Our Mission

Working together as a team, we will end the predictive value of race, class, gender, and special capacities for our children’s success through high quality teaching and learning for all. We seek to build relationships with families and communities to ensure that every student succeeds. We will know every student.

Our Mission

Am I Anti-Racist?

"...to be effective in anti-racism work, you must have examined yourself and thought long and hard about where you are coming from."

Training for Racial Equity and Inclusion: A Guide to Selected Programs

Background

In 2019, the School Board unanimously voted to adopt the ACPS anti-racism policy. The policy was drafted by a group of student leaders and speaks to the steps that will be taken to eliminate racism in the division. As part of ACPS’ commitment to establish and sustain an equitable community that achieves the division’s equity mission to end the predictive value of race and ensure each individual student’s and staff’s success, we are committed to providing faculty and staff with the tools they need to understand and interrupt systemic racism. This document is one such tool.

What does it mean to be an Anti-Racist?

An Anti-Racist is someone who practices identifying, challenging, and changing the values, structures, and behaviors that perpetuate systemic racism (quoted from The Government Alliance on Race and Equity)

Characteristics/Roles of an Anti-Racist

Self Aware

Able to recognize ones own privilege and name examples of racism.

An Upstander

Challenges and disrupts practices that perpetuate racism and maintain power.

A Lifelong Learner

Actively seeks new information and opportunities to grow in ones understanding about race and racism.

Collaborative

Works with others to learn about multiple perspectives and to build more equitable structures and practices.

Common FAQs

What's the difference between culturally responsive teaching and anti-racism teaching?

In ACPS, we define culturally responsive teaching as validating the cultural lenses of all students while reflecting on our cultural lenses, teaching to and through culture, and building positive learning partnerships with students and families. Whereas, anti-racist teaching confronts prejudice through practices such as the discussion of past and present racism, stereotyping, and discrimination in society. It also teaches the economic, structural and historical roots of inequality (McGregor 1993, 2).

McGregor, J. "The Effect of Role Playing and Anti-Racist Teaching on Student Racial Prejudice: A Meta Analysis of
Research." Journal of Educational Research 86, no. 4 (1993): 215-226.

I don't believe I am racist. Can I still perpetuate racist behavior?

Where can I access resources (i.e., self-assessment, book recommendations, trainings) on this topic?

Anti-Racism Definitions from a Human Rights Framework

* This is merely a snapshot of terms. View a more comprehensive list.

Individual Discrimination – perpetuated by an individual. Structural Discrimination – perpetuated by an institution through tradition or custom.
Organizational Discrimination – perpetuated by individuals but reinforced by established rules, policies and practices.

Temporary Inequality – Temporary power-over relationship. Socially defined superior and inferior groups. Superior group has responsibility to “raise up” inferior group and to eventually end the relationship of inequity.
Permanent Inequality – Permanent power-over relationship. Superiors enforce inequity and do not help inferiors. No goal to end inequality.