Equity

Update on Equity Policy

The Board of Education has directed the administration to begin drafting a new Policy on Equity (as of 04/21) that will reflect the work of the Equity Task Force and the ongoing equity discussions by the Board.  Here is a copy of my memo to other Board members in light of our discussion on equity that some have requested to read.

Memo from M.P. Cole 04/21/08

"I have found it helpful to reflect on where the latest equity draft fits into the original intent of the Board from 2006 so that I don’t lose sight of their concerns.

The minutes from the Equity Task Force (ETF) meeting for 02/01/06 include the reasoning to convene such a task force.  Ms. Carstensen explained that the intent of Board was “to recommend to Legal Counsel the principals to be included in a policy.â€? [Emphasis added]
    
The Equity Task Force Report reiterated this point in its Final Report:
The Task Force was charged with making recommendations for an equity policy including: (1) a definition of equity, (2) a statement of the District's commitment to equity, and (3) guidelines for implementation.  

While I believe that this latest draft is a solid start and may or may not be helpful as a planning document similar to the Educational Options planning document, I would like to encourage further discussion on the viability of change to Board policy and procedures.

In light of the work the Board has done this past year on issues significantly affected by equity issues, I believe a change is what is needed.

Second, I would ask to make the intent of our purpose statement stronger to express the urgency of our district mission of educational excellence and equity.  As stated in the Wisconsin DPI Characteristics of Successful Schools, Wisconsin Equity Framework (2/22/08), “Educational equity knowledge and practice in public schools have evolved over time and require a comprehensive approach.â€?

It would be of great benefit to our community and to future Boards to express the deliberative nature of our work toward closing the achievement gap and to provide a more coherent strategy, reviewed on a regular basis by the Board.

Upon reading most of the documentation given to the board over the past few years regarding Equity, I would point to a document used by the ETF that does an excellent job of articulating a statement of the District’s commitment to equity.  You can find this example from the Hopkins School District 270 (MN), Equity Strategy Framework.

I would respectfully submit the following changes/additions to make the document clear:

Add – Our Equity Mission (see Hopkins example here:)

'As a school district committed to equity and excellence for all learners, we will eliminate racial [socioeconomic] and other demographic differences in achievement, while we improve achievement for all students, by examining individual and organizational beliefs and changing practices to counteract the contemporary and historical impact of racism and discrimination.'

Definition – Further clarification is needed for the phrase “allocation of resources.�

I am concerned that this phrase is tied to edu-speak such that it may be interpreted as “resource allocations,� “FTEs� or other “wonky� terms used by the administration but not necessarily the meaning the Board is trying to convey to the community.

I would think that the phrase “distribution of resourcesâ€? would be better.  We could then later define “resourcesâ€? as we have done with “Equityâ€? in the document.

Furthermore, we might consider creating a process for Board review on how we allocate (ERF, ENI, base, supplemental and other assumptions.)


Change – Assumptions, to Core Beliefs that Guide Our Work

Change – Goals, to Our Equity Objectives

Change – Considerations for Determining Whether Equity Is or Will Be Provided, to Considerations in Addressing Equity


Third, the Superintendent’s analysis of Board Policy 9001 and current practice (memo 9/25/06) raises concerns, specifically in the amount of edu-speak and time it would take the general public to understand this policy and the questions left unanswered as to how the Board would oversee such a policy.

In fact, the superintendent, notes in his memo analyzing current practice that sections in the Policy 9001 such as Review, Reporting and Application are dated at best:

    In the Review section, the language is outdated and does not reflect current demographics (total of approximately 40% free/reduced lunch) in the district.  This is an area of concern as our discussions have shown that Equity is more than economics.  I would suggest we look as a Board, at the Monitoring Equity and Access from the DPI Characteristics of Successful Schools, Wisconsin Equity Framework.

    In the Reporting section, it should be noted that the Board continues to approve staffing for each school as part of the budget process without a separate discussion or evaluation of each school’s “educational goals and diversity profile.â€?

    In the Application and Review section, it was noted by the superintendent that this is the first review of this policy since it was written in 1994.  The recent focus to address policy is a step in the right direction.

MMSD Equity Policy 9001