Dear Staff,
As this new semester begins, as promised, we are sharing an update on our Racial Equity Task Force. We are in the beginning of this work which we will sustain and grow over the next coming years. Our work will focus on racial justice with specific attention to issues and challenges specific to our TSD community.
As we do our work, we hope all of you continue to inform and enhance your own work on equity, diversity and inclusion. This is what our focus has been during the last two months:
- We have organized and assembled our Racial Equity Task Force and conducted three learning and listening sessions.
- Our task force consists of diverse individuals from teachers, administrators, HS students, BIPOC, White, Deaf, Hearing, TSD Alumni, representing all Divisions from TSD.
- The planning committee for the Racial Equity Task Force is committed to making sure the task force is planned to ensure authenticity and to be trauma-responsive to all participants before beginning to dismantle racism.
- Our equity lens is focused on taking action with a sense of urgency.
- We are also conscious about recognizing, naming, and dismantling all forms of oppression that require unpacking our personal biases, developing an antiracism mindset, and addressing institutional racism that has grown with our school’s long history.
- Initial listening sessions were conducted separately for BIPOC and White individuals on the Task Force.
- We have one more session planned for the White group before our task force comes together as a whole.
- We have purchased How to Be an Anti-Racist (Ibram Kendi) workbook for our committee work as we move forward.
For the coming calendar year, we hope to develop a website where the key work that will be done, along with metrics we will use to measure progress, can be found. We will have an interim review of our progress periodically, make any changes that are necessary, and report back to you at that time.
Respectfully,
Malibu Baron
Claire Bugen
Tar Burt
Keri Sluyter