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Community engagement committee presents DEI action plan and peer theater program for middle school
Summary
Nicole Creek and committee members outlined a year‑plus of work on diversity, equity and inclusion: a steering committee, five work groups, 'Let's Be Clear' restorative conversations, a peer‑to‑peer theater "The Middle" for seventh‑eighth graders, a Students for DEI website, curriculum inventory and incident reporting improvements.
The board received a multi‑part progress report from the Community Engagement/DEI committee that has met for more than a year to develop policies, programming and materials designed to improve cultural understanding and student belonging.
Nicole Creek, identified in the presentation as executive director, said the committee is organized with a two‑board‑member steering committee, administration representation and work groups focused on policy and practice, curriculum, professional development, student engagement and community outreach. "The core objective is to initiate and sustain a cultural shift regarding race, ethnicity and culture in the Pinckney Community School District," she said.
Programs and pilots
The committee highlighted several initiatives already in place or planned: the "Let's Be Clear" restorative, one‑on‑one conversations for students involved in incidents; a peer‑created theater piece called "The Middle" that premieres at Pathfinder (targeting seventh and eighth graders) and is followed by facilitated small‑group discussion; a Students for DEI website (student‑run) with resources and an incident reporting link; and a K–5 curriculum title inventory that catalogs representation and themes.
Instructional and operational supports
Committee members stressed supports for teachers and coaches: they plan scaffolded K–2 resources that embed culturally responsive lessons into existing pacing calendars, training for athletics coaches using NFHS resources and an athletic handbook with behavior expectations, and a set of incident‑reporting forms to make reporting less intimidating. Nicole said the work spans classroom, building and district levels and described a phased approach that mixes planning and implementation.
Measuring progress
Board members pressed on how the district will measure impact. Committee leaders pointed to existing tools — state incident reporting codes, climate surveys and program participation numbers — and to qualitative indicators such as increased participation in leadership classes and improved survey responses at the high school. Nicole said the district already sees some evidence of progress and emphasized that cultural change is incremental and will require sustained effort.
Next steps
The committee will continue implementing pilots ("The Middle" theater, teacher scaffolds, Otus alignment ties for curriculum), develop the Students for DEI website for a 2026–27 launch, refine incident reporting access on the website, and continue PD and coach training; staff committed to reporting back to the board with progress updates.
