Education Resource Equity in 2020-21

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Teams of school, district, and community leaders are working tirelessly to identify solutions that respond to budget uncertainties, meet students’ increased needs, and keep students and staff safe during the 2020-21 school year. Constantly-changing circumstances cloud the 2020-21 school year in uncertainty, and make it challenging for districts, schools, and communities to plan. And although equity work is sometimes perceived to be something that there is only time to focus on during “better times,” when districts and schools aren’t operating through such instability and uncertainty, we believe that leading with equity first matters even more during times of crisis. 

An economic recession, renewed national recognition of systemic racism, and the COVID-19 pandemic in particular, have exacerbated the barriers that students of color and students with higher needs face to access excellent learning opportunities. Therefore, schools, districts, and communities must provide them with different levels and combinations of support — different from their peers who have been impacted less significantly, and different from how schools were set up to serve them prior. 

This set of 3 new guides — one for school leadership teams, one for district leadership teams, and one for community members and advocates — dig into seven education resource equity strategies for the 2020-21 school year:

Shield the highest-need schools from funding cuts and layoffs. Prioritize instructional time and attention for students who need it most.  Provide additional social-emotional, physical and mental health, and family supports for the students in greatest need. Invest in professional learning, collaborative planning time, and better working conditions for educators in the highest-need schools. Close the digital divide to ensure all students have access to devices, high-speed internet, and the support they need to continue learning. Ensure all students have access to a culturally relevant, rigorous, and engaging curriculum.  Identify and implement strategies to ensure all students, particularly students of color, return to a positive and inviting school climate.

Based on your district’s unique context, you can prioritize which strategies to focus on for back-to-school, and which to revisit later in the school year. Each guide includes specific equity actions, resources, and examples and was written in partnership with The Education Trust as part of The Alliance for Resource Equity.

Go to the Guides