TOPS Racial Equity Team (RET)

TOPS has had an officially recognized SPS RET team since 2021, although no we have informally had an in-house team of educators working on racial equity initiatives at TOPS for many years. 

RET seeks to address TOPS specific issues around family engagement, more inclusive curricular choices and teaching, and restorative practices to build a connected and aware community that evolves to address the needs of our students, families, and staff. The RET team is building relationships within the school community and community at large to strengthen these areas.

Many RET initiatives revolve around:

• family listening sessions and surveys
• identity work across the building (including Affinity Groups) and recognizing implicit bias
• diversifying curricular resources across grades and throughout the building
• establishing restorative circle practices
• book studies to frame staff development including Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond and This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell.

The district goals around racial equity frame the work of the RET.

For the 2024-25 school year, RET will meet on a quarterly and as-needed basis.

Current Staff Membership:

• Co-Chair, Amanda Rengli, K-8 Art Teacher
• Co-Chair, Nicole Di Michele, Social Worker
• Miller Sherling, School Nurse
• Kathy Hanson, Counselor
• Dani Rosenberg, 1st grade Teacher
• Kimberly Rosadini, SpED Instructional Assistant
• Amy Schwentor, Principal