The Intersection of Equity & Education I remember when my child was learning to read in second grade and needed extra practice. I was working long days and it was all I could do to make it through those extra 45 minutes with my student, at 8 p.m., reading and re-reading the same paragraph. We argued. There was shouting. There were tears. I think about those moments as easy compared to what parents are experiencing now. I had so many privileges: easy access to a teacher; a Reading Recovery coach; a second engaged parent in the house; a well-lit kitchen table where we could sit together;
Carrie Pickett-Erway President/CEO
and so many workbooks. What if these resources weren’t just a privilege some had access to, but accessible for all children and families? Tomorrow’s leaders are the children sitting in front of a computer screen today and they are learning in an environment we have never experienced. We know the global pandemic is intensifying the gaps between children who are supported by our country’s system and children who are denied proper resources and support. It is People of Color who are disproportionately on the receiving end of these systems failures. This is not natural order playing out; this is an injustice, and it is undermining our future. Our responsibility at KZCF is to hold both the short-term and long-term needs of our community. We are focused on the urgent needs facing Kalamazoo County residents who are made vulnerable to COVID-19 and the ever-present issues of homelessness, hunger, discrimination, and unemployment. We must also be thinking about how we rebuild a better society and ensure all children have access to the opportunities they need, regardless of identity, zip code or ability. We often reflect on the challenges my children faced learning to read. And while reading may not be their favorite thing, both of my children
UPDATE is a newsletter published three times a year by the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS TEAM Sarah Lee, Director Jordan Duckens, Communications Officer Tim Smolenski, Marketing & Events Officer Lauren Boulton, Communications Coordinator CROSS-FUNCTIONAL EDITORIAL TEAM Sandy Barry-Loken Sue Bos Beth Gregory-Wallis Kururama Masomere Emily Olivares
share a love for learning. Many students in our community have the support and resources to weather these difficult days. We must ensure that the children who our systems were not designed to prioritize get what they have been denied. This is where we step up. This is where you can step in. We can make Kalamazoo County the most equitable place to live and learn.
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2 KALAMAZOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION WINTER 2020
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