System-Wide Racial Equity Essentials

These “essentials” are foundational, cradle-through-college system-level efforts that, if strengthened, will help our region advance racial equity and support student success. This list was developed and has been refined by Road Map Project stakeholders.

Our collective work focuses on impacting these system conditions so our students of color are well supported and able to reach their full potential. To measure progress toward these equity essentials, the project will be building out indicators to measure changes across the educational and supporting systems throughout our region.

Equitable Funding

• Advocate for local and regional funding equity, including public and private source
• Advocate for state funding equity

INCREASE CULTURALLY RELEVANT SCHOOL CLIMATE AND SUPPORTS

• Diversify educator workforce
• Improve cultural competence of workforce
• Reform discipline policy and practices
• Support bilingual pride and language access
• Build capacity of culturally specific community based organizations

STRONG FAMILY ENGAGEMENT PRACTICES AND FUNCTIONS

• Support families as early childhood brain-builders
• Build strong district and school family engagement practices
• Build regional capacity for grassroots parent advocacy

INCREASE ACCESS AND DISMANTLE BARRIERS TO OPPORTUNITY

• Increase access to high-quality early learning
• Increase access to strong family supports
• Increase access to quality out-of-school-time
• Increase career connections and pathways to college success
• Increase access to quality reengagement programs

STRONG CIVIL RIGHTS POLICIES

• Support strong implementation of House Bill #1541 (state “opportunity gap” bill)
• Advocate for federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) implementation as a civil rights opportunity