Vision
Statement
Although Dr. Bacon has numerous themes
that she addresses during the course of her
consultant work, a very clear philosophy and
vision is evident throughout irrespective of
the topic. The fundamental underlying principles
that define the content of all of her sessions
comes from her own professional background as
a teacher, counselor, administrator, probation
officer and consultant as well as a personal
background that was shaped by her experiences
as a person of color who came from the culture
of poverty. Dr. Bacon has emerged as a strong
advocate for those who are challenged by and
challenging to the environments in which they
must function. Her vision of a world that is
characterized by equity and equal opportunity
for all is obvious from the following themes
that are evident in all of her presentations:
• A belief that individuals are shaped
by their experiences and that these must be
and taken into consideration in understanding
and evaluating their behaviors. "If
you do not know what one’s journey has
been, it is impossible to truly know who they
are".
• The inability of educators to properly
address the needs of those who have had a different
journey than theirs is often not the result
of an unwillingness to ensure excellence for
all but precisely because of the differences
in the experiences they bring to the teaching/learning
process. "Valuing multiple
perspectives: an integral part of the teaching/learning
process".
• The premise that educational environments
and societal institutions must be designed based
on a philosophy of diversity as the norm rather
than viewing difference as deviance. “People,
like flowers, must be appreciated when they
are in full bloom”.
• The awareness that equal treatment is
not necessarily equitable treatment and the
gap between the successful and those who are
not is most often the result of unequal access
to the opportunities available to them. Excellence
without equity: a hollow prize indeed…
• The necessity of approaching individuals
from a strength rather than a deficit model
to capitalize on the gifts and talents that
they bring to the teaching /learning process,
"Until Lions have their own
historians, the hunters will always be glorified"
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