Oregon schools reporting rise in racial attacks after Donald Trump election OregonLive.com | Bethany Barnes | November 16, 2016
Key Points:
Around the nation, some schools appear to have reached a "boiling point," according to The Southern Poverty Law Center, a group that fights hate crimes. In less than a week after the elections, the group had 201 reports of "election-related harassment and intimidation." The most common location was K-12 schools.
Students and school officials say they have seen an accompanying rise in bullying and racial intolerance since the elections. Some schools are realizing that while they have done a lot of work on equity, diversity and respect with their staff for years, they are coming to the realization that they have not done as much with the students.
Relevance:
While this article makes me sad, it also is a very important one. I appreciate it as a reminder of how important it is to foster a accepting environment for all students to feel safe in. I can't help but think that while we are learning that people are different and that is OK....it should be emphasized what we are have in common now more than ever. When people feel they have things in common is when they are the most comfortable around one another. Perhaps it is time to start looking at how to deal with this with a different lense.
ReplyDeletethis is so heart breaking but also so true. the rise in these racial issues makes me feel so sick. everyone is different. the color of their skin should not matter...no two people are the same and we as educators need to be able to teach our students through a lens that shows that. this is so sad and we also need to make all students feel welcomed and comfortable.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this message. I appreciate how you said that the students need to be involved in the discussion and the application of tolerance in their every day lives. First teachers need to know how to educate students on current events without setting fires. A teachers education is just as important as the students. Second, involving students in the process is very important as you have noted. Students need to see that talking about discrimination can be easy and hard at the same time and to not take it lightly.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting post. Following the election, I had to tell many of my students, who are Hispanic, that they are not going to get deported and immigration is not going to come into our school and round students up. Many students asked me who I voted for many time, which I explained that I would not tell them my political view. Plus, for students that voted for the first time and are discourage that their candidate lost need to be encourage to keep on voting and be informed about the issues. It’s sad that these racial issue are rising in school, but maybe this will be a great teaching moment in teaching students about respect and tolerance. Great post!
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