OS-Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Welcome Educators! Thank you for your service and commitment to giving ALL students access to high quality learning experiences. Please check back regularly for updates, resources, and learning opportunities!

In our unwavering commitment to fostering inclusive and just educational environments, we believe that it is crucial for educators to come together and delve into the complexities of inequity within our education systems. This network will provide a unique platform for you to engage with experts, share experiences, and explore innovative strategies to dismantle barriers that perpetuate disparities among students. Click HERE to learn more.

Join the JEDI Academy Cohort 1 as we journey through the historical framing of educational equity. We'll connect our present day efforts to the scholars and scholarship that have shaped concepts like Culturally Relevant teaching and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, while developing an in-depth understanding of the timeline of American schooling from its inception to present day. CERTIFICATES OF COMPLETION will be provided for all participants.

Registration Fee-$50

Meeting Schedule

Full Day w/ lunch provided - Nov. 20th 2024

Virtual Sessions 3:30-5pm- Dec. 11th, Jan. 28, Feb. 25, Apr. 22

Full Day w/lunch provided - May 27, 2025

The Oakland County African American Male Task Force is a collaboration of educators, parents, community members, and other allies committed to the pursuit of positive life outcomes for African American male students. Our goal is to close the gaps in equity, opportunity and access between African American males in Oakland County, and their White and Asian peers, by providing them with the necessary support to ensure equal access and opportunity to an equitable education and schooling experience.

Meeting Schedule: All meetings held virtually 4:30-6pm

• Dec. 16th, 2024
• Feb. 10th, 2025
• Apr. 7th, 2024

We invite 8th grade teachers, instructional coaches, and leaders to a professional learning series which will prepare teachers to teach the Reconstruction Era as outlined in the Michigan social studies standards for 8th grade (the ONLY time the Reconstruction Era is addressed in the K-12 MI social studies standards!). Click HERE to learn more.

Are you an educator seeking to better support your neurodivergent students? Please consider participating in the following learning opportunities.

• Neurodiversity in Education: Building Understanding, Fostering Affirming Support (15 sessions-virtual)
• Supporting Autistic Students in the General Education Classroom (1/29/25)
• Visual Supports for Autistic Learners that Benefit All! (1/9/25 and 3/20/25)
• Behavioral Foundations Series (monthly session)

LGBTQ+ students are still at disproportionate risk for persistent bullying, harassment, and victimization. In response to requests from school districts across Michigan, The Michigan Department of Education’s LGBTQ+ Students Project created a suite of online professional development workshops to build the capacity of school staff to provide a safe, supportive and inclusive culture and climate where all students can thrive.

The Project will once again host virtual professional development opportunities for the 2024-25 school year. Workshops (unless otherwise noted) are 2 hours long and involve small and large group activities and discussions. Participants who attend a full live professional development session will be eligible to receive State Continuing Education Clock Hours—SCECHs (1.75 hours) and Social Work CEs (2 hours). Capacity for these workshops is limited, so register only if you plan to attend the full live session. You should receive a registration confirmation or waitlist email in the week before the training.

Upping your Game: How Coaches and Athletic Directors Can Support the Full Participation of LGBTQ+ Student-Athletes

• January 15, 2025 | 8:30-10:30 AM | Register Here
• This session will include the use of interactive breakout groups

School sports can be an extremely positive experience, strengthening student-athletes focus, perseverance, integrity and teamwork. But many LGBTQ+ student-athletes face unwelcoming and even hostile environments on the field and in the locker room. This can lead them to stay closeted, drop out of sports, or never try out for teams at all, excluding them from receiving the benefits of sports participation. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore the experiences of LGBTQ+ student-athletes, barriers to participation, legal requirements, and best practice strategies that coaches and athletic directors can employ to ensure all students, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression (SOGIE), can fully participate in all aspects of school, including athletics. Coaches and athletic directors can be proactive leaders, building an environment in which LGBTQ+ athletes feel included and welcome. A foundational understanding of SOGIE is recommended, but not required. Teams of coaches and athletic directors are encouraged to attend.

Join Multilingual Author Zoom Webinar Visits!

Does your Class or Small Group want to connect with authors from different backgrounds? Join our webinar format zoom with your class or small group as a virtual author visit to meet the multilingual and multicultural author for a read aloud and sharing of their lived experience.

Are you an Oakland County educator seeking to continue your equity learning? Are you in search of opportunities to be in community with others who are engaged in developing equitable practices? If you answered yes to either question, please consider joining the JEDI Academy Listserv. You'll get up-to-date information on upcoming professional learning, opportunities to connect with a community of learners, and access to supports along your learning journey.

Greetings! My name is Cornelius Godfrey, and I serve as the Diversity and Equity Consultant for Oakland Schools. It is my privilege to support the transformational work of advancing equity, honoring diversity, and increasing inclusion in our community. At Oakland Schools, we believe every child deserves access to a high quality education. My goal is to leverage relationships, resources, and adult professional learning to grow our collective capacity provide that to Every Student, Every Day.

Let's Connect!

• CLICK HERE to schedule a meeting with me.
• Or HERE to register for my weekly office hours.
• cornelius.godfrey@oakland.k12.mi.us
• 248.209.2272

Oakland Schools does not discriminate, nor permit discrimination, on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, sex, pregnancy or parental status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, height, weight, marital status, military service, veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, in its educational programs and activities, employment, or enrollment. The District also provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. For questions or complaints regarding unlawful discrimination or harassment, employees should contact the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, Personnel Management and Labor Relations at (248) 209-2429 or HR@oakland.k12.mi.us. Students and others should contact the Civil Rights/Title IX Coordinator at (248) 209-2590 or Jacqueline.Zablocki@oakland.k12.mi.us.