Sparta Township Public Schools Celebrate Diversity!

 By Kavya Kamath & Ms Angela DeLuccia 12/22/20

Sparta Township Public Schools offers its community many opportunities. Staying true to form, a passionate committee, led by Mr. Scott Kercher, Supervisor of Social Studies and World Language, came to be. This group consists of students, faculty, and community members. Inspired by Kean University’s Diversity Council, the STPS group is working toward bringing inclusivity, acceptance, and accessibility to all facets of the learning community. 

The mission of the Council is:

To coordinate the District’s current curricular and co-curricular initiatives that promote diversity, acceptance and tolerance within our community. These initiatives include: professional development, instructional assemblies and student leadership opportunities.  The Council will also access and disseminate bias prevention resources through its continued affiliation with Kean University's Diversity Council on Global Education and Citizenship (STPS).

The Council promotes acceptance of all races, genders, sexualities, religions, and disabilities. There are related subcommittees for each of these areas. Groups are currently curating a library of resources for all community members, creating action plans to promote a positive culture, and addressing the curricular and social and emotional needs of students. 

In conjunction with other organizations in the district, including C3 and We are the Dreamers, the Diversity Council aims to complete an inclusive project and event that demonstrates the unity of the Sparta Township Public Schools community. 

The STPS Diversity Council meets monthly- next meeting is January 13 at 4 pm; new members are always welcome. Please email Mr. Kercher with any questions. scott.kercher@sparta.org or visit the Sparta Diversity Council Website for more information. 

Student Perspective:

Wednesday, December 9th, I, Kavya Kamath, attended the Sparta High School Diversity Council’s December meeting. Having never attended one prior, I was excited, nervous, and intrigued by what exactly the meeting would cover and how exactly I would be able to participate as just a student. The meeting opened with a few introductions, an overview of plans by Mr. Kercher, and a review of what exactly SHS’ Diversity Council is, presumably for students like myself and parents who were attending their first meeting. Once settled, teachers, supervisors, students, and parents alike were all divided into breakout rooms to discuss this month’s meeting’s overarching theme: tolerance versus acceptance. I was personally in a group with a supervisor, a teacher, and a parent, which allowed us all to draw from our different experiences and come to collective agreement about, in the words of Ms. Hassenplug, “burn the word tolerance.” Throughout history, tolerance has been used as an excuse to quietly hate and dislike, but with current means of communicating, connecting with, and understanding people, acceptance is easier than ever, and acceptance, not tolerance, should be our goal. And this is the goal of the Sparta High School DIversity Council: to endorse respect and understanding for everyone in our community, to convey that just because some is not like "you" does not make them less than, to both encourage and celebrate difference, and, finally, to not only promote diversity, but support programs that foster diversity in Sparta.

For those interested in joining, it is important to note that this diversity refers to five main areas of interest—race and racial relations, LGBTQ+, gender equity, disability, religious diversity. Lastly, the council is always accepting new members. Students and teachers can join by signing up through our website, which contains a wealth of materials and resources to support the council’s mission. 

from: RetailTouchpoints.com