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students of color. <br /> <br />The Orange County Schools Board of Education is committed to actively and continuously <br />eliminating disparities in educational opportunities in all its schools, creating and supporting <br />an environment of equal, equitable, unbiased and culturally responsive learning in a fair and <br />safe system. <br /> <br />C. BOARD COMMITMENT <br /> <br />1. Orange County Schools shall take active measures to provide an inclusive and emotionally <br />supportive environment, free from discrimination. <br /> <br />2. All schools in our school system shall take active measures to provide every student with <br />equal access to high quality and culturally relevant instruction, curriculum, support, facilities <br />and other educational resources. <br /> <br />3. The Board hereby sets forth a series of expectations with regard to equity in our school <br />communities. The Orange County Schools will take active measures to: <br />a. Develop and promote a culture of high expectations for all students; <br />b. Identify and eliminate inequities in access to opportunities; <br />c. Continuously raise the level of achievement for all students while eliminating academic <br />disparities; <br />d. Ensure that personal characteristics (real or perceived) will not predict any individual’s <br />educational outcomes; <br />e. Recognize and aggressively address opportunity gaps; <br />f. Actively recruit, support, and retain a diverse workforce; <br />g. Actively train and support all administrators, teachers, and staff in implementing this <br />policy including creating culturally affirming and relevant classrooms and schools; <br />h. Engage with staff, students, parents/guardians, and the entire community to build and <br />sustain a culture emblematic of the ideals of this Equity Policy; <br />i. Equitably allocate resources to accomplish these goals. <br /> <br />4. In keeping with this policy, the Orange County Schools shall review and revise existing <br />policies, programs, professional development, and procedures to reflect applicable laws and the <br />district’s Definition of Equity. <br /> <br />5. The Board and administration shall actively model its commitment to equity to align all new <br />processes and procedures to applicable law and the district’s Definition of Equity, including but <br />not limited to: <br />a. Reports <br />b. Presentations <br />c. Decision making at every level <br />d. The Board as a body will attend racial equity training within one year of the <br />establishment of this policy and within one year of the election of any new Board <br />member. Board members will commit to attending subsequent equity trainings of their <br />choosing offered at the local, state, and national level. <br /> <br />6. The Board shall demonstrate its commitment to equity by directing the Superintendent to <br />develop an Equity Plan to implement this policy. The Equity Plan will be reviewed annually and <br />performance metrics will be used to measure progress. The plan will include a communication