School Board Motion for Equity Committee and Policy

Date: Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Committee: Equity Committee and Policy

The Red Clay School District welcomes the opportunity to review and expand Equity
throughout our school system. Red Clay has a very diverse student population that would
benefit from the development of the Equity Committee and Board Policy. The committee
would help lead the district in the areas of equity policy & practice, professional
development, school climate & discipline, and business & educational partnerships.

Red Clay is committed to academic excellence and personal success for all students.
Central to this commitment is educational equity. We are hopeful this committee will lead
the cultural transformation of Red Clay with changes in policy, hiring & employment, and
improving practices necessary to create a culturally responsive district that ensures the
success of every student. This work is necessary to prepare every student to navigate
and compete in a culturally diverse society and global economy.

The Equity Committee would be committed to reviewing and changing the district
practices related to racial equity in education. Educational equity means raising the
achievement of all students while:
Narrowing the gaps between the lowest and highest performing student; and
Eliminating the racial predictability and disproportionality of which student
groups occupy the highest and lowest achievement categories.

The concept of educational equity goes beyond formal equalitywhere all students are
treated the sameto fostering a barrier-free environment where all students, regardless
of race or special needs, gender, sexual orientation, social class, linguistic background,
etc., have access to the opportunities and resources necessary for their success.
Educational equity benefits all students, and our entire community.

Therefore, we move that the district task the Diversity Committee to develop an Equity
Plan to be presented to the Board at its April 2018 meeting for implementation in the
2018-2019 school year.

MD