Addressing Racism in Our School Community
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The Oregon School District welcomes all children and families to our school community and works to promote an inclusive environment for all students. We understand that racism is a systemic challenge in our society and that our actions must go beyond celebrating diversity in our schools or listing equity as a value. We must work together to challenge current systems and practices and focus on removing obstacles that contribute to systemic inequities.
We partner with students, families, and valuable community partners like Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development, the National Equity Project and Critical Consciousness, LLC to more fully understand and act upon institutional and other forms of racism.
Anti-Hate Speech Policy
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The Oregon School District is committed to providing a safe, secure and respectful learning environment for all students in school buildings, on school grounds and school buses, and at school-sponsored activities. Hate speech has a harmful social, physical, psychological and academic impact on our school community. The District will not tolerate any form of hate speech, and will consistently and vigorously seek to eliminate it. As such, the Oregon School District Board of Education has adopted a specific Anti-Hate Speech Policy.
Curriculum and student lessons focused on creating this safe, secure, and respectful learning environment are based on Social Justice Teaching Standards.
Discussing Racism with Children
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If we are to address racial disparities that exist in our society, we must start with knowedge and education. While there is curriculum dedicated to discussing racism in our schools, it is also important for all families to discuss racism and inequities with their children. Below are some resources to help guide your discussions.
- A Parent's Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice
- Talking Race With Young Children
- CNN and Sesame Street Town Hall
- Racism and Violence: Using Your Power as a Parent to Support Children Aged Two to Five
- Toolkit: How to Talk to Kids About Race and Racism
- American Psychological Association: Healthy Communication About Race
- Movies that Celebrate Diversity
- NY Times: Books That Can Help You Explain Racism and Protest to Kids
- Books to Support Conversations on Race
Files & Documents
Community Equity Forums
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OSD has partnered with the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development to offer two virtual community-wide forums. If you were unable to join us, we encourage you to view the forum recordings:
7-28-2020: Why Talk About Racism? Addressing Equity in our Growing School Community