Staff Affinity Groups - Parents Defending Education

Number of states: 26 plus the District of Columbia

Number of school districts: 110

KEY TAKEAWAYS

We documented over 100 districts that offer race-based affinity groups for staff
Denver Public Schools (CO) offers a variety of race and identity-based affinity groups including a group focused on “deconstructing privilege.”
Portland Public Schools (ME) gives its BIPOC staff access to “free of charge one-on-one” BIPOC social workers and counselors.
The School District of Philadelphia (PA) offers district principals affinity groups such as “Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color (BIPOC),” “Black Male Leader Think Tank (BMLTT),” “Black Women Leaders Think Tank (BWLTT),” and “White Anti-Racist Leaders Think Tank (WALTT).”
Hamilton County Schools (TN) paid a consultant $50,000 to conduct “educators of color” affinity groups and other race-based trainings.

SUMMARY

We have documented over a hundred K-12 school districts that either currently, or in the past, have offered identity and race-based affinity groups for staff.These groups separate teachers and staff as a means to create “safe spaces” for those who are “underrepresented” so they can “feel comfortable to be themselves.”

Affinity groups, especially race-based ones, get introduced into school districts either through DEI administrators, activist educators, or outside consultants who the district pays for their services. While most participation is voluntary, districts such as Hamilton County Schools in Tennessee pay consultants to run the groups.

Read more about affinity groups here.

EXAMPLES

Denver Public Schools (CO)

Denver Public Schools’ DPS Belong webpage states that district “Belong” groups are “intentional spaces for people with similar backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences to gather, celebrate, and create community.” It also states that district “employees from underrepresented backgrounds bring diverse experiences, perspectives, and approaches” and that these “experiences and perspectives are what create a stronger and more inclusive environment for both our employees and our students.”

Groups offered to staff include an “African American/Black Belong Group,” “Latinx/Hispanic Belong Group,” “Managers of Color Collective,” “Women of Color Belong Group,” and a “Deconstructing Privilege Belong Group.”

The “Deconstructing Privilege Belong Group” states that it is a “dedicated forum for DPS team members to collectively explore and confront issues related to privilege” and is “committed to understanding and addressing its impact from diverse perspectives.” It also aims to “equip ourselves with the knowledge and skills to dismantle oppression.”

Portland Public Schools (ME)

Portland Public Schools’ affinity groups include one for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) and one for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning (LGBTQ+).

The district webpage also includes links to articles to justify “why affinity groups.” One of the resources is titled “Why People of Color Need Spaces Without White People.”

The district’s “BIPOC Staff” webpage states that district BIPOC staff benefit from “specific emotional support through monthly Mutual Support and Healing spaces co-facilitated by a BIPOC social worker” and “free of charge one-on-one counseling sessions with BIPOC counselors/ social workers are also available.”

Charleston County School District (SC)

Charleston County School District’s Office of Intercultural Development states that it “exists to support school leaders and staff develop their cultural competency through building awareness, gaining knowledge, developing skills, and improving attitudes around cultural differences and positively impacting academic achievement by promoting a culture that is both welcoming and culturally responsive.”

As part of developing staff “cultural competency,” the district offers staff affinity groups such as the “Black Educator Affinity Group” and the “Hispanic Latino Affinity Group.”

DISTRICTS

The following list is of districts is meant to document and track those that either currently, or in the past, have offered race-based affinity groups to its staff. This is not an exhaustive list and will be updated as we get new information.

Arizona