Equity Council

The Topeka Public Schools Equity Council is a collaborative group of individuals who are focused on the assignment of closing the racial achievement gap between minority students and other racial groups, while raising the achievement of all students, narrowing the gaps between highest and lowest performing students, and eliminating the racial predictability and disproportionality of which student groups occupy the highest and lowest achievement categories.

Topeka Public Schools Equity Council members are elected or appointed to serve either a three-year term or a one-year term as described in Topeka Public Schools Equity Council by-laws. During the 2011-2012 school year, our district and building leaders began to explore how race might be impacting our student achievement levels in a negative way. In order to have conversations about race, we needed guidance. We decided to solicit help and advice from Mr. Glenn Singleton with the Pacific Education Group. He co-authored the book “Courageous Conversations about Race” with Mr. Curtis Linton. We began our equity journey by participating in a book study, “Courageous Conversations about Race”. Each school administrator was put on a team, and each team became the expert of one chapter of the book. They facilitated the conversation about their learning with the whole administrative team. The learning all participants gained were how their own biases and perceptions about race impact decisions they make as leaders. What people believe, right or wrong, does impact what they do or how they act. The administrators also learned how to utilize a series of protocols to engage others in conversations about race. Most importantly, they learned to isolate race when looking at data and asking, “Do these results have anything to do with race”. Our long-term goal is to offer advanced equity training so all staff an have an opportunity to participate and to learn more about how race impacts our student achievement levels. Ultimately, we want all educators to make decisions by looking through the “racial lens” to ensure that our minority students are getting an equitable educational opportunity in Topeka Public Schools. The future will also include training around the most promising culturally relevant practices that teachers should be utilizing to engage minority students.

Magna Award for Equity

The Topeka Public Schools Equity Institute program has been recognized by the National School Boards Association by receiving first place for the 2018 Magna Award in the 5,000 to 20,000 student population category. The Superintendent’s Student Advisory Board was created in 2016 as a way for Dr. Tiffany Anderson to receive feedback about college and career readiness opportunities for students in high school. The advisory board has been used to ensure students attending the highest poverty schools have an opportunity to discuss challenges and needs in the community and at their schools. In an effort to break the cycle of generational poverty, a mixed gender and race group of students are involved in meeting with Dr. Anderson to share issues, needs and new opportunities with the superintendent that improves access and opportunities, ending generational poverty.

On June 26, 2020, Topeka Public Schools hosted their first ever Equity Series featuring current and former students.