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Equity and Advocacy Collaborative – Phase 5

Home → Get Involved → Community Advisory Groups 2023-2024 → Equity → Equity and Advocacy Collaborative – Phase 5

What is the Equity Advisory Group?

Now in its 5th year, the Equity Advisory and Advocacy Collective (EAAC) was formed to provide advice to the BSD Superintendent and district leadership on issues of equity, and to support the implementation of BSD Board Policy 0130 – Equity and Accountability.

This work remains vital.  Equity issues have been exacerbated due to COVID and distant learning, especially for students with special needs, students with Multiple Language Learning needs, low-income students, and students of color.

2022-23 EAAC Areas of Focus

  • Equity Advocacy

The daily lives of students and their experiences of inequity have persisted since BSD began to formalize its equity work almost a decade ago. The EAAC will bring a focus on social justice and equity to advocate on behalf of all students in the BSD, with an emphasis on students of color, particularly our Black and Latino students; students with disabilities; and multilingual learners. Advocacy work may include:

  1. Identifying topics/issues for district focus using the District’s Equity Commitments as a framework
  2. Meeting with BSD staff, students, and families to understand current experiences related to equity, social justice, and equitable academic and social emotional outcomes
  • Policy Advisement

The EAAC will support the district in the implementation of its commitments to equity and Policy 0130 – Equity and Accountability. Consistent with the intent of Critical Criteria Review, EAAC members stand ready to work with the District’s Policy Liaison and district staff in an advisory role on specific policies prioritized for review in the 2022-23 Policy Schedule which identifies new policies as well as polices for revision or full review by District administration and the School Board.

Opportunities for Focused Work

  • Continued work on 2021-22 topics using the District’s Equity Commitments as a framework
  • Identified topics for 2022-23 using the District’s Equity Commitments as a framework
  • Policy Advisement

Members can select their areas of focus and whether they wish to work on equity topic(s) advocacy and/or policy advisement.

Members

  • Mohamed Bakr
  • Nathan Hoff
  • Haruka Kojima
  • Paul Sutton
  • Kara Torres
  • Monica Webster
  • Gareth Fenton, Bellevue Schools Foundation
  • Susie Pietz, Special Needs PTSA
  • Marissa John, Bellevue PTSA DEI Chair
  • Jamie Cho
  • Christina Easton
  • Amy Reller
  • Lena Pothitou-West, Educator, Somerset Elementary
  • Jill Rock,Educator, Elementary, Bellevue Education Association President
  • Marta Trilles, MLL at Central Office
  • Lisa Snyder-Stone, Family Engagement Coordinator Newport High School
  • John Harrison, Executive Director for Community Affairs & Group Advisor
  • Shomari Jones, Director of Equity and Strategic Engagement
  • Pat Hughes, External Facilitator, Trillium Leadership Consulting
  • Harland Warrior, Asst Principal Newport High School
  • Randy Nunez, BSD Equity Specialist

Meeting Schedule

Equity
The Bellevue School District acknowledges that we learn, work, live and gather on the Indigenous Land of the Coast Salish peoples, specifically the Duwamish and Snoqualmie Tribes. We thank these caretakers of this land, who have lived and continue to live here, since time immemorial.