Agenda - 11-05-20; 8-a - Minutes

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17 1 2 Slide #22 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Dr. Monique Felder said she has worked a number of places, and the equity work here is 14 so impressive and important for student learning. She said equity is the thread that runs 15 through the District’s work. 16 Dr. Dena Keeling said equity is a district priority, and everything the District does is 17 through an equity lens. She said before she was hired, the Board approved some joint funding, 18 and the district secured two 2-day trainings for district leadership, school counselors, career 19 advisors, and select teachers. She said these staff members went on to make up school based 20 equity teams in each school. She said the District cabinet and all school principals go through 21 monthly equity training, which has moved to an online platform due to Covid. She said the 22 district is working with Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) through a grant 23 at the NC Department of Education. She said IDRA analyzes data for OCS and creates 24 trainings accordingly. 25 Dr. Dena Keeling said every school based equity team has a lead, and she met with this 26 team for the first time last night. She said this work is important and she is having staff do a lot 27 of self-reflection. She said the equity taskforce is recruiting new members, including community 28 members, teachers, students and parents. She said this task force will make recommendations 29 to the Superintendent about issues related to equity. She said all current policies will be 30 reviewed. 31 Dr. Dena Keeling said she recently started affinity groups for staff, especially African 32 American staff. She said Orange High School has an excellent student led equity team, and an 33 African American history course offering has come out of that group. She said she listens 34 carefully to these students. She said she is a department of one, and it is a big lift to build this 35 effort in Orange County Schools. She said another challenge is the racial climate, and it is hard 36 to hear from students about feeling harmed and unsafe. She said it would be helpful if there 37 was a community wide focus on these issues. 38 Commissioner Greene said she is very interested in the students input about wanting 39 more diverse course offerings, and wanted to make sure Dr. Keeling knows about DPI 40 resources in these areas. 41 Jim Causby introduced Lee Williams who is the Chief Equity Officer. He said Dr. Lee 42 Williams was leaving at the end of the month and headed back to Guilford County Schools as a 43 middle school principal. 44