Simsbury Seeks More Diversity In Its Teaching Ranks

SIMSBURY, CT — Local school officials last week approved a new policy that aims to increase the hiring and retention of more diverse teachers and employees in Simsbury schools.

The Simsbury Board of Education on May 18 unanimously approved the new "Increasing Educator Diversity Plan."

According to Simsbury Assistant Superintendent Neil Sullivan, increasing the diversity among school system employees has been a longtime goal of Simsbury Public Schools' human resources department.

The goal is to hire and retain not only more minority teachers but more minority school staffers in general, Sullivan said.

"This is some really important work that the human resources department has been doing aligned with our strategic plan over the last few years to focus on our efforts to create a more diverse workforce, certainly on the certified side, but among the certified and non-certified side," Sullivan said.

The plan comes on the heels of the state legislature last year approving a mandate that all school districts create policies and plans regarding diversifying school staffs.

Those plans have to do with recruiting, hiring, and retention of school employees coming from a wide array of diverse groups.

"We are very serious about the work and we are excited that the plan is at this stage," Sullivan said.

Sullivan said state education leaders — after a new policy is approved — would offer feedback to the town regarding how that policy would work.

Tayarisha Batchelor, director of equity and access for Simsbury Public Schools, said part of the project includes data on the hiring and retention of "diverse individuals."

She told the board the focus is on retention and "providing a feeling of belonging, as the best strategy" to recruit diverse employees and keep them once hired.

According to Batchelor, the district already has organizations dealing with Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and other diversity groups on staff.

Batchelor said the school system has been working with a consulting firm, WestEd, which works with school districts on diversity efforts.

"We did have opportunities to have some conversations about what they were looking for," she said.

Sullivan said educator diversity is more than just a Simsbury cause, but a state quest as well.

"We are one piece of a puzzle that needs to be solved at the state level in terms of increasing diversity of educators," Sullivan said, adding Connecticut's universities have some work to do and are doing it with that desire in mind

"When you look at (the state), the percentages of educators of color is pretty low and that is something that the university programs that are preparing the next generation of teachers have committed to changing ."

For the minutes of the March 18 Simsbury Board of Education meeting, click on this link.