SAN JOSE, CA – Today, Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) has announced the Ways 2 Equity Playbook and webinar series. Officially launched at the 7th annual Inclusion Collaborative State Conference (ICSC) in September, The Ways 2 Equity Playbook is a navigation tool that can be used to identify equity needs throughout organizations with a primary focus on looking at equity through a systems lens to ensure improved student outcomes.
The Playbook purposefully examines three historically marginalized student groups: African American students, students with disabilities, and English learners, and provides universal tools and resources throughout as a means to address the needs of all students.
“We have learned the way to develop the most effective, sustainable model of equity in education begins and continues with conversation,” said Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Mary Ann Dewan. “With the Ways 2 Equity Playbook, we have an opportunity to address and respond to inequitable practices in our education system in a meaningful, deliberative way that will facilitate dialogue and improve communication, which is the only way we will continue to learn, understand and eliminate bias.”
The Ways 2 Equity Playbook is the culminating two-year project of the California Equity Performance and Improvement Program (CEPIP) grant made possible by Assembly Bill 99, authored and promoted by Assemblywoman Dr. Shirley Weber. The grant is designed to create funding to promote equity in California’s public schools, by supporting and building capacity within County Offices of Education, local educational agencies and schools. To fulfill this effort, the SCCOE has partnered with several national equity organizations including the National Equity Project (NEP) and Western Educational Equity Assistance Center (WEEAC), as well as several local school districts. Case studies highlighting the partnering school districts are featured in the Playbook.
Educators using the Ways 2 Equity Playbook have access to additional resources that can support implementation in classrooms. In keeping with the navigational metaphor, the Playbook features a series of “on-ramps” which allows users to approach the conversation and equity journey where it is applicable for them. The SCCOE has also created an informative webinar for educators to learn more about how to facilitate conversations about equity, incorporate elements of the Ways 2 Equity Playbook in their classroom practices, and provides them with an opportunity to network with peers and share best practices.
Hosted by Santa Clara County Superintendent Dr. Mary Ann Dewan, the first webinar is scheduled for this Thursday, October 8th from 9am - 10:30am PST, and will include guest speakers, Assemblywoman Dr. Shirley Weber and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond. Webinar attendees will learn from authors and state equity leads about the recently published Ways 2 Equity Playbook, the guidance provided by the CEPIP grant, and the two year journey that culminated in the playbook and its supporting tools and tutorials. Educators and school administrators are invited to register here and will have access to a free, downloadable version of the Ways 2 Equity Playbook.
Subsequent webinars will be hosted through the SCCOE Equity Network, beginning November 19th, and henceforth on the third Thursday of every month from 10am - 12pm.
Interested schools and districts who want to learn more about the Ways 2 Equity Playbook, should contact the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s Inclusion Collaborative at inclusion@sccoe.org. Soft copies of the Playbook and more information about the CEPIP grant are available at the Inclusion Collaborative’s website.
###
About the Santa Clara County Office of Education
Working collaboratively with school and community partners, the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) is a regional service agency that provides instructional, business, and technology services to the 31 school districts of Santa Clara County. The County Office of Education directly serves students through special education programs, alternative schools, Head Start and State Preschool programs, migrant education, and Opportunity Youth Academy. The SCCOE also provides academic and fiscal oversight and monitoring to districts in addition to the 22 Santa Clara County Board of Education authorized charter schools.