Leading with Access and Equity Convening

The second annual Leading with Access and Equity Convening took place on October 24^th, 2019 at the Best Western Conference Center in Marlborough, MA. Educators representing over 395,000 diverse students from 97 Massachusetts school districts convened to share best practices and create pathways to equitable learning environments.

School & Main Institute, Inc. worked together with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop an agenda with a focus on topics such as creating a pipeline of diverse educators, developing multi-tiered systems of support, ensuring equitable access to high-quality curriculum, implementing bilingual education, ensuring racial and cultural equity, engaging families, addressing student mobility, addressing students’ mental health needs, and integrating social-emotional and academic learning. Many Massachusetts districts are engaged in multiple initiatives, and this was an excellent opportunity to align those efforts, make connections, and share practices.

Participants were welcomed back from lunch by the award-winning, all-youth SciTech Band of Springfield, MA. Comprised of 150 students whose band commandment is “seek to serve, not be served”, they thrilled the crowd with their talent, energy and inspiring stories.