Brentwood Board Hears DEIB Plan Centered on Implicit-Bias Training, Building Teams

At a budget workshop on Oct. 8, 2024, the Brentwood Union Free School District heard a presentation from Dr. Vincent Leone, coordinator of funded programs, compliance, and CIO, and Amanda Chan Singh, coordinator of diversity, equity, and inclusion, laying out a districtwide plan to expand diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) efforts.

Dr. Vincent Leone framed the work inside the district’s new "Graduation Plus" conceptual framework, explaining that district leaders analyzed 30–40 existing plans to distill four core tenets — success pathways, meaningful instruction and assessment, growth culture, and empowered stakeholders — intended to align disparate initiatives across the district. "Everyone is entitled to a safe, healthy, caring, and culturally responsive environment that fosters equity, dignity, and belonging," Leone said as he described how those beliefs are embedded in the framework.

The presentation emphasized implicit bias as a focal lever for reducing long-standing achievement gaps. The board viewed a short recorded talk by D'Shaw Hockett that described implicit bias as operating at a subconscious level, often contradicting stated beliefs, and arising through rapid mental associations. Presenters said implicit-bias work provides both a preventive and diagnostic approach and recommended practical strategies (including "individuation," or getting to know people) as part of staff practice.

Amanda Chan Singh, introduced as the district’s DEIB coordinator, described specific implementation steps: the district central DEIB committee will continue meeting; building-level DEIB teams will be created in each of the district’s 17 buildings; faculty workshops will align Graduation Plus to the New York State CRSE framework; restorative-practice coaches and student-advocacy supports will be expanded; and the office will develop new policies where needed, including an LGBTQIA policy. "We're going to be working with the school buildings, with the faculty, and we're providing workshops on Graduation Plus and the culturally responsive framework," she said.

Presenters said the district has already begun scheduling training: two-hour overviews of the State Education Department's CRSE framework and two-hour implicit-bias overviews are planned, with 12–13 of the 17 buildings already scheduled for sessions this cycle. Leone added the district has framed the work for two years and will use that foundation as the core strategic plan is developed over five years.

Leone and Amanda described community engagement through a parent forum they call PIQUE (Parent Institute for Quality Education), which brings PTA representatives, community-based organizations and parents from all buildings together to learn from each other and to provide feedback on the district’s plans. The presenters also pointed to early district work such as a high-school "Who am I?" activity and student liaisons’ involvement as examples of current practice to be scaled.

Board members asked clarifying questions about terminology and scheduling; one member asked what the "B" in DEIB stands for and presenters replied it stands for "Belonging." When asked about the five-year plan, Leone said the team has laid out two years of concrete scheduling and will fold those activities into the full five-year strategic plan. The presentation closed with the board thanking the presenters. The workshop adjourned at 7:15 p.m.

The presentation contained no formal motions or policy adoptions; staff described forthcoming policy work and training schedules to return for future meetings and community briefings.