• New Paltz’s Racial Equity Initiative:
    A Component of the District’s Quest for Cultural Proficiency

    The New Paltz Central School District is committed to ensuring that all students receive the best possible education in a safe, secure, stimulating—and welcoming—learning environment. This commitment is offered to every child, regardless of race, religion, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, or gender identity/sexual orientation.

    While the diversity of the New Paltz Central School District is one of our strengths, the melding into our school community of so many unique individuals has not been without challenges. Several years ago, a disturbing incident—involving the exchange of racial slurs between two students—occurred at one of our schools. Wishing to determine whether this was an isolated incident or part of a more widespread problem, the District invited the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to the New Paltz Central School District. During the two-day exercise, called SPIRIT (Student Problem Identification and Resolution of Issues Together), the DOJ found that some students experienced issues related not only to race, but also socioeconomic status and, and to a lesser extent, religion.

    This incident, along with the feedback given from the DOJ, started the District on a journey to explore options to improve equity in our schools. Although the District is committed to addressing a range of diversity-related issues that may impact a child’s education, racial equity was made a priority.

    Our Racial Equity Initiative is part of the District’s quest for cultural proficiency, a concept laid out in Cultural Proficiency: A Manual for School Leaders, by Randall Lindsey, Kikanza Nuri-Robins, and Raymond D. Terrell.

    Cultural proficiency has been defined as “the process by which individuals and systems respond respectfully and effectively to people of all cultures, languages, classes, races, ethnic backgrounds, religions, spiritual traditions, immigration status, and other diversity factors in a manner that recognizes, affirms, and values the worth of individuals, families, and communities and protects and preserves the dignity of each” (The National Association of Social Workers, Standards and Indicators for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice).

    In November 2016, an Action Plan for Racial Equity and Creating a Culturally Proficient District was developed, providing a framework to identify the work needed. The Action Plan is in draft format as we continue to explore the complexities of racial equity and allow our work to evolve to meet current needs. The plan will be continually revised based on data, research, and available information.

    In 2023, REAIC became an ad-hoc Board of Education Committee. If you have any questions about REIAC, please contact the Superintendent.