Dear Community Member,

Though it serves a diverse community of students, the Penfield Central School District has NO Black faculty or administrators. Representation matters. Penfield students deserve diversity in education. Students need to see Black teachers and administrators in their schools to reflect the diversity in their community and the world.

There are qualified Black teachers and administrators across the country. Zoom and other technologies exist to recruit these candidates. Other ideas: reaching out to HBCU institutions, and other diverse teacher certification programs to find new hires, affinity clubs at local universities, specialized mentoring programs, and RCSD teachers who have recently been laid off. If qualified candidates won’t come to Penfield, Penfield must go to them!

We ask for robust professional development training that is culturally competent and inclusive for faculty, staff and the PCSD community. Though Penfield has done some work in this area, these programs have been optional, not required. Ending racism in Penfield is REQUIRED! 

Training topics that should be included, but not limited to: unconscious bias, stereotypes, microaggressions, cultural sensitivity, and trauma informed pedagogy. These topics should be led by specialists and experts in these fields. There are many local resources who are ready to get to work!

Let Superintendent Tom Putnam and the Penfield Board of Education know that diversity and representation are top priorities in this community.

We will be sending your signatures of support to:
Tom Putnam, Penfield Central School District Superintendent

Board of Education:

Mark Elledge, President

Lisa Benati-Chidsey, Vice-President

Barbara Babiarz

Emily Belcer

Catherine Dean

Shaun Hakiel

William Yaeger