Happy November!!! I know it has been a while since you have heard from the DEI Department, but we have had a busy start to the year. We kicked off the year meeting with our district and community partners, grounding ourselves in the intersectionality of equity and excellence and preparing for the year ahead. We're also thrilled to announce the launch of 3 new cohorts through the Literacy Equity Project, COSEBOC and Lasell University. Our educators and staff members stay engaged and dedicated to the work! If you are still looking for personal/ professional development opportunities, be sure to take advantage of the upcoming conferences and community events; we hope to see you there!

Check out some helpful resources below:

This past summer (although it feels like a lifetime ago) elementary principals, staff and educators participated in an annual train-the-trainer model workshop led by DEI Director, Kathy Lopes, and Asst. DEI Director, Naomi Joseph. Over 50 NPS staff participated in a full day workshop, learning about strategies and tools to support student learning and engagement in their classrooms and school buildings. Ongoing training, led by principals and equity teams, will be offered throughout the year via PD Days and staff meetings.

CRI is a grounding framework which focuses on creating learning environments that validate and reflect the diversity, identities and experiences of all students. The 7 principles are endorsed by DESE and used to accompany classroom interventions of SEL, MTSS and UDL.

To kickoff our partnership with COSEBOC, a group of 20 NPS staff from across the district, and in varying roles, participated in the first two sessions of the Standards Course.

In these two days, participants reflected on identity, the state of affairs for boys of color in the education system and the work needed to create larger impact for belonging, equity and excellence for student in NPS. We are excited about the upcoming training days and finding ways to bring this back into our buildings and classrooms.

Thank you to the COSEBOC team for your thoughtful facilitation and to all NPS participants for an incredible experience of learning and community building with a shared purpose.

The METCO Directors' Association will hold their annual Conference on Friday, December 1, 2023. This promises to be a fantastic professional development opportunity for educators and administrators across the state. Newton is the largest METCO district and we always have a great turnout.

EMAC is proud to bring you the 44th annual conference. This year's conference program focuses on the theme, "Cultivating Cultural Pride: Nurturing Cultural Identity and Heritage."

Conference includes: Opening ceremony drumming by the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers, Keynote Speaker Dr. Bettina L. Love, Social Mixer and more. To learn more and register: click HERE

NPS is excited to announce that the district was awarded $50,000 (one of only 10 districts in the state) through DESE’s Hate Crime Prevention grant program. This application reflects collaboration between Dr. Nolin, the DEI Office, the NPS Grants Office, the secondary principals, and other district leaders, to support the districts' commitment to anti-discrimination and anti-bullying and reflect research-based best practice to address antisemitism.

The competitive state-funded grant will support the implementation and enhancement of programs designed to prevent hate crimes and incidences of bias in our public schools. Funds will be distributed to support the following programming at our middle schools:

• ADL Peer Leadership Program

• Urban Improv's Rehearsal for Life

• Middle School Holocaust Curriculum Revisions

The Literacy Equity Project is proud to announce the launch of their third cohort. LEP focuses on boosting the achievement of BIPOC elementary students in the Newton Public Schools through creating professional learning communities, providing instructional coaching and implementing data-based inquiry cycles. This year's cohort consists of classroom teachers and reading specialists at 3 different elementary schools. Our educators are designing and implementing new classroom approaches to be culturally responsive teachers, to increase social and emotional well-being and to engage diverse families.

Newton Public Schools remains committed to providing a community that is free from all forms of discrimination, harassment and retaliation.

Parents, staff members and students may use the Online Discrimination Reporting Form to report an incident of alleged discrimination or harassment. The information provided through this form is forwarded to the NPS Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for further review and potential investigation.

ALL members of the NPS community are invited to use this and may report anonymously. You may either clink on the link above or scan the QR code for access.

The Lasell University Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) grant provides scholarships for the completion of the Master of Education in Moderate Disabilities with MA Licensure and additional certifications.

In January, the DEI Department helped recruit 11 NPS paraprofessionals of color to join the OELA Cohort 1 scholarship recipients, and in September, added an additional 2 NPS paraprofessionals of color to Cohort 2. There will be two additional cohorts in the Fall '24 and Fall '25. Please be on the lookout for more information and application materials in the coming months.

We are long overdue for our annual BIPOC All-Staff Gathering. Mark your calendars for Friday, December 8th where we will gather after the school day at Bistro781 for food, music and community.

BIPOC Staff Coordinator: We are still hiring for a middle school coordinator. If you are interested, please consider applying HERE.

Check out the Teachers' Lounge website to learn more about their BIPOC professional programming and upcoming social events.