Workshop challenges school leaders to understand their biases

Biases are part of the human condition but leaders must examine how their biases impact disadvantaged people, says Bryant Marks, founder of the National Training Institute on Race and Equity.

Marks presented “Implicit Bias and Cultural Competence” to school board members and administrators Friday, delving into the effect of biases on the real world. Marks’ three-hour online workshop was fast-paced, interactive and lively, and it also made people uncomfortable – by design.

Marks challenged people to examine how they think about people based on stereotypes and assumptions, saying that growth comes at the edges of people’s comfort levels. He stressed that he is trying to create empathy, not guilt, as he poked holes in beliefs and laid bare systemic racism.

Marks is the keynote speaker at the Nov. 14 OSBA Virtual Annual Convention, “Bridging the Distance for Oregon’s Students.” He will talk on “Implicit Bias in the Age of COVID-19.”

- Jake Arnold, OSBA
jarnold@osba.org