• In July 2020, the New Hartford Central School District Board of Education adopted a diversity statement that read, in part, “The district is committed to being part of a larger, systematic change to confront racism and inequality of any type within our community, but especially in education.”

    The board charged the district with creating a task force to examine these issues, leading to the eventual formation in March 2022 of a district Educational Equity Committee, which is composed of students, parents, community members, teachers, and school administrators.

    The goal of the EEC is to work collaboratively to help the district meet its goal of ensuring that all students, teachers, and staff feel valued and can succeed, by:

    • Reviewing current practices
    • Soliciting stakeholder feedback
    • Assessing school climate
    • Studying reports and articles
    • Collaborating with experts
    • Making recommendations

    Group Norms

    * introduced at the August 2022 meeting

    1. Keep students at the forefront of this work
    2. Be fully present, not just physically, but mentally
    3. Learn to recognize privilege, biases, and assumptions
    4. Ensure space for all group members to participate
    5. Practice active and empathetic listening
    6. Monitor your airtime and do not interrupt
    7. Acknowledge and invite differing viewpoints
    8. Assume positive intent and challenge ideas, not people
    9. Push each other’s thinking and disagree respectfully
    10. Have “urgent” patience and accept a lack of resolution

    EEC meetings and recommendations

    March 9, 2022

    April 20, 2022

    Recommendations

    • Develop a Board of Education Equity policy
    • Conduct an “Equity Audit” in 2022-23
    • Create an action plan based on the audit

    May 16, 2022

    • Presentation/discussion led by Dr. Luvelle Brown, Ithaca City School District Superintendent
    • Formed smaller working groups

    June 8, 2022

    • Overview/discussion on No Place for Hate
    • Review of preliminary school data (graduation, test scores, AP enrollment, absenteeism)
    • Presentation from Elizabeth Cavic, NH Alum of Color Association

    August 10, 2022

    • Introduced updated group norms
    • Feedback from working groups and Diversity Symposium
    • Developed priority list for 2022/23 school year

    Recommendations (draft)

    • Conduct a third-party student climate survey
    • Create a Student Equity Advisory Council
    • Provide reports of bias-related incidents and discipline
    • Develop a communications plan for equity-related information to community (e.g. NYSED CR-SE briefs)
    • Survey families and community members
    • Identify additional consultants and explore hiring equity administrator

    September 13, 2022

    • Reviewed Alum of Color Association recommendations
    • Reviewed/discussed August recommendations list and added an item for district to respond to Alum of Color recommendations
    • Members are to rank their “priorities” based on the list
    • Awaiting district response to EEC recommendations and determination of next steps
    • Presented EEC overview to the BOE on Sept. 20, 2022