Equity committee proposes district-wide acknowledgement calendar to strengthen belonging

The district's Equity & Racial Justice Committee (ERJC) presented a year's worth of work on a district-wide acknowledgement calendar at the June 18 meeting, describing the calendar as an "invitation to reflect, learn, and connect" and a tool to foster belonging across schools.

ERJC members said they anchored the work in New York State's culture-responsive sustaining framework and focused on "belonging" as a priority pillar. The committee read a statement of purpose for the calendar, emphasizing co-creation with students, families and staff and noting that implementation will look different by school level. "Our schools are stronger when students learn about the communities, cultures and histories that shape the world," the committee told trustees.

Student voice and process: ERJC representatives described meetings with high-school students and said student participation changed the conversation. The committee proposed shifting some ERJC meeting times to better align with student schedules so pupils can participate directly in planning and implementation.

Implementation and next steps: The committee recommended school-level implementation of monthly themes and activities tied to the calendar, supplemented by school-specific programming and student leadership. ERJC said the calendar is a beginning, not a finish line; it will evolve with feedback from students, families and staff.

Why this matters: Trustees and administrators said the calendar complements other district efforts to create inclusive learning environments and to center student voice. The board welcomed the plan and flagged the need for clear communication to families about what UPK-related and other curricular changes mean in practice.

Speakers quoted: ERJC co-facilitator and committee members (Neil and co-facilitators), district leaders who thanked committee and emphasized student voice.