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Ann Ishimaru

Finding Light in the Struggle: August Updates

Published 4 months ago • 3 min read

Hi Reader,

Thanks for joining my newsletter! The world is a whole lot these days on multiple fronts, so I hope you are finding moments of rest and joy amid the struggle. As you know if you’ve heard me speak recently, I’m finding hope and solace in situating this moment in a longer arc of resistance and justice-making across generations, geographies and communities. In that vein, I’m excited to share a few updates and resources with you.

Resources

"Leadership is a kind of partnership work."

I recently got to reconnect with my long-time friend and collaborator, Dr. Paul Kuttner, on his new podcast, Partnership Work. Because he’s known me for a minute, he got me to spill the beans about teaching controversial subjects in the classroom early in my teaching career (as a second grader); getting pushed into leadership by Latinx parents the first time I visited their school; theorizing culturally responsive systems change with third graders; and sharing stories from Decoteau Irby’s and my new book, Doing the Work of Equity Leadership for Justice and Systems Change, out this fall from Teachers College Press.

Paul’s ability to synthesize all that is a real testament to his artistry! The podcast is a gem, so I hope you’ll subscribe & check out the other episodes while you are at it.
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“He is especially smart and has wisdom.”

My collaborators and I are so excited to share the Early Critical Literacy Collaborative Codesign Toolkit – please check it out! You can find more about the ELC on our project website, including a video of the Kings and families at Seattle Public Libraries. You can also learn how our Research-Community-Practice Partnership (RCPP) created the conditions for codesign amid equity retrenchment in a new academic paper (yay for open access!) led by Dr. Dana Nickson. A subset of our ELC team will be offering a professional development workshop related to the toolkit at the UCEA Conference this November in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Hope to see you at UCEA!

Events & Opportunities

“Leading With not For Youth, Families & Communities”

I just got back from a keynote in Minneapolis to share some of my work with the LEAD Conference at the University of Minnesota. What an energizing space! Shout out to the educators and leaders continuing to do crucial equity work across the state – and to Katie Pekel and her team for inviting me out to share! Thanks to Assistant Commissioner Angela Mansfield and her team, I also got to dig in with COMPASS systems leaders from the Minnesota Department of Education who brought the juice with their rapid codesign work. We only had a short time but their designs were 🔥!

Are you an educator, leader, or family engagement professional in Hawai’i – or know someone who is? I’m excited to be keynoting Hawai’i Family Engagement Center’s virtual symposium in September. Join us to explore how we might unite to enjoy and grow supportive communities for our ʻohana and keiki. Register now by clicking this link or by scanning the QR code.

Updates

A site of my own

I’ve been meaning to start my own website for years - thanks to the lovely crew at Coriolis, I finally have one! It’s an exciting start that will likely evolve. On it, you’ll find links to my various research projects, info about my books, and upcoming keynotes and events – I hope you’ll check it out and let me know what you think!

“Make that a Deluxe with azuki beans and condensed milk!”

Did you come by our booth for some expertly kid-served shaved ice? Bon Odori (or “Obon” for short) is a festival with Buddhist roots that celebrates the return of the ancestors - here in Seattle, the event brings people together each year from different communities to eat, connect, reflect, and dance in gratitude and joy. I would love to be out dancing every song (let’s be real, the only dance I really know is Tanko Bushi, the coal miners dance), but our family runs the kaki kori booth with another family and LOTS of kid help, so we are too busy. It’s exhausting (my fellow “kori warrior” Yvette said we logged over 12 miles in the booth across 2 days!), but the kids love contributing so much they often overstay their shifts, and it’s a highlight of my year that I wouldn’t miss for anything.

We have a long night of struggle ahead, friends, so let’s keep each other in it. As our ancestor bell hooks reminds us, “There is light in darkness, you just have to find it.”

Take care/Ki o tsukete (literally, “Keep your spirit lit”) –

Ann

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
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Ann Ishimaru

Codesigning collective leadership for joyful learning and just futures

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Read more from Ann Ishimaru

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