The Black Lens
In spring 2020, the Spokane Public Schools Board of Directors drew input from staff, students, and the community to create and adopt a board resolution to establish equity policies.
Four years later, the district released a 79-page assessment of the equity efforts that were launched in 2020.
“It is important that four years after the Equity Resolution we pause to assess both our intentions and impact,” SPS Board President Nikki Lockwood wrote in the report. “This was a time of unbelievable uncertainty brought on by the early stages of the pandemic and the racial trauma related to national-level discourse. The school board’s approval of the Equity Resolution was a significant step forward for Spokane Public Schools.”
The goals listed in the resolution were to:
- Address structural systems with a focus on eliminating barriers and improving access for students.
- Raise the achievement of all students while decreasing gaps between the highest and lowest performing students.
- Decrease rates of disproportionality in programs, services, interventions and student discipline.
“While there is much work yet to be done,” the updated assessment reads, the report, which can be found online at bit.ly/3Xye1cK, outlines the actions SPS has taken to fulfill commitments made in the 2020 School Board Equity Resolution.
“This report creates an intentional moment of reflection, a vital step in the cycle of working towards progress,” Lockwood wrote. “This reflection must be done with community input and transparency, and I am so thankful for your time as you read through and provide feedback.”