About DREA
DREA Mission
To support the development of skills, knowledge, will, policy and practice of all SPS educators, staff and other leadership to achieve racial equity and anti-racist systems change for all students and families in Seattle Public Schools, particularly Black, Indigenous and POC, so that schools are a racially equitable, just, and joyous learning environments that are student, family and community-driven, and embraced as part of the community.
DREA Vision
All SPS educators, staff and other leadership have the skills, knowledge, will, policy and practice to achieve racial equity and anti-racist systems change for all students and families in Seattle Public Schools, particularly Black, Indigenous and POC, so that schools are a racially equitable, just, and joyous learning environments that are student, family and community-driven, and embraced as part of the community.
DREA Approach
DREA is comprised of Racial Equity Advancement Specialists and Advisers who develop capacity and leadership around anti-racist action through supporting Racial Equity Teams and Central Office staff in regularly and effectively applying an anti-racist lens to culture, policies and practices across high-leverage points in our system – with the aim of positive impacts for our black and brown students, staff and families.
This includes domains such as Black and Ethnic Studies, School Climate and Community, Family Engagement, Student Wellness, amongst other areas of anti-racist work. Specialists and Advisers do this through cultivating the practice of Racial Equity Analysis, action planning as well as the cultivation of learning-focused relationships with individuals and communities moving anti-racist work, which provides support, cognitive challenge, and the facilitation of professional vision.
Strategic Methods
- Calibrating – providing alignment, cohesion, and collective understanding around anti-racist initiatives across the district
- Consulting – providing resources, guidance and best practices to build impact
- Collaborating – providing thought partnership and active participation in anti-racist initiatives
- Coaching – learning-focused relationships that expand individual and collective capacity
Impacts and Outcomes
- Racial Equity Analysis
- Anti-Racist Action Planning
- Anti-Racist Leadership Capacity Development
- Anti-Racist Systems Change and Community Power Building
- Positive Impacts for Black and Brown staff and families at all points of our system.
Highlighting some of DREA’s work in 2020-2021
SPS schools have Racial Equity Teams
SPS staff serve on a Racial Equity Team
- 100% of RET survey takers say that DREA coaches helped their team advance their school’s racial equity work through supporting planning and sharing best practices
- 89% of RET survey takers ranked the level of DREA supports as great or exceptional
- 95% of RETs survey takers says that the RET Institutes are useful in supporting their school-based work
“How curious a land is this, how full of untold story, of tragedy and laughter, and the rich legacy of human life; shadowed with a tragic past, and big with future promise!”
– W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk, 1903