'Celebrating the Mosaic' anti-racism educators conference set for July 11 in Harwich

When a second-grade classmate told Erica Tso Haidas' daughter that Chinese people were to blame for the COVID-19 pandemic, Tso Haidas suggested that her daughter tell a teacher about the other student's remark.

"My daughter immediately said, 'No, I can't. None of the teachers want to talk about race or racism,'" said Tso Haidas, who lives in Brewster. "That may not actually be true. But the fact that my daughter doesn't feel like there is someone she could approach broke my heart."

That incident is one of many reasons why Tso Haidas is helping to plan "Educating all Cape Cod Children: Celebrating the Mosaic Continues," an anti-racism educators conference set for July 11 at Monomoy Regional High School in Harwich.

"This conference is a great way to help teachers become aware of themselves and how they are interacting, teaching and addressing students of color in the classroom," said Angelina Chilaka, co-chair of the MLK Education Task Force, who helped organize the event.

"It's an important resource for Cape educators. They can take the knowledge and skills gained from this day and build it into their classrooms and schools," Chilaka said.

Workshops feature a diverse array of educators

The conference will feature workshops on race and its role in education.

"We reached out to as many professionals of color on Cape who we thought had expertise under a racial justice and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) lens," said Karen Boujoukos, chair of the MLK Action Team and one of the conference's organizers. "We are proud of the lineup — it’s a fabulous opportunity for educators."

From the archive: Is Mashpee protecting students from racial bullying? One student speaks out

Teachers will be awarded professional development credits for attending, she said.

According to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, students identifying as non-white make up 45.6% of the Massachusetts student population, while state data shows 92.2% of full-time teachers are white.

All students deserve to have dignity and respect and equal opportunity and equal access to education, said Boujoukas.

"Education is the key to a better future for everyone. That's why I feel very strongly that this conference will make a difference for teachers and students in the school system," she said.

From the archive: On Cape Cod: Jeanne, Mary Morrison know frontline struggle for civil rights

Chilaka said the workshops can help give Cape educators a different perspective on teaching Black and Indigenous students, and students of color, known as BIPOC students.

History Teacher of the Year will also appear at conference

The keynote speaker at the conference will be Adda Santos, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 2022 Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year. Her speech is titled "No, I don't teach Spanish: the Negative Impact of Assumptions and Microaggressions."

Santos, a Somerville High School American history teacher, was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil and migrated to the United States in 1990, according to the state website.

Chilaka described Santos as a true believer in teaching "hard and true history" to students, and she prioritizes inclusivity in her classroom. She will share her experiences as a foreign-born teacher and will talk about how what are called microaggressions can hurt people. Microaggressions are words or actions that can be taken as an instance of subtle, often unconscious, prejudice.

"She will also discuss her philosophy of ensuring all historical voices are included in historical narratives and navigating difficult conversations," said Chilaka.

The workshops will include:

• Arts education: creating equity and inclusion with artist and former middle school and high school fine arts teacher Carl Lopes;

• Racial trauma and its impact on BIPOC children and teenagers with educators Emily Anderson, Hope Taylor, and Krissie Williams.

• Daily practices for an anti-racist educator, with Cape Cod Voices, a racial justice organization.

• Active bystander intervention with Jeanne Morrison, a local human rights activist, Chris Morin, director of prevention, education and outreach at Independence House, and Sudeen Dwyer.

• Native American intergenerational trauma in American public school system, with Talia Landry, communications coordinator for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's Education Department.

The free event will run from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. More information is here: https://nausetinterfaith.org/mlk-action/

This will be the second annual conference

The MLK Education Task Force developed after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, said Boujoukos. The conference, which was held virtually for the first time in 2022, is a way for the group to help move the equity needle forward, she said.

Chilaka said there was a positive response after the first conference and she is hoping for the same this time around.

"Many teachers became aware of little things they could have done differently in the classroom," she said. "And many of the presenters gave great ideas that the teachers could use, along with effective lessons. These were major takeaways."

For parent Tso Haidas, attending the conference is just one small piece of the puzzle.

"The hope and goal is that educators and administrators acknowledge and understand that there are deep-rooted inequities built into our education system," she said. "There needs to be a shift in culture and perspective for real change to take place. The conference is part of that process."

Rachael Devaney writes about community and culture. Reach her at rdevaney@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @RachaelDevaney.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape educators conference will deal with role of race in education