DEIB and Anti-racist Work at Concord Public Schools and Concord-Carlisle Regional School District

Tribal Land Acknowledgment

The Town of Concord is the unceded land of the Nipmuc, Pawtucket, and Massachusett people. Before it was called Concord, this town was known as Musketaquid, meaning “grassy plain” or “place where the waters flow through the grasses.” We express our profound respect to the Nipmuc, Pawtucket, and Massachusett people—past, present, and future—whose histories, cultural practices, and lives are bound to this town. Click here to learn more about Tribal Land Acknowledgements.

 

Non-discrimination Statement

Concord Public Schools and Concord-Carlisle Regional School District do not exclude from participation, deny the benefits of Concord Public Schools and Concord-Carlisle Regional School District from or otherwise discriminate against individuals on the basis of race*, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, active military/veteran status, marital status, familial status, pregnancy, or pregnancy-related condition, homelessness, ancestry, ethnic background, national origin, or any other category protected by state or federal law in the administration of its educational and employment policies, or in its programs and activities.

*Race to include traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture, hair type, hair length, and protective hairstyles.

DEIB Mission-Vision Statement

In the Concord and Concord-Carlisle Public Schools, we embrace our diverse community regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, religion, disability— mental or physical, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. We welcome, respect, value, and encourage our employees, students, and families to share their culture with those they work, learn, and interact with to allow a greater sense of cultural humility for all.

We understand the commitment it takes to cultivate healthy learning and working environments that balance psychological safety with accountability. We accomplish this by modeling behaviors that foster equity, inclusion, and belonging. A modeled behavior recognizes the uniqueness of each learner and embraces the strengths of our neurodiverse students, faculty, and staff, who learn, think, and behave in unique ways. We practice risk-taking and work to confront and dismantle systems of oppression, privilege, and bias that perpetuate discriminatory ideas and actions in our policies; these policies disproportionately impact our community’s historically marginalized groups.

We commit to bolstering equity and justice in our academic and workspaces, an environment where our diverse employees and students have equal access and opportunities to thrive professionally and academically. We will hold ourselves accountable for practical anti-racism actions to serve everyone in our community, especially historically marginalized groups. In the Concord and Concord-Carlisle Public Schools, we will lead by example and show others how to be the change we wish to see in our schools.

Click here to read through our five-year Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Anti-racism.

DEIB 2022-2023 School Year Report

In May 2023, Andrew Nyamekye provided a DEIB End of the Year Report to Dr. Hunter and the Joint School Committee. Please make a note of what we were able to accomplish together during the 2022-2023 school year (on slides 9-10). Click here to access the 2023-2024 DEIB goals and initiatives.

Equity Audit Report

The two-year process to complete a district equity audit was finalized in January 2023. The equity audit was commissioned by Dr. Hunter and the Joint School Committee to understand better the experiences of all faculty, support staff, students, and families in our community.  The audit included surveys and focus groups of faculty, parents, and students.  In concluding the comprehension process, the final recommendations were shared with the Joint School Committee on January 17, 2023. A complete and final written report is now available here. We look forward to processing the equity audit and using the findings and recommendations to inform our work in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We thank you for your participation in the equity audit process.

 

DEI Consultants Dr. Kalise Wornum of KW Diversity (left) and Dr. Carroll Blake of CW Blake Associates (right) presented their Equity Audit Findings and Recommendations to the Joint School Committee on Tuesday, January 17th.

 

1) Click here to view the Equity Audit discussion from the January 17, 2023, School Committee Meeting.

2) Click here to read the Final Equity Audit Report from Dr. Wornum and Dr. Blake. The table of contents is on page three of the report.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact DEIB Director Andrew K. Nyamekye at anyamekye@concordps.org.

Additional Resources

 
Andrew K. Nyamekye (He/Him/His)
Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
​Concord Public Schools and Concord-Carlisle Regional School District