Diversity Task Force II (DTFII) Meeting Minutes

May 15, 2001

Purpose: The DTFII shall focus primarily on the recommendations of the first diversity task force, study diversity issues of the district, analyze and evaluate the district’s efforts relative to diversity, and make recommendations to the superintendent on matters related to diversity.

Members Present

Mike Albrecht, Monique Beane, Norman Fowler, Barbara Grohe, Jaime Gross, Arthur Harvey, Lynda Flores Llavore, Joe McBrayer, Oleg Pynda, Bessie Walker, Shal Walker, and Renée Penman, recorder.

Guests Present

• City of Kent Diversity Advisory Board: Charlene Shaw, Steve Kato, Roberto Gonzales.
• KSD: Gwen Dupree, executive director, Kentlake Strand; Audrey Farris, diversity TOSA; Scott Floyd, school board member.
• Derrick Glasper, Lighthouse program director; Ray Lee, parent

Next Meeting

The next meeting is scheduled for 7:00-9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 19, 2001, in the administration center boardroom.

Welcome/Introductions

Dr. Grohe asked everyone to introduce himself/herself and state a favorite thing to do on a rainy day.

Kaleidoscope Debrief

Approximately 750 people attended the event on May 5. The City of Kent’s Diversity Advisory Board is scheduled to meet on May 23 to debrief the event and discuss future planning. Monique Beane will provide an update at next month’s DTFII meeting regarding that debriefing.

Following are comments from those who attended the event:

• The black pioneers exhibit provided by The Bon was excellent!
• Very professional acts and activities.
• Lots of hands-on activities.
• Received tremendous support from Kent Sister Cities coordinator.
• Children’s corner always crowded.
• Absolutely amazing day!
• Living Voices was a major production - very moving, just wonderful.
• Senior Center gift shop made $300.

Following are suggestions for future events:

• Need an event coordinator&endash;someone with fundraising experience.
• Need more children’s activities.
• Need to advertise more:
  --Use KSD’s reader boards.
  --More publicity throughout KSD.
  --Advertise in South County Journal and Kent Reporter.
  --Advertise as a "family" event.
• Need more volunteers.
• Need more DTFII volunteers.
• Give the Living Voices a major stage.
• Eliminate some groups - had too many activities going on at same time.
• Consider holding event at Kent Commons. Next year’s celebration will be held at the Senior Center, but the city is looking at having it at the commons the following year.
• Need additional parking - consider providing shuttle from Kent Junior High.
• Need additional sponsorship - KSD will ask community service groups such as Rotary and the Kent Community Foundation to help. The cost of this year’s event is about $8,000.

Bridging the Gap Committee

Gwen Dupree provided an update on the Bridging the Gap Committee. A group of African American parents has been developed and has met two times. Groups of Hispanic parents and Ukrainian parents will be put together next. Ultimately, the district hopes to have parent representatives from each school on the three groups. Because the concerns are different for each parent group, they will be meeting individually. However, once all three groups have met and identified concerns, they might have a combined meeting to address all concerns collectively.

Gwen also discussed the Puget Sound ESD Closing the Achievement Gap task force. Several groups will work on identifying concerns and will then come together to develop a means of closing the gap.

2000/2001 Goals Update

The task force will present a report regarding this year’s accomplishments to the school board at the June 27 meeting. Norman Fowler, Arthur Harvey, and Bessie Walker will make the presentation. Topics to be included are: goals update, Kaleidoscope, and Bridging the Gap. The presentation will be given to the DTFII at the June 19 meeting.

DTFII Membership

A discussion was held regarding expanding the membership to include more community members. At the present, nine members are district staff and eight are KSD students. The task force wants to be sure it is hearing from the community. In order for this to happen, more community members may need to be added to the DTFII membership. Next year, each member will be asked to bring a friend to a meeting.

Several task force membership terms expire next month. Everyone was asked to send names of potential members to Renée Penman. Members need to be committed to attending the monthly meetings and being actively involved in periodic subcommittee work.

Students are an integral part of this committee. The student members have first-hand knowledge and experience as to how it feels to be students of color in our schools. Jaime Gross shared how the task force’s support helped to raise enough money for students to attend the Our Town camp this upcoming weekend.

Focus of DTFII

With such a small membership, it is difficult for this task force to be a "work group." Discussion regarding the future of the task force includes:

• Ask the right questions in order to raise awareness. Data regarding these questions could be collected by the task force and then disbursed into the district accordingly.
• Recommendations made by the task force need to be specific. The group will follow up and find out what happens with each recommendation.
• Determine what a successful product looks like, and then work backwards to make it happen.
• In order to provide community awareness about the task force, articles highlighting work and accomplishments of the task force should be written periodically and sent to the Kent Reporter to be published.
• Invite groups of students and parents to a meeting to provide an opportunity for both groups (students/parents and DTFII) to listen and share concerns.
• Three questions the task force needs to address are:
  1. Who are we?
  2. What are we going to do?
  3. How often do we want to meet?

  Diversity Within Unity Survey

  Dr. Grohe distributed the Diversity Within Unity Survey compilation. Goal #2 was discussed.

  Next Meeting Agenda

  • City of Kent’s Kaleidoscope debrief meeting - Monique Beane
  • Update on Bridging the Gap committees - Gwen Dupree
  • Review DTFII membership - Barbara Grohe
  • Update on the Our Town camp - Jaime Gross
  • School board presentation - Arthur Harvey
  • Update on the Ukrainian partnership committee - Oleg Pynda

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  c: School Board