Environmental Charter Schools

Diversity and Equity Task Force Committee Meeting

Date and Time

Monday March 13, 2017 at 4:30 PM PDT
ECMS-I Members:
  • Tashando Giles Jones
  • Danny Cristales
ECMS-G Members:
  • Christina Usenza
  • Samson Pham
ECHS Members:
  • KC Villoria
  • Sara Diaz 
Board Member:
  • Farnaz Golshani-Flechner
TNT Member: 
  • Danielle Kelsick 


Diversity and Equity Taskforce Charter
The Equity & Diversity Taskforce promotes and supports ECS’s work to develop a school culture that fosters equity, inclusion and an appreciation of the diversity within our community.  

Recent events in our nation have drawn attention to structures and processes that have historically disadvantaged people of color and persist today. We acknowledge that ECS, as an educational institution, is situated within a historical context and is not immune to the biases and structural inequities that have disenfranchised the communities we serve. As a public education leader in Los Angeles, we have a powerful responsibility to respond proactively and to embrace opportunities to change the structures and processes within our institution that undermine our efforts to educate and empower ECS students.
We need to critically examine our practices with an eye to continual growth, modeling the lifelong learning and critical thinking that will empower our students to be quality stewards of their communities and our world.

History of this Work
The Taskforce will build upon the work already begun at our three campuses, including Arlene Ford’s Great Minds Inquiry at ECHS in 2011-2014, the ongoing efforts of the ECHS Equity & Pedagogy Coalition and collaborative work of ECMS with Tyrone Howard in 2015-16.

Call to Action
The Equity & Diversity Taskforce will examine data on topics such as student achievement, school discipline, school climate and enrollment trends/retention; address the roots of bias; share insights and suggest possible resources or actions to ECS leadership. The Taskforce membership will include parent, student, teacher, staff, administration and Board representation. Community members may also serve on the Taskforce.

THE ORDER OF BUSINESS MAY BE CHANGED WITHOUT NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that the order of consideration of matters on this agenda may be changed without prior notice.
REASONABLE LIMITATIONS MAY BE PLACED ON PUBLIC TESTIMONY
The Governing Board’s presiding officer reserves the right to impose reasonable time limits on public testimony to ensure that the agenda is completed.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS MAY BE MADE
Notice is hereby given that consistent with the requirements of the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, special presentations not mentioned in the agenda may be made at this meeting.  However, any such presentation will be for information only.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION WILL BE PROVIDED FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY
Pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, any individual with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to attend or participate in this meeting of the Governing Board may request assistance by contacting ECS at 812 West 165th Place, Gardena, CA 90247; telephone (310) 214-3400; fax (310) 214-3410.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information concerning this agenda or for materials relating to this meeting, please contact ECS at 812 West 165th Place, Gardena, CA 90247; telephone (310) 214-3400; fax (310) 214-3410.

Agenda

     
I. Opening Items
 
Opening Items
  A. Record Attendance and Guests
  B. Call the Meeting to Order
II. Approval of Agenda and Previous Meeting Minutes
  A. Motion to Approve the Agenda
III. Presentation from the Floor
 
Diversity and Equity Task Force
  A. Presentations from the Floor
   

At this time any person wishing to speak to any item not on the agenda will be granted three minutes to make a presentation to the committee. 

  B. Presentation on the Agenda
   

Any person wishing to speak to any item on the agenda will be granted five minutes to make a presentation. 

IV. Discussion Items / Updates
  A. ECMS-G Update
  B. ECMS-I Update
  C. ECHS Update
  D. Activity
   
  • Commonalities
  • Discovery from another team that could help your site
  E. Next Steps
   
  • Sharing resources - shared folder
  • Review Calendar
  • Supports Needed
V. Closing Items
  A. Adjourn Meeting