Teacher diversity, grading equity, other task force goals OK’d by Modesto school board
Increase teacher diversity and analyze teacher placement to ensure that experienced educators are in place in high-needs schools. Those are among recommendations by a Modesto City Schools Equity and Racial Justice Task Force that were approved by the school board this week.
The 35-member task force is composed of district and school-site administrators, teachers, school psychologists, two students and 10 community members. Among the community members are Wendy Byrd, president of the NAACP of Modesto/Stanislaus; Reggie Rucker of the Downtown Modesto Partnership; Aaron Anguiano, president of the Latino Community Roundtable; Charlie Nguyen, board member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Stanislaus County; and Jose Cardenas, who was appointed in March by Gov. Gavin Newsom to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
The group had 90-minute meetings monthly, September through February, to craft six recommendations and a proposed equity statement, said Associate Superintendent Mark Herbst, who’s on the task force and made a presentation to the Board of Education on Monday night.
About the first two recommendations, Herbst told trustees, “We definitely have a strong Caucasian teaching force within Modesto City Schools, and that doesn’t necessarily match the demographics found within our district. The second recommendation is analyzing teacher placement, and that was really looking at it under two different lenses: one, the teacher-to-student ratio at school sites in terms of ethnicity, but also an analysis of where we place our veteran experienced teachers and where they are in relation to some of our highest-needs schools.”
The remaining recommendations are:
Improve communication with parents of color.
Develop trust through improved customer service.
Analyze grading policies and course offerings, including ethnic studies.
Conduct equity audits to ensure access for marginalized student groups.
There is no doubt that the community feels strongly that communication from the district and school sites to people of color is “lacking,” Herbst said.
The task force “spoke loud and clear,” he said, on the need for equity in how students are graded.
It was a topic that trustee Abel Maestas, a math and science teacher for more than 20 years, returned to during board comments on the task force presentation. “There’s a book called ‘Grading for Equity’ that pretty much changed the way I thought about how I was preparing my own students and even got me thinking, gosh, what have I been doing for the last 10 years, 15 years? So I don’t know if that’s the exact thing that you’re looking at, but I love the fact that you’re looking at that piece because it is a piece that we often miss.”
Maestas inquired about what kind of training teachers are getting, and Herbst replied that professional development opportunities already offered include “culturally responsive teaching” and how to address unconscious bias.
The associate superintendent said there was a strong recommendation from the task force that the district develop ethnic studies throughout the grade span, including course offerings at the high schools.
“Finally, the last recommendation was to conduct ongoing and regular equity audits,” Herbst said. “And this is really to analyze where our marginalized subgroups are performing.”
Audits will be done in areas such as achievement and grading, as well as access to the GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) program, A-G subject requirements, Advanced Placement courses, the International Baccalaureate program at Modesto High and career technical education.
“Additionally, we would continue to review discipline and attendance as part of the equity work,” he said.
“Teach people how to get along”
Task force member Byrd also briefly addressed the board, saying its recommendations are a well-balanced “good mix” of things members know are important: diversity in teaching, equity in grading, audits, communication and trust.
“When you look at what’s going on in the world today, I think it’s so important that we teach people how to get along,” she said. “Because it doesn’t matter how many A’s and B’s you can get in a classroom, if you can’t get along with your classmates, you’re still not going to go anywhere.
“And so I think that we have to really focus more on helping different cultures understand each other, not just today, but their history, their culture, the different norms and things like that. And that’s why I’m really happy that ethnic studies was one of those recommendations.”
In an email to The Bee on Wednesday, Herbst and Associate Superintendent Lauren Odell elaborated on what grading equity means.
“Equity in grading looks to bring a greater sense of consistency to account for a student’s individual situation, such as their life outside of school, their abilities, and/or any challenges they are facing,” Herbst said. “For example, when using homework to illustrate this point, students may have varying levels of support from their parents/guardians when it comes to assisting them with or guiding them through their homework.
“We feel that students should definitely be accountable for the learning, but in this example, the use of homework and how the assignment is graded and/or weighted may result in inequities when compared on a student-to-student basis.”
Odell added, “There are also opportunities that can be provided to allow students with different needs to showcase their mastery of content in various ways (i.e., creating a PowerPoint, or giving a speech, as opposed to writing a paper, etc.). This is also an equitable grading practice to illustrate how students are demonstrating their mastery of the learning in multiple modalities.”
District equity statement OK’d
The board unanimously approved the task force recommendations and this MCS equity statement: “Modesto City Schools must provide equitable access by actively eradicating structural and institutional racism and systemic inequities to close achievement, opportunity, and access gaps that exist within our district. We are committed to understanding the individual circumstances and needs of our students, their families, and our staff. We will serve in a way to create equitable outcomes and ensure respectful environments that embrace and empower each individual recognizing that diversity and inclusion of every gender, race, religion, socioeconomic status, physical appearance, gender expression, family configuration, (dis)ability, and ethnicity leads to a thriving and just community. MCS is ultimately responsible for the success of our students and will be held accountable to the community.”
Board members expressed their appreciation for the task force’s efforts and the recommendations. Homero Mejia said, “My hands are sweating I’m so excited. ... I think some of the stuff is going to create a lot of positive changes for our community for our kids, and for the future.”
John Ervin III commended the inclusion of the ethnic studies focus. Thanks to Superintendent Sara Noguchi, the district already is moving forward in that direction, the trustee said, and “the State Board of Education already approved the model curriculum for ethnic studies.
“And although the bill was vetoed by the governor to make ethnic studies a graduation requirement, work is still being done to undo that.”
Like Mejia, board Vice President Adolfo Lopez said the task force recommendations — especially the topics of teacher diversity and ethnic studies — had him emotional. “It’s very important for students to see themselves in the curriculum, to see themselves in the classroom,” he said.
The presentation on the task force recommendations is embedded in the board agenda at bit.ly/32C5sQy, and video of Monday’s meeting can be viewed on the MCS Board of Education channel on YouTube.
This story was originally published April 22, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
