Racial Equity St Louis Park District Office and High School

St Louis Park Schools is committed to racial equity by aligning instruction,

curriculum and assessment in a culturally relevant manner to ensure that all
students meet or exceed rigorous academic standards without
demographically predictable results.
Focus question and Plan of action
The purpose of this walk through is to learn what the district administration
is doing to meet this goal of racial equity and if it reaching the classroom. I
will walk through the district office, high school and a classroom in search of
evidence to support the focus question. I will have conversations with
administrators, teachers and students to see what they are doing with race
equity, if it is working and what are their thoughts. I will share results and
have a conversation with my supervisor upon conclusion of this activity.
Walk through
Superintendents office
Visuals: Courageous Conversations table tent on table, racially
diverse pictures on walls of office, Courageous Conversations
Compass on back of name badge.
Conversation: What are you doing regarding race equity?
Isolating race as a factor in learning and having the courage to
talk about it.
Ensuring that all staff members go through Beyond Diversity
Training within the next 3 years, currently all cabinet members,
principals, most teachers and some support staff have completed
training.
Have replaced instructional coaches with equity coaches and tied
them to Q Comp goals.
Sending building principals and assistant principals to Mankato
State to take part in a cohort to increase racial competency in
leadership and it is paid for by the district.
Director of Human Recourses Office
Visuals: Courageous Conversations table tent taped to the back of
computer.
Conversation: What are you doing regarding race equity?
Creating a systemic process to recruit and retain racially diverse
staff.
Directing professional development to improve racial awareness.
Teaching and Learning Office

Visuals: Courageous Conversations table tent taped to wall, many

racially diverse pictures.
Conversation: What are you doing regarding race equity?
Professional development in race equity.
Equity coaches that support staff to achieve instructional goals
that interrupt historical patterns of inequity and work to develop
racial consciousness and embrace new ways of thinking that
break down systemic racism so that all students receive an
equitable education.
Total School Cluster Grouping Pilot Project which is believed will
increase the number of students from underrepresented groups
as being identified as gifted.
Weekly Cabinet Meeting and Principal Meeting, Special Ed
Lead Meeting
Visuals: Courageous Conversations table tents on table.
Conversation: Every meeting starts with a Grounding in Equity
exercise and with members responding using the protocol.
AP Spanish Class
Visuals: Courageous Conversations Compass handout taped to the
wall, Courageous Conversations Protocol handout taped to the wall,
many posters of diverse images and locations taped to the wall.
Conversation with teacher:
Have you had Beyond Diversity Training? Yes.
Have you had conversations with your students about race,
racism or racial equity? Yes.
Have you had conversations with other teachers about race? Yes.
Do you think it is important to talk about race? Yes
Do you think SLP spends too much time, not enough time or the
right amount of time talking about race? The right amount of
time.
Conversation with Students: 32 juniors and seniors. I asked
them to raise their hand if the question read was true.
Have you had at least one conversation in any class this year
about race, racism or racial equity? 32 yes.
Have you had 2 or more conversations? 28 yes.
Have you had 3 or more conversations? 22 yes.
Do you think it is important to talk about race? 29 yes.
Asked students for the following 3 questions only answer once
Do you think SLP spends too much time talking about race? 9
yes.
Do you think SLP needs to spend more time talking about race? 4
yes

Do you think SLP spends the right amount of time talking about
race? 19 yes.

Key Learning and take away

During my short time at St Louis Park Schools I have seen many examples of
how they are committed to race equity and providing an equitable education
for all students.
This starts with the courageous leadership of the
superintendent who has worked diligently to bring the school board, his
cabinet, his administrators and his staff on board with his vision. Throughout
my conversations with staff members, several of them commented that if
you are uncomfortable talking about race then you will probably not enjoy
working at SLP because it is everywhere. I have seen this first hand because
in just about every meeting Ive been in Ive heard people racialize their
voices or talk about race. I feel fortunate that I am doing my internship in a
district that is committed to race equity and is authentically using the same
strategies and protocol I have learned in my Educational Leadership
program. I have learned that that race equity can be done and is not just
something theoretical that I learned in the classroom. I believe that SLP is
well on its way to becoming a racially equitable school district.