Equity at Freire Schools: Fall 2024 Update

October 2024

We are living in a time of great political and social unrest, navigating a world where divisiveness and hostility are increasingly visible—on our screens, in our conversations, and in the lives of our students, families, and staff. We are all tuned into the escalating crisis in the Middle East and its deeply personal ties to many members of our community, as well as the approaching and increasingly hostile 2024 U.S. presidential election. Both of these current events can evoke intense emotions, tapping into what we individually hold to be right and wrong.

One of the things we have learned in our diversity, equity, and inclusion training is that conflict, especially values-based conflict, can lead to binary, either/or thinking. That can be crippling to any organization, and is especially so to schools like our Freire schools where we are responsible for teaching our students to feel free to ask questions, think critically, and identify and resolve conflicts peacefully.

Freire Schools is a place where everyone belongs. Our strength lies in our diversity, with staff members and students coming from all walks of life. In the midst of the challenges we face, we must remember that our community is big enough for all of us. Here, we can grow and thrive together, united by our shared humanity and commitment to equity, acceptance, and peace.

Our students are looking to us to model what it means to build positive relationships across differences. They carry anxieties about the world around them, and they need to know that they can turn to us for support. We have the power to create spaces where they feel safe, heard, and understood. This begins with us—by coming from a place of compassion, and by being intentional in fostering opportunities for open dialogue around difficult topics.

In early 2024, we deepened our commitment to understanding diverse perspectives and finding peaceful unity by establishing diverse dialogue circles across our network, involving students, staff, and Board members. These circles applied our generative conflict framework to discussions about the Israel-Hamas war, with the goal of fostering genuine human connections.

Building upon this goal, we’re launching a series of professional development sessions titled “Cultivating Inclusion and Antiracism” across the Freire Schools network. These sessions will offer our staff a space for meaningful dialogue, self-reflection, and learning around issues of race, equity, and inclusion. Our aim is to foster an environment where all students and staff feel seen, heard, and valued. Together, we will reflect on our own identities and explore strategies to actively challenge and dismantle racism within our school culture, creating a more inclusive and equitable community for all.

And, we will continue to prioritize cultivating student voice and choice this year, creating learning spaces where students are active learners rather than passive recipients of knowledge. As our students and broader community navigate the complexities of the 2024 presidential election and ongoing global conflict, we anticipate more opportunities for dialogue and growth, allowing us to continue building a community rooted in kindness, love, and understanding.

Equity is a lifelong process, and we’re here to continue doing the work. Let’s reaffirm our commitment to working together despite our differences, knowing that through empathy, we can help our students grapple with complex issues and support each other as educators and peers.

Thank you for your continued dedication to making Freire Schools a place where all students, families, and staff can be themselves and work toward building a brighter and more peaceful future.

Additional Information on Equity at Freire Schools

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