OCSD BOE President Discusses Equity In District, Pass Several New Hires During Meeting

OSWEGO – During the  Oswego City School District Board of Education meeting last night, Tuesday, May 18, the board passed a variety of policies and hirings after BOE President Heather DelConte, led a discussion on equity in Oswego City schools.

The passed policies include the following:

• Policy #1640 Absentee Ballots
• Policy #3420 Non Discrimination and Anti Harrassment in the District
• Policy #3421 Title IX and Sex Discrimination
• Policy #5633 Gender Neutral Single-Occupancy Bathrooms

Of the new hires, several include what is described in the agenda as “extra compensatory” positions. These positions are reopened for every single school year on an as needed basis. During the May 18 meeting, three of these positions were filled, including auditor, director of student activities and treasurer. These roles come with a stipend ranging from $2,309 to $3,912.

The board also hired two new custodians to replace newly retired William Caufield and Paul Sullivan. Yolanda White was named the new senior custodian at Frederick Leighton School, while Derek Demo will join her as a custodian. Tonya Motyka rounds out the new hires but will work at Fitzhugh Park School.

Prior to the new hires, DelConte led an “introductory conversation” on equity in the scope of the school district.

“As we talk about equity, equality and all of those words, there is a little confusion about what we mean,” DelConte said. “I know we get feedback from folks that reflect a little confusion, so this … is meant to open that discussion to the board and also the community.”

DelConte used a common graphic to reflect the differences between inequality, equality, equity and justice. One thing that she quickly pointed out is that these terms should not be taken in a political sense or considered in the realm of the “national context.”

“We are not talking about social justice or social welfare, we are specifically talking about public education,” DelConte said. “We have kids coming to our school with resources [and networks] and then you have children coming in the same buildings with the same buildings but they are coming from backgrounds that are different or with needs that are different and it gives them less of an edge in grabbing that fruit, so that is inequality.”

Later in the discussion, DelConte brings up a term she calls “community hoarding,” where people feel a sense of belonging in a particular group in part because they are all similar. This actually excludes other people who do not fit into a given category even if they are within the same community.

Board of Education member Tom Ciappa added to the conversation, bringing up the strategic planning board that is in charge of creating strategic goals for the district. He suggested that the board should consider diversity and equity as focal points for the next set of goals.

“This dovetails perfectly or is an element of strategic planning in finding our core beliefs and [this discussion] speaks to that, but I also want to say we don’t work in isolation. That not only what we do inside the district, it has to go outside and to all of our partners within the community so we are working together on this because you’re right the programs won’t change it … We need to see where we can engage even pre-K [or] before that, with the community.”

DelConte also provided some examples of inequity in the district itself, which included expensive class trips that might ostracize some underprivileged students, class rank and scholarships that are quantified by describing them as “financial based.”

DelConte wrapped up the discussion with a potential action plan of starting to build awareness of inequities in the district, using strategic planning to combat these and the ultimate goal of creating change from the inside, including the faculty and staff.

At the start of the meeting, prior to DelConte’s discussion, Superintendent Dr. Mathis Calvin III offered several updates. He unveiled more plans for the summer programs. The four programs will last 30 days and will be half-day programs. The exact times have yet to be established, as bus routes can only be completed once the schools know where participants will come from. The four programs include a summer credit recovery program for high school students, enrichment programs for middle and elementary school children and extended school years for children with special needs. The district came up with a selection of criteria to determine what students should attend these programs in addition to feedback from current teachers.

Agenda items and documents from the meeting can be found here. The full meeting can be viewed in the video link provided above.

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