Networking and resources
Since last meeting with board, contacts have been enhanced among the district and outside resources. Some include working with experts at Penn State such as Erica Frankenberg and Francesca Lopez – both from the College of Education. Lopez, the Waterbury chairwoman in equity pedagogy, spent time Oct. 16 presenting a session during a professional learning day that exposed district professional staff to more education and information about IDE-type topics.
“They have a lot of expertise and passion for this work, so we’re excited about that and it seems like the more people we talk to, the more people they turn us onto who are extremely generous with their time and resources, and willingness to help us as we move forward,” Baughman said. “It’s really been a great process.”
Peter Montminy is someone who regularly works with the district, as well. A faculty member at Penn State, he also is a psychologist and educational consultant, and served as the Director of Child and Adolescent Services at Penn State’s Psychological Clinic before becoming the founding director of Midstep Centers for Child Development in 1996. According to his website, Montminy later founded A Mindful Village. Most recently, he has been helpful in educating BASD faculty and staff on the equity part of mental health and what that means among different individuals.
The Pennsylvania School Board Association and Equity Literacy Institute have been additional resources for the district with events such as PSBA’s equity summit and a four-part series held this month with Paul Gorski, the founder of ELI. In another effort, Bellefonte Area has collaborated with Seria Chatters, from State College Area School District, who is in the works to create a Centre County equity workgroup. It’s a taskforce that BASD will be a part of, along with other school districts from across the county. While Baughman said state and national resources are helpful, its also just as important to have local resources, so there is understanding of needs in the area.
Committee meetings
An IDE committee was established earlier in the school year with 32 members from Bellefonte Area School District’s administration, faculty, staff and school board. So far, they’ve met twice – in September and October, and the committee aims to meet the second Thursday of each month with sessions before and after school.
Simpson said the first meeting came in two, two-and-a-half-hour sessions; the second was in two, one-hour sessions. Ground rules were made, and a respectful and nonjudgmental atmosphere was established, where members were also encouraged to speak openly about IDE-type subjects they feel are important. While the committee’s mission and vision statements are not being made public until all stakeholders are included, Simpson said they’re working to bring in members of the community and student body to the conversations.
The biggest discussions so far, according to Simpson, included information about how to better educate district faculty and staff about IDE-type issues and topics through the use of professional learning.
Two district administrators addressed the Bellefonte Area school board at its regular meeting on Oct. 20 to provide an update regarding the district’s inclusiveness, diversity and equity plan that was established earlier this school year.
