OPSB Passes Resolution to Advance Racial Equity Audit

NEW ORLEANS – At its June meeting, the Orleans Parish School Board passed a resolution approving the engagement of a consultant to strategically evaluate school district policies, practices and procedures and use those findings to develop a racial equity plan for all public schools in New Orleans. The goal of the plan is to ensure that racism does not affect outcomes and experiences for NOLA-PS students and their families. Currently, the New Orleans public school district student body is 80 percent African American.

“Our students, parents and staff deserve more than mere platitudes of support and solidarity. They deserve action! We are committed to rooting out any racial inequalities within our system,” said OPSB president and author of the resolution Ethan Ashley.  “I am thankful to our administration for their commitment to combat racial inequities in our system.  I am certain that this resolution is the natural next step to build upon the internal work around equity. For in the end, change starts one system at a time.” 

The resolution outlines the OPSB’s outrage over the killing of George Floyd and other African Americans in recent years as well as “the persistent racial violence and systemic racism we continue to see across our country.” The resolution goes on to state that while the OPSB has strived to bring equitable solutions to systemic problems, these efforts are often undermined by institutional legislation, policies and mandates from governing bodies within the community. With this understanding, the OPSB hopes to lead efforts to disrupt the patterns of racial inequality that permeate our system by auditing policies and procedures and to encourage and support OPSB-authorized schools to do the same while crafting a racial equity plan that addresses the daily structure of the school system and improves the outcomes and experiences of all families and students.

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The full resolution text can be found online here.

 

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