Our district is changing. Most of the time, I’m writing about the changes we’re seeing as our enrollment grows and we implement changes to our instructional program. Too little do I write about the changing demographics of our community and the students and families we serve.
During the past 15 years, the diversity represented across our community has changed steadily and significantly, and even greater ethnic, cultural, religious, economic and racial diversity is projected in the coming years.
While I believe our schools aspire to be welcoming and inclusive, events in recent months such as hateful graffiti spray painted on the Bothell Hindu Temple and a nearby school to racially charged threats against African-American students remind us that we sometimes fall short of what we may believe to be the best about ourselves, our schools, our families and our community.
As a school system, we accept our responsibility to create the environment and conditions for all students, families and staff to feel safe, welcomed, valued and supported within our schools. We also know that we cannot accomplish this alone. True inclusion, acceptance and celebration of diversity are not accomplished solely through school board policy, rights and responsibilities handbooks, a motivational assembly or a cultural fair. They are accomplished when hearts and minds are opened, educated and nurtured to appreciate and embrace diversity as strengths that unite and make us better rather than as differences that breed ignorance and intolerance. That change must be cultivated and grown in our schools, homes, towns, cities and places of worship.
It is a collective mission and journey.
Every journey begins with the first steps. Below are some of the first steps we are and will be taking with urgency to respond to recent events and build upon the work already taking place in our schools:
• Conducting focus groups with diverse representatives from our school communities to better understand their school experiences and to help inform our policies and programs.
• Seeking and capitalizing on the expertise of those with training, experience, insights and resources in cultural competency, diversity and equity policy, programs and training; networking with other organizations that are experiencing similar demographic changes.
• Initiating formalized cultural competency training and skill-building with district leaders.
• Analyzing our threat assessment process to align to nationally recognized standards, providing additional staff training, and developing stronger relationships with mental health providers and law enforcement.
• Investigating technology systems to enable confidential reporting of bullying and harassment.
• Analyzing available data to better inform our understanding of and responses to disproportionality that may exist across various subgroups of students.
• Reviewing existing policies and programs to assess whether they are culturally responsive and appropriate to our changing demographics.
• Continuing to support and expand our schools implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Multi-Tiered System of Supports models (MTSS) which build more positive school cultures and develop intentional strategies and interventions for students needing greater levels of support to be successful.
• Revamping our student Rights and Responsibilities handbook to better align with PBIS and MTSS principles.
• Collaborating with our civic, faith-based and community partners to promote a deeper community conversation around diversity and equity.
Like everyone, I am the product of my life experiences and circumstances. I can’t claim to have insights and understandings that have not been part of my life’s journey. But like everyone, I can be a learner. I can be vulnerable and open to what I don’t know and understand. I will seek to be better skilled and competent to interact with those whose life experiences and circumstances are different than mine. I will use my voice and influence to make Northshore schools and our community better. And I ask that all of you – students, parents, staff and community members – join me on our collective journey to create a school community that more perfectly reflects our best selves.
Larry Francois is the Northshore School District superintendent.
