Hillsborough Schools Named Among Best US Employers For Diversity

From the Hillsborough County Public Schools:

February 4 2020

Tampa, FL – Hillsborough County Public Schools has been recognized as part of Forbes’ annual list of Best Employers for Diversity.

Hillsborough Schools promotes a welcoming and supportive environment that celebrates and values diversity and respect for all students and our employees. Our district’s Office of Diversity assists our divisions and schools with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and advances our district’s strategic plan.

This award is presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., and is an anonymous online survey taken by more than 60,000 employees working for firms or institutions that employ 1,000 or more people. Participants responded to a series of questions surrounding the topics of age, gender equality, ethnicity, physical ability, LBGTQA+ and general diversity concerning their employer.
Just some of the initiatives and programs that highlight our district’s diversity work include:

• In 2017, Hillsborough County Public Schools made a historic move by adopting a district-wide racial equity policy that calls for identifying and addressing the root causes of racial disparities in student learning
• Our district leads principal and teacher trainings in diversity-related courses
• Our district’s Human Resources Division started initiatives aimed at increasing educator diversity, as well as ensuring that the most effective teachers are in front of our district’s neediest students, regardless of their location or background
• Our district’s Office of Supplier Diversity works with small businesses – especially women, Hispanic, African American and veteran-owned businesses – to help improve business opportunities with our district
• This past fall, our district launched a new TV series on Hillsborough Schools TV called Embrace All – highlighting leaders in our district

“I’m proud of the work our teachers and staff do every day to ensure our schools are like a family and that we support each other. Our School Board has put a strong emphasis on celebrating and supporting the diversity of our students and staff,” said Superintendent Jeff Eakins. “For their work, our School Board members were honored with the RISE Award – given to just one school board in the country for their commitment to ensuring an equitable education for all children.”

Out of the tens of thousands of qualified organizations in the United States, 500 companies earned this distinction – Hillsborough Schools ranked 170 on the list. Hillsborough Schools is the only K-12 education system in Florida to make the list.

This press release was produced by the Hillsborough County Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.