On May 26, NISPA held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) via Zoom. The meeting was a well attended event with 54 attendees from 26 member schools.
The first half of the AGM dealt with the business portion of the meeting. NISPA President, Krystie Robinson-Vincent, welcomed all attendees and went through the agenda. There were several items that needed to be voted on during the meeting which will be highlighted in the minutes. The financial summary was provided by our Treasurer and the event highlights, including all the many speakers NISPA offered throughout the year, were shared with the group.
NISPA’s Nomination Committee developed the slate for the 2021-2022 Board members.
- Chair — Domenica Coppa
- Vice Chair —Tanya Giaquinto
- Treasurer — Susan Ianni
- Secretary — Kathy Vucic
- Director — Jackie Sklenka, Nicol Andrea Domingues, Jo Hanna
- Past Chair — Krystie Robinson-Vincent
The second half of the AGM focused on fostering Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion within Parent Associations with our guest speaker Mahlon Evans-Sinclair.
The key objectives of the presentation were:
- Make links between how nature and nurture work together in the socialization process of perpetuating stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination.
- Reflect on key terms and their contextual application.
- Consider where best to start on the journey of EDI in their own settings in support of their learners and school environment
Mahlon identified macro and micro inequities and how we can lead purposely from the inside out. We need to start with our own understanding:
- Acceptance of bias and intention-setting
- What key terms still need greater understanding
- Self-learning
- Tackle bias consciously
- Catch yourself in the act
- Name bias and analyze
- Feedback from others