Mimi and Todd Press Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity: The Keys to Successful Equity Implementation

I work as a Regional Capacity Builder for raising regular attendance in the state of Oregon. I believe (and have believed) that the core of our work is increasing the sense of belonging our students feel within their school community, and with that, their sense of safety and the knowledge that they truly matter. Our chronic absenteeism rates are soaring today because those students are the canary in the coal mine who are warning us that our system is poisoning them.The poison? The lack of human dignity at the core of our existing system. This book very explicitly explains that without dignity there is no belonging. Without belonging it is increasingly more difficult to unlock achievement... the common denominator of every student group that has experienced disparities historically within our educational system is that their human dignity is not recognized.We. Can. Fix. This. This book tells us how.It starts with looking at ourselves and understanding that our own human dignity is our birthright: we don’t have to earn it. Period. When our own dignity is intact, then we will naturally begin extending it out to all we meet because we understand the value and power it holds.This work has to be intentional, because we have learned to lose our own dignity as humans as we navigate the systems in which we live and work.This is big work, it is imperative, and this book makes it practical! I devoured it in two and a half days because it allowed me to see, pragmatically, the system as it is. I was then enabled to see beyond the light and into the darkness that contains what can be.More than hope, more than philosophy, this is a book that will change lives.Get the book.Get the BOOK.GET THE BOOK!

Cobb and Krownapple have located a serious deficit in our schooling system: the lack of attention given to providing all stakeholders a sense of belonging. Over the last few years I've had a paradigm shift in my thinking of how I view myself as an educator. I've become more of a relationship-first teacher than one focused solely on content. While content is incredibly important, I think we lose sight of *who* we're teaching. Students become points on a spreadsheet, not developing human beings. The authors convincingly argue that we need to center inclusion, dignity, and belonging in our professional practice and equity work. Nothing (restorative justice, culturally responsive teaching, etc) will work unless we have a deep sense that we ought to be fostering learning environments where stakeholders feel that they belong, that who they are will be affirmed, valued, and respected. This work toward dignity and belonging requires more than just empty platitudes or being "nice" to students. It requires a thorough engagement with our own beliefs and attitudes, as well as diving deeper into the socio-cultural and socio-historical lives of our students, families, and communities. It's a big investment but one that has the capacity to transform our schools.

Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity exemplifies a sane, elegant, and moral approach to what ills educational leadership specifically and school systems generally. For far too long, leaders in education have been distracted by buzzwords and trends that do no nothing to address the dignity of every single person within a school district or organization. Other reviewers have noted this books allegiance to CRT. Before interpreting those reviews as truth, please take a moment to read about the authors and the purpose of the book. You will soon find that the authors have instead focused on elements of transformational leadership centered upon upholding belonging and dignity for every individual. As an avid reader of organizational leadership material, and the area of my doctoral work, this book redefines and reimagines the conditions needed for true belonging and dignity.

Excellent book

The book was sent with a bent, almost torn cover corner. This was not a result of the shipping. It is clear that the folded corner was there prior to shipping. This is disappointing when purchasing a new book. I go to great lengths to take care of my books.