McFarland presents year‑one progress on district equity work, expands student training on harmful language

McFarland School District equity coordinator Britney Bridal outlined a year of work Jan. 13, saying the district has set long‑range DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging) goals, begun targeted professional development for staff, and expanded student leadership and training around interrupting harmful language.

Bridal told the School Board the district rewrote its educational equity resolution and policy last year and has embedded equity goals into the strategic plan. “We want to flip DEIB from a separate pillar into part of what we do,” Bridal said, adding the district is already collecting baseline data for goals tied to professional learning and student instructional experiences.

The nut graf: The presentation outlined both administrative steps — staff training, revised goals and surveys — and student-facing actions including advisory lessons, a second annual equity picnic and a unity summit. Board members pressed for concrete outreach and coordination with families and the village government and asked how the district is addressing hate speech in social media and athletics settings.

Bridal described a prioritized set of activities that the district has rolled out this school year. All staff have had training sessions and 3–12 advisory lessons now include the district’s “speak up” tool. “We are starting to see it used when incidents do come up,” Bridal said, and signage across buildings signals the district’s expectations. Bridal said family learning materials and a short video explaining the tool are posted on the district website to support parent engagement.

Board members sought specifics and context. Board member Tom asked whether the district is near its stated goal that 80% of staff regularly interact with students in DEIB learning; Bridal said the district is “not quite at 80” but is close and is tracking survey data. Members also asked about alignment with the district’s Charlotte Danielson (classroom evaluation) model; Bridal said DEIB elements are now embedded into high‑quality instruction and share common indicators with the evaluation framework.

Athletics and student travel drew repeated questions. Board members raised the concern that McFarland student athletes travel to districts with differing levels of DEIB training, and asked whether district signage and materials extend into athletic spaces. Bridal said signage is present inside athletic facilities and locker rooms and that athletic directors have engaged on expectations. She noted recent incidents have been handled by coaches and athletic staff and said the district has worked with peers in the county to share approaches.

Bridal and Erin Tarnitzer, the district administrator, emphasized student leadership programs — including SALT (Student Athlete Leadership Team) and other clubs — as part of a strategy to empower students to act in the moment and report incidents. Bridal said the district has seen an increase in student reporting and advocacy and that students are being taught specific language to use when speaking up.

Board members pressed about parental support and community coordination. Bridal said she has begun regular informal check‑ins with Crystal (village DEI representative) and hopes to formalize collaboration. Several board members encouraged more joint programming so community and school messaging align.

Ending: Bridal said the district will continue to refine professional development, collect spring student survey data, and use the long‑range DEIB goals to guide year‑to‑year work. The presentation prompted no formal vote; board members thanked staff and encouraged continued family and intergovernmental outreach.