“Eliminating educational inequity and integrating schools” remains core to our mission at DSST. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) team remains dedicated to cultivating a school community that welcomes open discussion and self-reflection around these issues.

Below are some introductions and focuses for our DEI team and contact info for our DEI liaisons and Trans Youth Advocates for each school.

Aaron J. Griffen, Ph.D.
Chief Equity Officer

Dr. Griffen is a P-12 Practitioner-Scholar with over 20+ years of experience as a middle school English teacher and assistant principal in Houston, Texas and as a high school principal in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Throughout his career, he has worked exclusively and purposefully in urban-defined schools and districts, serving a culturally, linguistically, economically, educationally, emotionally, socially and diverse population of learners.

Focus Areas:

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion development, policy, strategy, and planning across all schools, home office departments, and with all community stakeholders
• Cultural responsiveness and relevance strategy
• Multicultural curriculum and practice
• Intersectionality, equity audits and pedagogy, deficit and resilience ideologies, and urban policy and analysis.

Mercedes Blea-Davis
Manager of Diversity and Belonging

Being a part of the DSST DEI team is a role that speaks to Mercedes' core. Her life experiences led her down the continued and ever-changing path of DEI. From an early age, Mercedes had a keen eye for recognizing the main components of DEI without comprehending the full scope of what she was unpacking. As she grew, this work became her passion and a part of her daily life. With each new experience, Mercedes intentionally sought out the groups where she could make a positive impact and be an advocate for marginalized groups.

Focus Areas:

• Network Belonging Strategy
• Home Office Diversity Recruitment
• Community Engagement
• STEM and Creative Core Support
• Community Hiring Partnerships
• Student Leadership and Advocacy
• Affinity Groups
• DEI liaisons, Trans Youth Advocates and College Success

Salvador Ramírez, M.A.
Manager of Equity and Inclusion

Salvador’s educational and professional career has been devoted to fighting for educational equity for students from marginalized communities within and outside of educational institutions. As a Latinx educator with anti-oppressive practices, Salvador is determined to help students with marginalized identities understand their power and skillset so they create transformation and change that will allow them to not only survive but thrive. To Salvador, DEI is the work necessary to ensure systems and people within those systems are creating transformational change that works towards equity, justice and liberation.

Focus Areas:

• Equity and Inclusion Strategy
• Instructional Leader Development
• Humanities and Student Services
• Data Strategy; Helix and Technology
• DEI Liaisons, Trans Youth Advocates and Second Language Learning.

School-based DEI partners:

DEI Liaisons by school: 

• DeJuan Clanton - Montview HS
• Mercedes Rosse and Jill Coughlin - Montview MS
• Leah Andrew-Willis - GVR HS
• Renetta Haynes - GVR MS
• Sadia Aziz, Victoria Cruz, Ellie Nixon - Cole HS
• Meg LaFarge - Cole MS
• Marissa Chaney Manriquez - CV HS
• Joven Lusa, Shannon Feeney - CV MS
• Maty Ndiaye, Jenny Bienkowski - Byers Campus
• Alex Medrano, Jaelen Hysaw - CG HS
• David Carpenter - CG MS 
• Jehu Gonzalez - Elevate HS
• Esmeralda Rueda - Elevate MS
• Maddie Parker - AST HS
• Jesse Bixler - AST MS

Trans Youth Advocate by school:

• Hallie Barker, Kailey Buttrick - Montview  HS
• Trystan Lawhon - Montview MS
• Miles Erickson - GVR HS
• Kelly Weber - Cole Campus
• Sierra Gratale - CV HS
• James Calvet - CV MS
• Annika Seilnacht, Aaron Brown, Jessica Currie, Gabrielle Korey - Byers Campus
• Rae Temple - CG HS
• Bel Damiani - CG MS
• Guillermo Vela - Elevate HS
• Kim (Kimberly) Katner - Elevate MS
• Jessie Bixler - AST MS