Our Equity Commitment

School District 197 is committed to caring relationships, equitable practices, and high achievement for all.

Our commitment to equity is stated directly in our Strategic Framework, and we build on that commitment every day.

Our Equity Commitment: School District 197 is committed to equitable opportunities and equitable outcomes for all members of our school district community, including students, families, and staff. We believe this commitment is essential to students’ academic, social, and collective growth.

We Acknowledge: School District 197 is on an equity journey. While there has been work done previously, and some progress has been made, there remains much to do. We are committed to continuing to learn, admitting we don’t have all of the answers, and seeking to understand all voices and lived experiences.

What does equity mean to us?

Equity means each student and staff member—regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, language status, religious affiliation, gender identity, and sexual orientation—will have access to the opportunities, resources, and support they need to imagine, nurture, and achieve their dreams.

Why is equity important to us?

We believe educational equity benefits everyone and prepares all students to thrive in a diverse local, national, and global community. Every child deserves equitable access, opportunity, and support in their academic, social, and emotional journey. We want to make our schools safe, welcoming places for all students, staff members, and families, where they feel honored and valued and are encouraged to be critical thinkers and active participants in the world around them.

Learn more about the Equitable Access to Educational Programs Strategic Framework

“High achievement for all starts with equity. All students need to feel safe, trusted, and affirmed in order to thrive.”
- Peter Mau, Assistant Superintendent

“As a queer educator, it means the world to me that School District 197 schools are making genuine, intentional efforts to ensure our queer students, staff, and families are safe and supported in our schools. These efforts are not in vain—when students, families, and staff feel safe and supported, we all thrive.” - Kelli Walters, Early Childhood Special Education Lead Teacher

What Equity Looks Like In School District 197

A non-exhaustive list of our district equity initiatives, programs, learning tools, and school-based groups.

At Home

Cultural Liaisons and Interpreters: Our Cultural liaisons and Interpreters build bridges between home and school for families new to the United States or who are not fully proficient in English to enroll students, meet school staff, and empower families to know how to navigate the educational system. Learn more about our Cultural Liaisons and Interpreters here.
Parent Academy: Parent Academy is a free six-week course for School District 197 families, designed to connect parents and guardians to their child’s school, to school and community resources, and to other parents in the school community. Courses are offered in the evenings and transportation, childcare, and dinner are provided. Learn more here.
TalkingPoints: The TalkingPoints app helps teachers and school staff reach all parents and guardians, regardless of language, via text messages in 100+ languages. Starting in the 2023-2024 school year, this two-way communication tool will be introduced at all schools.

In Classrooms

Culturally Relevant Teaching: Culturally responsive teaching, present in all district classrooms, is a research-based approach to teaching. It connects learning to students’ cultures, languages, and life experiences. These connections help students access rigorous curriculum, become more independent learners and develop higher-level academic skills.
AMAZEworks Anti-bias Supplemental Curriculum: AMAZEworks anti-bias supplemental curriculum empowers teachers and children to co-create classrooms of equity and belonging where children feel valued, respected, and connected by engaging in intentional, regular discussions about identity, differences, and bias. The literature-based program, currently in our pre-school through fourth-grade classrooms, includes trade books that cover a wide range of identities, family structures, and lived experiences, including disability, adoption, military deployment, gender diversity, ethnic diversity, grief and loss, socioeconomic status, religion and/or faith, incarceration, same-gender relationships, immigration and/or migration, multigenerational relationships, and more.
English Language Development: More than 730 students in School District 197 are identified as multilingual and use a primary language other than English. The district offers a variety of services to students who need help in learning and becoming fluent in English for academic purposes. Teachers licensed in English as a Second Language and classroom teachers collaborate closely to provide a well-rounded education for our students while bridging classroom content with English language instruction. Learn more here.

At Schools

Staff Affinity Groups: Staff affinity groups help make School District 197 a more welcoming and inclusive place to work and learn. We currently have two operating affinity groups:
- Staff of Color Affinity Group: The Staff of Color Affinity Group works to build and maintain a well-connected community of employees of color to increase their sense of belonging and affinity to School District 197.
- LGBTQIA+ and Allies Staff Affinity Group: The LGBTQIA+ and Allies Staff Affinity Group works to connect, celebrate and empower our intersectional and diverse staff and communities.
Black Girls Club at Friendly Hills: Black Girls Club is an African American Affinity Group at Friendly Hills Middle School that provides time and space to share stories and challenges while developing leadership and school success.
Mi Gente at Heritage: Mi Gente is an affinity student group that meets weekly at Heritage E-STEM Magnet School to celebrate different Hispanic cultures, people, and countries. Founding members from Two Rivers High School return to Heritage to mentor and lead the group.
PIE (Parents in Education) Nights: PIE night is an opportunity for Title I elementary school teachers and staff, students, and parents to get together and learn new reading strategies or math games in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Title I staff introduce families to new ways to help their children improve reading and math skills, and students have the chance to bring home a new book or learning tool. Learn more here.
ALMAS at Two Rivers High School: ALMAS (Anglos Latinos Motivados a Superarse) is a student service group that works to improve the Latino graduation rate, erase negative stereotypes of Latino youth, and increase post-secondary participation. Learn more here.
Black Student Union at Two Rivers High School: Black Student Union is a club where students of color can come together to work on implementing leadership, empathy, and communication, and enabling a space dedicated to Black voices and Black ideas.
Jewish Student Union: Jewish Student Union is a community for Jewish students to socialize and discuss Jewish topics.
GISA at Two Rivers, GSA at Heritage, and Pride at Friendly Hills: Our middle schools and high schools all have Genders & Sexualities Alliances, or GSAs for short, which are student-run organizations that unite LGBTQIA+ and allied youth to build community and organize around issues impacting them in their schools and communities. Learn more about the Two Rivers GISA here.
Tech Warriors at Two Rivers: Tech Warriors is a club at Two Rivers filled with students interested in many different branches of technology. Students work on projects within the school like audio/lighting for school plays and events, live streaming sporting and concert events, and assisting our IT team in repairs of computers and electronics around the school just to name a few. Learn more here.

In Programs

American Indian Education: A program to increase academic achievement, decrease the dropout rate, and improve the school climate of American Indian students in a culturally appropriate manner. This program provides districts with the opportunity to create comprehensive, sustainable Indian education programs that serve the needs of all American Indian students in the district from preschool through grade 12. Learn more here.
Padres Latinos en Acción: Padres Latinos en Acción is a group of School District 197 parents who meet every other month providing a safe space to share community resources and have an open dialogue about supporting Latino families in our schools. Carmen Pineda, the group's advisor, tells us that the main goal of the group is fostering strong partnerships and connections between our schools and Latino parents.
Equity Advisory Committee: The School District 197 Equity Advisory Committee advises district administration in matters related to equity, especially as they relate to the work of the Strategic Framework. The Equity Advisory provides input and feedback on the outcomes for the Equity Focus Area of the Strategic Framework as well as the goals of equity-related action plans. Learn more here.
LGBTQIA+ Parent & Guardian Night: A monthly meeting for LGBTQIA+ identifying parents/guardians of School District 197 students and/or parents/guardians that care for LGBTQIA+ students in the district. Heritage Gender/Sexuality Alliance Advisors Nicholas Hager and Kristina Anderson facilitate supportive conversations and share resources that create safe spaces for young people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Special Education Parent & Guardian Night: A monthly meeting for School District 197 parents and guardians who care for students identified as needing special education services to support their learning at school are invited to learn from each other in this safe and brave community space.
AVID: AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination and is an in-school academic support program that prepares students for college eligibility and success. AVID places these students on the college track, requiring them to enroll in their school’s toughest courses, such as Honors and Advanced Placement. Learn more here.

In the District Office

Equity Office: Explicit leadership in championing equity and diversity, the initiative comes from a positional authority and has the follow-through needed to build momentum and long-term success.
Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining Staff of Color: School District 197 commits to recruiting, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce that reflects the demographics of our student population. This includes ongoing professional development focused on equity and cultural responsiveness.
Including Student Voice in Policy Decisions and Curriculum Review Processes: Seeking to gather and understand student perspectives (especially those from historically marginalized groups) in decision-making processes, creating spaces for student affinity groups, and providing leadership opportunities.
Achievement and Integration (A & I): Every three years, school districts that participate in Minnesota’s Achievement and Integration program (AI) submit an A & I plan to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). The purpose of the A & I program is to:
- Pursue racial and economic integration
- Increase student achievement
- Create equitable educational opportunities
- Reduce academic disparities based on students' diverse racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds in participating schools and districts

The process for developing the plan is built around four research-based concepts, referred to here as equity criteria. The following equity criteria provide an equity lens, center student needs, and are intentionally used to steer the planning process:

Access
Representation
Participation
Outcomes

Click here to view the School District 197 Achievement & Integration Plan 2024-202 6.

"Equity is important in the classroom because it lays the foundation for quality learning. If kids feel included, represented, and safe in the classroom, they will have the tools necessary to learn and grow with the people around them." - Raul Vaz, Two Rivers High School Student

Resources

A partial list of district, community and national resources for students and families.

General Resources

District:
- 360 Communities Family Services: Helps provide district students and families with shelter, advocacy, and connections to community resources.
Community:
- Youth Services Network: Helping youth find shelter and services.
- NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Minnesota: A non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults with mental illnesses and their families.
- National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, and prevention and crisis resources.

For LGBTQIA+ Students and Families

District
- GISA at Two Rivers High School: Supports and advocates for Two Rivers LGBTQ+ students, educators and their allies.
- GSA at Heritage E-STEM: Fosters an inclusive environment for both LGBTQIA+ students in addition to allies at Heritage. Contact Nicholas Hager and Kristina Anderson for more information.
- Pride at Friendly Hills Middle School: Fosters an inclusive environment for both LGBTQIA+ students in addition to allies at Friendly Hills. Contact Dan Reed and Kristin Quinn for more information.
- LGBTQIA+ Parent and Guardian Night: A monthly meeting for LGBTQIA+ identifying parent/guardian of a School District 197 student and/or a parent/guardian that cares for an LGBTQIA+ student in the district. Please contact Equity Specialist Nicholas Hager for more information. See district calendar for meeting dates and times.
Community
- West St Paul Pride: An inclusive and safe space for all LGBTQ+ people and their allies in West St. Paul and surrounding communities.
- Annex Teen Clinic: Local health and wellness resource for the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
- Queer Space Collective: Local queer mentorship and community-building organization matching queer adults with queer teens.
- Family Tree Clinic: Local sexual health and education resource focusing on trans, non-binary, and gender-fluid healthcare and related issues
- Transforming Families: Supports families with transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive youth.
- Reclaim: Local mental health support and therapy.

For Students and Families with Special Needs

District:
- Special Services Supports: A full continuum of special education services is available to resident students, birth to 21 years.
- Day Treatment site-based mental health program: Support to stabilize mental health and improve students’ independent living and socialization skills.
Community
- Fraser Hope Line: Connects individuals with autism, mental health and special needs to a care advocate immediately
- Arc Greater Twin Cities: Provides information and assistance to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families statewide.
- PACER Center: Provides individual assistance, workshops, and other resources to help families make decisions about education and other services for their child or young adult with disabilities.

For English Learners

District
- English Language Development information: A variety of services to students who need help in learning and becoming fluent in English for academic purposes.
- Cultural Liaisons and Interpreters: Staff members dedicated to working with families and students in order to foster these relationships for the success of all.
Community
- Dakota County Library Resources for English Language Learners: Materials for speakers of Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese (Cantonese & Mandarin), German, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese.
- Minnesota Department of Education: English Learner Education: high-quality language instruction, information and resources.

For Students and Families of Color

District
- Black Student Union: A club where students of color can come together to work on implementing leadership, empathy, and communication and enabling a space dedicated to Black voices and Black ideas.
- Staff of Color Affinity Group: Works to connect, celebrate and empower our intersectional and diverse staff and communities.
Community
- ROCC - Residents of Color Collective: Connects with local businesses, organizations, and individuals to develop programs that address the needs and issues in the community of color.
- Minnesota Education Equity Partnership (MnEEP): Uses a race equity lens to develop and advance networks, practices, research, and policies to dismantle racism in education and build a more just, equitable Minnesota.

“Equity to me is making sure that every student in our school is able to have the resources and support they need to continue their educational pathway.” - Nawal Hassan, Two Rivers High School Student