You Are Seen and Supported
By now, you have learned about the recent shootings in Atlanta that resulted in the murders of eight people, six of whom were Asian women. Though anti-Asian violence has always been present in our society, it has increased over the last year during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ASPDP Team stand against all types of hate and violence, including anti-Asian and misogynistic violence, and stands with all our educators who are members of the Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.
This week officially marks one full year since the pandemic has reset our lives; while the work of anti-racism, equity and inclusion, and the need for culturally responsive-sustaining pedagogy and practices has always been crucial, it is even now more IMPERATIVE. We don’t need to see or hear of the deaths of any more members of marginalized groups to emphasize the importance of this work, especially at the level of professional development for K-12 educators. This work is not simply for our students; it is for US. This work must show up in our daily conversations in addition to our classrooms. None of us will be free until we are all free and able to enjoy that freedom.
Here is what members of the Office of Teacher Development (of which ASPDP is a part) are committing to:
- Getting proximate to and holding space with colleagues within the AAPI community to honor their stories, process such events, and follow their call to action
- Examining the dynamics that contribute to racial discrimination and violence in ourselves, our office, and society
- Sharing resources and creating space to learn more about and unpack the varied experiences of different people within the BIPOC community
- Developing professional learning that cultivates critically conscious thinking and decision-making for educational stakeholders within our sphere of influence
- Self Evident: Asian American’s Stories is a podcast that aims to challenge assumptions about Asian Americans
- Learn about and disrupt the model minority myth and understand how it is a tool of white supremacy: https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/what-is-the-model-minority-myth
- Build our knowledge of the state of violence against AAPI people: https://secureservercdn.net/104.238.69.231/a1w.90d.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/210312-Stop-AAPI-Hate-National-Report-.pdf
- Participate in Bystander Intervention Training to stop anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment
- PBS’ Asian Americans is a five-part documentary series on the history of Asians in America
- #AsianAmCovidStories is a YouTube documentary series exploring Asian Americans’ experiences and challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Standing in Solidarity – A Processing Conversation: a podcast to support you in engaging in personal reflection and source ideas for engaging and stand with members of the AAPI community at this time
- How to Manage When Things Are Not Okay: an article for leaders (we are all leaders in some way) with key questions to reflect on, discuss, and take action
THIS is the work. We look forward to deepening our critical awareness and taking critical action alongside you.