At their last retreat for 2025, members of the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education on Wednesday received a condensed version of the same “Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity” (SEED) training that teachers in the school district get.
Board President Nubia Duvall Wilson said that SEED is widely recognized “for its comprehensive approach to DEI through restorative practices.”
“SEED partners with communities, organizations and institutions in bringing people together to learn through self reflection, build relationships through structured dialogue and create change through systemic analysis,” she said, when introducing the workshop to the Board and members of the audience . “SEED participants deepen their understanding of systems of power and oppression and the role they can play in driving change toward diversity, equity and inclusion while centering wholeness, wellness and just relationships for everyone involved.”
District teachers receive SEED training over multiple seminars in a row, rather than just one night but CHS counselors Marcia Hicks and Kate Facto, who facilitate the training for both teachers and parents, provided the Board with an overview workshop to understand what the training involves.
“Tonight the Board receives a snippet of what [teachers] experience,” Duvall Wilson said, adding that the training involves being in small circles for intimate discussions that enable disclosure on sensitive topics. “We believe it is important for the Board to receive a preview of this, which can also support internal BOE relations.”
