District Equity Team

The District Equity Team met on April 3, 2025. During the meeting the team:

• Debriefed the Ramadan experiences across school buildings, reflecting on successes and areas for growth.
• Discussed planning efforts for UFirst, including recommended professional learning sessions specifically designed for classified staff.
• Reviewed ongoing multicultural night events throughout the district and explored potential opportunities to expand or enhance these efforts during the 2025–2026 school year.
• Provided updates on the continued work of school PTOs. Mr. Rouse is collaborating with each building principal to share information about the initiatives of the District Equity Team with their respective PTOs.
• Highlighted the success of Volunteer Connection Live at the Barrington Area Library as a meaningful example of community engagement.

The District Equity Team held a meeting on February 20, 2025. During the meeting, the team:

• Debriefed the February 14 Institute Day related to the cultural proficiency professional learning
• Discussed plans for UFirst professional learning taking place in June for classified staff
• Reviewed Ramadan communication to share with the District Leadership Team
• Provided feedback on developing and launching additional student belonging groups in the 2025-26 school year
• Reviewed upcoming events at the Barrington Area Library, including the LitFest and Mental Health Fair

• Sought feedback from the elementary facilitators on the professional development sessions from January 6
• Prepped and planned for Secondary professional development on February 14
• Brainstormed showcase options/experiences for more educational awareness for the community
• Discussed the upcoming Barrington Library LitFest (Saturday, March 8 at 10am at the Barrington Area Library)

The District Equity Team held a meeting on December 12, 2024. During the meeting, the team:

• Provided a recap of the BHS Belonging Group's participation in the Educational Leadership Summit at the Illinois Holocaust Museum that took place on December 11. 
• Reviewed the One Book, One Community Fireside Chat presentation and facilitation plan that will take place on December 13 at Winter Wonderfest. 
• Reviewed the outlines and presentation plans for the professional development sessions for certified staff that will take place on January 6 and February 14. 
• Discussed the upcoming Literary Festival that will take place on March 8 at the Barrington Area Library.

The District Equity Team held a meeting on October 24, 2024. During the meeting, the team:

• Heard from two of the authors of Breaking the Code with Gabriella, as they joined us to provide an update on the district's One Book, One Community book study and shared an incredible amount of resources via their website to support the book study and fireside chat. The fireside chat will be on December 13 as part of the annual Winter Wonderfest celebration at BHS! More details to come. 
• Listened to a presentation from student representatives from the BHS SASA organization on the significance of Diwali and shared a great deal of background information and knowledge to build the capacity of our DET group. We also discussed ways to bring this educational opportunity to our schools. 
• Discussed professional development opportunities for the district's January 6 and February 14 in-service days, related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 
• Provided feedback on the building equity cohorts.

The District Equity Team held its first meeting of the 2024-25 school year on September 19. During the meeting, the team:

• Discussed plans for Equity Cohorts throughout the 24-25 school year
• Reviewed the launch of a community-wide book study One Book, One Community, with book Breaking the Code with Gabriella
• Updated the group on events happening throughout the community including the Harvest Fest and the Community Walk hosted by BStrong
• Reviewed the goals of the District Equity Team for 24-25 school year 

The May 16 District Equity Team meeting was the last meeting of the 2023-24 school year. During this meeting team members:

• Reflected on Dr. Ladson-Billings’s April presentation at Harper College
• Shared their experiences and reflections related to their Equity Action Project completed during the school year 
• Discussed the revised Danielson Framework and how the implementation of the revised framework has impacted educational spaces and work throughout the district this year 
• Provided an update on community engagement planning, including an update on the community-wide book study on Breaking the Code with Gabriella, a children's book written and illustrated by BHS students. 

At the April 18 District Equity Team meeting, the team attended Harper College’s Redesign for Equity Program. The program consisted of a gallery walk related to Harper’s ongoing efforts focused on equity. The highlight of the event was a keynote address from Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings from the University of Wisconsin Madison. Dr. Ladson-Billings is an educational theorist who created what is referred to as culturally relevant pedagogy. The gallery walk is something the team is considering as an option to share the ongoing equity work in Barrington 220 in fall 2024. 

February 8 was the fifth District Equity Team meeting of the year. During this meeting, the team: 

• Learned about and discussed Danielson components 4c: Engaging Families and Communities and 4d: Contributing to School Community and Culture 
• Reviewed the cultural proficiency continuum and common performance indicators as they relate to the Danielson Framework 
• Provided ideas and feedback on community engagement opportunities 
• Learned of updates from the Inclusive Education Design Team 

December 14 was the fourth District Equity Team (DET) meeting of the 2023-24 school year. During this meeting, the team: 

• Learned about and discussed the Danielson Framework component 3e: responding flexibly to student needs. 
   
• Discussed PTO Partnerships and connections for our diversity, equity, and inclusion work. Building principals and District Equity Team members will work with individual school PTOs on this.
   
• Continued to brainstorm ideas for community engagement and programming including the concept of “one book, one community.”
   
• Received an update on current student focus groups and brainstormed ideas on ways to engage additional students and schools. 

November 9 was the third District Equity Team (DET) meeting of the 2023-24 school year. The group engaged in learning and collaboration grounded in the following: 

• Learned about and discussed Danielson Framework component 2b, Fostering a Culture of Learning, and how students are being supported in the classroom
   
• Unpacked the Equity Journey Continuum and developed goals to support our work with this moving forward 
   
• Determined community involvement and engagement opportunities and discussed the possibility of a “one book, one community.”
   
• Shared upcoming community events which included: 
  • 11/16 IASB Equity Immersion Presentation 
  • 11/16 Courageous Conversations presents: Trevor Noah
  • 11/21 The Long Struggle for Peace in Israel-Palestine Event- Barrington Area Library 7-8:30PM 
  • Native American Heritage Month

October 12 was the second District Equity Team (DET) meeting of the 2023-24 school year. The group engaged in learning and collaboration grounded in the following: 

• Committee members reviewed the feedback provided to the Social Emotional Learning Steering Team and provided additional feedback for consideration within the curriculum review process. Barrington 220 has a robust curriculum review process in all content areas, in order to provide a high-quality curriculum that is differentiated to meet the needs of diverse students. Last school year, the district formed an SEL Committee in order to embark on the district's curriculum review process regarding SEL. The committee’s work is guided by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework, which addresses five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. 
   
• Committee members took a deep dive into the revised Danielson Framework for Teaching, discussing the instructional shifts with components:
  • Knowing and Valuing Students
  • Cultivating Respectful and Affirmation Environments
     
• One of the six strategic priorities in the district's strategic plan, Framework 220, is Inclusive Education. One objective within that priority is Embracing Diversity, which involves developing a process to gather input from stakeholders of diverse backgrounds. During the DET meeting, committee members reviewed plans for student focus groups this school year, which is one way the district is gathering input from stakeholders of diverse backgrounds.
   
• Committee members provided ideas for family and community engagement events that could be supported by the Barrington 220 Educational Foundation. 

September 28 was the first District Equity Team (DET) meeting of the 2023-24 school year. This year the DET is utilizing a new structure where there is time dedicated to learning and providing feedback on important work taking place throughout the district. The following took place at the Sept. 28 meeting: 

• Committee members participated in learning on the district curriculum review process for Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Barrington 220 has a robust curriculum review process in all content areas, in order to provide a high-quality curriculum that is differentiated to meet the needs of diverse students. Last school year, the district formed an SEL Committee in order to embark on the district's curriculum review process regarding SEL. The committee’s work is guided by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework, which addresses five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. During the meeting, the Director of Learning Services, Jordan Anderson, provided an update on the process and the team had an opportunity to provide feedback.   
   
• Committee members collaborated regarding maximizing and optimizing student voice through the utilization of student focus groups this school year. This aligns with the district’s strategic plan, Framework 220. One of the six strategic priorities in the plan is Inclusive Education. One objective within that priority is Embracing Diversity, which involves developing a process to gather input from stakeholders of diverse backgrounds.
   
• As part of an effort to engage in Professional Growth, committee members engaged in learning together through reading the following articles and resources:
   
  • The Long Shadow by Dr. James Anderson
  • ISBE Strategic Plan
  • Learning 2025 Report
     

• Committee members were reminded that the BStrong Community Wellness Walk is on October 15 at Citizens Park. 
   

• Committee members learned that the district is revamping its opportunities for family engagement. Stay tuned for more information!