New Policy Set To Increase Equity In Local Schools

The Winston-Salem Forsyth County Board of Education has unanimously approved a new policy addressing equity in the local school system. 

It begins by defining equity as a commitment to remove institutional barriers so that all students — regardless of their race, socio-economic class, language proficiency, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or ethnic background — can benefit from every aspect of their learning environment.

Policy 1100-Equity comes with an ambitious set of goals: raising achievement for all students, narrowing the gaps between the lowest and highest performers, and more. It also outlines five pillars of equity: school policy and organization; learning environments; academic placement, tracking and assessment; professional learning; and curriculum development. 

The Winston-Salem Journal reports that not everyone was happy with the new initiative. Coalition for Equity in Public Education's Nathan Parrish criticized the policy's lack of details and specificity that he said were needed to ensure equitable outcomes.