Equity, Diversity & Accountability Coalition

Focus Group & Subcommittees

EDA Team Members

Gesele Thomas, Chair

Syl Nelson 

Mimi Weithers-Bruce

Noelle Hoori

Krystalynn Martin

David Kabanje

Meet the Subcommittee members

Meet the Subcommittee Teams:

Curriculum

Dr. Columbus Candies, EDA Member & Subcommittee Facilitator, Mt. Tahoma SDA Church member, Tacoma Washington

Samuel Marcus Williams, Auburn Adventist Academy Alum & Teacher of Social Studies, Digital Music & Music Production at Puget Sound Community School, Seattle Washington

Dr. Uchenna Baker, Vice President Student Affairs & Dean of Students at Fairleigh Dickinson University, New Jersey

Lori Kissinger, Auburn Adventist Academy Alum & Vice Principal for Academics/Registrar, Auburn Adventist Academy

Staffing

Mimi Weithers-Bruce, EDA Member & Subcommittee Facilitator, Parent of Auburn Adventist Academy Student and Graduate, & Outreach Ministries Administrative Assistant for Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Dr. Pedrito Maynard-Reid, Assistant to the President for Diversity and Inclusion, Professor of Biblical Studies and Missiology, Ombudsman, Walla Walla University

Joe Underhill, Vice Principal for Student Life & History Teacher, Auburn Adventist Academy

Education & Training 

Melia Williams, EDA Member & Subcommittee Facilitator, Teacher of Vocal Music & Consumer Science, Auburn Adventist Academy 

Sharon Hughes, Speech-Language Pathologist, Enumclaw School District, Enumclaw Washington

Tamala Newsome, School Principal in Portland, Oregon

Amanda Ramoutar, Assistant Professor of Education, Walla Walla University

Policy & Accountability

Krystalynn Martin, EDA Member & Subcommittee Facilitator, Vice Principal for Spiritual Life, Senior Bible Teacher, Liaison for EDA Coalition, Auburn Adventist Academy

Andre Wang, Auburn Adventist Academy Alum & General Counsel & Director of Office of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, North Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Gillian Russell, Parent of Auburn Adventist Academy Students, & Attorney Advisor, United States Department of Health and Human Services

Karl Newsome, Office of Community Engagement & Assistant Principal on Special Assignment, Portland Public Schools, Portland Oregon

Cassandre Beccai, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist & Title IX Coordinator, Walla Walla University

Approval Roadmap

To learn how recommendations get vetted and approved, see the Approval Roadmap graph listed below, as well as go here for a timeline of events and progress report: Action Steps — Auburn Adventist® Academy (squarespace.com)

Updates

May 19, 2022:

At chapel on May 19, 2022, we introduced our first Ombuds, Dr. Columbus Candies, to the school. The following statement was read at the beginning of the chapel by Principal Peter Fackenthall, and then the rest of the assembly time was devoted to understanding what the role of ombuds is, as well as an interview getting to know Dr. Candies a bit. The academy’s statement for the office of ombuds reads as follows:

“Auburn Adventist Academy’s office of the Ombuds provides parents, students, and members of the school community confidential, impartial, and informal assistance in resolving school-related concerns, conflicts, and issues. The Office of the Ombuds operates in accordance with the following core values of Confidentiality, Informality, Impartiality and Independence. The Ombuds will take all reasonable steps to protect the anonymity of visitors to the office and when requested safeguard confidentiality. The Ombuds will, wherever possible, facilitate communication between parties related to the dispute and when confidentiality is not imperative, share concerns with school administration. The Ombuds will listen and help clarify concerns, provide information, and explore options available to those concerned as well as facilitate discussions to resolve issues. The Ombuds is neutral. The Ombuds does not take sides or advocate on behalf of any individual or the administration. Rather, the Ombuds is an advocate for fair processes. The Ombuds reports to the Vice President for Education and the School Board and will collect data on emerging trends and patterns utilizing this data to make quarterly and annual reports to the Vice President for Education and School Board promoting positive change. Lastly the Ombuds will at all times support and facilitate current dispute resolution policies developed and formalized by the North American Division office of Education as well as any policies in place governing the resolution of disputes.”

To contact Auburn Adventist Academy's Ombuds, Dr. Columbus Candies, email ombuds@auburn.org

January 13, 2022:

Equity, Diversity, & Accountability (EDA) Coalition presents EDA Progress Report to the AAA Board the timeline of EDA events ranging from June 2020 to January 2022. Revisions to some of the recommendations are shared and discussed, based on feedback from experts on the EDA subcommittees. Request for Board Approval to (a). accept the revisions proposed to the current EDA recommendations; and (b). motion for Dr. Columbus Candies to serve as interim Ombudsman. Board vote approval granted. (To see revisions that were approved, go HERE. To see the updated EDA Report that reflects the revisions, go HERE). To see the updated Gantt Chart, go here and scroll to the bottom:  Action Steps — Auburn Adventist® Academy (squarespace.com)

August 16-20, 2021:

The Grievance Policy is presented and approved of by AAA staff and the AAA board, taking effect immediately, starting in the 2021-2022 school year. Additionally, students are trained in what the grievance policy means, how to use it, and sign a commitment form that they will do their part in keeping AAA a safe place for all students. (To find the Grievance Policy, go HERE, or find it in the student handbook, pages 21-27, found here: 2021-2022 Handbook - 11-16 Update.pdf - Google Drive.)

June 9, 2021:

AAA Board voted to approve the four subcommittees under the auspices of the Equity, Diversity, and Accountability (EDA) Coalition.  In addition, the EDA Coalition is in the final stages of being added to the school constitution as a standing committee that will give progress reports in relation to equity, diversity, and accountability for the foreseeable future. (Update: The final stage of approval took place at the Washington Conference Executive Committee on August 31, 2021).

April 2021:

In April of 2021, the Equity, Diversity, and Accountability (EDA) coalition created sub-committees for each of the categories of recommended improvements that were presented to and accepted by Auburn Adventist Academy in the late fall of 2020. The details of those areas of recommended improvement can be found in the EDA report (click HERE) on pages 40-49.  As a general reminder, the four areas are (1) Curriculum; (2) Staffing; (3) Education & Training; and (4) Policy & Accountability. 

The Justification Statement, which was presented and voted on at the school board on June 9, 2021, reads as follows:

The purpose and mission of the Equity, Diversity & Accountability (EDA) Coalition is to create and put into action recommendations for making AAA a safe and inclusive environment for all God’s children.  To move these action steps forward, the creation and implementation of sub-committees for each of the EDA’s categories of recommended improvements for the academy will be established. The primary purpose of these sub-committees is to assist the school in fulfilling the recommendations of each category of concern that is listed in the EDA report.  These sub-committee members will each consist of at least a staff member, a vested community member, and a qualified expert so that the goals and recommendations that have been approved will be accomplished.  Any new recommendations that have not been approved will be brought before the staff and the school board before being implemented.  These sub-committee bodies will regularly meet and report to the board and to the school the action plans that are being implemented that have already been voted to take place.  It is our honor for Auburn Adventist Academy to partner with our community in working together to make AAA a school where all God’s children are celebrated and loved.

To see the subcommittee teams and members, see “EDA Subcommittee Members” mentioned above.

10/18/20:

The Full Focus Group Report released and Principal Fackenthall presented the timeline of when these recommendations would be implemented, as well as what recommendations have already been adopted by Auburn Adventist Academy.

7/6/20:

AAA's Focus Group on Racial Equity has been meeting every week since the middle of June, and has been working hard.  In the first meeting, the group made a list of things that the school needs to improve on, based on the grievances that have been voiced through the survey results, Facebook post, and the first Crucial Conversations Town Hall meeting in early June. The categories that came up that need to be improved upon are as follows:

• Curriculum

• Staffing

• Training / Education

• Policy / Administration / Leadership / Accountability (School, Church, Conference).

For the next couple of meetings, the team is looking more in-depth at this list and coming up with recommendations needed, as well as measurable action plans to meet those recommendations.  Stay tuned for more details, as well as the date and location for the next Crucial Conversation Town Hall meeting.