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Create Positive School Climate and Culture

MAREE advocates for inclusive policies for parents and students. Holistic, culturally competent, and life affirming for Black and Brown children policies are a top priority.

The coalition embraces trauma-informed and responsive initiatives, including staff training and coaching, programming, and community-based opportunities. Increasing teacher diversity and the pipeline into historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) helps students of color thrive. Protecting the physical and psychological well-being of Black and Brown students means removing student resource officers (SROs), leading with restorative practices, widening behavioral and mental health practices, and keeping COVID recovery in mind.

Improve Data and Student Outcomes

MAREE believes in a new vision for this country’s education system, one where every student has learning opportunities beyond high school. Students deserve the opportunity to develop their talent so all, regardless of immigration status, have the opportunity to learn and thrive. Dramatic action is needed, especially for Black and brown adults, to reach the goal of 65 percent of American adults earning a higher education degree by 2025.

That means rethinking systems analysis, tracking implementation, and how data and white supremacy intertwine. MAREE champions a new narrative that requires data transparency and that shows improved outcomes balanced within an asset-based framework. Policies must move data and accountability around implementation, including foster care and juvenile justice youth.

MAREE advocates for transparent data that is understood by all. That means collecting and releasing discipline data, broken down by race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, socioeconomic status, and English-language proficiency, so that advocates can analyze and petition for safe learning environments.

Seek Funding and Resource Equity

This coalition of Black and Brown educators, students, and parents challenges Maryland to rise to a brighter future, ripe with fully-funded resources and opportunities. Race and privilege play a major part in how resources are allotted. MAREE holds the system accountable around funding and resource equity and works to prevent a permanent widening of the achievement gap exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

English-language learners deserve the same right to a solid education as their English-speaking counterparts. Embracing the home culture and language, putting forth culturally competent education, and developing a rich curriculum are all foundational elements to academic success. MAREE supports English-language learners in advocating for funding and offering bilingual programs, staff, and student services. They deserve an education community that creates a sense of urgency and responsibility to help them flourish.

Invest in the Whole Student

Schools should offer rich, stimulating classes that speak to the reality of the lives that Black and Brown children live. MAREE fights for Black and Brown children to have resources that affirm their identity, that offer a culturally rich curriculum along with opportunities that provide quality preparation for higher education and other career choices. Supporting Black and Brown students means supporting the whole student, from the transportation they take to school, the teachers that know how to teach them, and the internships and wraparound afterschool programs that enrich their educational experience. A thorough and expansive implementation and accountability of Blueprint and legislation that supports multicultural education and anti-racist teacher preparation is the way to accomplish that.