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McFarland district sets long‑range equity goals, expands 'speak up' training for students and staff
Summary
District equity coordinator Britney Bridal told the McFarland School Board on Jan. 13 that the district has adopted long‑range DEIB goals and is embedding training, signage and student leadership into daily work; administrators said they are tracking baseline staff and student data and increasing family outreach.
At its Jan. 13 meeting, the McFarland School Board heard an update on the district's equity work from district equity coordinator Britney Bridal and district administrator Erin Tarnitzer, who described a shift from stand‑alone equity initiatives to embedding DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging) into everyday instruction and district planning.
Bridal said the district finalized long‑range equity goals last year and is beginning to gather baseline data tied to those goals. "We're already starting to collect some data on it and track that," she said, adding the goals emphasize a culture of DEIB learning, enhanced staff professional development and improved student learning and instructional experiences.
The nut graf: Leaders told the board the work is moving from separate equity programming into routine instructional practice, and they plan to measure progress with surveys and targeted data collection. Bridal said the district will survey students in the spring and is already collecting staff feedback this year.
Bridal described several concrete steps under way. The district has a "speak up" tool and training that is now part of advisory lessons for grades 3'12; Bridal said staff and a growing number of students have been trained. "Students are reporting it more, which is what we want," she said, arguing that the tool gives students language to interrupt harmful language and hate speech.
The district has added signage around campuses to signal expectations and to normalize intervention language, Bridal said. She also described expanded family learning sessions about the tool and plans to host the district's second annual equity picnic and the "Many United Against Hate" Unity Summit this spring.
Bridal said the equity work team has started embedding culturally responsive practices and equity learning into the district's broader strategic plan and professional development. "We took the greatest from that, and we're using that," she said.
Board members pressed for details about the goals and early data. One board member referenced an 80% staff‑engagement target in the long‑range goals; Bridal said the district is not yet at that level but is approaching it and is clarifying survey questions and definitions. "We're getting close," she said, adding that some open responses have required the team to define what DEIB looks like in practice.
School and extracurricular connections were highlighted: Bridal said the district is trying to systematize mentorship and student leadership so older students mentor younger ones, and she cited planned partnerships between high school clubs and younger grades. Board members and Bridal discussed Student Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) and other student leader groups as a vehicle for peer influence and culture change.
Tarnitzer, the district administrator, reinforced that equity work is linked to instruction. She said the district's Charlotte Danielson teaching evaluation framework (used locally) aligns with the work to embed equitable instructional practices across classrooms.
On the topic of hate speech and harmful language, attendees discussed how social media and outside media norms complicate schools' response. Bridal described the district's approach as threefold: prevention through instruction, visible signage and quicker investigation and follow‑up when incidents are reported. "We're also, I think, quicker now to get the report, start investigating, and get the outcome that the kids want," she said.
Board members asked about community partnerships; Bridal said she has begun informal and planned outreach with the village DEI contact and wants to make collaboration more formal. She also said she participates in occasional webinars and informal networks with other Dane County district equity coordinators.
Why it matters: The district is transitioning equity work from separate initiatives into routine instruction and school culture, while formalizing goals and measurement. Board members signaled interest in clearer templates and metrics to track progress.
Looking ahead: Bridal said the district will continue signage, staff and student training, family sessions, an equity picnic in spring and spring student surveys. The board thanked Bridal and Tarnitzer for the update.
