Equity Update

Regular Board MeetingJune 18, 2020

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Humanizing

Storytelling here

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● Cabinet, Darrell Emanuel, Director of Curriculum● Co-Chair, Keiawnna Pitts, Parent in Cedar Ridge LC● Co-Chair, Natosha Daniels, Assistant Principal Wells Branch● Co-Chair, Tiffanie Harrison, Teacher Round Rock HS

We will still operate with a collective leadership model.

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1Courageous Conversations About Race Protocol from Beyond DiversityTM 4

Basic Principles for Equity Literacy3

● Direct Confrontation Principle: There is no

path to equity that does not involve a direct

confrontation with inequity.

● The Equity Ideology Principle: Equity is more

than a list of practical strategies. Equity is a

lens and an ideological commitment.

● The Prioritization Principle: Each policy and

practice decision should be examined through

the question, “How will this impact the most

marginalized members of our community?”

● The “Fix Injustice, Not Kids” Principle: Equity

initiatives focus, not on fixing marginalized

people, but on fixing the conditions that

marginalize people.

53The Ten Principles of Equity Literacy by Paul Gorski.

Basic Principles for Equity Literacy● Direct Confrontation Principle: There is no

path to equity that does not involve a direct

confrontation with inequity.

● The Equity Ideology Principle: Equity is more

than a list of practical strategies. Equity is a

lens and an ideological commitment.

● The Prioritization Principle: Each policy and

practice decision should be examined through

the question, “How will this impact the most marginalized members of our community?”

● The “Fix Injustice, Not Kids” Principle: Equity

initiatives focus, not on fixing marginalized

people, but on fixing the conditions that

marginalize people.

6The Ten Principles of Equity Literacy by Paul Gorski.

What is our lens and ideological commitment to racial and educational equity?

What is our resource commitment to racial and educational equity? (Money, Time, Support)

How will this impact the most marginalized members of our community?

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The Groundwater metaphor is designed to help practitioners at all levels internalize the reality that we live in a racially structured society, and that that is what causes racial inequity.

5 Components of the Groundwater Analysis1. Racial inequity looks the same2. Systems contribute to racial inequities3. Systems level disparities cannot be explained by a few bad apples4. Racial inequities are concentrated in poor communities and communities

of color (outcomes)5. Systemic interventions and trainings work to reduce racial inequities and

improve outcomes for all populations

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(Berg and Gleason)1` 9

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Transparency and Trust Professional Development Policy and Practice

● Explored Partnership with Texas A&M to gather stakeholder input and conduct community meetings for equity work

● Creation of a district webpage for Equity Task Force

● Creation of Equity Task Force email address

● Rubric for principals to support selection of 2.0

● Utilize Workplace as tool

● First review process for local policy AE completed by Equity Task Force

● PIB Committee member attended Equity Task Force to gather policy guidance

● Commitment by PIB committee to invite Equity members to committee for on-going review

● 100% Beyond Diversity commitment

● Exchange leadership PD● Affiliate Program with Pacific

Educational Group● Equity Task Force 2.0 to

launch in Spring 2020● Summer PD week will

become Equity PD Institute● Partnering with Joyce James

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Transparency and Trust Professional Development Policy and Practice

● Creation of Equity Task Force email address (began utilizing on 6/8/20)

● Utilize Workplace as tool

● First review process for local policy AE completed by Equity Task Force

● Ongoing Beyond Diversity commitment for Principals/APs

● Exchange Leadership PD● Partnering with Joyce James● Summer PD (June 2020)

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● Equity Task Force Website (link Equity Action Team) (link Round Rock HS EDIC site)

● Community Engagement○ Intentional Stakeholder Feedback○ Two-way communication on COVID19 +

Race Relations○ Transparency on forming district Police

Department○ Engagement on hiring Exec. Director of

Equity○ Shared Accountability for all stakeholders

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● Summer Equity Professional Development○ Resources○ Supports

● Professional Development 3 year plan○ Learning in Community○ Seek Affiliate Training

Panels

Book Studies (How to Be an Antiracist, White Fragility)

Community Healing Circles: race-based stressors

Documentary Screenings (13th by Ava DuVernay)

Outside Consultants (Paul Gorski, Skye Howell, Angela Ward, etc)

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Online Anti-racist On-demand training with curriculum team

African American Studies/ Mexican American Studies

Racial Healing Circles Trainers

Support Campus E-teams

Beyond Diversity Affiliate Program

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Affiliate CertificationFor Courageous Conversations About RaceTM

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● Racial & Educational Equity Policy○ ETF representation on Policy Innovation & Budget○ Policy review for all existing policies (DIA, FFH, DAA, FB)○ Racial Equity Policy for Police Department○ Planning for COVID19 Re-entry○ Racial Accountability Questions

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● Racial Equity Policy Work○ Community Partnerships○ Policy Lens

■ Professional Learning■ Hiring■ Curriculum■ Discipline Management■ Explicitly Racial Trauma-Informed

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Do you make a conscious effort to contract with BIPOC (Black/Indigenous People of Color) owned businesses?● Present

○ eROC open platform, no way to solicit BIPOC-specific○ Round Rock ISD Supplier Diversity Program○ Now defunct marketing efforts around Historically Underutilized Businesses

● Future○ Prioritize solicitation of bids from BIPOC○ Review/Revise current Supplier Diversity Program to address HUB business○ AISD as a model for Historically Underutilized Businesses

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How are you ensuring that your org contains a diverse group of staff, specifically BIPOC?● Present

○ Job fairs, college & university partnerships, “grow your own”, campus hiring teams○ Campuses trained on images, text, narratives used to showcase campuses○ Updated procedures on hiring practices, accountability audits○ Principal and AP equity audit

● Future○ Extend equity audit process to all positions○ Equitable hiring as a system-wide principal

● Pacing for Privilege○ In too many schools, the pace of equity progress prioritizes the comfort and interests of people who have the

least interest in that progress.

● Poverty of Culture○ We cannot fix a problem we refuse to name. If our equity initiatives feature the word culture more than the

word racism, we’re probably off track. If we adopt an approach that obscures racism behind vague nomenclature like cultural competence or the diverse kids, we might be off track.

● Deficit Ideology Detour○ Equity initiatives should focus on eliminating conditions that marginalize students—never on fixing students of

color. If we cannot describe how our efforts are eliminating those conditions, it’s time for an equity overhaul.

● Celebrating Diversity Detour○ Requiring students of color to participate in these diversity spectacles while failing to attend adequately to

inequity can be exploitive

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Board Commitments

○ Continued Learning:

■ Joyce James

■ Book Studies

○ Equity Oversight (Accountability Partner)

Financial Support

○ Equity Leadership in the absence of Executive Director of Equity and Inclusion

■ Stipend, Compensation

○ Budget for Professional Development

○ Equity Task Force Compensated Retroactively and in the Future

○ Affiliate Program

○ Joyce James Partnership

○ Dr. Terrance L. Green Partnership

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We Are At A Crossroads

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EASY PATHCOURAGEOUS PATH

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