The Equity Experience is the result of what is outlined in the Black Excellence Resolution driven by the Board of Education, which calls for “training all members of Team DPS in implicit bias and culturally responsive education on an ongoing basis.”

We will meet this charge by leading a 9-month journey of independent, self-paced learning, through the Equity Experience to identify and examine our individual and collective/organizational mindsets. New learning modules are released monthly and accessed in Learning Space and take about 1 to 3 hours to complete. Participants are expected to complete each module within 30 days and earn a certificate upon completion of the Equity Experience. 

Timeline

We’ve identified the what, but many of you may be sitting with, ”why are we doing this?” 

The purpose of this effort is to learn more about ourselves and others, particularly those who are part of our most marginalized communities in DPS. We are determined to transform the way we engage with students, team members, and families for life-long success.

These mindsets have created beliefs, systems, and structures that have historically contributed to the educational inequities and disparities experienced by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) students and team members. Intentionally engaging in equity work is a transformative change for DPS. It is a personal journey that will require each of us to dig deep into our beliefs, mindsets, histories, and behaviors. 

This is an opportunity for each of us to build our internal capacity to self-reflect and uncover biases and hidden spots and transform the way we think and act. Collectively, it’s an opportunity to build foundational knowledge, and common expectations and terminology across DPS as we prepare to expand the work across team DPS. 

We look forward to traveling along the equity journey with each of you!