District 88 administrators present about Deep Equity and cultural competency

At District 88, our mission is to work for the continuous improvement of student achievement.

As part of that mission, the district formed an Equity Task Force in spring 2015 to further enhance the district’s cultural competency to help ensure inclusion, equity and excellence for all students. That group participated in Deep Equity training with Gary Howard from the Gary Howard Equity Institute and later expanded the conversation to involve more staff members. To engage students in the process, we 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 were chosen for that opportunity by their principal and teachers, and training for them and staff is ongoing.

We have been thrilled to share our journey with other school districts, and on Jan. 12, we presented during a Lake County Superintendents Association meeting. Through that group, superintendents from throughout Lake County come together to discuss pertinent issues impacting education. District 88 Assistant Superintendent Jean Barbanente, Addison Trail Principal Michael Bolden, Willowbrook Principal Dr. Daniel Krause and I discussed Deep Equity and cultural competency. We also have worked with school districts 4, 45 and 48 in DuPage County.

District 88 has about 40 languages and more than 30 countries represented among its families, and almost half of the nearly 4,000 pupils speak a language other than English at home. Addison Trail and Willowbrook students come from various backgrounds, and embracing that diversity has led to continued success in the classroom and beyond. 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. 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 our work and sharing our experiences in this area.

(From left to right, top row to bottom row) District 88 Superintendent Dr. Scott Helton, District 88 Assistant Superintendent Jean Barbanente, Addison Trail Principal Michael Bolden and Willowbrook Principal Dr. Daniel Krause present about Deep Equity and cultural competency during a Lake County Superintendents Association meeting on Jan. 12.

Scott J. Helton, Ed.D.
Superintendent of District 88