EDI Initiatives

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are vital to the success of our students. We are thankful to be part of a community that embraces this work. Our EDI efforts are collaborative and grounded in shared responsibility. Listed below are a number of current EDI initiatives.

Photo of teenage student sitting in a chair in front of windows holding up a book.

Curriculum Support

We assist curriculum directors during the curriculum review and curriculum writing process. Inclusive practices better engage students and empower them to take responsibility for their own academic success.

The district examines materials for new units to ensure they are accessible to all students regardless of learning styles.
We look provide "windows" into other cultures and "mirrors" to reflect individual identities.
We help teachers to ask questions such as “do my students have the tools (e.g., learning style, cultural background, etc.) that they need to access this information?” and “how does this lesson tap into the different voices in my classroom?”

Open Choice Program Support

We are committed to increasing our efforts to support and build our Open Choice program. Our largest population of Open Choice students is at Nayaug Elementary School. This is where we have chosen to place most of the support and focus.

The EDI Director maintains on-site office hours at Nayaug School one-day a week to support the needs of our Hartford families and our staff members.

These connections are strengthening our district’s relationships with Open Choice families. The moment a family from Hartford enrolls their child in our district, they become a member of our school community.

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Recruitment and Retention

We look to attract the best teachers with an eye to expanding the diversity of our faculty. We know that prospective teachers are interested in the culture of Glastonbury Public Schools, including our commitment to equity and inclusion.

The Director of EDI checks in regularly with our faculty who identify as culturally, ethnically, racially, and linguistically diverse to assess their experiences in the district and learn about our strengths and areas needing growth.

Our school district theme (Be Kind. Be Curious. Be Well.) grounds our staff retention efforts.

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Professional Learning

We work with faculty to build relationships with family and build engagement across cultures. We are also supporting staff to address modes of communication during conflict

The EDI Director presents “Culture Cultivators” to all new faculty on teacher orientation day. This presentation aims to ensure that educators meet and engage every individual.

Administrators also receive ongoing professional learning on a variety of topics related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Photo of three adults sitting in the cafeteria. One of them is holding a baby and they're all looking at him. He's got a pacifier in his mouth and he's wearing a winter hat.

Family & Staff Support

When needed, the EDI Director meets individually with students, families, and staff to work through issues of equity and inclusion.

These could include inappropriate or culturally insensitive remarks, actions, or activities.

EDI Council

The mission of the EDI Council is: We Educate. We Empower. We Act. The Council has representation from every school, parents, students, and the Board of Education.

The EDI Council builds awareness and educates the larger community. During our meetings, we highlight topics and invite guest speakers to share their expertise.

In the recent past we have discussed the book Troublemakers, which challenges us to rethink how we respond to problematic student behavior. We also heard presentations on neurodiversity from a local pediatric neuropsychologist and antisemitism from representatives from the ADL.