Year 2 – it’s a wrap!

Early learning educators from East Oakland came together May 7 to celebrate completing a six-month Community of Practice centered on the 10 Promising Practices (10PP) in Early Learning for Black Boys. Promising Practices are a set of anti-racist strategies that address systemic bias, reinforce trusting relationships with children and their families, and have a positive impact on educational outcomes for young boys of color. 

Oakland preschool teacher Nini Humphrey knows what it means to center young Black children. She shares a personal experience that she had with a Black preschool boy who was transferred to her classroom mid-year. The boy was considered “challenging” by his previous teacher, and Nini discovered on day one the unruly behaviors that had led to this negative label. ​

​​​The Promising Practices Portfolio is now a workshop for educators!

In November, OSSS launched “Improving Early Learning Outcomes for Boys of Color: 10 Promising Practices,” a three-hour training based on the innovative equity strategies and approaches that were featured in the report developed by the Boys of Color workgroup.  

“This was, so far, the best training I have attended on this topic,” wrote one OUSD participant in a post-workshop evaluation survey. “I appreciated that this [workshop] actually talked about bias in education and education of young children.”