Turning the Spotlight on Racial Equity, Inclusion, Diversity
At the district level, the SEA ALANA inspired the development of the Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Equity (DIRE) Initiative, a joint effort between Springfield Education Association (SEA), Springfield Public Schools (SPS) and our community partner, Pioneer Valley Project (PVP) to address the barriers institutional racism imposes on students' academic success. The goal of the ALANA inspired DIRE Initiative is to collaborate with educators, students, families, and community stakeholders to develop a sustainable culture that fosters the core values of diversity, inclusion, and racial equity throughout the SPS District.
MTA Demonstrates its Commitment to the City of First…
Massachusetts Teachers Association awards the Springfield Education Association a $170,000.00 grant to move forward the work of Racial Equity, Inclusion & Diversity (REID). Theresa Bryant, a former SPS School Counselor, will spearhead REID in her new position as an organizer for the SEA. The grant also includes paid stipends for educators interested in doing the work.
In addition to the MTA, Springfield Public Schools honors its commitment made to student advocates in 2019 to push DIRE work into the forefront. The district began this effort with Dr. Kalise Wornum’s Diversity and Equity series, providing professional development to promote a Culture of Equity and Proficiency within Springfield Public Schools.
The District DIRE Team is proposing that School Level Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Equity teams be formed in ten pilot schools in the 2022-2023 school year, with the goal of having school-level DIRE teams in all schools in the next three to five years.
A school-level DIRE team will be a formal working committee whose mission is to provide leadership and momentum that will further racial equity in our schools by implementing educational opportunities and programming with a focus on anti-racist practices that ensure racial equity as we implement the mission and vision of the District's DIRE Initiative and the Portrait of a Graduate.
We’re Pulling Out All the Stops to Ensure a More Just School District
The Springfield Education Association and Springfield Public Schools have reached out to the top professionals in the field to propel the work of Racial Equity, Inclusion & Diversity. This year the District DIRE Team will be working with two organizations:
The Equity Literacy Institute will be coaching the District DIRE Team looking at the Social Studies Curriculum through a racial equity lens and reviewing a number of school committee policies to ensure there is no bias and that they support Equity. https://www.equityliteracy.org
The Center for Leadership and Educational Equity will be conducting Professional Development for administrators, as well as PD and coaching for School-based DIRE teams. CLEE (clee-ri.org)
Where Do I Sign Up?
There are opportunities to participate on DIRE subcommittees through the SEA and Portrait of a Graduate (POG). Currently there are ten schools who will have Diversity, Inclusion, Racial Equity (DIRE) teams this year: Boland, Brunton, Central HS, Conservatory of the Arts, Dorman, Gerena, Glickman, Putnam HS, STEM and Talmadge.
If your school is not one of the ten pilot schools and you’d like to get involved in this movement, there are still ways to engage. Schools can engage in a Book Club/Study or educators can participate in a District-wide Book Club through the MTA or SEA. Being the Change you want to see in our schools begins with action! Get involved, it’s up to us to produce the next generation of change makers. Please contact, Theresa Bryant at the SEA for more ways to get involved. (413) 782-8300 [email protected].
