In the fall of 2017, NLPS’s district equity leadership team (DELT) was formed as part of a partnership with SERC, with supportive funding through a Graustein Foundation grant, to discuss issues of racial equity and to bring groups of students, teachers, parents, and community partners together to create an action plan to address district equity. During the last three years several components of the grant requirements were accomplished, however, due to turnover throughout the district, including the DELT leaders, there is still work to do to complete the Equity Transformation Plan. Furthermore, the plan is only a start; the next step is the implementation of a plan. In the summer of 2020, SERC and NLPS rededicated themselves to complete the work of the grant. We relaunched the DELT and DELTA with a renewed focus on revising and implementing the Equity Transformation Plan (ETP). The ETP will provide specific implementation tasks to address racial equity across the district and is infused in the larger District Improvement Plan for New London Public Schools, throughout all four areas. 

It is important to understand, as part of the grant and SERC coordinated work, DELTA, and NLPS as a whole, are structuring our equity work within the Courageous Conversations about Race framework. For that reason, the New London Public Schools has provided all staff a copy of Courageous Conversations about Race, by Glenn E. Singleton, for professional study. 

NLPS remains committed to equity and building capacity among all.  This school year we plan to accomplish a variety of measurable and attainable goals, which are outlined in all four areas of our District Improvement Plan.

Attached to this communication is an overview of the work of our District Equity Leadership Team (DELT) and its Advisory Committee (DELTA).  Please take a moment to read about this important work,which serves at the core of what we do and how we serve.