Hi Reader,

Doing the Work of Equity Leadership for Justice and Systems Change, my new book with Decoteau Irby & crew, is out in the world! We have events already unfolding in different cities across the U.S. (with more to come!), but if you aren’t able to make one of those, we are excited to be hosting our first VIRTUAL book event, hosted by our publisher, Teachers College Press. We will talk about what the work of equity leadership has looked like across morning, midday and evening, where it stands today, and what may be ahead.

The Online Book Event is Wednesday, November 5 at 3PM PT/6pm ET. Learn more and register here: Webinar Registration - Zoom

A promotional graphic for an online webinar titled "Doing the Work of Equity Leadership for Justice and Systems Change" with Decoteau J. Irby and Ann M. Ishimaru. The image features headshots of the two speakers, Decoteau J. Irby and Ann M. Ishimaru, alongside an image of their corresponding book cover. The webinar is scheduled for November 5, Wednesday, at 6:00 PM ET and will be held online via Zoom.

We have also been busy doing podcasts & interviews about the book, which have given us the chance to be in conversation with some terrific educators, communicators and thought-leaders, each with their own focus and take, like this podcast focused on principals:

A graphic for an episode of Principal Center Radio featuring the book "Doing the Work of Equity Leadership for Justice and Systems Change" by Decoteau J. Irby and Ann M. Ishimaru.

And this radio interview on WORT FM in Madison, Wisconsin:

A screenshot of a Soundcloud audio player for the WORT 89.9FM Madison episode titled "Standing Up For Equity In Education," published on October 22, 2025. The episode is about the book "Doing the Work of Equity Leadership for Justice and Systems Change" by Decoteau J. Irby and Ann M. Ishimaru.

You can also find links on my website, on LinkedIn, and Instagram, but we’d love to have the chance to be live with you online on Wednesday, so hope to see you at the TCP webinar!

Keep your light on as we continue the struggle –

Ann

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
Unsubscribe · Preferences

Histories & futures amid April blooms

Dear Reader, April is cherry blossom season - each year when they come into spectacular bloom at my university, the quad is filled with families holding bewildered babies up for photos amid flowering branches, young folks recording TikTok videos and glam shots, and this year, we even stumbled on a delightful convening of shiba inu (who knew this was a thing?!). My extended family in Japan was surprised to learn that we have cherry blossom trees here as well, and my cousin imagined our...

about 1 month ago • 5 min read

March Micromoments as Power Pivots

Hi Reader, With so much going on in the world these days, I’ve been thinking about the power of our everyday interactions. I’ve been pondering how micromoments can be pivots either towards disregarding the insights, concerns, and priorities of minoritized youth, families and communities – or subtle shifts that recognize their expertise as fellow agenda-setters in systems change and affirm our shared humanity. I want to share two quick stories. Story 1, recent conversation with educators: At a...

3 months ago • 4 min read

Special edition: Remembering To Make Anew

Hi Reader, After my last epically long newsletter (lol), this missive will be short! I could not miss sending something about February 19, aka Day of Remembrance. As a kid, I felt like the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans was abstract ancient history. Even though I knew my dad was born in camp and all my grandparents were incarcerated. I simply couldn’t imagine it happening in the U.S. As I got older, I started to realize how much of my own upbringing was tied up in that...

4 months ago • 1 min read