Five-year Racial Equity Strategic Plan outlines priorities to address systemic racism

The Surrey Board of Education received the district’s Racial Equity Strategic Plan at the June 14 public board meeting, charting a course over the next five years to address systemic racial disparities, promote cultural responsiveness and empower every individual within our diverse school communities.

“This plan is an important step forward in our commitment to fostering more inclusive and equitable work and learning environments for all students and staff, particularly Indigenous, Black and racialized groups,” said Laurie Larsen, Chair of the Surrey Board of Education. “This is a collective responsibility, shared by every department, program, school and staff member.”

“Our district recognizes that education is not just about imparting knowledge and skills but also about nurturing empathy, respect and a deep understanding of the unique experiences and backgrounds of our students and staff,” said Supt. Mark Pearmain. “This is the foundation of our work and will guide us in creating a more positive and compassionate educational experience for each and every student we serve.”

JB Mahli, director of instruction with the Racial Equity department, presented the strategic plan, outlining four main priorities for the district between now and 2028: advancing racial equity initiatives, responding to all forms of racism, ongoing education and professional development, and infusing culturally responsive curriculum and resources. The plan has been more than two years in the making and was compiled with extensive input from Indigenous, Black and other racialized students, staff and families in Surrey and White Rock.

“The plan is a cohesive way for us to embed racial equity, diversity and belonging in everything we do as an organization,” said Mahli. “We want students and families to feel a sense of care and knowing that we are working towards addressing barriers and challenges in our system and working to achieve a world-class education system that makes a difference in the lives of all our students.

“We’re stepping up to the challenge to make sure that the ways we interact with and educate students comes through an equity lens and allows us to celebrate the diversity we have in our community while ensuring that belonging is felt by everyone inside our schools and organization.”

Each priority contains a comprehensive list of strategies and actions to be implemented in efforts to achieve racial equity. These actions include:

• Establishing a racial equity board policy with engagement from Indigenous, Black and other racialized groups
• Reviewing and strengthening existing district and human resources policies through a lens of equity
• Improving the process for reporting and responding to racism and discrimination in schools
• Training and professional development workshops on racial equity for all staff
• Connecting and supporting educator and leadership networks in racial equity
• Providing culturally responsive curriculum, instruction and assessment
• Increasing diverse resources in classrooms and libraries

The roots of the Racial Equity Strategic Plan began in the spring of 2021 with a racial equity environmental assessment, conducted by Racing to Equity (R2E) with more than 500 students, parents, staff and school community members sharing their lived experiences of racism in 39 listening circles. The information gathered from that report led the board to approve and establish the district’s Racial Equity department last September, with the first item of business being the preparation of a five-year roadmap to enact meaningful change and address racial discrimination in every school and department.

Mahli is clear, the purpose of the plan isn’t just to address incidences of racism  in schools – it stretches well beyond to encompass curriculum, staffing, procedures, data stewardship, communications, programs and services at all levels of the district.

“All departments and all groups in our organization have played a part in having a voice to the plan,” he said. “It’s the shared work of everyone, and this plan really shows the breadth of how vast our work is ahead of us and looking at our processes and interactions through the perspectives of those who are marginalized and often oppressed.”

In the years ahead, Mahli said he hopes Surrey Schools will be a model for how school districts and schools ensure a sense of belonging and students are seen and heard through a trauma informed lens that is responsive and restorative to issues of racism. Through updated policies and staff training on principles of antiracism and cultural affirmation, he said he hopes students will continue to feel open to voice their experiences in school and celebrate both our similarities and our differences together.

“In five years, I hope that we move to a place that we are a role model for this work in our community, and that every student, parent, family member and staff member feels when they come to school or work that Surrey Schools is really leading the way when it comes to racial equity and belonging,” he said.