Equity on the Down Low

In our current political landscape, wherein equity and all related terms/ concepts have become taboo topics in the realm of education, current early childhood educators face the dilemma of protecting their own careers while holding true to our profession’s ethical guidelines and mandate to advance equity in the early childhood classroom. This session’s presenters will encourage participants to share their own areas’ mandates and restrictions, affording them, as well, a safe space for processing how to navigate the tension that may exist among legislative actions, personal philosophies, and professional obligations. Resources and strategies for practice that hold true to our ethical guidelines for promoting equity while, in some cases, flying under the radar of explicit equity language, will be explored. Participants will have the opportunity to work in small groups and process globally as a large-group ideas for continuing to do the work we are ethically bound to do while preserving our own careers and livelihoods. The presenters will facilitate community-building within the session as we formulate responses to potential scenarios of resistance or even outright hostility from parents, administrators, or even the surrounding community.