Guiding Teams to Excellence With Equity

Culturally Proficient Facilitation

"Through his work, John Krownapple has done an excellent job providing useful tools to support leaders of professional learning in their work. Using authentic vignettes that are transferrable to any educational context, Krownapple gives readers an opportunity to not only support educators in their path to cultural proficiency but encourages leaders to apply that framework as a mechanism to inform their own practice. This book is a must read for leaders focused on deepening their skill with equity work."

"Based in abundant research, this valuable book contains myriad strategies and protocols for building collective efficacy in educational teams. It is a must for those who wish to perfect their facilitation skills, who desire a deeper understanding of the emotional and cognitive transformation during the human journey of personal enlightenment, and for those who believe that the future of our democracy depends on equity and cultural proficiency."

"The facilitator plays an important role on the Cultural Proficiency journey. School educators and leaders who master the facilitator skill set are able to nurture authentic and courageous conversations in the school-community. They create the spark needed to begin breaking down destructive institutional barriers. The art of effective facilitation allows members of the school-community to overcome avoidance and fear and instead engage with authenticity, collaborate, and take action for equity. In his book, Krownapple masters the transition from presenter to facilitator, and that alone is a must read!"

John’s book is a unique contribution to both the literature on equity and skillful facilitation. It contains compelling theories and research along with thoughtful reflection prompts and well selected protocols that help readers deeply engage with the content. John makes clear connections between the knowledge and techniques of skillful facilitation and the psychological factors underlying the change process. This explicit treatment of the material helps readers not only understand the importance of thoughtful facilitation but also the reasons behind facilitative moves. This book is beautifully written – by combining narration with information, John crafts a very persuasive argument for culturally proficient facilitation.

"In the book Guiding Teams to Excellence With Equity, author John Krownapple takes culturally proficient learning and facilitating to a whole new level. The focus on mindfulness, listening, and questioning for creating spaces that move toward excellence with equity is vital in helping schools move from unhealthy, inauthentic engagement to healthy, vulnerable and authentic engagement. Since cultural proficiency is an inside-outside approach this book has a critical emphasis on facilitators doing their own work so they can move from their head to their heart just like they want participants to do. There is an old saying that all facilitators can be teachers but not all teachers can be facilitators. Krownapple provides the perfect combination of instruction, introspection and activities The book will not only help current facilitators go from “good to great “, but also give hope, guidance, and support to those who have the potential to be facilitators and just don’t know how. What a true gift to facilitators and those who will be impacted by the brilliance of this book."

"As a school-based professional development specialist focusing on inclusion and equity, I found this book to be invaluable. Guiding Teams to Excellence with Equity contains a wealth of information about professional learning and transformative change that is presented in a user-friendly manner. Combined with just the right amount of historical and legal information, this provides a clear explanation of "the why" behind our work. Krownapple steers clear of overloading the reader with educational jargon that can confuse those of us wanting to "get to the heart of the matter," and instead takes us on the Cultural Proficiency journey along with Jack -- a character with whom we can all relate on some level."

"Guiding Excellence With Equity is a rich resource for those of us who are attempting to facilitate deep and authentic work related to cultural competence, racial healing, and social justice. John Krownapple’s voice is refreshingly personal, practical, and courageous."

"John Krownapple uses dialogic episodes to clearly convey the journey of a Cultural Proficiency facilitator. Education leaders now have a resource that unpacks both the content and process needed to succeed in attaining the moral goal of educational excellence with equity."

"When embarking on a new journey, having an expert guide to lead the way instills the traveler with the courage needed to successfully reach the goal set before them. John Krownapple is the expert guide for those starting to lead the cultural proficiency journey for the school, school system, or organization for which they serve. Guiding Teams to Excellence With Equity clearly outlines how to effectively navigate self and others through the personal work involved with self-discovery and a deeper appreciation of others. Each part of his guide explains the emotions of those asked to take part in cultural proficiency work, how to meaningfully explain what cultural proficiency is and is not, and how to facilitate cultural proficiency sessions.

The fictional telling of Jack McManus' story is a story that the reader connects with; all they need to do is replace Jack's name with their own. Cultural proficiency is the understanding of one's story so that they can understand others' stories. In a meaningful way, John Krownapple illustrates the importance of sharing one's story by allowing us to see and feel Jack's journey.

Guiding Teams to Excellence With Equity is a guide I wish was at my disposal when I first started as a cultural proficiency leader. But, like all good things, it came at just the right time; it will be used to help strengthen my ability to effectively facilitate professional learning for those just starting their journey. It is a guide I will share with new leaders as they begin their work with cultural proficiency."

"What John has done here is remarkable. He's taken the intuitive art of facilitation, illustrated it with a story, and explained it with theory, data and graphic examples. It's clear, cohesive, comprehensive, and integrated. I like that we follow one story throughout, and that a plethora of facilitation techniques are embedded in that story. I particularly like how facilitation is contrasted with training. John has broken the facilitation rubric into bite-sized pieces, which makes it useful to leaders of professional learning. I love this book; Guiding Teams to Excellence with Equity is a book we've all been waiting for."