 Good evening everyone. My name is Claire Wool. I am chairperson of the Burlington School Board and today I welcome board members Jeanie Waltz and Monica Ivancic who are here. We have spent I think three terms now with each other. Yeah a little over three terms working with each other collaborating with the other well three minus twelve is nine, nine other school board members. So it is always a thrill for me to be able to bring board members on the show to be able to discuss their work as a board and individually as co-chairs that you two are of our diversity equity and inclusion committee. Thank you so much for your leadership within that committee and for the work that you do day in and day out for our schools. I enjoy working with you and I've learned a lot. This year was an exciting year of 2023 which really began back in the fall and I thought we would spend this time as a follow-up. The board's goal was to use this time and to be able to share these links and this footage on topics that we promote in our North End news, our Burlington newspaper. Each month we are afforded a school board column and this past month Commissioner Ivancic wrote about this equity policy that we just passed, A2, followed up with the history of Commissioner Walts applying for a grant with VSPA. So the culmination of everybody's work together, I think the collaboration on this board and throughout our work together has been genuine and we, the sum of all parts, really bring the outcome for student-centered work. So that was my introduction just to give viewers the history of how we like to communicate out with our work that we do at the board level throughout our community and then this avenue using CCTV as a great resource for us to be able to share links so people can view this conversation and learn from our work, learn from us and the work that we're doing. So if you wouldn't mind giving some historical context to the work and share, you know, how we got here and what was involved throughout the work that you did over this last year or, you know, a couple of years what culminated to a policy that we inherited as elected school board members and the revision and where we are today. So welcome. Great. Thank you for that, Claire. Yeah, and my name is Monica Ivancic. I'm a Ward 7 school commissioner and co-chair of the DE&I committee. And Jeanne and I pretty much sat through all the revisions of this policy. Starting a few years back when we hired Equity Institute to do an anti-racism training for the entire board. Do you think we should mention that one of the responsibilities of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee is to organize, orchestrate, make sure that the board is getting trainings annually. So it started with Monica writing in a very extensive RFP. What is the request for proposals? Yes. Do you want to talk a little bit about that, how we ended up with Equity Institute? And that was what, was that 21? I believe two years ago we were in the middle of that. We had just begun that training. Correct. So it was before that, several months before that, that I had written the RFP. We unfortunately only had a couple companies that wrote us back, said they're interested. One was way overpriced and one had worked with our superintendent Tom Flanagan before in Rhode Island. So it was a company called Equity Institute out of Providence, Rhode Island, and they were willing to do kind of custom-made training workshops for our school board. So, and if you to remember that year, we were going back to school, but everyone was masked six feet apart and so we assumed most of these workshops would be virtual, but the two women that worked for the company were willing to come all the way here to Burlington. So our first training was in person at Sustainability Academy and then I believe the next one was virtual and then the one after that was perhaps in person. Yeah. So I think we did about three trainings prior to the budget season. We knew the budget season is busy every year and that we wouldn't, board members didn't have enough time to extend to do both at the same time. And then we came back with this company and the tricky part was it spanned over Town Meeting Day and then when new members get inaugurated beginning of April. So Equity Institute did help with onboarding through four new board members, I believe. But our work with them culminated in this racial equity policy tool, which is a five-step tool to reviewing policies that we like want to review or develop, making sure that policies are equitable and it covers marginalized folks. It can be applied to any group. It's basically a tool to ensure that the people who will be impacted by the policy are a part of the development and decision-making process. Yeah, before, during, and after. And yeah, that was the main reason that we wanted to work with the Equity Institute. Also, right before we actually went into this, we developed a shared principles as a board. Correct. Sort of like, okay, make sure that you're focused or the, you know, the aim, whatever the goal is, make sure it's in line with these principles before you, you know, pretty much not to get off course, but also to be able to have a base of understanding that we, you know, like you were talking about earlier, we have become a very, like we work together really well. I mean, it did take some time for us to understand each other's styles and strengths and what we bring to the table. But part of that process, I think, having a shared, shared principles really solidified us being able to, I think, work more effectively together. Well said. Yeah, I agree. Yeah, and that spring, spring 22, summer 22, the superintendent tasked us with revising the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy, which had last been revised in 2014. Correct. And so in that same vein, I brought, we distributed and created a strategic plan for the 2022-2027 five-year strategic plan and distributed throughout the district with those goals, with those priority areas, encompassing the entire district, onboarding in these shared goals. Right, and that strategic plan was really a piece of work. It was amazing, and it came up with the five goals. But back to this policy, we were, I would say, we were kind of floundering around a little bit at first, because we weren't sure how to tackle it. We also had to pass a policy on how to... Oh, right. We were waiting for the overarching policy that told us how to write a policy. So that took a little bit, too. Teeny bit. Yeah. Teeny bit. And the DE&I Committee was involved because we wanted to make sure that that overarching policy included using this racial equity tool. So then that brings us to the first of the year, and I know that the Vermont School Board Association, you know, who works as an organization throughout the state for school districts was on task and reading the activities that were happening throughout the school district's equity was at the front of that conversation and do you want to speak to the opportunities that they provided? Yeah, they offered a mini-grant to support equity work in a district. And as much as we were really ready to implement the equity policy tool, we did feel like, well, this is the first time an equity policy was the equity diversity, policy A2, equity diversity and inclusion policy was just so important to us that I think we were afraid to mess it up. And we wanted to implement the tool as exact as we could. And so I took a stab at writing this grant. We were awarded $5,000 and with that money we decided to hire Jessica Aske, who has been, well, she's been instrumental in tons of, I would say, transformative change in the district. She also comes with a law degree. So she really knows like, and was part of the LGBTQIA plus task force and the district. Yeah, she's been, I guess, reviewing policies. I'm not exactly sure what kind of work she's been doing, but I know that the Office of Equity has really appreciated what she's been helping with. So yeah, we entered into a contract with Jessica to be consultant and help guide us through the implementation of that. Which do you want to talk to her about? Yeah, using the tool. But part of using the tool means gathering focus groups or whatever the word is, like making sure those happen and facilitating. Facilitating. Yeah, but also just, you know, doing the outreach to get the people there and, yeah, one of the first steps in this is to include the people that will be affected by the policy. So we reached out to, with the help of Jessica and Autumn Bangura, our district equity instructional leader, reached out to our BIPOC students, our free and reduced lunch students, our new American students, reached out to a few students with disabilities, as well as educators. And so those two women organized two focus groups consisting of, was it 10 or 20? About 10. Each group of students, educators and parents. And some of us did some reaching out to parents as well. And so those met January, end of January, beginning of February, beginning of this year. And, you know, they were asked three questions about success. What are the barriers to success? What they need to be provided to achieve success? And essentially, yeah, how do they see success in our schools? So we got some really interesting insights from these groups that were used then, and, you know, coming up with this thorough policy, our DE&I policy. Great. Do you want to look through, I mean, we've presented a slide deck for, to walk the public through and community members through. We can go through it as quickly and as slowly as possible. So using an equity lens in policymaking, this was also helped produced by Jessica Oskie. And we appreciate for sure that, that quote. So the historical lens and the opportunity gaps and the equity lens, which mitigates opportunity gaps. Just looking at each of these slides if it's self-explanatory or things that we can highlight throughout the process. Going to the next. Our problem statement from our strategic plan. We can communicate it. The district has not yet created a culture based on values and beliefs that reflect how the community aspires to support the full range of student needs, especially those who are most systematically marginalized or outside of conventional expectations. This gap undermines trust with students, families, and educators. And the gap occurs because the district lacks a shared approach for identifying root causes and generating a plan of action with clear lines of resources, responsibility, timelines, and accountability. That really, you know, strikes when we, I am very proud of our equity work within our department with Autumn Bangora and Henry Sparks. I know that they are in constant contact with students and families and educators. And those leaders, district leaders are part of your DE&I committee work that you meet with on a monthly basis. So there was our problem statement and this was our goal. Do you want to read the goal then? Sure. Burlington School District will be student-centered and responsive to the full range of identities, abilities, cultures, and languages in our community, such that every student is challenged, empowered, and engaged in their learning throughout their time in our schools. And I know from a governance standpoint, even crafting these goals, these goal statements, working together as a group, as a district, as a community, we take time in these type of statements so that we are very careful and concerned about how they read and how they're accepted throughout the community. And in the end, it gives us our goal. Again, another quote that we used, what is an equity lens or tool? Again, the lens is to be inclusive as an organization that helps make decision. It introduces a set of questions and we were very appreciative of this tool. We worked on it. We had examples that we used throughout our training and we we worked in our own groups under the auspice of the direction from the firm that helped us on how to identify what is an equity lens or tool and work through it together. And part of using the tool is when people, when anybody on the board wants to present a revision or a new policy, they need to show their work. And that gives the other board members a chance to feel, to actually know if those board members have done their due diligence. Like, are we in support of the amount of effort they put into getting people at the table, you know, so it's basically a worksheet. It's very practical. And this is we've also said that how they have demonstrated using the tool needs to be a part of presenting there, you know, with the first and second readings. Right. Okay. Thank you for adding that. This was as Monica shared and Jeanne, we developed it in 2022 for BSB with the support and help of the, that must be say, BSD, excuse me, the help of the Equity Institute to support the board's work to develop policies and practices that eliminate institutional racism and systematic inequities in the district. Again, this talks about the actions and decisions that are developed, what are, you know, achievable outcomes would be based on going through this tool. This goes in detail about step one, who would be involved, similar to what you were just saying, Commissioner Walts, identifying who will be impacted by the policy. Very important. Determine how this policy aligns with our vision. Very important. Again, cohesiveness so that in a large district like ours, with our 13 schools and 4,000 students, these, the clarity on these is incredibly meaningful, I think personally. Step four, identifying intended and unintended outcomes of the policy. And it was really important to have reference to either obviously trying to avoid causing harm, but just the mention of it, like have that be a part of your consciousness when you are creating these policies that many of these policies in the past have caused harm. We looked at a lot of different equity tools or vetting tools for creating policies and there are a small handful that talked about harm or harm had being caused reparations around harm, so we knew for sure that we wanted that to be a part of the process. Thank you for sharing that. And then step five, determining what changes could be made to make this policy more equitable. I think that was, that was it. Sorry. So now take us through your focus groups, your receiving the grant, having the Department of Equity within the district help out, writing, working with Jessica Aske on the policy to bringing it to the board and the board digesting it. You have a first reading, a second reading. Was it a unanimous vote in passing the policy and where we are today? Like, what does it look like? Well, fortunately, it was a unanimous vote by the time we got to the second reading of the policy, but in the spring, you know, April, May, we had a few D&I committees where we brainstormed what needs to go in it and how it needs to be tweaked. And then, I believe in May, we used some of our grant money to hold a meeting at the Richard Kemp Center, just up the street from here. And that, you know, we had several BIPOC people in attendance giving us their opinions on the policy. By that point, we kind of had finalized it in a lot of ways. We'd worked on it so much that we were ready to say we're not doing any major edits after this. So that, I believe, helped in pushing it forward. We, I think our July meeting was canceled. Maybe it was the June meeting that was at Richard Kemp. Well, I think it was May and June. Yes. But also part of the process was that all policies get reviewed by the policy and governance committee. Pretty much all of them, I guess. I mean, I'm going to say all of them. Yes, some that are mandated. Before they go to the full board for anything. Right, because remember that's in the overarching policy. Yes. That once the policy is done, it has to go through the policy and governance committee. So we were fratting a little bit about that. And then there are just regular things about, you know, this policy is basically telling, is directed for the superintendent. Like, this is part of your job description now. And making sure that there weren't anythings that were too overlapping. Because the superintendent is responsible for reporting on how he is achieving these goals. And there were definitely elements of two other monitoring reports that he already has to do that, this fit into. So we made sure, yeah, we made sure that we were going to be efficient with our time. And part of that is the larger scope of just managing our own workload, which is there's a ton of policies. And we should be reviewing them regularly. It's pretty unfortunate that this policy wasn't reviewed since 2014. But with that said, it got done. And I think we're way more aware about getting on a better schedule with our, you know, board responsibilities. Yeah, we have a calendar that's available on board docs that outline our policy reviews. And each year, also, you know, we see from the state mandated policies that are sent to us that for approval. Yeah. And so working again efficiently. And with sensitivity around the policies that we have still to review as sort of within the district, not not what I meant to say, we definitively will be reviewing each of the policies. And that's a large task for our school board. But we're up for the work and the Policy Governance Committee has communicated that excitement to do that work. And this is a jumping off point for all of us because we finished the policies to review policies now that A2. And again, the fact that it was passed in September, and that we're moving, we've already passed some policies with the equity tool included in that is success in my eyes with continued work. Yeah. And good work does not happen if you're catching up though, right? Yes. So like, we need to get it together. Yeah. But I feel like we're at that juncture where we can proceed mindfully, not reactively. And we have the tools and we have like the framework of how to do it thanks to the policy on making a policy. Right. And I don't know, you know, maybe the Policy and Governance Committee was particularly stringent with our policy. But it had to go to that committee twice. I remember the first discussion was with the superintendent was there as well as the director of equity. So it was pretty fruitful. Yeah. And Jessica was there. Jessica Oskie was also there. Yes. She was there at both meetings. And we went through. Director HR was there. And our board retreat, we discussed the work that was involved so that everyone understood before we actually presented it to the board. So questions were asked by the board over the board retreat this summer. So, and again, we just had our Vermont School of Words Association annual meeting with all districts. And we were asked to speak about our experience with the grant. And I will say, you know, without that $5,000, we don't use academic dollars for board work. And so at this point, our goal to be able to make this a reality, I greatly appreciate that association in supporting us as with many other districts that took advantage of that. Affording us that time. So as we come to a close, I think we're we're we're, if there's anything else, I want to share some other good news within the district that I know you're familiar with. We talk about the work of our educators and the impact they have on in the classrooms. And it is with like true excitement that our 2024 Teacher of the Year in Vermont is a Burlington School District teacher, Aziza Malik. We were able to announce this incredible award over two weeks ago at Champlain Elementary School of where she is a teacher. This is her 14th year. We're serving the district and the students of Burlington. Here is a picture I brought of her in the newspaper that was featured. And she is just absolutely extraordinary in her work. She's like fifth grade teacher. Yes. Yeah. And we just cannot share our excitement. I also want to acknowledge that this week at the University of Vermont, we are honoring teachers, distinguished teachers of Vermont. And we have three teachers that will be honored at UVM along with Aziza as Teacher of the Year. They are Mark Nagolian at Edmunds Middle School, Stacey Ladd with Burlington Technical Center. And there is one more that I've got to remember. I didn't get this memo. That's awesome. Acknowledge that might be Aziza, but if there's someone else, I apologize and we'll make sure we put it in the paper. So good work is happening. And equity inclusion is just incredibly important to the work that we do. This policy is incredibly meaningful. And I want to thank you both for your dedication within the committee and the entire board on behalf of the district. And thank you viewers for watching and learning. If you have follow-up questions, you can reach us at bsdvt.org. Our emails are there. And we look forward to engaging in any community support or questions or feedback that you have. And thank you for your time tonight. Thank you both for being here. Thanks Claire. Thank you.