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 – angela@oneloveglobal.org

Thank you for your interest in improving outcomes in earlychildhood for children of color.