Compton Unified School District has been selected as the 2019 recipient of the Recognizing Innovative Strategies in Equity (RISE) Award by the National Black Council of School Board Members (NBC).

Using the criteria established for this award, the Selection Committee determined CUSD demonstrates a commitment to equity for students through excellence in policies, practices and strategies that promote and enhance access to quality instruction, improve academic outcomes, and promote career readiness for African American students.

“The fact that in many of our nation’s schools our Black children are experiencing unacceptable levels of underachievement, expulsion, and over and often inappropriate referral to Special Education is not acceptable. It is an egregious injustice whose burden of responsibility lies not on the shoulders of the children attending schools, but the those entrusted to lead those schools. Here at Compton Unified School District we see ourselves as not only a part of the solution, but innovators of it. We are truly honored to be recognized in this way.” were comments shared by CUSD President Micah Ali.

President Micah Ali, Superintendent Dr. Darin Brawley NBC were recognized at a luncheon where they shared about the District’s efforts to make sure African American students are supported and afforded every opportunity to excel. The award called out the District’s innovative use of technology, as well as its groundbreaking partnerships with tech giants Google, Verizon and Apple, as playing a role in creating engaging learning environments for students. Both President Ali and Superintendent Brawley expressed pride in the work of CUSD’s Instructional Technology Team, under the leadership of Michele Dawson, Senior Director of Instructional Technology.

“We believe that the single most important evidence of our effectiveness in advancing equity for our students is EVERY SINGLE STUDENT ACHIEVING. This is because we believe every student can. For Compton Unified School District, equity is more than a policy, it is in our DNA as a District. It must extend into our policies practices and our innovative approaches to learning,” shared Dr. Darin Brawley. “This is a District-wide, all staff effort and as such this honor is truly an all-District accomplishment.”

Examples of the District’s efforts to ensure educational equity include project-based learning, restorative justice practices, and an African American Parent Advisory Group that provides input into district practices.