On Aug. 30, Cloquet Public Schools had an all teaching staff in-service on cultural diversity. Minnesota experts Dr. Thomas Peacock and Betsy Albert-Peacock presented. Thomas Peacock teaches educational leadership at Winona State University and counseling psychology at Troy University in Tampa Bay, Fla. He is a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Betsy Albert-Peacock is the director of Maawani'idwag - Unified Early Childhood Program at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She has taught at UMD for the past 14 years in the education department. She is an enrolled member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
Thomas Peacock spoke to the audience about his latest book, "To Be Free - Understanding and Eliminating Racism," which was written for readers ages 10 and up. It includes a free curriculum that can be downloaded. Betsy Albert-Peacock concluded with a case study and a life map lesson that can be implemented into the teacher's curriculum as well.
The staff was very fortunate to have a well-known book donor, Frederick T. Weyerhaeuser, gifting this book to every teacher. Many teachers are implementing this into their curriculum. What a wonderful way to start the school year!
Jen Larva is the director of school improvement and Tara Graves is the director of American Indian education programs with the
Cloquet School District.
