January’s Equity Council meeting was a solid hour of inquiry and learning for members. Ramona Malone and Shanna Rector shared their experiences at the training, Developing Cultural Proficiency, they attended with fellow members Linda Anderson, Tiffany Cooper, Linn Exline and Jennifer Bradford-Vernon. At the training, participants analyzed the roles and groups with which they identify. They discussed the importance of reviewing assumptions made by organizations and people for working with issues that arise in diverse environments. Improving cultural proficiency was discussed between representatives of several Kansas school districts.
Moving into small teams, council members reviewed 2018-2019 risk data for the following groups: graduation, special education, gifted and chronic absenteeism. Superintendent Exline brought the whole group back together and led discussion of their findings, noting disparities in the data. The whole group brainstormed additional disaggregation and variable combinations of the data to review in the future.
Superintendent Exline updated the council about the implicit bias training sessions that are being implemented across the district. The training was developed from articles reviewed and recommended by Equity Council members in September 2019. The resulting packet of six training sessions was presented to district administrators in November. Starting in January 2020, the principals are implementing the training at staff development meetings. Superintendent Exline shared some of the positive feedback she has heard from principals.
The Equity Council agreed that at their next meeting, February 27, the time will be used as a listening session to gain input from the council for the district’s strategic planning process.