Eleven Lawrence educators — classroom teachers and district coaches — described a weeklong cultural‑immersion trip to the Dominican Republic at the May 14 Lawrence Public Schools meeting and outlined plans to use what they learned to change instruction, professional development and family engagement.

The presenters, led by Doctor Peña (on Zoom), said the visit included classroom observations across Santo Domingo, La Vega and Puerto Plata; meetings with curriculum specialists; community home visits; and work with nonprofit groups such as the Pedro Martínez Foundation. Teachers reported observing large classes, focused literacy work, family‑centered community programs and an instructional emphasis on oral storytelling and social‑emotional learning.

Why it matters: district leaders said Lawrence has a high share of multilingual learners and students recently arriving from other countries; teachers said first‑hand experience with families’ cultural contexts helps shape instruction, improve relationships and inform curriculum and assessment choices.

Planned next steps presented at the meeting
- A multi‑stage coaching plan: start with awareness (implicit‑bias reflection), then build relationships (home visits, family surveys) and create district cultural resources (briefs, curated materials) for teachers.
- School‑level actions: orientation and professional development for teachers unfamiliar with Dominican culture; family nights and community‑hub models similar to nonprofit examples visited.
- Classroom practice: use translanguaging and multimodal assessments, include students’ oral histories and local cultural references in lessons, and expand collaborative learning to honor oral traditions.

Quotes and classroom impacts
Brianna Johnson, a teacher who participated, said the trip “deepened my empathy, sharpened my cultural awareness, and renewed my commitment to honoring the whole child.” ML coach Floridylenia Den outlined a coaching model for district rollout and asked to coordinate coaches across schools to scale the work.

No formal board action was required; presenters asked for continued administrative support for coaching, planning time and resources to build a districtwide culturally responsive program.