HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-10-29 Joint BOS-SC Packet - Released JOINT SELECTMEN AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Cafeteria, Hadley Public Services Building, 201 Bedford Street
7:00 PM
AGENDA
ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION
1. Recap of Previous Joint Meetings Regarding Mental Health Initiatives 7:00 p.m.
• Wendy Rundle, Facilitator
2. Update from William James Interface Referral Service 7:10 p.m.
3. Municipal and School Staff Update Regarding Mental Health Services 7:3 0 p.m.
• Mental Health Task Force Update
• Questions/Discussion
4. Joint Meeting Board of Selectmen, School Committee and Human Rights 8:45 p.m.
Committee
• Diversity Advisory Task Force Up d ate
• Questions/Discussion
ADJOURN
1. Anticipated Adjournment 9:15 p.m.
A meeting of the Board of Selectmen will be held on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. in
the Cafeteria, Samuel Hadley Public Services Building, 201 Bedford Street.
A Summit I Meeting of the Board of Selectmen, School Committee,Appropriation Committee,
and Capital Expenditures Committee will be held on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in
the Cafeteria, Samuel Hadley Public Services Building, 201 Bedford Street.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Selectmen will be held on Monday,
November 4, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in the Selectmen's Meeting Room, Town Office Building, 1625
Massachusetts Avenue.
Hearing Assistance Devices Available on Request
All agenda time and the order of items are approximate and Leiqedil"a
subject to change. Recorded by LexMedia
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON JOINT BOARD OF SELECTMEN AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Recap of Previous Joint Meetings Regarding Mental Health Initiatives
PRESENTER: ITEM
NUMBER:
Wendy Rundle, Facilitator
I.1
SUMMARY:
Wendy Rundle facilitated the initial meetings and will be facilitating this meeting.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
FOLLOW-UP:
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
10/29/2019 7:00 p.m.
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON JOINT BOARD OF SELECTMEN AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Update from William James Interface Referral Service
ITEM
PRESENTER: NUMBER:
I.2
SUMMARY:
Heather Byrns, William James Interface Referral Service, will present an update from the first six months of the
project.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
FOLLOW-UP:
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
10/29/2019 7:10 p.m.
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
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AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON JOINT BOARD OF SELECTMEN AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Municipal and School Staff Update Regarding Mental Health Services
PRESENTER: ITEM
Val Viscosi Director of Counseling NUMBER:
Lexington Public Schools; Melissa
Interess Director of Human I.3
SUMMARY:
Val Viscosi, Director of Counseling Lexington Public Schools and Melissa Interess, Director of Human
Services Town of Lexington, will present an up d ate and recommendations from the Lexington Mental Health
Task Force.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
FOLLOW-UP:
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
10/29/2019 7:30 p.m.
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Town of Lexington Mental Health Task Force
Progress Report and Recommendations
Fall 2019 Summit of the Board of Selectmen and School Committee
Contacts: Melissa Interess, Town of Lexington Director of Human Services and Valerie Viscosi,
Lexington Public Schools Director of Counseling
Introduction
The Lexington Mental Health Task Force was created in 2018 as a collaborative, coordinated
partnership between municipal and school staff to understand and respond to the mental
health needs of the community across the lifespan. This report summarizes the context of our
work, what we have accomplished, and our recommendations for the work ahead.
In 2017, the Town of Lexington experienced the death by suicide of two Lexington High School
students—one in January 2017 and the other in April 2017. Debriefing after these deaths,
municipal and school staff identified the need to create sustainable structures and protocols to
guide our coordinated response to critical incidents impacting our community.
A team of Lexington municipal and school staff, comprised of the Town of Lexington Director of
Human Services as well as the following Lexington Public Schools staff: Director of Counseling,
Assistant Coordinator of Physical Education, Health & Wellness, Director of Health Services, and
Director of Planning &Assessment, participated in the Massachusetts Department of Public
Health Community Health Network Area (CHNA) Learning Community Symposium on
Preventing Suicide from October 2017 to January 2018. The symposium provided our team with
the opportunity to better understand suicide among our residents, and examine how our
municipal and school mental health prevention and response efforts coordinate with one
another. It was an important first opportunity for representative staff across municipal and
school departments to examine these issues outside of responding to a specific incident.
The team concluded from the symposium and subsequent Mental Health Task Force work that
while there are many programs and resources provided by the town, there was a clear need
for:
• Expanding from the symposium's focus on youth, to include all residents at every stage
of the lifespan. Supporting data indicated that 11 of the 13 deaths by suicide reported
in Lexington between 2015-2017 were among adult residents, while 2 of the 13 were
among youth. This local data is consistent with national suicide rates trending highest
amongst middle-aged white men. It is important that we use representative data to
identify the mental health needs of our residents, so we can equitably respond to their
needs, rather than relying on anecdotal information from vocal, concerned constituents.
• Expanding from the symposium's focus on suicide prevention, to a broader focus on
mental health. We recognize that best practice with regard to suicide prevention
requires the development of strong, coordinated efforts aimed at early identification,
prevention, intervention, and response to prevent escalation of mental health needs.
1
• Creating a sustainable structure for better coordination of mental health programs
and efforts across municipal and school departments. This is important to reduce
redundancy, freeing up resources to refocus on unmet needs. By pooling resources and
expertise, efficiency increases for both departments, resulting in the provision of more
comprehensive programs and services to meet the unique needs of our residents. A
sustainable structure ensures that the town keeps abreast of dynamic needs, best
practices, and how we can work together to best serve the needs of our residents across
the lifespan, regardless of staffing changes.
• Addressing insufficient municipal department staffing and resources, to increase
capacity to meet the needs of underserved residents, especially those needs that fall
outside the scope of the schools' services and supports (e.g. adult mental illness,
ongoing financial issues, domestic violence, etc.).
• Well-defined, mutually agreed upon protocols for collaboration with regard to critical
incident response, with appropriate training and support to ensure implementation with
fidelity and consistency. While the school, police, and fire departments each have their
own critical incident protocols, there is a need for a mutually agreed upon overarching
protocol to define shared expectations for how municipal and school staff efforts
intersect and coordinate. This work will serve as a foundation for staff in reviewing,
revising, and/or developing their intradepartmental protocols based on best practice.
• Identifying and/or developing data sources for the systematic, periodic review of the
dynamic mental health needs of our residents across the lifespan. Our review of
available data sources highlighted that we have substantial information about youth
needs (e.g. Youth Risk Behavior Survey, LPS Self-Injury Suicidal Ideation Response
Protocol data, etc.), but little data pertaining to our adult populations, other than
incident data from the police and fire departments. We are lagging compared to other
communities, in that we do not have a recent community health assessment to look to
for data and trends. In the absence of adequate adult data, youth data is extrapolated,
assuming similar needs within the adult population, without basis for doing so.
• Cyclical assessment of needs in comparison to programs and services, to equitably
remediate identified gaps, barriers to access, and underserved populations without
relying solely on anecdotal or experiential information.
• Clear and effective plans for communication to all residents about programs and
resources available through the town to increase access to mental health services and
supports.
Of note, many of the identified needs outlined above coincide with those identified by the Ad
Hoc Committee for Youth At Risk established by the LPS School Committee in 2013 (Executive
esiliency and Im roving
2
Our Youth submitted by the Ad Hoc Committee for Youth At Risk to the Lexington School
Committee in November 2014), including:
• creating a task force led by staff that reports to senior leadership, comprised of
representatives from the municipality, schools, and community to periodically monitor
progress and make recommendations;
• improving coordination of programs and services between municipal and school
departments, with input from the community;
• improving identification of those at risk;
• reaching out to find networking opportunities and other resources.
Municipal and school staff applied for and were awarded the CHNA 15 Planning Grant in 2018,
and the Multi-Year Impact Implementation Grant in 2019 to support our continued work. The
Mental Health Task Force was established during the Planning Grant year as the sustainable
structure to guide our ongoing work with a focus on all residents across the lifespan. The Task
Force is led by the Town of Lexington Director of Human Services and the Lexington Public
Schools Director of Counseling, who report respectively to the Town Manager and the
Superintendent of Schools. The Task Force is comprised of a steering committee of municipal
and school staff, and advisory groups that include members of the community. Advisory Group
members are affiliated with a variety of municipal, school, and community organizations
including:
Human Services Department LPS Counseling Department Health Department
LPS PE, Health &Wellness LPS Health Services Department Lexington High School Students
Department
Council on Aging LPS METCO Department Police Department
LPS Equity&Student Supports Fire Department LPS Special Education Parent
Advisory Council
Recreation &Community Human Services Committee Minuteman Regional Vocational
Programs Department Technical School District
Public Information Officer Cary Memorial Library Minuteman Senior Services
Riverside Trauma Center Community Coalition LYFS Inc.
Lexington Interfaith Clergy LexPride PTA Presidents Council
Association
Community Mental Health Medical Professionals- Pediatric The Children's Room
Providers &Geriatrics
Eliot Human Services Chamber of Commerce Cultural Organizations
It's important to note that each entity listed above has distinct roles, responsibilities, programs,
and services that are vital to ensuring the mental health of our residents. The Task Force
3
provides alignment with regard to how municipal and school leadership and staff coordinate
their efforts interdepartmentally.
Since September 2017, the Task Force has periodically presented information and
recommendations to the Town Manager and Superintendent of Schools, and Board of
Selectmen and the School Committee, through a series of summit meetings focusing on the role
and scope of the town with regard to mental health. Through the summits, the boards reached
consensus on shared funding for the The William James College INTERFACE Referral Service, and
allocation of funding for the Town's Outreach Social Worker. These allocations were aimed at
reducing barriers to accessing mental health services and increasing capacity to meet the
mental health needs of our residents.
We have come to understand that to achieve our goal, we must:
• Develop and utilize assessments for ongoing needs identification, progress monitoring,
and impact measurement, including a community assessment that includes mental
health.
• Examine our programs and protocols for identification, prevention, intervention, and
critical incident response across municipal and school departments to be sure they are
predicated on best practices, and meet the unique needs of all Lexington residents;
• Create effective protocols for communication and outreach among municipal, school,
and community partners.
The Task Force is now in the first year of our three year implementation grant that helps to
support our goals and priorities. We are well on our way to accomplishing what we have set out
to do. What's changed in the last year:
• Joint recommendations for our collective goals, for example, the allocation of funds to
augment staffing on the municipal side for the Outreach Social Worker position. The
new Public Information Officer position has also been a fortuitous addition to municipal
staffing and has been an asset to the work of the Task Force. This is evidence of how we
are already working more collaboratively- in the past, school staff have been aware of
the need for increased staffing on the municipal side, but have not had the opportunity
to join in developing a recommendation for increasing staff capacity to accommodate
our collective plans for meeting the mental health needs of our residents.
• Cost sharing by the Board of Selectmen and School Committee for the William James
INTERFACE Mental Health Referral Service. This is evidence of our increased
collaborative problem solving and sharing of resources to address the already known
challenge of barriers to accessing mental health services (e.g. connecting to qualified
community-based providers who are available and take the resident's health insurance).
We are working on developing a marketing plan for Interface, and are examining our
first bi-annual report on Lexington resident use. This report gives us information about
who is using the referral service, and who is not that may benefit from it, thus
identifying constituents to target in outreach and marketing. This report also gives us
information about what the needs are of those accessing the service.
4
• We are working on our overarching critical incident response plan, but critical events
this year already showed us to be working differently than we have in the past -
contacting one another, knowing who to contact, coordinating efforts. There is more
work to be done here, but we are off to a good start.
• Communication between departments has improved, and each advisory group and the
Task Force as a whole is focusing on communication plans between staff and with the
community. The advisory group structure provides consistent, equitable representation
of our residents in communicating their unique perspectives. As well, the Town's Public
Information Officer has participated in Task Force events, submitted articles in the
newspaper, etc. This provides increased visibility to residents regarding the roles of
municipal and school staff, and services available.
• Another example of new collaborations are the meetings the Task Force leadership has
had with the Town's new Health Director and the Lexington Public Schools Director of
Planning and Assessment. These meetings have allowed us to use their collective
expertise to examine available data sources, identify gaps, and determine a course of
action in moving forward in gathering adequate information about the mental health
needs of our residents across the lifespan.
The remainder of this report provides specific updates from each advisory group regarding
what we already know, what we have done so far, and where we are headed next. We conclude
with our recommendations and budget implications moving forward.
I. Identification & Research
What we already know:
• We have a significant amount of data collected and available for analysis about the
school-age population.
• We have some data from public safety, crisis and health provider organizations,
Department of Public Health, and local hospital Community Health Needs Assessments
that provide some benchmarks for the adult and aging population.
• We need more comparable data for the adult and aging population that aligns (doesn't
need to match breadth and depth) with the school age population data we have.
• We need to develop systems for collection, storage, and analysis, most specifically on
the municipal side, that would allow us to look at data in different ways and easily share
that data across platforms to reconcile with the schools' data.
• We need to more consistently assess the work that we are already doing to gauge
impact, emerging needs, and populations not being addressed.
• We need to engage a consultant to assist us with developing data collection and storage
systems, as this is work that is beyond the scope of staffs roles and skill sets.
• Current staffing on the municipal side significantly limits the ability to devise and
implement a data collection plan given demands on Health Department's limited
staff i ng.
5
What we have done so far:
• Developed list of current data sources available.
• Consulted with the Lexington Public Schools Director of Planning and Assessment and
the Public Health Director for advice about how best to approach the identification and
assessment goals.
• Removed the term "wellness" from the Task Force name, to clarify that the scope of our
work is limited to mental health, as opposed to broader physical and environmental
wellness. This aligns with the professional standard that mental wellness is
encompassed within the term "mental health."
Where we are headed next:
• Engage an epidemiologist consultant to:
• Lead the development of a community mental health assessment, which would
provide representative data across the lifespan;
• Develop metrics for evaluating the impact of our work;
• Design a sustainable data repository and review cycle.
• Consider metrics with regard to examining stigma, barriers to accessing services, and
mental health within subgroups of our population.
II. Prevention
What we already know:
• A definition of prevention specific to mental health is needed.
• Residents need better communication about available prevention programs to increase
access.
• Coordination of prevention programs is needed to reduce duplication and better utilize
limited resources across Town.
• Some community members do not seek mental health services for themselves or a
loved one because of stigma and shame associated with mental illness.
• Promoting mental health is essential in engaging more residents in seeking mental
health services, and preventing escalation of need.
• An appraisal of prevention programs available in Lexington is needed to assess how well
we are meeting identified needs, including those of specific subgroups, which will
inform an action plan to address the unmet needs.
What we have done so far:
• Delivered Question Persuade Refer(QPR) suicide prevention trainings to more than 190
people.
• Delivered Secret Life of Teens to 340 people.
• Drafted a definition of prevention.
• Identified the need for additional technology consultation to build a central calendar
and repository of information about available prevention programs.
Where we are headed next:
6
• Finalize prevention definition.
• Contract with technology consultant to manage the development of centralized
calendar/repository of prevention programs.
• Create the centralized calendar/repository of prevention programs.
• Develop communication and outreach plan.
III. Intervention
What we already know:
• Intervention services overlap with prevention and critical incident response services in
many ways.
• There are a multitude of providers in Lexington intervening with our residents in regards
to ongoing mental health treatment (individual, group, family, couples), crisis
intervention, and critical incident response.
• We need to do an analysis of all providers and what services they offer, to identify both
duplicated efforts and gaps in populations and issues being treated.
• There is also no consistent way that residents can find out about intervention services
available to them.
• Access to intervention services may be limited as a result of shame/stigma, lack of
knowledge about what's available, cultural/linguistic/economic barriers, social/physical
isolation, among many other reasons.
What we have done so far:
• Kicked off William James INTERFACE Referral Service.
• Discussed outreach plan for promoting INTERFACE service.
• Started to compile local intervention services.
• Began to identify different categories of services available (including: senior services,
youth & family, etc.).
• Began identifying gaps in services.
• Put structure in place to collaborate more closely with Prevention Advisory group.
Where we are headed next:
• Develop and implement an outreach plan for promotion of INTERFACE service.
• Develop regular collaboration with other advisory groups.
• Participate in the development of the centralized calendar/repository of available
services.
• Develop communication and outreach plan for available intervention services.
IV. Critical Incident Response
What we already know:
The term "critical incident response" refers to activities which reduce risk and promote healing
after a death, stigmatic event, or any other crisis that has a significant impact on the
community. Although critical incident response is implemented after an event, it is essential
7
that we prepare for critical incident response before events, by, for example, having a
comprehensive, coordinated critical incident response plan that provides guidelines for a
team-based process for decision-making when the community is faced with a critical incident.
At present, some municipal and school departments have critical incident response protocols
that have some overlap and similarities, but do not include collaboration across town
departments, nor do they clearly delineate roles and responsibilities, or a plan for
communicating internally and externally when a critical incident arises.
We know that we must develop a unified, interconnected protocol for response to critical
incidents by municipal and school staff that:
• defines who does what.
• identifies whether a targeted versus global response is needed. A targeted response is
narrow in scope, and supports a person, small group, or a family. A global response is
broad in scope, and is applied when an incident impacts a large group or whole
community.
• includes an internal and external communication plan to be followed when the protocol
is invoked.
• outlines a method for data collection to identify what the issues are, which will inform
research, prevention, and intervention efforts.
• requires a debrief and post-response review each time the protocol is executed.
The protocol will include a critical incident response team comprised of municipal and school
staff, with advisory input from the community, that will convene when there is a death,
potential death, stigmatic issue, or other local or national crisis that requires attention from the
municipality and/or schools.
What we have done so far:
• Examined existing protocols, researched best practices, and engaged Riverside Trauma
Center experts for consultation and help in expediting the development of a draft
critical incident response protocol.
• Synthesized all existing critical incident response plans across municipal and school
departments, and agreed to utilize common terminology for our critical incident
response work.
• Decided to use the term "Critical Incident Response," which has a wider scope than
"Postvention" (a term most commonly used to address a response after a suicide). The
Task Force is addressing mental health more broadly and thus using the term "critical
incident" is more appropriate.
Where we are headed next:
• Finish draft critical incident response plan.
• Finalize critical incident response plan with team, legal counsel, leadership.
• Reorganize the current "At Risk/Community Critical Incident" team to align with roles
and communication plan outlined in protocol.
8
• Implement protocol.
• Debrief after implementation and make revisions as needed to protocol.
V. Recommendations/Budget Implications
The following are recommended for consideration:
Item Funds Request Source of Funding
INTERFACE Referral Service $13,1000 Shared between Municipal
continuation and School Budgets
Epidemiologist consultant to: --$40,000 Municipal Budget
• Lead the development of a
community mental health
assessment.
• Develop metrics for evaluating
the impact of our work.
• Design a sustainable data
repository and review cycle.
Technology consultant to manage the $10,1000 Split between Municipal and
development of centralized School Budgets
calendar/repository of prevention and (CHNA Grant is providing
intervention programs/services. $3,633)
Translation services $1"000 Split between Municipal and
School Budgets
(CHNA Grant is providing
$500)
Access to legal counsel for protocol In-Kind Municipal/School Budgets
review
Communications Coordinator on school Unknown School Budget
side (similar to municipal Public
Information Officer)
Discretionary funding to address budget $9,000 Split between Municipal and
gaps and needs as they are identified School Budgets
(e.g. project management, consultation
fees, subject matter experts, programs
and speakers, etc.)
Total estimated request $73,000
9
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AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON JOINT BOARD OF SELECTMEN AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Joint Meeting Board of Selectmen, School Committee and Human Rights Committee
PRESENTER: ITEM
Julie Hackett S up erintend ent of NUMBER:
Schools and Jim Malloy, Town
Manager
I.4
SUMMARY:
The Superintendent of Schools and Town Manager will update the Board of Selectmen and S c ho o l
Committee as well as the Human Rights Committee on the work of the Diversity Advis o ryTas k F o rc e
SUGGESTED MOTION:
FOLLOW-UP:
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
10/29/2019 8:45 p.m.
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Town of Lexington Diversity Summary as of Fall 2019:
Gender
The municipal employees tend to reflect the general town population while the school employees tend
to have a much higher female to male ratio.
The municipal and school employees both tend to generally reflect the age of the general town
population although the school department employees are much younger(the 31-45 age group is
40.2%).
Race/Ethnicity
The municipal and school employees generally shared the same racial/ethnic breakdown and both had
substantially higher populations identifying as White (municipal 87.6% and school 84.6%) compared to
the general town population (68.3%). Similarly,the municipal and school employees had substantially
lower populations identifying as Asian (municipal 6.8% and school 6.1%)than the general town
population (27.3%). Both the municipal and school populations generally reflect the Hispanic, Black and
Native American general town populations.
Disability
The municipal and school employees identifying as having a disability exactly match the general town
population at 3.3%with 96.7% not identifying any disability.
LBGTQ
Both the municipal and school employees identifying as being gay, lesbian, pansexual,two-spirit,
asexual or other exceeded the general Massachusetts population of 5.4% (municipal 6.3%and school
7.7%).
Gender Different from Birth
Both the municipal and school employees mirror the general national population estimated to identify
as different gender than from birth of0.6% (municipal 0.6% and school0.7%).
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1N L XINGTON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Julie L. Hackett, Ed,D., (781) 861-258o, ext. 68040
Superintendent of Schools jhackett@Iexingtonma.or
Fax: (781) 861-256o
October 27, 2019
Dear Board of Selectmen Members, School Committee Members, and Members of the
Lexington Human Rights Commission:
Town Manager Jim Malloy and I would like to provide you with a mid-year status report on the
work of the Diversity Advisory Task Force.
By way of background, the 20/20 Vision Committee produced an extensive report published on
December 16, 2016, entitled, "Lessons on the Integration of Residents of Asian Ancestry
Offered by California and New Jersey Communities with Large Populations." The report of the
Subcommittee on Asian Communities was intended to advise the Board of Selectmen, the
School Committee, and the Planning Board on demographic changes that may impact "civic
involvement, Town and school programs, and community life in Lexington" (excerpt from
Diversity Advisory Task Force Overview, August 28, 2017).
While the work of the Diversity Advisory Task Force (DATE) originally was specific to Asian
populations, it is our understanding that the former Town Manager and Superintendent
decided to broaden and diversify the charge. Prior to his departure, Mr. Valente took us to
lunch to bring us up-to-speed on the work of the 20/20 Vision Committee. He shared that he
and Dr. Czajkowski, the former Superintendent of Schools, made a decision to make the DATE
more diverse. In the Spring of 2018, they advertised, interviewed, selected, and appointed all
current members of the DATE, including Neerja J. Bajaj, Megan Klein Hattori, Hope Klebenox,
Casey Lan, Janice Litwin, Valerie Overton, Melanie Thompson, Hua Wang, and Weidong
Wang. I started my job as Lexington's new Superintendent of Schools in July, 2018, and Mr.
Malloy took over as Town Manager shortly thereafter in October, 2018.
On Mr. Valente's advice, we reached out to Koren Stembridge, Town Director of Libraries, to
enlist her in helping to facilitate the DATE while we decided what would be the best use of our
time. Money ($30,000) had been allocated in the previous year's budget to hire a facilitator to
lead the group, developing a cadre of experts in cultural proficiency and racial literacy. The
outgoing Town Manager and Superintendent of Schools and DATE members were in the
process of interviewing a consultant who had worked with the schools on becoming a culturally
responsive school system.
While Mr. Malloy and I briefly entertained using the money allocated to hire a facilitator to lead
the discussion, it appeared that the mission and the work of the group had substantially
changed and more thought needed to be given to the new mission and charge of the DATE.
We were uncomfortable with the notion that any of us could become experts on diversity,
equity, and inclusion in such a short time-frame (if ever), and we thought there may be better
ways to approach the challenges in our community. We decided to hold off on hiring a
Lexington Public Schools 1146 Maple Street I Lexington, MA 102420
facilitator until we had a more solid plan for what work the DATF would do together. In the
meantime, we held several meetings as summarized below:
December 10, 2018
• Discuss the request for proposals for a facilitator to assist the Diversity Task Force in
next steps
• DTF members discuss the concept of"low hanging fruit" as a way to build momentum in
their work
January 10, 2019
• DTF members discuss what diversity means to them
• Compile a list of short term actions that can affect positive changes now
February 7, 2019
• Overcoming Unconscious Bias Training by Valerie Overton
• DTF begins reading: White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol
Anderson, Ph.D. in preparation for the March meeting
March 1412019
• Review the RFP submissions
• Low hanging fruit activity to brainstorm ideas of things we can do now
• Discuss the book: White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol
Anderson, Ph.D.
We then turned our attention to how we might reasonably proceed with the DATF, honoring
and respecting the members who had been selected before our arrival. In June of 2019, we
put together a PowerPoint outlining the history and challenges of our group, and we shared it
with the DATF. In the PowerPoint, we asked the DATF the following questions: (1) Do we
have the right work plan in place? (2) How long does it take to build expertise? (3) If change is
needed is a cadre of experts the best way to mobilize the community? and (4) Are there better
ways to engage the community to be more inclusive in its practices?
Based on the diversity of participants in the DATF, we decided that for the 2019 - 2020 school
year, we would focus our efforts on a goal for "meaningful outreach and integration to create a
deeper awareness of the community's diversity and build relationships across cultures." Two
strategies were selected to achieve the goals, and members of the DATF formed two
subcommittees around the strategies. The first strategy seemed appropriate given the
composition of the DATF, and the second strategy directly aligned with the report of the 20/20
Vision Committee related to a promising practice that was identified in their study.
• Strategy#1: Three Community Conversations. Plan, organize and coordinate three
"Community Conversations" in 2019 - 2020. Possible topics to include: race, class,
gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and other identity markers. Consider an
"around the world" format to introduce the community to the beautiful diversity that
exists in Lexington and the challenges we face.
• Strategy#2: Integration at the neighborhood level. Plan, organize, and coordinate one
major kick-off event: a "Neighborhood Block Party" representing all cultures. Consider
central locations and ways to involve all.
The DATF is a group of active, passionate and dedicated individuals who care deeply about
Lexington's future. The first Community Conversation on August 8th was held in the library
this summer with a facilitated conversation on race. The purpose of this Community
Conversation was to elucidate our values and goals around DEI and to inform subsequent
community aimed at understanding issues and making concrete change. Approximately 100
people attended the conversation, sharing specific suggestions for potential changes
Lexington could make. The DATF then discussed whether we are fulfilling the original intent of
the 20/20 Vision Committee, and to their credit, DATF members aligned the second community
conversation with the effort and spirit of the 2016 report, "Lessons on the Integration of
Residents of Asian Ancestry Offered by California and New Jersey Communities with Large
Populations." As a result, the second Community Conversation on November 9th and the third
Community Conversation on December 7th will be facilitated by an Asian Professor from
UMASS Boston who will help us face challenges noted in the report related to the integration
of our Asian families in Lexington.
The work that is currently underway is our way of respecting our process envisioned by our
predecessors and respecting the wonderful people whom they selected who are eager to
make a difference in the community. Our intention is to close out the work of this group at
year's end and to resume the efforts of the 20/20 Vision Committee in the fall of 2020.
In closing, we would like to thank everyone for their patience and support as we have worked
to learn more about Lexington, a Town filled with incredible people who have quickly made
their way into our hearts.
Respectfully bmitted,
Jam Malloy
�. T n Manager
Dr. Julie Hackett
Superintendent of Schools