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METCO staff urge implementation of external review recommendations, oppose eliminating DEI coordinator
Summary
METCO program leaders and staff asked the committee to implement recommendations from an external review and urged restoration of a district diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) coordinator role that the proposed FY26 budget would eliminate.
Staff from the Weston METCO program urged the school committee to act on recommendations from a recent external review and to reconsider the proposed elimination of the district DEI coordinator position.
Theresa Dryden, METCO director, said the external "Net COBRA" review was thorough and included clear recommendations that are not reflected in the proposed FY26 budget. "None of the specific major recommendations from that report are reflected in the proposed budget," Dryden said at the hearing. METCO staff asked the district to commit to examining and implementing the review’s suggestions in partnership with the superintendent and school committee.
Dryden and other METCO staff also identified the district DEI coordinator as an essential leadership role that should not be removed. "Every team needs a leader, and our belief is that the DEI coordinator is and should be that leader," Dryden said, listing METCO staff members who support the request and noting the coordinator’s role in collaboration, innovation and supporting underrepresented students.
METCO staff said the program "benefits every single student" in the district and emphasized partnership with the school system. The group closed with an appeal to the committee to align the budget with the district’s mission and strategic plan.
No formal vote on the DEI position occurred at the hearing; the budget and staffing choices were presented for later committee consideration.
