Fifth Annual Sizemore Conference to Focus on Racial Equality in Education

Educators and members of the Pittsburgh community will gather to discuss equality in education at the fifth annual Dr. Barbara A. Sizemore Summer Conference on Tuesday, May 27, and Wednesday, May 28.

Barbara A. Sizemore

This year’s conference, The (Un)Common Core: Pathways to Opportunity or Mechanisms of Social Injustice?, is expected to bring together more than 250 members of the Duquesne and Pittsburgh communities. The conference is hosted by the School of Education and the Barbara A. Sizemore Urban Education Initiative.

Featured events will include keynote presentations by educators and renowned experts, including:

  • Dr. Vanessa Siddle Walker, Emory University
  • Dr. Tyrone Howard, University of California Los Angeles
  • Dr. Lisa Delpit, Southern University.

In addition to presentations, the following educational workshops will focus on topics that are more prevalent in the urban education setting, including:

  • Preparing Children for 21st Century Skills: Culturally Relevant Pedagogy Through Play Experience
  • Building High Self-Esteem Through Cultural Awareness
  • Building Relationships with Students to Meet their Learning Needs
  • STEM Education and College Preparation
  • Filling the Opportunity Gap Through Global Learning.

Dr. Jason Margolis, chair of the Department of Instruction and Leadership, will facilitate the Pro vs. Con Common Core Panel from 2 to 3 p.m. on May 28.

Panelists will include:

  • Dr. Tyrone Howard, University of California Los Angeles
  • Thomas Washington, superintendent, Penn Hills School District
  • Dr. Scott Graves, assistant professor, Department of Counseling, Psychology and Special Education
  • Hannah McCarthy, representative, Pittsburgh Public Schools Teachers Union.

The conference is designed to shed light on issues related to improving education for all students, particularly those in urban schools. Sizemore was an educator, researcher and administrator who sought to make a quality education equally accessible to all students regardless of their race, ethnicity or socioeconomic class.

For more information on the conference, call 412.396.1852 or email pricem@duq.edu.