WHEREAS, the Dexter Community Schools is a Public School District created to educate all students in our community;
WHEREAS, the Michigan State Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education have both affirmed their commitment to stand firmly against all acts of individual and systemic racism;
WHEREAS, we believe that schools are a vital part of a much larger world and need to play their very substantial role in eradicating racism;
WHEREAS, we believe that all of our students will be asked to be competitive workers in a society that assumes an ability to work in a diverse world.
WHEREAS, we believe in the ability of our schools to uplift a community of diverse ideas that recognize and celebrate all the attributes that form children and hold true to the ideal that we are all created equal;
WHEREAS, we believe that children begin their lives without hatred and bigotry, and that DCS must uphold the public’s trust by fostering understanding, acceptance, respectful civic discourse, and inclusion among our students when they enter the schoolhouse doors; WHEREAS, we wish to end violence and injustices and unequivocally declare that black lives matter and that an injustice to one is an injustice to all;
WHEREAS, the Dexter Board of Education is committed to listening to students and their families while providing a safe space where differences can be explored and accepted and the status quo can be challenged;
WHEREAS, we commit to teaching perspective: examining from our past from the points of view of all participants, not just the prevailing culture;
WHEREAS, we commit to looking inward to recognize and address our own perceptions, biases, and privileges;
WHEREAS, we commit to taking a stand against racism which has been institutionalized throughout our nation’s history;
WHEREAS, we commit to empowering students to challenge injustice and inequity through meaningful actions;
WHEREAS, we commit to fostering connections to support and challenge one another while holding conversations and identifying strategies to lead in equity work;
WHEREAS, we commit to continuing to build the capacity of district and building leaders in understanding, supporting, and advocating for equitable practice (with intentional strategies);
WHEREAS, we commit to building a three-to-five-year strategic vision for DCS to supporting ongoing Diversity Belonging Inclusion and Equity work;
WHEREAS, we commit to developing a systematic approach to assessing and monitoring institutional climate, ensuring that implicit bias and its potential consequences are understood, and that people of diverse backgrounds feel welcome and respected;
WHEREAS, we commit to training and supporting the DCS Board of Education in understanding the tenets of DCS’s emerging strategic Diversity Belonging Inclusion and Equity vision; WHEREAS, we commit to implementing the four behaviors essential to create Culturally Responsive School Environments (Critical self-awareness, culturally responsive curricula and teacher preparation, culturally responsive and inclusive school environments, and engaging students and parents in community contexts);
WHEREAS, we commit to training our school leaders in creating school improvement plans and cultural plans to support Diversity Belonging Inclusion and Equity practice at the building level;
WHEREAS, we commit to engaging the Dexter Community in active dialogue and action toward achieving our developing Diversity Belonging Inclusion and Equity vision;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Dexter Community Schools Board of Education does hereby commit to stand against any and all acts of racism, disrespect, violence, and inequitable treatment of any person and to support our staff in their efforts to help eradicate racism and to create more equitable and inclusive schools for all children.
Adopted June 29, 2020
Printable PDF: Anti-Racism Resolution 6/29/2020
