Culture: rituals, routines, and practices that honor students’ strengths.

In collaboration with students, staff, families, and the community, AAMA will use transformative antiracist practices to disrupt patterns of systemic racism and rebuild the school system to support the advancement of African American boys and young men in education and life.

Milestones:

• We audited central supports focused on Black boys and teens and conducted focus groups with some recent graduates and seventh-12th graders to identify aspects of school culture we need to improve and support systems that work well for them.
• We worked to center Black male seniors during a time of remote learning and unexpected obstacles. In partnership with other departments, AAMA supported school staff in their work to check in with each student and ensure Black male seniors were on-track for graduation.
• We hired Black male leadership—Adam Haizlip and Kevin Loyal—as managers of AAMA. They are incredible role models for our Kings.
• We launched the AAMA Student Leadership Council in February 2020. The AAMA managers conduct bi-weekly remote meetings and individual check-ins to ensure Black boys and teens continue to have a seat at the table when it comes to making decisions that affect their lives and education.

Conditions: policies, structures, & systems that support welcoming and safe learning spaces. AAMA works with district leadership, the school board, and school leaders to develop and implement policies, structures, and systems that support healthy development and learning for all African American male students.

Milestones:

• Centered Black student voices in the decision-making process for initiatives such as COVID-19 planning, grading practices, anti-racism policies, student engagement, and Fall 2020 planning.
• Partnered with Chief of Equity, Partnerships, and Engagement; the SPS Department of Racial Equity Advancement team; and other educational leaders and groups to build capacity for racial equity initiatives benefiting our Black boys and teens.
• Worked with other departments to identify students and families in need of direct supports through the Right Now Needs Fund, an Amazon partnership with the Alliance for Education that helps principals, teachers, and parents collaborate to remove students’; most basic barriers to learning, such as the need for food, clothing, and housing.
• Collaboratively secured $1.8 million dollars from local philanthropies in service of AAMA’s work to create policies, structures, and systems designed for Black male students’ success. Read more about Alliance for Education.

Competencies: skills & knowledge that educators need to reach and teach Black boys & teens. The district is committed to increasing integrated training on implicit bias, institutional and structural racism, and cultural competency; and growing the percentage of African American male educators and leaders in the district.

Milestones:

• Over 500 staff, educators, and community members had the opportunity to hear directly from Black boys and teens about their experiences and what they need to succeed in school. Throughout the four-day Liberation Through Anti-Racist Education Institute held in August 2020, AAMA worked with the Department of Racial Equity Advancement to create an opportunity for Black boys and teens to use and share their brilliance directly with the SPS staff, educators, and community members who attended. Read more about the Anti-Racist Education Institute.
• Young people have told us that representation matters. AAMA is supporting the Human Resources team in hiring and recruiting more educators of color.
  • For the 2020-21 school year, SPS has surpassed its diversity hiring goals by an average of 10%.
  • One way the district is hiring more educators of color is the Academy of Rising Educators, a program helping those who are rooted in our communities, planning to teach long-term, and dedicated to anti-racist practices earn their teaching certificates.
• In light of ongoing police violence and acts of anti-Black racism, AAMA provided guidance on district and school-based communications about discussing and acting on these important issues.

Community Connection: direct supports & networking opportunities for students to thrive. As part of SPS’s commitment to African American boys and young men, SPS will ensure that they receive the direct service supports (i.e. mentorship, sponsorship, internship opportunities, etc.), and community networking opportunities they need to navigate, thrive, and succeed not only in Seattle Public Schools but in life.

Milestones:

• Collaborating with the Department of Education and Early Learning, the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color, and other key stakeholders.
• Modeling work on the successful Kingmakers of Oakland program, AAMA and the City of Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) implemented Kingmakers of Seattle at four school sites. Kingmakers of Seattle is an elective facilitated sessions for Black male students, facilitated by Black male educators. The course curriculum emphasizes black history, cultural knowledge, positive self-identity, literacy and academic mentoring. Kingmakers of Seattle will expand to two additional schools in 2021-22 with support from the City’s Family and Education Levy. Read more about Kingmakers on the Seattle Times.
• Joined Kingmakers of Oakland’s Learning Collaborative, a cross-functional, multi-generational group of district, student, families, city and community teams sharing experiences, discussing lessons learned, participating in continuous improvement processes, and addressing problems of practice within African American male achievement.
• With the Equity, Partnerships, and Engagement team, AAMA has joined a community task force of SPS staff, City of Seattle staff, and community partners to identify and audit community programs for Black boys and teens to provide more coordinated and collaborative supports.