Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Growing Community Builders
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JEDI stands for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. It is a school-wide initiative to increase cultural proficiency among staff and families, create a school culture where everyone feels like they have a place, and to see and celebrate the strength in our differences and our commonalities.
Mission Statement:
JEDI is on a mission to grow community builders through intentions and actions that honors diverse identities. This work exemplifies Montessori values to enrich our learning, growth and consciousness to create a world where all are expected and welcomed.
Check out previous PACE (Parent and Community Engagement) sessions here!
Subcommittees
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There are four JEDI subcommittees:
School Initiatives and Student Experience
Meets virtually monthly
This sub-committee works on school-wide events and initiatives that have to do with monthly celebrations/focuses (awareness/heritage months , cultural celebrations, school-wide read-alouds). This committee works in conjunction with the specials team and arts integration committee to enhance the students' experiences. They also assist with resources and ideas for teachers to address social justice and diversity within their individual classrooms.
Systems, Practices, and Policies
Meets virtually monthly
We examine practices and policies at the school level as well as district and magnet office. Collecting parent/community/student feedback is a focus and then brainstorming how the school and other sub-committees can help remedy blindspots, out-of-date practices, inequitable systems/expectations.
We create a measurable system to our JEDI goals/objectives, utilizing qualitative and quantitative data (feedback, survey results, academic/achievement data, SEL data, attendance/discipline, etc) to gauge program efficacy.
Staff Development
Meets at HMM at 8 a.m. monthly
This sub-committee assesses blind spots and growth opportunities at HMM using a variety of data types. Professional Development is created/identified and implemented to address these. Examples from last year, p.d. for staff on LGBTQIA+ topics, cultural proficiency modules, systemic racism reflective questions, equity training, micro-aggression p.d. This sub-committee is working to measure effectiveness of professional development.
PACE - Parent and Community Engagement
Meets virtually second Wednesday of each month 6:30-7:30 pm
This sub-committee plans engagement activities for families at HMM that are specifically focused on equity work and valuing all people and experiences. Events before and after school, including guest speakers, discussion groups, and podcast listening groups, are held both in person and virtually. This committee has 4 stated goals:
1. Open up the conversation about race and establish a baseline for where people are in their own understanding.
2. Be a conduit for resources for families.
3. Normalize open and honest conversations about race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, LGBTQIA issues, neurodiversity, etc. among parents and students.
4. Increase parent participation, engagement, and involvement through strategic, targeted marketing.
Email for questions.