Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Pride Month is a big deal at Education Pioneers (check out our special flag logo!). This month, our staff has gathered multiple times virtually and in person to talk about our experiences within and as aspiring allies of the LBGTQ community. Our LGBTQ staff affinity group also worked with the EP Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory to unveil an EP LGBTQ Employee Resource Guide. Some members of our staff gathered to watch “Paris is Burning” and “Pride.” We even discussed how the newest season of “Master of None” connects the traditional Thanksgiving episode with a conversation about the...

This month, as we celebrate and honor Black History Month, we at Education Pioneers want to hear from you. We also want to share some resources with our community. >> How do you honor and celebrate Black History Month? Tell us below. We’re giving away copies of Bryan Stevenson’s book, Just Mercy, with our EP community in honor of Black History Month. In the U.S., when we talk about our nation’s history, we tend to highlight some stories and people, and ignore others, especially those stories or people that make us uncomfortable or question certain theories like racial equality. But as...

When Education Pioneers’ Founder and CEO Scott Morgan opened EP’s 2016 National Conference, he turned to a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Together, we can help bend that arc more rapidly, he told the hundreds of education leaders who attended our conference. We must. Never before has our work been as urgent as it is right now. Our nation still struggles to achieve the compassion, support, inclusion, equity, and equality for all people that Dr. King envisioned. How do we get there, both in our work in education, and...

The term “ally” is often brought up for debate and discussion in education reform circles across our country. Is it appropriate for a white educator of relative privilege to self-identify as an ally , or is this a term that must be earned and offered by someone who more closely represents the students served by that educator? Who determines who is an ally and who isn’t? And even if the term ally is accepted in some circles, does that mean it is universal? As a straight, white, male who grew up with options and had the opportunity to go to private high school and college, I have struggled with...

Cornelius Lee, Associate Director, Learning Programs for Education Pioneers, took a hard look at charter schools. He wanted to know how we as a society are socially and emotionally developing children of color who live in poverty. His research into charter schools raised some critical questions for him, including: “How can we level the playing field so that the opportunities for affluent students—where creativity and autonomy are valued—trickle to charter schools that focus on low-income populations that are mostly brown and black?” In this Q&A with Cornelius, he talks about his research...

Q&A with Leniece F. Brissett, Founder and CEO, Compass Talent Group As Founder and CEO for Compass Talent Group, EP Alumna Leniece F. Brissett seeks the best leaders for schools, districts, and education nonprofits. In her work, she focuses particularly on recruiting and placing leaders of color, and helps her clients build more inclusive hiring practices. As Leniece points out, diversity isn’t a “nice-to-have”—it’s an essential asset for high-performing organizations. Recently, Leniece published an article online, “ The Subconscious Advantage of Whiteness in Hiring ,” which quickly...

Q&A with Kriste Dragon As a person of mixed racial and ethnic background who grew up in a deeply segregated South, Kriste Dragon wanted to create a better, more integrated tomorrow. As the co-founder and CEO of Citizens of the World Charter Schools, an organization with intentionally racially and socioeconomically diverse public schools in Los Angeles, New York, and Kansas City, Kriste challenges students to realize their full potential and thrive in a diverse society. Kriste believes that we need to broaden our definition of educational excellence to include cultivating dispositions that...

Michelle Molitor notes that as a nation, we are more segregated than ever. As a result, she’s become a lifelong advocate for opening up spaces for honest dialogue on race and equity, with a goal to create “community with a capital C,” as she describes it. In her work as Founder and CEO of Fellowship for Race & Equity in Education (FREE), an organization with a mission to create equitable educational spaces for all students through honest and open dialogue across difference and collective anti-racist action, Michelle has partnered with and led work alongside several national, regional and...

This has been a tough summer for our nation – and our team at Education Pioneers – following the fatal shootings of 49 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, five police officers in Dallas, and three police officers in Baton Rouge. These events have caused great anguish and outrage here at EP. And I can only begin to imagine how difficult this summer has been for families, children, and communities of color, and for all of those who have lost loved ones. Following a recent EP Town Hall meeting, a diverse group of EP staff,...

This summer, in addition to being an EP staff member, I also have the privilege of participating in our Fellowship programming here in Boston as an EP Fellow. Earlier this week I was talking to one of my new professional contacts (thanks to the Fellowship) about how we both found our latest Fellowship workshop so useful because it gave us a chance to hear fresh perspectives from our cohort peers. We both thought it so important to hear from new people to break out of our bubbles and collaborate with people who take different stances on a project or challenge we’re wrestling with. The...