Preparing for DEI Consulting

We appreciate your courageous consciousness and commitment to equity and culturally responsive work. Here are some questions and activities to engage in as you prepare for the work:

Questions

Please think about these questions as you determine next steps:

• Are you ready for Organizational or District or School-based Scrutiny?
• Do you have an already established infrastructure that equity can anchor in?
• Have you begun to speak equity language and the commitment to equity?
• Do you desire to put in the hard work or seek to check off the equity box?
• Will you be prepared for the pushback that often occurs?
• Who do you need to schedule individual meetings with in order to make sure there is an overall commitment to the process?

Activities

• Apologize for not recognizing the importance of the work sooner individually or to a collective (if applicable)
• Begin framing discussions anchored in disproportional spaces, what should be occurring, and what your concerns are
• Locate other “equity warriors” in your current space
• Begin to read and develop your own knowledge (see the resource page)
• Start to craft an equity statement which identifies your “why” for wanting to engage in the work (see sample leadership statements on the resource page)
• Start the process of scrutinizing data in multiple ways thinking through the bias and inconsistencies in previous scrutiny
• Start to identify your areas for growth
• Ask: Who has not been at the table, who is not recognized, who is vulnerable, and who is marginalized?

And Finally: Who is in your Equity Car?

Dr. Sampson has often spoken about equity warriors who are already ready for the work, those who are not ready, and those who are conflicted. In looking at the visual below and descriptors for each area, think about who is already in the equity car. Of course, we want everyone to be committed to the work; however, you will have those who are conflicted or will refuse to move forward. Let’s talk about who is in your equity car to determine the numbers of individuals in your District, School, or Organization that support or hinder the equity trajectory.

The Equity C.A.R.:

• Committed: Already Committed and Ready
• Accountable: Not “unless I am forced to and it benefits me”
• Reflective: I am thoughtfully trying to understand