Start with Equity Webinar Series

The Children’s Equity Project and the Bipartisan Policy Center invite you to join us for a virtual event series to announce the release of our new report, Start with Equity—From the Early Years to the Early Grades: Data, Research, and an Actionable Child Equity Policy Agenda. 

The report reviews the state of the equity data, research, and policy landscapes from the early years to the early grades in key areas—like discipline, inclusion of children with disabilities, and dual-language learning. The report also establishes an actionable, concrete policy road map that can begins to bridge longstanding opportunity gaps and improve the learning conditions of children from historically marginalized communities.

Find more information and register for all four sessions below.

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Part One: From the Early Years to the Early Grades: Data, Research, and an Actionable Child Equity Policy Agenda

July 14, 3-4:30 p.m.

The event will feature a presentation of the report’s findings and policy agenda and a panel of early childhood equity leaders who will discuss the report in the context of the current nationwide uprising against systemic racism.

RSVP here.

Hosted by:

Linda Smith
Director, Early Childhood Initiative, Bipartisan Policy Center

Moderated by:

Shantel Meek
Founding Director, Children’s Equity Project, Arizona State University

Panelists:

Eugene Garcia
Professor Emeritus, Arizona State University

Mary Louise Hemmeter
Professor, Vanderbilt University

Rosemarie Allen
President and CEO, Institute for Racial Equity and Excellence

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Part Two: Addressing Harsh Discipline in Early Learning Settings

July 22, 3-4:30 p.m.

This webinar will explore harsh discipline in learning settings and its disproportionate application. Harsh discipline—which include suspensions, expulsions, seclusion, corporal punishment, and inappropriate restraint—contribute to the preschool-to-prison pipeline, and disproportionately hurt Black children, children with disabilities, and boys. We will explore the data, research, and policy landscapes and review our actionable policy road map.

RSVP here

Hosted by:

Shantel Meek
Founding Director, Children’s Equity Project, Arizona State University

Linda Smith
Director, Early Childhood Initiative, Bipartisan Policy Center

Moderated by:

Catherine E. Lhamon
Chair, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

Panelists:

Rosemarie Allen
President and CEO, Institute for Racial Equity and Excellence

Tunnette Powers
Director, UCLA Parent Curriculum Project

Walter Gilliam
Professor, Yale University

Kent McIntosh
Professor, University of Oregon and Director, National Center for Positive Behavior Intervention and Support

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Part Three: Expanding Inclusive Learning for Children with Disabilities

July 28, 3-4:30 p.m.

This webinar will explore segregated learning for children with disabilities. Despite a robust research and policy foundation supporting inclusion, more than half of young children with disabilities still receive special education services in settings separate from their peers without disabilities. We will explore the data, research, and policy landscapes and review our actionable policy road map.

RSVP here.

Hosted by:

Shantel Meek
Founding Director, Children’s Equity Project, Arizona State University

Linda Smith
Director, Early Childhood Initiative, Bipartisan Policy Center

Moderated by:

Mark K. Shriver
President, Save the Children Action Network

Panelists:

Rebecca Cokley
Director of the Disability Justice Initiative, Center for American Progress and former Executive Director of the National Council on Disability

Michael Yudin
The Raben Group and Former Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the U.S. Department of Education

Mary Louise Hemmeter
Professor, Vanderbilt University

Evandra Catherine
Postdoctoral Research Scholar, The Children’s Equity Project, Arizona State University

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Part Four: Creating Equitable Learning Opportunities for Dual Language Learners

August 6, 3-4:30 p.m.

This webinar will explore inequitable access to bilingual learning opportunities for dual language and English learners. Despite a robust research foundation supporting dual language immersion and other bilingual models, “English-only” instruction is still the status quo, especially for dual language and English learners. We will explore the data, research, and policy landscapes and review our actionable policy road map.

RSVP here.

Hosted by:

Shantel Meek
Founding Director, Children’s Equity Project, Arizona State University

Linda Smith
Director, Early Childhood Initiative, Bipartisan Policy Center

Moderated by:

Yvette Sanchez Fuentes
Former Director of the Office of Head Start and Executive Director of the National Association for Migrant and Seasonal Head Start

Panelists:

Eugene Garcia
Professor Emeritus, Arizona State University

Dina Castro
Velma E. Schmidt Endowed Chair for Early Childhood Education, University of North Texas

Conor Williams
Fellow, The Century Foundation

Kelly Edyburn
Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Children’s Equity Project, Arizona State University

In light of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, BPC events have shifted to all remote formats, such as video teleconferences or calls.