Buncombe County Schools

OUR COMMITMENT

As a member of the United for Youth Network, we commit to:

Equity: Buncombe County Schools recognizes that different students need different resources to achieve the same goals as their peers. Educational equity is the belief and practice of ensuring that every student is treated in a fair and just manner. We will address equity in the following ways:

  • Examine personal, collective, and systemic biases and uncovering discriminatory barriers.
     
  • Eliminate discriminatory barriers to full participation and opportunities for every student.
     
  • Engage with students and families for shared leadership and decision-making around policy and practice.
     
  • Provide the necessary allocation of resources for the success of every student.

Our initial commitments include:

  • Increase parent and student voice in decision-making processes.
     
  • Participate in the NC Social Emotional Learning Project.
     
  • Review and revise policies to reflect equity and culturally responsive practices.
     
  • Use a variety of data as part of an equity audit to create district plan.
     
  • Provide professional growth opportunities for district and school staff around culturally responsive teaching.
     
  • Provide professional growth opportunities for district and school leaders around leadership for equity.
     
  • Integrate Culturally Responsive SEL standards into classroom instruction K-13.

Establish effective Advisor/Advisee Programs for the 8th-13th grade students.

  • Create comprehensive student transition plans for students grade level to grade level; focusing on "transitions" from elementary to intermediate, intermediate to middle, middle to high, and high to post-secondary.

Increase College & Career Readiness education and access for all students via the following:

  • Access to career & college information from kindergarten until graduation.
     
  • FAFSA completion initiatives to assist students/families with paying for college.
     
  • Job Training, Pre-Apprenticeship, and Internship Programs.
     
  • ALL 8th-12th/13th-grade students & staff will use Naviance for the following:
    • 4-year course planning focusing on postsecondary goals.
    • Equitable access to Career & College information & opportunities.
    • Equitable access to Work-Based Learning Opportunities.

Participate on Community School Resource Teams, community-wide workgroups (Early Warning and Response System, Shared Professional Learning, Restorative Practices, and Results-based Accountability), and the Cross-Sector Leadership Team. Support student participation on the community-wide Youth Leadership Team.

  • Strengthen Community School model at Enka, Erwin, Owen, and Reynolds Middle Schools.
     
  • Add additional middle school in May 2021.
     
  • Create school-based health center at Erwin Middle School.

 

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