A Message From The Superintendent

December 21, 2022

Dear Chappaqua Central School District Families,

As we head into break, I want to wish all of our District families a happy and healthy holiday season, and all the best for the New Year. A new calendar year allows us time to pause and take stock of our work in providing every child an inclusive, supportive, and rigorous educational environment.

Recently, our students have reported concerns that center on inappropriate peer interactions, holiday representation in the District calendar, and the District's pathway forward to support our social justice work. There has also been an increase in student behavioral incidents, including hate speech, reported at our secondary schools.

All students have the right to be educated in an environment where they can thrive. Every student in our District should feel valued. I would like to share with you an outline of how the District plans to respond to the concerns that have been shared with me.

CCSD Equity Work
The administrative team will update the Board of Education and community monthly, for the remainder of the school year, on continuing equity work with Insight Education Group. We have increased our professional development support from Insight, and look forward to expanding our partnership with them.

Director of Equity, Inclusion and Wellness
The Committee on Anti-Racism, Equity and Social Justice (CARES), which is made up of students, parents and staff, will be meeting with Insight to discuss how to shape the position of Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Wellness in order to best meet our current needs. The District will update the Board of Education on our progress on January 25, 2023.

23/24 District Calendar
For over a year now, District administration and the Board of Education have been discussing how we can make changes to our calendar to recognize holidays that are important to, and celebrated by, an increasing percentage of our families. On January 11, 2023, I look forward to presenting a draft calendar at the Board of Education meeting which addresses requests shared with us regarding holiday recognition.

Student Incident Reporting
I have been asked to provide clarity with regard to how students should report incidents that happen in our schools. Students may reach out to any staff member to report violations of our Code of Conduct. Staff will contact the school's administration, who will conduct an investigation. Administrators will reach out to parents of students involved in a given investigation. Anonymous Alerts is also an available mechanism for students to report incidents for administrative review.

We appreciate that many students, staff, and parents have provided us with thoughtful insights about our social justice and equity work. We are committed to continuing these conversations as we work together to ensure that our schools provide the best possible learning environment for all of our students.

We encourage all families to take some time together during the break to discuss the importance of building a school community where every student feels seen, heard, and valued.

As always, thank you for your support and partnership.

Sincerely,

Christine Ackerman, PhD
Superintendent of Schools