Thread by @DavidDunnInTX

Hey #Southlake, there's a lot of conversations going on right now regarding @Carrollisd, the cultural competence action plan drafted by the District Diversity Council, and what it may mean for the district going forward.

A thread. 👇

First of all, you need to understand that the district has been developing the cultural competence plan for a long time. In December 2019, the #DDC launched the Dragon Cultural Survey to collect community feedback on diversity perceptions in CISD.

southlakestyle.com/community/scho…

The district collected over 3,500 responses and presented the findings to the board in February. The results say 61% of students felt their differences were generally respected, while 29% say they've felt unwelcome or uncomfortable because of their looks.

southlakestyle.com/community/scho…

The #DDC then took the survey results and incorporated it into their action plan for the fall. With the presentation several months away, students from the @activism_club started their own local initiative by hosting protests on Southlake Town Square.

southlakestyle.com/community/peop…

Other students and alumni from the @SouthlakeARC spotlighted past racist behavior in the district by publishing testimonies and sharing resources for anti-racist action.

southlakestyle.com/community/scho…

This all leads up to the #DDC unveiling their draft cultural competence action plan in late July. Highlight, embolden, and underline the word "DRAFT." None of the recommendations in it are final and are all subject to revision.

southlakestyle.com/community/scho…

Some of the many proposals include hiring a director of equity and inclusion, providing diversity training, generating a discrimination reporting system, and much, much more. You can read the full draft plan on Carroll's website.

southlakecarroll.edu/cms/lib/TX0221…

On Monday, August 3, the #DDC will present the draft plan to the board of trustees. While the plan is pending approval, individual agenda items will be brought back to the board later based on policy and procurement laws.

So what can you do to help?

meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/…

Well you can start by (and I'm not kidding when I say this) actually reading the draft plan. It's 34 pages and packed with lots of great information not just on the survey results, but also specific actions and budgetary costs the district can make.

southlakecarroll.edu/cms/lib/TX0221…

But while it's filled with many great recommendations, there are some things the plan doesn't have such as incorporating anti-racist literature and requiring bias training for students and staff. You can find more suggestions on @SouthlakeARC's website.

sites.google.com/view/southlake…

Once you've finished both readings, you can give a public comment in support of the action plan during the Monday meeting. Fill out the sign-up sheet online and email to [e-mail] no later than 8 a.m. on Monday.

southlakecarroll.edu/cms/lib/TX0221…

You can also email your support of the action plan to the board members directly if you are unable to provide a public comment.

If you have the resources, consider donating or supporting local nonprofits that advocate for racial and social justice reform. @LizzySpangler wrote a great piece a few months ago on a few organizations that are doing great work in North Texas.

southlakestyle.com/community/nort…

Lastly, and I can't stress this enough, please triple-check your sources and don't believe everything on the internet. I've seen more fake news on this in 48 hours than on @TheOnion in a year, and many of the false claims are easily debunked just by reading the draft plan.

Thank you to @Carrollisd and the #DDC for their hard work on this plan, thank you to the brave students of the @activism_club and the @SouthlakeARC for sharing their stories, and thank you for helping our #Dragons work towards progress. #WeAreAllDragons

P.S.: Be sure to check out @SouthlakeStyle for our coverage of Monday's meeting.