Districts 4, 45, 48 and 88 work together to continue improving inclusion, equity and excellence for all students

On March 4, nearly 1,000 administrators, teachers and support staff from Addison School District 4, School District 45, Salt Creek School District 48 and District 88 gathered at Addison Trail to continue working together for inclusion, equity and excellence for all students.

The event was hosted by the District 88 Equity Task Force, which was formed in spring 2015 to further enhance the district’s cultural competency. The task force has been participating in Deep Equity training with Gary Howard from the Gary Howard Equity Institute, and Howard was the keynote speaker on March 4. Howard led the group in several activities to help define cultural competence and culturally responsive teaching.

Participants also met in small-group breakout sessions to process the concepts discussed by Howard.

“Deep Equity training provides staff members with the opportunity to reflect on our beliefs and practices as a district to ensure our classrooms are as culturally responsive as possible,” said Jean Barbanente, District 88 Assistant Superintendent. “One of the greatest assets of District 88 is the rich diversity that exists among our students and staff, and we look forward to continuing to work with Howard to further develop our cultural competency.”

To involve District 88 students in this process, the district has invited Benjie Howard and Wade Colwell-Sandoval from the New Wilderness Project to offer the Youth Equity Stewardship Series (YESS!) training from their Youth Voice Leadership Series. Students have been chosen for this opportunity by their principal and teachers, and training for them and staff will continue into the 2016-17 school year. The content of the student training mirrors the staff series, with an emphasis on preparing students to recognize and learn from the diversity around them. Funding for these trainings stems from federal grants.