Supporting people of color in the educational arena should not even be an issue. It has been researched and proven that a diverse educational staff and administrators are crucial to learning.

Our school community should represent all cultures that exist in today's world. So that our children do not grow up to be intimidated by or ignorant toward others that appear different than them.

We live in an inclusive town and our school should represent that town.

Equity abd inclusion are important values that we would like modeled and reinforced in our school environment in addition to what we try to teach at home.

As a special educator and the legal guardian to a sibling who has Down Syndrome, I am passionate about this issue.

As a retired teacher, I have seen the importance of including teachers of color for kids of color and for white children as well.

If these facts are correct this is a huge disservice to the population. We must demonstrate awareness, equity and inclusion. The district could not have been that clueless.

Representation matters

It is important to create a school environment and community in which all students can thrive - where they feel a sense of inclusion and belonging, have access to equitable opportunities, see themselves reflected in those who are teaching them, and feel seen, understood, and respected. Springfield has a strong equity plan and commitment that is making a positive impact - Jenkintown could too.

My son is Black and racial mirrors are incredibly important for him. It matters to have some teachers who look like you.

Our diversity is our strength. Representation matters!

Springfield has seen such positive instances of support and inclusion by their efforts within our equity plan. Jenkintown should take note and consider the same - for our kids and their futures.

Our school should be a nurturing environment where every student feels welcome, accepted, and equal. Diversity should be celebrated and students should see themselves represented in the faculty and staff who teach them.

As a co-founder of a non profit organization specializing in teaching children and family how to be more inclusive and aware of their microagressions, this speaks to my heart. As a new resident of Jenkintown with a special needs child, inclusivity is of the utmost importance to our family. How our family, being black and disabled, is represented in and around our community is vital to our surviving especially in today's climate.

As a person with disability it is important for representation of all people to promote equity.

I am a kindergarten parent and it is extremely important to me that my kids' education is inclusive.

My children are directly impacted by the lack of DEI competency in JSD staff. This impact will have lifelong consequences for them. I know that JSD staff cares deeply about my children but they have neither the lived experience nor the training to support my kids.

My son will attend Jenkintown school district in the future and I strongly support DEIB training and initiatives to be a part of his educational experience.

There is a clear need for training and processes that take into account the intersectionality of the population in the Jenkintown School District. I know wrongs happen, and I also know the people in charge don’t know how to handle them when they do. We need to do better. We also need to teach the kids age-appropriate ways to be effective bystanders.

DEIB initiatives represent the bare minimum of civil human behavior within a community. We should be able to manage this.

Because our kids deserve better than they are getting. We are community that cares deeply but we need to match that with tangible action from the district.

The inclusions in our school system needs to clearly defined and actionable with direct training for the staff as well as robust offerings for the students to create the desired culture.

I have two, soon to be three, kids in the district and there is zero representation amongst the teaching staff. There has not been a new hire of a black faculty member in decades. When racially harmful comments are made there is no one for students to relate to in a position of authority. The efforts to diversify the teaching staff have been underwhelming at best. Our students deserve better and the teaching staff should be more representative of the world we live in as it builds more well rounded kids.

I have wondered for a while Why there’s no diversity in teachers at Jenkintown.

As the mother of a transgender child & as a human that will always stand up for what is right, I will continue to teach my children nothing but kindness, acceptance, love, & raise them with the values that these children need, especially in this scary & sad time in our world.
However, in both personal observations & conversations/stories about kids being bullied or even moving schools because they look “different,” they are treated “different,” has just left an uneasy pit in my stomach. It now raises fears for my two young children whom have many years left to attend Jenkintown School District.
For young STUDENTS to recognize that none of their teachers/coaches are diverse in race, ethnicity, or gender expression is truly eye-opening…I can’t say the same for the ADULTS that do the hiring for these IMPORTANT positions…the ignorance & lack of acknowledgment on this topic is a BIG issue & becoming bigger
It’s time to take action & help our kids feel welcome, accepted, educated, & experience an education in a diverse community. Jenkintown School district’s current learning environment lacks preparation for the real world & more importantly lacks the opportunities for our children to grow confidence in who they were born to be & lacks a sense of security for MANY of our students.
It is time for a change.