As plans for the 2020-21 school year are being finalized, school districts across Washington state are focusing on racial equity while developing updated learning plans, and students, parents, and educators are trying to navigate new systems and expectations.
In this webinar, Highline Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield, Kent School District Superintendent Dr. Calvin Watts, Northshore School District Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid, Bellingham Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Greg Baker, Kennewick School District Superintendent Dr. Traci Pierce, and Davenport School District Superintendent Jim Kowalkowski share how racial equity is being addressed during this historic time, describe what school will look like in their districts for the start of the 2020-21 school year, outline what kinds of support school districts in Washington need from the state as the school year gets underway, and answer questions.
Moderated by League of Education Voters Communications Director Arik Korman.
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Superintendents from Across Washington state on Racial Equity and Going Back to School
LEVinar Recap by Andre Lawes Menchavez, Engagement Intern
As plans for the 2020-21 school year are being finalized, school districts across Washington state are focusing on racial equity while developing updated learning plans, and students, parents, and educators are trying to navigate new systems and expectations.
Highline Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield, Kent School District Superintendent Dr. Calvin Watts, Northshore School District Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid, Bellingham Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Greg Baker, Kennewick School District Superintendent Dr. Traci Pierce, and Davenport School District Superintendent Jim Kowalkowski discussed with the League of Education Voters last week on how racial equity is being addressed during this historic time, what school will look like in their districts for the start of the 2020-21 school year and support school districts in Washington need from the state.
On addressing racial equity in their schools
The superintendents shared a wide range of how their districts are, and have been, addressing racial equity as the fight for racial justice continues on in our country.
Dr. Michelle Reid of the Northshore School District ensured that they were fighting for racial equity as well, even stating that their administrative retreat last week was going to focus on the topic of their role in achieving racial equity. The district is also creating an equity and pedagogy position to work with ethnic studies.
Reid believes this time of reopening is an opportune moment to make the changes we wish to see in our schools. She spoke briefly about what this looks like in course materials and restructuring what we teach our students.
“It is such an opportunity as we curate instructional material online to look at everything we are teaching and how we are teaching it,” Reid said. “It’s an opportunity for us to select materials that we think fit within this larger vision of a racially just educational system.”
Dr. Susan Enfield of Highline Public Schools stated that racial equity has been a prioritization for the school board, voicing steps her district is taking later this month as well as their long-term equity goals.
“It’s happening at multiple levels: board level, district level, and school level,” Enfield said. “We can always do a better job of listening to, learning from, and engaging with communities.”
A procedure to implement intentional instructions of race and identity in Highline Public Schools is in the works, with the expectation by 2023 that all of their schools will be teaching with specific instruction on this topic. The district also hosted an equity symposium on August 25th where the focus was on becoming an anti-racist school system.
Dr. Traci Pierce of the Kennewick School District spoke on their formulation of a new strategic equity plan for the fall.
“On July 29th, our board issued an equity-focused proclamation that includes all of our district’s stance on anti-racism and a commitment to equity,” Pierce said.
These commitments, Pierce said, include recruiting, hiring, and retaining diverse staff in their schools.
Dr. Greg Baker of Bellingham Public Schools stated their equity policy was created a year ago and is currently in place, working towards diversifying the staff to “make sure our staff reflects our community.”
Dr. Calvin Watts of the Kent School District mentioned also having a pre-existing race and equity policies in our school. Kent’s policies were adopted as a board in March of 2017.
What was crucial in this process, Watts mentioned is that those who attempt to produce and implement equity policies must “define terms.” Doing so means an individual or institution pursuing this work must create an understanding of what racial equity meant to them.
Watts believes that equity work in the school system must be understood and implemented from beyond the boardroom: it should apply to the classroom and our lives at home.
Jim Kowalkowski of the Davenport School District gave insight on their unique position in regard to equity. Although one of the least racially diverse school districts in the state, Kowalkowski believes that these conversations on equity are “an opportunity to teach our kids and learn.”
On support needed for the 2020-2021 school year in WA state
Superintendents across the country have been struggling with the planning of the upcoming school year all summer, especially with finding the support needed to execute the plans they propose for their students.
Many of the superintendents mentioned transportation funding as an essential step for supporting their districts.
Pierce shared insight on Kennewick’s usage of busses to deliver meals and potential learning resources for students, including chrome books that they are ensuring all students in grades three through twelve will be receiving.
Enfield shared an important insight that the issue of supporting education during this time is just a piece of the overall systemic issue, there are many other needs beyond the classroom that need to be met.
Broadband access, child care, healthcare, and food insecurity in students and their families were all areas that Enfield elaborated on. Her insight was aimed towards ensuring a holistic view of equity and that the fight to achieving it does not stop at the educational level.
“It’s bigger than our schools. We really have to come together to come up with long-term permanent solutions,” Enfield said. “I really think that it is important that we as school district leaders name all of the things that we need to do, and are doing, to make sure that our children get the high-quality education that they deserve and that we are addressing these fundamental issues of equity.”
Kowalkowski agreed, emphasizing the larger equity issue of broadband access in Davenport.
The district has had to resort to opening up hotspots in parking lots. Although the district gave all students Chromebooks, Kowalkowski said these students did not have remote access to actually use them.
The conversation with the superintendents centered on putting students first, resonating deeply with Watts’ commentary on social-emotional learning and how we can best engage and enrich our students. This comes hand in hand with addressing equity issues and superintendents doing the most that they can to ensure genuine equity and students are at the forefront of the conversation on restructuring our schools as we approach the new year.
As Reid said perfectly: “What we are working really hard to do is create this vision of our preferred future state.”
Watch the full LEVinar with the superintendents here.
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