VC Continues to Promote Social Equity

At Monday night’s Valley Central School District Board of Education meeting, Gess LeBlanc gave a presentation on the district’s efforts to promote social and racial equality.

LeBlanc is associate professor and chair of the Department of Educational Foundations and Counseling Programs at Hunter College. The district hired him in order to make their schools a more inclusive place. During the 2019-2020 school year, LeBlanc held focus groups with students to learn about their encounters with racism in the district. Over the summer, LeBlanc held a training with administrators that focused on building a framework for racial equity, fostering belonging and engagement as well as a strategic plan for hiring minority teachers.

On Monday, he updated the board of education regarding his recent work in the district. LeBlanc noted that there are two main goals of the district: enhancing the school climate so students as well as families feel a sense of belonging and to develop a sustainable approach to addressing issues of equity.

LeBlanc continues to collect information from the community. He continues to conduct focus groups with faculty and staff as well as parents and students. LeBlanc has also told teachers that they need to understand who their students are as well as their developmental needs. In addition, teachers need to know how to address those developmental needs in a culturally responsive way. In order to promote awareness, LeBlanc has provided district-wide professional development, which includes a district-wide presentation talking about stress and trauma. At the middle school level, LeBlanc has conducted meetings with faculty members talking about culturally responsive instruction…