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The Transforming Education for Social Justice Regional Initiative, funded in large part by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, was designed to equip and support PK-12 educators to create learning environments that support engaged and empowered learning for all young people in Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties. The Collaborative for Educational Services (CES) is uniquely positioned to provide critical support to school districts in Western Massachusetts working to reduce equity and opportunity gaps. Social justice and equity work equips educators and administrators with new insight into how discrimination and oppression impact young people in schools.
This initiative sought to create a space for important thinking, building the skills needed to begin transforming schools, and developing a network of partnerships and resources that can support schools to address racism and intersecting forms of oppression that interfere with young people's learning, wellness, and opportunity.
The initiative involved three complementary components, intended to extend the reach of our October 2016 Transforming Education for Social Justice conference, and the subsequent monthly Social Justice and Equity in Schools Professional Learning Community.
Experience and literature in this field show that transformative social justice work is not effective as a one-time event. It requires long-term commitment and attention to be sustainable. This is why we seek to deepen and scale up our work, in order to create a sustainable support network for educators and schools in the region who are committed to furthering social justice in education and to begin transforming schools collaboratively and with restored hope.
Leading this work on behalf of CES are:
Sherry L. Smith, M.Ed., has been the CES Director of Special Education for 15 years. She is also Co-chair of the Social Justice and Equity Initiative at CES.
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