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School superintendent and equity-team members urge focus on student voice
Summary
Bristol's Diversity Council met Feb. 24 with Bristol School District leaders, who described work by the district's equity leadership team and said amplifying student voice and improving inclusion are top priorities; council members discussed supports for families of students with disabilities.
Chair Mark McFadden called the Diversity Council to order at 6:34 p.m. on Feb. 24 and introduced a special public-participation segment featuring leaders from the Bristol School District's equity leadership team.
Superintendent Iris White told the council she has led the district since May 2024 and that an established equity leadership team includes principals, special-education supervisors, teachers and central-office staff. "Student voice has been one of our major initiatives," White said, explaining the district's emphasis on connecting students to school and ensuring they feel included.
Leah McCabe, principal at Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet School and an original member of the district's equity team, described the team's multi-year work building a district equity statement and offering professional learning on subjects ranging from Native American rights to redlining. McCabe said the team has refocused this year on student voice and on turning learning into action.
In a council question-and-answer period, members asked whether student groups such as gay-straight alliances and after-school programs can engage with the equity team. McCabe said student clubs "ebb and flow" with interest and that adviser availability and staff turnover can affect continuity; she and White cited local organizations, including Q Plus, that have helped students organize clubs.
Council members raised concerns that families of students with disabilities feel isolated. White said the district's director of personnel services, Amy Martino, is working with a community vocational program to organize social events for parents of students with disabilities; Martino and council members emphasized that such events must include accessible accommodations, childcare and dietary considerations to be usable for families.
The council agreed to continue the conversation and to coordinate volunteer support when social events or student-facing activities are planned. The meeting moved on after roughly an hour of school-focused discussion.
