Support of DEI work in SPS
On November 6th 2020 STRIDE asked its members to take action by writing letters to the Scituate Public School Leaders voicing their support for the district’s recent actions surrounding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Within weeks over 100 letters had been sent directly to the Leadership of Scituate Public Schools
Call to Action:
Please email School Committee and SPS Administration
Volume matters: we encourage you to share this information with your friends!
Background:
At the most recent Scituate School Committee (11/2), community members made statements opposing the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives that the Scituate Public Schools (SPS) has begun and plans to accomplish. Here is the link to the meeting (note: public comment at 0:42.25 and 1:27.20).
STRIDE commends the strong and decisive steps SPS has recently taken to acknowledge and combat discrimination within the district. The School Committee recently passed this Anti-Racism Resolution which was drafted and revised through a DEI Subcommittee made up of school administrators, teachers, parents and community members. SPS also announced the hiring of Kalise Wornum, an outside consultant who will provide Professional Development to School Leaders on cultural proficiency. The district also posted a DEI Director position who will help to develop a multi-year plan to continue this work into the future. These steps represent major shifts in SPS, and while we know there is significant work ahead of us, STRIDE is pleased with these steps.
Some community members have spoken against this anti-racism work and have presented multiple arguments in opposition, including the belief that racism does not exist in Scituate, that there is not a need to improve the capacity of staff and students to have conversations about difference, and even further, that conversations surrounding social issues do not belong in schools. At the School Committee meeting they also announced the creation of a new parent group to monitor and speak out against DEI efforts in the schools.
STRIDE strongly encourages all of our members to reach out to Scituate Public School leaders expressing support for actions to acknowledge and address racism. We feel confident that these opposing voices are small in number and do not represent the views of our broader community. It is essential that school leaders hear from our membership to understand the broad support behind recent actions towards anti racism. By making our voices heard, we help to ensure that this work continues to be prioritized.How to Take Action
Send an email. Reply to this email and let us know after you send so we can keep track.Ask your friends to send an email. Sign up to speak during an upcoming School Committee Meeting. Below, you will find both talking points and a sample email. You might want to craft your own email, or just copy/paste the sample email. At the very bottom of this email, you will find the contact information you need.
Talking Points
Identify yourself and your relationship to the school system. (You do not have to have a child in the system. As a taxpayer, you can still weigh in!)If possible, personalize your email by sharing your experience as a way to illustrate that racism does exist in Scituate. DEI reaches broader than race; examples of other types of discrimination are absolutely relevant as well.Commend the work that SPS is doing, and perhaps you might have a connection to one of the initiatives from your own or your child’s experience at school that you could share.Encourage the SPS school leaders to continue their commitment towards creating a culture of inclusivity that welcomes multiculturalism and diversity.Respond to the points made by opponents (racism does not exist in Scituate; there is not a need to improve the capacity of staff and students by having conversations about race, and even further; conversations surrounding social issues do not belong in schools)