Today we chat with Devon LaRosa, the current Deputy Chief of Schools in Chicago. Our podcast is obviously about care and connection in schools, and when we speak about Social Emotional Learning we always must consider equity and justice in that project. Schools can be a site for oppression and the cultural reproduction of that oppression but we believe they can also be sites of liberation and justice. There are a number of reasons for this and we are looking to explore those reasons with Devon today, and we cannot wait for you to enjoy this great conversation!

RESOURCES:

https://www.nationalequityproject.org/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/devon-larosa-40253518/


QUOTE:

“The stereotypical images we hold toward groups are powerful in influencing what people see and expect of students. Unless educators consciously try to undermine and work against these kinds of stereotypes, they often act on them unconsciously. Our assumptions related to race are so deeply entrenched that it is virtually impossible for us not to hold them unless we take conscious and deliberate action.” Pedro A. Noguera, "The Trouble With Black Boys: ...And Other Reflections on Race, Equity, and the Future of Public Education".

BIO:

Devon LaRosa is currently the Deputy Chief of High Schools in Chicago, Illinois. Devon has led an extensive career in education with over 14 years of service. He is committed to equity, excellence, academic rigor and the teaching of social responsibility through developing the capacity of others to achieve district and school goals.

Devon's goals center on developing long term, transformational relationships that will impact 21st century learners, leaders, educators, families and the community. This has led him to his more recent, professional learning journey's as a National Equity Project Fellow serving families and children who have been historically under-served by our institutions and systems. Devon is also currently a Doctoral Candidate in Educational Leadership at the Aurora University, Aurora Illinois.