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Solano County Office of Education

Solano County Office of Education

Educational Equity and Access

collage of students of different ages, abilities and ethnicities
 
“To hear each other (the sound of different voices) to listen to one another, is an exercise in recognition. It ensures that no (person) remains invisible.” - bell hooks
 
At the Solano County Office of Education (SCOE), we recognize that focusing on equity and equitable practices is foundational and essential to our work, both as an organization and in our work with districts and community partners. At SCOE, we are guided by our mission of “Promoting equity and excellence by working with our school districts and community partners to create opportunities that address the needs of every student.” This is at the core of what we strive to do in our work each day. We recognize that this work is ongoing in nature and requires intentional effort and focus to impact our systems.
This is Equity

This is Equity

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WITH AN EQUITY LENS

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WITH AN EQUITY LENS

 
 
 

 

Equity policies practices and systems infographic
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5 areas of focus
Fostering culturally responsive and inclusive practices involves:
          • Prevention & early intervention.
  • School, family & community partnerships.
  • Resource allocation & alignment.
  • Recruitment, hiring, & retention.
  • Professional learning & support.

 

SOLANO COUNTY EQUITY INITIATIVES AND PARTNERSHIPS

SOLANO COUNTY EQUITY INITIATIVES AND PARTNERSHIPS

Studio Pathways
"Studio Pathways provides an inquiry-based approach to culturally responsive teaching and learning. Our work addresses the root of social inequities operating within education, work, and organizing systems while attending to the critical need for reflection and healing. Through a variety of arts-integrated learning experiences, our clients deepen their understanding systems, relationships, and norms that perpetuate patterns of inequity so that they may be dismantled.” 
SCOE has partnered with Studio Pathways to support our work with culturally responsive teaching and learning, integrated arts practices to increase access, and our multi-year arts plan implementation.
 
Epoch Education logo
Epoch Education is a national leader in DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) training. “Imagine a workplace where all your employees can reach their full potential. Where your teams work better together towards their goals. Where there are positive conversations instead of culture clashes. And where conflicts are resolved more easily and peacefully...More compassionate dialogue makes your culture more inclusive, yielding higher team performance, greater employee engagement, and happier customers too.”
SCOE has partnered with Epoch Education to support SCOE and district teams in focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as culturally responsive pedagogy.
 
Solano Commission for Women and Girls logo
The purpose of the Solano Commission for Women and Girls is to “provide community education, and advisement to the Solano County Board of Supervisors, and other entities as necessary, on issues relating to the changing social and economic conditions of women and girls in the county. The Commission will increase awareness of women’s issues, celebrate the achievements of local deserving women, champion opportunities for women and girls, and recommend legislative solutions at the city, county, state, and federal level. Areas of focus will include, but not be limited to: socio-economic conditions, workplace issues, social treatment of gender issues, and health and safety for women and girls.”
 
Association of California school administrators
Solano County Office of Education is partnering with Yolo County Office of Education and ACSA (Association of California School Administrators to co-facilitate the 2020-21 Equity Administrators’ Academy. This academy takes place over seven months and is “designed to build leadership capacity and oversight for the development and advancement of systemic strategies to promote equitable systems and opportunities for students and schools. The academy is designed for administrators or individuals responsible for leading and coordinating reform efforts focused on addressing opportunity gaps and implementing equitable practices to effectively address diverse student needs.”
 
UDL Learning for All Students
SCOE has developed trainings designed to support districts and teachers in adopting Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies aimed at making learning accessible to each and every student. UDL is intentionally designed to break down barriers to learning for all students by fostering equity.
 
California Department of Education
SCOE has been awarded an Inclusive Early Education Expansion Grant. The goal of this grant is to increase access for young children from birth to five years old to inclusive early learning and care programs. It supports the inclusion of children with disabilities and exceptional needs, including children with severe disabilities, in early learning and care settings.
SCOE received this four-year grant to partner with districts and providers throughout the county to engage in professional learning and provide accessible resources in order for each and every young child to find success in the least restrictive environment.
SCOE logo
Solano County Office of Education facilitates the Equity Alliance. The Equity Alliance brings teachers, leaders and school teams together to engage in dialogue, learning and action planning to support partnerships, professional learning and leading with equity and justice.
Association of California school administrators
SCOE partnered with the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) to plan the Leading for Excellence Through Equity Summit 2020. Teachers, counselors, school site, and district administrators, and others came together for two days of workshops, discussions, and learning moments designed specifically to foster relationships and strengthened their networks of support as they continued to engage in equity work in Solano County. Dr. Pedro Noguera and Dr. Lisa Williams were keynote speakers and Solano County Superintendent of Schools was on a panel of leaders sharing her perspectives on this important work.
 
Diversity Now
Solano County Superintendent of Schools, Lisette Estrella-Henderson participated in a panel discussion entitled, “Diversity Now - Latina Education Leader Activists - How do we create more equitable educational experiences for Latinx communities?” The Diversity Now seminar series hosted by Touro University, explored the complexity of inherently sexist and racist systems in education with a specific focus on the impact of these structures on Latinx learning communities and the dreams and visions of re-imaging for all children and youth in Solano County.
 
CONTACT

CONTACT

Andrea Lemos, Ed.D.
Deputy Superintendent, Educational Services and Student Programs
(707) 399-4430
 
Tacey Rodgers, Ed.D.
Director, Assessment, Research and Evaluation
(707) 399-4449
the equity collaborative logo
SCOE has partnered with The Equity Collaborative for the second year to provide professional learning to Management Advisory Council Leaders from throughout the organization. This professional learning opportunity is focused on exploring equity within educational systems from a personal and organizational lens. 
 
Oppression and racism has a long history in our educational system. The Educational Oppression Timeline illustrates the need for continued work to break away from old paradigms and reimagine educational equity.
Educational Oppression timeline preview

 

GOVERNANCE AND POLICY RESOURCES

GOVERNANCE AND POLICY RESOURCES

 
LEARNING FOR JUSTICE

LEARNING FOR JUSTICE

Student Engagement & Dialogue
USC
 

Family and Community Engagement and Partnerships

 

Statewide Resources

 

Leading with Justice and Examining Our Systems

 

Social-Emotional Learning and Mental Health Supports