Fifty-eight people from 10 states completed the first Equity Leadership Academy for States in February 2021. Over 6 months, during 10 training and 4 technical assistance sessions, and 15 focus groups, the group began the important conversations necessary to transform our education systems.

The group is sharing its recommendations to help other organizations continue their equity initiatives. Please download the full project report and the executive summary to learn more about the Academy and how its outcomes might help your organization.

Recommendations for everyone

1. Educators must first interrogate their understandings with the help of professional learning before launching system-wide change to truly counter institutional momentum and entertain new solutions.
2. Departments of Education and institutions must begin by crafting a shared equity vision and understanding to help ensure teams work from a similar place of understanding.
3. Organizations that allow authentic student and community voices to drive and guide our grounded action will see equity gaps narrow.
4. We must create a culture of shared accountability within ourselves, our institutions, and the larger systems in which we participate to create the change our students deserve.

We hope to host the second Academy in 2022. Please email Ashley if your state education organization is interested in participating. We will add you to the waitlist and update you on progress.