Identity Safe Spaces at Home and School

Becki Cohn-Vargas is a consultant and curriculum specialist who spent over 35 years as a bilingual teacher, principal, curriculum director, and superintendent in Pre-K-12 school districts.Debbie Zacarian specialises in working with culturally and linguistically diverse populations. She brings 30+ years as a university faculty, education service agency leader, and district administrator.

“By offering sustainable and practical resources to teachers and families, this text stands out as an exemplar for combining research with practical action…. The layout of the text does an amazing job of building upon each topic, where the reader will feel themselves progressing through the context as they read chapter by chapter…. This text is a critical tool for those aiming to combat inequity and build stronger, more inclusive educational communities."—Teachers College Record

• Contents (Tentative)ForewordIntroductionAcknowledgments1. Understanding Identity SafetyWhat Is Identity Safety, and Why Does It Matter?Taking ActionPartnerships Between Home and SchoolLooking AheadAdditional Resources2. Creating a Culture of CaringWhat Is a Culture of Trust and Caring, and Why Does It Matter?Taking ActionChild Development as an Ever-Growing, Expanding, Interactional ProcessPartnerships Between Home and SchoolLooking AheadAdditional Resources3. Understanding Our Own IdentityWhy Is It Important to Explore Our Own Identities?Understanding the Phenomena of Racial Trauma in Addition to Adverse Childhood ExperiencesHow Can We Examine Our Own Implicit and Explicit Biases to Support Identity Safe Spaces?Self-Reflection as a Life-Long ProcessPartnerships Between Home and SchoolLooking AheadAdditional Resources4. Supporting Positive Identity DevelopmentWhat Is Positive Identity Development, and Why It Matters?Taking ActionPartnerships Between Home and SchoolLooking AheadAdditional Resources5. Harnessing the Power of Connectedness, Cooperation, and CompassionWhat Are Connection, Cooperation, and Compassion, and Why Do They Matter?Taking ActionPartnerships With Home and SchoolLooking AheadAdditional Resources6. Building Empowerment, Agency, and ResilienceWhat Are Empowerment, Agency, and Resilience, and Why Do They Matter?Taking ActionPartnerships Between Home and SchoolLooking AheadAdditional Resources7. Moving Away From "Same Old Habits" to Professional GrowthThe Changing Role That Educators Can Enact: Moving Away From the "Same Old Habits"Supporting Identity Safe Practices at HomeEngaging in a Cycle of InquiryTools for Engaging FamiliesProfessional Growth Tools for Evaluating, Strengthening, and Celebrating Home-School PartnershipsClosing ThoughtsAdditional ResourcesReferencesIndexAbout the Authors