Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Diversity Equity Inclusion topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kirkwood educators and community members urge board to keep DEI programs and collective bargaining protections
Summary
Teachers, retirees and community members told the Kirkwood R‑VII Board that diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and the collective bargaining agreement support teacher recruitment, retention and student supports.
At a meeting of the Kirkwood R‑VII School District Board of Education, multiple teachers, a retired educator and community members urged the board to continue supporting diversity, equity and inclusion programs—specifically DEI leadership and the Kirkwood Teachers of Color (KTOC)—and to preserve collective bargaining protections for educators.
The speakers said DEI initiatives and contract protections help recruit and retain teachers of color and provide supports that benefit students. Roberta McWoods, a retired teacher and long‑time mentor for teachers of color, told the board the district historically led on inclusion: "We have always been in the district, we've always been the district to pave the way and uphold diversity, equity and inclusion racially, socially and academically." She identified herself as a retired teacher and former coach and said she was hired in 1985.
Lucas Ravenscraft, social studies department chair at Kirkwood High School, linked collective bargaining to teacher retention and student continuity. "Collective bargaining is fundamental to attracting these types of master teachers and keeping them here for their whole careers in Kirkwood High School," Ravenscraft said, adding that contracts allow teachers and administrators to "forge an agreement that will make our schools the best that we can." Several other classroom teachers and staff echoed that point, saying protected plan time and contract guarantees enable them to prepare lessons, collaborate and focus on students.
Speakers described the practical supports DEI provides: Carmen Griffin said DEI initiatives and KTOC supported her mental health and offered professional development and affinity groups for students and staff. Leah Thomas, a second‑grade teacher at Kaiser, cited protected plan time in the current collective bargaining agreement as one concrete student benefit. Gabby Farias, a parent educator, said DEI work also helps families, including non‑English‑speaking Hispanic families, navigate the district.
The record includes online comments from Cortland Griffin and Nicola Thomas that similarly urged continued DEI prioritization and praised DEI leaders. Those messages noted research linking retention of educators of color to supportive district climates and described KTOC and DEI leadership as a source of accountability and community connection.
The public comment period at the start of the meeting follows the board's rule that non‑board speakers register with the board clerk and are limited to three minutes each; board members do not directly respond during public comment.
The speakers who addressed the board in person and remotely are listed in the meeting record; board members did not take immediate action on requests during public comment. The district's superintendent and staff will follow up on any items that require a response outside the meeting.
