Advancing Racial Equity in Early Learning Grants Committee April 19, 2013

1. Advancing Racial Equity in Early Learning Grants Committee April 19, 2013

2. Welcome Find someone and share . . . A time in your life when you experienced doing something on your own for the first time. www.thrivebyfivewa.org

3. Today’s Topics • ARE grantmaking strategy • Community feedback process • Purpose and funding priorities www.thrivebyfivewa.org

4. The Art of Conversation Behaviors that help take conversation to a deeper realm • We acknowledge one another as equals • We try to stay curious about each other • We recognize that we need each other’s help to become better listeners • We slow down so we have time to think and reflect • We remember that conversation is the natural way humans think together • We expect it to be messy at times www.thrivebyfivewa.org

5. Community Agreements An invitation • Show up (or choose to be present) • Pay attention (to heart and meaning) • Tell the truth (without blame or judgment) • Be open to outcome (not attached to outcome) www.thrivebyfivewa.org

6. Using a Lens of Racial Equity It allows us to uncover the policies practices and behaviors that sustains unequal outcomes for children. • Forms of Racism Individual Institutional Structural www.thrivebyfivewa.org

7. Targeted Universalism This approach supports the needs of the particular while reminding us that we are all part of the same social fabric. www.thrivebyfivewa.org

8. Where Have We Been? • Phase I: Development • Racial Equity Theory of Change (RETOC) www.thrivebyfivewa.org

9. The Vision In Washington, we work together so that all children start life with a solid foundation for success, based on strong families and a world-class early learning system for all children prenatal through third grade. Accessible, accountable, and developmentally and culturally appropriate, our system partners with families to ensure that every child is healthy, capable and confident in school and in life. ― Washington Early Learning Plan www.thrivebyfivewa.org

10. “While early childhood education has the proven potential to prevent educational inequity, if not dramatically improved, it will do the reverse and perpetuate it.” ― Sharon Lynn Kagan, “American Early Childhood Education: Preventing or Perpetuating Inequity?” Equity Matters: Research Review No. 3, April 2009

11. Essential Question • How can we use a racial equity lens to help inform our approach in supporting the development of an early learning system at the local and state level?

12. What is a Racial Equity Theory of Change? A vision of… … what we want to accomplish … with logical sequence of steps for getting there … and informed logic … that are also informed and disciplined by a structural racism analytical framework www.thrivebyfivewa.org

13. Racial Equity Theory of Change (RETOC) Step #1: What We Want – Defining our Racial Equity Outcome Step #2: What We Need – Identifying the Building Blocks for Change Step #3: What Helps or Stands in the Way – Identifying Policies, Practices, Cultural Representations Step #4: What We Must Know – Understanding the Politics of Change Step #5: What We Must Do – Gearing Up for Action www.thrivebyfivewa.org

14. RETOC Decision-Making Stakeholder Group Working Group Stakeholder Group Brainstorm Refine Reflect www.thrivebyfivewa.org

15. Phase II: Implementation • Community of Practice • ARE Grants Strategy

16. What are the skills, practice, language, materials and support that will help me be a leader for equity?

17. ARE Grants Strategy Why we are making grants for advancing racial equity in early learning? • RETOC identified clear areas of need where lack of resources are a significant barrier • ARE grants can create a feedback loop informing the broader community of practice www.thrivebyfivewa.org

18. ARE Grants Strategy Upcoming Committee Meetings: • Purpose and Funding Priorities • RFP Review (5/20) • Outreach Strategy (6/11) • Review Panel (7/16) • Conflict of Interest Policy www.thrivebyfivewa.org

19. ARE Grants Strategy Application Dates • Applications due 8/5/13 • Panel review (TBD) • Announce awards (9/12/13) • Grant agreements distributed www.thrivebyfivewa.org

20. Grants Management System www.thrivebyfivewa.org

21. Break

22. Request for Proposals • Summary of what we were trying to accomplish • Setup the Community Café Process • Nominate a “table host” • Use thought provoking questions as a guide www.thrivebyfivewa.org

23. Request for Proposals Round 1 • Guiding Questions for the Table • Does the background provide enough content for the applicant to get a basic functional understanding of the RETOC? • Are the descriptions of the RETOC, Purpose and Approach and the funding areas clear and accessible? • Are there any missing pieces in the flow of the document that would help an applicant? www.thrivebyfivewa.org

24. Request for Proposals Round 2 • Guiding Questions for the Table • Is the RFP content reflective of our use of the RETOC? • Does the RFP make room for the translation of RETOC concepts into actionable strategies that address community need? • Will applicants be able to select a primary funding area? www.thrivebyfivewa.org

25. Request for Proposals Round 3 • Guiding Questions for the Table • Does the RFP provide enough direction for someone to develop a proposal? Does it provide so much direction that is constrains the potential content of proposals? Would you want more or less guidance? • Do the funding priorities represent the full scope of what we want to prioritize? Are there any Funding Priorities that are not currently included that should be? Are there ones that should be deleted? www.thrivebyfivewa.org

26. Thank You and Next Steps