Climate/culture panel gears up with guidance for School Committee

After three meetings this summer, the Climate and Culture Working Group has finished drafting its recommendations to the full School Committee.

The group met September 16 to put the finishing touches on a framework that would have the School Committee look at school climate and culture three times during the academic year. 

Members also discussed what information the committee should use to track how students are experiencing their schools. 

The district’s focus on bias and hate comes after a federal investigation into its handling of antisemitism, a subsequent agreement with the Department of Justice to update its policies, and incidents including racist graffiti found in a Acton-Carlisle High School restroom.

The work builds on what the group began in July, when members began looking at ways for the School Committee to more consistently track student experiences, bias and hate reporting, and other measures of how students are faring.

| Session 1 | Session 2 | Session 3

Time frame | October or November | January or February | May or June

Data and metrics reviewed | – Youth Risk
Behavior Survey 
– 2025 Panorama Survey
– Academic data | – 2026 Panorama Survey
– METCO family
check-in | – Bias reporting trends

The discussion of professional development for School Committee members sparked disagreement over what that training should cover.

School Committee member Michael Williams wanted the training to go beyond helping members understand the framework and data. He said it should also address how committee members work together and handle difficult conversations — something he said had come up several times during the past school year. 

“I don’t think we can do it well for our community and for our students if we don’t do it well among ourselves,” Williams said. 

The group had been considering a 90-minute training proposal from consultant Darnisa Monte Jackson, who has previously worked with Acton Public Schools. Other working group members worried about timing and budget. 

Members ultimately agreed to ask Jackson to revise the proposal to include Williams’ suggestion rather than wait for a separate training session. 

The working group planned to present the framework and a revised professional-development proposal at the joint School Committee meeting September 23.