The Equity in Education Coalition (EEC) was founded in August of 2012 out of a communities wide, deeply felt concern that the recent Washington State Supreme Court ruling, McLeary v State of Washington would justify even deeper cuts to the state’s safety net, housing, healthcare, early learning and higher education. Not only had there been over $10 Billion in cuts since the great recession of 2008 in Washington State, but, even today, most of those cuts have been the burden of communities of color and low income communities to bear. The Equity In Education Coalition is Washington State’s largest coalition of stakeholders from communities of color and white allies who are striving to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for children of color. Though we comprise a diverse spectrum of backgrounds, perspectives and circumstances, three qualities hold us together: * Our members have direct experience with schools and districts which failed to provide a quality education for children of color. * Our members have seen the devastating and life-long consequences of inadequate and unfair educational practices in the lives of our children. * Our members believe that an equitable and just educational and system where each and every children can thrive and succeed, is entirely within our reach. As a Coalition representative of communities of color and low-income communities, we are taking a strategic approach to closing the opportunity gap that takes into account the effects of race, homelessness, racial and institutional discrimination, children and parents whose first language is not English, poverty, and family instability.