To whom this may concern,

I am excited and humbled for the opportunity to apply for the position of the District
Equity and Inclusion Coordinator. As a lifelong learner I have found this topic so vast and deep
that it would take multiple lifetimes to get close to unpacking. The last seven years, I have been
working to better understand how I absorb, partner, and collectively work towards bettering
systems to enact meaningful change through collective efficacy and an always sharpening
equity lens. Someone asked me recently, what drives the work that I do for equity. It has taken a
lot of reflection and many iterative definitions of equity, to highlight the core of this work for me
personally and professionally. Today, my working definition of equity that drives me is..

Equity reminds us that we are a human system and helps us slow down to learn from our
mistakes before they become links of regret and shame that wraps us like armor and hides the
semblance of our humanity. In slowing down we also see the potential and opportunities to
strengthen our collective spirit and efforts to be a community that sees, serves, and values the
people that brings it to life.

I see this role as creating opportunities for teachers, staff, and leaders as well as
students, parents, and community members to see how the goal of equity and inclusion betters
all of us. We all have a part to play, we are all in this picture for change that serves all, it
includes bettering our practices in the roles we play and in the partnerships we build. It is no
longer enough to give information; we have to foster and grow those opportunities to reflect,
practice, fail, and ignite inspiration to come back to the table with innovative ideas that include
the voices of those we are serving.

As a doctoral student, I am curious about the gap between intention for equity and the
decisions that people make that perpetuate the inequitable outcomes we see persist today. In
my studies, I have found that we make decisions so high-stakes that fear supersedes those
intentions for equity. The hegemonic practices that are at play in education and in our society
requires opportunities for people to unlearn together. The last seven years I have explored the
idea of unlearning, the role of redefining actions for equity, and what it requires to truly shift a
culture. In partnership with some amazing leaders in our district, we have helped our district do
these things, but ultimately the decisions that are made highlight the values of an equity stance
and understanding that an idea is only legitimized and taken as seriously as the resources you
put into it. Thus, I am humbled and excited for an opportunity to do the work that I have been
doing to steer the equity work in our organization, in a role that is dedicated to strengthening our
holistic system, it seems we have truly taken steps to place equity at the center of our work.

These last few years, people have asked me what I wanted to do with my degree, focus,
etc. I would always say I didn’t know because there wasn’t a position created yet that highlights
the skills and knowledge that I can bring, because it seems not many districts seem to truly
value the role of equity and inclusion. In our district, those roles have been funded through
grants and donations of personal time and from community partners. It is bittersweet to see that
our district is ready to take the step towards improving and sustaining this work, I feel we have
great work to be done. As I stated earlier, it takes a leap to fund this work as an organization.
The work that we have been able to forge forward has been at the grassroots level, funding,
time, etc came from my grant writing, partnerships with industry, and seeking collaborative
partnerships with the community. I hope that as we see the impact of this work, we will commit
more to a structure and a systemic approach that is sustainable, which requires an analysis of
current budget and reallocating funds to address the equity gaps we see in our current system. I
am excited for this new chapter in my life, to take the skills that I have learned and cultivated to
help more schools and create a broader network of partnership within our district. I would be
proud to show the work that I have been doing, as well as in my doctoral studies around equity
in complex systems. I would also be happy to share references.

Thank you for considering,

Zinnia Un, District Equity Coordinator