he Bremerton and Bethel school districts have been honored by the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA) for outstanding efforts to promote and value diversity/multicultural education in their schools and their communities.

School board members and superintendents from the two districts were presented the association's 2007 Diversity Awards during the WSSDA Annual Conference in Seattle this past week. The awards are presented each year by WSSDA.

Districts that apply for the awards submit an essay describing the steps they have taken to implement the state of Washington’s Joint Policy on Equity in Education. The policy emphasizes fairness, openness and equitable access for all students in public schools by eliminating prejudice, bigotry and discrimination, addressing racial integration and language needs, hiring a diverse staff, and involving the community.

Award-winning essays are made available to all school boards and districts in the state as an example of successful strategies and best practices.

The WSSDA Diversity Awards program is now in its 14th year. The awards, which include a gift of $500 from the Washington School Boards’ Educational Foundation, are presented to one each from a small, medium and large school district.

Bremerton School District

The Bremerton School District was selected to receive a WSSDA Diversity Award in the category of districts with 2,001 to 10,000 students (the district enrolls approximately 5,700). Members of the school board are DeWayne Boyd, Vicki Collins, Cynthia Galloway, Pat Jones and Louis Mitchell. The district superintendent is Bette Hyde.

In its award application, the district emphasized its "relentless commitment" to eliminate prejudice, bigotry and discrimination, and its use of a variety of strategies to address the achievement gap. "Appreciating diversity is important," the district said, "but guaranteeing our children have a future beyond high school is critical."

Actions and accomplishments cited by the district include:

• Forming a coalition of area preschools, daycares and Head Starts focused on increasing reading readiness skills for incoming kindergarten students, and offering free all-day kindergarten.
• Offering tutorials and interventions at all grades for students who need extra help, classes for eighth-grade students on getting ready for college, and a free SAT Prep class for high school juniors.
• Partnering with area churches and organizations like the NAACP to communicate with parents about supporting their children’s learning and understanding high school graduation requirements.
• Establishing a liaison to work with Native American students and families and a coordinator who helps find mentors from the African-American community to assist students at risk.
• Supporting high school student clubs related to diversity, training staff and students on diversity issues, and using diverse cultural materials in school lessons, including ethnic history presentations, career awareness days and civil rights units which are aimed at developing an understanding of race-related issues.

Bethel School District

The Bethel district was selected to receive a WSSDA Diversity Award in the category of districts with more than 10,000 students (district enrollment is approximately 18,000). Members of the school board are Ken Blair, Joy Cook, John Manning, Brenda Rogers and Susan Smith. The district superintendent is Thomas Seigel.

In its award application, the district notes that it is experiencing rapid growth in a 202-square-mile area that borders two large military installations and encompasses rural farmlands, booming housing developments and suburban neighborhoods. The district’s English Language Learners come from 22 different native language groups, and its enrollment includes about 13 percent special needs students and 33 percent minority students.

Actions and accomplishments cited by the district include:

• Forming a Diversity Partnership, composed of district administrators, principals, teachers, school board members, classified staff, students, and community members, to problem-solve diversity issues, to promote and create diversity projects, and to celebrate and honor those who make a difference. The district has also hired a Diversity Facilitator who works with students to help them value education and diversity.
• Dedicating money to support additional curriculum, resources, and smaller class sizes to help struggling students, authorizing additional self-contained elementary classrooms for students who need all-day instruction, and promoting more access to honors classes for minority students.
• Building partnerships with various community organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, which works with the district to offer meaningful, after school programs for students and their families. The district also partners with more than a dozen local organizations and agencies to provide family support services.
• Offering grants and recognition programs to honor initiatives that promote multicultural understanding and respect for diversity.
• Making universal access for students one of the criteria used in textbook adoption, ensuring equitable distribution of resources to meet student needs, and requiring staff training on cultural awareness.