Guiding Principles:  

• Every Child, Every Day is entitled to feel safe, valued, and respected.

• Equity, Access, and Inclusion promote academic, behavioral and social emotional well-being.

• Foster school communities where diversity is celebrated.

• Believe in the potential and promise of each child.

Scope of the Project: 

At the heart of the Equity Action Plan is new Board Policy 0415(a) which states:

The Governing Board believes that the diversity that exists among the district’s community of students, staff, parents/guardians, and community members is integral to the district's vision, mission, and goals.  Addressing the needs of the most marginalized learners requires recognition of the inherent value of diversity and acknowledgment that educational excellence requires a commitment to equity in the opportunities provided to students and resulting outcomes.  

Upon adoption of BP 0415, the district is poised to make intentional decisions around equitable practices and application of policy.  The  tenets of the equity project are: 1) building a positive school climate that promotes student engagement, safety, academic, and social/emotional support for all students.   2) Adopting curriculum and instructional materials that accurately reflect diversity among student groups.  3) Ensuring equity in employment practices, and providing district staff with ongoing, research-based, professional learning and development on culturally responsive instructional practices.

Equity related issues are in the forefront for educators right now, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Fortunately, many resources exist and are available to us from SDCOE, South County SELPA, and neighboring districts.  In our county, most districts are embarking on this journey at the same time.  It is important to remember that equity is about ensuring all students have the tools to realize their full potential.  It is not solely about race, gender, ethnicity or ability.  The purpose is not to espouse one ideology, rather to open the dialogue for how our district can improve overall student success.   

Timeline:  

In order to affect meaningful change, it is going to take time.  Modeling our work on the SDCOE Equity Project, our goal will be to establish a two year timeline. The work toward equity is a process and not just an outcome.  This journey will involve in-depth research, academic conversations, detailed data analysis and professional development.  In the first year, we will assemble a committee of equity-minded stakeholders including students, district staff, and community leaders.   The equity team will meet to gather baseline data and determine the areas of need and focus.  Identification of goal areas will then be presented to the governing board with recommendations toward equity-based outcomes. The second year of the equity project will involve continued professional learning to implement change ideas as well as data collection for accountability. A commitment to partner with the SDCOE Equity Project will provide the scaffolded support, leadership, and coaching necessary to address CUSD disproportionality, with an emphasis on the value of diversity.