In September 2020, Washington Township hired a Director of Equity and Inclusion as a district-wide leadership position. Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera served as the first Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer for Hamilton Southeastern Schools before accepting the equity and inclusion role in Washington Township.

For the 2023-2024 school year, Dr. Woodson adjusted her cabinet to no longer include a Director of Equity and Inclusion Officer.

Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera’s last day in Washington Township was June 30, 2023. On her personal website, Buchanan-Rivera shared:

Near the end of the school year, my school district leadership team and I learned that our roles for the upcoming year would potentially change. When a meeting was held to discuss the reorganization of roles, I noticed that my position was not listed on any of the tentative organizational flow charts…In the weeks to come, I learned that I would be reassigned to a different leadership role (e.g. title, responsibilities, etc.) while still being held responsible for district DEI efforts. Therefore, I made the hard choice last month to not accept the newly revised role. 

On Washington Township’s district leadership page, diversity, equity, and inclusion systems work oversight is now listed as a responsibility under Superintendent Dr. Nikki Woodson, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Sean Taylor, and Director of Human Resources Dr. Matt Kaiser. Additionally, DEI systems work is now listed as a responsibility under the Director of Student Services and the three Directors of Teaching and Learning. 

Having Directors of Teaching and Learning is another shift. Previously, Washington Township had a Director of Elementary Education and a Director of Secondary Education.

Tim Blom, who was the Director of Elementary Education, is now the Director of K-5 Teaching and Learning. Rick Doss, who was the Director of Secondary Education, is now the 6-8 Teaching and Learning Director. Dr. Rachel Sever, who was previously the English as a New Language Coordinator, is now the 9-12 Director of Teaching and Learning.

Additionally, Washington Township entered into a one-semester agreement with independent consultant Emily Dills at Lemon Oasis LLC from August 1 – December 31, 2023. Dills previously worked in the Washington Township as a social emotional learning coach supporting the district’s elementary schools. The district will pay Dills $8,000 per month according to the contract. 

In the contract’s appendix, some of Dills’ work will include:

• developing and facilitating the district equity leadership team
• coordinating and facilitating staff affinity spaces
• providing communication support for the articulation of WT DEI work
• supporting principals in identifying barriers in classroom instructional practices that contribute to disproportionate outcomes for historically underrepresented youth
• reviewing, from a DEI lens, and lending feedback to leadership when pertinent on strategic planning or system planning

Historically, Dills’ consulting work and most recent school employee role have focused mostly on social and emotional learning, not DEI work.

It is not immediately clear what DEI training or certifications the current Directors of Teaching and Learning have with DEI work which is now one of their district leadership responsibilities, or Dills, who agreed to a five-month DEI consultant contract.