CommUnity Committee holds first public meeting

School board panel working on defining mission

EAST ROCKHILL » The ad hoc committee formed when Pennridge School Board halted the district’s existing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative and replaced the previous DEI leadership group has a name.

It’s the Pennridge CommUnity Committee.

The first public meeting of the 21-member committee was Nov. 15.

“I’d like to thank everyone for sharing this time this evening with us as we embark on a journey. Sometimes the journey may be smooth. Other times it may be a bit bumpy,” said committee Chairman David Reiss, one of three Pennridge School Board members on the committee.

He said he appreciates the people willing “to have some difficult conversations with a community that needs some healing.”

Guidelines for the group include respect, listening to one another and keeping an open mind, he said.

First order of business for the meeting was having each of the members read aloud a mission statement they wrote for the group.

Committee member Claudia Malone said she wanted her mission statement to answer four questions — the group’s broad corporate philosophy, how the goals would be achieved, what the desired outcomes are and why it was being done.

“We recognize that thoughtful and empathetic students are critical to cultivating and sustaining a unified and resilient community. Our mission is to improve the scholarship and development of our district students, using fact-finding, analysis, collaboration and consensus in order to foster diversity of expression, equity of opportunity to succeed and inclusion of all regardless of our differences,” was her mission statement.

Committee member Melissa Burger said she aligned her mission statement with the district’s comprehensive plan.

“The Pennridge CommUnity Committee believes that students learn best in an educational environment in which every member of the school community feels accepted, included and valued. Through research and education, the committee will strengthen and support district initiatives that foster an understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures and identities. The committee will be dedicated to ensuring that all students are provided with equitable opportunities to achieve their potential in an environment that embraces a culture of inclusion and prepares students to be productive members of a diverse, global society,” was her mission statement.

“My mission statement is our goal is to create and maintain a welcome and inclusive school climate that promotes learning. This committee will work together and with the community and administration to identify and remove barriers, promote awareness, understanding, kindness and respect and be a trusted source of knowledge regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. We believe that authentic learning opportunities will respectfully acknowledge the value of the diverse cultures, lifestyles, experiences, perspectives and identities of our students,” said committee member Lea Rash.

There were a lot of good ideas in the mission statements, Reiss said. The next step will be for the group to make one mission statement out of the ones that were presented, he said.

Other agenda discussion topics at the meeting centered on data gathering, surveys and content to provide information for the committee moving forward, with no decisions reached by the group.