RidgelineBlack Lives Matter Resolution

On this, the 27th of May, 2021, we, the Ridgeline Montessori Public Charter School Board of Directors, understand that:

a. Black lives matter.

b. Presently and historically, nationally and locally, our education system upholds and perpetuates systems of oppression that must be continuously challenged to provide equitable education for all students.

c. Because of personal bias and overt and systemic racism, we have not always honored all children equally or fairly.

d. The work of widening the circle of who is wholly honored in society falls especially to those who have enjoyed a life of being wholly honored, and we know that in the United States and US territories many of those people have white skin.

e. Racial trauma is an early form of abuse.

f. Currently, we do not adequately recognize the full range of wisdom, experience, beauty, talent, skills, and so many other things offered by people from communities and backgrounds that are different from our own.

g. It is our responsibility to ensure children are prepared for both the grief and the joy they will encounter while growing up in a complex world.

h. There are age-appropriate ways to teach antibias and antiracist content.

i. We are responsible for actively seeking to create and maintain an environment in which students’ diverse backgrounds, identities, strengths, and challenges are acknowledged, respected, and positively incorporated into daily classroom life.

j. American history is the story of all its people, including Black people, Indigenous people, and any people whose stories have been mistold or omitted. This American history, including what has been historically misrepresented, will be taught throughout the school year.

k. The board’s Equity Steering Committee is continuing its work to form a schoolwide Ridgeline Equity Committee.

l. Equity work is never complete.

On this, the 27th of May, 2021, we hereby resolve:

1. To work with our school community to acknowledge and address the causes of inequities at Ridgeline and the pain those inequities cause to our students and families.

2. To communicate with our community about inequities we find.

3. To commit to monthly individual board development on antibias and antiracism to analyze and break down personal biases and to recognize the disproportionate impact of bias on students, staff, and families who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC).

4. To gain an understanding of how to apply an antiracist and racial equity lens to assess policies and programs, and to apply this lens when re-creating them to better support our schoolwide community.

5. To support and resource staff in accessing curriculum, professional development, and educational materials that challenge systemic racism and white supremacy.

6. To enable Ridgeline to provide age-appropriate antibias and antiracist education that allows students to identify oppression and actively speak out against it.

7. To establish, maintain, and support the Ridgeline Equity Committee (REC) as a safe space for families to receive support, including providing the financial resources the REC needs to function.

8. To examine the executive director’s and principal’s workload and reassign duties as needed so they may work with the REC.

9. To conduct an equity audit during or before the 2021-2022 school year and to communicate its findings with the Ridgeline community.

10. To continue to make resolutions to support the people in our community who experience the impacts of discrimination; to work to break down barriers for Black, Indigenous, and all students, staff, and families of color; and to work to uplift and support all students, their families, and staff while helping to build a system that serves every member of our community.