Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity: The Keys of Successful Equity Implementation

While efforts to achieve equity in education are prominent in school districts across this country, the effective implementation that results in meaningful change remains elusive. Even with access to compelling theories and approaches such as multicultural education, culturally responsive teaching, culturally relevant instruction, culturally sustaining pedagogy, schools still struggle to implement equitable change that reshapes the academic experiences of students marginalized by the prevailing history, culture, and traditions in public education. In Belonging through a Culture of Dignity, Cobb and Krownapple argue that the cause of these struggles are largely based on the failure of educators to consider the foundational elements upon which educational equity is based, belonging and dignity. Once these fundamental human needs are understood, educators can gain clarity of the barriers to meaningful student relationships, especially across dimensions of difference such as race, class, and culture. Cobb and Krownapple challenge that normalization and offer three concepts as keys to successful equity initiatives: inclusion, belonging, and dignity. Through their work, the authors aim to equip educators with the tools necessary to deliver the promise of democracy through schools by breaking the cycle of equity dysfunction once and for all.

About the Author

Floyd Cobb has over twenty years of experience spanning the P-20 educational continuum, fifteen of which have been in leadership roles. He's held roles as a classroom teacher, school leader, district curriculum leader, and a statewide policy implementer. In each role he has held responsibilities as a key leader making educational experiences more equitable. Floyd holds a PhD in curriculum and instruction from the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver. There, he is an adjunct faculty member and teaches courses on social inequality through the lenses of race, class, and gender. In 2017, Floyd was awarded the Ruth Murray Underhill Teaching Award for excellence in teaching, which is given to one adjunct faculty member at the university. He has published numerous articles and book chapters and is coauthor of the book Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity, which focuses on dignity as a key component of equity implementation.

John Krownapple is an educator, author, and speaker who specializes in transformative change through professional learning and organizational development. Focused on inclusive work and learning environments, he centers belonging and dignity as the concepts that help people thrive. John has been an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University since 2007, and for fifteen years he served as the coordinator of diversity, equity, and inclusion in a school district of over 50,000 students. Additionally, he has served as a classroom teacher, curriculum specialist, and professional development facilitator. John has authored articles and books, and he is coauthor of Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity: The Keys to Successful Equity Implementation.