A middle school oceanography course and a Diverse Educators Recruitment Day are just two of the many ways that Princeton Public Schools (PPS) have been working this summer to fulfill PPS’s strategic goal to “promote equity and access in ways that effectively eliminate the ‘achievement’ or opportunity gap.”

Designed to engage and excite students who are under-represented in more advanced science courses, the oceanography class ran from August 7-18 for four hours each day. Fifteen John Witherspoon Middle School students attended the course, which was sponsored by the Princeton Area Community Foundation.

“The students tried new things and took advantage of the experience,” said the instructor, Princeton High School biology teacher Jackie Katz. “We wanted to expose the students to content that they would not typically see in a middle school curriculum, as well as the idea that science is not always conducted in the lab.”

Discussing the idea of density and buoyancy in the first week, the students went to see an ocean glider at Rutgers University and then created their own model glider out of a helium balloon.

Investigating water quality and the use of sensors to collect data in the second week, the students took water samples from the Princeton area and did some tests, then went on a boat trip and collected data from the Raritan Bay. The students also deployed the ocean glider they had worked on the previous week. The program ended with the students building their own temperature sensor.

“I hope that this program continues to grow to include more students and cultivates an enthusiasm for science,” said Ms. Katz. “It is important that students understand that you do not need to be at the top of your class to excel in the sciences. Science is a huge field that allows for participation by all types of learners. I feel as though I grew as a teacher, so I am hoping that the students feel the same.”

On another front in the quest for equity, Superintendent Steve Cochrane emphasized the importance of building a more diverse staff that reflects the diversity of the community. On Monday, August 14, PPS hosted a Diverse Educators Recruitment Day for general education teachers, administrators, special education teachers, and other education professionals.

“We know how important it is for students to see individuals who look like them in leadership positions in their classrooms and schools,” Mr. Cochrane said. “We also know that the more diversity we have among our educators, the better our schools will be for all students.”

Ninety-four applicants participated in the recruitment day.

Currently 56 percent of PPS students are white, and 86 percent of the staff is white. Mr. Cochrane pointed out that the district is making a conscious effort to increase the number and percentage of teachers and administrators of color in the schools. As of last week 16 new teachers had been hired, more than 30 percent being teachers of color.

“It was great to see the quality and number of prospective teachers and administrators who turned out for the job fair,” said Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Lew Goldstein. “Our efforts to recruit and retain additional educators of color will be ongoing as we work to reflect our student and community profile now and in the years to come.”

PPS will hold additional diversity recruitment days and will also continue to participate with 17 other school districts in the Central Jersey Program for Recruitment of Diverse Educators job fair in March of each year.

Mr. Cochrane and other administrators are also looking to travel to historically black colleges and universities during the coming school year to do recruiting on site. “It’s a benefit to all students to have more teachers and administrators of color,” Mr. Cochrane said, “and we’re committed to that.”

Speaking on an education panel at the Joint Effort Safe Streets program earlier in the month, Mr. Cochrane emphasized the importance of racial literacy and “looking at what we’re doing through the lens of equity.”

“We live in a world in which race is an important reality, and we want our students to be able to navigate that world,” he said. “Racial literacy is critically important for our students and our country.”

In addition to a new high school elective course on racial literacy, the history department has revised the U.S. History 1 curriculum, beginning the year with a unit on race.

Other initiatives to be implemented in the coming year will include a revision of the third grade curriculum to include a study of local history, race, and slavery in Princeton in the unit on the Colonial era; training in exploration of implicit biases for staff and students; continuation of days of dialogue at the high school with students visiting from other schools; and monthly meetings with administrators for feedback from the community.