Our overarching goal for diversity, equality, and inclusion is to match our structure, procedures and actions with our purpose, vision, and core values, to create an environment of belonging for all students and for our entire school community.

Upcoming Professional Development:

News:

• Our final Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B) meeting will be on Monday, May 15, 2023. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will end around 8:00 p.m. We plan on reviewing the compass points activity of our groups and then begin working toward developing an equity statement from our stakeholders (staff, administration, community). Please bring one friend to this meeting so that we can continue to grow our group. If you have any questions, please let Dr. Charlie Miller know (cmiller@veronaschools.org). Thank you!

• Verona Public Schools will be participating in a survey data collection using the New Jersey School Climate Improvement (NJ SCI) Survey, which was developed, and is administered, by Rutgers University in order to help schools obtain multiple perspectives on aspects of school climate. Collecting data is important for understanding the strengths and needs in our schools and how it feels to be a member of the school community. The data will be used to make improvements to our schools. For more information, please click on this link.

• Our DEI&B administrative team would like to thank our committee members for attending our April 3rd meeting at the VHS Learning Commons. We worked on a meaningful activity that our staff participated in with our guest DEI&B expert, Mr. Ken Shelton during his two visits with our staff and community members in February and March. We are including our Slide Show link from our meeting. Have an awesome week!

• Professional development DEI opportunities with Mr. Ken Shelton happened on March 2nd and 3rd!
• Here is the itinerary for those two days (see below).

• Thursday, March 2, 2023	Friday, March 3, 2023
  8:30-10:30 Admin-Team @BOE Conference Room Equity Statement Discuss shared article from NY Times Scenarios Developing Equity Checks, Balances, and Institutional Accountability	8:15-9:45 VHS Students 9-12 VHS Learning Commons School Culture and Climate Advisory Group Students will go through a series of design protocols to examine/analyze the impact on student learning and student wellness within their academic and environmental factors -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10:00-11:00 Child Study Team/Counselors @ VHS Learning Commons Invisible Disabilities  (Please bring your device)
  Break	Break
  11:09-11:53 VHS DEI Staff Members @ BOE Conference Room Compass Points Activity	11:30-1:00 HBW & Elementary DEI Staff Members @ HBW Library  Compass Points Activity
  Break	Break
  1:00-2:30 HBW Students (7&8) Meet with Mr. Shelton in the HBW Auditorium School Culture and Climate Advisory Group Students will go through a series of design protocols to examine/analyze the impact on student learning and student wellness within their academic and environmental factors.	1:30-2:30  Elementary Staff with Ken Shelton @ VHS Cafeteria (Please bring your device)  HBW & VHS ELA Staff with Dana Clark @ VHS Learning Commons 2:30-3:30  HBW/VHS Staff with Ken Shelton @ VHS Cafeteria (Please bring your device)  Elementary Generalists and Elementary Special Education Teachers with Dana Clark @ VHS Learning Commons
  Check-in with DEI Admin-Team, Diane	Wrap up with Diane, DEI Team
  3:00-4:00 VHS Coaches/Office Hours with Ken Shelton @ VHS Learning Commons
  Break
  6:30-8:00 Verona Learning Community Presentation @ VHS Learning Commons Review from our last meeting Developing conversational strategies and protocols Creating a Brave Space Reading Non-verbal cues Building Community

• Here is our itinerary for February 15th and 16th with Mr. Ken Shelton:

• Wednesday, February 15, 2023	Thursday, February 16, 2023
  9:00-10:30 Admin-Team @ BOE Conference Room Mission and vision around DEI and its alignment with the existing structure, procedures, etc.	8:15-9:45 VHS Students 9-12 VHS Learning Commons School Culture and Climate Advisory Group
  Break	Break
  11:00-12:00 VHS DEI Staff Members @ BOE Conference Room “Chat & Chew” What are we learning from our students?  Note: HBW & Elementary DEI Staff members will meet with Mr. Shelton on March 2, 2023.	10:00-11:00 School Counselors @ BOE Conference Room How do you advocate for students? How do you validate their feelings?
  Break	Break
  1:00-2:30 HBW Students (7&8) Meet with Mr. Shelton in the HBW Auditorium School Culture and Climate Advisory Group	11:30-12:30 School Safety Team Members @ BOE Conference Room
  Break	Break
  3:00-4:00 DEI Admin Facilitators meet with Ken Shelton @ HBW	1:30-3:30 All Staff @ VHS Auditorium Introduction & Motivation Classroom management, developing and understanding a common language, etc.
  Break	Wrap up with Ms. DiGiuseppe & DEI Team
  6:30-8:00 Verona Learning Community Presentation

   

• Our Hiring & Recruiting, Educational Equity, and School Culture & Climate DEI subgroups met on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. and our Curriculum & Instruction, Professional Development, and Community Outreach DEI subgroups met on Thursday, December 15, 2022, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the VHS Library. The meeting focused on unpacking the final report. The subcommittees focused on three questions: (1) What was surprising? (2) What was affirming? (3) What should we prioritize? A big thank you to all who participated in our two sessions!

• Grand River Solutions Final Report Regarding Climate, Hiring, and Retention (November 28, 2022)

  The Verona Board of Education contracted with Grand River Solutions to research current practices and provide feedback and recommendations regarding Verona Schools' climate and culture and hiring, recruiting, and retainment practices through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion.  This is their final report. 

  The findings and recommendations from Grand River Solutions are being considered and will be prioritized by our Superintendent of Schools, Mrs. DiGiuseppe, DEI Coordinator, Dr. Miller, DEI Facilitators, Administration, Staff, and the Board of Education. We will implement prioritized recommendations into our practice as we grow as a learning community.

  If you have any questions regarding the information in the report, please contact Ms. DiGiuseppe or Dr. Miller who will be happy to answer your questions.

• Grand River Solutions Presenting Recommendations at the August 30, 2022 Board of Education Meeting.
  • Mrs. Jody Shipper from Grand Rivers Solutions presented her recommendations regarding our Request for Proposal (1) School Climate and Culture and (2) Hiring, Recruiting, and Retaining Staff to the Board of Education. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the VHS Auditorium. Please click here to view here Slideshow.

• During the week of May 23rd, Mrs. Jody Shipper from Grand River Solutions visited the Verona Public Schools to meet with various staff members to discuss our Request for Proposal (RFP) - (1) climate and culture as well as (2) recruiting, hiring, and retaining practices (May 23, 25, 26, 2022)

  • After receiving active consent from parents/guardians, Mrs. Shipper met with volunteer middle and high school students (grades 7 to 12) during their lunch periods to gain a better understanding of their perspectives regarding climate and culture within their school environments.

  • During the evenings of Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, Mrs. Shipper, Dr. Furnari, and the DEI Administrative Team met with the DEI committees to discuss how to work collaboratively and collegially with one another while addressing a DEI topic.

  • Finally, Grand River solutions created two voluntary surveys for students and staff to take pertaining to the climate and culture of their school environments. Once again, for our students, parents/guardians need to give their consent in order for their child to take the DEI survey.

    
    
• DEI Committees Meet @ VHS Learning Commons (April 19-21, 2022) 
  • Interim Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Furnari, DEI Coordinator, Dr. Miller, and the DEI Facilators, Mrs. Peter, Mr. Stevenson, Mr. Freund, and Mr. Galbierczyk met with DEI subcommittees (1) CIA/PD, (2) Community Outreach & Recruiting, Hiring and Retaining, and (3) Educational Equity/School Climate & Culture.
  • Questions posed to each group: 
    • What work are you aware of that has been done so far to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion regarding Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment?
      • Please identify specific concerns that you have regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion and Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in Verona.
    • What work are you aware of that has been done so far to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion regarding Professional Development?
      • Please identify specific concerns that you have regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion and Professional Development in Verona.
• DEI Committees Successfully Kickoff Group Committee Work (March 29-31, 2022)
  • Interim Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Furnari, DEI Coordinator, Dr. Miller, and the DEI Facilators, Mrs. Peter, Mr. Stevenson, Mr. Freund, and Mr. Galbierczyk successfully restarted and reconnected their respective committees to discuss each group's purpose, provide guidelines for group expectations, share staff professional development from New Jersey Consortium for Excellence through Equity (NJCEE), provide updates to each committee focused on that particular group, and discuss several questions posed by Mrs. Shipper from Grand Rivers Solutions.
    • What would success look like to you?
    • What inspired you to join this particular working group?
    • Why is this work meaningful to you?
• Grand River Solutions (March 2022)
  • Verona Board of Education approved Grand River Solutions to be the consultant for the district DEI requests for (1) School Climate & Culture and (2) Recruiting, Hiring, and Retainment Practices. 
• Diversity Committee Update (March 2022)
  • Dr. Miller and Dr. Furnari shared a letter with the six subcommittees regarding our DEI work over the past few months. Please click here to view the update.
• RFP Update (February/March 2022)
  • The Verona Public Schools received three proposals from professional groups that will assist us in evaluating:
    • School Climate & Culture
    • Hiring, Recruiting, and Retainment practices
  • Interviews will be conducted during the month of February.
    • Our DEI Administrative Team (DEI Coordinator and DEI Facilitators) will lead this effort. 
    • The DEI Administrative Team will recommend two finalists to the Superintendent of Schools.
    • The Superintendent will meet with two finalists.
    • The Superintendent will then meet with our Community Resources Committee.
    • Recommendation will be made to the Board of Education.
• New Jersey Consortia for Excellence in Equity (NJCEE) (January & February 2022)
  • Our Superintendent of Schools, DEI Coordinator, DEI Facilitators, and several teachers attended the four-part series "Constructing the Innocent Classroom."
  • We created a slideshow that we presented to each school during the January faculty meetings after completing the first part of the four part series.
  • We recently completed the second, third, and fourth part of the series "Constructing the Innocent Classroom."
• Request For Proposal (RFP) (December 2021)
  
  • The Verona Public School District created a RFP and has invited qualified consultants to submit a proposal to provide feedback and recommendations after evaluating our (1) School Climate & Culture and (2) Hiring, Recruiting, and Retainment Practices, through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Verona Public Schools joined the New Jersey Consortia for Excellence in Equity (NJCEE) (December 2021).
  • Please click on this list of programs to see what NJCEE is offering for the 2021-2022 school year.
• Diversity Committee Update (December 2021)
  • Dr. Miller, Director of CIA, and Dr. Furnari, Interim Superintendent of Schools, provided the six subcommittees with an update on the district's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work. 
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Board of Education Presentation (December 2021)
  • Dr. Furnari, Interim Superintendent of Schools, provided the community with an update of VPS initiatives regarding DEI. 

• Diversity Committee Update (May 2021)
  • Dr. Miller, Director of CIA, and Mr. Schels, Supervisor of Humanities, sent out a letter to update the six committees regarding the district's DEI initiatives. 

• Diversity Committee Update (March 2021)
  
  • Dr. Miller, Director of CIA, and Mr. Schels, Supervisor of Humanities, thanked everyone who attended and participated in the first Diversity Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 16th, led by Mr. David Schwartz. Mr. Schwartz led our committees through the topics of civil discourse, identity, and implicit bias, while providing us with an opportunity to have one-on-one short conversations with different committee members so that we could learn more about each other.

What Have We Accomplished?

• Broadened our curricular offerings and educational experiences to ensure multiple perspectives (ongoing).
• All school libraries are populated with diverse resources, such as books about diversity, equity & inclusion, as well as books by authors like Jaqueline Woodson, Monica Clark-Robinson, and Kwame Alexander (ongoing).
• Instituted Staff and Administrator Book Clubs:
  • Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson (Summer 2021)
  • How to be an Anti-Racist by X. Kendi (Summer 2020)
  • Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice that Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer Eberhardt (2020-2021 School Year)
• Offer dual enrollment university courses to VHS students on Race, Culture & Identity, as well as multicultural topics (Fall 2020).
• Joined the Kean University Diversity Council (Fall 2020).
• Conduct searches for a consultant to help us to identify next steps that suit the needs of the Verona Public Schools (Started Fall 2020).
• Staff Professional Development by partnering with Learning for Justice in the program Facilitating Critical Conversations (2020-21 School Year).
• Formed the Verona Public Schools Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committees (Fall 2020/Winter 2021).
• Staff members from each school building as well as community members met over the course of several meetings to begin a conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion in our school community (Spring 2021).
• Subscribed to NEMNET: a National Diversity Recruitment and Consulting firm (August 2021).

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Subcommittees:

• Our subcommittees were created during the 2020-20221 school year. Dr. Dionisio, our former Superintendent of Schools, sent a letter to our community during summer 2020 and September 2020 asking for participants to partner with our staff members and administration in six identified areas: 
  • Community Outreach
  • Hiring, Recruiting, and Retaining
  • Curriculum & Instruction
  • Professional Development
  • Educational Equity
  • School Climate & Culture

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is Connected to Our Strategic Plan for 2018-2023:

• Strategy #2: Uphold a healthy and respectful school culture consistent with core values.
  • Result #2: Integrate experiences that value diversity, promote cultural understanding and consider multiple perspectives.
  • Result #3: Cultivate an inclusive environment and provide opportunities for social and emotional learning.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Administrative Team:

• Dr. Charles R. Miller, DEI Coordinator
• Mrs. Julia Peter, DEI Facilitator
• Mr. Glen Stevenson, DEI Facilitator
• Mr. Howard Freund, DEI Facilitator
• Mr. David Galbierczyk, DEI Facilitator