18 | HR Connection
Exploring Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Mary Torres, TASPA Program Director
T
his June, I joined TASPA as the Program Director and have been delighted and proud to see many sessions focused on Equity at our Summer and Winter Conferences. Prior to working at TASPA, I had the great opportunity to serve as the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at a school in Dallas, TX. As the first Director of DEI at this school, I had many experiences and was part of the process of building this role and program from the ground up. More and more, school districts are finding that they need to be intentional about growing, embracing and teaching our students to celebrate diversity. However, alongside celebrating diversity comes the courage to learn about racism and inequities in society. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion should be intertwined
with all aspects of school, including Human Resources, Curriculum, Professional Development, Parent Education, Communication and Marketing, etc. Taking the time to build a strong program through a lot of learning and reflecting will help the work continue to grow and be sustained for many years to come. WHERE TO BEGIN So, where to begin? Part of the process in building a sustainable program is to create a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mission Statement. This statement will be the backbone of all the work you decide to do in the future revolving around all aspects of DEI. The DEI Mission Statement will be your WHY and will guide you in your journey in regards to students, faculty/staff and programs. Your mission statement can be created by committees that involve all constituents and should include
ALL perspectives on diversity, equity and inclusion work. An integral part of DEI work is providing professional development for faculty and staff so they can be prepared to teach and support our students. There are many professional learning opportunities that cover various topics. Some topics to consider are racial literacy, implicit bias, stereotypes and culturally diverse literature. There are many books that cover these topics that can be a great way to begin the conversation. Our journey begins with self-reflection, personal growth and conversations with each other on our own experiences with diversity, equity and inclusion. By practicing these conversations with each other, we are better prepared to have conversations with our community and students. Identity work is also a way to start the process of getting to know yourself, your history and reflect
