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District DEI committee reports curricular work and new Harriet Tubman Center partnership
Summary
The district DEI committee updated the board on four subcommittees focused on welcoming environments, rigorous instruction, inclusive curriculum and professional learning, and announced a partnership with Binghamton University's Harriet Tubman Center.
A representative of the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) committee updated the Board of Education on March 18 about ongoing work organized under New York State’s CRC framework and four subcommittees: welcoming/affirming environment; high expectations and rigorous instruction; inclusive curriculum and assessment; and ongoing professional learning.
The DEI presenter said the welcoming/affirming subcommittee is reviewing the district calendar through an equity lens and collecting family feedback through building posters with QR codes that link to ThoughtExchange comment forms. The high‑expectations subcommittee is tracking essential‑standards work and looking at EduCLIMBER data by student subgroups to identify gaps and to expand advanced‑course access. The inclusive‑curriculum subcommittee described recent professional development in social‑studies units that connected local street names and history to classroom learning, and the professional‑learning subcommittee emphasized ongoing staff training, including differentiated harmful‑language training and cultural‑behavior work.
Committee members said they are re‑examining the committee’s name and goals — for example, whether language such as “diversity, equity and inclusion” still best reflects the committee’s mission — and are considering alternative framings (for example, “opportunity, access and belonging”) before recommending changes to the board.
The DEI presenter also announced a new partnership with Binghamton University’s Harriet Tubman Center for Freedom and Equity. The district will send student groups — including a fifth‑grade class from Woodrow Wilson and an advanced IB art class from the high school — to a statue unveiling and associated programming on March 21. The sculptor will present to students and offer a Q&A and skills‑based discussion for art students.
Board members asked about response rates to the QR‑code family feedback and were told the program is increasing engagement and that a culture/climate survey for staff and students will be administered in the spring to gather broader input.
The presentation was informational; the committee will return to the board with follow‑up recommendations.
