Howard board deserves thanks for equity policy

On behalf of the Howard County Equity Collaborative, we’d like to thank the Howard County Board of Education for unanimously adopting the school system’s new equity policy (“Howard County school board approves new equity policy as blueprint for diversity, ‘accountability,’” Oct. 1). We are pleased that the final amended and adopted version of HCPSS Policy 1080: Educational Equity adequately addressed the amendments put forward by the Howard County Equity Collaborative.

This is a great first step to eliminating barriers that prevent children of color from achieving their full potential, including barriers to educational opportunity, good health and other determinants of wellbeing. By enacting Policy 1080 with our amendments, the school board set us on a path toward an even stronger school system and positions HCPSS as a leader in educational equity both in Maryland and the rest of the country.

Thank you to board members Mavis Ellis, Vicky Cutroneo, Kirsten Coombs, Christina Delmont-Small, Zachary Koung, Jennifer Mallo, Sabina Taj and Dr. Chao Wu for voting to strengthen the superintendent’s draft policy and doing right by our children. With that being said, now it is time for implementation and to move forward in making real changes for the students in our school system. Let’s get to work!

Daniel Burns, Larry Walker, Joan Driessen, Nikki Highsmith Vernick and Ming Li

The writers are, respectively, CEO of Equity4HC, president of the African American Community Roundtable, executive director of the Association of Community Services of Howard County, president and CEO of the Horizon Foundation of Howard County, and chair of the board of directors of the Howard County Chinese School.