Equity and Access for All

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EQUITY AND ACCESS FOR ALL AT
GAHANNA-JEFFERSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Equity and Access for All Plan

GJPS Equity and Access for All Plan (PDF)

Contact Information

To learn more about these efforts and ways to join the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion programming, please email Equity@gjps.org

OUR COMMITMENT

The Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools’ (GJPS) mission is to inspire, nurture and empower all students. We have a tremendous responsibility in helping children grow into adults and in providing an equal opportunity for all students to achieve success. It is not enough to state these values or affirm our previous commitments – we must actively engage in being anti-racist to bridge the equity gap that is too often predetermined by race, ethnicity, gender and socio-economic status.

Read more in our resolution reaffirming our Board’s commitment to the district’s core values.

Equity and Access Introductory Video

EQUITY TEAM

During the 2019-2020 school year, we assembled an Equity Team, made up of ten district administrators, which participated in an intensive inclusion training through the Education Service Center of Central Ohio’s Equity Institute. This program is based on the principle of equity in education, which means every learner has access to opportunities that are aligned with their needs and support their academic and social emotional success.

The formation of our Equity Team was an outcome of prior learning and training for GJPS leaders, which included several district-wide professional development opportunities in the 2018-19 school year. These provided continuous education for GJPS teachers and staff that centered around equity and access for all.

AREAS OF FOCUS

The work of the GJPS Equity Team is ongoing. In early 2021, GJPS launched a district action plan to address implicit bias, social injustice, educational inequity and racism.

The plan and action team focuses include:

Developing a strong sense of belonging through authentic relationships and empowered student voices;
Diversifying our GJPS staff focusing on the areas of recruitment and retention;
Offering an inclusive curriculum and diversified resources that reframe and create instruction through the lens of social justice and cultural relevance;
Analyzing and creating action steps to mitigate the disproportionality in our student population as it pertains to discipline, special education and gifted and advanced programming;
Establishing strategies for student and parent engagement and partnerships; and
Reexamining district policies and practices to be in line with our anti-racist and inclusivity commitment.

Collage of diverse students with Equity and Access for All Logo