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Healing Young People: Native Wellness Institute

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Healing Young People: Native Wellness Institute

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By Dr. Floyd Cobb and John Krownapple, IncludED Thought Leaders and co-authors, Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity: The Keys to Successful Equity Implementation

Racial inequality and injustice have captured the world's attention. However, that doesn't mean that schools (and other organizations) are going to change for the better.

Here's why, as well as what can help schools get it right this time.

The dynamics of COVID-19 have heightened awareness of the persistent inequities in schools and society. The constant presence of racial tension and conflict has dominated the summer months and brought the inequities into even greater focus.

In response, some school districts (like countless corporations) published statements to affirm the dignity of Black life. They issued proclamations to be the change so many of us want to see in the world. They promised to be better, especially for groups most vulnerable to the violence of anti-Blackness: Black people. Despite these gestures (regardless of how bold they might be), experience has taught us that most schools and districts seeking to "do something" are poised to fail (again) with equity implementation. Big time.

Why the doom and gloom? Especially when so many white teachers have become activated, ordered books about racism, and are no longer afraid to say that Black lives matter?

It's because everything so far is predictable.

We've studied this process. We've written about it and can see the next phase (after schools publicly commit themselves to equity, inclusion, and/or social justice). Lurking around the corner are the common and predictable problems with implementation that result in maintaining the status quo.

We've even given this predictable process a name: The Dysfunctional Cycle of Equity Work.

It's a common cycle that people have repeated for as long as organizations have been saying they're trying to get better for all social groups. This is especially true when the efforts emerge from a " ."

The dynamics are nothing new, despite the astonishing scale at which the events of this summer are occurring. In fact, the increased attention on inequity coupled with poorly implemented change efforts creates a high probability of disappointment at levels we've also never seen (unless schools do something remarkably differently).

You can learn more about the Dysfunctional Cycle in chapter 1 of our book, Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity. To support educators in this moment, our publisher is offering Chapter 1 as a complimentary download, in hopes of increasing awareness of the pitfalls that we've learned through years of experience. Our hope is that this knowledge will lead schools to make atypical choices that break the Dysfunctional Cycle.

We argue that the cycle has four primary phases. They follow this sequence: experiencing a catalyst, committing to equity, fumbling around with implementation, and upholding the inequitable status quo until the next catalyst occurs.

We define the catalyst as an event or incident that draws attention to social inequity. What typically follows are public, verbal and written promises to fight against and end injustice. (This is the moment in which we are living this summer.) From there, leaders fall back on predictable (and often narrow, additive, and shallow) strategies, which include:

Committees and task forces.

Trainings and workshops on diversity, anti-bias, or other buzzwords or trends.

Consultants who swoop in and then leave.

New diversity, equity, and inclusion "supervisor" positions that lack authority, budget, staff, and defined responsibilities.

When not part of a comprehensive approach guided by deep reflection and a vision of a transformed culture, such strategies become "problems with implementation." In the end, frustrations that surround these strategies uphold the inequitable status quo, which keeps the environment ripe for the next catalyst.

We know this to be true because it happens over and over again, regardless of geographic location. Champions of educational equity work see it and have seen it. Past iterations of the Dysfunctional Cycle have offered educators theories and approaches (e.g. multicultural education, culturally responsive teaching, restorative justice) to help them better understand and respond. Yet all too often, people reduce the approaches to superficial actions, gimmicks, performances, and -- at worst -- weapons.

What's missing is a deep understanding of the need for these theories and approaches in the first place.

In , we argue the existence of concepts foundational to equity theories and approaches. In general (schools and society), these concepts are absent, unacknowledged, or misunderstood (represented by the very cries for justice emerging from the racial tension and conflict that dominate American life). These concepts are belonging and dignity.

Within our work, we've drawn from scholars such as john a. powell and Donna Hicks. According to powell, belonging means being fully human - the opposite of othering (dehumanization). As Hicks teaches us, dignity (what we believe leads to belonging) is our innate human worth and value. For each of us, dignity is vulnerable, however, the frequency and degree to which each of us must endure that vulnerability has much to do with our social identities and context.

Taken together, these concepts - belonging and dignity - explain the pervasiveness of educational inequality in American public education (and beyond). They also provide a vision of justice toward which we can work and, thus, break the Dysfunctional Cycle once and for all.

While neither of us could have predicted this precise moment in which we are now living when we wrote this book, we feel that it is a vital resource for understanding our current reality and forging a path forward.

Collectively, we have yet to recognize the inherent dignity of Black life. We have yet to affirm the right for Black Americans to assert that they belong here. As a result, we have experienced anti-Black police violence, vigilante behavior, false reporting, and continuous uprisings.

This anti-Blackness is present within the way we do schooling. Book studies alone cannot solve the problem. Forging a path forward requires sustained effort, and that path must be paved with dignity and belonging (as evidenced in practices and ensured by policies). Our schools need to center these concepts within a comprehensive approach to organizational change.

After all, saying "Black lives matter" is actually the easy part. Changing policies and practices to make that phrase a reality is the hard work. Regardless of its difficulty, this is the work we must do. Our students - especially those most vulnerable and marginalized - and our society as a whole deserve nothing less.

Let's get it right this time.

Floyd Cobb and John Krownapple's friendship and professional relationship started in December 2008 at the annual conference of the National Staff Development Council (NSDC), now Learning Forward. As two individuals who have been tapped as "equity leaders" in their individual professional contexts, they have come to observe some very familiar patterns despite the fact that they've led this work in different regions of the country. In this book, they'd like to share these patterns but more importantly, their vision of how to make the noble and humanitarian undertaking of equity implementation more effective.

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How to Avoid the Biggest Equity Failure Ever

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By Dr. Floyd Cobb and John Krownapple, IncludED Thought Leaders and co-authors, Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity : The Keys to Successful Equity Implementation The dynamics of COVID-19 have heightened awareness of the persistent inequities in schools and society.

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By John Krownapple

We might not want to admit it, name it or claim it, but if we look around honestly, we can see that many educational equity initiatives are failing.

Sure, some have resulted in positive changes, but taken as a whole, "equity" remains more of an aspirational platitude than a reality. All too often, the fairness and quality of a student's experience in school is still predictable by demographic categories and identity groupings.

The problem isn't theories such as cultural responsiveness or restorative justice. The problem definitely isn't "equity" in and of itself. (After all, abandoning equity would be like saying, "Maybe fairness isn't the direction we should go after all.") The problem is clearly one of implementation.

Mistakes and challenges with equity implementation abound. For instance, shows that focusing professional development on diversity or relying exclusively on anti-bias trainings don't in sustainable change for the better. In fact, many initiatives have had the opposite : further inequity, hardened attitudes against equity, disappointed expectations, damaged relational trust among adults, and even a backlash toward colleagues with marginalized identities.

Nevertheless, all of these initiatives were designed with the goal of equity. What's gone wrong? This cake we've tried to bake -- did we use the wrong recipe? Did we leave out some essential ingredients? Leave it in the oven too long? Not long enough? What do we need to make this right?

Dr. Floyd Cobb and I have described a predictable pattern of failure in our , Belonging through a Culture of Dignity: The Keys to Successful Equity Implementation. We call this phenomenon the Dysfunctional Cycle of Equity Work. From studying this cycle, we can uniquivacably say this: most equity implementation lacks the key ingredients: inclusion, dignity, and belonging. The most vital of these is belonging.

But instead of inspiring a vision of a culture and climate of belonging, common equity implementation results in trying strategies and techniques within the existing school and classroom culture.

Brilliant approaches such as culturally relevant pedagogy and restorative justice become reduced to "just good teaching" or episodic relational activities/events, such as periodic community circles. Ultimately, techniques and strategies alone do not bring about sustainable change due to the fact that the prevailing environment remains less than inclusive. It lacks the requisite conditions: a culture of dignity and a climate of belonging.

Instead of belonging, equity initiatives remain focused on the concept of access (e.g., resources, advanced programming, highly-qualified teachers). While absolutely necessary, access alone won't get us to our goal.

As john a. powell of UC Berkeley puts it, "Belonging, or being fully human, means more than having access. Belonging entails being respected at a basic level that includes the right to both co-create and make demands on society." To bring about educational equity, every student must experience .

Why is belonging essential? Decades of shows that belonging leads to engagement, which leads to performance and achievement. So, beneath any so-called achievement gap is a gap in belonging. That gap can be a chasm, a dangerous one. When belonging is missing or uncertain for people, their self-efficacy takes a hit; they are susceptible to myriad perils.

One of the most well-known perils is the , a affecting students from stigmatized identity groups who underperform due to the pressure of possibly confirming negative stereotypes.

Additionally, belonging uncertainty yields results that are unhealthy to people, community, and democracy: anxiety, dropping out, conformity, exhaustion, negativity, emotional numbing, self-segregation, lowered life expectancy, and gangs, cults, and radicalization.

Belonging is also essential for adults in the workplace. One found that employees with a sense of belonging take 75% fewer sick days, have a 50% lower rate of turnover, and have 56% better job performance than employees who feel excluded.

How can we help our students and colleagues feel like they belong? There is sound research on the subject, pointing to specific belonging interventions and programs.

Although these strategies are effective, we can't fall into the trap of relying on techniques alone. We must also address the culture. The truth of the matter is, the sole reason these strategies work is because they honor dignity. Thus, if we learn to honor dignity (the human worth and value of every person) and center it in everything we do, we can create and maintain a culture of dignity. In doing so, we will foster belonging through each and every policy, practice, and behavior.

In Belonging through a Culture of Dignity, we offer this Dignity Framework for Educational Equity to help our fellow educators do just that. With the vital ingredients of dignity and belonging, we have a recipe for success. That's why we wrote this book: to offer research, language, and concepts to help us move forward in making educational equity our reality.

How could a focus on belonging ease challenges of implementing real equity work in your school?

Bezrukova, K., Jehn, K. A., & Spell, C. S. (2012). Reviewing diversity training: Where we have been and where we should go. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 11(2), 207-227.

Cobb, F., & Krownapple, J. (2019). Belonging through a culture of dignity: The keys to successful equity implementation. San Diego, CA: Mimi & Todd Press.

Cohen, E. G., & Lotan, R. A. (2014). Designing groupwork: Strategies for the heterogeneous classroom (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Cook, C. R., Fiat, A., Larson, M., Daikos, C., Slemrod, T., Holland, E. A., & Renshaw, T. (2018). Positive greetings at the door: Evaluation of a low-cost, high-yield proactive classroom management strategy. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 20(3), 149-159.

Dobbin, F., & Kalev, A. (2017). Are diversity programs merely ceremonial? Evidence-free institutionalization. In R. Greenwood, C. Oliver, T. B. Lawrence, & R. E. Meyer (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of organizational institutionalism (pp. 808-828). London, England: Sage.

Fraser-Thill, R. (2019, September 9). Belonging at work is essential--Here are 4 ways to foster it. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccafraserthill/2019/09/16/belonging-at-work/#373a5ce14ab8

Harter, J. (2018, August 26). Employee engagement on the rise in the U.S. Gallup. Retrieved from https://news.gallup.com/poll/241649/employee-engagement-rise.aspx

Hicks, D. (2018). Leading with dignity: How to create a culture that brings out the best in people. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Ladson‐Billings, G. (1995). But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory Into Practice, 34(3), 159-165.

powell, j., & Menendian, S. (2016). The problem with othering: Towards inclusiveness and belonging. Othering and Belonging, 1(1), 14-39.

Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 797-811.

Todd, A. R., & Simpson, A. J. (2017). Perspective taking and member-to-group generalization of implicit racial attitudes: e role of target prototypicality. European Journal of Social Psychology, 47, 105-112.

Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2007). A question of belonging: race, social fit, and achievement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(1), 82.

Walton, G. M., Logel, C., Peach, J. M., Spencer, S. J., & Zanna, M. P. (2015). Two brief interventions to mitigate a "chilly climate" transform women's experience, relation- ships, and achievement in engineering. Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(2), 468-485.

By John Krownapple

We might not want to admit it, name it or claim it, but if we look around honestly, we can see that many educational equity initiatives are failing.

Sure, some have resulted in positive changes, but taken as a whole, "equity" remains more of an aspirational platitude than a reality. All too often, the fairness and quality of a student's experience in school is still predictable by demographic categories and identity groupings.

The problem isn't theories such as cultural responsiveness or restorative justice. The problem definitely isn't "equity" in and of itself. (After all, abandoning equity would be like saying, "Maybe fairness isn't the direction we should go after all.") The problem is clearly one of implementation.

Mistakes and challenges with equity implementation abound. For instance, shows that focusing professional development on diversity or relying exclusively on anti-bias trainings don't in sustainable change for the better. In fact, many initiatives have had the opposite : further inequity, hardened attitudes against equity, disappointed expectations, damaged relational trust among adults, and even a backlash toward colleagues with marginalized identities.

Nevertheless, all of these initiatives were designed with the goal of equity. What's gone wrong? This cake we've tried to bake -- did we use the wrong recipe? Did we leave out some essential ingredients? Leave it in the oven too long? Not long enough? What do we need to make this right?

Dr. Floyd Cobb and I have described a predictable pattern of failure in our , Belonging through a Culture of Dignity: The Keys to Successful Equity Implementation. We call this phenomenon the Dysfunctional Cycle of Equity Work. From studying this cycle, we can uniquivacably say this: most equity implementation lacks the key ingredients: inclusion, dignity, and belonging. The most vital of these is belonging.

But instead of inspiring a vision of a culture and climate of belonging, common equity implementation results in trying strategies and techniques within the existing school and classroom culture.

Brilliant approaches such as culturally relevant pedagogy and restorative justice become reduced to "just good teaching" or episodic relational activities/events, such as periodic community circles. Ultimately, techniques and strategies alone do not bring about sustainable change due to the fact that the prevailing environment remains less than inclusive. It lacks the requisite conditions: a culture of dignity and a climate of belonging.

Instead of belonging, equity initiatives remain focused on the concept of access (e.g., resources, advanced programming, highly-qualified teachers). While absolutely necessary, access alone won't get us to our goal.

As john a. powell of UC Berkeley puts it, "Belonging, or being fully human, means more than having access. Belonging entails being respected at a basic level that includes the right to both co-create and make demands on society." To bring about educational equity, every student must experience .

Why is belonging essential? Decades of shows that belonging leads to engagement, which leads to performance and achievement. So, beneath any so-called achievement gap is a gap in belonging. That gap can be a chasm, a dangerous one. When belonging is missing or uncertain for people, their self-efficacy takes a hit; they are susceptible to myriad perils.

One of the most well-known perils is the , a affecting students from stigmatized identity groups who underperform due to the pressure of possibly confirming negative stereotypes.

Additionally, belonging uncertainty yields results that are unhealthy to people, community, and democracy: anxiety, dropping out, conformity, exhaustion, negativity, emotional numbing, self-segregation, lowered life expectancy, and gangs, cults, and radicalization.

Belonging is also essential for adults in the workplace. One found that employees with a sense of belonging take 75% fewer sick days, have a 50% lower rate of turnover, and have 56% better job performance than employees who feel excluded.

How can we help our students and colleagues feel like they belong? There is sound research on the subject, pointing to specific belonging interventions and programs.

Although these strategies are effective, we can't fall into the trap of relying on techniques alone. We must also address the culture. The truth of the matter is, the sole reason these strategies work is because they honor dignity. Thus, if we learn to honor dignity (the human worth and value of every person) and center it in everything we do, we can create and maintain a culture of dignity. In doing so, we will foster belonging through each and every policy, practice, and behavior.

In Belonging through a Culture of Dignity, we offer this Dignity Framework for Educational Equity to help our fellow educators do just that. With the vital ingredients of dignity and belonging, we have a recipe for success. That's why we wrote this book: to offer research, language, and concepts to help us move forward in making educational equity our reality.

How could a focus on belonging ease challenges of implementing real equity work in your school?

Bezrukova, K., Jehn, K. A., & Spell, C. S. (2012). Reviewing diversity training: Where we have been and where we should go. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 11(2), 207-227.

Cobb, F., & Krownapple, J. (2019). Belonging through a culture of dignity: The keys to successful equity implementation. San Diego, CA: Mimi & Todd Press.

Cohen, E. G., & Lotan, R. A. (2014). Designing groupwork: Strategies for the heterogeneous classroom (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Cook, C. R., Fiat, A., Larson, M., Daikos, C., Slemrod, T., Holland, E. A., & Renshaw, T. (2018). Positive greetings at the door: Evaluation of a low-cost, high-yield proactive classroom management strategy. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 20(3), 149-159.

Dobbin, F., & Kalev, A. (2017). Are diversity programs merely ceremonial? Evidence-free institutionalization. In R. Greenwood, C. Oliver, T. B. Lawrence, & R. E. Meyer (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of organizational institutionalism (pp. 808-828). London, England: Sage.

Fraser-Thill, R. (2019, September 9). Belonging at work is essential--Here are 4 ways to foster it. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccafraserthill/2019/09/16/belonging-at-work/#373a5ce14ab8

Harter, J. (2018, August 26). Employee engagement on the rise in the U.S. Gallup. Retrieved from https://news.gallup.com/poll/241649/employee-engagement-rise.aspx

Hicks, D. (2018). Leading with dignity: How to create a culture that brings out the best in people. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Ladson‐Billings, G. (1995). But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory Into Practice, 34(3), 159-165.

powell, j., & Menendian, S. (2016). The problem with othering: Towards inclusiveness and belonging. Othering and Belonging, 1(1), 14-39.

Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 797-811.

Todd, A. R., & Simpson, A. J. (2017). Perspective taking and member-to-group generalization of implicit racial attitudes: e role of target prototypicality. European Journal of Social Psychology, 47, 105-112.

Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2007). A question of belonging: race, social fit, and achievement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(1), 82.

Walton, G. M., Logel, C., Peach, J. M., Spencer, S. J., & Zanna, M. P. (2015). Two brief interventions to mitigate a "chilly climate" transform women's experience, relation- ships, and achievement in engineering. Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(2), 468-485.

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Belonging: the Missing Equity Ingredient

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By John Krownapple We might not want to admit it, name it or claim it, but if we look around honestly, we can see that many educational equity initiatives are failing. Sure, some have resulted in positive changes, but taken as a whole, "equity" remains more of an aspirational platitude than a reality.

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Belonging: Beyond Access by John Krownapple

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Belonging: Beyond Access by John Krownapple

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Fania Davis is a leading national voice on restorative justice, a quickly emerging field which invites a fundamental shift in the way we think about and do justice. Restorative Justice is based on a desired set of principles and practices to mediate conflict, strengthen community and repair harm.

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RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IN SCHOOLS BY RESOLVE 8/19/20

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RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IN SCHOOLS BY RESOLVE 8/19/20

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Offender Focused
Offender feels victimized
Does not address the root cause of behavior
Tanya Davis
Perpetuates the cycle of harm
Is not Trauma Informed
Often unrelated to the offense
Perpetuates the Criminal Justice System
Causes Shame and Stigmatization
"School to Prison Pipeline"

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Punishment: The Deliberate Infliction of Pain 

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Punishment: The Deliberate Infliction of Pain 

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Native non-profit organization - The Native Wellness Institute exists to promote the well-being of Native people through programs and trainings that embrace the teachings and traditions of our ancestors.

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Mapping

We strive to map Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages across the world in a way that goes beyond colonial ways of thinking in order to better represent how Indigenous people want to see themselves.

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Native Land is a resource to learn more about Indigenous territories, languages, lands, and ways of life. We welcome you to our site.