School Committee Votes in Favor of D’Ambrosio’s Equity Advisory Board Proposal

Last Tuesday night the Revere School Committee voted 4 to 3 to accept first-term School Committee member Anthony D’Ambrosio proposal to establish Revere Public School’s first ever Equity Advisory Board that will examine racial, disability, gender, and religious equity issues in the schools.

“I’m incredibly excited,” said D’Ambrosio. “The board is going to do much needed and long overdue work and I’m glad to see the School Committee lead the way.”

D’Ambrosio envisions the Equity Advisory Board as a diverse mix of parents, teachers, students and community leaders that will make recommendations to the School Committee and Superintendent on a regular basis.

“Essentially I see this new board examining a broader array of issues through the lens and eyes of people not on the School Committee,” said D’Ambrosio. “I think a good mix of parents, teachers, students and community leaders that have experience with equity and deal with it on an everyday basis will be an important new set of eyes on the issue in Revere. The board will have  tremendous potential to come up with solutions and identify problems that we haven’t addressed to this point as a school district. Basically, I think it is important to allow people not on the School Committee to make policy recommendations on this crucial topic.”

D’Ambrosio said working to create a more equitable system for students is absolutely essential for a school district of the 21st century.

D’Ambrosio said the advisory board will be a truly collaborative effort between teachers, administrators, the School Committee, and the superintendent – and the possibility of community leaders and student representation.

“The exact specifics of the board will be hammered out over the next month or two through a collaborative process,” said D’Ambrosio. “I’d like to see an 8 to 12 member board with a healthy mix of educators, parents, student representatives and community leaders. The board I envision will represent the rich diversity of Revere with members from all different backgrounds.” D’Ambrosio, 24, was elected to the School Committee last November, topping the ticket with 5,318 votes in his first run for public office.