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District outlines year of DEI training, curricular review and plans to sustain work
Summary
Dr. Meredith Madden summarized a year of districtwide professional learning, reporting high enrollment in a new DEI course, multi-day curriculum reviews using a CRC scorecard, targeted TA training and recommendations to embed culturally responsive-sustaining education across curriculum maps.
Dr. Meredith Madden presented findings from a year of professional learning and curriculum review designed to advance equity and excellence across the Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District.
Madden told the board the district offered a 10-hour asynchronous course called ‘DEI Matters’ districtwide, and that about 456 staff members were enrolled. She said roughly 356 instructional staff, 16 administrators and 101 teaching assistants were among those enrolled, and that teaching assistants completed a condensed four-hour TA version during a professional development day.
The presentation said four cohorts (ELA, social studies, elementary education and a secondary cohort) met across four days for six hours each to review teacher-selected units using the NYU Metro Center’s CRC scorecard. Madden said the review examined representation, power and privilege, and teacher materials; participating teachers identified gaps and next steps to refine units.
Madden described three district professional development days led or supported by her work: an opening-day keynote framing educational equity; sessions at an instructional fair on difficult language in texts and classroom strategies; and a six-hour “DEI Matters in Action” session focused on dialogic pedagogy and instructional strategies for secondary educators.
Board members asked how the work would include other support staff and students. Madden said office aides and bus aides had been included in recent staff development work and that district leaders are pursuing more opportunities to center student voice, including a prototype “portrait of a learner” presented to student council in June.
Superintendent and curriculum leaders said their goal is to embed the CRC review in the district’s curricular review cycle and curriculum maps so culturally responsive-sustaining education would be a recurring part of unit reviews and mapping in Atlas.
Madden recommended sustaining the curricular review cycle, expanding dialogic pedagogy training, and continuing partnerships with regional teacher centers to provide multi-year professional learning pathways. She closed by saying this is ongoing work and invited follow-up questions from the board.
Board members thanked Madden and discussed next steps for expanding teacher-led reviews and integrating findings into the curriculum calendar.
