Coaching for Equity

WHY YOU WANT TO ATTEND

Is your school or district a place where every child gets what they need every day? 

You want your school or organization to be an equitable place of learning, but you recognize that there are many obstacles to address. You see inequitable practices, you hear people expressing problematic beliefs, and you recognize the broader systemic challenges. Still, you are committed to taking action. You wonder: How to start? Where to start?

This workshop provides you with the essential knowledge to recognize educational inequities; with the language to name and describe those inequities; and with the skills to have the conversations to interrupt those inequities. Building off of Elena Aguilar’s best-selling book Coaching for Equity (2020), you’ll receive additional tools and resources to help you plan for and have conversations that result in behavior and belief change.

You’ll learn about and practice six kinds of coaching conversations that center equity, and you’ll see masterful demonstrations of these conversations. You’ll also grapple with the relationship between your own identity and the systems of oppression that permeate our schools, develop a vision for what equity would look like in your work, hone the skills to facilitate compassionate coaching conversations about identity, and strengthen your resolve to disrupt inequities in your communities. This workshop is a satisfying balance between building skill and knowledge and also attending to our need to build internal reserves and resilience when leading for equity.

This workshop is right for you if:

• You see disparities in student outcomes, but what is driving them isn’t clear
• You see things that seem inequitable, but you’re not sure how to talk about them and say why they’re wrong
• You feel called to take a stand, but you are unsure of exactly what to say or do
• You know what to say, but your emotions make it hard to speak up 
• You get pushback when you challenge inequitable practices and beliefs
• You want a simple and effective process to plan for equity-focused conversations
• You need to know how to address the elephant in the room while preserving relationships

Move beyond the book:
If you want to create equitable schools, you need to do more than just read a book. You need a community of like-minded leaders with whom you can have meaningful discussions; you need to see equity-focused conversations modeled; and you need guided practice in the skills to have equity-focused conversations. This is what you’ll get in this workshop. 

More than skill building:
This workshop provides you with an opportunity to connect with and learn from other leaders who are committed to equity. You’ll be energized by the connections you will make in a short period of time and the camaraderie you’ll build. You’ll leave this workshop feeling confident in your abilities to interrupt inequities and to create the kinds of communities in which children thrive, and in which you’ll thrive.  

New in 2023: 

Our previous Coaching for Equity 101 and Coaching for Equity Masterclass workshops have been reimagined into this one comprehensive and cohesive learning experience. You’ll build foundational knowledge and have ample opportunities for practice, as well as moments for self-reflection, in our most powerful workshop yet. 

hear from Elena

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• How to plan for an equity-focused conversation
• What to say to compassionately and directly interrupt inequities
• How to navigate your own emotions when coaching for equity  
• How to explore and shift inequitable beliefs in coaching conversations
• New ways to build your resilience while deepening your commitment to creating equitable schools
• Historical context for educational inequities 
• How to use data in coaching conversations

HOW YOU’LL SPEND YOUR TIME

• Self-Paced Prework [4 hours for Part 1, 6 hours for Part 2]
  • Your learning begins in advance of your workshop session and includes reading the Introduction and Chapters 1-4 in Coaching for Equity and engaging in a set of curated activities from The Art of Coaching Workbook. This foundational knowledge will set you up to maximize your workshop experience.  

The core workshop experience is split into two parts over the course of 4-6 weeks (depending on scheduling).

• Live Learning Part 1 [4 learning blocks, 8 hours total over two days]
  • Your workshop begins with a two-day experience during which you will come together with a Bright Morning facilitator in community to process your learning, explore your identity, build context about systems of oppression, and engage in small group discussions and coaching practice. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) participants will have the option of BIPOC affinity breakout groups. Each day has two learning blocks with an hour break in between. 
    
  • You’ll return to your context with an expanded understanding of educational inequities and with clear action steps to implement. You’ll also be able to engage in equity-centered conversations and begin applying the learning from Part 1. During this period between Part 1 and Part 2, you’ll be encouraged to note your learnings and the new areas for growth you become aware of so that you can refine those areas in Part 2. 

• Live Learning Part 2 [6 learning blocks, 12 hours total] 
  • Approximately 4-6 weeks later, you will reconvene with your Bright Morning facilitator and community of practitioners to take your learning to the next level. You’ll observe masterful demonstrations of coaching conversations focused on equity, learn strategies for having conversations about identity and beliefs, and analyze elements of effective coaching conversations. Of course, you’ll also engage in many practice conversations of your own and receive targeted feedback. This is where you will develop your ability to facilitate the necessary conversations to change inequitable systems and practices. By the conclusion of Part 2, you’ll be able to see how much growth you’ve made in coaching for equity. 
    
  • Part 2 of this learning experience is structured differently at different times of the year. This can be offered over the course of three days, one week, or two weeks. Refer to the course description for the individual offering, found on the Upcoming Events page, to learn more.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

• Anyone who seeks a non-judgmental learning space to acquire a deeper understanding of racism and educational equity
• Educators who see educational inequities but don’t know what to say or do, or who seek to refine what you say and do
• Teacher leaders, coaches, and administrators who want space to explore thoughts and feelings about equity, to anchor in a vision, and to boost your courage
• BIPOC educators who want the opportunity to be in BIPOC-affinity groups for breakout sessions

WHAT’S REQUIRED

Participants must have a copy of Coaching for Equity as well as a copy of The Art of Coaching Workbook. These books are needed for prework. They must be purchased prior to the start of the series and are not included in the registration fee.

The live engagement takes place on Zoom and requires Zoom (5.12.2 or higher)*  and a computer. If you have access needs or accommodation requests, please email support@brightmorningteam.com. We will do our best to meet accessibility needs. 

*Currently Zoom does not allow for auto-captioning in breakout rooms, which we frequently use in workshops. Please let us know if you require captioning in all spaces to access learning.

YOUR INVESTMENT

• Individual: $1,295
• Group of 6-29 paying together: $1,095
• Group of 30 or more: Contact us with the number of people

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW

All sessions will be recorded (except for breakouts) in the event you cannot make a session or if you would like to rewatch them at a later time. Participants have access to the content for 30 days after the learning experience.

What people say

I was hopeful this workshop would give me context, language, and tools for initiating and staying in conversations about equity, that I would walk away with some action-based next steps, and that I would better understand and be able to articulate my own experiences and emotions while making space for others’. It did ALL this and more!

Rachel F.

I have been transformed by my learning experiences in a short time. My confidence, knowledge, skill, and commitment to coaching for equity has increased exponentially. The ripple effect of how I show up to conversations has positively impacted many people around me including the people I coach, my family, and my friends.

Meghan B.

The time and space with BIPOC folx in learning space about race was so impactful. There is so much to say about how you all do that and what it honored. I am still deeply moved and in deep gratitude for it–and would love more opportunities to experience such learning in this way.

Darnese O.