Equitable Classrooms

We are excited to bring you this month's edition of our newsletter, "Equitable Classrooms!" Each month, these newsletters are dedicated to sharing and celebrating teaching practices that foster Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within our classrooms at Rye Neck.

Our monthly newsletter is dedicated towards a commitment to celebrate, explore, and amplify the richness that diversity brings to our Rye Neck community.

We invite your feedback and suggestions to make this a valuable resource for your classroom!

Best,

Tara Goldberg & Meegan Lawlor

DEI Coordinators

We aim to share ways you incorporate the big ideas of a culturally responsive education. It might be something within your environment, a lesson you're teaching, a task students are engaging in...this Spotlight of Practice is dedicated towards sharing in-district connections.

We invite you to share with us!

This is Rye Neck Middle School's 12th year working with the ADL to become a "No Place for Hate" school. As a part of this process, students participate in four activities that focus on building community, recognizing bias, decreasing bullying, and building a culture of inclusion and allyship. This month, sixth graders began to create their "Diversity Quilt." They discussed what they have in common with their classmates and what makes them unique. They then created a square for a quilt that will show that what makes us unique is what makes our school beautiful. The quilt is a work in progress, these students are working on their first draft.

In Ken Williams' book Ruthless Equity, he acts as a coach and a guide to help "Equity Warriors" be effective. Filled with information, very challenging questions and even some humor it is a quick read (or even quicker audiobook) for those looking to improve achievement for all students. (He also has a YouTube channel if the book seems to big a commitment!)

Does information that we hear about students before they arrive in our class impact how we see them?

If so, how? Is there anything that can be done to limit our preconceived notions?

*Click Image for Video

This year, we have created a collection of tools that can help you on your DEI journey, Feel free to examine the links in this "workshop" slide. Throughout the year, we will add resources to this slide. When you come across resources you think may help others on their DEI journey, please forward them to one of us so we can add them.

ADL Education

Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility

Learning for Justice

NYSED DEI Resources

We welcome feedback to help make this publication as resourceful and inspiring as possible, and tailored to your interests. We invite you to reach out to us if you have resources to share and/or questions to ask. 😊

DEI Page RNWebsite

RN DEI "Workshop" RN DEI "Workshop"

Tara Goldberg: tgoldberg@ryeneck.org

Meegan Lawlor: mlawlor@ryeneck.org