Five school districts in Northern Virginia, including Loudoun County Public Schools, started the new school year under investigation by the Department of Education for some of their diversity polices.
Last spring, LCPS was one of the few districts in Virginia to push back when it comes to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
As the school year got underway, the News4 I-Team stopped by to see why the district is doubling down on DEI as critical.
At J. Lupton Simpson Middle School in Leesburg, history teacher Jennifer Herrin runs a welcoming classroom where she often spends more time than she spends at home. She runs a program called Girls Empowered that’s part of a DEI initiative started four years ago. She welcomes students who say they haven’t always fit in or have struggled with grades in the past. They spend one period a day with the program, plus time after school.
It’s “the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” Herrin said in her classroom decked out in “Wizard of Oz” posters.
“DEI is just caring about people. It’s doing the right thing, that everybody should feel that they’re connected and supported,” she said.
DEI has become a divisive issue in an era when politics frequently makes its way to the schoolhouse, including in Loudoun County schools’ yearslong debate over policies for transgender students.
The I-Team first spoke with Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence in late April, when the U.S. and Virginia departments of education wanted him, and every other superintendent, to sign a pledge promising not to use what it called “illegal DEI” in public schools at the risk of losing federal funding. Spence and Loudoun County said no.
“I think it is unconscionable to politicize children to get people to the ballot. I think that’s unconscionable. I think that our community deserves better and I think that our school system deserves better,” he said.
The I-Team asked how much money the school district lost.
“None,” Spence replied.
An Instagram post of our interview with him has been viewed more than 250,000 times, with some commenters calling him a brave patriot and hero. Others said he wanted to give every child a participation trophy and give every kid the same outcome regardless of how hard they work.
Spence said the school district is recognizing the need for belonging, as Herrin tries to do with the Girls Empowered program.
“We weren’t trying to make this sort of a stance for a stance’s sake. We were simply trying to say we want to continue to do what’s right for our students,” he said.
Herrin also spoke about creating a welcoming environment.
“I think everybody should feel welcome, regardless of whatever their background is. It’s not just about that. DEI is just caring about people,” she said.
Teachers recommend students for the Girls Empowered program, and students voluntarily agree to participate. While it’s currently made up of girls of color, Herrin said she hopes to open it up to any girl who could benefit. Those changes could bring it closer in line with Department of Education DEI guidance.
In the program, Herrin monitors students’ grades. They do homework, visit colleges and meet after school. Four years in, Herrin says grades are rising and the school now plans to create a similar group for boys.
“It’s just almost like you’re not alone,” recent participant Amiya Thomas said.
She’s in high school now but still involved in the group because of what she says it did for her: raising her grades enough to be accepted to a health sciences program at her school.
“If I needed help, I could always ask for people,” Amiya said. She said she wants to pass on that support to other girls, including her little sister, who’s now in the program.
That feeling of belonging matters, Spence said.
“All the research tells us that when people feel a sense of belonging, they’re more engaged and more ready to learn, and they do better academically,” he said.
The I-Team asked, why do we have to recognize the differences in students to do that?
“It’s interesting because I think sometimes when we talk about recognizing the differences, people think that what we’re trying to do is separate people. But really when you think about the differences, what you’re trying do is say, like, we all have strengths and different perspectives, and we need to understand those different perspectives so that we can learn to communicate with each other,” he said.
Spence admitted it’s easier to take a stand like his in Loudoun County, one of America’s richest communities, with well-funded schools. It’s also a diverse community. School figures show no racial group is a majority in the school district, which Spence says makes his DEI stand even more important.
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