Agenda - 03-07-2019 8-a - Minutes

Browse Search

4 1 Schools has worked with school systems across the country, especially pertaining to student 2 code of conduct. He said the OCS equity taskforce is heavily involved, and all stakeholders are 3 being consulted. He said a new code of conduct should be presented to the OCS Board this 4 spring, and then comprehensive staff training will occur from bus drivers to nutrition workers to 5 teachers. He said OCS is committed to doing this work differently. 6 Chair Rich said there was a program at the Passmore Center, where 5 young men of 7 color spoke about their school experience and the lack of encouragement they receive in 8 comparison to their white counterparts. She said there were not many educators there, but it 9 was an eye-opening event, and the students voiced great passion for helping the next round of 10 students coming up behind them in the school district. She asked if OCS hears these voices. 11 Chair Stephens said Dr. Wirt has an advisory council at OCS. 12 Chair Rich said these students were from both school districts. 13 Superintendent Wirt said OCS has a superintendent student advisory council, and these 14 groups take a lot of work. He said there are other groups too. He said moving forward OCS will 15 need to formally create some student leadership groups around the issue of equity, with whom 16 OCS leadership will regularly interact. 17 Commissioner Price said the County specifically asked those students to speak at this 18 event, and she and her friends noted that these students raised the same concerns that existed 19 when they were in school. She said the voices of people of color, and women of color, are not 20 heard. She said it is a societal issue, and all have to be involved to make this work. 21 Sarah Smylie said one student spoke of a teacher advising him not to let a guidance 22 counselor ever tell him he cannot take a class. She said the equity work needs to continue to 23 the point that it is the norm for teachers to encourage. 24 Rani Dasi said equity is not a layer of the work, it is the work, and they need to 25 intentionally change the structures to support students. 26 Chair Rich asked if the work at the board levels is passed down to the teachers. 27 Superintendent Baldwin said the kids are way ahead of the adults, and are often involved 28 in the professional development of teachers. 29 Commissioner Price said it is so important to look at cultural differences, backgrounds 30 and environments. She said people of color should not be expected to assimilate into the 31 dominant culture. 32 Mary Ann Wolfe said CHCCS went through a culturally responsive curriculum scorecard 33 yesterday, which was an enlightening and powerful activity. 34 Superintendent Wirt said passing an equity policy was so important in OCS because it 35 makes some strong statements, but it also draws a line in the sand of how equity training is 36 completed. He said he could not find in OCS archives any trace of any type of equity training 37 with staff, but OCS is planning to do it now. He said it will be different, challenging and difficult 38 work, but the outcomes cannot continue to be the same as they have for multiple decades. He 39 said disparity data does not mean that OCS is full of racist staff, but rather there are policies in 40 place that continue to be implemented that have unintentionally lead to disparity. 41 Commissioner McKee asked if, given that 5% of the students in Orange County have no 42 representation at these types of meetings, would it be beneficial to ask charter schools to send 43 a representative to these meetings. He said he has had no interaction with the charter school 44 systems, but sits on a board that provides them funding. He said there is an unlevel playing 45 field between the public schools and the charter schools, but thinking that charter schools will go 46 away is foolish. 47 James Barrett agreed with Commissioner McKee. 48 Rani Dasi said she also agreed, and public schools should serve as hubs of public 49 information, but added that equity is not an overlay and the commitment to implementation 50 would be important.