How to Build Equitable Societies Through Education

💡 The educational landscape for Black boys in America is fraught with systemic challenges that create barriers to success. To create a more equitable system, we must implement tangible policy changes. Here are the focus areas I believe to be paramount: ✔️ Restorative Justice Practices: Replace zero-tolerance policies with restorative justice practices. These practices focus on mediation and agreement rather than punishment, reducing suspension rates and keeping students engaged in their education. This ideological framework ANTI-CARCERAL. Follow me to learn more. ✊🏾 ✔️ Equitable Funding: Advocate for equitable funding in education. Schools in predominantly Black and low-income communities often receive less funding, resulting in fewer resources and opportunities. We need policies that ensure all schools have the funding they need to support their students. 💰 ✔️ Teacher Diversity Initiatives: Promote policies that aim to increase the diversity of the teaching workforce. Diverse educators can provide relatable role models for Black boys and help to create a more inclusive and understanding school environment. 🌐 By focusing on these policy changes and others, we can create an educational system that supports and uplifts Black boys, helping them to reach their full potential. Check out my TEDx talk here: https://lnkd.in/e4h6t-5i #EducationalEquity #PolicyChange #RestorativeJustice #EquitableFunding #TeacherDiversity

Chicago’s Black Student Success Plan Wasn’t Just Ambitious — It Was Urgent. A reckoning with decades of systemic neglect, school closures, and targeted disinvestment in Black education. For generations, Black students in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have navigated an education system that was never built to serve them equitably. From segregated classrooms to shuttered schools, the obstacles weren't incidental — they were engineered through policy and funding decisions that deprived entire communities. 📚 Historical Context In 1980, 82% of Black CPS students attended highly segregated schools. By 2012, that number remained at 70%. In 2013, CPS closed 50 schools, overwhelmingly in Black neighborhoods. 88% of affected students were Black. Redlining and discriminatory housing policies denied Black families access to stable housing and quality schools. 🛑 After decades of systemic neglect and targeted disinvestment in Black education — including the closure of 50 predominantly Black schools in 2013 alone — what outcomes did we honestly expect? This plan is not a luxury. It’s a corrective action. 🏫 The Black Student Success Plan CPS launched the plan to begin undoing this harm by: Implementing culturally responsive curricula. Recruiting and retaining Black educators, building trust and representation. Offering wrap-around services and community partnerships. Ensuring equitable—not just equal—resource allocation and facility improvements. 📈 Early Results Show Promise Black student graduation rates have risen to 79.7% Five majority-Black schools are now rated “Exemplary” — showing that when students receive the right support, outcomes change. Yet today, this progress is under federal investigation. The current administration’s challenge to the plan suggests equity is being mistaken for favoritism. But this isn't about exclusion — it's about REPAIR. 🏘️ It’s Not Just About Schools Equity in education doesn’t begin at the schoolhouse door. It starts at home. Housing insecurity, neighborhood disinvestment, and generational poverty directly affect academic performance. Sustainable homeownership is a key factor in student success. When families have secure housing, students thrive — emotionally, academically, and socially. Sustainable homeownership isn’t just about property — it’s about permanence, stability, and the generational platform students need to focus on learning instead of surviving. ✅ This is about justice, not charity. Correction, not concession. Elizabeth Leiba Gillian Marcelle, PhD Paul Ladipo Samantha Katz Mike Green L C D D Nicol Turner Lee Shari Dunn Christian Ortiz ✊🏽Richard Venegar  https://lnkd.in/e6H3TkX5 #BlackStudentSuccess #EducationEquity #CPS #Disinvestment #Redlining #HousingJustice