The Lifeblood of Education: Exploring Equity and Inclusion
This episode delves into the paramount significance of nurturing hope within educational environments through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We engage with Matthew Pinchinat, an esteemed educator and administrator specializing in these critical areas, who elucidates the transformative power of these values in fostering an inclusive atmosphere for all students. Our dialogue explores the profound implications of recognizing and affirming the dignity of every individual, emphasizing that such efforts are not merely beneficial but essential for the psychological safety of our learners. Furthermore, we discuss the historical context that has shaped current perceptions of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the urgent need to counteract prevailing misconceptions. Ultimately, we reaffirm that the commitment to these principles is not only a matter of educational policy but a fundamental moral obligation that can significantly alter the trajectories of our students’ lives.
A profound exploration of the essence of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the educational landscape unfolds through a compelling dialogue with Matthew Pinchinat, an esteemed educator and DEI administrator. The episode delves into the transformative power of these principles, emphasizing their critical importance in fostering an inclusive environment for students. Pinchinat articulates the intrinsic values that underpin successful educational practices, highlighting how a genuine love for teaching and a commitment to community can cultivate a sense of hope among learners. Through personal anecdotes and professional insights, he reveals that DEI efforts are not merely bureaucratic policies but essential frameworks that affirm the dignity and humanity of every student. This conversation invites educators to reflect on their roles in shaping narratives that empower diverse voices, ensuring that every child feels seen, heard, and valued in their educational journey.
Takeaways:
- The conversation centers around the essential values of learning, community, and intrinsic human values.
- We explore how diversity, equity, and inclusion serve as catalysts for cultivating hope.
- The episode emphasizes the critical importance of understanding and supporting diverse student experiences.
- It is asserted that the work of educators in fostering a safe environment is paramount.
- Matthew Pinchinat shares his journey from educator to DEI administrator, highlighting the importance of this role.
- The discussion underscores the idea that protecting student dignity and psychological safety is fundamental in education.
Links referenced in this episode:
Transcript
The love of learning, the love of inspiring others, the love of community, and the love of our intrinsic values as human beings.
Speaker A:How do these values inspire us to cultivate hope?
Speaker A:How do they really help us understand what diversity, equity and inclusion really mean?
Speaker A:Find out.
Speaker A:A new episode of the Wheelhouse begins right now.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to give us a listen.
Speaker A:Season nine features a panel of four like minded friends and colleagues.
Speaker A:Cathy, Monique, Michael Pipa, Dr.
Speaker A:Alicia Munro, and yours truly.
Speaker A:We've opened the conversation this season to think about empowering educators to cultivate hope.
Speaker A:In this episode, the 11th episode of this season, we welcome Matthew Pinchonot, a pre K 16 educator and an administrator for diversity, equity and inclusion.
Speaker A:In this episode, we engage with Matt on his own experiences as a student, as a teacher, and as a diversity, equity and inclusion administrator.
Speaker A:Particularly, we wanted to talk about why these efforts are so critical for our students.
Speaker A:What does diversity, equity and inclusion really mean?
Speaker A:For whom are they important and how are they actually life saving and life affirming?
Speaker A:And from his viewpoint, what must we do as educators to cultivate hope and not kill dreams?
Speaker A:You know, keep in mind at the end of the day that what we do for some children is even bigger than cultivating hope or killing dreams.
Speaker A:It's a matter of life and death.
Speaker A:This was such a great conversation and there were so many intriguing ideas that were brought to the space.
Speaker A:I hope you'll listen to the entire episode to hear the details, you know, together, let's cultivate hope for each and every student.
Speaker A:And now, episode 11 and a great conversation with Matthew Pinchonot.
Speaker A:You're not going to want to miss this.
Speaker A:Take a listen.
Speaker A:Good morning.
Speaker A:I'm Grant Chandler and you have landed once again in the Wheelhouse.
Speaker A:We are so glad that you are here to listen to us engage in another great conversation about cultivating hope or killing dreams.
Speaker A:As we always say every Tuesday when we record.
Speaker A:I so look forward to this time together.
Speaker A:And you know, we don't say that as a cliche.
Speaker A:We really and truly love being together in this space and I'm super excited we get to share it with our guests today.
Speaker A:So first, before we introduce him, let me say good morning to two of my panel friends from the Wheelhouse, Kathy Mone and Alicia Monroe.
Speaker A:Michael Pipe is unable to be with us this morning.
Speaker A:So, Kathy and Alicia, good morning.
Speaker A:Good morning.
Speaker B:Good morning, Good morning.
Speaker B:Good to see you.
Speaker A:Is everyone well?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:Happy end of the weekend and happy beginning of the work week.
Speaker D:Right?
Speaker C:Happy Monday.
Speaker A:Happy Monday.
Speaker A:Even Though this will drop on Tuesday, we're recording it on a Monday morning.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Good morning.
Speaker A:So really excited.
Speaker A:Michael connected me to our guest a couple weeks ago and I love him and I hope that he also obviously he was a little bit excited because he agreed to join us here in the Wheelhouse.
Speaker A:So I'm super excited to welcome Matt Pinchonot to the Wheelhouse.
Speaker A:He is an educator and I'm sure he'll tell us about his journey.
Speaker A:He's also been in a couple of places, A notorious DEI administrator.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A: rs are, are so interesting in: Speaker A:We're going to talk about that too.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Everything is, everything is on the table.
Speaker A:So first and foremost, good morning, Matt.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for joining us here today in the Wheelhouse.
Speaker D:Good morning.
Speaker D:Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker D:I'm excited to be here.
Speaker D:This is a fantastic crew and I can't wait to just talk with you and share space together.
Speaker D:I've been really looking forward to this.
Speaker A:And we have as well.
Speaker A:Right, we have as well.
Speaker A:So, you know, your journey is an interesting one and you know, share what you want to with our listeners.
Speaker A:But Matt is.
Speaker A:Because we're going to talk about some really important ideas and it's really important for you to know that Matt is one of us.
Speaker A:He is an educator.
Speaker A:And even though he's not currently in the classroom, he is still first and foremost an educator.
Speaker A:He knows exactly what we all face on a daily basis.
Speaker A:So Matt, would you first just, you know, I know your current role is you're an administrator for a statewide organization focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion.
Speaker A:So thank you for that work.
Speaker A: of what anybody else says in: Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So how did you go from being a student to a teacher to someone who works every single day in this field of diversity, equity and inclusion?
Speaker D:Well, thanks, Grant.
Speaker D:I think to really dive into things and provide as clear of a picture as possible, I want to actually take a step back before I even became a teacher, before I even was a student, because I'm one of like many of you, I would imagine, a multi generation teacher.
Speaker D:So my father before me was a teacher, both in Haiti and then later ON in the U.S.
Speaker D:i'm the child of two Haitian immigrants.
Speaker D:And so that's an important part of my story and I'm going to circle back to that later when I get into some of the DEI work.
Speaker D:But that was the initial framework and I got to witness firsthand the Love that my father bore for his students.
Speaker D:They weren't numbers to him.
Speaker D:They weren't just a roster.
Speaker D:They were human beings that deserved dignity, that deserved his utmost care and every bit of effort that he could to provide them as immaculate experience as he could.
Speaker D:And so by eighth grade, I knew that that was where I wanted to go.
Speaker D:And also, like many of you, I was inspired as well by teachers I had.
Speaker D:I was fortunate.
Speaker D:I'll give a shout out to my social studies teacher.
Speaker D:I'm in eighth grade, you know who you are.
Speaker D:And he was someone who I saw very, very similar to my dad, where he reflected care for us as human beings and was also someone who was a master of his craft.
Speaker D:And so he affirmed my love for learning the history and the stories really of others around the world.
Speaker D:And so what this led to was by the time I was a senior in high school, I was inspired by yet another teacher.
Speaker D:This time it was a Spanish teacher.
Speaker D:And I was actually a French student.
Speaker D:But she had approached me and she was like, hey, we have this teaching internship program.
Speaker D:She had taught my older sister.
Speaker D:And she was like, you know, it's teaching world languages and we would love to have you be someone who's a part of this program.
Speaker D:You'll get to pair with elementary students and teach them about, in my case, French.
Speaker D:And it was a bit of a full circle moment.
Speaker D:I actually end up in the classroom of my old 4th grade teacher and got to teach students French.
Speaker D:And my mind was blown at how quickly students were able to learn.
Speaker D:They were able to read.
Speaker D:It was a small book.
Speaker D:I wrote a children's book in French for them, but they were able to read it and understand it.
Speaker D:They were able to have dialogue in French.
Speaker D:And that was something that really just blew my mind to how exciting and wonderful this field is.
Speaker D:And so I started that program when I was 16.
Speaker D:And so really from 16, that was when I first got the taste of teaching.
Speaker D:And I've been fortunate to be able to even work abroad.
Speaker D:I was able to teach in Paris.
Speaker D:And so that was also a unique experience experience because I was able to see how education works in a different country.
Speaker D:And I was able to bring that experience back with me when I began my career here in earnest.
Speaker D:And I've worked, taught everything at the high school level and a DI capacity.
Speaker D:I've worked K through 12.
Speaker D:And so actually, and I've also been an adjunct professor, so I've really been able to experience the full range of education pretty much from birth until grad school.
Speaker D:And so that's been really, really exciting for me.
Speaker D:And the thing that has been consistent, whether I'm teaching in the US in France, in a kindergarten classroom or in a grad classroom, preparing folks to become teachers themselves, the love of learning and the love of inspiring others and the love of community, the love of our intrinsic value has been present in each one of those spaces.
Speaker D:And that's something that truly I couldn't get enough of.
Speaker A:So a couple of.
Speaker A:First, I want to thank your father, who I'm sure I'll never meet, but I want to thank your father for being such a tremendous inspiration to you.
Speaker A:Because, because of him.
Speaker A:Obviously he did great things for a lot of students, but that carried on.
Speaker A:So there were a lot of other students that benefited by your father's example that he never, that he never interacted with.
Speaker A:And I taught in France as well.
Speaker A:So sometime we're going to have to talk about that.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's cool.
Speaker A:So how did you in the world officially as a job title, how did you land in the world of diversity, equity and inclusion?
Speaker D:So for that I have to really attribute my friends and family.
Speaker D:The work of diversity, equity, inclusion is work that I believe to be intrinsically tied to the work of caring and love of students in a classroom.
Speaker D:I think that in recognizing students dignity and recognizing the, the right, I'm going to use that word of all students to be able to learn in a safe environment, to be able to learn in the least restrictive environment, to be able to have access equitably to the resources of not just their school, but their community at large.
Speaker D:Those were all principles that had been ingrained in me.
Speaker D: initially, and it was around: Speaker D:And I ended up writing a letter to my students and just sharing the way that this impacted me as a person, the way that we can think about it.
Speaker D:I was fortunate to be teaching US history.
Speaker D:So it also, and in many ways was aligned anyways with our curriculum and standards, but also thinking about how do we see what's happening around us?
Speaker D:How does this relate to the things that we've learned in the past?
Speaker D:And what can this tell us about where America can go and how you as students shape the America you want to see?
Speaker D:And so really engaged in that.
Speaker D:And then that drew to the following year where students wanted to organize an anti hate rally at the school.
Speaker D:And so I was one of the Teacher leaders who supported their work and helped them plan the event, review their speeches, and do some of the coordination.
Speaker D:And following that, the district I was working in ended up hosting a position for a director of Diversity Equity Inclusion.
Speaker D:And I had friends telling me, oh, my gosh, Matt, you have to apply for this position.
Speaker D:And what I said is probably not exactly what you're thinking.
Speaker D:I was like, absolutely not.
Speaker D:I love being a teacher.
Speaker D:I love teaching history, and I don't want to lose this connection from kids.
Speaker D:And so I went home and I told my family.
Speaker D:I was like, this is so ridiculous.
Speaker D:Like, guess what, Guess what?
Speaker D:Like my friends were saying at work, and they were like, matt, that is literally the work that you do every day.
Speaker D:This.
Speaker D:They read the job description.
Speaker D:They're like, that's you.
Speaker D:That you as a person, that you as an educator.
Speaker D:This is what you believe in.
Speaker D:You love the community that you're working in.
Speaker D:And so how do we.
Speaker D:Now, this is.
Speaker D:This is a chance for you to be able to effectively change on a larger scale.
Speaker D:And I remember at one point during it was a long, rigorous process, and something that actually made me feel like I was making the right decision was how much care the district put into the process.
Speaker D:So on the interview committee, you know, the first round I walk in after there was.
Speaker D:Well, there was a video entry first, and then there was multiple rounds with a lot of people.
Speaker D:And there were over 20 people in the room.
Speaker D:And I saw representatives across every single one of the seven school buildings in the district.
Speaker D:There were parents and community members there.
Speaker D:It was across different job titles in the district.
Speaker D:And that really made me believe that this is not a token position.
Speaker D:This is something where folks really want to make sure that the district as a whole is going to move forward.
Speaker D:Naturally, I didn't think I was going to get the role, but when I was offered the position, one of the questions that stood out to me from the superintendent was, if we think about things kind of in different groups, and this position is going to impact a lot of different folks, what's your top priority?
Speaker D:And I had, in my head, looked at it as students.
Speaker D:There's teachers and administrators, and there's the broader community as a whole.
Speaker D:And something that I held to and that I still firmly believe in was that top group was.
Speaker D:Was supporting students, making sure that their voices were heard, that they saw themselves reflected throughout our buildings, that they were able to feel safe at school, to learn.
Speaker D:And obviously, that's including psychological safety.
Speaker D:And teachers were a group where I end up tracking, too, and making sure I spent time directly supporting folks who want to do the good work, giving them tools and also direct support in their classrooms.
Speaker D:And so that was really how I ended up making that jump.
Speaker D:And what I loved was being empowered to really do direct work in all seven schools and really be able to do direct work in the community.
Speaker D:Holding community listening hours in the evenings at the local library, being able to have a DEI committee comprised of folks across the different buildings and community.
Speaker D:And so I felt that that was.
Speaker D:And I don't want to jump too far ahead, but that was kind of how I made that bridge and was fortunate to be able to really form what that position could look like.
Speaker A: So I want to Fast forward to: Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Where the mention of the word DE, the letters D, E, I, or the words either one are often seen by certain people, not everyone, but by certain people, as being incredibly negative, as something to eradicate.
Speaker A:And of course, we here at the wheelhouse believe the exact opposite.
Speaker A:We believe that dignity is a birthright and that a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion is fundamental to who we are as humans and to who we are as educators.
Speaker A:Why?
Speaker A: sity, equity and inclusion in: Speaker D:So I love that question because one of the first things that I think it's exactly what you said, using the words diversity, equity and inclusion.
Speaker D:Now it's very easy to try to scapegoat an acronym.
Speaker D:And an acronym can feel like this amorphous thing.
Speaker D:We're not really sure what it means.
Speaker D:But I think when we look at the actual core tenets of each of these words and we look at diversity and we think about it from the lens of okay in our own communities, and whether that's our local community, our school community, when we think about it in terms of our workplaces, when we think about it in terms of our nation itself, regardless, even of where folks fall on an ideological spectrum, we have diversity.
Speaker D:In terms of ages, people think diversity and they go simply to race and gender.
Speaker D:And those are absolutely essential tenets of diversity, but they are not the entire pantheon of it.
Speaker D:Folks value veterans in their community.
Speaker D:That's a diverse group of individuals.
Speaker D:Folks respect their elders.
Speaker D:Again, going to age, that is a diverse group of people.
Speaker D:Folks care about our children.
Speaker D:That's a diverse group of people.
Speaker D:When we think about diversity, there is no taboo that should exist therein.
Speaker D:We as a community, all believe in the success of others in our community.
Speaker D:In fact, if we boil it down to diversity, is anyone beyond yourself?
Speaker D:Because that presents a diverse point of view, a diverse set of lived experiences.
Speaker D:There's no reason for us to think that diversity would be anything but an asset to us.
Speaker A:I just want to.
Speaker A:I want you to say that again.
Speaker A:Anyone but yourself.
Speaker A:Can you just say that again?
Speaker D:Absolutely.
Speaker D:Anyone excluding yourself.
Speaker D:That is a diverse population.
Speaker D:And so it is so important for us to think about the fact that diversity is absolutely an asset if we take our own skill sets.
Speaker D:I have a lot of things that I enjoy doing and even a few things that I can do well.
Speaker D:But if someone needed me to rewire their house, it's not happening, not safely, at least.
Speaker D:And so, of course we need folks who have different skill sets.
Speaker D:Of course we need folks who have different experiences.
Speaker D:If my only perspective is that of a Haitian immigrant, then I'm going to miss the perspective of so many other people and miss the ability to connect, see the common threads that we have, and also see how do we build together in a way that's going to be more.
Speaker D:I'm bridging to the next word, inclusive, because it's one thing to get invited to the party, right?
Speaker D:It's one thing to say, hey, I guess you can come.
Speaker D:Like when friends ask if you want to hang out or, you know, can I come?
Speaker D:If you'd like to.
Speaker D:If you'd like to isn't really a nice invitation.
Speaker D:Inclusion is making sure that folks actually have space that's carved out, that is.
Speaker D:That is theirs, that they have agency in that space.
Speaker D:Inclusion is instead of saying there's a playground.
Speaker D:Inclusion is instead of saying, we have a classroom.
Speaker D:Inclusion.
Speaker D:Instead of saying we have a public park, Inclusion is now saying, this is your park.
Speaker D:This is now a playground.
Speaker D:We're going to make sure that we have access, accessible games and accessible things for children with a range of different needs are going to be able to utilize.
Speaker D:Inclusion is taking that public park and saying that we're going to make sure that we are able to have it staffed, that it's able to be clean, that we're able to have some conservationist efforts to preserve this for our posterity.
Speaker D:Inclusion is taking our workplaces and making it more than just simply a place for us to clock in and go nine to five, but a place where we can now thrive and be able to bring all of the different assets that we have into that space.
Speaker D:And once we do that, we now are able to create a more equitable world because the inclusive practices that we bring forward are going to naturally embed us with equity.
Speaker D:When we see people talking about it and they get into debates whether, oh, are we talking equal opportunities?
Speaker D:Are we talking equal outcome?
Speaker D:People are still missing the boat because equity itself is more akin to fairness.
Speaker D:We've all seen the different cartoon where you have folks who are, you know, there's one box, there's a set of boxes, everyone has a box, then it's, oh well, equity is actually, you know, two boxes or the person who needs the most than one box, then zero.
Speaker D:But what we use now in some of our trainings is a different model.
Speaker D:I mean, there's someone who's there in a wheelchair.
Speaker D:Even saying, I'm going to give you a box is still not going to meet that need.
Speaker D:And what's incredible about equity is that it's not at all about disadvantaging anyone.
Speaker D:Someone having access to that ram does not take away from my ability to still be able to enjoy that game.
Speaker D:And when we think about equity from the standpoint of it's allowing us to all be able to bring the unique gifts, talents, the blessings that we've been afforded to the betterment of not just myself, not just my local community, but our broader community, our posterity, that's when we're able to now see the value of diversity at conclusion.
Speaker D:And truly from that lens, I can't imagine anyone having issue with any of these different things.
Speaker B:That's exactly what I was thinking.
Speaker B:So why are we in this space, especially now?
Speaker B:I mean, this is huge question, right?
Speaker B:That when we look at simply providing and connecting with people as human beings, especially in the world of education, where we're entrusted with other people's children, everything you just described is what's wrong with that?
Speaker B:Where are we to where we don't want to live in a world that you just described.
Speaker C:Can I add, Matt, before you go on, I think, Cath, if you, if you'd allow me, I'd like to dig a little deeper with that question, because you're right, there is how we define humanity, right?
Speaker C:So I identify as Afro Latin.
Speaker C:So there was one time in the history of this country where I was only considered 3/5, right?
Speaker C:It goes that deep into the bare basic foundation and groundwork of our, of our entire society, at least Westernized society, right?
Speaker C:Where humanity was never equal, right?
Speaker C:Those who were the founders.
Speaker C:Because I'm a former history teacher as well, Matt, so I could get with you with this, and I'm so glad to have that thought in the space.
Speaker C:The bare foundation of our country was based on flawed thinking and flawed ideologies, right?
Speaker C:If I just had a drop, I was considered of a different race or ethnicity.
Speaker C:So I think we should look around humanity because humanity is beautifully diverse within itself.
Speaker C:So really, who's defining, right?
Speaker C:Who's classifying and then who's controlling the narrative?
Speaker C:And this is why certain groups are marginalized and we have to really fight to call out so we could call in.
Speaker C:So, Kath, I just wanted to add that thought on.
Speaker C:Thank you for accepting that.
Speaker C:And Matt, if you could give us a deeper, deeper dive and perspective into that, that would be greatly appreciated.
Speaker D:Absolutely.
Speaker D:Alicia and Kath, I think those are really, really, really excellent parallel points to one another.
Speaker D:And so kind of going to a bit of the historical context, even just of the United States as a whole, but really our education system.
Speaker D:If we look earlier into our education system, and I'm going to build from the lens that we see the auspices of race, one of the ways that we have just race, racism and racist ideology that became embedded into just early parts of American culture was through transatlantic slave trade.
Speaker D:And so this is one of those areas where folks may say, oh, well, this was hundreds of years ago.
Speaker D:How could that possibly affect today?
Speaker D:Slavery existed in other parts of the world.
Speaker D:This isn't just an American thing.
Speaker D:And it did.
Speaker D:But what happened was slavery had been outlawed in Christianity.
Speaker D:And the idea was that in order to justify enslavement of Africans, there had to be a dehumanization of Africans to now disassociate.
Speaker D:So it's not, we're doing this to another human, we're doing this to other people, creatures to other beings.
Speaker D:And so when you have that as a framework, you already are at a deficit mindset.
Speaker D:Now, when we look at things from another vantage point, even with the educational system, it early on, foundationally, had been skewed against women.
Speaker D:And so this is another area where we see groups becoming marginalized.
Speaker D:Now, when we bring these things to today's context, and this is the part where I really want to try to emphasize, how do we break that cycle?
Speaker D:I think many of us are aware of the challenges that exist there, and.
Speaker D:But how do we move past them?
Speaker D:One of the biggest things is through what we all do best is through education.
Speaker D:The misnomers that exist with DEI and this work and why folks are confused is because the campaign for what it is is not as loud as the campaign for what it is.
Speaker D:And I'm going to repeat that the campaign for what diversity, equity and inclusion stand for, it was not as loud, is not as loud as a campaign for what they are not.
Speaker D:And in my capacity, I've had folks Reach out and call me.
Speaker D:I've had folks who brought things up where, you know, sometimes I'm just wondering like where would that even have come from?
Speaker D:And this is with a lot of transparency.
Speaker D:This is with all the committee meetings being public and then also being recorded and also posted on the website so anyone could actually see them.
Speaker D:This is also where anyone could also join the committees if they reach interested.
Speaker D:This is also with things like that student anti hate rally that was also a public event where community members could attend.
Speaker D:So these are things where it's folks could directly see what was happening.
Speaker D:Yet still that misinformation spreads.
Speaker D:And I think that one of the biggest things that we have to do as advocates for, for student rights, for student dignity, using that exact same language that you use, Grant.
Speaker D:We have to take the historical context that we know exist and still push forward for equity throughout.
Speaker D:And I think where folks get lost on it is through a fear monitoring tactic of if so and so gains more equity.
Speaker D:If we create a more inclusive space, that means you lose something.
Speaker D:And that's a fundamental misunderstanding of what inclusion is.
Speaker D:Inclusion, it's not a zero sum game.
Speaker D:It's not that there's 100 pieces of cake and us saying that now you have to give from yourself.
Speaker D:What it really is is saying there's been a fundamental misdistribution that's been happening.
Speaker D:And what we're saying is that we have to acknowledge that there are folks who are on the perimeter who have been forced to become pariahs in our society.
Speaker D:And that's a piece of reflection that's hard for us to grapple with.
Speaker D:That it doesn't have to mean that you yourself did something.
Speaker D:It doesn't have to mean that you yourself are trying to propagate something.
Speaker D:If we can understand our systems have been based in a way that disadvantages folks.
Speaker D:If our systems have been based in a way that is exclusive rather than inclusive, if they do not necessarily foster diversity from all the different ranges that it comes from, if they do not foster an equitable environment where we're meeting people at what their needs are, then we are perpetuating systems that are not serving all of us.
Speaker D:And so something that I saw a lot of success with honestly was really bringing folks to the table and letting us have those conversations and letting that play out.
Speaker D:What I one example that I remember hearing was someone who loved their children so much and they ended up going as far as saying they would take a bullet for any kid in this room.
Speaker D:And what they were really struggling with was why did kids.
Speaker D:Why was the kid learning about X, Y and Z group?
Speaker D:And what I was able to connect with that individuals about was their love for their community and affirming that there are folks in this community who they would take a bullet for.
Speaker D:But they were worried about others learning about and to really just kind of frame that.
Speaker D:Because the essence of what had happened was fear at some point had been injected into that they were someone who really did want to do good things.
Speaker D:They really wanted to see their community prosperity.
Speaker D:But the messaging of what diversity, equity, inclusion are was not as loud to them as the messaging of what it wasn't.
Speaker D:And so that really is one of those big areas for us to tackle.
Speaker D:And I think that we shouldn't be afraid of showing what that looks like in our spaces.
Speaker D:And universal design is one of the easiest ways that we can approach that in showcasing things that it doesn't hurt us to have captions.
Speaker D:For example, when showing a video capture, that's not something that's harming any student.
Speaker D:No student is now having a lesser experience because there's also captions that are going to support other students and being able to better access a clip that we're showing.
Speaker D:And so some of it is sharing just on a micro scale, what that can look like.
Speaker D:And that starts to remove the fear.
Speaker B:Matt, I could listen to you all day.
Speaker B:I see why you, Michael, just was so lovingly adamant to bring you to the table for this conversation because I just so appreciate all of your experiences and all of your passion for the humanity of the children in which we serve, in the community in which we serve.
Speaker B:There is that fear that has been injected in thinking that these three words somehow damage or going to damage children.
Speaker D:I mean, the reality.
Speaker D:And Lucy, I want to also give you this chance to say something, but just real quick, the idea of openness and in terms of the work and what it looks like, it's essential because it also helps folks.
Speaker D:I think it disarms those misnomers.
Speaker D:It disarms that fear of, well, what kind of things are happening.
Speaker D:I've actually even said to parents before, hey, listen, this is the exact book.
Speaker D:And you can see where this is.
Speaker D:This is where this is coming from.
Speaker D:And I always would open those conversations with folks to find that common ground.
Speaker D:Because I can also tell you this, and I say this really from a place of pride and community.
Speaker D:It's not as if there was 100, you know, people who were just like, yes, I love this, but what my favorite thing that would happen is is if you had someone who had been opposed to the work, seeing the work, then becoming someone who was an advocate themselves.
Speaker D:Because there's certain things that, from my lens, I am.
Speaker D:I am black.
Speaker D:I am an immigrant.
Speaker D:I have other characteristics where my vantage point isn't going to be the same as someone who grew up in whatever context.
Speaker D:And I think letting them know that.
Speaker D:I'm not expecting you to have my same context.
Speaker D:But it's important for us to frame things, especially in the world of education and language, of what is best for kids.
Speaker D:Kids are going to grow up in an increasingly globalized world.
Speaker D:Kids, we.
Speaker D:We want our kids to be kind.
Speaker D:We share with them the golden rule.
Speaker D:We want them to do unto others they would have done unto them.
Speaker D:And so this is one of those things where we look even at the Statue of Liberty and what that icon really was supposed to stand for was supposed to symbolize.
Speaker D:And it's hard for us because we come up and say, well, yeah, but this immigrant group got out.
Speaker D:But then we missed what Alicia had pointed out in the beginning, that we were coming from unequal standing.
Speaker D:Some families are like, they even change their names to hide their ethnic past.
Speaker D:Whether my name is Matt or whether my name is any other name, you still see me, and I'm still black.
Speaker D:And so there are certain things that I there the idea of assimilation.
Speaker D:And we look at this, the melting pot versus sellable analogy is thinking about America.
Speaker D:And as much as the melting pot sounds very, very nice, and it can sound great, hey, we're bringing together all these different cultures.
Speaker D:Well, there's also distinct things that are valuable in these cultures, and we're not trying to have things lost.
Speaker D:And so even you know that that Latin phrase, e pluribus unuma, out of many one, there still are many that are brought to the table.
Speaker D:And so, especially for patriots, especially for people who love this country, that stance of e pluribus unum should hold more true for a patriot than anyone else.
Speaker D:And I can be wrong here, but e pluribus unum sounds a lot like diversity.
Speaker C:So now that you took that stand, and I just want to hop in before the next question pops.
Speaker C:Man, I'm meeting you for the first time.
Speaker C:And I take great pride because we are of two different generations.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:And to hear you talk about your dad right now, I'm of a legacy of educators as well.
Speaker C:And then for me to see you, it makes me feel rewarded because it's been some hard work.
Speaker C:So this work is hard work.
Speaker C:Yeah, it's.
Speaker C:It's, you know, we Used to say the resistance, right?
Speaker C:It's.
Speaker C:It's not even that.
Speaker C:It's about resilience, right?
Speaker C:Educating folks that have to move mindsets and paradigms, mental models.
Speaker C:It's not physical, it's not.
Speaker C:It's a mental model.
Speaker C:A mind shift, A paradigm shift has to be hard, intentional work where people have to sit in some deep self reflection and be ready to have those courageous conversations with themselves before we can even think about a solution.
Speaker C:So it makes me feel really good because it does get exhausted, right?
Speaker C:This work is exhausting that, you know, I feel personally that I could tap on some folks and be like, all right, you know, I'm, I'm out for the count.
Speaker C:Like, I need a timeout.
Speaker C:I need a self care moment and to know that the work still continues.
Speaker C:So before we move on to the next question, I did, you know, want to make that statement, a blanket statement that there have been, there have been many a nights, right, where I have not gone to bed and there have been many of us that have not gone to bed, right.
Speaker C:There are sleepless nights, there are restless nights, right where, where we don't realize or understand if we're safe or not.
Speaker C:Because we did come out in public spaces and articulate and call out, right?
Speaker C:It, it makes me feel good that there is still a collective group of younger individuals that will continue to fight the good fight and continue with the cause and continue to be resilient.
Speaker C:So I just, I wanted to amplify that because that, that makes me feel really good this morning.
Speaker C:So I wanted to thank you for that and continue to do this great work because, you know, you stand on the shoulders of many.
Speaker D:Absolutely.
Speaker D:That part I want to underscore, if I may, very, very quickly.
Speaker D:Standing on the shoulders of our predecessors.
Speaker D:Something that is, was both darring to me and also invigorating and inspirational.
Speaker D:Was thinking about doing work in this space across my life and thinking about the role of my parents and thinking about work that they've done.
Speaker D:And I'll underscore my mom just real quick here.
Speaker D:She's someone who has done so much community work, so much work as a student, and has always stood for the marginalized, for the oppressed, for folks who have been pushed and cast aside in society.
Speaker D: e was one moment, honestly in: Speaker D:And then I sat there and thought, wait, A second.
Speaker D:Why am I fighting against the same things that my mom fought against 30 years ago?
Speaker D:That's some BS and I thought it.
Speaker D:But you know what I mean, I was like, that's kind of crazy.
Speaker D:That.
Speaker D:And so that was something that it both was jarring for me and also invigorating because I had to.
Speaker D:I really had to grapple with that tension for a while and think about, okay, so being complacent, obviously, is not an option, but we need to effectuate change and.
Speaker D:And really do it in a way that's not going to be just a temporary thing, not just going to be a thing where folks are going along with it, but really now thinking about the hearts and minds, and that's where, you know, that enduring legacy of shared humanity.
Speaker D:And again, I.
Speaker D:I would be very, very negatively impacted by this.
Speaker D:But thinking about children, that feels like that should be a common ground.
Speaker D:We all want our children to succeed and that we all want our children to succeed farther than we have, that we all want to see them embody the best that this country has to offer to enjoy the best that this world has to offer.
Speaker D:And so the foundational pieces that we can do to make that happen, to me, that feels essential, and that is a tangible step towards creating a more ingeniously.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And yet what you say is beautiful.
Speaker A:And yet there are forces in the world today that want to dehumanize.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Some of those children, right?
Speaker A:Who they want.
Speaker A:They.
Speaker A:They want to.
Speaker A:They want to.
Speaker A:They have decided that some of those children do not matter and that they would rather they cease to exist.
Speaker A:And so what's been, as I've been listening to all of you talk and listening to your brilliance, Matt, and I'm so glad you're here, but one of the things that I can't let go of is this idea that we have dehumanized.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:That the way that we do some of the killing dreams part of this conversation is how we dehumanize people.
Speaker A:So then it justifies our actions, right?
Speaker A:It justifies our actions.
Speaker A:And so that's just running through my.
Speaker A:It's just running through my head today.
Speaker A:And a.
Speaker A:And a personal example from this weekend is running through my head about how we just dehumanize, you know, anyone and everyone that we want to in order to justify sometimes our own.
Speaker A:Our own behavior and our own actions.
Speaker D:And, you know, that.
Speaker D:That goes again, to that point of.
Speaker D:It's just one of the examples of how folks have been marginalized.
Speaker D:There's so many different.
Speaker D:But what I mentioned with the transatlantic slave trade, that the actual justification was literally dehumanization.
Speaker D:And so we look at that.
Speaker D:But that's.
Speaker D:That's why I also pointed out the same has happened with a lot of different groups.
Speaker D:You see this happen with indigenous folks that were more or less dehumanized.
Speaker D:So the same thing happened.
Speaker D:Again, I point this out, how it happened, women, there's so, I mean, you could pick a group and you can see how things were applied.
Speaker D:Because to that point, looking at it on the other end, that means that folks can understand that when there is humanity present, there is a certain level of ethics, there's a certain level of empathy that is simply requisite for those interactions.
Speaker D:And so that's where and why a large part of my approach has been to emphasize that humanity and to bring that to the forefront.
Speaker D:And sometimes those conversations, sometimes that's an easy thing.
Speaker D:Sometimes the work that's happening on the macro, whether it's saying, okay, how do we equip the staff to be better equipped to handle X, Y and Z conversations?
Speaker D:How do we equip folks to be able to understand how identity is an essential component of existence?
Speaker D:So all the things you bring to the table.
Speaker D:And yes, for the workplace, of course, yes, for learning, but simply for existing.
Speaker D:And so I think that affirming that with our communities is a really big part.
Speaker D:And that's why I will emphasize that again and again, because we do the work with our kids.
Speaker D:But, and I'm not trying to say that, hey, teachers have 10 million things.
Speaker D:Here's 10 million in one.
Speaker D:But the reality is that our kids live in a broader community.
Speaker D:Whether that is a small rural community, whether that is a large.
Speaker D:In a large city, whether that is in the suburbs, they are part of a broader community.
Speaker D:And then now you factor in, they play music, they do a sport, they are actors, they are engaged in whatever activity, they're writers.
Speaker D:There's online communities that students are a part of.
Speaker D:And so the reality of the situation, even notwithstanding the fact that there are folks who would deny it, the reality, the unquestionable truth, is that humanity is a shared contract.
Speaker D:And so helping to bring folks along in that space is at least a way I believe that we can start to make.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:So I want to say thank you.
Speaker A:Thank you for joining us.
Speaker A:When we come back in our next episode for our season finale, Matt will be back with our other guests from season nine, and I'm super excited about that.
Speaker A:I want to close this by.
Speaker A:I'm going to go political for a moment.
Speaker A:And I'm going to ask you one question and I want you to be as brief as you can because I want superintendents to.
Speaker A:I want them to remember every single word that's about to come out of your mouth.
Speaker A:Okay, my friend, Sounds good.
Speaker A: In: Speaker A:If you had 30 seconds, which is all I'm going to give you, my friend, to speak to superintendents, what would you tell them?
Speaker D:It is my firm belief that our number one objective as educators is to protect students.
Speaker D:In this context, that is, this translates now to protecting their psychological safety, protecting, preserving their dignity and also protecting their ability to grow up and to be folks who effectuate change and create a better world than one that exists.
Speaker D:By stripping them of the opportunity to learn with and about diverse ranges of people, stripping them of an inclusive environment, and taking away structures that support equity, we are removing safety from our schools.
Speaker A:And that, my friends, brings us to the end of this episode.
Speaker A:Please come back next week and hear more words of wisdom from Matthew Pinchonot and our other guests from Season nine.
Speaker A:I'll see you next week in the Wheelhouse.
Speaker A:And that's a wrap of episode 11 in this season of the Wheelhouse.
Speaker A:A special thank you today to Matthew Pinchonot, an educator and administrator for diversity, equity and inclusion in a statewide educational organization.
Speaker A:Are you a like minded educator who's committed to promoting hope?
Speaker A:Subscribe to our all new Wheelhouse newsletter@the wheelhouse.substack.com Tell us.
Speaker A:How are you inspiring the love of learning in each of your students?
Speaker A:What are you doing to build community, a feeling and set of relationships?
Speaker A:How do you inspire others to see and value diversity as something and someone outside of yourself?
Speaker A:And how can we here at the Wheelhouse help you reach these aspirational leaps and jumps?
Speaker A:We really do want to hear from you and we hope you'll subscribe to our all new the Wheelhouse newsletter.
Speaker A:The Wheelhouse is a production of Students Matter LLC.
Speaker A:New episodes of season nine will drop every Tuesday beginning February 25th and now continuing through May 20th.
Speaker A:Don't miss our exciting two part season finale dropping March 13th and March 20th when many of our guests from season nine return for a powerful conversation with each other on what it means to cultivate hope.
Speaker A:It's going to be fabulous.
Speaker A:Our show's theme music, Off We Go was written and performed by Cody Martin and obtained through soundstripe.com youm can find me on LinkedIn Blue Sky.
Speaker A:And of course, stop by our website and check out what we offer at www.
Speaker A:Our studentsmatter.org.
Speaker A:you know, you can subscribe to this podcast on either itunes, Spotify, or wherever you're listening now to Podcasts Together.
Speaker A:Our goal is to prove to each student and to each teacher that they are both distinctive and irreplaceable.
Speaker A:Until next time.
Speaker A:Remember, we got this.
