The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Committee was created in 2021 with the goal of forming a group of like-minded people to plan regular learning events on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for district employees.
The first meeting took place on August 5, 2021 in the Board Room at the ESC. Since then, the committee has planned professional development for staff, taught staff the “correct” way to speak, created monthly newsletters that encourage staff to watch videos and read books on topics such as white privilege and anti-racism, and incorporated these ideas into the curriculum through an effort they call curriculum enhancement.
To the public, the committee states that its mission is to help kids feel like they belong. The committee even put together a marketing video because members of the community began questioning activities of the committee.
There is a stark disconnect between the committee’s public words and their behind closed doors actions that have led community members to continue asking questions. For example, the committee states they focus on belonging, yet FOIA emails show they are extremely interested with topics such as antiracism, white privilege and Critical Race Theory. We will delve deeper into many topics concerning the DEIB committee over the next few months. Stay tuned. There is a lot to cover.