Greetings, BSD Students, Families, Staff, and Community Members-
In partnership with the School Board’s Equity Committee, the Office of Equity and Inclusion is forming an Equitable Policies Task Force to make recommendations to the district Superintendent related to the All Students Belong Policy (ACB) and corresponding practices. It is anticipated that the Task Force will continue to meet after the initial six meetings to continue our collective work toward ensuring an antiracist district. Future participation on the Task Force may be offered to others through the establishment of terms of service to ensure longevity. The voluntarily Task Force will follow a timeline that will result in the following being achieved and offered to the Beaverton Superintendent by June 21, 2021:
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Development of a district anti-racist vision to guide the district’s efforts;
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Proposed revisions to Board Policy ACB and a related reporting and response protocol; and
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Review of the Student and Parent Handbook for alignment with Policy ACB and related protocols.
The Task Force will be comprised of community members representing the following groups, with efforts to ensure that the diversity of identities and experiences in the community is reflected:
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Students
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Community members/partners
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Families and Guardians
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Beaverton School District Staff (classified, certified, and administrative)
The Task Force will initially gather in up to six meetings held virtually between the months of March and June from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on the following dates:
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Wednesday, March 17
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Wednesday, April 7
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Wednesday, April 21
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Wednesday, May 12
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Wednesday, June 2
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Wednesday, June 16
The Task Force will be co-facilitated by Pat McCreery, BSD Administrator for Equity and Inclusion, and consultants from Education Northwest. Participants can expect to be involved in research and reading both during and outside task force meeting times.
Oregon’s All Students Belong rule requires districts to provide students and educators with learning environments that are high-quality; free from discrimination or harassment based on perceived race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin; and without fear or hatred, racism or violence. This rule offers us an opportunity to create safe, inclusive school climates that help everyone experience safety and belonging. Thank you for your interest and help in our efforts to become a district where everyone feels a sense of safety and belonging.
