Unstoppable - 9:00am-10:15am
Anthony Robles
NCAA Wrestling Champion, National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee
Anthony Robles was born without a right leg, yet he never let disability stop him from achieving his dreams. With unrelenting determination—and the belief that he could do anything—he defied all odds and became a champion collegiate wrestler, competing against able-bodied athletes. NCAA Division I Champion, three-time All-American, and recipient of the 2011 ESPY Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, Robles inspires others to believe that they too can overcome the odds. In this moving, awe-inspiring presentation, Robles illustrates how perseverance, hard work, and a strong belief in yourself can not only lead you to success but make you unstoppable.
Anthony Robles was born with one leg and grew up to become an unstoppable phenomenon in NCAA wrestling, competing against able-bodied challengers and ultimately winning the NCAA Champion title. Today Anthony shares his inspirational success strategy—a limitless belief in self and the motivation to do things no one ever thought possible.
With a driven and charismatic personality, Anthony talks with audiences about how he succeeds in the face of overwhelming challenges and credits that attitude to his mother. From the time he was born, she instilled in him that he could do anything and overcome any obstacle that came his way. A symbol of perseverance, Robles offers his inspirational philosophy that courage, tenacity, and never giving up on your dream will make you unstoppable—no matter how overwhelming the odds.
As an infant, all indications were that there was little hope of Anthony going on to live a normal life. Yet, his determination, even at a young age, turned those odds around. Once he focused his belief on pursuing success in a sport that so clearly put him at an insurmountable disadvantage, Robles proved to be an unrelenting force.
Steely determination, an unwavering commitment to sharpening his mental strength, and the ability to adapt his technique to win matches, Robles went from being the worst wrestler in the city of Mesa, Arizona, to NCAA Division I Champion, a three-time All-American, and the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament—all the while overcoming the disadvantage of wrestling athletes who did not have physical disabilities. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012.
NSBA Equity Councils Steering Committee Panel Discussion - 10:25am-11:15am
Inequities in our schools and communities are nothing new. Advocates striving for equity have long engaged in conversations to help others understand what equity means and why it is needed. As our students face challenges exacerbated by an ongoing pandemic and persistent social injustices, it is essential, more than ever, to begin taking what we have learned through these conversations and shift to action. As policymakers and convenors of the community, educational leaders set the tone for social justice and equitable school outcomes. This panel brings together members of NSBA’s Equity Councils to explore how school board members are shifting from conversations to action, taking the lead in demanding educational equity for every student, and leading the vision for growth that comes from valuing student diversity.
Panelists
Khem Irby
At-large member, Council for Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) Steering committee
Board Member, Guilford County (NC) Schools
Devin Del Palacio
Chair, National Black Council of School Board Members (NBC)
Board Member, Tolleson Union High School District (AZ)
Advocacy and Strategic Initiatives Consultant for the Arizona School Boards Association
Mildred Lefervbe
Northeast Region Director, National Hispanic Council of School Board Members (NHC)
Vice Chair, Massachusetts Association of School Committees
Vice Chair, School Committee for the City of Holyoke (MA)
Armando “Mando” Rodriguez
Southern Region Director, National Council of American Indian Alaska Native School Board Members (AIAN)
Immediate Past President, National Hispanic Council of School Board Members (NHC)
Second Vice-President, Texas Association of School Boards Board of Directors and is serving his fifth term on the Board Member, Canutillo ISD (TX)
Moderated By:
Dr. Herbert Monroe
Assistant Superintendent, Caroline County Public Schools (VA)
Member of the Virginia Advisory Committee on Culturally Relevant and Inclusive Education Practices
The Importance of Creating Safe Spaces in Schools - 1:00pm-1:45pm
Joanna Lohman
Athlete, activist, and author
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In a world where gender and orientation are becoming less binary, our school systems need to be prepared to educate, nurture, and accept students on the queer-spectrum (bisexual, gay, lesbian, queer, pansexual, same-gender loving, etc.) and trans-spectrum (androgynous, gender-nonconforming, gender-queer, transfeminine, transmasculine, transgender, etc.). The sweeping legislation across our country attempting to ban trans athletes is one example of how our school systems (and their locker rooms, athletic fields, and bathrooms) can be used as a source of division. When LGBTQ+ youth have higher rates of suicide, depression, and anxiety, it is imperative that our schools be a safe place where students feel valued, seen, and loved. Lohman will use her coming out and gender discovery journey to uplift, teach, and introduce trans student, Lux Trevelyan, who has been instrumental in creating an LGBTQ history course in Montgomery County, MD. Lohman will discuss the importance of these types of courses in celebrating and understanding each human exactly as they are.
Joanna Lohman is a former professional soccer player and member of the United States Women’s National Team. Over her 16-year career, she has built a platform for social impact and became the first player in Washington Spirit history to have her jersey retired. She is a human rights activist and teacher, and she serves as a Sport Diplomat, traveling the world and running programs in less developed nations that promote gender equality, conflict resolution, cultural understanding, and economic development. Lohman lived the first 21 years of her life as a straight woman and transformed into a gender nonconforming, androgynous, gay woman who has overcome devastating injury, defeat, heartbreak, and has traveled to over 40 countries. Through her personal journey, she has helped individuals and groups define their beauty by living an unabashedly authentic life based around deep-rooted acceptance and discovering a comfort in their own skin.
Stories from the Field - 3:00pm-4:30pm
From Integration to Equity
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Today’s public schools in America are more racially diverse than ever before. The richness of ethnicities and heritages from across the nation and world sit in our classrooms. However, little has changed in regards to what and how we teach America’s children. Despite the blatantly evident academic outcome differences between races and incomes, our schools continue to address teaching and learning in the same manner. When integration occurred in late 1960, there was no plan to acknowledge the potential differences in learning nor differences in teaching dispositions and pedagogy. Fast forward 60 years, many schools still operate the same way. It's crucial to acknowledge differences, seek to understand differences, and work to address differences in learning to ensure that all students receive an equitable education. Join Cecilia Robinson-Woods in a discussion about how to begin this conversation in your school or district.
Cecilia Robinson-Woods is in her 26th year in education. She has served as a teacher, building leader, associate superintendent, and superintendent. She has been awarded the National Blue Ribbon as a school leader and received numerous awards during her tenure in education. She serves on numerous committees and boards in the state of Oklahoma including board member and past president of the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association.
Uncomfortable Truths About Leading for Equity from the Board Level
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Equity has become a call to action to shift a system designed to leave some students behind and finally address the needs of all students. It also is a source of fear and discomfort for those who benefit from the current system. In the middle of this national debate are school board leaders, many of whom took on the roles to create change for underserved students. Defining equity, understanding the barriers to equity, and creating the policies to sustain equitable practices are the goals of many school boards. Jones-Holt shares her own equity leadership journey and highlights why leading for equity is so hard. She talks about what board-level leaders can do to effectively lead courageously to support all students.
Dr. Shelley Jones-Holt is a racial and educational impact anthropologist, founder/CEO of Leadership Legacy Consulting, LLC, and the co-founder/CEO of the nonprofit Family Legacy 5. Leadership Legacy Consulting focuses on education for schools, organizations and governmental agencies on the journey through equity driven leadership to explicitly anti-racist policies and practices. Jones-Holt specializes in creating, educating, and supporting the organizational and political cultures for these foundational principles to flourish which requires strategic focus, courageous leadership and planned implementation. Family Legacy 5 is dedicated to providing opportunities for entrepreneurial, educational, family, professional, and personal success through knowledge building, homeownership, entrepreneurship and mentoring support. Drawing on over 20 years of experience as a large public school district superintendent, central office administrator, principal, and teacher, Jones-Holt has dedicated her life and career to helping young people and those dedicated to supporting them achieve their fullest potential.
We Have Hard History, and We Need to Teach It: Tulsa Public Schools’ Journey in Grappling With the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
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Join members of Tulsa Public Schools board and staff as they recount their process of addressing the history of the Tulsa Race Massacre, resulting in developing and implementing curricula for grades 3-12. This session will focus on the district's process and lessons learned, including: providing equitable instruction on hard histories and other challenging topics; considering the work that needs to happen leading up to an initiative; identifying an appropriate and accurate curriculum; and preparing for and addressing roadblocks along the way.
Stacey Woolley was elected to the Tulsa Public School Board in April 2019. A mother of five and public school advocate, Woolley has a master's degree from the University of Central Oklahoma in communication sciences and disorders as well as a bachelor's degree in communication from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She holds a teaching certificate in the State of Oklahoma and is a certified speech-language pathologist.
Jennettie Marshall is a Tulsa Public Schools board member. She has a history of serving people through her ministerial duties, funeral service duties, and volunteer work. She retired from the State of Oklahoma where she worked for the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services. She also served the City of Tulsa as a police and fire chaplain and was trained in emergency disaster response and hostage negotiation. Marshall holds an associate's degree in political science and in applied science in funeral service, bachelor's degree in corrections, a master's degree in business management and religious arts in divinity, and a doctorate in religious philosophy in pastoral psychology.
Ebony Johnson is the chief learning officer for Tulsa Public Schools. A Tulsa native, she has been a language arts middle school teacher where she was named Teacher of the Year for Monroe Middle School, an elementary school principal at Academy Central, and a principal of McLain High School, where she raised test scores, fostered college acceptance for many seniors, and changed the culture towards high expectations for all students.
Danielle Neves is the deputy chief of academics for Tulsa Public Schools, where she leads the academic services departments of the district. She has served Tulsa Public Schools since 2014, supporting the adoption of high-quality, aligned curricular materials across all content areas, the launch of content-focused collaboration, and professional learning on the science of reading. She worked as part of the team of educators and community leaders who launched the annual Tulsa Race Massacre Summer Institute for Teachers and supports the curation and development of culturally sustaining texts, lessons and units. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Southern Connecticut State University, a master's degree in educational leadership from California State University, and is pursuing a doctorate in educational administration at the University of Oklahoma.
Jamie Lomax serves Tulsa Public Schools as the director of organizational learning and equity, where she has worked for more than a decade. Through her years as a teacher, magnet program coordinator, and school and district administrator, she has been dedicated to learning and unlearning what it takes to truly support all students to achieve ambitious goals and thrive in both school and life.
Denita White is the manager of equity content at Tulsa Public Schools. Originally from Virginia, she graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in liberal studies and early elementary education with an emphasis on child psychology. She moved to Tulsa in 2014 where she taught first and second grade for five years. During her time in the classroom, she received a master's degree in education in education administration and curriculum supervision from the University of Oklahoma in 2018.
Veronica Thomas is an equity partner with Tulsa Public Schools. She has been a teacher and instructional mentor, and helped co-write the Tulsa Race Massacre lesson for fourth and fifth grade.
Amanda Soliván is the social studies content manager for the Tulsa Public Schools District. Soliván has worked in school administration as a principal, in writing curriculum, and in coaching teachers in American and international schools. She was honored as the 2013 Colorado Teacher of the Year.