Equity Starts Here: Why Joy Requires Belonging

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What if “joy in schools” isn’t possible without belonging? Dr. Tami Dean and Dr. Max Weinberg unpack how humane, trauma-informed practice—and real partnership with families, paraprofessionals, and communities—creates conditions where every student is seen, safe, and able to learn.

What You’ll Learn

• Why belonging is the prerequisite for joy—not the other way around.
• How testing culture and scripted curricula erode critical thinking and equity.
• Practical ways to center in loco parentis and dignity in daily instruction.
• The overlooked power of paraprofessionals and how to align the whole team.
• Navigating 504/IEP rights with curiosity instead of compliance theater.
• Equity lenses on charters, vouchers, school funding, and neighborhood schools.
• How educator preparation and No Child Left Behind-era schooling still shape today’s classrooms.

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