Working towards Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in WSST

Working towards Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in WSST

By Sara Krauskopf, District 5

The Board of Directors has recognized that we need to work on diversifying our membership as well as those taking on leadership positions for the organization. We also want to support our members to develop equitable science teaching practices in their respective locations. To that end, the Board charged WSST’s ad hoc Equity and Access Committee with looking into the option of hiring a consultant to help our organization improve diversity, equity and inclusion practices. Committee Co-chairs, Kevin Anderson and Sara Krauskopf, interviewed a number of potential candidates this spring and presented options to the Board at the Summer Board meeting. No decisions were made at that meeting, but leadership had useful discussions about the overall goals and desired outcomes for WSST if we are to spend money hiring a consultant. The Committee is working over the summer leading up to the September Board chat to gather proposals from a narrowed group of consultants that focus on education for leadership and help with Strategic Planning, which is on the Board agenda for summer of 2023. The committee also plans to develop a survey of membership to gather more information on our status and ideas for improvement related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Anyone interested in becoming an active member of the Equity and Access Committee is welcome. Please contact Kevin Anderson (Kevin.Anderson@dpi.wi.gov) or Sara Krauskopf (district5@wsst.org).