Brockton schools plan to cut Equity, Diversity, Inclusion office. Students say it's vital

Over two years ago, Brockton native Angel Cosme was applying for teaching jobs at Brockton Public Schools. Despite having worked in the district before, and holding two master’s degrees, he wasn’t landing any interviews.

“I was applying to jobs that I know I was qualified for,” said Cosme, who also spent 10 years as a community organizer. “I’m not even getting a call back.”

After getting help from the school district’s department of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) , Cosme got a job as a special education teacher at West Middle School, where he’s worked ever since.

“I’m in the district again because of the EDI office,” he said.

Cosme also serves as the faculty advisor for West Middle School’s student equity council, a district-wide team of student leaders at Brockton's middle schools who advocate for student voices. Each middle school’s student equity council has a faculty advisor and the whole program is supported by the district’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion department.

But many of the programs and services that the EDI office offers could be closing down before next year as Brockton Public Schools plans to downsize the office due to budget cuts . The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion department’s four staff positions will all be removed and the assistant superintendent that oversees the office will become a director-level position.

“We cannot allow that to happen,” said Gabriel Duverglas, a student at West Middle School and a member of its student equity council, at a school committee meeting on May 29. “I implore BPS to reconsider these decisions as the EDI is vital to our students’ safety.”

'Nothing short of lifechanging' Brockton students outraged over plan to slash DEI office

Fight for the EDI office

Several students have spoken to the Brockton School Committee over the last month urging them to keep the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion department as is, including some members of West Middle School’s student equity council and Brockton High School’s student ambassadors, which is also sponsored by the office.

Two online petitions were created to save and expand the schools' Equity, Diversity and Inclusion department, which garnered over 100 signatures each within the first two days. Now, they have nearly reached 200 signatures.

“We wanted to let the school committee know that we are opposed to this downgrade,” Cosme said. "One person cannot do the work for the whole district."

More: Brockton has striking racial disparity: Mostly white teachers and mostly students of color

"The budget realities we're facing require that we prioritize classroom-level support for a growing population of students from diverse backgrounds as well as those with special education needs, which this restructuring ultimately enables," said BPS Director of Communications Jordan Mayblum.

Who will absorb the EDI work?

Darnell Williams, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion department's senior administrator of professional growth and school culture, found out on March 30 that BPS would be eliminating the office. Since then, no job opening has been posted for the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion director role that would be taking over the office's responsibilities, and it's unclear how those responsibilities will be addressed next year.

"No one knows," he said. "That hasn't been communicated."

Since Brockton Public Schools announced the restructuring, Williams said no school district officials have conducted interviews or meetings with department staff to record what the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion office does and how it carries out its work.

"Whoever comes in is starting from scratch all over again and that's the problem," Williams said. "There's no organizational memory."

The department's family engagement specialist will remain in the district next year, but the position of administrative assistant has been eliminated and that staff member has recently been hired as a grants manager. The position of assistant superintended of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, currently held by Renee Heywood, will become a director position.

"Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are a districtwide responsibility and the future director will have the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of those who've started this work in Brockton, so to speak, and build upon that foundation," said Mayblum.

"This position was not offered to me but as a current assistant superintendent, that would be a major step backwards for me," Heywood said in an email to The Enterprise. "So even if it were offered to me, I would not accept it.

"The elimination of my position at the cabinet level tells me that the work is not prioritized at that level," Heywood said. "Hiring one Director without a team and not having an Assistant Superintendent with districtwide authority is not sufficient for a district such as Brockton."

More than 80% of Brockton's student population identifies as students of color , with about 60% identifying as Black. Meanwhile over 70% of Brockton Public Schools teachers and staff identify as white. One of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion office's duties is to help diversify the staff and bring more teachers or color into the district.

"Now to dismantle it doesn't make sense for a city like ours," Cosme said.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton schools plan to cut Equity, Diversity, Inclusion office. Students say it's vital