Board member Jerry Ballas reported on the activities of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
Ballas noted several disturbing incidents at Strath Haven High School on the first day of school. “It’s important that we not only talk about but fundamentally demonstrate that behavior of that type is simply unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the school system,” he said.
Ballas also described several committee initiatives, including new policies to improve district hiring practices, ways to better integrate diverse material across the curriculum, and better communicating WSSD actions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. He said that the committee is finalizing its mission statement, which it hopes to publish on the WSSD homepage.
The public comments portion of the meeting included reading out the following letter, written by leaders of the group Wallingford-Swarthmore Schools Big IDEA. As of Tuesday, September 22, it had garnered 126 signatures.
Dear Dr. Palmer, Dr. Citarelli Jones, Dr. Mosakowski, Dr. Hilden, Mr. King, Dr. Tuck, Mr. Savage, Mr. Heinle, and the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District Board,
We are writing as representatives of Wallingford-Swarthmore Schools Big IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Access). This group was formed last fall by a small group of teachers and parents, and in less than one year we have grown to over 150 members of the community. The goal of WSS Big IDEA is to end racism, homophobia, discrimination, and hate speech in the WSSD community, and promote a sense of belonging within the community.
We write to you following yet another incident of racism, homophobia, and hate speech that occurred in Zoom classrooms at Strath Haven High School on September 3. Three weeks have passed, and the community has heard nothing about a district response. We must start thinking proactively, systematically, and concretely about how to change the culture of our school and larger community from one that minimizes these hateful attitudes and acts to one that actively and persistently works to end racism, homophobia, discrimination, and hate speech in our community. Our children are watching our actions and inactions while deciding who they are, what they accept, and how they treat others.
We urgently need to start addressing racism, homophobia, discrimination, and hate speech in the WSSD by:
Educating students, by implementing the lessons from the book “Being the Change” for all students in kindergarten through 12th grade in the WSSD. “Being the Change” is based on the idea that people can develop skills and habits to serve them in the comprehension of social issues. “Being the Change” provides teachers with tools and activities that help students make sense of themselves and the world as they navigate relevant topics in today’s society.
Educating adults, by requiring that all WSSD employees (teachers, administrators, nurses, bus drivers, coaches, counselors, custodians, psychologists, food service personnel, etc.) participate in Lion’s Story professional development workshops. Lion’s Story’s mission is to prepare individuals and organizations to navigate and resolve racially charged situations.
Committing serious resources to developing an equity lens to every aspect of schooling and teaching in the WSSD community (including, for example, curriculum development, professional development, discipline, hiring).
Remaining open to future recommendations from this group, the district Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, and the suggestions of teachers, parents, and students regarding further proactive work to address these issues in classrooms, schools, and the community.
Taking these actions and putting resources toward “Being the Change” and Lion’s Story would demonstrate a much-needed commitment on the part of the WSSD to address racism, homophobia, discrimination, and hate speech.
In partnership,
WSS Big IDEA, led by:
Charmaine Seitz
Dina Stonberg
Japbir Gill
Kim Schmucki
