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History The current anti-racist education initiative in the Lexington Public Schools builds upon the past efforts of the school system, the community, and the day-to-day work and projects of many teachers and students. The iniative is supported by two major interconnected components: membership in Empowering Multicultural Initiatives (EMI), and district-sponsored curriculum development, professional development and school-based activities. In June of 1996, as an outgrowth of the work of METCO staff and multicultural study groups, and in response to an identified need, Lexington joined the Eastern Massachusetts collaborative of seven METCO communities. (Now known as the Empowering Multicutural Initiatives (EMI) Collaborative, it has expanded to include 11 suburban METCO communities.) In so doing, our school system embraced the goal of creating multicultural, anti-racist classrooms where children of all backgrounds feel affirmed and are able to achieve academic success. EMI creates a broad support structure to help member communities work towards this goal. Mission The mission of the District Leadership Team (DLT) is to raise the academic achievement of students of color, and thereby all students, by promoting anti-racist and anti-bias education in our schools. Goals In order to achieve the mission of the DLT, the following goals form the basis of our ongoing work: To increase and coordinate communication within the school system and to the community at large about ongoing efforts to promote anti-racist and anti-bias education in our schools; To encourage the integration of anti-racist and anti-bias content and strategies into all areas of the curriculum; To assess the academic achievement of students of color and, in so doing, to ensure the same levels of expectations and achievement for all of our students; To promote the recruitment, hiring and retention of people of color at all levels of the school system in proportion to their representation in the general population. Membership As part of EMI, each school district is encouraged to form a District Leadership Team (DLT). The Lexington DLT is made up of school administrators, faculty members, and community members who further support Lexington's anti-racist efforts. the DLT meets monthly to advance the anti-racist education work of the school system. Current members of the DLT include: the Superintendent of Schools, the Director of Human Resources, the Lexington METCO Director, building administrators, teachers, curriculum coordinators, librarians, and community members. Hiring Practices Lexington Public Schools has an annual affirmative action goal for recruiting staff of color. This goal reflects the District's core value of Individuality & Diversity. We utilize goal oriented hiring practices seeking to eliminate bias in interviewing. Lexington is represented at area recruitment fairs for faculty of color and we advertise in a variety of newspapers, journals and web sites. Contact LPS Human Resources.

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