Educators of Color Leadership Community

WHY DO WE NEED ECLC? 

Educator diversity is a critical issue in the ESD 121 region, as well as across Washington State and nationwide. The Educators of Color Leadership Community (ECLC) is a program designed to support and retain our educators of color through community building, culturally responsive mentoring and coaching, and professional learning that builds on your strengths as an educator of color.

The quote above, “He Aupuni Palapala Ko’u” is attributed to King Kamehameha III of the Kingdom of Hawai’i. During his rule, Hawai’ians had an above 90 percent literacy rate–higher than the literacy rate of many other “developed” countries around the world. This concept was shared with us by Sui-Lan Ho’okano, one of our inaugural ECLC members, who conveyed wisdom of her indigenous ancestors and encourages us to believe that we already have the knowledge and resources to help our children–all our children–thrive.