The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was established in September 2019. The Office is the umbrella department that supports the Wellesley METCO Program and its dedicated staff. The DE&I office oversees the district’s strategic planning efforts to ensure that the Wellesley Public Schools makes quantifiable progress toward becoming a culturally sustaining, antiracist school district. The office is located in the Central Administration offices at 40 Kingsbury Street.
News & Updates
- The Office of DE&I applied for and was awarded a Systems of Student Supports grant from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in March 2020. This competitive grant will allow WPS to focus on two key priorities within its DE&I efforts: Culturally Responsive Practices and Diversify Staffing. View an overview of our SY20-21 priorities.
- For SY20-21, the Office of DE&I will support the deployment of equity facilitators across all WPS schools. The overview of the role can be found here. WPS faculty/staff can apply for the role here.
- In SY19-20 we began a partnership with Panorama Education to help us collect baseline data on our educator and staff experiences. The survey launches October 7. See the one pager here.
FAQs
What is the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion?
The Office of DE&I is a department of the Wellesley Public Schools that works to ensure that all students, employees, and families understand the issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, and can apply this understanding to how they interact with the community.
What does the Office of DE&I do?
The Office of DE&I works to bring coherence to WPS’ diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. We work to promote equitable, inclusive practices throughout the WPS community. As part of this mission, the Office of DE&I equips the WPS community to be proficient in its understanding of the issues of equity that our learning communities need to address in order to achieve positive experiences and outcomes for all.
When should I contact the Office of DE&I?
Any member of the WPS community is welcome to contact us. You should contact the Office of DE&I any time you need support in understanding issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, need support in addressing complex problems around these values, or need thought partnership. You may contact our office if you believe you have experienced or witnessed possible bias-based conduct while you are attending or working in the Wellesley Public Schools, or participating in other school or school-sponsored activities. If you are not sure whether the behavior might constitute an equity issue, please contact us and ask.
As students, what groups are protected from bias?
Students are protected from bias based on race, color, age, disability, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, retaliation, sexual orientation, genetics, military status, or homelessness.
As employees, what groups are protected from bias?
Employees are protected from bias based on race, color, age, criminal record (inquiries only), disability, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, retaliation, sexual orientation, genetics or military status.