The budgeting process is one of the most leveraged functions at a district’s disposal to meet students’ needs. Implementing an equitable budget is an opportunity to provide students with greater needs the resources necessary to achieve at the same level as students without those needs. However, for districts that have traditionally based their budgeting practices on principles of equality rather than equity, making this change could be difficult. Doing so requires a system-readiness assessment that will guide how best to implement an equitable budget in your district.

Transparency in an equitable school district means: (1) reporting how student needs are met, (2) presenting information in ways that all school community members understand how those needs are met, and (3) including members of the school community in the decision-making process, especially those members traditionally not heard.

Seeking and embracing student voice is a key driver of equity. Student voice helps school districts identify how the interplay between educator unconscious biases and cultural competence and district policies, practices, and procedures contribute to student opportunity and achievement gaps. Responding to these gaps through student-driven design results in more culturally appropriate and sustainable solutions.

The ABCs of Equity Audits

This blog is the third of three blogs on equity audits: Part I: Why an equity audit? Part II: What is an equity audit? Part III: Where do we start?

The ABCs of Equity Audits

This blog is the second of three blogs on equity audits: Part I: Why an equity audit? Part II: What is an equity audit? Part III: Where do we start? 

The ABCs of Equity Audits

This blog is the first in a series of three blogs on equity audits to be released over the next three months: Part I: Why an equity audit? Part II: What is an equity audit? Part III: Where do we start?

Is your district maximizing one of the most leveraged tools at your disposal to close the student opportunity gap - the district budget? Answer four key questions and discover practices to make your district budget more equitable.

A society cannot produce a few exceptional students from traditionally marginalized populations and declare success. We can declare success when there are innumerable students from all backgrounds who have equitable access to the opportunities to achieve whatever goals they have for themselves.