Envisioning Equity and Excellence in Public Schools

A panel on envisioning equity and excellence in public schools, moderated by Imani Bazzell, with three local district administrators, Angela Ward, Amy Bloomberg and Brandon Caffey: Champaign Unit 4's assistant superintendent for equity and engagement, Urbana District 116's director of diversity, equity and inclusion, and Rantoul's director of multicultural programs. They discussed district demographics, Unit 4's consent decree and racism-as-public-health resolution, equity audits, community accountability, right-wing pressure on school boards, the proposed closure of Wiley Elementary in Urbana, and teacher burnout. An associate director of the Y opened, noting the forum's 96th year and the Y's approaching 150th anniversary, and Michelle Lacey of Diversity and Social Justice Education read the sponsor list. Friday Forum and Conversation Cafe.