Equity, Inclusion & Restorative Practices

The Addison Central School District (ACSD) board adopted a new, equity-informed Strategic Plan that prioritizes the success of every student. There have been many opportunities for students, families, staff, and community members (stakeholders) to help shape the direction of a strategic plan. This work included the formation of two teams of ACSD community members both comprised of diverse students, staff, families, and community members ACSD Advisory Committee for Equity who met to informed the Board’s Strategic Planning Goals and the ACSD Action Team who met to draft the strategies and action steps to meet the Board’s Strategic Planning Goals. Read the full 2024-2029 Strategic Plan here. 

ACSD hired Dr. Rebecca Haslam of Seed the Way to engage in an action-oriented research project designed in conversation with minoritized communities to effectively invite, elevate, and amplify the marginalized student and staff voices of ACSD’s Black, Indigenous, and people of color, for input to inform ACSD’s processes and policies.

One component of her work was the Listening Circles Project, which took place in the Spring of 2023- Fall 2024 and sought to address an increase in incidents of racism, bias, and identity-based harm and identify recommendations to shift and improve. The model centered input from people directly impacted by racism and bias-based harm, and those with experience and expertise to offer, to determine how to best position ACSD for more proactive measures and restorative responses to harm that prioritize justice and result in healing, trust, and a stronger sense of belonging for all. Other goals are to ensure voices and perspectives of the ACSD school community are elevated and included in the implementation of ACSD’s Strategic Plan for Equity; for recommendations identified in the LCP to inform existing policy interpretation, application, and revision, new policy development, more inclusive classroom practices, effective responses to racialized harm; and to support the incoming Superintendent with a presentation of findings and recommendations.

A monthly leadership group of all ACSD Principals and Administrators to increase awareness about the impact of implicit bias on the experience of staff and students.

Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. It is comprised of a set of research, and evidence-based practices designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers. In the 2021-2022 school year, we have led a dedicated effort for our K-8 educators to engage in various Responsive Classroom professional development and training to bring the work into the classrooms.

In the Spring of 2022 a working group began exploring ways to build a shared restorative experience that rebuilds trust and community at MUHS.  9-12 staff have begun discussing shared restorative principles and tools to help educators reconnect on an interpersonal basis and explore community building and repair work with students. MUMS and MUHS have worked to update and align their codes of conduct and are in the process of incorporating more restorative approaches at both secondary schools. 

Specific professional development opportunities for our 6th to 12th grade staff including facilitated staff discussions and trainings on Navigating Hard Conversations and Building Community with local BIPOC consultants.

Ongoing strict Adherence to Hazing, Harassment and Bullying (HHB) policy and processes, training for administrators, student safety plans and student consequences to include but not limited to: suspension, restricted schedules, loss of privileges, parent meetings, restorative processes.