Semi-Annual Task Force Meeting Re-Engages Community Voice

One year ago this month, the Denver Public Schools Board of Education adopted 11 recommendations submitted by the African-American Equity Task Force (AAETF), all of which were the result of findings from the Bailey Report.
Accomplishments and work in progress were highlighted last week during the first of two, semi-annual meetings scheduled for this year. More than 90 partners from across the community participated, including community members, parents and families, educators, DPS senior leadership and Board of Education members.

The leaders of the five AAETF implementation teams led small group discussions focused on a problem-of-practice protocol to address a challenge they currently face in their respective work. The five recommendation areas are:

• District and School Structures to Promote Equity
• Culturally Responsive Instruction, Engagement and Communication
• Targeted Supports for Students
• Community and Family Resources
• Equitable Employment Practices and Work Environments

The Implementation Team Leads and Wisdom Team members are introduced during the AAETF Community Meeting on June 12.

“Tonight’s meeting is a way for members of the community to re-engage in the conversation and the ongoing work, and to offer perspectives we may not have considered,” said Leslie L. Juniel, Senior Program Manager of Equity Initiatives. “We’re providing collaborative spaces for diverse voices to be included – we all bring personal experiences, levels of expertise and a desire to ensure our students succeed.”

Learn more about the Community Meeting: Watch DPS Features video: Task Force Pursues Equity for African-American Students, Educators

The next steps for the Implementation Team Leads include leveraging the feedback and ideas from the community meeting to further inform the work of the AAETF. Stay tuned for a future update with details on how the feedback is being utilized per recommendation.

Resources from the AAETF June 2018 Community Meeting:

• District and School Structures to Promote Equity
  • Progress and Accomplishments Overview with Problem of Practice and 18-19 Focus (.pdf)
  • Turning the Page on the Equity Debate in Education article (.pdf)

• Culturally Responsive Instruction, Engagement and Communication
  • Progress and Accomplishments Overview with Problem of Practice and 18-19 Focus (.pdf)
  • Culturally Responsive Teaching Definition and Mindsets for DPS (.pdf)
  • Culturally Responsive Community Meeting Presentation (.pdf)

• Targeted Supports for Students
  • Progress and Accomplishments Overview with Problem of Practice and 18-19 Focus (.pdf)
  • Targeted Supports for Students Community Meeting Presentation coming soon

• Community and Family Resources
  • Progress and Accomplishments Overview with Problem of Practice and 18-19 Focus (.pdf)
  • Notes from Community and Family Resources session, June 2018 (.pdf)
  • Center for Family Opportunity flyer with list of services (.pdf)

• Equitable Employment Practices and Work Environments
  • Progress and Accomplishments Overview with Problem of Practice and 18-19 Focus (.pdf)
  • Diversifying the Teaching Profession: How to Recruit and Retain Teachers of Color Report (.pdf)
  • Equitable Employment Practices Community Meeting Presentation (.pdf)

Read a comprehensive, ongoing list of progress and accomplishments for each recommendation on the AAETF webpage.

Steps to Stay Involved and Engaged:

• Sign up to receive email updates. Sign up for our Equity Ambassador emails to receive updates on AAETF progress, invites to events in support of equity and inclusion, and opportunities to provide meaningful feedback. Complete the form.

*If you have already signed up for this email list and are not currently receiving Equity Ambassador emails, please try the  following steps:

1. Check your spam folder for emails coming from the email addresses: aaetf@dpsk12.org and DPSequity@dpsk12.org.

2. Add the email addresses aaetf@dpsk12.org and DPSequity@dpsk12.org to your address book to ensure the emails are coming straight to your inbox.

3. Complete the Equity Ambassador form again. Email addresses can get lost, misspelled, or accidentally unsubscribed. If you have tried the above steps and are not receiving emails, please fill out the form again.

4. Email aaetf@dpsk12.org or DPSequity@dpsk12.org directly and ask to be added to the Equity Ambassador email list.

• Set your calendar to check celt.dpsk12.org/equity/african-american-equity-task-force/ every month to make sure you stay updated on the continuing progress of the African-American Equity Task Force.
• Share information with a friend, colleague, family member or fellow community member. Word-of-mouth is one of the strongest ways to gain knowledge. Share updates and opportunities with your network to ensure our community is aware of and engaged with the equity and inclusion efforts happening within DPS.