In Focus: Equity in Education - Virtual Event from MPR News

Next Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m., MPR News will present its next virtual event as part of the In Focus series, led by MPR over the next year to bring awareness, dialogue and potential solutions to Minnesota's persistent racial disparities. Next week's topic will focus on education.

In Focus: Equity in Education will be hosted by MPR News' Angela Davis and will feature a conversation with several community leaders who have been working on various approaches to address racial disparities in education.

Minnesota has some of the country's largest racial disparities in education. Gaps in graduation rates and test scores have long been used to measure these disparities, but there's also been more focus in recent years on disparities in access to resources and opportunities that can significantly influence how well kids do in school. And then there's racism - biased teachers and staff, but also structures and systems within schools that are creating barriers for Black and Indigenous students and students of color.

Davis will lead a conversation on what's getting in the way of progress on equity in education in Minnesota and discuss which solutions are showing promise. The guests for this discussion include racial equity coach and former Minnesota Teacher of the Year Jess Davis, Minneapolis Black Student Achievement Director Michael Walker and Anusha Nath, a research economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

This is a free virtual event and is open to all. Attendees can view the event via Zoom (registration information here) or via Facebook Live (no registration required).