When it comes to education, short-term reopening plans and long-term policies will either tackle systemic inequality and disparities, or will fail to make real progress for students and their families. This workshop will explore education policy priorities that can drive equity, from implementing the existing Buffalo Public Schools Wellness Policy and Code of Conduct to closing learning gaps and adopting anti-racist policies and practices. We will learn the history of family and community advocacy creating policy change in Buffalo Public Schools and other school districts. Together we will discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead as we enter a school year like none we have ever seen.

Join us on Thursday, August 13 from 4-5:30pm, for this interactive session on education and schools policy and advocacy. This Buffalo Commons workshop is convened together with ANCHOR (see below).

Speakers will include:

Dr. Dia Bryant, Deputy Director and Chief of Partnerships at The Education Trust–New York
Samuel Radford III, Long-time parent advocate and Director of CAO Better Schools/Better Neighborhoods program
Jessica Bauer Walker, Executive Director of CoNECT and President of the Buffalo Public Schools Community Health Worker Parent Association

A video of the workshop is available here on YouTube. 

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For more background, read this recent Buffalo News Another Voice piece on promising local policies in Buffalo Public Schools, including the Wellness Policy and Code of Conduct, written by ANCHOR members Jessica Bauer Walker and Dr. Renee Cadzow.

Also see The Education Trust–NY's policy brief "Reopening Stronger: Educational Equity Priorities for Fall 2020."

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ANCHOR (Assisting Needs and Community Health, Opportunity and Resiliency) emerged as a community rapid response effort to the COVID-19 and systemic racism pandemics. Our steering committee includes CoNECT (formerly Community Health Worker Network of Buffalo) PUSH Buffalo, Buffalo Urban League, Partnership for the Public Good and Native American Community Services. We utilize a top-down/bottom-up, asset-based community development model to create collective action by addressing both urgent needs as well as roots cause issues toward diversity, equity, and inclusion. ANCHOR has engaged with 60+ frontline, community-based organizations and partners from healthcare, education, housing, human services, foundations, and government entities to date.