The Lynnfield School Committee’s June 8 meeting set the stage for a debate about race and equity in the town’s schools. It is a debate already underway around the country and we are eager to see how it unfolds in Lynnfield.
Jason Kimball stood before the committee on behalf of Lynnfield United, an organization — Kimball told committee members — representing residents who, he said, ” …are confused and unaware of what exactly an equity audit is and why it is needed.”
The audit Kimball referenced is described in a June 9 posting on the public schools website as “a comprehensive benchmarking tool that assesses diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
The audit will be conducted by an organization called The Equity Process whose representatives told committee members at the June 8 meeting that the audit will be conducted from July to September.
In addition to referencing the audit in its letter, Lynnfield United also questioned the School Committee’s decision to sign the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) anti-racism resolution last September.
“We are deeply concerned about the underlying assumptions of these initiatives and statements,” the Lynnfield United letter states.
The MASC resolution reads, in part: “it is the responsibility that every district provide to all district staff, including School Committee members, annual professional development on diversity, equity, and inclusion … and commit to recruiting and retaining a diverse and culturally-responsive workforce.”
Has a framework for dialogue on race and equity been erected in Lynnfield or have battle lines been drawn around those topics?
Kimball said the Lynnfield United letter was signed by 100 local residents. Their interest in school initiatives on race and equity deserve discussion in a public forum. Public discussions on race and equity are sure to draw townwide interest, including perspectives provided by Lynnfield for Love members who hosted a June 13 Race Amity Day fair on the Town Common.
We say let the discussion begin.
