THEORY TO PRACTICE TO
POLICY CHANGE
COMMUNITY KNOWS WHAT
COMMUNITY NEEDS
WHOLE SCHOOL. WHOLE COMMUNITY.
WHOLE CHILD.
As we continue to advocate for equity in academic
achievement, access to high quality instruction,
and safe and healthy school environments, we
believe a radical change must be invoked from
current disparities through the implementation of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model
ACTION4EQUITY POLICY CROSS ANALYSIS
Action4Equity has developed a graphic cross-analysis among our demands, the elements of the Whole School, Whole community, Whole Child Model, the WS/FCS strategic plan, and guidelines from
other stakeholders.
THEORY
Research indicates that culturally
responsive practices improve both academic
performance and student wellbeing.
Students who participate in culturally responsive learning environments have a greater interest in school and are more motivated to learn.
Professional development/evaluation is required for educators to provide a culturally responsive learning environment.
PRACTICE
PLATFORM | Jump At The Sun
• Curriculum and books
PLATFORM | Eversley Little Village, Embedded Mentor Program
• Culturally-affirming learning environment and professional support
PLATFORM | Forsyth Family Power
• Community-engaged participatory research and design for education spaces
PLATFORM | Nourishing Forsyth
• Community driven-trauma informed & social and emotional learning
Demand 2. Hire, Train, and Support Diverse Educators to be Effective in Culturally Affirming Environments
THEORY
Equity in schools also relates to who the students interact with. A diverse faculty and staff is important to create equity in and outside the classroom.
Recruit and provide support for diverse staff and teachers, with a focus on teachers with pedagogical content knowledge.
WS/FCS must act for full funding of Leandro, including the allocation of itemized funds to be invested in recruiting, training, and sustaining a diverse cohort of educators.
PRACTICE
• Pilot of culturally affirming embedded mentoring, diverse professional support
PLATFORM | Nourishing Forsyth
• Community driven, trauma-informed professional development, and access to social and emotional learning resources
Demand 3. Culturally Affirming Family and Community Engagement
THEORY
A fully resourced WSFCS Family Engagement office will: 1. bridge the gap between Black and Brown parents in communities of color and school administrators, 2. participate in two-way communication between WS/FCS and Black and Brown Parents in communities of color.
In partnership with Forsyth Family Power’s Black Caucus and Latino Caucus, Family Engagement Office will empower the voices of Black and Brown parents and community members to influence school policies and practices.
This office will work to increase family engagement through increased meetings with school counselors to meet the social and emotional needs of Black and Brown students in WS/FCS.
PRACTICE
PLATFORM | Forsyth Family Power
• Community-engaged participatory research and design for education spaces
PLATFORM | Nourishing Forsyth
• Community driven, trauma-informed professional development, and access to social and emotional learning resources
PLATFORM | OO2L+H
• Community-driven solutions to address community violence, gun violence, and community healing
Demand 4. Eliminate the Achievement Gap
THEORY
The achievement gap that is associated with the gender, race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status of students in WS/FCS requires full implementation of strategies to meet the needs of Black and Brown students who are not receiving the proper, individualized support required for them to be successful.
WS/FCS will intentionally create partnerships with community organizations to build educational plans that fit styles of learning and increase supportive services to eliminate harm caused by a low teacher-to-student ratio.
Implementation of academic support services needed to eliminate the gap in ACT score and the gap in students of color placed in AP/AG/HAG courses by increasing access and the availability of advanced placement courses offered at schools that have previously not had them.
PRACTICE
• Pilot of culturally affirming embedded mentoring, academic professional support, individualized student support by advocates/mentors
PLATFORM | Forsyth Family Power
• Community-engaged participatory research and design for education spaces, Advocacy campaigns to practice community developed theory
PLATFORM | Nourishing Forsyth
• Connecting organizations committed to racial equity, education, and violence prevention; community level
Demand 5. Equitable Funding Districtwide
THEORY
Approval of a culturally responsive and student centered budget that prioritizes raising achievement for ALL students will prioritize equitable and culturally responsive budgeting that fully accounts for the demographic composition of individual schools.
Dismantling Inspire 340 and ending the practice of segregating students in high poverty low performing schools.
Prioritizing the need to increase funding for the Disadvantaged Student Supplemental Funding allotment, the Limited English Proficiency allotment, and the Children with Disabilities allotment.
PRACTICE
PLATFORM | Forsyth Leandro
• Coalition advocating for the implementation of Leandro Resolution guaranteeing “sound basic education.”
PLATFORM | Eversley Little Village, Embedded Mentor Program
• Pilot of culturally affirming embedded mentoring, academic professional support, individualized student support by advocates/mentors
PLATFORM | Forsyth Family Power
• Community-engaged participatory research and design for education spaces, Advocacy campaigns to practice community developed theory
PLATFORM | Nourishing Forsyth
• Connecting organizations committed to racial equity, education, and violence prevention; community level power building
THEORY
School procedures should be modified to increase classroom ventilation and air quality countywide.
Modifications should include a contract with surveyors to perform quarterly air quality control inspection to ensure low levels of mold, compliance with CDC air quality standards for indoor facilities, and outside eating options.
PRACTICE
PLATFORM | Forsyth Leandro
• Coalition advocating for the implementation of Leandro Resolution guaranteeing “sound basic education.”
PLATFORM | Nourishing Forsyth
• Connecting organizations committed to racial equity, education, and violence prevention; community level power building
THEORY
Ending exclusionary discipline means keeping
a student in the classroom, ending the
criminalization of student behavior, and repairing harm by focusing on the whole student and not just their negative behavior.
Full, district-wide implementation of the Code of Character, Conduct, and Support adopted June 2022 includes: 1. End exclusionary discipline by keeping students in the classroom, ending the criminalization of student behavior, and repairing harm by focusing on the student and not just their negative behavior; 2. Full Implementation of restorative justice practices district wide 3. Reduce the disproportionality of suspension and expulsion of Black and Brown students.
Establishment of a Community Oversight Committee that will consist of parents and other community stakeholders working together to create solutions to end exclusionary discipline.
WS/FCS focusing on nurturing resilience among all students, leveraging the full integration of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) as a knowledge-base to inform best practices in the care of students’ social, emotional and mental health
PRACTICE
PLATFORM | Forsyth Leandro
• Coalition advocating for the implementation of Leandro Resolution guaranteeing “sound basic education.”
PLATFORM | Eversley Little Village, Embedded Mentor Program
• Pilot of culturally affirming embedded mentoring, academic professional support, individualized student support by advocates/mentors
PLATFORM | Forsyth Family Power
• Community-engaged participatory research and design for education spaces, Advocacy campaigns to practice community developed theory
PLATFORM | Nourishing Forsyth
• Connecting organizations committed to racial equity, education, and violence prevention; professional SEL development for educators, community level healing
THEORY
WSFCS must invest in educator wellness through strong preparation and mentoring that improve efficacy and reduce stress, mindfulness and stress management training, social-emotional learning programs that benefit both adults and children, and supportive administration.
Implementing Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model throughout WS/FCS to support teaching and learning and Professional Development for educators that prepares them to respond to the expectations of diverse stakeholders and the trauma of their students;
Full Implementation of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies and skills district-wide by 2025.
Full integration of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) as a knowledge-base to inform the approach to supporting and educating students while under the care and custody of WSFCS.
PRACTICE
PLATFORM | OO2L+H
• Community-driven solutions to address community violence, gun violence, and community healing
PLATFORM | Nourishing Forsyth
• Connecting organizations committed to racial equity, education, and violence prevention; professional SEL development for educators, community level healing PLATFORM | Eversley Little Village, Embedded Mentor Program
• Pilot of culturally affirming embedded mentoring, diverse professional support
EQUITY GOALS & PROGRESS
LOCAL PRIORITIES
• To equip education advocates with the tools and strategies necessary in ensuring a more equitable school budget. To deepen our understanding of the opportunity present with Leandro and to share what the local Leandro budget impact would be for WSFCS.
• Local leaders are working to bring our People into their Power to influence Policy change and deliver on the unfulfilled promise of education equity. We can have schools that work for every child. We can have funding that honors our pursuit of full equity and policies that lift up our school communities, instead of holding them down.
PROGRESS + NEXT STEPS
• 2023 Vision
Implement Winston-Salem / Forsyth County Coordinated Leandro Campaign with partnering organizations: includes press conference, public and community forums, and Leandro Town Hall
• 2022 Launch Equity Forsyth
• 2021 Equity Forsyth focuses on Leandro Advocacy
• Coordinated and Hosted a 2020 Statewide NC State Superintendent Forum
• 2020 Action4Equity joins EveryChild NC Coalition
Goal 2. WS/FCS School Board Leadership Equity Lens
LOCAL PRIORITIES
• As the elected driving force of local educational policies, programs, curriculum, and purse strings, our School board must have take responsibility for a district culture of equity through a deep understanding of institutional racism and generational harm, the importance of culturally affirming learning environments, and their role in exacerbating, perpetuating, mitigating, or eliminating inequity.
PROGRESS + NEXT STEPS
• 2023 Vision
Advocate for New WSFCS Board elected in November 2022 to participate in REI Training
• March 2019 – Seven of nine board members attended two-day Racial Equity Institute Training. Other two members agreed to attend later in the year.
LOCAL PRIORITIES
• The goal of this office is be to empower the
voices of Black and Brown parents and family
members who have expressed levels of concern in communicating with school teachers and administration in regards to their students’ academic achievement and learning environments.
• The concerns arise from a feeling of intimidation and lack of transparency. It is imperative that the Winston-Salem / Forsyth County School District take seriously the social and emotional needs of all students and fund an office whose primary goal is to increase family engagement through increased family meetings with school counselors.
PROGRESS + NEXT STEPS
• 2023 Vision
3 Year Review of Progress towards Equity Goals
• 2021 – Hired one Equity Coach in the Office of Equity and Accountability
• January 2020 – WSFCS adopts an Equity Policy
• October 2019 – Executive Director of Equity begins at WSFCS, and the department is slated to have at least two Equity Coaches
• May 2019 – Executive Director of Equity Position is Posted
• March 2019 – Office of Equity, Access, and Acceleration proposed by the Instructional Superintendent for School Transformation
• February 2019 – Barbara Burke calls the initial Climate, Culture, & Equity Committee meeting
PROGRESS
• Creating a positive culture by adopting belief and vision statements reflective of your
constituencies and carrying them out can have a cascading effect in a community
NEXT STEPS
Goal 5. Engage in Data Equity Work through Community Participatory Research
LOCAL PRIORITIES
L
PROGRESS + NEXT STEPS
Launch of Community Research Advisory Council to oversee research topics and ethics
• 2022 – Nine trained community researchers graduate Launch of Community Engaged Research Infrastructure
Dr. Crystal Ellis joins the A4E and Forsyth Futures Teams as Director of Community Engaged Participatory Research
A4E produces two community engaged research briefs for Pre-K and a DREAM Assessment of New Ashley Design
• 2021 – Forsyth Family Power launches Think-and-Do tank
