May 2019 Regular Edition

J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y P U B L I C S C H O O L S
ENVISION
EQUITY
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND POVERTY PROGRAMS
MAY 2019
ISSUE NO. 64
FREE
SATELLITE
OFFICE @
SHAWNEE
Quarterly Review
BLACK STUDENT UNION
Louisville Male High School, &
Butler Traditional
STEPHEN DOUGLASS
Honor, Courage, Commitment
And More!
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And More!

ENVISION EQUITY MAY 2019
SATELLITE OFFICE @ SHAWNEE:
QUARTERLY REVIEW
By Donald Dillard—JCPS Satellite Offices Supervisor
Photos, Abdul Sharif.
Above, JCPS officials, and students cut the ribbon at the Satellite Office @ Shawnee Opening in January 2019.
T
he Satellite Office program is a unique
opportunity for parents and families to
receive district-level services within the
community where they reside. The Satellite
Office program is part of the Diversity, Equity,
and Poverty Programs Department in
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS). Don
Dillard, Satellite Office supervisor, oversees
two Satellite Offices in JCPS. The West
Louisville Satellite Office (WLSO) was created
in January of 2018 at the California
Community Center. The WLSO site is open
every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to
5:30 p.m. At the WLSO, families can receive
services from such JCPS departments as
Student Relations, Exceptional Child
Education (ECE), and Student Assignment.
The WLSO also offers after-school services,
such as Science, Technology, Engineering,
Math, and Art (STEAM) and chess class. The
WLSO collaborates with the Jefferson County
High School to offer tutoring services for
elementary, middle, and high school
students. Annie Haigler is the administrator
who coordinates after-school services for
both sites.
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ENVISION EQUITY MAY 2019
Established in January of 2019, the Satellite Office @ Shawnee is open Monday through
Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Satellite Office @ Shawnee is home to Student Equity &
Community Engagement, a division of the Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Department. Under
Giselle Danger-Mercaderes’ leadership, the Student Equity and Community Engagement
division assists families with securing clothing, food, transportation, and housing. The
Student Equity and Community Engagement division is also the district’s focal point for
coordinating foster care services for JCPS.
In February, the Satellite Offices hosted parentteacher
conferences for Crosby Middle School,
Kammerer Middle School, Waggener High School,
Doss High School, St. Matthews Elementary School,
and Ramsey Middle School. During the parentteacher
conference day, the community also had
the opportunity to meet with Jefferson County
Board of Education Chairperson Diane Porter,
Assistant Superintendent for Middle Schools Michelle Dillard, and Executive Administrator
Jessica Rosenthal to discuss educational issues in the district.
Above, JCPS students attend a coding program at the Satellite Office @ Shawnee.
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ENVISION EQUITY MAY 2019
Besides collaborating with district departments and programs, the Satellite Offices also have
strong ties with local community agencies. Two agencies that are directly housed within the
Satellite Offices are The BEECH and Project One. The BEECH is a program that has offered free
tutoring services for more than 12 years to JCPS students. The BEECH uses certified teachers to
offer students academic support in all academic areas. Rose Livingston, the program director,
conferences with students and parents to outline individualized services to meet the needs of
struggling students. The BEECH also offers a free kindergarten-readiness camp over the
summer for preschool students.
Project One is an organization that has served the Jefferson County community for more than
30 years. Program Administrators Lulu Green, Jesse Daniels, and Joyce Proyor are the site
administrators for the Project One program. Students who participate in the Project One
program receive employability and social etiquette training. After students complete the
training, students are assigned a five-week paid internship at local businesses throughout
Jefferson County.
The Satellite Offices programs offered this year included the following:
• A STEAM camp for elementary students that focused on project-based learning
• The AMPED program, which taught students computer coding skills
• A parent workshop that focused on empowering parents to learn how to access resources in
JCPS and the community
The Satellite Office partnered with Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Programs to offer two-week
camps over Winter Break that focused on literacy. For the summer of 2019, Diversity, Equity,
and Poverty Programs is offering The DORMS program at the Satellite Office @ Shawnee. The
DORMS program will focus on college preparation. Also this summer, the Satellite Office
program will collaborate with the Volunteer Talent Search Department to host a girls’
empowerment summer camp.
The Satellite Office is looking to expand to other sites to provide services to a larger area of
Jefferson County. The goal of the Satellite Office is to create a customer-friendly environment,
so families will take advantage of the wonderful services the programs have to offer. Please
contact Donald Dillard or Annie Haigler for additional services information at (502) 485-6788 or
by email at donald.dillard@jefferson.kyschools.us.
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Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Programs Department
Resource Teacher’S Corner
T
he Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Programs Department is proud to
have four amazing resource teachers on our team who are available
to answer questions about the district’s Racial Equity Policy, train teachers
and administrators, and much more. The “Resource Teacher’s Corner” is a
new section of our newsletter that will give you, the reader, more insight
into what our resource teachers are up to. In the below podcast, our
resource teachers introduce themselves and give you an overview of their
first year in the Diversity, Equity, and Poverty Programs Department.
ENVISION EQUITY MAY 2018
PLAY
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Butler Traditional High School
Black Student Union
By Aven Cook—BSU Sponsor, Butler Traditional High School
On March 20th, 2019, the Black Student Union of Butler Traditional High School convened to
discuss the inevitable fact that our school climate and culture will drastically shift next school
year. When we return from summer break, Butler’s staff will have grown by at least one; our
new School Resource Officer will be provided from and supported by the Shively Police
Department. Appropriately, our students had many concerns and questions. Working from a
growth mindset, the group of students utilized the Department of Diversity, Equity, and
Poverty’s Racial Equity Analysis Protocol to discuss their reactions to this new member of our
staff.
After breaking down the protocol to maximize our shared understanding, students began
generating concerns that they have about how an SRO would fit into Butler’s current culture.
What followed was a proactive, productive collaboration between sophomore, junior, and
senior students to address the myriad issues that our student population will face when a
uniformed police officer is brought into our building. Thinking through our current school
norms and systems, students generate a list of questions to present to our administration for
consideration. As of now, the students are awaiting full answers and planning for the bestcase-scenario.
Their questions are listed below.
• During a regular school day, where can students expect to find/see the SRO?
• During a regular school day, what actions will the SRO carry out? What responsibilities will
the SRO have to complete?
• What role will the SRO play in our current school security? What will happen to the school
security officers we have now?
• How is our administration/JCPS ensuring that the SRO posted is mentally competent?
• How is our administration/JCPS ensuring that the SRO posted is trained to be culturally
competent and responsive?
• Will the SRO be expected to complete training or professional development?
• Will the administration ask/require the SRO to participate in the Faculty Retreat to better
integrate with current Butler faculty?
• Will students have a chance to meet and speak with the SRO prior to the school year
beginning?
• What weapons will the SRO be armed with on a day-to-day basis?
• What physical action(s) will the SRO be lawfully permitted to take against students?
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Louisville
Male High
School Black
Student Union
Educate, Equip, Empower!
By Kenya Dale—BSU Sponsor, Louisville Male High School
We, the students of Louisville Male High School, pledge on our shared cultural heritage, to be
positive activists, advocates, and allies to all in our struggle to create, develop, and nurture the
self-evident right and freedom of all people for cultural expression and participation. We honor
our history, our school, and our country in the pursuit of equality, equity, and inclusion. We, the
Black Student Union wholly embrace the tradition of academic excellence, honor, and
community service here at Louisville Male High school. We believe it is our destiny to enhance
these traditions by lifting our voices, speaking our minds, and opening our hearts to promote
unity, diversity, and school pride.
Louisville Male High School has a complicated history within and among the African
American community. Students of color began graduating from Male in 1961. For these
alumni, Male offered an excellent opportunity for academic success, however, the social and
cultural climate of the school was sometimes hostile towards students of color. In the 1960’s
and 70’s, black students were kept out of student government and excluding some sports,
most extracurricular activities. Today, the culture and atmosphere at Male has changed
dramatically due to the dedication of the black Male Alumni and the students of color who
participate with the Black Student Union.
Attendants at the Male High School class of '61
luncheon Aug. 9, 2013.(Photo: Alton Strupp, The
(Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal)
In its first few years, Male BSU, organized and strategized
entirely by the students, sought to create a community
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within the nearly over crowed halls and classrooms in which they felt isolated and invisible.
Despite the progress JCPS has made addressing the issues facing African American students in
all schools, Male students of color felt that they, in particular, had no choice but to disappear
themselves into the existing traditional culture, inclusive or not, in order to succeed. However,
as cultural awareness spread, black students at Male decided that they were entitled to belong
and make a place for themselves here at Male. And that is exactly what they did.
This year’s executive committee, Jaylo Morton, President, Tahj Lee, Vice President, and
Secretary, Erica Watkins has worked
very hard to create a space for students
of color to strengthen Male’s BSU’s
influence and outreach. Each
Wednesday, they have organized
lessons, activities, discussion and
debate forums, and outings with BSU
members. A group of twenty five
members went to see The Hate U Give
as a group and presented their review
of the film in
discussion and role played scenarios
demonstrating how to engage with police officers. Out of the discussion and reenactments,
many BSU students expressed their nearly phobic fears of police officers and challenged the
validity using fact based arguments instead of emotions. BSU members left the meeting with
effective strategies and techniques to use when responding to police officers, as well as those
who racially provoke or insult students of color.
In addition to our weekly meetings offering educational programs, event planning, and
community service project ideas, this year Male BSU participated in the “School to Prison
Pipeline” discussion forum, the Angel Tree Network, and provided resources for students of
color suffering from depression and suicidal ideation. This last has had the biggest impact on
the long held racial and cultural belief that African Americans are immune to mental illness.
Through our discussion and research, we were able to embrace new attitudes, resources, and
support for those black students suffering in silence, shame, and fear by speaking truth to the
myths we, as a community, hold about mental illness. We are planning to expand the network
of support for black students with mental health issues next year.
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The 2019 Black History Month Program featured an artistic mix of music, acting, poetry, and
story-telling. Our goal this year was to demonstrate how music, from our earliest African
ancestors to today, tells the story of who we are. The Many Meanings of our Hymns was written,
performed, and produced by the very talented and dedicated students of Male BSU. They
poured their hearts, minds, voices, and bodies into sharing their musical cultural heritage with
the Male student body and staff. Dr. Jury remarked that this year’s program was the best he has
seen from our BSU since he has been principal.
One of the most talked about figures of
our program is the little known history of
Queen NZinga of Angola. Queen
NZinga’s story challenges the narrative
that all Africans sold and traded slaves to
Europeans, as well as the assumption
that women cannot be great warriors.
The audience was stunned by the tale of
greatest warrior in African history in her
royal purple and gold jewels.
Each year, Male BSU develops and
strengthens. In reflecting on this past
year, we realized the necessity of
academic support for black students in
AP and duel credit courses. In
discussions, we identified some of the
trepidation students of color feel with
regard to AP and duel credit course.
Some of these are lack of minority teacher representation, the lack of parental understanding
and support for such courses, and lack of knowledge about the benefits of setting higher
academic goals. We are hoping to create and organize a committee specifically to address these
hurdles and raise funds to purchase academic resources to support students of color and their
parents.
Along with our motto: Educate, Equip, and Empower, Male BSU provides a safe place for
students of color to be themselves while working to promote healthy social, cultural, and
academic relationships among, between, and within the traditional atmosphere here at Male.
We strive to be the change we wish to see in our school and community.
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ENVISION EQUITY MAY 2019
May 2019
Check out our monthly update video featuring JCPS Chief of
Communications Renee Murphy and Community Engagement
Coordinator Delquan Dorsey, to find out what DEP has coming up
this month!
Click Here to Play
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ENVISION EQUITY MAY 2019
HONOR, COURAGE,
COMMITMENT:
STEPHEN DOUGLASS
By Dr. Monica Lakhwani—Multicultural Specialist, DEP
Student Stephen Douglass from Boyle County High
School shared himself and a piece of his heritage
asking educators to continue seeking multiple
perspectives.
Upon introduction, Mr. Douglass spoke in his native
language following up in English. He shared his
Navajo Diné tribal affiliation – born of bear people
clan to meadow people clan. And immediately set
the stage of pride when sharing the meaning of his
traditional name as ‘the one who advances’.
Stephen shared how clan people are considered to be very structured, strict, and held
sacred even today. His clan is equivalent to his family.
When referring to his culture, he prefers the use of American Indian or Native American
but will not accept Indian alone.
What are some of the challenges you have encountered as a student?
“Challenges vary. Challenges on the reservation are mostly economic as well as being
labelled as different. Challenges outside the reservation are cultural. For example many
do not understand the mindset of respecting mother earth and animals. I am passionate
about being nice to animals and earth we live on.”
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“Subtle comments with a joking intent but it does
enrage a side of me. For example, while on break at
work a lady says I have beautiful hair what am I? I say
American Indian and she I say American Indian and
she responds thought you guys were all gone. That hit
my heart as she was led to believe we were all extinct.
I was glad to leave that conversation educating her on
a topic she was not familiar with.”
How has maintaining your Native American
heritage enriched your life?
“Hold to hear my beliefs and values, staying true to
self. Aspects of honor, courage, and commitment. I
admire my history.”
What would you like to share with our educators as well as our readers?
“We [Native Americans] are still here. Even though there is a negative relationship between
natives and non-natives we are still around. We are not characters of the past and not
extinct.”
“Provide opportunities to learn/educate about various cultures…Native Americans. Provide
a perspective on Native Americans that people may not be aware of.”
How do you think your Native American Heritage will play a role in your future?
“As an inspiration to others whether they’re American Indian or not. With my cultural
background it is my hope people will take that into the future and it will lead to inspiration.”
Stephen has received a full scholarship to the University of Kentucky and is planning to
pursue a teaching career. Whether teaching on or off the reservation, he hopes to
inspire students. As a future teacher on the reservation, his hope is to inspire students
to develop a mindset in building a foundation for a better life. He hopes to inspire his
students with a “warrior mentality” in which they learn to be true to themselves as
well as their community. As a future teacher off the reservation, Steven hopes to
inspire students by providing perspective and walk them down the life of what it
means to be Native American.
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Native American Resource Suggestions:
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ENVISION EQUITY MAY 2019
Professional Development
Opportunities
Title Session Code Date & Time Location Contact
A Mile in My Shoes:
Homeless Education
18-1993458 May 3
9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
VanHoose Education
Center
Giselle Danger-
Mercaderes
(502) 485-3650
Equity-Centered
Schools: How Every
Belongs, or Do They?
18-19102543 May 7
4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Atherton High
Vanessa McPhail
(502) 485-3631
Girls of Color – Sense
of Belonging and
Student Voice
18-1999106 May 15
4:45 to 6:45 p.m.
C.B. Young Jr. Service
Center
Vanessa McPhail
(502) 485-3631
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ENVISION EQUITY MAY 2019
Thinker: My Puppy Poet and Me
By Eloise Greenfield
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (April 2, 2019)
For 4 - 8 years
Books for Young Readers
The Poet X
By Elizabeth Acevedo
HarperTeen; 1st Edition edition (March 6, 2018)
For 14 and up
Jace has a new puppy and he’s no normal puppy, he’s a poet!
Problem is the puppy, Thinker, can’t talk or speak his poetry
in public. He needs to keep quiet and he cannot go to
school with Jace. Until…Pet Day! Jace is worried Thinker
will embarrass him if he speaks up in school though. Jace’s
neighborhood and school is diverse and the illustrations are
warm and lively. This is a beautiful picture book to introduce
poetry to young children.
Poet X is a moving novel in verse set on the streets of
Harlem. Xiomara Barista desperately wants to express who
she is and the rollercoaster of teenage emotions she is
experiencing. She cannot do so within the confines of her
family home so she does so secretly through her journal and
her poetry. However, her mother has other plans. Xiomara
realizes her twin brother is hiding his own secrets from their
mother. She begins to figure out how she can stand up for
herself and her beliefs. This is a powerful and emotional tale
of a young woman finding herself in this world.
Bravo!: Poems About Amazing Hispanics
By Margarita Engle
Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (March 14, 2017)
For 8-12 years
Margarita Engle’s book displays vibrant illustrations
and poems on 18 inspiring Latino/as and the impact
these figures have had on others. She includes stories of
more commonly recognized Latino/a figures and
several lesser-known folks. This sunny and vivid
collection portrays a diverse set of individuals and
reveals their rich array of talents and accomplishments
through poetic verse.
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ENVISION EQUITY MAY 2019
2019 Middle School Girls’ Summit
Park Community Credit Union and the
Louisville Urban League will host the 2019
Middle School Girls’ Summit on Thursday,
June 20 th , 2019 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
at the Gheens Foundation Lodge at the
Parklands (1421 Beckley Creek Pkwy.) Middle
school girls (ages 11-14) will engage with
dynamic women leaders. They will focus on tips
for building healthy lifestyle, financial literacy,
and personal responsibility skills. Continental
breakfast and lunch will be provided. Those
interested in attending the summit should visit
the Eventbrite registration page. To access
Eventbrite, use link https://
www.gskentuckiana.org/content/
gskentuckiana/en/sf-events-repository/2019/
grl-pwr-middle-school-girls-summit.html. For
more information, contact Kate McKune at
(502) 815-1159.
A Mile In My Shoes
The Student Equity and Community
Engagement Department is excited
to announce a one mile walk called “A Mile in
My Shoes” to benefit several groups of
students, including students in foster care,
students who are experiencing housing
instability, and students who are
immigrants and refugees. The
one mile walk will take place on May 18, 2019
from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. at Shawnee Park.
For more info, contact 485-6358.
Intermediate Spanish
Monday, May 06, 2019 - 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Enhance your Spanish through comprehension,
oral expression and vocabulary. This class is
designed for intermediate Spanish speakers.
Registration required, please call 964-3515.
South Central Library
7300 Jefferson Blvd.
Louisville, KY USA` 40219
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D I V E R S I T Y , E Q U I T Y , A N D P O V E R T Y P R O G R A M S D E P A R T M E N T
LITERACY &
S C H E D U L E O F P R O G R A M S
SUMMER BREAK 2019
LITERACY & HIP HOP
SHELBY ELEMENTARY TRADITIONAL
ACADEMY
JUNE 17–27
MON – THURS
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & KARATE
RANGELAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
JUNE 17–27
MON – THURS
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & PHOTOGRAPHY
ENGELHARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
JUNE 17–27
MON – THURS
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & KARATE
FOSTER TRADITIONAL ACADEMY
JUNE 17–27
MON – THURS
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & YOGA
INDIAN TRAIL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
JUNE 17–27
MON – THURS
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & CHESS
ENGELHARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
JULY 8–18
MON – THURS
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & YOGA
RANGELAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
JULY 8–18
MON – THURS
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & PHOTOGRAPHY
FOSTER TRADITIONAL ACADEMY
JULY 8–18
MON – THURS
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & KARATE
PRICE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
JULY 8–18
MON – THURS
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & ROBOTICS
INDIAN TRAIL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
JULY 8–18
MON – THURS
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & DRAMA
SATELLITE OFFICE @ SHAWNEE
JULY 8–18
MON – THURS
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & HIP HOP
SMYRNA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
JULY 8–18
MON – THURS
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & FENCING
SHELBY TRADITIONAL ACADEMY
JULY 8–18
MON – THUR
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & ROBOTICS
AUDUBON TRADITIONAL ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
JULY 22–AUG 1
MON – THUR
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & CHESS
AUDUBON TRADITIONAL ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
JULY 8–18
MON – THUR
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & CHESS
BURNETT AVE BAPTIST CHURCH
JULY 22–AUG 2
MON – FRI
9 AM–4 PM
LITERACY & PHOTOGRAPHY
BURNETT AVE BAPTIST CHURCH
JULY 8–19
MON – FRI
9 AM–4 PM
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For more information, contact
Taylor Utley at 485-6331 or email taylor.utley@jefferson.kyschools.us.

ENVISION EQUITY MAY 2019
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ENVISION EQUITY MARCH 2019
J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y P U B L I C S C H O O L S
2019
MALES OF COLOR
CELEBRATION
Editor—Catherine Collesano
Editor, Photo Contributor—Abdul Sharif
Credits
Envision Equity is a publication of the JCPS Department of Diversity, Equity, and Poverty
Programs. All submissions should be sent to Catherine Collesano at
catherine.collesano@jefferson.kyschools.us or Abdul Sharif at
abdul.sharif2@jefferson.kyschools.us. If you are interested in becoming a subscriber or a
contributor to Envision Equity, please contact one of the editors at the above email address.
www.jefferson.kyschools.us
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities
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