The School Board of Broward County, Florida reinforced its unified commitment to Black students by unanimously passing a Resolution on the Commitment of the Broward County Public Schools District to Black Students.
The resolution was authored by the School Board’s only Black member, Dr. Rosalind Osgood, Vice Chair, District 5.
“This Board has consistently demonstrated moral courage when it comes to racism and equity,” Dr. Osgood said. “We started having Courageous Conversations about race years ago and allocated funds to ensure equity across the District. It was important to me for this Board to take its position, put it in writing and stand by it.”
“This critical moment in our democracy calls for a bold reimagining of our public schools where we not only commit to close achievement gaps, but also to close what Eddie Glaude, professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, calls the ‘value gap’ – the belief that white people are valued more than others,” said Superintendent Robert W. Runcie. “This resolution is a message to our community that we value not only all of our students, but we recognize and appreciate their heritage, struggles and barriers that must be eliminated.”
“On behalf of all of us on the Board, as leaders, it is critically important that we take this type of leadership role and that we let our students know this truly is a shared voice,” said Donna Korn, School Board Chair, Countywide At-Large, Seat 8.
“I hope this resolution sparks an ongoing movement of critical reflection and honest conversations in our school community to forge racial equity and disrupt systems of inequity in our classrooms,” said School Board Member Lori Alhadeff, District 4.
“Thank you, Dr. Osgood for bringing forth this resolution to reaffirm this Board’s commitment to our students,” said School Board Member Robin Bartleman, Countywide At-Large, Seat 9.
“I want to remind the community that, as important as this resolution is,” said School Board Member Heather P. Brinkworth, District 3, “it is also about the actions we take as a Board.”
“Across the nation there are great disparities,” said School Board Member Patricia Good, District 2. “As a District and as individuals, we have all worked very hard to rectify situations and remove barriers from many of our students to ensure equity in learning opportunities for our Black students.”
“As a Board, equity is something that we have been committed to,” said School Board Member Laurie Rich Levinson, District 6. “We have spent a lot of time putting programs in place and adding resources, but there is much, much more to do.”
“Knowing that we have narrowed the gap between our white and Black students is a reflection of the leadership of this Board,” said School Board Member Ann Murray, District 1. “It is important that we cultivate and teach that culture.”
“All of our children are important,” said School Board Member Nora Rupert, District 7. “Sometimes we need to remind the community that ‘equity looks different.’”
As a show of solidarity, School Board members read the resolution in unison.
