Sonoma Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) has launched a new diversity task force, a volunteer panel of parents, educators and community members to examine current school district policies and practices.
“This is an exciting and, we believe, transformative opportunity for dialogue in our school district to jointly address diversity and inclusion,” said SVUSD Superintendent Louann Carlomagno, announcing the Equity and Inclusion Task Force this week.
Its focus will be on diversity and equity programs, cultural sensitivity and awareness curriculum, as well as restorative justice and issues of hate speech, Carlomagno said. Additionally, the task force will consider national trends in policies and education on matters of diversity and inclusion for recommendations to the school district.
El Verano Community School Principal Maite Iturri will chair the new committee.“I am optimistic this task force will open authentic dialogue on the issues of equity and access among our families, students and community,” she said. “Inclusion of parents, students, staff and community members in the conversation are critical components for creating an environment of acceptance and equity.”
Among the task force’s objectives will be recommendations addressing changes to board policies, programmatic improvements, changes in discipline procedures, identifying and addressing pervasive stereotypes, and finding ways to facilitate a more comprehensive approach to equity and inclusion.
The formation of the task force will take place during the month of October and November. The district is asking for members of the community to apply to serve. Interested parties should contact: 707.935.4246 or Carlomagno@sonomaschools.org.
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