On September 16, 2021, the Task Force met for the first meeting of the 2020-21 school year.  During this work session, the three committees met to create a vision statement for their specific committee.  Each committee (with anywhere from 8 – 12 members) worked to construct a statement that reflected the specific focus of the committee and was aligned to the overall mission or goal of the task force: to reflect and examine our current policies and procedures in an effort to create a sustainable, systemic plan that will engage students, faculty and community members and address diversity, equity and inclusion.

The three committees presented their first draft of a vision statement to the task force at the end of the meeting.  These will be revisited as the year progresses.  Below are the three different statements, all a work in progress:

Curriculum:  We will ignite our students’ and community’s transformative educational experience by elevating our curriculum to embrace the diversity of our students.  We will instill a passion for lifelong learning and creativity into all aspects of their lives. 

Hiring and Retention: We will ensure the success of all students and meet the needs of families and community members; through the intentional recruitment, hiring and retention of a diverse, inclusive, and culturally competent group of faculty members.

Professional Development: To support and empower staff to develop their use of inclusive, culturally responsive practices to intentionally recognize and serve all children holistically.

Our next meeting in October, will involve Diversity Training, led by Dr. Gooden. The November meeting will be devoted to analyzing current board documents related to Curriculum, Hiring, and Professional Development through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion.  Action steps, if any, will be created during the next few months, with the goal of reporting findings and recommendations to the Superintendent during the April and May Task Force meetings.

ALL EVENTS