At its meeting on May 19, the Seattle School Board will vote on a resolution that commits Seattle Public Schools to the principles of Brown v. Board of Education and calls on school employees, volunteers, and community members to eradicate institutional racism.

"Institutional racism is a term that makes a lot of people uncomfortable, and it should," said School Board Director Irene Stewart, who drafted the resolution. "It's time that we acknowledge that white students and students of color have different experiences in school and really take a hard look at the ways in which our institutional practices and unthinking behaviors may prevent certain groups of students from achieving success in school."

While Brown addressed the different educational opportunities offered to White students and students of African descent, the Board resolution acknowledges that its principles are applicable to any student who has been disadvantaged or discriminated against, including those who are negatively impacted because of their gender, culture, economic status, or other personal characteristic.

The Board resolution also commits the District to striving to provide all students with "a safe school, a rigorous curriculum, quality teachers, reasonable class sizes, and fair and appropriate mechanisms for assessing student progress."

Student achievement and eliminating achievement differentials will be at the heart of a Five-Year Plan for the District. The plan will guide future policy, operational, and resource decisions. In establishing the plan's strategic direction, the Seattle School Board has held multiple work sessions and a large community forum, and is planning a student forum for late May. Additional community forums will be held in early fall to establish the final plan, which the Board expects to approve late this year.

A draft of the Board Resolution follows.

DRAFT FOR INTRODUCTION AND ACTION ON MAY 19

SEATTLE SCHOOL DISTRICT No. 1

BOARD RESOLUTION

RESOLUTION No. 2004-7

A RESOLUTION of the Board of Directors of Seattle School District No. 1, King County, Seattle, Washington to recommit the Seattle School District to the principles of Brown v. Board of Education.

WHEREAS, May 17, 2004 marked the 50-year anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education , the landmark United States Supreme Court ruling that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional; and

WHEREAS, in nullifying the segregationist doctrine of "separate but equal,"Brown v. Board of Education helped pave the way for the American civil rights movement ; and

WHEREAS, despite five decades of progress, today there remain stark differences in academic performance between white students and students of color and marked differences in the quality of programs throughout our school district; and

WHEREAS, institutional racism throughout our society has deprived many students of color of equal access to opportunities to succeed; and

WHEREAS, all students have a guarantee of access to public schools, but students of color still have no guarantee of a quality education;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Seattle School Board of Directors reaffirms the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education ruling and re-commits itself to striving to meet the Court's promise: that every student - regardless of race, gender, culture, or economic status - will have a safe school, a rigorous curriculum, quality teachers, reasonable class sizes, and fair and appropriate mechanisms for assessing student progress; and, therefore, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Seattle School Board of Directors calls upon every Seattle Public Schools employee, school volunteer, and community member to work to eliminate the processes, attitudes, and behaviors, whether intentional or unintentional, which prevent students of color from receiving consistently appropriate and high-quality services in our schools.

RESOLUTION No. 2004-7