The First Term
EQUITY &
INCLUSION
As part of the governing body team, Dr. Kent and colleagues proudly passed a number of equity and inclusion-centered initiatives.
The district’s Safe Schools Resolution was passed immediately in the wake of the 2016 election when students and families felt uncertain about the role their community schools might play in cooperating with government agencies. The board formed a special education district advisory committee as part of the process of moving toward fully inclusive practices and adopted a K-12 full-inclusion policy this year.
Also, critically important, the board formed an equity task force that has since spent a year conducting strategic planning. That equity strategic plan was adopted by the board in August of 2020.
SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS
Dr. Kent has fought diligently to maintain district commitments to environmental and institutional sustainability.
The district was recognized in 2017 by state and federal governments for their decade-plus of
sustainability efforts led by the Environment Sustainability Committee.
Part of that work included getting Environmental Purchasing and Green Schools Operations Policies passed. Kelly was able to get the sustainability coordinator and committee reinstated in 2020 after a two-year hiatus. In 2020, that coordinator identified tens of thousands of dollars in school savings that will help offset future budget cuts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
IMPROVING OUTCOMES
Dr. Kent has served on the City of Culver City’s My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) committee since 2016.
In early 2020, through that city/school district coalition work, she was able to support the city as they moved toward and ultimately approved the MBK Action Plan. Just a month later, the school board passed an MBK resolution committing the superintendent to improve the educational outcomes of Boys and Young Men of Color.
PROMOTING THE ARTS
CCUSD has always been known for its commitment to arts, and that has been no different with Kelly on the board.
As a result of a district advisory committee strategic process, of which Dr. Kent was a critical part, the district’s strategic arts plan was adopted in 2019, which commits us to equitably expanding arts instruction and integration throughout the district
each year.
While on the board, CCUSD has rehabilitated the now state-of-the-art Robert Frost Auditorium, constructed a brand-new science building for grades 6-12, installed air conditioning at all sites, and makerspaces on all elementary school campuses.
SAFER SCHOOLS
As president of the board in 2019, Kelly led the passage of a firearm safety resolution requiring that an annual notice of legal obligations regarding safe gun storage be sent to all families in the district and include a compulsory guardian signature.