Designing Systems to Support Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Since the culmination of AFT’s 2021 Center for School Improvement Leadership Institute (CSI), the AFT and the Schlechty Center 1 have been working with three local unions and their members to determine how the content and topics of AFT’s 2021 CSI can be used to leverage social justice work underway now and to design, develop and implement culturally responsive systems. Through a customized approach, such support met unions and union leaders where they are in their work, while building sustainable systems that
engage union members, administrators, school boards, students, families and school communities.

Center for School Improvement teams include:

• St. Croix Education Association, Stillwater, Minn.
• North Bergen Federation of Teachers, North Bergen, N.J.
• Curtis High School, New York City (United Federation of Teachers) 

Through partnership, this guide recounts the journey of these three unions to design, develop, and implement culturally responsive systems through-out their school communities. Schlechty Center consultant Monica Solomon designed and facilitated a customized approach with union leaders that included process agendas, planning guides, surveys, sharing protocols, interview protocols, and systems for tracking progress. Examples of these collaborative tools and resources are provided throughout this guide.