DISTRICT District task force focuses on equity

A district task force is working to ensure that all students have equitable access to programs, resources, and supports, and that diversity and inclusivity is part of the fabric of everyday learning.

“We want all students to feel that they belong,” said Superintendent Robert Zywicki, Ed.D. “There shouldn’t be any barriers preventing students from taking advantage of the tremendous academic, athletic, and co-curricular programs we have in Mount Olive.”

The first round of goals and actionable recommendations was recently approved by the board of education. In total, 16 goals were established.

They include:

• complete a comprehensive curriculum equity audit to determine if curricular resources and materials address diversity (racial, ethnic, religious, LGTBQ, gender group, and disability)

• increase elective course offerings so that students will have a deeper understanding of the ways that multicultural, racial, ethnic, religious, LGTBQ, gender, and disability issues have shaped our local, national, and global societies

• identify, recruit, and retain a diverse district staff

• provide staff with training on how to support students by building positive and healthy relationships

• measure student perceptions of the district’s inclusion of racial, ethnic, religious, LGTBQ, gender, and disability diversity within the curriculum

The equity task force is now focused on bringing those goals to life.

The task force includes teachers, students, parents, community members, board of education members, and administrators – about 50 people in all. To develop the goals and the various strategies to achieve them, subcommittees focused on five specific areas: academic achievement, disciplinary policy, inclusive curriculum, relationship building, and diversifying and training staff.

A complete report of the task force’s initiatives and progress is slated to be delivered to the board of education by the start of the 2021-22 school year.

A website with an equity dashboard has been created to provide the community with complete details of the district’s goals and action items. You can find it at:

https://sites.google.com/motsd.org/motsdequitytaskforce/home

District task force focuses on equity

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Mt. Olive High School