Executive Letter – Page 3 – Institute for Recruitment of Teachers

Executive Letter, September 2022

Hello IRT Community!

Welcome back to our school year! I hope the summer was relaxing and filled with rejuvenation.

Over the summer, the IRT continued to implement our virtual Summer Workshop and support our students via advising. The IRT staff is grateful to our faculty for their expertise, support, and mentorship. As we gear up for the fall, we look forward to our Scholars continuing their applications and gaining support from the IRT community.

This fall, I look forward to continuing to engage our community regarding our program, exploration activities, and student needs. As we continue to move forward, please continue to engage with us. This weekend, I had the opportunity to watch the Uncle Bobbies: bell hooks Symposium featuring IRT community members. It was an opportunity to think of how scholarship can transform our communities, concepts of love, and how we work within a radical tradition. I encourage you to share with us any online presentations, discussions, or research – we love to learn and stay connected to you.

Best,

LaShawnda

Executive Letter, June 2022

I treasure the Summer solstice in a newfound way. In the past, summers meant a chance to reset, reflect, and find new ways to feel free after shedding the stress of the academic year. The last few years have not been easy for many of us.

The ongoing pandemic, democratic instability, and lack of community have left many wondering what comes next and how to rebuild. Amidst this uncertainty, I find the workshop and IRT summer have a perfect opportunity to reset.

Executive Letter, March 2022

As we move into warmer climates (hopefully), I cannot help but think about the summer right around the corner. Our office jokes that we understand our work in seasons. We have the fall admissions season, winter application season, spring matriculation, and summer learning seasons. After the grueling and lingering winter, we are ready to watch our students sow opportunities and are preparing for the heat of supporting students in the classroom.

I have had the pleasure to hear from our current IRT scholars (and alumni) about updates regarding their graduate school admissions process. We are proud of every IRT scholar that submitted applications, interviewed, and continued the process. We are incredibly proud of those that have received acceptances and are narrowing down their decisions. We are honored that those that did not receive admission expressed vulnerability in communicating with us and are keeping their head up.

Executive Letter, January 2022

“I’d like to be remembered as someone who made a difference in the lives of young people – that I nurtured someone and taught them to pursue their dreams and their careers, to leave a legacy.”
– André Leon Talley

As I sat, waiting for the clock to get out of 2021, I was even more aware of the things I hold dear. For the last two or so years, I’ve written to you in my home office, just my dog and me. As much as I love Basil, she responds to the changing world in her way. She didn’t understand the gasps for Betty White, Sidney Poitier, bell hooks, Thich Nhat Hanh, Lani Guinier, or André Leon Talley. And so, I hope for our first newsletter – you will indulge me.

Executive Letter, November 2021

Hello IRT community!

As I write this feeling the emerging autumn breeze, I hope that you are all doing well. Throughout the last year, the ability to be virtual has allowed me more time for reflection

and consideration of the everyday experience of our educators. As I’ve watched protests, meetings, and conversations regarding education – it becomes clear how important your work is.

To that end, I would like to spend some time in our newsletter acknowledging you! I thank our IRT summer faculty for running a brand-new Summer Workshop, in which they developed their course materials to deliver virtually. I celebrate our alumni that are publishing new texts, including Summer Faculty member Aria Halliday, IRT ’11. I commend our educators, counselors, and school support staff for navigating back-to-school plans and communities. I also want to celebrate Monica Muñoz Martinez, IRT ’05 for her incredible work and its recognition by the MacArthur Foundation. Many IRT scholars look up to our alumni and the communities we support. It is thrilling to see your work championed and elected for a Genius Grant.

And finally, I hope we can all come together to send positive vibes to our current class. It is not easy to apply to graduate school during a typical year. Our current cohort is navigating many challenges to secure the future for the communities that we envision. To that end, please be on the lookout for ways to share your updates with the IRT community.