We Have Work To Do

We have work to do. 

Those are the initial findings of a report commissioned by the Needham Public Schools (NPS) to study and understand issues of racial equity and inclusion in our schools and classrooms. Our equity consultant, Ms. Christine Robinson, shared the Equity Audit: Initial Findings with the School Committee at a recent meeting attended by almost 100 parents, teachers, and administrators.

Ms. Robinson interviewed or conducted focus groups with over 250 parents, community members, staff, and students and studied various documents, policies, and student data as part of her audit of equity and inclusion in the NPS.  She grounded her study within a conceptual framework of intersectionality, a theory that suggests individuals possess multiple identities, including race, gender, social class, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, age, mental and physical disability, as well as other forms of identity.  Intersectionality means it is insufficient to look only at one’s race when considering equity and inclusion because we possess other identities that may intersect with our race to impact our experiences in the world.

Key findings in the report include:

·      Root causes of disparities in education are centuries in the making; they are embedded in our nation's history. Still today, disparities affect the lives of students, faculty, administrators, parents, and staff of NPS.

·      NPS is becoming more diverse each year with over 50 languages spoken at home by the district’s families, with a wide variety of cultures, faith traditions, types of families, sexual identities, races, ethnicities, learning styles, disabilities, and countries of origin. Not everyone feels welcome or understood in the Needham Public Schools.

·      NPS parents, students and staff report experiencing or observing multiple instances of discrimination at the micro-level (joking, teasing, bullying, isolation) or at the macro-level from the media, public/political institutions, public safety, or other adults.

It was both challenging and uncomfortable for me as Needham’s superintendent to hear these findings and realize that there are parents, staff, and students who do not experience the Needham Public Schools or Needham community in a way that is consistently safe, welcoming, supportive, and caring. Some students of color expressed feeling marginalized or harassed; their parents feel unheard and disconnected; and their teachers, for example, express concern and anxiety about doing or saying the right thing when the issue of race surfaces. 

The findings also suggest that when students feel marginalized because of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or language, they experience a level of anxiety and distress that interferes with their learning and achievement.  As an academic institution whose primary mission is to educate all children to high levels, it is simply unacceptable to have any student feel unsafe or marginalized, especially if it results in a loss of learning and growth—and a loss of human potential.

So we have work to do.

Along with these key findings, the report suggests that we can build on our many strong assets (e.g., Launching Scholars) and existing programs (e.g., Social and Emotional Learning) to address real issues and challenges.  Fortunately, we have outstanding teachers, administrators, and staff who are dedicated to improvement and boosting student learning.

Some of the key recommendations include:

·      Listen deeply to the perspectives of diverse communities, respect their inherent wisdom, and be responsive to them.

·      Develop an inclusive partnership with schools and the community, with sensitivity to the needs of youth who have been traditionally marginalized. This group includes students of color, youth from poor neighborhoods, adjudicated youth, LGBTQ youth, disabled youth, youth in the child welfare system, homeless youth, and all other populations.

·      Provide additional training for teachers, administrators, and other staff to directly overcome implicit and explicit bias. Enable them to engage more frequently in difficult conversations, for example, about race, religion, sexual identity and orientation, and ethnicity.

·      Ensure our students receive a culturally responsive curriculum in all schools from grades Pre-K to 12, with ongoing review of data as part of an evidence-informed approach to ensue academic equity and achievement.

·      Build systemic equity in school cultures/climates; budget for and provide resources; expand communications and outreach to all families and students to ensure they are welcomed and included.

Ensuring a safe, positive, and equitable school culture are fundamental to who we are and what we believe; in fact the District’s core values, which are the foundation for everything we do, already articulate the critical nature of this work in Needham.  For example, our core value of Community is defined in this way:  A school culture that encourages communication, understanding, and is actively anti-racist.  A culture in which sharing ideas and valuing multiple perspectives ensures a caring community committed to the promotion of human dignity.  Our core values provide direction and reinforce the critical nature of this work.

There is a lot to consider here, and it will be the responsibility of each member of the school community and the Town to act.  With core values already in place to guide a talented and committed staff, we start from a good place.  We must also lean on the community to assist and support us.  Racist behavior, inequities in living (or learning) standards, bias against any individual, and an intolerance for human differences are not only school issues—these are issues for families, faith communities, the Town, and, indeed, the entire nation to address.  Clearly, and as the evidence suggests, we in the NPS play a key role.

With energy, hope, and a deep belief in the promise and possibility of each one of our young people, I commit to work with the School Committee, staff, parents, community members, and, especially students, to build on our strong assets and tackle these challenges.

Yes, we have urgent work to do — and we are committed to this work for the long term.

Let’s get on with it.