Approved by the Beachwood Board of Education as Resolution #06-20-2020 on June 8, 2020.
Beachwood Schools Anti-Racism Statement of Conviction and Action
Beachwood Schools is committed to the equity, justice, and inclusion of ALL students and respects the frustration, anger and impatience of African Americans, people of color, and all marginalized Americans for whom our country has not lived up to its promise. We embrace our organizational responsibility to dismantle practices that perpetuate structural racism in our school system and hold every Beachwood Schools employee responsible for doing so.
Over the past year, we have begun work on the following initiatives to become a fully inclusive and equitable school system:
- Authentic and honest engagement of all members of the Beachwood community
- Creating an inclusive curriculum
- Hiring African American and other educators from under-represented groups to mirror our diverse community
- Building students’ leadership skills to address race, racism and respect for all forms of diversity
- Providing equitable access to services and opportunities
- Conducting implicit bias and restorative practices training for school staff
- Acknowledging and addressing racial disparity in student discipline practices
Beachwood Schools has made tangible progress in these efforts but has a long, long way to go. The district aspires to provide ALL students with a rigorous education representative of our diverse backgrounds. We want to foster respect for the value of Black lives and awareness of unjust experiences and inadequate outcomes for Black and Brown students in America. We want to inspire active citizens who vote and engage in service to their communities, the nation and the world. In partnership with our students, graduates, and their families, the district is committed to breaking our country’s cycle of injustice and fulfilling our promise to each and every child.