We recognize that exceptional ability knows no boundaries, yet that inequitable access to resources may prevent gifted students who are disadvantaged from reaching their potential. Providing adequate and appropriate resources, and identifying and meeting the needs of all our students is central to our mission.
Welcome
Maintaining a diverse community across dimensions is a priority, and we believe that justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) are essential aspects of providing an optimal education for our gifted students. Our school utilizes research-based curriculum and pedagogical strategies to integrate these tenets into the foundation of the programming of our school. Through culturally responsive instruction and ongoing opportunities for interaction with diverse peers, both within school and the broader community, a Grayson education will promote the citizenship, development, social awareness, complexity of thinking, and communication skills essential for our students to thrive in an increasingly multicultural nation and global economy.
For more information, please read our non-discrimination policy and process.
JEDI IN ACTION
Upcoming Virtual Sessions with Dr. Frank C. Worrell
We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Frank C. Worrell on November 5, 2020. Dr. Worrell is a Professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, where he serves as Director of the School Psychology program, Faculty Director of the Academic Talent Development Program, and Faculty Director of the California College Preparatory Academy. We are very proud to also have him as a member of our Grayson Research Advisory Board.
Identifying Potential in Culturally Diverse Students 12:00 p.m.
Who should attend: testing psychologists, pediatricians, school counselors, and educators.
While giftedness spans all socioeconomic and cultural groups, many students remain unidentified and underserved in gifted programs. Join Dr. Worrell to learn the factors that lead to many high potential students of color and other underserved populations to be missing in gifted programs: the achievement gap, opportunity gap, and excellence gap. His insight and research on cultural identities offers awareness and action for psychologists, pediatricians, school counselors, educators and school administrators.
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Intersectionality, Giftedness, and Cultural Identity 6:30 p.m.
Who should attend: parents of gifted students and educators interested in building cultural competence and partnership between parents and schools.
Increasing parity and equity in gifted programs requires understanding and collaboration that comes when we look through the lens of others. Dr. Worrell’s insights and research on cultural identities offer parents and educators a path to increase understanding and collaboration in an environment that provides the rigorous and challenging coursework and social and emotional supports that gifted children need.
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In the Community and Classroom
Resources
Affirming Black Lives is a featured resource from Albert Academy that provides over 150 racial justice resources. This curated list of books, videos, articles and more is sectioned for Teachers and School Administrators, Creating Curriculum, and Students and Families. Click here to bookmark this ever growing list of references on Google Drive so you can always access the most current list.
Below are a few more resources that we have found valuable in our work, and we will continue to add more.
- Chana Joffe-Walt shares a reading list that was helpful to her in understanding what she saw and learned over the course of her reporting Nice White Parents, a new podcast from Serial Productions.
- Dr. Jennifer Harvey is an award winning author, educator and public speaker. Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America is her most recent book, and Dr. Harvey offers and online course on raising anti-racist white kids. Read NPR’s Michel Martin’s interview with Dr. Harvey on talking about race.
- This 20 minute audio provides tips for Talking Race With Young Children as well as links to more resources.
- EmbraceRace has ten tips for parents of all backgrounds to teach and talk to their children about race.
- The Conscious Kid is dedicated to equity, disrupting racism, and promoting positive racial identity development in youth and has curated a list of books to help build inclusive classrooms. Created with support from Google for Education, books range from Pre-K through grade 12 and most have supporting materials. You will also find recommended helpful guidelines and questions to use when selecting inclusive and identity-affirming content.
- Download this Guide to Racial and Restorative Justice from the Abolitionist Teaching Network.
- Critical consciousness: A key to student achievement is a research-based case study from Phi Delta Kappan.
- Edutopia has published a few articles worth reading on Reflections on Becoming More Culturally Responsive and A Guide to Equity and Antiracism for Educators.
- Cult of Pedagogy has a great podcast and blog for teachers, with searchable articles by topic area. This post on Why White Students Need Multicultural and Social Justice Education and their podcast transcript on How Teachers Can Support Students of Color are recommended.
- Visit Teaching Tolerance for a wide range of resources, or download Teaching as Activism, Teaching as Care.
- Tools and examples from Teaching Channel can support educators and schools in Taking on Culturally Relevant Real-World Learning.
- Black Lives Matter in Gifted Programs from the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)
- Growing Up Gifted and Generation Z: Vision for Equity from NAGC
- It’s A Social Justice Issue by Joy Lawson Davis in NAGC’s Teaching for High Potential, August 2019
JEDI Committee
After five years of growth and development as a school, our Head of School and Grayson Board of Trustees decided to create a new subcommittee of the board’s existing diversity committee. The newly constituted JEDI committee includes board members, faculty, staff, and parents. This committee is charged with expanding existing JEDI related initiatives within the school and proposing new policies, structures, and programs to help cultivate an inclusive learning environment where all students will thrive. The JEDI committee will spend the 2020-21 academic year developing a long range diversity plan in consultation with the board, faculty, staff, parents, and students. The founding members of the JEDI sub committee are:
Joseph Sun, Board Member, Chair
Melissa Bilash, Head of School
Tiffani Hurst, Board Member
Liad Pernock, Board Member and Parent
Liz Braun, Director of Development and Community Partnerships
Lindsay Andreas, Social Studies Teacher
Jorge Muñoz, Spanish Teacher
JEDI Discussion Group
In the summer of 2020 the JEDI committee launched a monthly discussion group for faculty and board members to discuss issues related to race and racism particularly within the context of education. Discussions are focused on the areas of critical literacy, gifted education, community, connection, and direct action. The group’s goals are:
- Develop a practice of anti-racism in the context of our school and our lives.
- Empower participants to build a strong community of reflection and action, and
- Grow a strong coalition of educators dedicated to creating a more just, equitable, diverse and inclusive school community and world.
This group will also provide a collaborative space for faculty to incorporate JEDI principles in their curriculum and pedagogy.
All Grayson Board members, faculty, and staff are welcome to join the JEDI group at any time.