A school board in Florida revised language in its “equity statement” after facing backlash from parents who said it contained divisive language, including the term "White advantage."
A pledge to root out “white advantage” in Palm Beach County schools led to an outcry from some parents, prompting a divided School Board to remove it from a statement on student equity and diversity. The School Board voted 4-3 Wednesday to make the change after more than an hour of debate and four hours of public speakers. Opponents of the diversity statement called board members words like .
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A divided school board voted after hearing from a divided public.
The Palm Beach County school board voted 4-3 Wednesday evening to edit a newly adopted equity statement, removing a controversial commitment to dismantling structures rooted in white advantage after listening to more than four hours of mixed public testimony.
Initially, school board members argued that the reason to make the pledge was borne out in data: Students of color lag behind their white peers in educational opportunities and outcomes within the school district. Many parents and several religious leaders agreed that the statement was an important first step in addressing long-standing inequities and they urged the board to resist pressure to change course.
21 May 2021
The Palm Beach, Florida, school board is rethinking its controversial statement to combat “white advantage” from a statement about “equity” in education.
The “Equity Statement” posted on the school district’s website, reads in part:
The School District of Palm Beach County is committed to dismantling racism and other systems of oppression and inequity. We will create equitable and inclusive schools that ensure students have what they need to be successful in school and life.
Achieving racial equity requires proactive and continuous investment in historically marginalized groups who have endured centuries of systemic oppression. The School District of Palm Beach County is committed to dismantling