ascip

Dear ASCIP Members:

We are aware that many school districts throughout the nation are facing troubling incidents of intolerance and/or bullying in and outside of their campuses in the wake of the recent presidential election. While it appears that the number of occurrences is declining, it goes without saying that it is advisable that all districts be on alert and prepared for further episodes until at least the presidential inauguration in January, and perhaps beyond.

On November 10^th, the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson, issued a statement reassuring California public school students from kindergarten through grade twelve that they are all safe from discrimination and bullying, saying: “I know that the outcome of the recent presidential election has caused deep concern among many students and families.  The nation maintains a strong tradition for the peaceful transition of power.  I want to let all of California’s 6.2 million public school students know that keeping them safe from discrimination and bullying at our great state’s 11,000 public schools is a top priority.”

Understanding that many of our districts have been or will be addressing this issue with their school communities, we want to provide additional information and examples of messaging and outreach that have been published.  ASCIP offers the following  suggestions as best practices for preventing and addressing events on campuses:

Set the tone. Many superintendents and principals around the country have sent letters to staff and families. If your district has not already done so,  we suggest sending out a message that affirms your district’s values, sets expectations about inclusion and respect, and explains your vision for the school community.  Double down on anti-bullying strategies. Encourage everyone in the school community to be aware of bullying, harassment and bias in all their forms. Remind them of the district’s written policies, and set the expectation that your staff be ready to act. Not everyone has to be a superhero, but everyone can be an ally and an upstander.  Let your school community know that they should feel comfortable informing staff about incidents on campuses and that they will be handled accordingly.

Encourage courage. It’s especially important to let staff and students know that you expect them to speak up when they see or hear something that denigrates any member of the school community. When students interrupt biased language, calmly ask questions, correct misinformation, and echo others who do the same, they send their peers a clear message: This kind of language is not tolerated at the district.

Be ready for a crisis. The news and social media are awash in posts about ugly bias incidents—and even hate crimes—in our communities and our schools.  When an episode happens, you will not have time to learn how to manage it: You need to be prepared.

ASCIP will continue to monitor the political climate in as much as it may or may not affect conflict within our member district communities. If you have not already done so, we suggest that all districts take a proactive approach to communicating with its student community (click here for a sample).  ASCIP also has resources to assist our member districts with communications that may go beyond a general outreach.