Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is central to achieving our mission at the Silicon Schools Fund.  We seek to center these values in our investments, the ways in which we partner with schools, and in our interactions as a team.

We are guided by the understanding that more diverse leadership creates better and more equitable outcomes for students.  We support schools that see the brilliance in all children and are committed to ensuring that all students have the opportunity to achieve at the highest levels, regardless of their backgrounds.  We also recognize that significant work needs to be done to bring more racially diverse leaders into education, so we intentionally focus on schools serving students of color and identifying and investing in schools and networks led by people of color.

Deep partnership is at the core of our approach to investing.  We strive for transparency in our systems, and we work closely with leaders to help them navigate the process.  Our goal is that each individual feels recognized, respected, and valued in their interactions with our team.

Our entire Silicon Schools team – including our staff and our board – is committed to learning and expanding our diversity, equity, and inclusion knowledge and skills so that we can understand the implications for our interactions and our work.  We seek to be courageous in our engagement, interrogate our assumptions, and push ourselves to grow from the tensions that are inherent in this work.  We know that we will be imperfect and that we all start from different places, but we remain committed to getting better on this continuous journey.  We do this because we know that having a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization will make us a more effective and impactful organization and allow us to meet our overall mission.

Statements of beliefs are important.  Actions are even more important.  If you have ideas or ways that we can continue to support diversity, equity, and inclusion work please reach out to us.

Definitions

• Diversity, to us, means understanding that each individual is unique and represents the intersection of multiple identities that bring richness to a community. A broad definition includes not only race, ethnicity, and gender, but all the ways that we are different, including age, immigration/citizenship status, religion, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, and more. It also involves different ideas, perspectives, and values. (Adapted from University of Oregon definition and UC Berkeley Center for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity, Glossary of Terms)
• Equity, as a concept, is synonymous with fairness and justice. It is not simply a desired state of affairs or a lofty value. To be achieved and sustained, equity needs to be thought of through the lens of structures and systems. (Adapted from The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Racial Equity and Inclusion Action Guide)
• Inclusion means creating an environment where individuals representing different identities are valued, leveraged, and welcomed. More than simply numerical representation, inclusion involves access, authentic and empowered participation and all members of the community experiencing a true sense of belonging. (Adapted from The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Racial Equity and Inclusion Action Guide and the General Assembly definition)

As of the 2021 School Year, in our portfolio:

• 51% of school leaders are leaders of color.
• 55% of founders and CEOs are leaders of color.
• 65% of the founders we support are female leaders.
• 40% of our internal team identify as leaders of color.
• 50% of our Board of Directors identify as leaders of color.