The West Hartford Board of Education received a report from the district’s Equity Diversity Council on Tuesday night.

By Roz Green

On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, Theresa Rangel, executive director of Equity Advancement for West Hartford Public Schools, and other members of the Equity and Diversity Council, presented their year in review to the Board of Education regarding equity and inclusion throughout all 16 schools.   

The report reiterates that West Hartford Public Schools is committed and passionate about the idea of belonging and making an environment where students feel welcomed and seen. The Equity and Diversity Council, also referred to as the EDC, values the growth and success of, not only their students, but their educators, through their mission of equity. Educators strive to learn and expand their knowledge allowing them to serve all their students equally. They want to build a community where the students see themselves in what they read or connect it to their own experiences, allowing for them to feel heard and valued in the classroom. 

Rangel said it is also important that educators themselves feel heard and valued in their respective schools, as it makes them feel like they belong to the community as well. Furthermore, by building this community not only with the students but with the educators, it allows for a more open and welcoming environment.

This year, the EDC “identified equity-centered problems of practice and worked to address them using a ‘street data’ approach,” the report states. “This process encouraged staff to center student experiences, examine disparities, and translate learning into actionable change.”

In a short video about the EDC efforts over the past school year, Jason Buehler, a first grade teacher at Morley Elementary School, stated, “When I get to be my authentic self, my students see that, and I watch as they become their most authentic selves,” emphasizing that being exactly who you are is extremely important when it comes to the growth and development of their students. It also allows for everyone to feel a sense of belonging in a school environment, making children excited to come to school and want to learn.  

One major value of the EDC is centering student voices and experiences. They always try to listen to what students are saying and give them space to share what they are thinking and experiencing. This allows for educators to understand who they are and gives them the ability to make connections with their students. It is also important to the council and the educators themselves that they feel connected and heard so they provide their best work and express their most authentic selves, allowing their students to understand and connect with them on the same level. If everyone is open and willing to learn and be curious, educators and students alike, this builds a culture and community within the school allowing for all to feel a sense of involvement and belonging.  

 

Morley Elementary School, Sedgwick Middle School, Hall High School, and Aiken Elementary School were all represented by EDC members that at Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting shared their experiences with equity in action. All of the schools collectively have positive outcomes when embedding equity and inclusion activities within the schools.

Morley, for example, embedded “Read Alouds” within their work to amplify voices and create inclusive environments. At Sedgwick, there was a “Teachers Teaching Teachers” professional development that allowed teachers to share their expertise with their fellow educators. There were equity-focused presentations that allowed for educators to collaborate and gain knowledge on how to apply strategies that would promote equitable outcomes. At Hall, they designed a series of focus groups that included staff, students, and parents in which they could share their opinions and feedback in regard to creating an inclusive community that represents everyone.  

 

The Board was particularly interested and gave high praise and positive feedback for the work and dedication that Aiken put into their program.

Aiken conducted a staff survey to identify students that they believed didn’t feel a sense of inclusion. While overall 54 students were identified, the survey found that 16 students were named by at least three staff members. After reviewing the staff responses and analyzing the student demographics, the students themselves were next. They were provided questions regarding feeling a sense of belonging and what makes them feel like they are a part of the school community. There were mixed responses within the students, some felt like they belonged and were accepted, and others didn’t.

With that information, Aiken’s goal then was to help every student feel a sense of belonging, which encouraged the staff to develop community building events and create the Aiken Change Makers Group. The Aiken Change Makers Group consists of fifth grade students who read stories to younger students that consisted of themes of belonging and inclusion and they’ve created “table talk” conversation starters in the cafeteria allowing children to interact and converse with one another when they don’t know what to say. Aiken’s staff was enthusiastic about making sure no child felt isolated in the school’s community.   

The survey will be repeated before the end of the school year, Aiken Principal Shannon Mlodzinski told the Board, to see the impact of their efforts.

Overall, each school was successful in creating an environment where students felt seen, heard, and valued. They are committed to deepening their understanding of student experiences, as well furthering their learning to build a more inclusive future for their students. 

At the end of the presentation, Rangel stated, “We remain committed, we will continue our learning opportunities to expand our knowledge to learn together, to challenge each other, to ask the hard questions, because I think that it’s really very easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you’ve done something and you’re done. And the reality is you know as Kathy said in the video, the challenges are evolving, the work evolves.”

There is always change and always growth, even if it isn’t positive, she said. Therefore, there is always work that needs to be done, and the West Hartford School District is ready to face those difficult challenges and create an inclusive community for their students.  

During final questions and closing remarks, Board member Jason Gagnon mentioned the current challenge of promoting inclusion and valuing equality within schools.

“Unfortunately right now, we’re in a moment where diversity and equity and inclusion, those words are strongmen, right? They’re boogie men. And I think if you know what they’re really about, just as you have shown us tonight, for us it’s about everyday, every child belonging.”

The goal of the EDC’s work is to support the mission that every child deserves to feel included, and staff strives for each student in the West Hartford Public School district to feel included, valued, and part of a community. 

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