Racial Harm Workshop:

Before the Harm

A deeper dive into the Racial Harm Protocol areas of impact.

After the initial Racial Harm Workshop in March 2021 when over 30 districts and charter schools came together to address race and bias harm in our schools, we knew we were on to something. We also realized that at some point we would need to dig deep into each of the areas of impact. In addition to calling forth large collaborative groups we spent the last two years working closely with individual districts to integrate the racial harm protocol and support their efforts to tailor the work specific to their district needs.

But let’s be clear, racial and bias harm can only be found in school cultures that perpetuate the harm because of no preventative action or no understanding of why.

  • What is hidden from our view?

  • How can we prevent harm by building a culture of do no harm?

  • What skills do we need?

  • And how can we work together to develop the skills and support each other as we dig even deeper to improve school communities that see and celebrate the human in all of us?

  • How do we provide this sense of belonging?

  • What practical tools do we need and how do we build the container to have the hard but necessary conversations?

Our intention for December 13th and 14th is to lean in as a collective and deepen our understanding around each area of impact; before the harm (culture and climate), restorative practices and investigation practices. We will also continue to learn procedural skills like documenting harm correctly, data privacy breaches and prevention, building g-waves to move to action quickly, developing youth voice models for change and understanding the youth voice that was gathered during the 2023 all state student conference focused on race and bias in school athletics and events.

During the conference you will LEARN, EXPERIENCE, be able to immediately APPLY skills and DISCOVER the strengths and areas of opportunity to build capacity in the following impact areas:

Day 1: 8am-3pm

  • The Culture and Climate of your school is essential to creating an environment where all students can thrive. School climate refers to the overall atmosphere, environment, and quality of life within a school that is consistently visible on a daily basis. This includes a variety of ways the day to day operational aspects of the school. It also includes the social, emotional, and physical aspects of a student's day to day experience. Perceptions and attitudes of students, staff, and parents. School climate is static and can change immediately with an event that occurs inside the school or in the community.

    Remember, our students bring their lived experience with them in their backpack everyday.

    School culture is the collection of values, beliefs, norms, and traditions that shape the way a school operates and influences the behavior of its members. This includes the shared expectations and attitudes of teachers, administrators, students, and parents, as well as the rituals and practices that define the school’s identity. Do I belong? Am I respected for the gifts that I bring and the way in which I see the world? How does this show up for me?

    In this session we will learn to start connecting the dots around climate and culture.

  • When practiced and applied correctly, restorative practices impact and improve the climate and culture of a school and will shorten the negative impact a harmful event can have on a school. The more capacity we build and support our school staff with, including culturally responsiveness, the more we will build trust and loving accountability that directly impacts the culture. When we increase participation, voice and positive behavior throughout the school setting we positively impact culture and climate. In this session you will learn the foundational principles of restorative practices.

  • During the 2022 summer and 2023 school year, we participated in a comprehensive opportunity with the MSHSL, to gather the voice of our students around racism and bias in school athletics and activities. The report and recommendations provided to the MSHSL after the January 2023 all state student voice conference laid out three very specific recommendations for educators that students felt would contribute to a better sporting event and/or school climate. This session will focus on the recommendations and reveal to us how students want to be seen, heard, and valued. What are their expectations for administration and teachers? How do they want it to be addressed? The recommendations when collectively discussed may lead to incredible opportunities to address culture, climate and a sense of belonging for all students in your district. How amazing!

Day 2: 8am-3pm

  • Understanding your Why, What, When, Where and How are necessary to address harm effectively, efficiently and resolve a conflict or event with minimal interruption. We will teach and practice every step in the investigation process, including Title IX, that will build skills and confidence for those who are responsible to respond to racially charged incidents or biased behavior. This all day intensive will help you to ensure that investigations are compliant with policy, restorative and thorough. This is hands on.

  • One of the many roles of administration is to ensure appropriate documentation and ensure both confidentiality and data privacy. However, policy can compete with the law in many areas especially when we are conducting investigations. This session will be woven into our investigation intensive so that everyone who is responsible for handling investigations, interviews and case management will understand how to correctly align your process with your policies and the law.

  • During this session we will be using the Insights Discovery™ tool to help design and implement a goal and/or capture voice and move to action quickly. This tool focuses on the Why, Action, Visualization and Engagement to ensure there is a comprehensive pathway from the start of any goal to the actual integration and success of a goal.

Workshop Facilitators:

  • Paula Forbes

  • Robin Francis

  • Nell Mathews

  • Mandy Hill

  • Guest speakers

  • Superintendents

  • Assistant Superintendents

  • District Leadership

  • Building Leadership

  • Equity Directors and Coordinators

  • Teachers

  • Board Members

This workshop is for:

December 13-14, 2023

8am-3pm each day

Saint Paul, MN

Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s Racial Harm Workshop.