During his job interview last spring, Dr. Tim Mills made a promise to the community. If hired as Superintendent, Mills vowed to create a Director of Equity position for the Bellevue School District to place more emphasis toward creating a culture of equity and inclusiveness for all of Bellevue’s students, families and staff. After Mills joined Bellevue, he hired José-de-Jesus Meléndez as the new Equity Director and Melendez recently presented the school board with a new district Equity Plan. The plan addresses four main areas: Equity for each and every student, Teaching and Learning, Student and Family Supports, and Equity in the Workplace. (Link to presentation.)
The Equity Plan defines equity as “raising the achievement of all students while narrowing the gap between the highest and lowest performing students and eliminating the racial predictability and disproportionality of which student groups occupy the highest and lowest achievement categories.” To achieve that, the plan calls for aligning policies and practices with the district’s mission of achievement for each and every student, including a look at the disciplining of students. The district will examine disparities in the system to ensure that opportunities and support exist for high achievement by each and every student, regardless of race, ethnicity, or financial status. The Teaching and Learning section details action plans to ensure that every student performs at or above grade level within a continuum of learning, from early childhood through high school graduation, to prepare them for success in college, career, and life.
A key component of the new plan will be Student and Family Supports, such as the creation of a welcoming, inclusive and safe school environment, and engaging families to support their child’s success and academic achievement. As part of this, a Family and Community Engagement Framework will be formed. The framework calls for a district-level School and Family Partnership Specialist and Community Engagement Specialist to be assigned to schools. Those individuals will work closely with schools to create Action Teams for Partnerships (ATPs), which will hold monthly meetings focused on engaging families as partners with the school in the success of each and every child.
One place where equity will be visible is in enhanced recruitment and hiring practices. The plan calls for recruitment and hiring of a district workforce that mirrors the student population. During Mill’s interview process, he noted the demographic make-up of the student population and heard from teachers and parents about the diversity throughout the district and the critical need for equity measures to support each and every student. The equity plan will be the first step and future goals will flow out from the plan.
Submitted by Jacque Coe, Director of Communications and Community Engagement, Bellevue School District.