District updates affirmative-action and family-engagement pilots; students flag limited AP access
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Summary
District staff presented an updated affirmative-action plan and a 'Pathways to Partnership' family-engagement guide being piloted in six schools; student reps reported limited AP course access and stress from recent work stoppage.
At the Jan. 27 Evergreen Public Schools Board meeting, the district presented two equity-focused items and student representatives raised academic-access concerns.
Danny Arantia, senior director of human resources, summarized the updated affirmative-action plan and said a 12-person affirmative-action review committee has met twice to focus on selection and retention strategies. "We have created the affirmative action review committee," Arantia said, adding the committee will report back with process proposals in April.
Kyle Helm, equity specialist in the student equity and family engagement department, introduced the Pathways to Partnership guide, being piloted at Burton, Marion, York elementary schools, Pacific and WyEast middle schools and Evergreen High School. Helm said the guide centers family engagement strategies that are culturally responsive and build trust. Burton Elementary principal Rebecca Chase described events and volunteer orientation work to boost culturally specific parent engagement, and Pacific Middle principal described Viking Academy and "Conferences with Care," programs designed to center students in family conferences.
Student representative Lorele Medina (Heritage High) and junior rep Daisy said limited AP-course availability and a recent work stoppage have increased student stress. "A lot of students have raised concern on the limited AP courses at our school," Medina said, noting some low-income students rely on APs to afford college.
The presentations included data points on statistically expected utilization (SEU) for workforce diversity; Arantia said deviations have improved but more work is needed. Board members asked whether SEU data can be disaggregated by federal racial/ethnic categories and whether the affirmative-action committee will align goals with the board’s equity policies; Arantia said he would provide desegregated data and that the committee is focused on implementation rather than changing goals.