Equity

SOESD’s Board Policy 5920 states:

Southern Oregon Education Service District is committed to equity and the success of each and every student. This commitment means we focus on attaining student outcomes that are not predicted by diversity such as race, ethnicity, economic status, mobility, language, country of origin, gender expression, sexual orientation, or disability. Equity in education ensures inclusion and centers on social justice. Equity is not used  interchangeably with principles of equality. The principle of equity goes beyond formal  equality where all persons are treated the same. Instead, equity fosters an inclusive and  barrier-free environment in which everyone will fully benefit. The district will apply this principle of equity to all policies, programs, operations, practices and resource allocations where possible. All students will have access and opportunity to a  high-quality education. SOESD commits to the goals of:

• being an antiracist and multicultural organization.
• identifying and counteracting biased practices that perpetuate achievement disparities and lead to disproportionate levels of student success.
• using data, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, language, special education, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background and mobility to inform district decision-making.
• incorporating the voice, culture and perspectives of students, staff, families and communities that reflect demographics to support and enhance student success.
• ensuring special education for students with disabilities is culturally sustaining and considers race and language.
• actively recruiting, hiring, and retaining qualified staff at all organizational levels that reflect student demographics.
• supporting employees to engage in culturally responsive practices and delivery of quality instruction and service.

Adopted May 20, 2020

CONTACT

541-776-8590
equity@soesd.k12.or.us

Land Acknowledgement

Southern Oregon Education Service District and the areas in which we serve is located within the ancestral homelands of the Shasta, Takelma, Latgawa, Klamath, Modoc, and the Yahooskin-Paiute peoples who lived here since time immemorial. These Tribes were displaced during rapid Euro-American colonization, the Gold Rush, and armed conflict between 1851 and 1856. In the 1850s, discovery of gold and settlement brought thousands of Euro-Americans to their lands, leading to warfare, epidemics, starvation, and villages being burned. In 1853 the first of several treaties were signed, confederating these Tribes and others together – who would then be referred to as the Rogue River Tribe. These treaties ceded most of their homelands to the United States, and in return they were guaranteed a permanent homeland reserved for them. At the end of the Rogue River Wars in 1856, these Tribes and many other Tribes from western Oregon were removed to the Siletz Reservation and the Grand Ronde Reservation. Today, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (https://www.grandronde.org) and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (http://www.ctsi.nsn.us/) are living descendants of the Takelma, Shasta, and Latgawa peoples of this area. We encourage YOU to learn about the land you reside on, and to join us in advocating for the inherent sovereignty of Indigenous people. The Klamath Tribes Treaty of 1864 (https://klamathtribes.org/history/ ) was signed with the federal government to secure hunting, fishing, gathering, and water rights on the new reservation. They lived along the Klamath Marsh, on the banks of Klamath Lake, near the mouth of the Lower Williamson River, Pelican Bay, beside the Link River, and in the uplands of the Sprague River Valley.  The Modocs’ lands included the Link River, Lower Lost River, Clear Lake, the Lava Beds, and the territory that extended south as far as the mountains beyond Goose Lake and Mount Shasta. The Yahooskin-Paiute Bands occupied the area east of Yamsay Mountain, south of Lakeview, and north of Fort Rock. The federal government broke their Treaty, and the Klamath Tribes were terminated under the Klamath Termination Act, or Public Law 587, enacted on August 13, 1954.

Equity Professional Development and Learning

• Current Offerings:
  • • webPD Universal Design for Learning (UDL) 101 – Term I 2021/22
    • webPD Equity 101 – SMBH – Term I 2021/22
    • Restorative Justice Facilitator training
    • SEED Project – Fall 2021 VIRTUAL
    • Tribal History / Shared History (Winter)
    • Foundations of Equity A: Identity, Implicit Bias, Microaggressions
    • Tribal History / Shared History (Spring)
• SOESD’s Annual Equity Summit
• Other opportunities include workshops from the National Equity Project, the Oregon Center for Educational Equity and others through the SOESD Meyer Memorial Trust Equitable Education

Other Board Equity Policies from our region

• Ashland School District
• Eagle Point School District
• Grants Pass School District
• Klamath Falls City Schools
• Medford School District
• Phoenix Talent School District

SOESD Hosted Affinity and Alliance Groups for Staff

• Educators of Color Affinity Group
  • The Educators of Color Affinity Group offers a needed space for educators that identify as BIPOC to create community and support each other while navigating the challenges of being a BIPOC educator in Southern Oregon. This group gathers 2-3 times a year depending on participants needs and is open to BIPOC educators from all over the valley, not just k-12 institutions
• Queer Educators Affinity Group
  • The Southern Oregon Queer Educators Affinity Group exists to provide a safe space for those who identify as LGBTQ2SIA+ and work in any education position (teacher, administrator, support staff, other) in the SOESD region or those who serve through education partner organizations such as higher education, community service organizations, after school education organizations, and other similar youth-serving agencies.  Monthly meetings provide opportunities for LGBTQ2SIA+ individuals to build connections and community, consider advocacy for educators and students, and create safety, significance and belonging for every person.
• Southern Oregon White Antiracist Educators (SOWARE)
  • Southern Oregon White Antiracist Educators is a space for White educators to think critically about White culture and privilege.  This space is designed to help White folks understand their own racial identities while strengthening their antiracism practices. This group meets monthly and is open to any educator willing to examine, learn, and unlearn together. To learn more about why a White affinity group might be a useful supplement to your antiracism work, here’s some more information!

CONTACT

541-776-8590
equity@soesd.k12.or.us

Other Resources

Please also refer to the following SOESD Programs:

• Southern Oregon Black / African American Student Success (SOBAASS)
• Indian Education
• Migrant Education
• English Language Learners

Also, please also refer to the following resources from districts in our region:

• Ashland School District’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policies, Resolutions and site plans
• Grant’s Pass School District’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion information
• Phoenix Talent Schools Equity & Resilience Resources