Overview
Established in 2021, the Leaders in Education Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Racial justice (LEADER) initiative aims to elevate community-driven efforts focused on dismantling institutionalized racism in education and strengthening educator diversity across Washington’s workforce. Between 2021-2030, the LEADER initiative will coordinate and connect regional coalitions through a series of planning and implementation grants. LEADER is supported by College Spark and led by PESB.
Goals
- Increase racial, ethnic, linguistic, and gender community representation across the educator career continuum
- Sustain a diverse educator workforce through policies and practices rooted in equity, antiracism, and multiculturalism
- Improve relationships and experiences for students, families, and educators, especially within communities of color
Approaches
- Focus on systems change with an understanding that educational systems that support students of color benefit all learners.
- Champion community-driven change to ensure the work reflects and is guided by the voices and needs of communities in Washington.
- Prioritize racial justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Collaborate with partners to bring people, resources, and ideas together from across government, local communities, and the private and philanthropic sectors.
Grant information
PESB will provide resources, support, and technical assistance to regional collaborations of Educational Service Districts (ESDs), school districts, educator preparation programs, community groups, and Tribal Nations during both grant phases.
Planning grants (2022-2024)
Grantees will engage in regional and statewide learning communities while working with partners to map assets, conduct an analysis of local needs and opportunities, and develop collaborative strategies to build an educator workforce that reflects local school communities.
Implementation grants (2024-2030)
A subset of regions will receive additional grant funding to implement their plans. Strategies for implementation grants will vary by region based on their priorities, needs, and opportunities. Local examples of effective strategies will be shared with the larger learning community and built upon through state-level systems.
Funding
College Spark Washington is investing $13.8 million over eight years to support this initiative.
View College Spark’s website to learn more.
Learn more
Please fill out this inquiry form if you would like to be notified once the grant application and informational packet are available.
We anticipate additional information will be available in early December 2021.
Questions? Contact Victoria Moreland at Victoria.Moreland@k12.wa.us.
