Royal Oak Schools outlines neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ and interfaith programs; schedules equity summits

Royal Oak Schools officials gave an overview of recent and upcoming diversity, equity and inclusion programming at the Oct. 9 board meeting, highlighting professional learning for neurodiversity, two sessions of an MDE LGBTQ+ project, interfaith learning trips, a college expo and staff‑focused wellness and equity summits.

Ms. Phillips (DEI lead) told the board the district hosted a three‑hour session on neurodiversity led by autistic psychologist Matt Lowry, described as drawing on lived experience and offering practical classroom strategies. The district plans a follow‑up session and encouraged staff participation.

On LGBTQ+ supports, Phillips said two sessions—"Laying the Foundation" and "When Bias Gets in the Way"—addressed terminology, students' perspectives and best practices for family engagement under the MDE project. The district also reported partnership activities with the Interfaith Leadership Council: an Odysseys trip focused on Hinduism with cultural and mindfulness activities, and a Journeys visit to Christchurch Cranbrook that included musical demonstrations and a student service project to collect items for people experiencing homelessness.

Phillips reported the district's participation in the Oakland Schools HBCU College Expo and invited students to DAPSEP (Detroit Area Pre‑College Engineering Program) on Nov. 1 (U of D Mercy, free event for grades 7–12). She also previewed an October 16 session in Royal Oak on The Containment as part of a Systems of Inequity series and two upcoming summits: an election‑day staff wellness summit on Nov. 4 and a Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (JEDI) Educator Summit on Nov. 6.

Board members asked no substantive questions during the update.

Quotes from the meeting - "He's an autistic psychologist himself. So his when he spoke, he spoke from lived experiences," said Ms. Phillips about presenter Matt Lowry. - "We're gonna have some yoga, we're gonna have some arts," Phillips said describing the wellness summit schedule.

Practical details cited in the presentation: the DAPSEP event is scheduled for Nov. 1 from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at University of Detroit Mercy and registration is available at dapsep.org; the Systems of Inequity series first session will be hosted in district on Oct. 16; the wellness summit is Nov. 4; the JEDI Educator Summit is Nov. 6.