State Affiliates Gather, Collaborate, and Strategize at SLI
As the door closes on another successful State Leaders Institute (SLI), I want to thank all the attendees and participants for helping make 2021 SLI the enjoyable, informative, and successful event that it was. Thank you to AACTE for renewing their commitment with the new State Affiliate Agreement. We look forward to many years of advocacy and collaboration.
SLI is one of the few occasions when state leaders can come together as a physical group and discuss best practices, learn about the latest developments in educator preparation, and fellowship. The demands placed on all of us as professionals and individuals over the past couple of years have made gatherings such as SLI especially meaningful. I miss meeting as a group and look forward to seeing everyone next year in person. Though this year’s SLI had to be virtual, judging from the energy and comments, everyone enjoyed themselves and took full advantage of the occasion.
As academics who value valid evidence and scientifically proven knowledge, we know that, concerning human beings, there is only one race—the human race. We have lived our entire lives knowing that race is one of the most divisive topics you could ever introduce in any conversation or classroom. Robin DiAngelo, in her book, ‘White Fragility’: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism, explains so clearly the idea of race was created, “as an evolving social idea that was created to legitimize racial inequality and protect white advantage.” Despite this knowledge, the term racism has been weaponized to condemn anyone who uses it. When having discussion about racism, it is difficult for one to see beyond their emotion to get to the actual facts.