Serious Talks and the LPS DEI Curriculum
History, Current Context, and Next Steps
Care for Yourself & Others
This work is a substantial professional endeavor that has resulted from the efforts of countless educators for more than a decade. At the same time, this work is incredibly personal, for our staff, for our students, and our community. We must practice empathy and compassion, as we seek the best outcomes for our students.
Agenda
Why have a DEI Curriculum in Elementary Schools?
2020
School Committee/Superintendent Collaborative Goals
“Establish a DEI Community Input Team (CIT) for the purpose of developing a comprehensive PK-12 DEI curriculum framework.”
June 2022
Over 30 community representatives collaborate to produce a set of recommendations for LPS
September 2018
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: �Our Call to Action
Action Step 7: Educate all Students to be Inclusive, Racially Literate, and Culturally Proficient. [Existing programs] and others will be reviewed with an eye to possible extension and expansion for wider use in the district.
2019
Strong call from community, staff, and students to scale up the Bowman Serious Talks Curriculum
Why have a DEI curriculum in elementary school?
“We believe students need common language to better discuss issues, think critically, developing an understanding of the world they live in. Doing so, they gain practice with having challenging conversations, empowering them to have meaningful dialogue about any issue they encounter as they make sense of the world.
Students should also take pride in their own identities and feel appreciation for others. We are preparing students for the world we are currently in and the world they will enter upon graduation from LPS. All students will come across individuals with multiple identities. Knowing they are seen and heard is just as important as them seeing and hearing others.”
Are students developmentally ready to talk about these topics?
By 4 years old most children have a stable sense of their gender identity and may explore and experiment with different kinds of play, toys, dress up and expression.
By 2 years old children become conscious of the physical characteristics between boys and girls
On average most children develop their first “crush” and become aware of their attractions to others by the age of 10.
By 3 years old most children can easily label themselves as a boy or girl
By 7 years most children have gender constancy. They may go underground about gender distress to avoid distressing or displeasing the adults around them.
By 5-6 most children become aware of “the rules” and are sensitive to explicit and implicit messages about what is accepted, rewarded and valued.
The graphic depicts the typical development of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE) in all children (American Psychological Association, n.d., 2015; Kohlberg, 1966; Rafferty, 2022; Ruble, et al. 2007; Russell, et al., 2018)
Why this work, for Lexington students:
The 2021 Lexington Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) shows that in Lexington:
Also cisgender females more often report being electronically bullied compared to cisgender males; as do Middle Eastern, north African or Arab American students compared to other racial/ethnic groups.
Students on IEPs or 504 plans are also more likely to be bullied both at school and online compared to their peers without plans.
DEI Curriculum Work in Lexington
Elementary DEI Curriculum
What is Serious Talks?
Why This �Work?
Looking Ahead
Not �Solved Yet
Identity & Perspective
Privilege �& Bias
Oppression & Power
1
6
5
2
3
4
Examples of Lesson Topics
1
6
5
2
3
Why This Work? Importance of Serious Talks and creating safe spaces for learning
4
Identity & Perspective Aspects of identity, including who makes up a community, different colors of skin, gender norms, families, culture, religion; being proud of all the parts of you and understanding different perspectives
Privilege & Bias Advantage and disadvantage, fair and unfair, historical examples (voting rights, representation in government)
Oppression & Power Links between difference and advantage/disadvantage, as well as rules and fairness, story of Rosa Parks, slavery and Civil Rights Movement, using power for positive change
Not Solved Yet Connecting history to today, understanding that problems aren’t all in the past. Acknowledging examples of advantage and disadvantage in our communities.
Looking Ahead Advocacy, allyship, empathy - we all have a voice and can build our skills to stand up for what is right in our classrooms and communities
Teacher and Student Impact (full statements)
“Like our best curriculum in Lexington, the Serious Talks have always been about teaching critical thinking skills. The goal is not to tell students what to think, but how to think, and how to have meaningful conversations with each other, even about difficult topics.”
“Ultimately, my class shared many different expressions of acceptance as we came to conclusions about being ourselves, accepting others for who they are, and naming stereotypes so that they have less power.”
Developing the Districtwide Curriculum
Social Studies
Districtwide DEI Curriculum
Serious Talks
Understanding Our Differences
Windows and Mirrors
Counseling Lessons
Health
What’s Next for the Districtwide DEI Curriculum?
Questions