PLI Cohort 22 Collective Statement

June 2022

As democratic leaders committed to social justice, we don’t make excuses, we get involved.
We raise our critical consciousness so as not to replicate the actions of oppressors.
We demonstrate true curiosity, admiration, and gratitude for the students we serve.
We believe every student is valuable and indispensable and should be seen and heard.
We acknowledge differences, humanize our students, and empower the community.
We create ripple effects that one day will become a tsunami of equitable education.

As social justice leaders, we plan to listen, dream big, and be bold in our actions.
We will reject meritocracy, deficit thinking, and the by-stander effect.
We will create a community rooted in the inherent worth and dignity of each member’s humanity.

We will employ dialogical practices that challenge the status quo.
We will disrupt and dismantle the systems that foster marginalization and perpetuate the perceived dominant culture and hierarchical structures.
We will subvert the agendas of those in power and empower our marginalized students.

To sustain our work as transformative leaders, we will need help.
We need fully resourced schools and systems that support equity driven work.
We need co-conspirators, financially backed by like-minded social justice organizations or individuals.
We need reflective spaces that replenish our emotional, physical, and spiritual energy.
We need time to reflect, to connect, and to remember why we are so passionate about education.
Empowered by such supports, we will subvert the systems in place and pursue our dreams of equitable education.