1. 1. Concept Stabilization
1.1. Classrooms, schools, and districts must first define social justice.
1.2. If a commitment to social justice cannot be explicitly named, then there is no real commitment to being socially just.
2. 5. Taking Action
2.1. Just because folks say that they believe in or are passionate about social justice does not mean that they know what it is or what to do about it. The disconnect between outward social justice beliefs and inward racist and/or deficit-based thinking is a reality that must be addressed through consistent action.
2.2. For the sake of being a human being with the courage and confidence to embrace and not run from the messy space of being authentic about your humanity, imperfection, mistakes, assumptions, and your very imperfect journey.
3. 2. Concept Calibration
3.1. All members of the community must agree on what a socially just education looks like.
3.2. Providing an opportunity for stakeholders to be made aware of the definition as well as to develop a shared understanding of the common definition and what it looks like in practice.
3.3. When teachers are trauma-informed, they can play a major role in improving educational outcomes for the more than 25% of students who encounter physically, sexually, or emotionally abusive experiences that are perceived as traumatizing.
4. 3. Identity Development
4.1. Teachers must explore and acknowledge the barriers that may get in the way of creating an environment that is culturally responsive and socially just, including the presence of implicit bias.
4.2. While student diversity has continued to increase, teacher diversity has not. Some 52% of students are non-white, but some 85% of teachers are white (Kena, et al., 2016)
5. 4. Equity Audits
5.1. Objectively examine what the data says about the experience of marginalized groups in your classroom:
5.1.1. 1. Are all teachers involved in curriculum development to meet standards?
5.1.2. 2. Are all students held to the same standards?
5.1.3. 3. Are the policy and instructional modifications put in place when students are unable to meet the standards?
5.1.4. 4. Does the curriculum utilize print and non-print materials that represent diverse groups?
5.1.5. 5. Do recommended textbooks and other instructional materials reflect, as much as possible, the experiences and perspectives of diversity among racial, ethnic, religious, and gender groups?
5.1.6. 6. Are the teachers' classroom activities and examples multicultural according to race, ethnicity, language, gender, and disability?
5.1.7. 7. Does the teacher use classroom lessons to increase awareness and counter the past effects of bias and discrimination?
5.1.8. 8. Do the curricula infuse culturally responsive information into instructional approaches and prepare students for a diverse society and workplace?
5.1.9. 9. Are people with disabilities shown in the curriculum actively interacting with people both with and without disabilities?
5.1.10. 10. Is language used that does not stereotype people or groups?