The Turlock Unified School District is still searching for the perfect person to fill the new position of Coordinator of Equity Initiatives. This position will lead the equity task force and has a starting salary of $119,215, according to the TUSD.

The search to fill this position was initially supposed to take place between Aug. 9 - Aug.23, but the search didn’t produce a wide enough pool of qualified candidates, according to Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources David Lattig. The new search will take place between Sept. 1-Sept. 30.

“We are hoping this second round will attract a qualified candidate with both professional and personal skills to fill this role in TUSD,” Lattig said.

According to the job posting, the Coordinator of Equity Initiatives’ essential responsibilities include ensuring equity is embedded in the work of all departments and schools through the development and implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and providing leadership, communication, guidance, and support to students, families, staff and community members of the Turlock Unified School District.

The Coordinator of Equity Initiatives will also focus on issues of diversity supporting all those protected by law, including ancestry, color, creed, gender, gender identity, disability, foster or homeless status, national origin, race, religion and sexual orientation.

“I’ve been part of the equity task force for a couple of years now and they’ve made great efforts, but having a leader in this capacity, who is qualified to do the work, is great. There’s a lot of things I’m really proud of, but one of the things I’m most proud of is the work of the equity task force,” said TUSD Board President Lori Carlson.

The qualifications for this position are five years of teaching experience in public school, a California Administrative Service Credential and preferably a master’s degree or in the process of completing one.

Candidates should also have a knowledge of racial and culture differences, culturally responsive practices, intervention strategies and culture competencies. The individual should also be able to work with communities of color, students and school staff while developing sensitive working relationships with students and staff.

Board member Anthony Silva said he believes having a position like this will help ensure the district can serve all students and their families, and could help prevent problematic situations.

“We have such a diverse community and sometimes we miss something on how people should be treated. This could prevent issues or things we could do to be proactive from some things happening,” he said.