Ad Hoc Committee on CulturalCompetence & Racial Equity
November 2013
Lansing Early Childhood EquityPartnership
Presenter:Angela Waters Austin
One Love Global
Policy v. Practice: House Bill 5111
“Mich. panel weighs holding back readingdeficient third graders” One-third or 33,000 of Michigan’s third-graders,weren’t proficient in reading on last year’s test.Rep. Amanda Price (R-Park Township) calls itthe “Third Grade Reading Guarantee.” “Similar legislation has been proven effective inFlorida and other states (Houston, Arizona),where illiteracy rates have declined because ofthe Third Grade Reading Guarantee.”- October 30, 2013 Associated Press, Nov 13 MLive
Policy v. Practice: House Bill 5144
“Introduced by Rep. Thomas Stallworth (D-Detroit) and provides early interventions to helpincrease third-grade reading proficiency inMichigan, focusing on the identification of,intervention for and retention of struggling readersin kindergarten through third grade...Allows superintendents to take into considerationalternative assessments, pupil portfolios and good-cause exemptions for students with disabilities orESL students.”
Op/Ed from Rep. Amanda Price – November 19,Holland Sentinel
Purpose
• Meet and come back to GSC and LECEPwith a plan
• Identify topics and things we can do • A multi-level approach is needed • Shape recommendations that others in
the community may take on long-term
What We’ve Accomplished
June – October 2013:• Purpose• Process• Participants• Proceedings• Priorities• Partner Engagement
Hon. Donald Allen, 55th District Court,Ingham Change InitiativeSarah Anthony, Ingham County Board ofCommissionersAngela Waters Austin, One Love GlobalWard Beard, N.E.O.N.Stephanie Butler, Church of GreaterLansingPam Eaton Champion, Pam’s Academyfor ChampionsKatie Ellero, Power of We Consortium,AMERICORPSDeLisa Fountain, N.E.O.N.Rose Henderson, Power of WeConsortiumShanell Henry, N.E.O.N.Mina Hong, Michigan’s ChildrenKindra Jackson, Kindra’s Precious CareSandra JohnsonCameo King, One Love GlobalTeresa Kmetz, Capital Area United WayCassandre Larrieux, Ingham CountyHealth Department
Tiffany Lemieux-McKissic, AssetIndependence CoalitionLaurie Linscott, Michigan StateUniversityTim Lloyd, N.E.O.N.Barb Monroe, Office for Young ChildrenMichelle Nicholson, Ingham Great StartCollaborativeSharon Rogers, Capital Area CommunityServices Head StartMC Rothhorn, N.E.O.N., Great StartFamily CoalitionDerrell Slaughter, MI Public ServiceCommissionIsaias Solis, Power of We ConsortiumLia Spaniolo, Power of We ConsortiumKen Sperber, Ingham Great StartCollaborativeValerie Thonger, Ingham Great StartCollaborativeAdam Williams, N.E.O.N.Jerome Vierling, Sounds Good Ministries
Participants
A grateful thanks to committee members for sharing your hearts and minds to helpour community cast a vision for improving outcomes for children by removing barriers
created by racialized policies, practices and perceptions.
• Organizing and Agenda Setting (utilizingthe Racial Equity Collective Impact diagramand process to build an inclusive committee todevelop an action agenda for improvingoutcomes for Black males)
• Storytelling (drawing on the personalexperiences of all to equalize power for trustand relationship building)
• Asset Mapping (data collection designed tobuild on strengths rather than deficits)
• Issues Identification (developing a sharedunderstanding of problems and potentialsolutions)
• Goal Alignment and Prioritization (applyingsolutions to NEON SMART objective and data topromote collective action with families)
Process: Action Planning
June: Storytelling
June Proceedings: Themes
Show & Tell: Our Assets
September: Priority Alignment
Which actions are mostlikely to have an impacton closing the gap in 3rdgrade reading scoresbetween Black childrenand White children?.
Priorities
Structural Racism Priorities
What Does Success Look Like
• All children, even those who cannot afford it,have the opportunity to enroll in high qualitypre-school (not just those who can afford it)
• Parents and students are consulted on policies
that affect them and are informing policymakers and legislators
• Constituents are holding policy makers
accountable for the decisions they make andensuring that all decisions are made using arace equity lens
(August Ad Hoc Meeting Activity)
• Employ the best tools and thinking inidentification of structural racism barriers
• Commit to working on multiple levels to
combat structural racism • Learn by doing through collective action to
close gap in 3rd grade reading scores • Serve as champions for racial equity in
early childhood • Identify resources to sustain work
Community of Practice
• Report out on ad hoc committee to targetedconstituencies (October 31 - ongoing)
• Extend partnership agreements to bring existing
resources into the CoP (LOI draft distributed byMonday, November 25)
• Determine GSC members that will participate in
the CoP (LOI due by Friday, December 13) • Launch the Community of Practice for Racial
Equity & Healing (Monday, January 20 – MLK Day– SAVE THE DATE)
• Complete individual and organization assessments
(by January 31)
Next Step: Partnership
Other Recommended Actions
Proceedings
If your organization is interested in joining the CoP, please contactAngela Waters Austin – [email protected]
Thank you for your interest in improving outcomes in earlychildhood for children of color.