Report: Community Conversation 1/20/2023

cc_lights_489x489_circle.pngEducation Summary

The first town-wide One Hillsborough community conversation was held on 20th of January 2023 at the Hillsborough municipal building, in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Listed below is the excerpt related to Education. The full report covering all topics and Post-It boards in pdf format is also  available for download.

 

 

Education topic Post-It boardGoing well

Teachers

  • Support by teachers, not limited to the classroom Creative, involved teachers

Students

  • Student activism
  • More interest in diversity overall

Diversity

  • Some more diverse teachers
  • Lots of new books and stories reflecting diversity

Schools and Administration

  • Excellent administration and faculty
  • Food good in elementary school
  • More recognition and response to diversity

Needs improvement


Administration

  • Lack of diversity at all levels of hiring: “not able to attract” diverse candidates
  • Partisanship and political agendas undesirable in decision making process
  • Lack of transparency and openness to ideas
  • Lack of communication to families about curriculum and diversity

Curriculum

  • Teaching cultural topics from a more diverse perspective (e.g. US History)
  • Consider a more independent curriculum committee to approve curricula more reflective of diversity

Social environment

  • Not enough attention to mental health
  • Lack of students input on racism problem in schools
  • Student behavior in hallways and teasing/harassment toward other students
  • Support for “conservative” students

Questions

1. Have any books been banned in our district?
2. Has “CRT” been a contentious issue in our district?
3. Do special needs students have enough resources at the High School?

Full report

The Full report covering all topics and Post-It boards in pdf format is also available for download.