• Introduction

    “For more than a century, education providers throughout the United States have strived and struggled to meet the diverse needs of American children and families. A complex system of biases and structural inequities is at play, deeply rooted in our country’s history, culture, and institutions. This system of inequity – which routinely confers advantage and disadvantage based on linguistic background, gender, skin color, and other characteristics – must be clearly understood, directly challenged, and fundamentally transformed.”  Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework

     

    The New York State guidelines for culturally responsive sustaining education are grounded in a vision of an education system that aims to create: 

    1. Students who experience academic success. Students are prepared for rigor and independent learning.
    2. Students who are sociopolitically conscious and socioculturally responsive.
    3. Students have a critical lens through which they challenge inequitable systems of access, power, and privilege. 

    New Paltz Central School District has committed to transforming practices and systems to achieve more equitable outcomes for all our students. In order to make progress toward that goal, we must strive for continuous improvement in all areas of our organization. All of our students, families, teachers and community members  must feel as if they belong in our schools and must have access to all opportunities offered, have self-efficacy in their realm and be collaborative partners in our continuous improvement.

     

    New Paltz Central School District’s Policy on  Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging clearly articulates our beliefs: All children deserve to have equal access to opportunity regardless of the color of their skin, their gender, their sexual orientation, the language they speak, or their background. This freedom is fundamental to our K-12 educational program and is extended to everyone without exception. However, the district also recognizes that students have been historically marginalized due to inequities associated with aspects of their identities and their contexts, including, but not limited to, race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or gender (including gender identity and expression). Racism, discrimination, and marginalization of any people or groups of people, whether intentional or not, have no place in our schools, our district, or our community. Such actions damage not only those individuals and groups at which they are directed, but also our community as a whole. We are committed to addressing these inequities and helping each and every student to equitably access learning opportunities in school to enable them all to thrive and to build a better society.

     

    Like many school districts, New Paltz has good intentions, yet disproportionate outcomes for students. The District Equity Plan is designed to keep us accountable for our deliberate actions to improve outcomes for ALL students. The District Equity Plan provides the framework for Building Equity Teams to create building-specific plans to build equitable environments so all students can thrive and grow. 

     

    If you are interested in finding out more about the District Equity Team or are considering joining the Team, please contact Linda Oehler-Marx, Deputy Superintendent, at loehlermarx@newpaltz.k12.ny.us or 845-256-4032. Meetings during the 2024-25 School Year occur monthly on Wednesdays from 4:00-5:15 pm.