SPS equity policy, a win for all

I am exceptionally proud of the Spokane Public School Board for voting unanimously to pass the updated Equity Policy at their August 25th meeting. This policy will help all students in Spokane succeed and be prepared for college or a career after high school.

I serve as a member of the SPS Diversity Advisory Council and have been the Spokane organizer for the bipartisan education policymaking and advocacy nonprofit Stand for Children for four years. I am encouraged that the school board has now fully adopted an equity approach to ensure that every caregiver, child and educator has their individual needs considered so that they feel safe, heard and valued within Spokane Public Schools. Instead of a cookie-cutter approach, our schools will now consider how to best support each person towards success.

The updates to this policy reflect our growing understanding of the diverse experiences and needs of our community. The policy now has clear goals and strong language that will help ensure accountability going forward.

I want students and teachers to work and learn in a space that regards their individual needs as vitally important to the well-being of the whole. The board’s decisive commitment to using a framework of equity that acknowledges our diverse experiences – including that of race – is an essential step toward our vision of Excellence for Everyone. As we vote to elect two new school members this fall, we should choose leaders who are committed to continuing what this board has started.

Darcelina Soloria

Spokane