In December of 2020, the Equity and Diversity Committee, a standing committee of the Guilderland Central School District Board of Education was formed to provide direction, support and oversight for the school district’s ongoing work to become more diverse, equitable, inclusive and anti-racist in its policies, practices and programs.
Activities of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Recommend an Equity Action Plan for the district that:
- Identifies areas in need of improvement
- Establishes priorities and goals
- Establishes metrics to measure progress
- Suggests activities to address needs
- Reports progress to the greater community
- Read, review, discuss relevant research, policy papers, case studies, or other published materials regarding issues of equity and diversity
- Using a variety of means, including surveys, focus groups, and other data gathering tools, gather information/feedback/data about the current conditions in Guilderland schools regarding equity, diversity, inclusivity in areas such as school culture, policy, faculty and staff diversity, professional learning, curriculum and instruction, etc.
- Develop and implement a plan to regularly seek input from stakeholders and to communicate progress toward goals to the community, with a particular focus on our students.
- Consider the creation of subcommittees and/or task force teams to work on specific topics or priority areas, which may include additional members beyond the 20 individuals on the committee. Special consideration will be given to those individuals who submitted letters of interest but were not selected to serve on the committee.
- Prepare periodic reports and presentations to share with the Board of Education and community.
- Seek assistance from the district office team and other district professional resources for information, advice, or other support as needed.
- Such other activities as the committee deems necessary or appropriate to fulfill its charge.
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GCSD Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee Meetings
Members of the Equity and Diversity Committee meet remotely and meetings are available for the public to view the recording on the GHS Media YouTube page. Meeting agendas and minutes are available on the GCSD Board Portal site.
2023-24 DEI Committee Meeting Schedule
Meeting recordings can be viewed on the GHS Media YouTube channel.
- September 20: View the meeting agenda. Watch the September 20 meeting.
- October 25
- November 29
- December 20
- January 17, 2024
- February 28
- March 20
- April 24
- May 15
- June 17
Members of the GCSD Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
The Board of Education sought a group of 20 individuals to reflect and represent the diversity of the larger school district community. Members of the committee include:
- Up to four members of the board of education
- Students of the Guilderland Central School District
- Guilderland community members
- District employees
- The superintendent and board president will serve as ex-officio members
Membership on the committee is open to all Guilderland Central School District residents through an application process. Members will serve on the committee for two school years.
2022-23 Equity & Diversity Steering Committee
At its organizational meeting, the Equity & Diversity Committee determined that in place of a chair or co-chair model, the committee would be guided by a three-person steering committee. The steering committee is responsible for the facilitation of each meeting, and the coordination and development of agendas and minutes for future meetings.
2023-24 Committee Members
- Nicole Aldi
- Shaka Bedgood
- Tomica Collado-Robinson
- Katie DiPierro
- Emma Dreilinger
- Blanca Gonzalez-Parker
- Christina Jager
- Suzanne Kawola
- Nina Kaplan
- Noah Kaufman
- Kylie Killens
- Michael Laster
- Beth Martinez
- Shreya Mudavangattil Sajan
- Rachel Otter
- Kelly Person
- Gwen Pope
- Sandra Savage
- Varshini Siddi
- Julianne Scanlan
- Mary Schmitz
- Taiane Thomas
- Carla Young
Ex-Officio Members and Invited Guests
- Marie Wiles, Superintendent of Schools, Ex-Officio Member
- Regan Johnson, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Subcommittees
The following sub-committees were created as an opportunity for nimble areas of focus. Reports from each committee will be included in the larger group meetings.
- Engagement Subcommittee
- Communications Subcommittee
- Research Subcommittee
- Student Voice Subcommittee
Engagement Subcommittee
Purpose: Work with both the community and schools to plan activities, events, professional development, etc.
Communications Subcommittee
Purpose: Work with the district communications office to develop a plan to regularly communicate progress to community stakeholders, through a variety of methods including social media. Prepare periodic reports and presentations to share with the Board of Education and community.
Research Subcommittee
Purpose: Read, review, discuss relevant research, policy papers, case studies, or other published materials regarding issues of equity and diversity. Seek assistance from the district office team and other district professional resources for information, advice, or other support as needed.
Student Voice Subcommittee
Purpose: Bridge connections between real experiences of students versus the perception of these experiences. Will include a diverse range of members to bring together representatives of all aspects of student life. Objectives include amplifying student voices, creating a standard for goal-setting and advocating for community-wide events.