Two Guys Walk into a School, one Black, one White. Field Notes...

Two Guys Walk into a School, one Black, one White. Field Notes from the Frontlines of Anti-racist counseling and education

Current trends in equity, diversity, and anti-racism training must include the efforts of school counselors and teachers in serving students and families. A chance meeting via social media brought together a Black school counselor and a White mathematics teacher leading to discussions that included anti-racist education and a sharing of their individual efforts in implementing anti-racist approaches and strategies within their work.  Within their capacities as a school counselor and a math teacher, a commonality was found through their efforts to mitigate and combat the negative impacts of racism on all students, especially students from racially diverse backgrounds.  Having presented nationally on this topic over the past two years, the presenters will share their experiences through a casual conversation with one another, highlighting challenges, strategies, and practices for anti-racism efforts for school counselors and educators in the k-12 environment.Current trends in equity, diversity, and anti-racism training must include the efforts of school counselors and teachers in serving students and families. A chance meeting via social media brought together a Black school counselor and a White mathematics teacher leading to discussions that included anti-racist education and a sharing of their individual efforts in implementing anti-racist approaches and strategies within their work.  Within their capacities as a school counselor and a math teacher, a commonality was found through their efforts to mitigate and combat the negative impacts of racism on all students, especially students from racially diverse backgrounds.  Having presented nationally on this topic over the past two years, the presenters will share their experiences through a casual conversation with one another, highlighting challenges, strategies, and practices for anti-racism efforts for school counselors and educators in the k-12 environment.

Participants will be able to:
• Understand aspects of anti-racism and factors associated with anti-racism work within the k-12 environment through the lens of a Black and a White educator in working to increase achievement among historically marginalized racial minority students 
• To identify the challenges and barriers associated with integrating anti-racism efforts in k-12 education 
• To identify strategies, practices, and interventions for the integration of antiracism in k-12 education

Presenters are: Dr. Ty Crook and Dr. Jay Wamsted.