Citizens for a Diverse Milton Unites Milton Public Schools

Citizens for a Diverse Milton, which can be traced back to a group formed in 1996, has had a significant role in promoting diversity in the Milton Public Schools for a decade and a half.

Though the exact focus of the group has changed over the years, the impact remains sizeable.

At the end of the first semester, the group hosted one of two meetings this school year of diversity committees from each of the six schools in the system. Each school has different issues, but the meetings allow groups to share best practices and brainstorm.

With between 35 and 50 people in attendance, the diversity committees from each school voiced concerns and presented goals.

“Part of the challenge initially is to figure out what to do,” said Citizens for a Diverse Milton founding member Chris Navin.

At , the committee is focusing on professional development and gearing up for the annual “Celebrating Our Diversity” display featuring all the MHS clubs. Other schools are utilizing programs to help students and staff embrace diversity.

With diversity committees in every school and a member of the Planning Committee on the assisting with the search for the next principal at Milton High, CDM has become deeply woven into the fabric of the town.

The CDM Planning Committee meets monthly at the Milton Public Library. The second meeting for all the diversity committees in the Milton Publics Schools will take place in May.

The current organization was formed out of the Cultural Connections Committee in 1996. The committee was made of parents and school principals, including current superintendent Mary Gormley, who was the principal at the time.

“It was work to increase the benefits of a diverse culture,” said Navin of the Cultural Connections Committee.

As the idea evolved, CDM started to look at the percentage of minority staff members and how diversity was handled in each school.

In 2001, Citizens for a Diverse Milton compiled a report based on interviews with the Milton Public Schools’ principals, which tackled staff training and recruitment as well as diversity activities at the schools.

“That was a helpful report to open people’s eyes to what was and wasn’t happening,” said Navin.

The most significant piece of the one-time report lead to the creation of the Milton Public Schools Diversity Policy, which continues to influence decision making.

The ongoing principal search and the second system-wide meeting of the diversity committees will keep Citizens for a Diverse Milton busy as they continue to be effective in recognizing the differences that make Milton great.