Notes from the Board Chair

By Vicki Weeks, ISEEN Board Chair

“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy…” I know, depending on your job, work can intensify in the summer months. I also believe summer is a very important time to rest, recharge, pursue things the hectic nature of school may not allow, and spend open-ended time with loved ones. The warmer, longer days in the northern hemisphere create a sense of the expansion of time, and I welcome the opportunity to explore new worlds, whether they be on a mountainside or inside the covers of a book.

Speaking of books, the ISEEN board, as part of our ongoing commitment to educate ourselves in the area of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, read and discussed The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas in the winter and White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin DiAngelo this spring. Both books were very enlightening and led to meaningful discussions for board members. While The Hate You Give helped me understand the code-switching experience of many of our students and their families, White Fragility helped me understand the system of racism and white supremacy that is all around me and often invisible to me. I am committed to recognizing it, learning from it, stretching out of my comfort zone and doing my part to dismantle it; the ISEEN Board shares this commitment in the process of making our organization more equitable and including more voices.

I am very excited about our summer institute for teachers in Santa Fe — watching educators share ideas and learn new tools to make learning more experiential is so inspiring and has been one of the summer highlights of recent years.

In other Board news, we are still looking for “committee-only” members to join our Program, Finance, Membership, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committees. You can read descriptions of the committees here. Email me, Board Chair, Vicki Weeks with your questions and interest— I look forward to hearing from you, and I hope your summer includes some easy livin’!