Diversity Equity and Inclusion continues to be a focus in the Unit 5 school district, despite reading and math scores being at record lows.
According to Illinois Report Card, only about 30% of students can read at grade level and it’s even less when it comes to math but at the school board meeting on Oct. 18 DEI Program Director provided a quarterly update to the board.
“Our District Equity Leadership Team has a five prong approach,” said Kristal Shelvin. “systems, family and community, student voice, teaching and learning, and then professional development and professional learning for our staff.”
Shelvin, as of 2022, was paid a $110,440 salary, according to public records. This salary was 141% higher than the median salary in McLean County Unit District 5.
“We address all areas of equity from those five points that lead us to helping support policies and practices for supporting staff and students,” said Shelvin.
The district’s DEI website page includes a few windows into what DEI looks like in Unit 5.
One of the most recent additions to the site recognizes three events that happened last spring before the 2022-2023 school year ended.
The district claims these events are what “DEI” is about.
Wheelchair Takeover Event
Parkside Elementary School worked with the University of Illinois Department of Disabilty, Resources and Educational Services to host an event called Wheelchair Takeover.
DRES brought wheelchairs for the school to use in PE classes. Students were given an opportunity to learn how to navigate in wheelchairs. They also played basketball games in the chairs.
“The point of that was to give some perspective,” said Shelvin. “We talk a lot about looking into lives of other folks and that was one way. Afterwards … some of the students would say ‘Wow! I never thought it was so hard to move around in a wheelchair.'”
“In addition to the students that don’t typically use a wheelchair the students who do use a wheelchair were able to participate in that too,” said Shelvin.
According to Shelvin, the district thinks about diversity in all sorts of ways. Shelvin sites differences such as living situations, family constellation, race, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
Hinduism celebration at Unit 5 schools
Benjamin Elementary School was the site for Balagokulam’s Guru Vandana, a celebration of educators.
Balagokulam is a forum for children to discover and manifest the divinity Shri Krishna.
Shri Krishna is a major deity in Hinduism.
Balagokulam claims their goal is to get U.S. children to appreciate Hindu cultural roots and learn Hindu values.
The forum also tries to instill a sense of Sewa, service to humankind.
Guru Vandana means Reverence for the Teacher.
It is thanksgiving from a student to a teacher expressing the student’s gratitude.
During a ceremony at Benjamin, 40 educators were recognized.
Students shared their Indian and Hindi culture with the audience through music, dance and skits.
According to Unit 5’s website, visitors learned about several holidays including Raksha Bahndan (Celebration of Siblings), Diwali (Celebration of Lights) and Holi (Festival of Colors).
The event ended with visitors tasting several foods from India.
“Just like any other community, whether it is a person who is a member of a religious group that is less populated in this area or a racial group that is less populated in this area, we are looking to make sure that all have voice,” said Shelvin.
In May of this year, the Department of Education updated guidance on prayer and other religious expressions in public schools.
The Department of Education distinguishes between teaching religion and teaching about religion. It says public schools may not provide religious instruction meant to indoctrinate students into specific belief systems. But faculty, as part of the curriculum, may teach about religion as a subject of inquiry or influence.
“Even in our strategic planning community engagement sessions we had families that came in, we had educators from the community who came in, and shared about how being an immigrant to this community impacted their educational experiences,” said Shelvin.
Eugene Field School students at work
Eugene Field School staff made a video about about jobs completed by their students at Decker Industries.
Eugene Fields is a school for students that have Individual Education Programs. Several students in the video talk about having autism.
They are eligible to go to school until they are 22 years old. Students gain a wide range of work experiences. Some students work in the building while others work out in the community.
“If you go back to our mission it’s about personal excellence and having each student supported so that they can achieve their own personal excellence,” said Shelvin.
