Pacific Collegiate School

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Diversity & Equity

About DEI Department

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advances our schools efforts to make a college preparatory education accessible to every child.  The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion values the perspectives and engagement of all community members, from our students, their families, our staff, and community partners throughout the county; we know that all voices are needed in order to create a welcoming learning space that produces community-minded leaders.

The programs, initiatives, and partnerships of this office are designed to create and maintain a safe school that celebrates all identities and provides the resources needed for every community member to thrive.

Please refer to the Staff Directory for contact information.

Summary of 2021-2025 Diversity Plan

  1. Recruit diverse student populations:   As a school we know that students learn best when they are surrounded by diverse identities and perspectives.  As a result, the Bilingual Community Liaison and the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will continue to build on previous iterations of PCS outreach efforts by: partnering with community organizations such as the Davenport Resource Center, Barrios Unidos, and the Nueva Vista Community Center to provide community supports such as tutoring and food pantry distribution.  We are working in collaboration with the community organizations to support the marketing of our school to communities that have traditionally been underrepresented on our campus, with the intent to make college preparatory education a viable option.
  2. Build Mechanisms for Student Support: The administration team in collaboration with student support staff (School Counselor, Bilingual Community Liaison/English Language Coordinator, and the English Language Development Teacher, and College Counselor) will increase both academic and social-emotional support programs that enable all students to successfully access and thrive at PCS. PCS will create these supports through the lens of educational equity, thereby enabling students with the highest needs to get the assistance they deserve to succeed. 
  3. Recruit Diverse School Leadership:  The Senior Business Administrator will lead work in collaboration with the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Head of School to identify and implement recruitment strategies that attract a more diverse pool of employees.  The Board will continue their successful efforts to recruit and retain diverse board members, with the goal of having a school community that more accurately matches the demographics of Santa Cruz County.
  4. Build an Inclusive and Supportive School Culture: The Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Bilingual Community Liaison will work in collaboration with school staff, students, and families to continue the effort to build a school environment that is inclusive of all students identities and needs, both academic and social-emotional.  This initiative will involve providing ample training to improve their implementation of culturally responsive and trauma-informed pedagogy.
  5. Refine Data Collection and Evaluation: Our Board of Directors and Data Analyst are working to refine current data collection methods and standards thereby deepening PCS’s understanding of how to best support students who are ethnically diverse and first in their family to attend college.  
 

Director Letter

A message from the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

 
At Pacific Collegiate Charter School, diversity, equity, and inclusion is the foundation that enables us to achieve our goal of making college an option for every child.  As a school we know that any healthy and thriving community is diverse.  Diversity is not just about having students, faculty and staff from different backgrounds; it is about creating a learning environment where all identities feel welcomed to exist as their unique selves.  Our commitment to creating a welcoming learning environment keeps us focused on listening and responding to the needs of our community members, and providing authentic opportunities for diverse backgrounds to interact and learn from each other.   
 
In order to create that welcoming environment where all students are able to learn, PCS is working diligently to live into educational equity.  Our partnerships with community organizations, professional learning opportunities for faculty and staff,  expansive tutoring programs, and continued bolstering of our Multi-tiered systems of support enable us to provide students with the specialized resources they need to both access and experience success at PCS.  
 
As the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion I am committed to actively listening to all community members, with a special focus on those whose voices have not always been amplified.  In collaboration with each and every member of our community, we will continue to advance the goals of PCS to create a safe and joyful community where all students can access a college preparatory education.   In order to continue this forward motion, we must engage in a cycle of reflection, in which we are able to honestly acknowledge our biases and the ways in which they impact our school community.  We must continue to remain open to feedback, so that we can mend our inevitable mistakes.  
 
As a free and public charter school our commitment to provide a diverse student body with college preparatory education is underpinned by educational equity legislation that looks to remove barriers that have traditionally excluded marginalized communities throughout Santa Cruz County. Our work at PCS is fueled by the desire to see a more just society for all communities. 
 
Thank you for joining the PCS community and working with us to create an inclusive school environment that expands the educational opportunities for diverse students living throughout Santa Cruz County.  
 
In Community,
 
Aliyya O. Hatcher (she/her/hers)
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
 

Staff Directory

Sofia Ramirez

Pronouns

She/Her/Hers/ Ella

Title

Bilingual Community Liaison & EL Coordinator 

Office

RM 254 

Phone

831-479-7785  Ext: 3121

Email

[email protected]

Office Hours

Tuesdays,Fridays 12:15-12:55pm 

 

Aliyya Olivia Hatcher

Pronouns

she/her/hers

Title

Directors of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Office

RM 254

Phone

(831) 479-7785 Ext: 3112

Email

[email protected]

Office Hours

Mondays: 10-1pm, Wednesdays: 10 - 2, Fridays: 10-12pm & 1-3pm

Resources