Equity Defined
On January 17, 2018 the MABE Board of Directors unanimously voted to define education equity as follows:
"For MABE, educational equity in Maryland means providing access to essential academic, social, emotional, and economic supports in order to engage each student in rigorous instruction with appropriate educational resources to achieve their highest potential."
We share this belief with The National School Board Association. "Equity Matters" was released at the National School Boards Association's 2018 Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX and highlights the importance of equity in education.
Equity Matters - NSBA from National School Boards Assoc. on Vimeo.
MABE Equity Core Value
We champion education equity and excellence for each student.
MABE 2019-2024 Strategic Plan Goal
Assist member boards in developing a shared understanding and vision of educational equity; by helping them to formulate and implement an equity policy that provides educational equity for each student by creating and maintaining equitable, inclusive, and diverse environments.
Equity Resources
The "Leading for Educational Equity Through School Board Governance" workbook - MABE’s “Leading for Educational Equity Through School Board Governance” workbook is now available. Please click above for details, a preview of the workbook, or to order workbook copies.
Equity & Excellence: A Guide to Education Equity in Maryland (Maryland State Department of Education, 2019) | The Guide to Equity and Excellence in Maryland is MSDE’s first step in establishing “systems of structure and support for school systems, students, teachers, and other stakeholders that ensure educational equity and excellence” as required in the new regulations.
Educational Equity For Each Student Board Service Academy (2019) | The Equity Academy provided a forum for school board members to examine and discuss the strategies and best practices around equity in Maryland’s public schools.
Maryland’s districts benefit from sample policies (ASBJ, April 2019) | The pursuit of educational equity is rooted in the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education. This pivotal Supreme Court education decision celebrates its 65th anniversary this year. Today, we are still striving to reach the aspirations of Brown for each of our students, and the critical mission of educational equity rests at present with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015.
Equity Matters: NSBA's Advocacy Agenda 2018-19 | NSBA will continue to work—with and through our federation of 49 state school boards associations and the U.S. territory of the Virgin Islands, and their more than 90,000 school board members—to inspire and lead a thoughtful dialogue and to advocate for policies that truly enhance learning opportunities.
MABE's Educational Equity Continuing Resolution (2021-2022) | In March 2017 MABE’s President established an ad hoc Committee on Equity to provide a forum for local boards of education to participate in examination and discussion of the concept and issue of “equity” as it relates to student opportunity, learning, and instruction in Maryland public schools, as well as to encourage shared learning on equity; and to make recommendations for a shared definition of “equity” and relationship to the work of Boards of Education in terms of MABE’s work and the efforts of local boards of education. Educational Equity is now a standing MABE committee.
Equity Lens
During the 2018 MABE Annual Conference, the Equity Ad Hoc Committee debuted its Equity Lens. These five questions, developed by the committee members, should be considered when making a decision for any policy, program, practice, decision or action.
