DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
At 3rd Street, we believe in developing an environment that fosters both emotional and academic excellence. We value each unique student and family, and always strive to ensure that all families experience a safe and welcoming atmosphere. We, however, recognize our shortcomings in confronting the biases and prejudices that exist within our community, school, and society.
3rd Street’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee, in partnership with the PTA and FOT, focuses on anti-bias school policies, programs, and learning opportunities, as well as promoting school-wide accountability in celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusivity throughout our community. We believe in the beauty of diversity, finding it to be a strength in our school community. We view the differences and commonalities amongst our members as opportunities for exposure to various experiences, deepening empathy, honoring qualities of justice, and learning multiple perspectives and contributions of our individual members. These opportunities lead to a truly transformative learning experience for both teachers and students. We acknowledge, value, and celebrate all of the diversity in our community - racial, ethnic, economic, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, religious, and cultural.
Building on these beliefs, we are taking actions in the 2020/2021 school year (and beyond) in order to uphold our commitment to improve our anti-bias, anti-racist practice and create a more inclusive environment for students, families, and staff.
Though these steps are neither sufficient nor exhaustive, we are committed to continuously educate ourselves in order to make institutional and systemic changes within our school that are necessary to create a more equitable, safer, anti-racist learning environment, and to therefore ensure that ALL families experience a sense of belonging at 3rd Street Elementary School.
WHAT
WE
HAVE
DONE
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Formed a DEI Team to organize and implement school goals. (7/20)
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Built bridges between PTA/FOT and staff to partner in stronger awareness of school, student, and family needs. (7/20)
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Anti-Defamation League Professional Development for Staff. (9/20)
WHAT
WE
ARE
DOING
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Ensuring that voices of diverse families are heard and provided fair access to school-related information by providing multiple dates, times, and modes of receiving information.
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Reviewing current curriculum materials through anti-bias lenses to ensure that multiple perspectives are represented and respected.
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Restructuring academic intervention program to close the achievement gap.
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Improving outreach to increase representation of people of color in both staff and student populations.
WHAT
WE
PLAN
TO
DO
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Adopt DEI guiding principles and values to be upheld by every member of the 3rd Street community (summer 2020).
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Microaggression Training for Staff
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Social Justice Book-of-the-Month Program
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Conduct an initial and continuous school-wide climate check to properly assess the needs of students and families.
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Seek and accept feedback from community members to promote further growth.