Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB)

The Diversity Committee will meet in person at Mason City Hall, unless otherwise stated. Meetings are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Members of the public are welcome to observe.      

2025-26 School Year

• Tuesday, September 9, 2025
• Tuesday, October 7, 2025
• Wednesday, November 5, 2025
• Tuesday, December 2, 2025
• Tuesday, January 13, 2026
• Tuesday, February 10, 2026, Alaiedon Elementary Media Center
• Tuesday, March 10, 2026
• Tuesday, April 14, 2026
• Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Dr. Gary Kinzer - Committee Administrator

Dr. Karlin Tichenor - Diversity Consultant

Members: Dr. Gary Kinzer, Randy Barton, Rick Brooks, Ted Berryhill, Dr. Janet Alleman, Dr. Amy Lark, Krista Sherman, Ethan Felsing, Erinna Toodzio, Kimberly Clark, Dr. Julie Grech Kramer, Courtney Ford, Michele Sanders, LaRue, Ethan McCallum, Rachel Foster, Summer Issawi, Courtney Miller, Angie Moore, Emma Howland, Mary Hilker-Loch, Melissa Netzel, Myriah Lillie and Shana Barnum

Mission Statement

Through authentic learning opportunities, Mason Public Schools is committed to an inclusive environment. Our students, staff, and community respectfully acknowledge and value the diverse cultures, lifestyles, experiences, perspectives, and identities of each other. 

Adopted: 3/11/2020

Equity Belief Statement

MPS believes that all students can learn and deserve access to an educational experience that understands, appreciates, and responds to the needs of all students. By using a strength-based approach to valuing and integrating the students’ lived experiences, we aim to reduce any barriers strategically and intentionally to accessing high-quality education in an environment that is physically, psychologically, and emotionally safe to learn, contribute, and grow.

Committee Goals

Goal 1: Create

Create a climate, culture, and learning environment reflective of a commitment to values related to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Goal 2: Increase

Increase readiness and implementation of initiatives focused on the representation of diverse perspectives for students, staff, and stakeholders

Goal 3: Improve

Improve conditions for culturally responsive teaching, learning, and student experiences

Goal 4: Invest

Invest in sustainable and scalable DEI engagement by improving institutional practices across all stakeholder roles and responsibilities

Goal 5: Growth

Increase equitable social-emotional and educational outcomes for all students

Committee Norms

• Be on time, be engaged
• Limit distractions (sidebar conversations, phones, screen time, etc.)
• Be kind, respectful and open minded
• Push yourself to learn, grow, and be a steward of our work/mission/vision
• Get comfortable with being uncomfortable
• Keep ALL students as the focus
• Listen to other’s point of views and ask genuine questions to seek understanding
• Seek to accentuate the positives of the committee in interactions with community, staff, and students
• Be aware of your personal biases
• Remain on-topic, solution-focused, and data-driven
• Believe in the work we are doing

Definition of Terms

Terms and definitions are supported and approved by the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB), Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators (MASA) and Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).

Educational Equity

Educational equity is a K-12 term referring to federal and state policies and requirements. Specifically, the term is closely associated with "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) legislation led by former President George W. Bush and signed into law in 2002. This watershed moment in U.S. education policy established clear requirements for school districts to disaggregate achievement data by student groups to address and close achievement gaps. 

In recent years, the terms equity work or diversity, equity and inclusion have become commonplace in K12 education, as many districts revisit and renew their local efforts to close achievement gaps as required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). When signed into law in 2015, ESSA further advanced equity by upholding protections outlined in NCLB. 

Simply put, pursuing educational equity is being intentional about identifying issues that are preventing students from fully engaging in their education and then providing targeted solutions or resources to address them. It is not a one-time program or event, but an educational framework of operating that requires ongoing evaluation of data and delivery adjustment. 

Approaches to educational equity will be different in every district, but the goal is the same—excellent outcomes for all students.

Diversity

Diversity describes the differences within a given setting, collective or group based on multiple factors, including race and ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, age, educational status, religion, geography, primary language, culture, and other characteristics and experiences.

Equity

Equity includes developing, strengthening and supporting procedural and outcome fairness in systems, procedures and resource distribution mechanisms to create equitable opportunities for all individuals, and also includes eliminating barriers that prevent the full participation of individuals and groups. Students come to our schools from various backgrounds, with different strengths and at varying degrees of readiness. What works for one student or in one school may not work for another. Indeed, because of the vast diversity within Michigan, what works for one district may not work for another. That is why local control of education is critically important.

Inclusion

Inclusion describes intentional efforts and consistent sets of actions to create and sustain a sense of respect, belonging, safety and attention to individual needs and identities that ensure full access to engagement and participation in available activities and opportunities. When inclusion occurs for all identities, then assimilative processes are negated.

Social-Emotional Learning

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is a comprehensive systems approach that supports children, youth and adults in developing skills for school and life. SEL reaches beyond the classroom to all aspects of life. The five SEL competencies identified by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, Emotional Learning teach the skills we need to successfully manage life tasks such as learning, developing relationships, solving everyday problems and operating in the workplace.

Cultural Competence

Cultural competence includes knowledge of student cultural histories and contexts, as well as family norms and values in different cultures; knowledge and skills in accessing community resources and community and parent outreach; and skills in adapting instruction to students' experiences and identifying cultural contexts for individual students. Culturally Competent education leaders have a mindset and behaviors that enable them to foster policies and practices that provide the opportunity to effectively engage with and serve diverse students, educators and community members.

Critical Race Theory

Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a framework and analytical tool primarily and historically used in university-level courses. Originating in the 1970s, CRT was first used to help law students think critically about the impact of historical and present-day racism in the legal system. In the 1990s, some colleges of education also started incorporating CRT into their coursework to help aspiring school administrators and teachers better understand inequities in the context of education.

CRT and educational equity are not the same and shouldn’t be used interchangeably. The term “Critical Race Theory” is being inaccurately used by some to encompass a wide range of topics, including educational equity, social-emotional learning, cultural awareness and restorative practices. It is also being used to describe discussions of racism in classroom instruction.

CRT is not being taught at Mason Public Schools.

Trauma-Informed Schools

Educators have a legal and moral responsibility to provide equitable educational opportunities for all students. This requires access to a school environment equipped for safe and stimulating learning opportunities, resources for social and emotional growth, and excellent educators who are able to support students in getting and remaining on track to graduate from high school ready for college or careers. With high rates of trauma in our schools and communities, if it is not addressed in our schools, it can become a barrier to students. Trauma-informed school practices and strategies use strengths already present in our students and families to encourage lifelong learning and success. 

School Climate

School climate is the experience you have when you are in a school—that feeling you have—safe or unsafe, connected or isolated, the way you know if the school is welcoming for you and your family. Feeling safe, connected and welcomed starts with relationships that extend well beyond the brick and mortar of a school building and include our connections, partnerships and the conditions for learning. Measuring and strengthening school climate, in person or virtually, can impact students' academic, social, behavioral and physical outcomes.

Mason Public Schools launched an effort called Inclusion Everyday! This initiative is all about making sure every student and staff member feels included and valued in our district.

Each month, we will focus on a different topic related to inclusion. During each month, teachers and staff will include lessons and activities that help everyone understand how important it is to feel like they belong in our school community. By doing this, we hope to create a strong sense of community where everyone feels connected.

We encourage parents and families to talk about respect and belonging at home, too. When we all work together, we can make Mason Public Schools a welcoming place for everyone.

The fourth annual Mason Public Schools Inclusion Week took place October 20-24, 2025. During the week, students, staff and even our therapy dogs participated in learning opportunities, special events, activities and theme days throughout the week.

Themes of the week included inclusion, self-acceptance, empathy, respect and community. Students and staff worked together to build community and an understanding for one another, our similarities and our differences.

We look forward to continuing our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in our schools, classrooms, teams and organizations. Stay tuned for information and planning for Inclusion Week 2026-2027!

Black History Month Resources

February is Black History Month. It is a time to learn about the stories, achievements, and impact of Black Americans. Schools across our district may use this month to help students build understanding, learn from the past, and make connections to the world around them.

Students may talk about important events, compare past issues with things happening today, learn about local history, or take part in activities that help them think and ask questions. These moments remind us that Black history is part of our shared history and part of everyday life.

If you want to explore more at home, these websites are a good place to start:

• Teaching Tolerance
• National Geographic Kids
• We Are Teachers
• National Education Association
• Ducksters

You may also want to look at the Black History Month Resource Guide for Educators and Families from the Center for Racial Justice in Education. It includes articles, activities, and tools for families and community members.

Recommended Books for DEI Professional Development

• Derman-Sparks, Louise & Edwards, Julie Olsen - Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves
• Gay, Geneva - Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory and Practice
• Hooks, Bell - Belong, Teaching Critical Thinking, and Teaching to Transgress
• Freire, Paulo - Pedagogy of the Oppressed, The Politics of Education, Teachers as Cultural Workers and Cultural Action for Critical Consciousness
• Hammond, Zaretta - Brain and Culturally Responsive Teaching
• Khalifa, Muhammad - Culturally Responsive School Leadership
• Johnson, Allan - Privilege, Power, and Difference
• Ladson-Billings - Multicultural Education
• Muhammad, Gholdy - Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy
• Paris, Django & Alim, H. Samy - Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Teaching and Learning for Justice in a Changing World
• Pollock, Mica - Everyday Anti-Racism: Getting Real About Race in School
• Seale, Colin - Thinking Like a Lawyer: A Framework for Teaching Critical Thinking Skills to All Students