We are certainly all happy to see 2021. If you are a regular here at our AEC blog, welcome back! If you are a new reader, we are so happy to have you here! This blog is for all of our readers, to let you know a little bit about what AEC does and how we can help your school or district improve in the new year.

First of all, let me start by telling you a little but about who we are. Dr. Lauren Bailes and I (Dr. Amy Schrepfer-Tarter) both have PhDs in Educational Policy and Leadership from Ohio State University. Lauren is currently a faculty member at the University of Delaware and I teach at a public high school in Massachusetts. We both have experience as public school teachers, a strong knowledge of the research that supports best practices in school leadership, and a longstanding interest in gender equity in education and improving the climate and culture of schools. Lastly, we both are deeply devoted to the idea that meaningful professional development must be actionable and specific. Our belief in the importance of gender equity in education is the foundation of Aequitas Educational Consulting.

AEC offers different kinds of analysis and professional development, depending on what your district or school is looking for. We know that professional development time and money are both precious and limited resources, so we offer each of these services à la carte but we can also build a package tailored specifically to meet the needs of your school, district, or organization.

So what can we do for you?

Policy and Document Analysis and Consulting

We know that there are lots of school policies that can promote or detract from gender equity in schools, especially around topics like dress code, disciplinary regulations, and attendance policies. We will do an analysis of your handbook to highlight areas where you can improve policies and offer you a series of practical benchmarks so that your school becomes a fairer, more equitable place for everyone.

School Climate Analysis

We know that lasting changes around equity in schools must be supported by trusting, efficacious, and academically focused school climates. Using the Hoy & Tarter measure of Academic Optimism in Schools, we can help you identify areas for improvement in school culture and give you strategies to strengthen your climate to help support your faculty as they tackle important conversations around equity.

Analysis of Gender Equity in Curriculum

We know that there are many curricular choices that can help or hinder educators on the road to achieving gender equity in your school. We can work with your teachers to assist them in modifying their curricula so that they are more representative and inclusive of all gender identities and voices.

Analysis of Interview & Hiring Practices

We know that there are lots of ways that interview practices and hiring norms can lead to greater or lesser levels of gender disparity, particularly in school leadership. We can work with your leadership or hiring teams to evaluate what changes can be made to your hiring practices in order to actively counter the gender disparities present in the school leadership pipeline.

These are just a few of the services that AEC can provide for your district. We are already working with a great group of educators and would love to work with you in 2021 or 2022. Want to find out more? Check out this link for more information and reach out to us with any questions. We can’t wait to talk to you!