What's the plan?

We are designing a set of standards to certify K-12 teachers as Educators for Gender Equity. Teachers can get certified by completing 40 hours of training, through a combination of online and in-person programs or by attending our Summer Gender Equity Institute. Down the line, we hope to offer our own courses and partner with various organizations to create a comprehensive catalog for teachers to choose from.​

Why are we doing this?

K-12 schools are at a crossroads. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the massive demonstrations for racial justice and peaceful policing, educators need new tools for understanding how to teach content, use practices, and cultivate environments that promote equity in schools. Our focus here is on gender equity, but that doesn't mean that we ignore other aspects of identity. We are committed to ensuring that every student gets to bring their whole self to school. Ours is a radical, liberatory pedagogy. 

What's the philosophy?

Our work is rooted in the black feminist struggle articulated by bell hooks in her 1984 work, Feminist Theory: From the Margin to the Center: 
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"Feminism is a struggle to end sexist oppression. Therefore, it is necessarily a struggle to eradicate the ideology of domination that permeates Western culture on various levels as well as a commitment to reorganizing society so that the self-development of people can take precedence over imperialism, economic expansion, and material desires. Defined in this way, it is unlikely that women would join feminist movement simply because we are biologically the same. A commitment to feminism so defined would demand that each individual participant acquire a critical political consciousness based on ideas and beliefs."

Read more about extending the feminist ethos of bell hooks through education here. ​

What's the timeline?

Apply to join the team

Step 1: Make the certificate.

What skills do K-12 educators need to teach content, use practices, and cultivate environments that promote gender equity?

What are we doing?

• Think: "What would a teacher need to know and do to promote equity in their school?"
• We are collaborating to create 5-7 standards for what makes a K-12 teachers an Educator for Gender Equity. This rubric will then be our guide in designing our training programs (both online and in-person).
• We are taking an intersectional approach that encompasses race, class, sexuality, ability, language, and all the other vital aspects of self. Learn more about our values here. 

What does the team look like?

• 6 Educators
• 1-2 volunteers from outside education
• Support from TaW interns 
• Program Coordinator: Georgina Emerson

Schedule/Expectations

• Three 90-minute remote sessions over the course of the summer
• Thought and time for research, writing, and revising

Compensation

• $500 with potential for future paying contracts
• Learn more about how TaW compensates educators here. 

Apply to join the team

Please send a CV or resumé and a brief cover letter explaining your expertise and interest. We are all about creating a diverse and inclusive environment, so be your whole,  wonderful self in your letter. 

Submit a course proposal

Step 2: Make pilot courses.

What courses will give K-12 educators these skills?

1) Synchronous Course Format - Online

• Monthly (Oct-May), 90 minutes 
• 12-hour
• Pilot Courses:
  • Global Feminisms: How to integrate intersectional Feminist teams across departments (Instructor: Georgina Emerson)
  • Women, Gender, and Power: A Historical Survey (Instructor: Georgina Emerson)

2) Asynchronous course format​ - Online

• Online, asynchronous 
• 4-hour or 8-hour
• Focus on practices, content, or conscious blending of both
• Encompass many aspects of identity
• Draft of course catalog
• ​These courses will also be available in-person at our Gender Equity Institute in Summer 2022 or upon request for groups of 4 or more.

 3) Gender Equity Institute - in-person

• One week of workshops (40 hours total) on a range of subjects, skills, and theories
• In-person, at an East Coast location convenient to Boston and Tri-State Area

4) Tailored Trainings & Workshops

• Schools, departments, districts and groups of teachers can request trainings tailored to their needs and goals. 

Who should apply to offer a course?

• Educators passionate about social justice & good teaching
• Folks with enough time and energy to create dynamic learning experiences for their fellow educators 

Compensation

• We are working out these important details. We will give each instructor some kind of guaranteed base pay as well as a signifiant percentage of profits. 

Submit a course proposal

Please send an email telling us

• about yourself
• what would like to teach
• the format you would prefer (of the four above, online, asynchronous, etc.)

We are happy to work with you on creating a dynamic workshop or course. This mission means different things to different people, so don't hesitate to get in touch even if you feel gender equity is only a small part of your larger intellectual life. 

Information to come... 

1. finish filling in details for certificate 
2. make video explaining the reasons behind the program
3. make video explaining the rubric/certificate-making process