Windham School District responds to social justice/current events 

by: Rep. Sherman, Carl Sr.

Lancaster, Texas –State Representative Carl O. Sherman (District 109) along with other members of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus (TLBC) in the North Texas Delegation hosted a virtual town hall on June 16, 2020. The purpose of the town hall was for both members of the delegation and the community to meet and discuss issues that affect the black community, such as criminal justice reform, health equity and growing black businesses.

Those in attendance were able to ask questions and voice their concern about the range of issues presented. During the town hall, discussion surrounding criminal justice reform and education for people currently incarcerated helped foment and inspire ideas that a now being enacted in the Windham School District, which serves and provides educational programs, academic classes and Career and Technical Education to the people incarcerated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).

The Windham School District has created a new program, inspired by the discussion held during the TLBC town hall. Titled the Family Literacy Program, this program aims to encourage and support incarcerated parents with the resources and skills to have greater involvement and become active partners in their children's education, with support from the various school districts throughout the state of Texas as well as the caretakers and custodial parents. The program has created seven Family Literacy Unit coordinators, who will be dispersed about the district in various regions of Texas, and as of October 26, 2020, three of the seven positions have been filled.

The Windham School District has also created a new position entitled Transition Service Specialist-Equity and Inclusion. The School District has stated that the mission for this new employee is to “support the district’s equitable resource, both materials and staff, allocation and opportunities for underserved populations". The position was filled on 10/5/2020, and the employee hired is currently undergoing training with WSD.

Hope is alive and hope is being put into action.

The creation of these new programs and positions will aim to help to better serve the incarcerated people within the Windham School District as well as their families.

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