Growing Into Equity

Nancy Gerzon has been supporting school districts to improve learning outcomes for two decades. As a senior research associate for Learning Innovations at WestEd, Nancy provides technical assistance, professional development, and administrative coaching to support school improvement and reform in New England and New York. Nancy's work is guided by an enduring interest in how educational systems support individual student and adult learning. She is passionate abotu helping schools and districts create systemic supports for teacher learning, effective teaming practices, helpful team facilitation, and supportive learning structures. Nancy has a bachelor of arts in psychology from Stony Brook University and a master of arts in human resources from Rivier College.

Foreword Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors 1. The Case for Professional Learning to Support Equity and Personalization Part I. Learning in Action: Four School Communities 2. Know Them by Name, Know Them by Need: Stults Road Elementary School (PreK-6), Dallas, Texas 3. Students First: Social Justice Humanitas Academy (Grades 9-12), Los Angeles, California 4. The Variables Are Time and Support: Montgomery Center School (PreK-8), Montgomery Center, Vermont 5. Heat and Light: Tusculum View Elementary School (PreK-5), Greeneville, Tennessee Part II. Professional Learning to Advance Equity: Findings and Practices 6. Equity and Supporting Core Values 7. Personalized Adult and Student Learning 8. Leadership and Systems 9. Call to Action Description of Online Resources Methodology Appendices Bibliography Index

"Who says that schools can't personalize learning, improve achievement, and provide an equitable and high-quality education for all students? As monumental as these goals may seem, they are possible. By highlighting four schools that do these things well, Sonia Caus Gleason and Nancy Gerzon provide a valuable lesson about personalized and equitable schooling and, in the process, remind us what public education should be about." -- Sonia Nieto, Professor Emerita, Language, Literacy, and Culture "Gleason and Gerzon focus their lens on four 'regular' schools that are paying attention to the whole child and getting results. In these school communities, professional learning for educators produces personalized learning for students. Growing Into Equity offers readers wonderful insights into the structures and strategies, time and talents it takes to make that happen." -- Randi Weingarten, President "Equity is not an afterthought to high achievement. Gleason and Gerzon's new book on outstanding equity-driven practice in four very different schools, shows that if you want to raise the bar, you have to start by narrowing the gap. From Tennessee to Vermont, from Dallas to LA, this attractively written, morally uplifting and deeply practical book shows how extraordinary schools address and achieve social justice by making learning personal and engaging for every student, and by ensuring that professional learning is stimulating and practical for every teacher." -- Andy Hargreaves, Thomas More Brennan Chair in Education "Growing into Equity is a timely and important new book which provides compelling evidence of how teachers, principals, school district leaders, and policy makers can create and embrace equity in school districts, schools, and classrooms to ensure that all students are learning and achieving." -- Thomas Payzant, Retired Superintendent "Excellence and equity in public school classrooms don't happen by accident. In this book Sonia Gleason and Nancy Gerzon use detailed examples to show how sensitive, thoughtful and courageous leaders build school communities that favor every learner, including not only every child, but also every adult." -- Ronald F. Ferguson, Faculty Director of the Achievement Gap Initiative "Growing into Equity is both instructive and inspiring. Gleason and Gerzon emphasize the importance of professional learning, collaboration, shared leadership and a strong sense of collective accountability that envisions every student achieving his/her potential through personalized instruction. Should be required reading for anyone interested in transforming schools." -- Dennis Van Roekel, President "In Growing into Equity: Personalized Learning for Teachers and Their Students, Gleason and Gerzon provide rich examples of school-based practices that optimize professional learning and provide students with personalized learning opportunities. The detailed, insightful case studies illustrate what a visible commitment to equity looks like in high-performing schools." -- Bob Wise, President "Growing into Equity dispels the notion of the principal or teacher as hero. It takes a team of people to raise achievement. It takes clarity of mission and vision. We are never 'there' but always getting better-- asking better questions so we CAN get better..." -- Linda Nathan, Executive Director "The authors delve into four schools located in California, Tennessee, Texas, and Vermont revealing how personalized learning promotes equity. Their discoveries provide an encouraging roadmap for K-12 educators in urban, suburban, or rural settings who wish to promote 'favoritism' for each student. The core belief that 'every child has a complex and compelling story as a person and as a learner' drives the need to personalize learning and the how-to is well documented in this break through work that provides hope The American Dream may still be realized through public education." -- Kathleen Sciarrapa, Educational Consultant, Mentor, Trainer, and Coach for Principals and Aspiring Leaders "Growing into Equity provides an essential understanding of how critically important it is for schools to both create and sustain conscious willfulness and intentional practices among all stakeholders. Growing into Equity reminds us of the complexity of creating equitable learning opportunities in schools and at the same time provides diverse illustrations of personalized learning to move educators and students to that point." -- Deborah Childs-Bowen, Chief Learning Officer "The authors capture stories of caring, committed practitioners who challenge their students' thinking and excite their imagination." -- Margot Stern Strom, Klarman Family Executive Director "Many schools across this country are 'doing' PLCs or data walls or walkthroughs, but adult learning activities have not translated into significant improvements in student learning. Growing Into Equity provides real examples, from real schools where equity, personalization and leadership are enacted in every classroom in a variety of ways every day." -- Jeanne M . Harmon, Executive Director "The book is an amazing compilation of real stories of high level practice in schools focused on the belief that all students can achieve and the extraordinary work of educators to ensure that the school accomplishes that task. This is a book written for the heart and mind of every educator. It is long, long, long overdue. It is not preachy - it is action oriented! I truly hope those that lead innovation and reform at the federal, state and local level will read this book to consider how real transformation takes place. Perhaps this should become a mandatory read for those dealing with reform." -- Victoria Duff, Senior Consultant "This book provides concrete evidence through in-depth case studies of successful schools from different walks of life that the needs of all learners, students and educators alike, can be met with an unwavering focus on equity and professional learning." -- Melissa Kagle, Assistant Professor of Educational Studies "'Every child is a complex and compelling story, and part of educators' work is to uncover their gifts,' the authors write. With robust case studies, thoughtful analysis, and practical tools, the authors inspire and equip us to bring that statement to life. By examining professional learning that is tightly linked to equity and personalization, the authors offer their unique perspective on how to uncover teachers' gifts to serve each of their students." -- Nancy Love, Director of Program Development "We find in these pages sensitive approaches for creating a culture of 'high achievement, appreciation of individuality, and encouragement of lifelong learning' for both teachers and students. The inspiring examples of these four schools demonstrate what is possible when teachers and administrators collaborate in order to personalize instruction for every child." -- Diana Lam, Head of School "Growing into Equity provides four vivid pictures of schools that have successfully responded to the elusive excellence with equity challenge that faces our public schools and society today. The four school descriptions that lie at the heart of this book bring to life those common elements - democratic leadership, focused professional learning, continuous improvement for individuals and schools, and a thoughtful and intentional approach to whole school quality - that are critical for successful personalized learning for all students and teachers. The pictures of the four exemplar schools and the synthesis of the critical work by the authors has the power to provide both inspiration and concrete guidance in supporting our work to achieve equity and excellence for our student and teachers very, very soon." -- John J. Freeman, Superintendent of Schools "The authors offer a rare view into the practices of the principal and teachers at Social Justice Humanitas that serves as an example to districts and schools seeking to increase school accountability as an outcome of district-wide reform: A continuous cycle of instructional improvement and personal reflection under girds deep levels of personalization for students and staff alike. The process is intentional, methodical and uncompromising. As principal Navarro notes, 'There are no short cuts to equity.'" -- Jane Patterson, Senior Director "This book shows a global need for rethinking the professional growth needs for educators and the leadership in schools to breed success for our students to be ready for the 21st century." -- Karen Brainard, National Board Certified Teacher "For years, we've celebrated the power of focused collaboration. The authors share wonderful examples of effective practice that are accessible, inspirational and most importantly actionable in our own schools... Each of the chapters is great! Really well presented." -- Peter Dillon, Superintendent of Schools "In a series of compelling and vivid case studies, authors Sonia Caus Gleason and Nancy Gerzon uncover a vision for education in which all students matter and each student succeeds. For anyone concerned with social justice in our nation's schools, this is a must-read book." -- Margaret Heritage, Assistant Director