Who we are is not about words, but actions

Author: Kathleen Almy

Normally we would be posting a new blog with useful tips. We will, but not right now. The world we live in and the situation in our country is far more important. The events of late are tragic and angering, but that description does not adequately describe the severity of the situation nor the fact that these issues are far from a recent situation.  

Almy Education doesn't condone any kind of racism, overt or subtle. That's easy to write, even though I mean it sincerely. But as I often say to my children, who we are is not about words, but actions. That's true for many things, especially being against racism. Words are only a start. I want to channel my anger and sadness into something that helps beyond writing a letter.

I've been looking hard at what my company is doing to contribute to improving this state of affairs. If I gave us a grade, it would be a C. We are extremely mindful of equity issues because they are pervasive in education and particularly affect students of color systemically. We work to create programs that serve all students and teachers regardless of location or resources. We work with colleges to change their policies and structures in math that can disproportionately and negatively affect students of color. We study disaggregated data to see where reforms are successful and where they need more work. We will continue to do all of these as well as increase our equity focus in other ways. But the reality is that we can do more and we will.

I'm looking more closely at other practices of my business, including our staff, which is very monochromatic. We have diversity in professional experience but not in lived experiences. That will be changing. This isn't about optics. It's about serving educators and their students in the best way possible. I always say that our focus is on hiring practitioners because they know better than anyone the needs and issues of the classroom. The same is true with diversity. If we don't have it in our staff and consultants, we can't truly address the needs and issues of all of our audience. We can make educated guesses, but nothing replaces the perspective of those who have experienced inequity firsthand.

My pledge is to increase the diversity of staffing in this company, both on our business operations staff and in our services staff. The business is scaling very quickly so hiring is a big focus currently. If you have a recommendation for a potential hire, please let me know. I will actively do my part as well as continue to listen so that I and this business can do more. I know this isn't enough, so we will continue our work long after the news moves on to other topics. Sadly, it will. But what's worse is that the unjust situation that so many of us are focusing on is a reality to many and has been for a long time. Our attention to this reality can't be fleeting. It must be ongoing. One of my favorite quotes is from Maya Angelou who said it best.

"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."   

It's time to do better, and we will.

Kathleen Almy

CEO, Almy Education

Ready To Jumpstart Your Math Redesign Momentum?

Create effective, equitable & quantifiable change in your math program built on the good work you've already done