Equity & Justice in Schools
Equity Vision
Statement
"The Kentucky Coalition for Healthy Children envisions a Commonwealth where children, youth and their families live healthy, fulfilling lives and reach their full potential, free from poverty, violence, racism and any form of discrimination or oppression."
Equity Mission
Statement
The Kentucky Coalition for Healthy Children adopts the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s understanding of equity as the state, quality or ideal of being just, impartial and fair, and strives to promote equity as an important part of its mission of improving health. Equity can only be achieved through structural and systemic changes, countering discrimination and embracing diversity and inclusion. The Coalition works to build awareness, solutions, and leadership for fairness and justice for all children, youth, and their families, resulting in access to equitable opportunities and outcomes.
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KCHC Principles for Equity and Justice in Schools
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Equity and justice in schools demands the respect for freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and freedom from all forms of discrimination.
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Children and youth have the right to a free, quality public education. Schools must continuously strive to improve the quality of education offered and to provide knowledge, critical thinking skills, and social and emotional competencies to students for them to be contributing members of a just, impartial, and fair society.
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Equitable and just schools promote the holistic health and well-being of all students, with particular emphasis on supporting children and families facing multiple barriers. This encompasses health promotion and education, access to quality health and social services, and parent/caregiver and community engagement.
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Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic, or social condition (World Health Organization).
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Equitable and just schools value all children and youth equally, promote diversity and inclusion at all levels, and work to secure equitable opportunities for all students, particularly those facing discrimination, societal neglect, or disadvantages.
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Equitable and just schools promote and expand the knowledge and skills necessary to counter racism and any other form of discrimination or oppression.
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Equitable and just schools are restorative spaces using evidence-based practices to support positive behavior, create environments where students feel safe and included, and can heal and thrive. These schools reject punitive, coercive, and exclusionary disciplinary policies and practices, particularly those that differentially and negatively affect students of color.
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Equitable and just schools use inclusive curriculum and language in all instructions and communications.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging & Justice Resources
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