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Building Equitable Learning Environments

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THE BELE NETWORK

Dismantle…Reimagine…Co-Design:
Centering Student Experience

THE BELE NETWORK

Dismantle…Reimagine…Co-Design:
Centering Student Experience

The Building Equitable Learning Environments (BELE) Network collaborates with people at every level of the education system to build equitable learning environments and transform education to center the student experience.

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THE BELE NETWORK

Dismantle…Reimagine…Co-Design:
Centering Student Experience

THE BELE NETWORK

Dismantle…Reimagine…Co-Design:
Centering Student Experience



Browse our resources page for a roundup of research, evidence-based practices, and thinking from our members and partners.


Browse our resources page for a roundup of research, evidence-based practices, and thinking from our members and partners.

Learn More

THE BELE NETWORK

Dismantle…Reimagine…Co-Design:
Centering Student Experience

THE BELE NETWORK

Dismantle…Reimagine…Co-Design:
Centering Student Experience

Learn more about BELE-aligned events where you can get the most up-to-date learnings from our learning partners and friends on building equitable learning environments in communities, districts, schools, and classrooms across the country.

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About

The BELE Network

The Building Equitable Learning Environments (BELE) Network works with educators, policymakers, grantmakers, schools and school support organizations to innovate and implement equitable learning environments that are grounded in research and the science of learning and development. We’re educators and leaders who are committed to making educational equity a reality and working to transform our schools. We believe that we can create an equitable education system, and a nation, where everyone thrives and belongs.

Learn More about BELE

Learn More about BELE

When we begin listening to each other, and when we talk about the things that matter to us, the world begins to change.

Margaret Wheatley

Revolution always unfolds within an atmosphere of rising expectations.

June Jordan

In every age, no matter how cruel the oppression by those in power, there have been those who struggle for a different world.

Anne Braden

In the field of education, anti-racism often looks like school districts managing inequality and racism instead of eliminating them.

Bettina Love

What if we measured intelligence by how knowledgeable individuals are about their own environments? What if we measured intellect by an individual’s desire to know?

Ibram X. Kendi

Nothing can stop the power of a committed and determined people to make a difference in our society. Why? Because human beings are the most dynamic link to the divine on this planet.

Rep. John Lewis

This may only be a dream of mine, but I think it can be made real.

Ella Baker

One of our main tasks now is to understand this moment, what it might require of us, and what it might make possible.

Rebecca Solnit

You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.

Jane Goodall

Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth.
Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

Chief Seattle, 1854

When you let go of who you are, you become who you might be.

Rumi

All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

To truly listen is to risk being changed forever.

Native American Elder Sa'k'ej Henderson

...education is something done to you, learning is something you do for yourself.

Joi Ito and Jeff Howe, from the book Whiplash

Systems do not maintain themselves; even our lack of intervention is an act of maintenance. Every structure in every society is upheld by the active and passive assistance of other human beings.

Sonya Renee Taylor

Systems change begins when a few people step forward to act on behalf of what matters to them, when they start with a problem that’s right in front of them.

Paulo Freire

At first people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done, then they begin to hope it can be done, then they see it can be done, then it is done, and the world wonders why it was not done centuries ago.

Frances Hodgson Burnette

There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.

Margaret Wheatley

THE BELE FRAMEWORK

The BELE Framework is a guide for transforming student experiences and outcomes. It’s designed to integrate across every part of the learning experience, from teaching and learning, schoolwide systems and structures, family, caregiver, and community partnerships, and district and state policies while anchoring students at the center.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Research demonstrates that how young people experience their learning – including what and where they are taught – substantially impacts their ability to learn and grow. This domain focuses on creating meaningful relationships and engaging and meaningful learning experiences as the core work of an equitable school.

SCHOOLWIDE SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES

Equitable, high-quality schools are organized to ensure that people, resources, and opportunities are prioritized and aligned to support the core work of Teaching & Learning.

FAMILY, CAREGIVER, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

Schools should belong to families and communities in service of nurturing their children’s learning and development. Research proves that trusting relationships, a shared vision, and authentic collaboration are at the heart of equitable schools and communities.

DISTRICT AND STATE POLICIES

Districts and states must set the conditions and expectations, and provide the resources to ensure that school communities can fulfill the core commitments in the first three domains.

Research and Practices

Members of the BELE Network are working towards equity at all levels of the education system — including through research, policy, and federal, state, and district partnerships. Learn more about the work being by BELE Network members:

Transcend Education

works with schools across the country to create custom and replicable equitable learning environments that meet the specific needs of their students.

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The Kingmakers of Oakland

take a multifaceted approach to creating healthy, affirming learning environments that help Black boys thrive. With an approach of “healing the fish and treating the toxic ecosystem,” the Kingmakers are…

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Latest News

Medium Post

Reinventing Your School District? Start ...

In December, Transcend Education and the American Association of School Superintendents (AASA) led their second webinar in the “Road to Reinvention” series. Edgecombe County Superintendent Dr. Valerie Bridges shared how…

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Medium Post

How to Talk About and Reflect on the 202...

At the intersection of multiple crises, how we show up to support our students matters. In order to fully embrace social and emotional learning as a practice, it’s important that…

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Medium Post

Student engagement strategies that go be...

As school has moved to a virtual setting, we’ve begun to see how school systems are adapting and evolving curriculum to fit new learning environments. As education practices change and…

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education

Joining Transcend and the American Assoc...

In the coming months, our schools will continue to make decisions that affect the trajectory of student learning and the student experience for countless young people across the country. Instead…

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Medium Post

Staying on Course During a Crisis

Turnaround For Children has released a comprehensive suite of tools to build a school crisis plan that supports school leaders and educators as remote learning continues. One of the most…

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Medium Post

Building Equitable Learning Environments...

By The BELE NetworkIn September, BELE Network Learning Partners, Camille Farrington of the UChicago Consortium on School Research and Dave Paunesku of PERTS, led a webinar explaining the BELE framework and…

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Medium Post

Moving Forward Together

The BELE Network October Event RoundupBy The BELE NetworkAs schools, districts, and communities have navigated the return to school we have realized a simple and critical truth — the challenges presented by COVID-19 and…

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Medium Post

Transcend Education and the Christensen ...

Transcend Education and the Christensen Institute Releases Research Database for Innovative Learning ResourcesBy The BELE NetworkDuring a time where school leaders and educators are tasked with responsibility to evolve education practices…

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Medium Post

Rising Up to Support Families

How RISE Colorado is elevating the voices of families and empowering them to lead the charge for equity in educationBy The BELE NetworkThis is a part of our ongoing series on…

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Medium Post

Listening for a Change

How the RYSE Youth Center is Centering the Youth Voice to Reimagine School SafetyBy The BELE NetworkThis will is a part of our ongoing series on organizations that are amplifying the voices…

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Medium Post

How to Create Better, Safer Learning Env...

Rectifying exclusionary discipline practices in schoolsBy The BELE NetworkIn schools across the country, girls of color face some of the greatest barriers to educational opportunities. They are often disproportionately disciplined for subjective…

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Medium Post

Bringing Youth on-Board: Lessons Learned...

By the BELE NetworkThis is part two in a series that features the fearless young people, especially Black and Brown youth, who are reimagining schools as inclusive communities and advocating for…

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Medium Post

Building Back Better: Ensuring Equitable...

Perhaps more so than ever before, budget priorities and the distribution of resources will dictate our experience in a post-COVID world, and our schools will certainly feel the ripple effects…

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Medium Post

Remote Learning with the Head and the He...

Research shows social-emotional learning has a demonstrable effect on school climate, student behavior and academic performance. It is a growing priority for educators who are committed to creating equitable learning…

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Medium Post

Tips and Strategies to Support Undocumen...

COVID-19 has disrupted the lives of millions of students across the country, but perhaps none feel this crisis as acutely as undocumented students experiencing homelessness, who may have difficulty accessing…

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Medium Post

Eyes on the Horizon: K-12 Schools After ...

As COVID-19 sweeps the country creating massive uncertainty in its wake, our friends at the National Equity Project have maintained their devotion to an honest, clear-eyed assessment of where we…

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Medium Post

Fostering Student Engagement During COVI...

How a team of New York teachers are authentically connecting with their students and increasing engagement during a pandemic.

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Medium Post

Equitably Transitioning to Virtual Learn...

Learn how EL Education and their district partners were able to ensure that each of their students remain connected to their learning, even amidst a global pandemic.

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Medium Post

Repurposing School Resources to Meet Stu...

All across the United States, schools and districts are navigating a bumpy transition to distance learning in response to COVID-19. The move from classrooms to remote-learning environments has exposed countless…

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Medium Post

Moving Forward on Equitable Education Re...

Spring is typically filled with rites of passage for high school students, from prom, to AP tests, to college acceptances and graduations. But for millions of students this year, all…

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