As parents and stakeholders in the Pine Bush community, we want all of our children to grow up in a world with empathy and equality, where injustice is recognized and actively addressed. We believe that learning occurs best in a connected community. We believe that early intervention is critical in shaping compassionate societies that value equality for all people. We are committed to cultivating a community that is conscious and welcoming of difference, dedicated to investigating and advancing equity, and engaged with our local and global community. We hold as our highest ideal that every student thrives in Pine Bush.
 
While our schools have always been interested in fostering diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB), the work has taken on renewed meaning as student populations grow increasingly diverse in every way—in relation to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, special needs, and more. Research shows that children and adults alike thrive in diverse, equitable environments.
 
To that end, we propose that the Pine Bush Central School District re-examine and expand their efforts in the DEIB space by committing to the following actions:
 
· Create a DEIB advisory committee, comprised of experts on DEIB in educational settings, school district faculty and staff, as well as community stakeholders such as parent representatives.
· Conduct an external review to measure key metrics that quantify what it means to thrive in Pine Bush schools and to identify areas of community growth.
· Make DEIB a strategic focus of curriculum development to ensure the initiative is systematically infused into developmentally appropriate programming for grades K-12.
· Ensure that DEIB is a strategic, ongoing, institutional priority.
 
The work of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is the work of the entire community and we believe that the school system is a key setting for this important work to be done. We believe these efforts would benefit the entire student body, their families, school faculty and the Pine Bush community. Act now to help establish Pine Bush Schools at the forefront of education, preparing students for college and navigating a global community.