Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism

The RISE Network seeks to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism (DEIA) through our work internally and in partnership with network schools and districts. DEIA is integral to our mission, given that we want all students to realize and achieve their full potential, regardless of family income, zip code, race/ethnicity, or any other factors. We are committed to closing long-standing opportunity gaps in Connecticut. These goals require us to think deeply about DEIA as an organization and through our work with students, educators, and school partners. We are committed to continued growth and development as a team and with our partners to advance DEIA principles as an organization and Network.

We envision a RISE Network community in which all team members and partners are empowered to be themselves, authentically; speak their truth without fear; and hold one another accountable to being the diverse, equitable, inclusive and anti-racist organization and network community we strive to be.

  • RISE aspires to foster diversity by encouraging people with different identities and experiences to contribute to the work of improving student opportunities and outcomes in public high schools in Connecticut.
  • RISE aspires to foster equity by recognizing the unique talents and needs of every student, personalizing supports, and closing opportunity gaps to help all students succeed. We are committed to working together—across schools and districts—to close long-standing opportunity gaps for historically marginalized groups.
  • RISE aspires to foster inclusion by actively creating a brave space for staff and network partners to speak and act authentically.
  • RISE aspires to foster anti-racism by challenging systems of oppression and providing culturally competent support to students so they can celebrate their identities as they find success in school.

A Note on Language

Word choices are an important reflection of an organization’s values. In an effort to live our DEIA values, we have begun making explicit decisions about our language usage within our organization and across external communications. Below are explanations of these decisions, which are meant to further foster the authentic and inclusive community the RISE Network aspires to develop. 

Grade 9

The first year in high school will be described as “Grade 9” or “ninth grade,” as opposed to “freshman.” As an organization, we will use “Grade 9 student” or “ninth grader” to refer to students in their first year of high school. The term “first-year” is not used synonymously with “Grade 9” or “ninth-grade” students, as “first-year” may be used to describe students in their first year of high school, as opposed to all ninth-grade students, which may include repeat students. “First-year Grade 9 students” may be used to describe this population. We will defer to external partner and school partner naming conventions as exceptions (ex: University of Chicago Freshman On-Track, a partner school’s “Freshman Academy”, etc.). 

Latine

To ensure inclusivity and respect for the diverse identities within the Hispanic/Latine community, RISE adopted the term “Latine” (pronounced lah-tee-ney).  This stemmed from extensive research conducted by our DEIA Steering Committee and encompasses input from various sources, including RISE staff, and local and national organizations. The term “Latine” will be used in place of “Latinx” or other terms to better reflect our commitment to inclusivity and respect for diverse identities.