Urban Teacher Leadership Academy Increases Racial Understanding, Builds Learning Communities in RCSD Schools

Teachers and staff from Rochester’s School 58, World of Inquiry School, pulled out their backpacks and notebooks and stepped uncertainly into an August day’s downpour as they participated in a two-day urban expedition into the City. Guided by their students’ parents, they embarked on an exhilarating journey into the communities and homes of their students.

Trekking through urban neighborhoods, hitting all six zip code areas in which the largest numbers of their students reside, they immersed themselves in activities with families as they visited their homes throughout the day. During the tour, parents also shared the hidden gems and obstacles within their neighborhoods and introduced teachers to their community resources. Teachers kept an expedition journal which they later shared with their colleagues back at school.

The urban expedition is only one example of how Rochester City School District (RCSD) teachers are working collaboratively to increase the levels of equity and academic achievement among students as part of the Urban Teacher Leadership Academy (UTLA), a partnership between the Rochester City School District and the Warner School, and administered through the Warner Center for Professional Development and Education Reform. Co-facilitated by Professor Sonia James-Wilson, UTL program director, and Michele Hancock, Rochester City School District’s chief of professional development and diversity, UTLA provides opportunities for teachers to develop as leaders who influence others toward equity-based educational practices and school improvement.

Teachers apply to the Academy in teams of three and commit two years to completing the program, which meets once a month for nine hours over the weekend. During that time, they develop, implement, and assess a school-wide project designed to meet the needs of their students as identified in their school’s improvement plan.

At School 58, teachers and administrators created and administered a survey to staff that addressed equity and poverty components. After analyzing the survey, they noticed discrepancies in the ways in which they thought about and responded to issues of inequity and poverty, and this concern helped generate the idea of sponsoring an urban expedition endeavor. The objective was to get teachers and staff into the communities in which their students live in and to better familiarize them with their students’ cultures as a way to increase the levels of equity and build more effective learning communities.

Teachers at School 58 share how this experience has impacted teaching in their classrooms. “I am more willing to bring up issues of race and prejudice after this experience,” says Kerry Robertson, a third grade teacher at School 58, who has comfortably established new relationships with parents as a result of the expedition. “All of us are now more open to discussing these racial issues and tensions upfront.”

Teachers like Peter Hilling say it has helped provide skills to correct teachers in uncomfortable situations. “For me, there were times in the past when a colleague would say inappropriate things to a student, and at the time, I didn’t know how to handle the situation. I now feel prepared and comfortable to confront a teacher about how to approach these situations in an effective way,” explains Hilling, a sixth grade teacher at School 58.

Teachers have also witnessed a change in parents’ attitudes. “The urban expedition tour has had an enormous impact on parents,” says Sheelarani Webster, an English language arts specialist at School 58. “Because we gave parents the freedom and flexibility to lead the urban expedition tour for teachers, they now feel more empowered and connected with the school. As a result, parents are proactively looking for ways to become more involved in their children’s education by connecting with teachers and other parents and tapping into community resources.”

School 58 has designed professional development for teachers to follow up on the activities of the summer, and have continued to build links to families through panel discussions and upcoming family-centered school events.

Other UTLA projects taking place within the 11 schools involved have related to concerns for equity to vocabulary development, mathematics learning in early childhood, social emotional wellness, and violent behavior in school. “We work with an amazing group of professionals who have demonstrated the positive effects that teacher collaboration, leadership development, and an increased understanding of issues of diversity can have on a school community,” explains Professor James-Wilson. “Our collaboration with the district through this program has helped us to meet the Warner School mission in a very powerful way.”

For more information about the Urban Teacher Leadership Academy, contact Sonia James-Wilson at (585) 275-3948 or by e-mail at sjwilson@warner.rochester.edu.