AMHERST — Following their return from a U.S. Department of Education conference on diversity and equity last week, interim Superintendent Michael Morris and Amherst School Committee Chairwoman Katherine Appy are already working to implement some of the things they learned at the two-day event.
The pair were among the over 75 education officials from across the country who attended “School Diversity in Action: Strategies for Increasing School Diversity and Fostering Equitable School Environments” in Washington, D.C. It was hosted by the DOE, The Century Foundation and the National Coalition on School Diversity. Speakers included a Minnesota superintendent who worked to voluntarily desegregate her district and ones who spoke on the power of diverse schools in helping all students succeed and initiatives to increase diversity of faculty and staff.
Morris and Appy were invited to the conference after organizers heard of Amherst’s plan to build two co-located schools that would eliminate busing of low-income and special education students while increasing school diversity over the current school configuration, according to Morris.
Morris and Appy said they enjoyed talking about that plan with others in the intimate group of attendees.
“It was great to be in a place where everybody was talking about these important issues and to hear what other districts were struggling with and how they were solving some of these problems around how every kid got what they needed,” Appy said. “I felt excited about it and I think it was energizing to bring back to the district this focus of real integration.”
A presentation on diversity by Albert Shanker Institute researchers came with six policy recommendations for local schools, which Morris said he will be taking a close look at. They include working with community groups and teachers unions to develop strategic plans on hiring practices, strengthen partnerships with colleges of education and developing support programs to support newly hired black and Hispanic teachers.
Morris said he’s already working with the district’s ALANA (African, Latino, Asian and Native American) faculty/staff association to strengthen that group’s connections with district decision-makers such as himself.
“I’m working with the facilitators of the ALANA group of what are ways we can enhance what has already been a successful program,” Morris said. “I can’t say that’s all worked out yet. I can say there’s a firm commitment for that to happen.”
Some suggestions affirmed what the district was already doing. For example, paraeducators, who are typically a more diverse population, are offered a pathway to teacher licensure, Morris said.
Appy said that the conference helped illuminate that there should be more cooperation between school districts and the government on matters of diversity.
“All of these districts are working so hard to make sure that all kids have access to really good public education, but it’s almost as if all these districts are working in isolation,” she said. “We have to work through this at the district level, but we need to expand and work with other districts … and really push for state and federal support.”
Appy is planning on reaching out to one educator who spearheaded a program that allowed high school students to be trained in reading instruction for younger students, which serves as a pathway to entering the teaching field professionally. Many of those were students of color, Appy said.
And in general, Appy said, the conference allowed her and Morris to see what Amherst is doing right and where the district can continue to advance its diversity initiatives.
Chris Lindahl can be reached at clindahl@gazettenet.com