DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE YARMOUTH SCHOOLS

For several years, YSD leadership and staff have been focused on ensuring school programming and practices are equitable for all students. This webpage summarizes some of the work that has been taking place during that time. To clarify the intent of our efforts, the District Leadership Team composed a position statement that was shared with the School Committee on September 23, 2021. We invite you to read that statement as one way to learn more about our work.

In the fall of 2019, the Yarmouth School Committee, upon recommendation of the school administration, identified increasing intercultural competence as one of the district's priority areas, adopting the following language:  

Priority 1:       School Culture and Climate

Support the administration in making intercultural competence and social justice a district-wide focus for the coming year, with specific programming for staff development, student instruction, and community awareness.

Students working collaboratively

Students working collaboratively

That work began with training at the leadership level and was followed by district-wide professional development for all educators, student programming, and eventually community engagement. While the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the level to which we have been able to promote this work within each school, momentum has continued with the 2020 formation of Yarmouth's Equity Task Force, the creation of a Black Students' Alliance, participation in Maine's Cultural Competence Institute, and ongoing engagement with Maine Intercultural Communications Consultants to guide our learning as the district commits to a journey of continual improvement.

This webpage has been created to keep the public informed of the work that has been done, and the commitments that are being made to navigate differences, celebrate diversity, promote inclusion, and provide equity for all students and staff in the Yarmouth Schools.

Civil Rights Team members

Students

EQUITY TASK FORCE

In June 2020, the School Committee approved the formation of the Equity Task Force with the following charge:

To promote inclusion, identify systemic inequities, and illuminate all forms of institutional bias in the Yarmouth Schools pertaining to race, religion, country of origin, gender or gender identity, age, sexual orientation, disability, socio-economic status, or any other protected category or group identity.  

Task Force Logo

The task force is comprised of more than twenty members of the school community and has identified four general areas on which the work will focus:

  • Student Leadership

  • Family Engagement

  • Academics and Programming

  • Policies and Protocols

To read more about the formation and charge of the Task Force, click here.

To follow along with the Task Force work, click on the dates for notes of previous meetings:

Click HERE for 2022-2023 ETF Notes

Click HERE for 2021-2022 ETF Notes

October 20, 2020

November 17, 2020

January 12, 2021

February 23, 2021

March 23, 2021

On May 27, 2021 the Task Force presented this annual report to the School Committee.

A second annual report was presented on August 11, 2022.

CULTURAL COMPETENCE UPDATE

On January 28, 2021, Superintendent Andrew Dolloff and members of the District Leadership Team presented an update to the School Committee regarding the school's focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion over the past three years. That work is highlighted in the presentation linked here.

Cultural Competence Slide Show cover