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World Cafés, Ladies Leading, and Student Voices: A Month of Advocacy in Illinois Education

Sep 30

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The second half of September was filled with exciting opportunities to celebrate teacher leadership, empower women in education, and honor the power of storytelling in advocating for students' needs. From Aurora to Oak Park, I engaged with educators, administrators, and future leaders, sharing strategies for fostering belonging and amplifying marginalized voices.


State of Education in Aurora 9/18 – I was invited by the mayor of Aurora to present at the State of Education in Aurora. I spoke about the incredible teacher leadership opportunities I’ve experienced in IPSD 204 and proudly shared that the World Café model, which I have been sharing across the state, was first introduced in our district almost 15 years ago. I concluded my speech by saying, "As I travel all across the state, people always ask me, 'Where do you teach?' And with a huge smile and great pride, I answer, 'I teach in Aurora!'" Click here to watch the entire State of Education in Aurora event!


Ladies Who Lead and Learn 9/19 – I attended the Ladies Who Lead and Learn Women in Educational Administration group, where we hosted our first women-only World Café. We centered our experiences of belonging in schools as women, and later in the day, I had the honor of surprising two educators at Spencer Crossing School in New Lenox who are committed to building belonging in their classrooms.



L3- Ladies Who Lead and Learn September World Cafe Meeting


Narrative Medicine and Education Conferences 9/20 – At the Narrative Medicine Conference, I shared my own story of belonging and recognized nine North Cook County educators who are creating inclusive environments for students with medical needs. These educators have used the power of storytelling to advocate for their students in IEP meetings, demonstrating the impact of narratives in education.


North Central College Graduate Class 9/23 – I had the privilege of doing a virtual presentation with future principals and administrators for a North Central College class. We discussed redefining parental involvement and family engagement by making space for non-dominant cultures’ forms of family involvement in our schools.


DuPage ROE 9/25 – I spent the morning at the DuPage County ROE meeting with about 50 Administrative leaders in the Educational Equity Excellence committee. Together, we practiced using World Cafés to center the voices of marginalized groups in decision-making spaces.

Bolingbrook High School Institute Day 9/25 -Later that day, I spoke to over 300 educators at Bolingbrook High School’s Institute Day, where I shared my story of belonging and provided five strategies to increase feelings of belonging among South Asian students and those from communal cultures. At BBHS, we did a special recognition for two amazing educators!



Oak Park School District 9/30 – I ended the month by visiting Whittier School in Oak Park, where I surprised several teachers who are excelling at engaging learners in math. I observed engaging math "conver-stations" and building thinking classroom activities in 4th and 5th grades, and we honored the co-teachers in each room with special recognitions.


As September came to a close, I reflected on the incredible educators I’ve met and the transformative work happening across Illinois. Each event reaffirmed my belief that by sharing our stories and empowering diverse voices, we can create schools where every student and educator feels a deep sense of belonging.


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