Skip To Main Content

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Opening Statement

The Board of Education is committed to creating and maintaining a positive and inclusive learning environment where all students, especially those currently and historically marginalized, feel safe, included, welcomed, and accepted, and experience a sense of belonging and academic success. 

Definitions 

  • Diversity includes, but is not limited to: race; color; ethnicity; nationality; religion; socioeconomic status; veteran status; education; marital status; language; age; gender; gender expression; gender identity; sexual orientation; mental or physical ability; genetic information; and learning style.
  • Equity includes but is not limited to, seeking fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all while striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of all groups.
  • Inclusion includes, but is not limited to, authentically bringing traditionally excluded individuals and/or groups into processes, activities, and decision/policy-making in a way that shares power and ensures equal access to opportunities and resources.
  • Belonging is the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance, inclusion, and respect for identity for a member of a certain group.
  • Cultural Competence is the pursuit of being a lifelong learner to be increasingly effective in serving the educational needs of culturally diverse groups served by the school (Terrell & Lindsay, 2009).
  • Discrimination is the unequal treatment of individuals based on the group they belong to or are perceived to belong to (National Training Center on Race and Equity, NTIRE).
  • Inequity is the unequal distribution and access to academic and social resources. This includes but is not limited to representation, grading, and pedagogical practices.
  • Marginalization is the social exclusion of groups that don’t belong to the dominant culture of a specific society.
  • Racism is prejudiced attitudes toward a particular race; a system of advantage based on race (National Training Center on Race and Equity, NTIRE).

Generally Accepted Beliefs and Agreements

All children deserve to have equal access to opportunity. This freedom is fundamental to our PreK-12 education program and is extended to everyone without exception. However, the district also recognizes that students have been historically marginalized due to inequities associated with aspects of their identities and their contexts, including, but not limited to, race, color, body type, national origin, ethnic group, socioeconomic status, religion, religious practice, disability, sex; sexual orientation, or gender (including gender identity and expression). We are committed to addressing these inequities and helping every student to equitably access learning opportunities in school to enable them all to thrive and to build a better society.

Saugerties Central School District Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Belief Statement

The Saugerties Central School District believes all humans possess inherent dignity and worth. The SCSD is committed to fostering individual identities by creating a safe and supportive environment in which all individuals are seen, heard, and valued. The Saugerties CSD will design learning opportunities that build respect, empathy, and connections to each other, the community, and the world in pursuit of inspiring our students and staff to be agents of positive change for diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in the world.

Goals

The goal of the school district is to provide equitable, inclusive, and diverse opportunities for all students to reach their highest potential. To achieve educational equity and inclusive education, the district will acknowledge the presence of culturally diverse students and the need for students to find relevant connections among themselves and the subject matter and the tasks teachers ask them to perform. The district will:

  • Value diversity;
  • empower students to speak up about inequities;
  • build comfort in having and facilitating difficult conversations about power, privilege, identity, and society;
  • prioritize understanding and addressing biases, barriers, and disparities with firmness and clarity;
  • use an equity lens to approach curriculum content, learning modalities, and assessments. Represent all types of families and experiences in the curriculum, libraries, and books and materials in the classroom;
  • create a welcoming and affirming environment in which students are open to making mistakes and families feel welcomed in the school buildings;
  • intentional focus on vulnerable and marginalized populations;
  • recruit, retain, and design hiring practices that work towards diversifying the applicant pool that is reflective of an increasingly diverse student body, and implement anti-bias protocols in the hiring process;
  •  include budgetary support for this policy, including professional development, staffing, curriculum resources, and programmatic experiences;
  • engage in cycles of policy review.

Accountability, Transparency, and Review

The district will commit time, energy, and resources to develop a more equitable, inclusive, and diverse environment for all students, parents, families/guardians, and staff. To this end, Building Leadership Teams (BLT) and a District Leadership Team (DLT) will routinely engage in practices that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Committees will include representation from staff, administration, students, and families/guardians. The district-wide committee and the building-level committees will assist the administration in developing and implementing specific prevention initiatives. This includes making recommendations regarding the adoption and revision of policies and the implementation of practices to promote diversity, prevent discrimination, ensure equitable access to high-quality educational resources, and maximize achievement for all students. The Superintendent of Schools, or designee, will adopt goals and corresponding metrics related to this policy. The district will identify the multiple indicators necessary to monitor student outcomes, engagement, and school climate, along with the specific data that will be used to ensure accountability for student, school, and district-wide performance; to reduce variability in outcomes; and to ensure that academic outcomes will not be predictable by actual or perceived personal characteristics and can be assessed and reported transparently to the public. Reporting may include but is not limited to, standardized test scores; referrals, suspension, and expulsion reports; the percentage of students placed in Bilingual or English as a New Language (ENL), Advanced Placement, and remedial classes; as well as employee, parent and student perceptions about school.

The Board of Education and the Superintendent will monitor and review the district’s metrics and equity activities to determine the extent to which district schools are complying with this policy, the progress made toward the policy goals, and whether this policy is having a positive effect on improving academic opportunities for all students and reducing achievement gaps. The Superintendent will regularly report progress on the equity, inclusivity, and diversity plan and outcomes. Based on those results, this policy, and the specific objectives set to meet its goals, may be revised as needed.

Equity Policy Communication 

To be successful in this endeavor, all members of the school community must be aware of this policy, its purpose, procedures, and the district’s commitment to equity and inclusion by fostering a positive learning environment that embraces all diverse, unique, and individual differences. 

The Superintendent, or designee(s), is directed to ensure that this policy is communicated to students, staff, and the community. This policy will be posted on the district’s website, and will also be published in student registration materials, student, parent, and employee handbooks, and other appropriate school publications. 

The Board directs the Superintendent or designee(s) to enforce this policy and create regulations and practices to implement this policy. The Board will annually review the district’s implementation of this policy and take appropriate action to ensure compliance with and enforcement of this policy.