Bold and progressive policy by courageous leaders –and supported by the community– can drive positive and inclusion-driven changes in our workplaces. How?

Structural change, rooted in policy and practiced in adaptive, transformational interactions between personnel comes about through an combination of “hands-on”, diversity minded leadership; empowered staff on the ground; and perhaps, most of all public demand. This “inside/outside” effort may scare some mindsets, but if inclusion is the bottom line, and companies can see the case for their ROI in diversity-there is nothing to be scared of.

Case in point.

For over a year, I had the honor of serving as the Coordinator for Equity and Race Relations for Seattle Public School –the largest K-12 school system in Washington State, serving nearly 52,000 students in 97 schools. Our district has a staff of about 9,000, including about 3,100 teachers.  Like most major (and small) school districts across our country we have an achievement gap in student performance (as measured by testing) between our white students and our students of color. In 2012 Seattle Public Schools (SPS) was the subject of a Federal Investigation around these longstanding achievement gaps and the disproportionate discipline rooted in structural and social inequities.

Community pressure and progressive leadership within the district sought transformational, as opposed to transactional, change. In August of 2012, SPS became one of a handful of districts in the nation (following the lead of Portland Public Schools in the 1990’s) to adopt a Board Policy for Educational and Racial Equity. After a 6-month intense dialogue with district leadership and community members about the inclusion of the word “race” in the policy, in the end it was decided that in order to have transparency and integrity, “race” should be included.

As we know, policy is a big deal in creating a proper foundation of diversity and inclusion, but it is implemented thorough adaptive relationships with employees and the communities we serve.  As each person feels like an authentic partner in the process, the work and the accountability to equity are embraced systemically. It was also important that the work was anchored in a Department within the district, even as the leadership and journey are shared by all.

As a result, the District reinstituted its office of Equity and Race Relations

The new mission for the Equity and Race Relations Department is to develop and support a research based model for the Seattle School District, which will institutionalize educational and racial equity for every one of our students, in every one of our schools, every day. The Equity and Race Relations Department is working with administrators, central office staff, and upper level administration, as well as classroom educators and specialists who impact our students on a daily basis. All staff will receive Professional Development in cultural proficiency and all educators will receive PD in culturally responsive evidenced-based instruction with the support they need to equitably serve each and every student.