by Scott Jentsch

The February 22, 2021 School Board meeting included a presentation by Superintendent Joe Garza titled "Diversity and Inclusion in SDNB" which was presumably a response to a petition sent to the Board June 8, 2020 signed by 1,258 alumni, current students, family members, and former members of faculty to address curriculum changes, training, and outreach to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion.

You can see the slides in the presentation, and the video can be seen on the District's YouTube Channel.

The discussion that followed the presentation was important to observe, as it demonstrates where some Board members are in the conversation about the subject. It's worth watching so that you can compare it to your own position on the topics discussed, and where you think we should be going.

Superintendent Garza mentioned that this was not the final step in the process, and I think that it's obvious that much more work has to be done in this regard.

I think we should do everything we can to make all students and everyone who works in or visits our schools to feel welcome and safe. There should be an environment of mutual respect of each individual’s dignity and human rights present in every aspect of our School District.

Doing so will allow us to make decisions that will be an extension of that environment, and, even if we don't do everything perfectly right away, it is incumbent upon us to continue to strive toward constant improvement. I think the meeting on February 22 showed us that there is room for improvement, and it's my hope that this is just the beginning of that journey.

I think the events of the last year have shown us that we as a country still have room for improvement, in many aspects. This is a national conversation that is happening whether we choose to participate in it or not.

I think the education system would be remiss if it did not address issues that are being raised. We want to prepare our children for the "real world" and part of the "real world" is how do we treat our fellow human beings? What is our place in the world? How can we be part of making the world a better place?

Helping our students be more aware of concepts and experiences that are beyond their day-to-day personal experiences is an important part of their education, and examining the tools that we use in the curriculum for appropriateness to the core missions of the School District is part of being responsible to the entire community that it serves.

There were some good comments during the discussion on Monday, and there were also some comments that expressed views that are not shared by some people. I think it's very important for the School Board and administration to listen to the community and to determine the best approach going forward, and I'm not sure that is being done right now.

We need to take this opportunity to listen to those that are saying that we can do better.

I have been asked what I would propose, so here are the next steps that I would consider taking:

1. Respond to those that signed the petition. Thank them for speaking up. Let them know that their concerns are being heard (empathy) and that something will be done as a result.
2. Assess the situation. Is there a problem that needs to be addressed? Without investigation and assessment, there is no way to know. Without that information, any action would be premature and likely insufficient. School districts that have received similar petitions have already started this process. It's quite possible that an outside professional may be needed so that the investigation and assessment process is done effectively. There are likely plenty of examples of other school districts following this same process to determine if that it is necessary/recommended.
3. Convene a workgroup that consists of various stakeholders (students, teachers, administration, parents, etc.) to determine the next course of action. This step could be part of the assessment step.
4. Action items. What steps are needed? How fast can/should they be implemented? Who should be involved? All questions that would need to be answered, based on recommendations from the workgroup, professional guidance on the topic, and discussion/approval by the Board after being fully briefed on the situation.
5. Assessment of any actions taken. This is the feedback loop of effective implementation. Making changes like this is likely going to take many steps of varying sizes. Lots of small successes and corrections of unsuccessful measures will result in us heading in a better direction overall. This is a journey of a thousand steps, but in order to make progress, we have to be willing to take the first step, and keep heading in the right direction.

Other school districts that received similar petitions are well on their way in this process.

Communication between the School Board and the community needs to be improved. I don't think there has been enough effort placed into delivering effective messages to the public, and into soliciting feedback from the community to help the Board members make the best decisions possible. I have been pushing for that kind of improvement for years, and I think the only way to do more is to help from within the Board, which is one of the reasons why I chose to run.

I don't think we are at a point where a final answer can be determined, because the conversation has just begun. What I do know is that to deny that any such conversation should take place would be a mistake.

Please note: This page was created March 2, 2021 and will be updated periodically.

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” -- Maya Angelou

Last Updated: Apr 15, 2022

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