Davis District seeks minority parents' help

Davis School District is enlisting the help of minority parents and community leaders to help tackle the achievement gap in their district.

Pending board approval, district leaders will choose two parents or community members from each of the five major minority groups to form an advisory committee that will focus on student achievement.

"Parents will be at the table, their voices will be heard, valued and respected and we will explore as many creative ways as we can to ensure no children are left behind," said Jackie Thompson, evaluation coordinator in Davis.

The new group will be born from the district's equity committee, comprised of school and district leaders who monitor and support access to equal educational opportunities in the schools.

But the new committee will be zeroing in on student achievement and will be modeled after the state's Coalition of Minorities Advisory Committee, which advises the State Board of Education and other public and private groups concerned with providing education to ethnic minority students.

Along with most school districts, Davis' minority numbers are growing. In 2004 minority students made up 10 percent of the district's population, but Thompson said there is a gap in achievement levels between low income and minority students and Caucasian students.

The new committee would serve as a liaison between the district and school communities to identify problems, do research and develop recommendations for action.

Thompson said the group would also work on helping schools shape a school culture.

"We want to help them in creating an inclusive and inviting culture where everyone is welcome," Thompson said. "We are also looking at making sure every child has a role model in their lives — reaching each individual child."

Michael Clara, CMAC member and former chairman, said having such a group speaks to the leadership and sensitivity of leaders in Davis District. Ogden, Granite and Salt Lake districts have substantially higher minority numbers but no such committee.

"It should serve as an example to districts like Salt Lake and others with much higher minority populations," Clara said. "Having that type of committee is extremely helpful — it's a self-policing tool and can head (problems) off sooner than later."

Mel Miles, human resource director said the district would also like to be able to hire more non-white teachers and administrators. Currently only 3 percent of Davis' faculty and administrators are minorities.

But recruiting teachers to Utah is difficult without competitive compensation to dangle in front of them, Miles said.

"We will have to work on growing our own somehow — finding ways to encourage more people of color to get into those programs," Miles said. "I don't think we will get there unless we do something creative."

Thompson said once the new committee is approved the district will be taking applications from those interested in serving on the committee. Members will serve two-year terms.

The board will vote on the equity council next month.

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E-mail: terickson@desnews.com