Waltham School Public Records Request
In response to our efforts to advocate for a better environment in our schools our first step was to collect what data was available on these issues and make meaningful connections with the the people most effected- the students .
Today we were finally able to obtain a couple ‘Public’ reports related to concerns regarding racism in our schools and wanted to share . Many of these observations and suggestions echo the frustrations and pain felt by BIPOC students in our school system and align with our goals for policy changes to build a better environment .
How much more funding needs to be thrown into analyzing this issue and how many more consultants do we need to hire before we answer the call to better support the kids in our community ?
The section on TRUST- in the WHS Equity report sums up the theme of many of the testimonials shared by and with our team .
…The overwhelming majority of stakeholders regarded trust as an important component of the educational process, and could all name students with whom they maintain trusting relationships. While there was some variance regarding whether or not adults on campus felt that the majority of students trusted them, a major theme amongst students was that they did not feel they could trust many of the adults on campus—this was most prevalent amongst students of color, immigrant students, and students whose first language is not English. It appears that trust has been compromised because there is a “denial that racial issues are as pervasive as they are” often leaving students to fend for themselves when they experience or witness racial tensions and microaggressions. This was also echoed by white students who shared that they witnessed teachers mistreat or ignore the mistreatment of their peers, leaving students confused about how and whether they should respond on behalf of their peers… WHS EQUITY REPORT 2018-2019
More to come as we delve into the information available and any follow up related to findings & develop action plans.
Please stay tuned .