We know that children as young as infants start to develop an awareness about race. We believe all children have the right to feel honored and protected exactly as they are.
As adults it is our responsibility to begin anti-racist dialogues in early childhood education. It is critical to develop our own understanding of what it means to move from non-racist to anti-racist.
We recognize that oppression can exist in all systems. We believe we have the opportunity to deconstruct such systems. We will make this our goal to elevate marginalized communities of Black and Indigenous People of Colour (BIPOC).
We acknowledge and respect that it is our responsibility to continue to educate ourselves and listen to you and stand beside you.
We have adopted the following commitment statements to guide us in our practice:
SELF
We Commit to ongoing self-reflection and education to addressing our own biases and prejudices.
We will build an open, safe, and mutually respectful school community in which each child and each family is an important and equal member.
We will work to uproot our own personal biases as adults and will speak out against prejudice and bias wherever we encounter it.
We commit to critically evaluating “developmentally appropriate practice” and seeking the voices of BIPOC researchers and pedagogues, checking the sources of any information on the best practice, child development, educational psychology, and other research that informs our work.
INTERACTIONS WITH CHILDREN
We commit to honoring a strong image of the child by embracing and encouraging conversations about race, racism, differences, privilege, and responsibility recognizing that children are capable of engaging in real conversations about the truths present in our society.
We will never allow differences of any kind to be an excuse to make fun of, exclude, or hurt you.
We will listen carefully and lovingly to what worries you and give you thoughtful, age-appropriate information and support.
We will nurture you to feel strong and proud about yourself and your family.
We will facilitate your skills to be friends with classmates who are alike and different from you.
We will promote each child’s comfortable, empathetic interaction with people from diverse backgrounds.
We will foster each child’s capacity to critically identify injustices.
We will cultivate each child’s ability and confidence to stand up for oneself and for others in the face of injustice.
MATERIALS
We commit to creating a learning environment that is all inclusive, fosters a sense of belonging, and portrays BIPOC in a positive and respectful way.
We commit to the ongoing examination of our environment so that children see representations of themselves within the intelligent materials in the classroom.
COMMUNITY AND PARTNERSHIPS
We commit to acknowledging and celebrating community diversities present in our classrooms.
We will honor your family’s importance to you by building respectful partnerships with them.
We will provide support to you and your family when they feel stress, anxiety, or fear because of current events or acts of prejudice or hate.
We will learn about and help your family use legal and community resources to keep you safe.
We will mobilize our courage and become active with others to resist and change any policies and practices that threaten to hurt you or your family.
Credited sources:
- Anti-Bias Education Exchange March/April 2017 www.ChildCareExchange.com
- Commitment statements developed by educators in the 2019-2020 Boulder Journey School Teacher Education Residency Program
- Louise Derman-Sparks, Debbie Leekeenan, John Nimmo- Leading Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs