An Examination of Equity in Falls Church City Public Schools Peter - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

An Examination of Equity in Falls Church City Public Schools Peter Noonan Ed.D. Superintendent, Falls Church City Public Schools

Context l FCCPS is an affluent Northern Virginia suburb l We have one of the highest populations, per capita, of advanced degrees in the United States l Our community is one that identifies broadly as “progressive” on the political spectrum l There has been growing economic diversity and students in need of English Language services in the past several years in FCCPS l Our stated mission speaks to meeting the needs of ALL students

Historical Challenges l Diversity in leadership positions had not been identified as an issue or addressed “head-on” l People of color in FCCPS have been marginalized on multiple occasions through structural inequality l Instructional programming has historically been rooted in a “one size fits all model” with little differentiation or scaffolding for diverse students l FCCPS has always been a “successful” division by every external measure and metric…in the aggregate

Current Challenges l Growing concerns raised by students and staff about language consistent with hate speech l Parents and advocates describe interactions with students in the community as racially motivated l Two incidents where swastikas were publicly displayed l Multiple events where students were disciplined for using racial slurs towards other students l Title IX complaints filed by staff for aggression related to race and ethnicity

We Needed To Do Something…

Initial Steps l Contacted colleagues to see what they had done in similar circumstances l Contacted our local university (GMU) to see what support they could offer l Given the name of Dr. Joseph Williams, formerly of GMU, now at UVA l Met and contracted with Dr. Joseph Williams for services to support our community l Provided multiple professional developments with staff on race, ethnicity, and microaggressions l Provided community meetings on microaggressions and provided numerous resources for use l Met with student leadership groups and broader groups of students to discuss microaggressions

All of this was a good 1 st step. But it wasn’t enough. It was too isolated.

In the midst of our work - FCCPS gets a call... from, of all places…

So the beat went on…We needed to do more and be more comprehensive…

Equity Audit – Infrastructure Assessment of Diversity l We met, and contracted with, Julian Williams from George Mason University to provide FCCPS an equity audit l This was to be a comprehensive review of FCCPS’ policies, practices, and other actions in the context of equity l He performed over 150 interviews with staff, students, parents, school board members l A survey was administered for those who were unable to meet in person to gather feedback l Julian Williams developed a final report, delivered it at a school board meeting and gave five (5) recommendations

Observations and Key Themes l Our hearts are in the “right place” l There is a strong sense of fairness and equity throughout the school community l The FCCPS leadership has made this a priority l Words are not enough…action is required and accountability is mandatory l In the end…FCCPS is well positioned to do the work necessary to support equity

Recommendations l Creation of a FCCPS diversity landing webpage l Review and develop curriculum with a lens for inclusion l Creation of an FCCPS diversity recruitment plan l Bolster diversity and inclusion focused professional development l Create a Chief Diversity Officer position

FCCPS Framework for Inclusive Leadership

Immediate Actions l Developed plans to enhance our Family Resource Center (FRC) l Modified an existing position to include duties as an equity officer – renamed position Director of Equity and Excellence l Have begun the process of developing an Equity Policy for the School Board to adopt later in the year. Thank you Charlottesville City for the great model policy! l Stopped doing “Colonial Day” in 4 th grade and will be engaged in a spring project called “Virginia History Through Time”

Questions and Answers