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Residents urge maintaining 'equity' in MCPS office name during public comment
Summary
Several community members, including long-time volunteers and parents, addressed the board during public address urging the district not to drop 'equity' from the Office of Equity and Diversity name and offered alternative names and perspectives.
Several speakers used the public-address portion of the meeting to urge the Montgomery County School Board to retain the term “equity” in the division office name and to defend the division’s equity work.
Andy Morikawa, who identified himself as a long-time resident and community volunteer, thanked the district for creating the Office of Equity and Diversity and urged the board to “preserve these at all costs,” saying the office signaled to families that the school system “sees you, we hear you, we welcome you and care for you.”
Kimberly Williamson of Christiansburg criticized DEI work as divisive and claimed some organizations and institutions have ended DEI programs; she said the division’s approach was “misguided” and accused the district of renaming the office “to simply rename and hide your office of DEI without changing any policy whatsoever.”
Judy Burleski, who said she served on the equity action team that developed the 2021–26 strategic plan, said she supports the mission of the office and recommended the alternative name “Office of Educational Equity and Opportunity” if the board proceeds with a name change. Burleski urged the board to maintain its commitment to equity across policies and practice.
Other public speakers—board members later thanked them—made points about the link between equity-focused work and improved outcomes for students. The board did not take immediate action on a name change during the meeting; the remarks were made as part of the public-comment period and were received for the record.
