State Support Documents

The Racial Equity Toolkit is a starting point for any organization or government agency looking to advance racial equity in their own communities in order to ensure equal opportunity and access for all. 

The Michigan Civil Rights Commission has stated that an effective education is a basic civil right. The Commission has now released a comprehensive report describing inequities in Michigan's K-12 education system and detailing specific recommendations for action that policy makers and educators can implement to make achieving educational equity a priority in all Michigan schools. The report is the culmination of a series of public hearings throughout the state and a year-long examination of disparities in K-12 education in Michigan. 

The policy letter explains how schools are required to treat transgender students under Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education. It lays out the principles that the  Department of Education will follow when it enforces Title IX, which should be given great weight by court in interpreting the law.

The Michigan Department of Civil Rights has issued a comprehensive guide for Michigan superintendents, principals and educators who want to increase equity in schools and help dismantle institutional and structural barriers to success for all students. The new tool, entitled Resource Guide to Developing a School Equity Plan, provides educators with a template for operationalizing diversity, equity, and inclusion in Michigan's K-12 education system. 

For all residents of Michigan to experience equitable opportunities to grow and thrive, we need to promote a shared understanding of the root causes of systemic disparities. The information in the flyer Scope of Equity Work highlights current and future efforts centered on directly challenging and fundamentally transforming systems through intentional strategies and proactive steps founded on an equity platform. 

These are meant to be guidelines to support schools in creating an inclusive school environment for all students. These guidelines are voluntary and should not be considered mandates or requirements. Decisions by districts to utilize this guidance should be made at the local level employing the normal community input process. 

MDCR's training solutions focus on race extensively but not exclusively as we recognize the intersectionality and multilayers of systemic advantage and disadvantage. For organizations to advance equity and incorporate it across departmental lines, action plans that endorse equity and inclusion are essential to effectively create the long-term implementation of equitable practices, policies and procedures.