The meeting of the Culver City Unified School Board on May 25, 2021 saw an historic decision; the board voted unanimously to create an Assistant Superintendent of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The new position will report to the Superintendent, and will create programs and strategies to foster a diverse district.
Superintendent Leslie Lockhart noted that unique move forward as a way to center the vital need for equity for all students. “Some districts have a director-level position, a task force or a [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] consultant, but the Board’s decision to create a cabinet-level position … is a tangible commitment to CCUSD’s core values…It’s a statement that we place a high value on making sure we fulfill our promise to our school community when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion.”
The uniques status of the position – there are no other school districts in California that have an equivalent role – was a part of the conversation at the board meeting as to creating the position as a Director or an Assistant Supervisor. Lockhart advocated for an Assistant Superintendent, as a Director would not be included at a ‘cabinet level’ and that it spoke to the “importance of the work.”
Board member Summer McBride initially spoke in favor of creating a Director and then deciding on advancing the position in the future, but voted for the motion along with the rest of the board.
“I am excited that our district is at the cutting edge of something so important and so critical to the success of our students and our society in the future. Creating this position is a powerful statement of our district’s belief that diversity, equity and inclusion should play a pivotal role in our children’s education and in everything CCUSD does,” said Board President Dr. Tashon McKeithan. “But this is not the end of that effort. In fact, it is just the beginning.”
The position is scheduled to being July 1, 2021.
Judith Martin-Straw
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