Acton-Boxborough Community Striving For More Diverse Staff in Schools
BY NOSARA MAXWELL '23
Most Acton-Boxborough students graduate without having a single teacher of color throughout their thirteen years in the district.
Currently, minority educators make up less than 6 percent of Acton-Boxborough Regional School District’s (ABRSD) staff. However, students and administration are working to change that statistic in order to reflect the growing diversity among students.
Widespread support for more teachers of color has been echoed throughout the high school, particularly in the student-led club Acton-Boxborough Students for Equity and Justice (ABSEJ). According to their Facebook page, ABSEJ aims to create an environment where everyone, regardless of “race, gender, socio-economic status, ability, or sexual orientation,” feels protected. One of ABSEJ's leaders, senior Olivia Bispham, explained that she has never had a teacher of color in her nine years at AB. As a Black person, “I feel like there's nobody to represent me or nobody to be a guide,” said Bispham. “I mean, with certain issues, there's nobody there to advocate.” Teachers act as inspiration for students, and having more educators of color would empower minority students and change racial dynamics at the school.
Bispham also noted that some white English teachers use racial slurs when reading books in class, which is triggering for students who have been targeted by those same words. Bispham felt that the district should have more educators who recognize the impact of certain slurs: “You want an authority figure there as a role model to guide students, to show them what it's like to have a different perspective on life.”
The administration echoed similar thoughts. Dawn Bentley, the Assistant Superintendent of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for ABRSD, explained that the district wants students to “see and experience a diverse set of perspectives that educators bring, particularly educators of color, to our world.”
Bentley, also an AB alumnus, described the goals that the district has for all schools: “We talk a lot about windows, and mirrors, and doors and the literature that we put in front of kids"; this metaphor emphasizes the importance of students seeing themselves in books and exploring perspectives beyond their own.
Acton-Boxborough has been implementing new practices surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion over recent years. The Deputy Superintendent and Director of Human Resources, Marie Altieri, made changes to the hiring process, such as altering the language in application materials to eliminate biases that would deter candidates of color. When viewing an employment application, prospective educators immediately recognize the district’s goal in the job description: “We believe that our students deserve to learn from educators who reflect their backgrounds and life experiences, and we want our staff to reflect the wide range of student identities we seek to serve.”
Altieri also noted that the hiring committee and school faculty engaged in anti-bias training to inspire change within the community. Additionally, the district created affinity groups for students, educators, and parents, allowing the administration to work with the community on practices surrounding diversity. Bentley explained that these programs aim to bring awareness of biases and inequity in the schools.
Altieri and the district’s efforts have resulted in some success. For Rebecca Zhang, a junior at ABRHS, learning from her first Asian-American teacher and educator of color this year has been an impactful experience. “Seeing someone who looks like me, and who has that experience similar to me, means a lot to me personally,” she remarked. “Hearing her talk about her heritage and how she's grown up in a way that's similar to me has made me a lot more comfortable in class.”
Even though there is currently little diversity in the staff at the school, Zhang has noticed a slow change. She didn't think that having a teacher of color was even a possibility a few years ago, and she appreciates the differences being made. Teachers and their curriculum have a profound impact on the school: their actions and world views leave strong impressions on students and affect their future decisions. The district hopes their efforts toward increased faculty diversity will allow students to feel more empowered and heard, and one-day, Acton-Boxborough may truly become a district that represents all its constituents. However, change is slow; the community will have to wait and see if these solutions will be rewarding towards the future of the schools.
Currently, minority educators make up less than 6 percent of Acton-Boxborough Regional School District’s (ABRSD) staff. However, students and administration are working to change that statistic in order to reflect the growing diversity among students.
Widespread support for more teachers of color has been echoed throughout the high school, particularly in the student-led club Acton-Boxborough Students for Equity and Justice (ABSEJ). According to their Facebook page, ABSEJ aims to create an environment where everyone, regardless of “race, gender, socio-economic status, ability, or sexual orientation,” feels protected. One of ABSEJ's leaders, senior Olivia Bispham, explained that she has never had a teacher of color in her nine years at AB. As a Black person, “I feel like there's nobody to represent me or nobody to be a guide,” said Bispham. “I mean, with certain issues, there's nobody there to advocate.” Teachers act as inspiration for students, and having more educators of color would empower minority students and change racial dynamics at the school.
Bispham also noted that some white English teachers use racial slurs when reading books in class, which is triggering for students who have been targeted by those same words. Bispham felt that the district should have more educators who recognize the impact of certain slurs: “You want an authority figure there as a role model to guide students, to show them what it's like to have a different perspective on life.”
The administration echoed similar thoughts. Dawn Bentley, the Assistant Superintendent of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for ABRSD, explained that the district wants students to “see and experience a diverse set of perspectives that educators bring, particularly educators of color, to our world.”
Bentley, also an AB alumnus, described the goals that the district has for all schools: “We talk a lot about windows, and mirrors, and doors and the literature that we put in front of kids"; this metaphor emphasizes the importance of students seeing themselves in books and exploring perspectives beyond their own.
Acton-Boxborough has been implementing new practices surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion over recent years. The Deputy Superintendent and Director of Human Resources, Marie Altieri, made changes to the hiring process, such as altering the language in application materials to eliminate biases that would deter candidates of color. When viewing an employment application, prospective educators immediately recognize the district’s goal in the job description: “We believe that our students deserve to learn from educators who reflect their backgrounds and life experiences, and we want our staff to reflect the wide range of student identities we seek to serve.”
Altieri also noted that the hiring committee and school faculty engaged in anti-bias training to inspire change within the community. Additionally, the district created affinity groups for students, educators, and parents, allowing the administration to work with the community on practices surrounding diversity. Bentley explained that these programs aim to bring awareness of biases and inequity in the schools.
Altieri and the district’s efforts have resulted in some success. For Rebecca Zhang, a junior at ABRHS, learning from her first Asian-American teacher and educator of color this year has been an impactful experience. “Seeing someone who looks like me, and who has that experience similar to me, means a lot to me personally,” she remarked. “Hearing her talk about her heritage and how she's grown up in a way that's similar to me has made me a lot more comfortable in class.”
Even though there is currently little diversity in the staff at the school, Zhang has noticed a slow change. She didn't think that having a teacher of color was even a possibility a few years ago, and she appreciates the differences being made. Teachers and their curriculum have a profound impact on the school: their actions and world views leave strong impressions on students and affect their future decisions. The district hopes their efforts toward increased faculty diversity will allow students to feel more empowered and heard, and one-day, Acton-Boxborough may truly become a district that represents all its constituents. However, change is slow; the community will have to wait and see if these solutions will be rewarding towards the future of the schools.
