News and Information from Pickerington Schools

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How Community Input is Shaping PLSD’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Journey

By Dr. Michael Jackson, Diversity and Engagement Director

The Pickerington Local School District (PLSD) is delighted to share an update on the progress being made in the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts over the past two school years along with a snapshot of how community input is shaping our diversity journey.

In the summer of 2020, in addition to preparing for the uncertainty of a global pandemic, the PLSD Board of Education placed an increased focus on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the forefront of its plans for the coming school year. Essential to this endeavor was community engagement. The board disseminated a community survey to narrow the focus for diversity initiatives and established a Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) on diversity in Sept. 2020. Over 200 community members responded to the survey, and survey participants identified the following top five diversity issues that they felt needed to be addressed: 1. Staff bias and general lack of knowledge regarding diversity 2. Student bias and general lack of knowledge regarding diversity (including student resources and language barriers) 3. Recruitment and retention of minority staff 4. Curriculum 5. Discipline

These topics became the focus for the CAC groups to tackle for the next nine months. The CAC consisted of 94 individuals including current and past students, district educators, parents, community members, building administrators, the superintendent, and board. Each group was headed by a board member.

In summer 2021, select administrators, the board and the CAC initiated the second phase of the district’s diversity efforts. This group used CAC recommendations to strategically plan a four-pronged DEI initiative focusing on student development, family-school-community partnerships, policies and curricula, and faculty/staff development.

This phase of the work was guided by Dr. Arianna Howard of Plant-ASeed Educational Consulting, who partnered with the district during the 2020-21 school year. Dr. Howard supports the district’s DEI efforts through training, coaching and consulting district office personnel, board members, building leaders, school counselors, and certificated staff. She is the author of the PLSD Guiding Document resource which encapsulates CAC recommendations.

I began my work as the director of diversity and engagement in Aug. 2021 to lead the next phase of this important work. I have been observing and assessing the climate and culture in each of the district’s 15 schools. Using the PLSD Guiding Document, I am identifying diversity and engagement liaisons for each building. Once trained, these liaisons will provide critical building level support and community engagement for DEI initiatives for years to come. I believe that even though systemic change is an incremental process, PLSD is well positioned to grow in substantive and sustainable ways with the support of its board and community.

PLSD is committed to becoming a leader in DEI from the hiring and retention of a diverse workforce to graduating a globally inclusive citizenry. Stay tuned!

CAC groups held virtual meetings beginning in Oct. 2020.