001oh okay so those last two slides oh um now they are sorry and this is my first meeting so I haven't obviously been a part of these meetings before now but I have looked briefly at the minutes of the last meetings and I don't think you have a quorum for approval but it as customary for committees you simply approve previous discussions right I'm fine with that on my part yeah sure okay so I wanted to start with an update on my end from the diversity office and mine has to do with the work of our district-wide Excellence through Equity slash diversity equity and inclusion team we call them our advisory team members because their work is all about red threading Equity throughout the district they represent every division in our district there are 38 members
002on this team and so we have charged them with thinking deeply about the work of equity identifying ways that our district can be more culturally responsive in all of our practices and considering how we support our staff we're going to talk a little more in depth when Wilma gives her report about two things the team is focusing on right now but for my conversation I wanted to draw your attention to the equity overview and I don't think we're able to put it up are we able to put it up and so what you have here is just an update on where we are in the district um with the work we started uh almost a year ago June of 2022 we started the work of socializing the vision I shared with Mrs McKittrick that hands
003down what resonates most with everyone that puts their eyes on our vision is being seen valued heard and respected and that's staff families and Scholars and so we put the team together to really do some deep dive work into the elimination of inequities through intentional design and so as you flip through the presentation want to draw your attention to how we delineate Equitable leadership Equity Focus Equity centered leadership versus traditional leadership and this is a shift in the way we think about the work that we do so traditionally leaders lead right and tell everybody else what to do it's hierarchical Equity leadership is about coherence not just alignment so this is a shift in the way we do work and we're spending time with the team every month and we have since November will Alma
004since November to go deep started in October to go deep into understanding the difference because people don't and then we talk about the equity lands being about systemic intentional design to eliminate disparities and so we're not just talking about black and white and the differences in how our Scholars experience school but we're also talking about the policies the outcomes the power relationships and the solutions that we bring to the table so I don't want to belabor the point here but you get what I'm saying this is this is a shift in mindset it is a shift in culture and so as you go through you can see just kind of where we are green means we're moving along the work is happening uh Pink reddish means that we're having a little difficulty in one of
005the areas of difficulty would be identifying times and and blocks within a day for the remaining divisions to have the discussion around foundational Equity understanding they're just it's hard to pull groups of people together when there are so many different things going on in our district and we talked about our capacity to hit everyone at the same time we're moving through with tutoring we gave you a spreadsheet of the number of buildings that have been touched um over the past two and including March coming up we don't necessarily like the idea that it's going to take us two years to get to all buildings because of our capacity but that's where we are um right now so wanted you to be aware of that and some of this you'll be able to look over on
006your own time we just wanted to give you an idea of how our plans are taking shape um I had here on here a priority area for the team and the slides aren't numbered but it says leading indicator of success number three and this is all about the work of the team so so far through January the sessions that have been completed and will be extended to April have identified as its priorities developing a portrait of a culturally responsive educator and staff and developing a portrait of a culturally responsive school system to my knowledge and I don't know Mrs Alexander this has not been done anywhere that a school district would Define what it means to be culturally just responsive in its actions really I I haven't found it yet there's tons of research okay
007about several school districts that has used that concept and tried to make it happen we have portrait of graduates portrait of Scholars but portraits yeah go Akron yeah yeah so if we find out differently we'll we'll let you know but first we're one of the first things I haven't I haven't found it yet and I'm a part of national network so um I'm really excited about that uh not just because it will be something new and different but because we're being reflective with our other portraits of Visions yeah so um that team of 38 we're looking forward to having something that we can bring forward to the committee hopefully by March April we'll see how how well it goes we are also recommending that we look at working to support the growth of others because
008that is what has come out of the many many sessions we've done with staff they are looking for ways to be supported in their own growth and understanding of culturally responsive practices streamlining protocols to ensure Equity across our practice the coherence I talked about operationalizing our vision I share it with Mrs McKittrick that you know the vision is one thing on paper but ensuring that everyone really understands it is another thing so and really reaching our troops our team members in the field to get their perspectives is an important part of this along with the regular cycles of feedback we ask senior staff about a month ago what they thought we were doing around equity and you'll see on the other side of that that there are some opportunities and there's some things that we're
009doing well and some things that we need to continue to work on especially the limited understanding of equity in education Nicole these are color-coded like the other ones am I missing something on that you know the the specific feet areas from staff okay so they didn't represent what was in our action plan got it okay yeah [Music] so I'll give you a minute moment to look at that if you have any questions [Music] and the feedback was taken just from all senior staff uh senior staff on the right side and hundreds and hundreds of Educators in all of our training sessions this year got it what are their priority areas and then we took those that we heard from our field back to the team and the team said of all the things people have
010said here are some of the areas that we want to pay attention to [Music] there's a lot of good ideas on here for sure [Music] yeah it represents good work and good thinking about our work which is where the difference is made [Music] and then just to wrap up the work on the team one of the things that has come up is that we really don't have clearly established Equity goals across departments where we use timely relevant data and so people can bring forth information about attendance or achievement but we're not unpacking it to look at the policies to look at the practices to identify root causes and then address them which is where the equity lens would come in so how do we use our data in a timely fashion that would clearly articulate
011what Equity goals should be as it relates to all of the data that we bring forth so that's one of the things that is sort of in yellow because we're not we're not quite there yet but we are moving through the process and lastly Wilma's going to talk about culturally responsive learning and what you see here is an example and it might be doubled up an example from our out of school time Network are Extended Learning division of the district who I used as an example or will you soon in a senior staff session to say why don't you be the front runner in helping others on senior staff understand what being culturally responsive looks like within your own Division and so this is what they have come up with and I thought it was
012really interesting that they could unpack it for themselves and demonstrate within Extended Learning so this is non-school day after hours Saturdays weekends that they could address environment climate and culture how they teach what they teach and how they develop and support their staff [Music] questions about the team or staff training [Music] I know I feel like I'm I got a lot of trees going on here I know there's a lot of trees here but I don't see one other tree they're ready for rigor framework you have it so our board members have it we can't get it uh I don't think I have that okay so I don't see it yeah um yeah just a second one I I did give you a one pager here too of the national Chief Equity officers Network and
013I wanted you to know that um I am a member of that Network and it is becoming um very valuable for me to be able to interact with Equity officers diversity officers from across the country and one of the things I'm bringing back to the district from this group is some work that I want to introduce with our to our Human Resources Division and so you'll be hearing more when Angela Carter comes to provide her update she's in administrative council with superintendent outley right now but you'll be hearing more about that yeah okay well ma which one are you going to start with um [Music] learning Partnerships community of Learners and information processing and attached to this are responses that came from um [Music] committee that once he presented this in our foundational presentation we
014talked about the awareness of being culturally aware of self and our students who covered that in that first box and then in the second Box learning Partnerships being authentic and positive teachers student relationships which is I thought was very vital information processing we're challenging students to receive train to increase I'm sorry capacity by connecting to culturally relevant materials in the classroom with students and communities and everyday experiences and then again with our community of Learners and learning that environment developing an inclusive environment where Equity is concerned you want there's a lot there to to look at as far as the responses but the responses are I think very very relevant to what you see happening right now in our district so under each of those categories these were the responses that we got and um
015how I forget the yellow means that they were most often cited in all training sessions across the district these were like common responses that we got from each of our training sessions actually they were they weren't very bad they were actually pretty bad and then we also covered being grounded in our four areas of places but before you before you go on the ready for rigor framework is the work of zoretta Hammond and her book is culturally responsive teaching in the brain and the reason why we had to bring a framework related to rigor and being culturally responsive was because every time we would talk about being culturally responsive people would say hey but what about rigor and so we had to start leading the conversation that being culturally responsive is rigor and so that
016was that was why we had to bring that framework to the table I just wanted to say that oh that's okay yeah yeah entire building read and they had to come together and discuss it was a cultural responsive teaching in the brain yes okay there's a red hat Hammond it's Loretta Hammond Hammonds h-a-m-m-o-n-d orange and then along with that being culturally responsive stating approaches we looked at the ground that import area supposed to begin with Charlie covered briefly with uh with the climate and culture how we teach what we teach and the development and support providing professional people so under that culture climate culture which is I think very vital the social well-being of our students building those authentic relationships [Music] being authentic in the relationships building restorative practices and being more trauma-informed with our
017students and how we teach using that inquiry-based learning and student-centered learning so that students can actually get why we're teaching and how we're teaching it and then what we teach for perspectives cultures histories and languages that represent our district and then again under the professional development of support doing that staff building and building leadership those are the four culturally responsive sustaining practices that that Carla has been presenting and I just tagged in on it this year and uh Erica Glover as well so yeah so this this culturally responsive framework started in New York with the New York State Department of Education and as with everything in Akron we acronize it yes and so and so at the end of the work with the team this year we will have our own framework and I mentioned
018the portrait of a culturally responsive school system educator and staff and it will come from all the responses that our staff have shared with us about what it means and you can see the questions at the top you know how can we address climate and culture in our classroom what does culturally responsive instruction look like what does it look like in practice for our curriculum right to address multiple perspectives histories languages Etc and then what do you need what do you need staff Educators and staff in your work because we don't want to tell them right we want them to co-create with us because that's how you get buy-in that's where it comes from it's the only way you get buy-in really if people aren't personally invested yeah but I think they did a good
019job though with their responses and take the you know a few minutes to review those um we got a lot I thought was it's something that we can actually utilize and they weren't asking for anything that's totally impossible we're making comments that were so rude or you know unexpected they were actually genuine I think and sincere oh good because again they're growing with us as we grow in this district with this the EI information [Music] and integrating that Excellence directly in it I think they're now getting it [Music] and again like like Carla mentioned earlier our biggest thing I think is time because the teachers that are on it the team you know if they can't get a sub then we can't they can't attend the meetings so sometimes it's a little difficult for them
020to get out of their buildings participate but they really want to be there they do they enjoy being a part of this district-wide team because it makes them feel as if they're contributing to something real right and everybody wants to feel like their their voices are heard yeah they really do they really do they were surprised that they were even tapped to be a part of the team yeah and and you know and my challenge is the team doesn't mean Carla has access to 38 people to help train to help do research to help coach and support the work to work with other District leaders um it's just Wilma and I and then a part-time person Eric Dr Glover who you know left and came back to help as an administrative specialist so we really
021do um need more capacity to go deeper [Music] yes are there any questions I'm just really appreciate the Litany of responses on the yeah yeah very thoughtful be very thoughtful yes I thought they they gave it time they didn't just do a check off right they actually wrote something yeah you know and what I really like about this is um we're getting responses from buildings that have gotten this far in their training and there's only been a handful of them that have gotten this far the bulk of these responses are coming from brand new faculty and staff in our district because we hit 100 of them wow when they enter within the first 90 days they get six hours of training whereas for the buildings we're only able to deliver to our doses at a
022time so that's why I say in order to get to the full six hour foundation or what it's gonna take three years it's gonna take a while yeah yeah because of the time we can only get them certain times of the year and mostly IID days sure good stuff yeah I don't have any questions about that that's all good for me so it makes sense how we're trying to pull the pieces together it is complex work um it's not just you know let's let's adopt a curriculum and then become culturally responsive right it's it's about self-awareness um getting to a Common Language and understanding yeah it's about understanding systemic this systemic nature and contributions made by the system to um the disparities that we see and understanding history too was a part that's for the
023people who are willing what about the people who are resistant right yes yes yes who have the buy-in right what about all those who that's yeah great it's easy to not convert but convert the Willing it's yeah it's another story to try and reach the people who are less than willing yeah but you know um I I dream of this place where the work has become normalized to the point where we have grown the collective [Music] so deeply that there isn't really space for you if you're not there right right um because I always tell the team when we're out training we understand there could be those everybody's at a different place in their Journey right and the far left or the Far Far Right might not be the group we touch today but those
024that we know are there we want to grow and so it is complex work though and it it takes time but intentionality is important too [Music] and then lastly the board charged us the district with developing employee resource groups and it was to have three in three years and we do now and I'm happy happy happy to say that the last one which they have called themselves new and existing employees United will be launching on March 2nd their networking and information social for any employee less than one to three years in the district and again employee resource groups are ran by employees supported by employees we're real proud of the work that our APS Pride group and our Akron Educators for social justice group are doing to engage with others in the district who have
025similar interests and Passions and when I know you've been attending Pride meetings any updates from them um yes they're moving right along and they in our last meeting that I actually joined kind of late because I was at another meeting but I did get on it um they just talked about some of their concerns with regards to students because they want to be able to reach out and make sure the students are being accommodated in the buildings as they need to be and so that's something that they want to build on and make sure that they're accessing the students in the right manner or the administrator if there are concerns with students in their buildings but so far so good with the group it's not a large group yet it's a small group but it's
026building and I think as people become more comfortable yes yeah that's probably yeah increase you know once people see how the brave souls are who we're right you know what I mean yeah there's always right absolutely like that so I think once they other people who maybe are a little more reticent to join something like when they see that group coming together what they're doing I think it might have increased that yeah yeah there's a great turnout when they host their section of the equality March oh yeah every spring yeah really good turnout yeah and it's a balance for me um because I I have to continue to coach and support but I don't want to run it you know and I've got to be careful um and let them Empower them to do what
027what you guys need to do but I think the next level of work for our ergs has to be giving them time to converse with District leaders they should help inform the thinking of leadership they should be able to lend perspective to leaders prior to decisions being made they they need to have an opportunity to make connections with leaders to share their thoughts and ideas so that that's kind of the next level first level is let's get started let's create something grow your group and membership and I think the next level of work is how how do we use them right to inform our own practice [Music] and I think it's good that we're getting the one to three year group because they are really they really don't know a whole lot and um and
028I think this is a way too to retain to to have them want to stay here because we're showing them that we do care about them want to know what they're thinking you know things that they may need or even if they have suggestions as to the direction they would like to see the district go will grow I think it's helpful because their voices in the past have not been heard you know so yeah yeah [Music] it should be and you know ergs are um known for being a solid retention and recruitment strategy yes yeah should be helpful yeah it's actually here isn't it yeah up upstairs yeah yeah and they wanted to I was just kind of listening in on the planning they wanted to keep it light they didn't want it to feel
029like a meeting right you know just bring folks together let them meet others socialize yeah yeah they're a good group of people is it RSVP or just show up just show up we're ready they will be ready to show up yeah yeah we'll get a good turnout then yeah yeah we're promoting it several different ways throughout the district so one of the ways was a personal invitation from Angela Carter in Human Resources so with specific to the list of people yeah that's a nice touch yeah it is it is yeah yeah any questions thoughts ideas things you're wondering as it relates to this work we're embarking on I'm excited about it Carl I mean being new to this committee you know look at all the stuff that I have here in front of me I've
030circled a lot of different phrases that I'm impressed by but I do want to share our next board meeting for sure with the entire board looks like good work to me looks like we're on the right path and this is important for it so I'm impressed I really am I I think so and I think the principles are really getting comfortable with welcoming us into their buildings to take that time off with their staff even if it is only two hours yeah I think it's being beneficial um for the administrators and it's helping them to be able to lead better you know with looking at that Equity lands in their buildings and they can see better what they need the true need is you know what happens in our in our district is uh principals
031tell each other yes about something that they really appreciate it and so then they all call and you know we feel so bad when we have to say oh all the slots are taken up for March 3rd yeah because of our capacity we'd love to be able to train six buildings seven eight ten a day we started out doing this we started with this today yeah uh each six buildings two hours a day yeah yeah we all went to three different buildings and three different buildings so it was nine um in one day and we we were at the first building eight to ten a.m and then we pack up and hurry up and get to the next building from 10 30 to 12 30 yes and then one to three no lunch no no
032we didn't get a chance no we didn't get a chance yeah and it was funny because that one day I almost ran out again and we said you know we got to take we can't get there yeah that middle one we had to take out yeah it was just too much is it the mics in the back there something going on is he not back there oh okay I'm sure he's trying to fix it okay yeah so um I had to remove the middle section and then notify those buildings that they were not happy just aren't enough of you to go around it's just right simple math right yeah yeah and maybe we'll um send you the list I could have Cindy send you the list of building training for March 3rd okay and you
033can come out and visit one of the schools if you like and just you know stop in and take a peek at some of the conversations we are adamant that you know it's called training but we don't train we facilitate dialogue and really give them time to converse to talk to us to learn together and then to reflect on what they're hearing from others because that's where the real change happens yeah has to be time to process right right yeah and I'm one of those slow processors like I can hear it but I I can't make sense of it then like I have to go home go back through stuff anyway yeah yeah so I can appreciate that that is not something like there's no quick fix right this is stuff that takes time and
034it's ongoing and it's yeah allow them the chance to talk to share create the safe space enough for them to fill yeah like they can share and they appreciate it and it shows in the evaluations the feedback evaluations are great [Music] awesome yeah I don't have anything else unless you do I don't right anybody object to getting 20 minutes back I do not no no well thank you to hearing your report at the board meeting yeah yeah awesome thank you well thank you so much thank you thanks for having me looking forward to being a part of this committee for sure yeah me too