The State Board of Education is honored to join other Washington State agencies in implementing Executive Order 22-04, the Washington State Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) Plan and Playbook. This initiative aims to address the historical exclusion of Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and other marginalized communities from the policymaking process by establishing a framework that centers their experiences and needs in agency work.
The Board's PEAR Plan serves as a guide for examining equity and inclusion within our policies and practices. It helps us collaborate with impacted communities to develop strategies that address their most pressing needs and concerns. To improve equity, access, and inclusion within the Board’s work, we have identified the following focus areas:
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Engage Effectively and Authentically: Collaborate with communities to ensure information is responsive to their needs, and transparent and accessible to support improvement and advocacy.
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During select Board meetings, we host dedicated community discussion days where Board members hear directly from community members across the state.
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Amplify Voices: Uplift voices from underserved communities to build strong policies grounded in their experiences and needs.
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We partner with community-based organizations across the state to collaborate with the Board on policy development.
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Build Relationships: Create mutually beneficial and sustaining relationships with community.
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Our Tribal Liaison and Community Engagement Coordinator regularly engages with Tribal Nations and Native communities through listening sessions, site visits, student voice initiatives, and participation in conferences.
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Click Here to View Our PEAR Plan
How Our Plan was Created
In March 2022, Governor Jay Inslee signed Executive Order 22-04, directing all Washington State agencies to implement a pro-equity, anti-racism strategy known as the PEAR Plan and Playbook, under the leadership of the Washington State Office of Equity.
As part of this strategy, the State Board was asked to:
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Establish an agency PEAR Team to develop a PEAR Strategic Action Plan. This plan identifies equity gaps within the agency and outlines priorities for addressing them. The team is also responsible for implementing and regularly updating the plan.
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Submit an annual PEAR Performance Report to the Office of Equity and submit responses to reports published by the Office of Equity on agency PEAR Strategic Action Plan performance.
The agency’s PEAR team consisted of:
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Five agency staff members representing executive leadership, communications, public policy, and community engagement.
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One member from the Board.
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One student.
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One parent.
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One representative from a partner agency (Association of Washington Student Leaders).
