Earlier this month, during its February 7 meeting, the Livingston Public Schools (LPS) Board of Education was presented with research from students and parents on equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in the schools. Lisa Steiger, the district’s assistant superintendent for equity, noted that district officials are working to build equity and inclusion through four main components: community and culture; curriculum; professional development; and student engagement. Steiger added that concerns raised by Livingston High School’s Black Student Union – that some students did not feel like they had a voice in the school – had shaped some of the changes that were presented to the Board.Since that discussion, LPS adopted titles for equity coaches and equity student advisers. Equity coach training occurs monthly with focuses on implicit bias, identity, and examining available building and district data. Classroom libraries have also worked to diversify textbooks at all levels of the school district, and the social studies department is working to diversify its lessons. The equity group has also met with representatives of several diverse organizations in an attempt to close any educational gaps within the district.These are all important, concrete steps that are being taken to improve equity at the schools, and we hope that they are just the start. There are several other ways to address the issue.One way to improve equity would be to teach media literacy at all levels. It is one (productive) thing to bring in speakers to discuss racism and bias, and another step entirely to educate students on what to look out for in what they read and watch.The district could also take additional steps to ensure that students of color feel comfortable coming forward to discuss their negative experiences. During the February 7 Board meeting, Steiger noted this very issue. Steps need to be taken so that students feel empowered to speak about what they are dealing with. It is worth noting that, according to state statistics for the 2020-21 academic year, more than 40 percent of students in the district were nonwhite, yet over 87 percent of teachers and 100 percent of administrators were white. Perhaps students of color do not feel comfortable confiding in their white teachers on issues related to race.During the same meeting, superintendent Matthew Block noted that only ten students were currently utilizing the district’s mental health programs. While it would be wonderful if the remaining thousands of students were not ...
