About the Authors
The four of us crafting this book see you, beloved reader. We acknowledge the work you do every day and the stamina required to keep showing up for children in these complex times. We also affirm the part of you that is seeking, always seeking, to transform your practice—the part that brought you to us.
—PoV Collective
MARLO BAGSIK
“My last name Bagsik (bug-seek) comes from a decision
my late grandfather made in the early 1900’s to ensure
the generations after him carried a name with meaning. It
means fierce—I’m a fierce queer Filipino American
educator who, like many, is at a complex intersection
fighting for a more just educational system and for the
liberation of all. I move through this world believing, as my
Lolo Lope once said, “A rosy tomorrow is just around the
corner!
Since 2013, Marlo Bagsik has dedicated his career to advancing equity and social justice in education, with a focus on ensuring the highest quality education for historically oppressed groups. His work, rooted in English Language Arts, extends to Restorative Justice, Trauma-Informed Care, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and adult learning. With degrees from UC Berkeley and USC, Marlo has been a leader in transforming schools into antiracist, inclusive environments. Currently, as the District Professional Learning Coordinator in the SF Bay Area, Marlo continues to champion systemic change that honors the dignity and humanity of every student and educator. He’s a forever educator, facilitator, equity strategist, author and speaker.
DR. SAWSAN JABER
“On day 400 of the Gaza genocide, my identity
as the granddaughter of Nakba survivors, a
mother, and a scholar-activist in the U.S.—a
nation helping to fund this violence—feels more
complex than ever. I find strength in my
Palestinian roots and the resilience of my
ancestors, embracing my role as an educator to
sow seeds of justice and critical awareness in
the next generation. Through language and
literacy, I empower my students to question,
advocate, and craft a future that honors
liberation and equity.”
Dr. Sawsan Jaber is a global educator, author, presenter, equity strategist, curriculum designer, and keynote speaker of 20+ years. Dr. Jaber founded Education Unfiltered Consulting and works with schools nationally and internationally. She completed her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on inclusion and belonging of students from marginalized communities. Sawsan was nominated for Illinois Teacher of the Year for 2023, awarded the Cook County Teacher of the year in 2023, IDEA Teacher of the Year in 2022 and is an ISTE 20 to Watch Awardee for 2023.
SHANE SAFIR
“I join this journey as a queer white woman of
Jewish and Irish descent. My last name, Safir,
means scribe in Hebrew, inspiring me to
narrate stories of possibility. I am a work in
progress, striving to decolonize my writing,
my work, my leadership, and my heart. It is
an honor to walk alongside my brilliant
co-authors as we commit to the liberation of
every child and adult in our school systems.”
Shane Safir has worked at every level of the education system, from the classroom to the boardroom, for 25 years. In 2003, after teaching in San Francisco and Oakland and organizing in the community to launch a new school, Safir became the founding co-principal of June Jordan School for Equity (JJSE), an innovative national model identified by leading scholar Linda Darling-Hammond as "supporting the success of low-income students of color.” Since 2008, Safir has provided equity-centered leadership coaching, strategic planning, and professional development for schools, districts, and organizations across the U.S., Canada, and beyond. She facilitates learning on listening leadership, becoming a warm demander for equity, centering student voice, and the Street Data model for school transformation. She is the author of The Listening Leader: Creating the Conditions for Equitable School Transformation (Jossey-Bass: 2017) and the bestselling Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation (Corwin, 2021), coauthored with Dr. Jamila Dugan.
CRYSTAL M. WATSON
“I enter this work as a multi-racial, queer,
neuro-special, and loved Black woman. I am a
descendant of the most beautiful and the most
righteous fighters. Through the wisdom passed
down to me, I write for those in an unwavering and
unapologetic pursuit of liberation for all people
because we all are deserving and worthy.”
Dr. Crystal M. Watson, is an innovative, passionate, and authentic mathematics educator and lifelong learner who you can count on to always ask, “What do the students think?” Her work is centered around providing space for voice and identity development in order for everyone, particularly those most marginalized, to experience high quality, deep, and personalized mathematics. Crystal has worked alongside other scholars to develop culturally responsive, reflective, and/or antiracist curricular resources that center young people in every lesson. You might catch her at both local and national conferences, on podcasts, developing and leading professional development sessions, or having conversations about how we are cultivating youth-centered spaces.
