South Orangetown Central School District

On September 29, the South Orangetown Central School District Equity Coalition held its inaugural meeting. The formation of the Equity Coalition, which is composed of students, parents, staff, administrators and Board of Education members is the most recent step in the District’s work to promote and support equity.

“This body is a direct result of conversations with students, parents, alumni and staff over the past three months which, collectively, enabled us to establish preliminary long-term goals that we plan to explore, refine and accomplish together,” said Equity Coalition Coordinator and Director of Staff Relations Joseph Lloyd, PhD, adding that membership was drawn from those who had come forward and voiced an interest in being involved in the District’s equity work. “We deeply appreciate these volunteers’ commitment to our District and our community.”

The role of the Equity Coalition will be to:

  • Serve as a platform for the voice and perspectives of students, parents and staff;
  • Develop a shared understanding and commitment towards equity; and,
  • Inform district-wide efforts to identify and remove systemic inequities while guiding decisions for student learning and environments, access, curriculum, community outreach, culture, finances, leadership and staffing.

Coalition members noted that inequities exposed as a result of the pandemic and recent social unrest are long-standing and persistent and recommended a review of District programs, services and policies; comprehensive, ongoing training for students and staff; and, broader community engagement to support equity, inclusion and healing. Administrators are debriefing and mapping out next steps based on the initial meeting to inform the development of an Equity Coalition action plan.

Related stories:
Expanding Equity: Developing Leadership Skills to Support Diversity, Inclusion and Equity (8/24/20)
Expanding Equity (7/16/20)