Not committed to the same values that they promote in their programs. - Anonymous Center for the Collaborative Classroom Employee Review

Thank you to those who took the time to write a review of Collaborative Classroom and to those who follow our organization. We are deeply concerned about the comments in recent posts, especially because our organization is genuinely committed to creating a culture where diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are at the center of all that we do for our staff. We are also concerned about the comments from current staff, particularly because our recent Employee Survey showed overwhelming support for our equity journey and our strategic approach to our DEI work. The well-being of our staff is of the utmost importance and concern. We have invested substantial resources in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, including: 1) Creating a strong culture of feedback and responsive management action through our annual Employee Satisfaction Survey. The results from our annual Employee Satisfaction Surveys are used to develop a Management Action Plan (MAP) addressing employees' top concerns and to make improvements year over year. The entire staff has input into the steps we take to address concerns. 2) Implementing internal initiatives to build staff competencies and awareness around DEI topics, such as unconscious bias, power and privilege, micro-aggressions, and issues of marginalization. 3) Establishing an Equity Roadmap to document and provide accountability for management practices, hiring, retention, and career development to promote equity throughout the organization. We are working with an experienced DEI professional to ensure we are operationalizing all aspects of our Equity Roadmap with the goal of continuing to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture where all employees feel like they belong and flourish. We intend to grow and develop as an organization as we refine our processes to increase equity and inclusivity. We welcome conversations with current employees to better understand how we might create an environment where employees truly feel a sense of belonging and connectedness.