Sent to all OCS Staff

OCS BOARD RESOLUTION EQUITY IN EDUCATION

At the September 14 Board of Education meeting, the OCS Board approved the Resolution for the Board’s Next
Steps towards Equity in Education in OCS as acknowledgement of persistent racial intolerance, inequities and
academic disparities in our district as defined by OCS Policy 1030. Now, more than ever before, we have to
demonstrate that we are a district where each member of our community matters.

Our district will not tolerate our students, families, and staff feeling unsafe in their own skin. We will continue
to place value on building a culture dedicated to truth and respect for each person’s lived experience. As such
we are committed to the:

 Development and promotion of a culture of high expectations for all students;

 Attending racial equity training to work through how we govern in a district that has disparate
educational outcomes along the lines of race and socioeconomic status;

 Continuous work of raising the level of achievement for all students while eliminating academic
disparities;

 Ensuring that personal characteristics (real or perceived) will not predict any individual’s educational
outcomes;

 Active recruitment, support, and retainment of a diverse workforce;

 Active training and support of all administrators, teachers, and staff in implementing this policy
including creating culturally affirming and relevant classrooms and schools;

 Engagement of staff, students, parents/guardians, and the entire community to build and sustain a
culture emblematic of the ideals of this Equity Policy; and

 Black Lives Matter is not a partisan or political statement, it is an affirmation of the inherent value of
the lives of our Black students, staff, and community members, which have been historically
undervalued in this country.

What we do as those entrusted to care for and educate our students matters. And we do not take this
responsibility lightly. We know that by taking steps toward equity every day, we can ensure our students feel
safe and supported. We can begin building the world we want our children to grow up in, together.

Online Version