assistant superintendent, and chief human resources officer, Dr. Grillo successfully directed school and district-level initiatives to improve student outcomes for diverse student populations in large urban and suburban school districts across the US. In her tenure-track faculty position at the University of New Mexico, she conducted research in the areas of special education leadership and culturally responsive leadership. Dr. Grillo earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Teaching degrees from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia.She earned her Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study and Doctor of Education degree from Howard University in Washington, DC. She has won numerous awards, including the Reflective Practitioner award from the Howard University School of Education and Teacher of the Year from the Archdiocese of Washington. Dr. Grillo currently lives in Bowie, Maryland, where she cares for her mother Juanita, a retired teacher of 40 years, and her son Austin.

Headshot of Dr. Tyrone HowardDr. Tyrone Howard
Dr. Tyrone Howard is a professor of education in the School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA. His research addresses issues tied to race, culture, access and educational opportunity for minoritized student populations. Professor Howard is the author of several best-selling books, including "Why Race & Culture Matters in Schools" (Teachers College Press) and "All Students Must Thrive" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). He is a native of Compton, California, where he also served as a classroom teacher. Professor Howard is a member of the National Academy of Education and is an AERA Fellow.

Headshot of Gregory HutchingsDr. Gregory Hutchings
Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings is the Superintendent of Schools at Alexandria City Public Schools in Virginia,Prior to becoming a superintendent, Dr. Hutchings was a director of pre-K-12 initiatives and director of middle school programs with ACPS, where he launched the candidacy phase of the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, which has since been implemented at Jefferson-Houston School, and implemented the new middle school curricula in ACPS. Between 2013 and 2018, he was Superintendent of Schools of Shaker Heights Schools, located in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. He returned to ACPS as superintendent in July 2018.An experienced educator and administrator, Dr. Hutchings has served as a teacher, assistant principal and principal at the middle and high school levels. He began his teaching career in Manassas at Prince William County Public Schools and has worked in Chesterfield County Public Schools, near Richmond and Nashville Public Schools in Tennessee - where he was named Tennessee Middle School Principal of the Year by the Tennessee Association of Middle Schools for his role in increasing student achievement and becoming the number one middle school in metropolitan Nashville based on value-added.Dr. Hutchings holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Old Dominion University, a master’s in educational leadership from George Mason University and a doctorate in educational policy, planning and leadership from the College of William and Mary. He and his wife Cheryl have two children.

Headshot of Dr. Jerlando JacksonDr. Jerlando Jackson
Dr. Jackson studiesorganizational science in higher education, with a special interest in hiring practices, career mobility, workforce diversity and workplace discrimination.He is the Vilas Distinguished Professor of Higher Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and director and chief research scientist for Wisconsin’s Equity and Inclusion Laboratory (Wei LAB) in the Wisconsin Center for Education Research.

Headshot of Dr. Pedro NogueraDr. Pedro Noguera
Pedro A. Noguera is the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education.A sociologist, Dr. Noguera’s research focuses on the ways in which schools are influenced by social and economic conditions, as well as by demographic trends in local, regional and global contexts. He is the author, co-author and editor of 13 books. His most recent books are The Crisis of Connection: Roots, Consequences and Solutions with Niobe Way, Carol Gilligan and Alisha Ali (New York University Press, 2018) and Race, Equity and Education: Sixty Years From Brown with Jill Pierce and Roey Ahram (Springer, 2015).He has published over 250 research articles in academic journals, book chapters in edited volumes, research reports and editorials in major newspapers. He serves on the boards of numerous national and local organizations, including the Economic Policy Institute, the National Equity Project and The Nation. Noguera appears as a regular commentator on educational issues on several national media outlets, and his editorials on educational issues have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Dallas Morning News and Los Angeles Times.Prior to being appointed Dean of the USC Rossier School of Education, Noguera served as a Distinguished Professor of Education at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Before joining the faculty at UCLA he served as a tenured professor and holder of endowed chairs at New York University (2004–2015), Harvard University (2000–2003) and the University of California, Berkeley (1990–2000). Noguera was appointed to serve as a special advisor to the governor of New Mexico on education policy. He also advises the state departments of education in Washington, Oregon and Nevada. From 2009–2012 he served as a trustee for the State University of New York as an appointee of the governor. In 2014 he was elected to the National Academy of Education and Phi Delta Kappa honor society, and in 2020 Noguera was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Noguera has received seven honorary doctorates from American universities, and he recently received awards from the Center for the Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, from the National Association of Secondary School Principals and from the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at NYU for his research and advocacy efforts aimed at fighting poverty.

Dr. David O. StovallDr. David O. Stovall
David Stovall, Ph.D. is a professor in the departments of Black Studies and Criminology, Law & Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). His scholarship investigates three areas 1) Critical Race Theory, 2) the relationship between housing and education, and 3) the intersection of race, place and school. In the attempt to bring theory to action, he works with community organizations and schools to address issues of equity, justice and abolishing the school/prison nexus. His work led him to become a member of the design team for the Greater Lawndale/Little Village School for Social Justice (SOJO), which opened in the Fall of 2005. Furthering his work with communities, students, and teachers, his work manifests itself in his involvement with the Peoples Education Movement, a collection of classroom teachers, community members, students and university professors in Chicago, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area who engage in collaborative community projects centered in creating relevant curriculum. In addition to his duties and responsibilities as a professor at UIC, he also served as a volunteer social studies teacher at the Greater Lawndale/Little Village School for Social Justice from 2005-2018.

Dr. Ivory Toldson HeadshotDr. Ivory A. Toldson
Ivory A. Toldson, Ph.D. is a professor of Counseling Psychology at Howard University, the president of Quality Education for Minorities, the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Negro Education, and executive editor of the Journal of Policy Analysis and Research, published by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. He is the author of Brill Bestseller, 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.

Dr. Toldson is ranked among the nation’s top education professors as a member of Education Week’s Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings, an annual list recognizes university-based scholars across the nation who are champions in shaping educational practice and policy. Dr. Toldson was previously appointed by President Barack Obama to be the executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. In this position, he worked with the U.S. Secretary of Education to devise national strategies to sustain and expand federal support to HBCUs.

Dr. Toldson was dubbed a leader "who could conceivably navigate the path to the White House" by the Washington Post one of "30 leaders in the fight for Black men," by Newsweek Magazine, and the "Problem Solver" by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. Dr. Toldson has also been featured on MSNBC, C-SPAN2, NPR News and numerous national and local radio stations. In print, his research has been featured in The Washington Post, CNN.com, The New York Times, The National Journal, Essence Magazine, BET.com, The Grio, and Ebony Magazine.

Dr. Toldson was named in The Root 100, an annual ranking of the most influential African-American leaders. He was awarded the: Equity Champion Award from the New York City Department of Education; Outstanding Alumni Award from Penn State Black Alumni Association; an LSU Legend by the LSU Black Alumni Chapter; and one of the Top 25 Forensic Psychology Professors from ForensicsColleges.com. Since 2016, as QEM president, Dr. Toldson has served as principal investigator of 8 National Science Foundation awards, totaling more than $3.2 million, to support capacity building efforts for STEM programs at Minority Serving Institutions.

Dr. Andraé TownselDr. Andrae Townsel
Dr. Townsel,Superintendent ofCalvert County Public Schools in Maryland, attended Howard University on a football scholarship. As a 3-time graduate of Howard University (bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree), he became the recipient of the Floretta Dukes McKenzie scholarship (awarded to a highly effective educator with high academic achievement) to attend the Urban Superintendents Academy of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). As a member and graduate of the first National Certification Cohort, he was highly recruited to lead the turnaround efforts in an urban school district. Dr. Townsel began his educational journey in Washington, DC., prior to his role as Superintendent of Benton Harbor Area Schools. He served at every level of education. He served as a teacher, coach, athletic director, dean of students, central office specialist, assistant principal, principal, and assistant superintendent. The fundamental purpose that he has in his role as an educational leader is "achievement."

2022 SIEEJ Planning Committee

The SIEEJ Planning Committees's key purpose is to coordinate the success of the SIEEJ Virtual Conference.

  • Bonnie Berry – Conference Partnerships
  • Mark Forsberg – Conference Registration & Logistics
  • SOE Dean Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy – Conference Oversight
  • Leslie A. Jones – Conference Speakers
  • Jacob Ortiz – DC Public Schools Liaison
  • Dr. Antonio Ellis – Conference Director and Scholar in Residence
  • Jason Pier – Marketing & Registration
  • Benjamin Zenker – Social Media & Digital Design
  • Danielle Sodani - School of Education Liaison
  • Jaquial Durham - General Support & Partnerships

Conference Resources

Anti-Racist Administration Supervision and Leadership(ARASL) Certificate Program
Among today’s greatest challenges in the United States is the need to create more equitable, antiracist schools. The failure to meet this need for all of our children - regardless of racial, cultural, economic, or linguistic background - widens the opportunity gap between those who thrive and those who struggle.

American University’s fully virtual 18-credit post-masters graduate certificate in Anti-Racist Administration Supervision and Leadership (ARASL) prepares education leaders with the required content and knowledge, as well as the necessary mindset shift, to dismantle racist practices and policies in classrooms, schools, and districts. To learn more, visit our webpageor register for an upcoming webinar!

Antiracist Pedagogy, Practice, and Policies. Please make a copy for yourself!

Film: Southern Prison Culture
Travel with filmmakers as they go on a tour of some of the southern prison systems, uncovering the very real inhumane conditions within the walls of these institutions. This docu-series seeks to reveal information that examines whether prisons should exist in this country as they are currently established. While examining prisons in the South, one finds significant human rights abuse and systemic violence. The film's Executive Producer isTamra Simmons (Executive Producer of Surviving R. Kelly), and its Director of Photography is VaShawn Dixon (Creator of Gunned Down).

Watch the trailer for this film .A link to the full fillm will be shared with registrants prior to the conference. Registrats may alsoview and take part in a conversation with film directorJaquial Durham, CEO of Public Culture, at Busboys and Poets (2021 14th Street NW, Washington, DC) on Monday, June 27 from6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Prosperity Educators
Prosperity Educators consulting services and development sessions are specifically catered to balance individual and unique needs by bridging research, theory, and practice. Learn more about Prosperity Educators .

Promotions from Our Sponsors

Teachers College Press Virtual Book Display
Please visit our Virtual Exhibit byTeachers College Press (TC Press -Teachers College, Columbia University) to find noteworthy titles selected for the 2022 SIEEJ conferencecommunity and retrieveaspecial discount offer foryour purchase.

Information Age Publishing
Find books by notable authors, including 2022 SIEEJ speakers by visiting this personalized page. Be sure to enter your contact information by clicking "Enter Raffle" for a chance to win one of the featured titles.

Archived Content

Review topics and resources from the 2021 SIEEJ Conference"Leveling the Playing Field: Intersecting Race and Disabilities."

THIS EVENT HAS ALREADY OCCURRED

Questions? Please email usat equityandjustice@american.edu.

SIEEJ in the Media

Diverse: Issues In Higher Education coversthe2022Summer Institute on Education Equity and Justice (SIEEJ) in its articleAmerican University's Summer Institute on Education Equity and Justice to be Three-Day Virtual Event Centered on Antiracism.

2022 Sponsor Logos: AU School of Communication, Alexandria City Public Schools, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Information Age Publishing, Teachers College Press

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