Teachers on campus will be able to partake in the second edition of LHS Real Talks Thursday during their conference periods. Sponsored by teachers Swapna Gardner, Chip Gregory, and Sarah Wiseman, the monthly discussions are designed to raise awareness about inequity and bias on campus, as well as to start a conversation among staff about culture and diversity within students. 

“LHS Real Talks came from the understanding that our staff has a desire to learn more about diversity and to do better for our students,” Wiseman said. “We want to have real talks about issues surrounding race, ethnicity, religion, etc.”

Rather than modules or written projects, Gregory wants these meetings to be conversation-based with open honest dialogue and reflection.

“It’s an opportunity for us to stretch both academically and socially about culture whether that’s through the biases we have or to reflect where we are right now as a campus when it comes to educators,” he said. “More than anything we just want to get the beginning portion of just being able to talk openly about certain biases and which way we feel.”

As one of the most diverse campuses in the district, Gardner believes there’s always room for improvement. 

“Right now it’s new, but we’re hoping to have conversations with teachers because we know a lot of people are curious and want to learn more about it,” she said. “So right now it’s just about practicing these conversations.”