Honey Dew Anti-Racism Protocol

PURPOSE

At Honey Dew Elementary, we are a diverse community that stands against racism and oppression while engaging in rigorous learning and building a positive, safe, and connected environment. This helps us achieve our mission: Honey Dew students achieve educational excellence and foster life-long learning as engaged citizens of the world. Through our words and actions, we value and appreciate the identities, cultures, and experiences of every individual in the Honey Dew community.
The Renton School District believes that each and every school community member should be treated with dignity, should have the opportunity to learn, work, interact, and socialize in physically, emotionally, and intellectually safe, respectful, and positive school and classroom environments, and have the opportunity to experience high quality relationships.  We affirm our responsibility to provide an educational environment which, through its policies and practices, extends equal rights to all without discrimination, ensuring that all students are free to learn, and are encouraged to accept and respect themselves, and to treat others with dignity and respect. Educators at Honey Dew Elementary are committed to proactive steps to prevent racist incidents and discrimination such as setting up the classroom culture and expectations and actively teaching in ways to counter stereotypes and bias. Additional resources for promoting belonging in the school and classroom are listed at the end of this guide.
This protocol provides direction for a swift response to address racist incidents and discrimination in the Honey Dew community. The focus of this plan is to address the impact of the incident and work to repair harm and improve the school climate so all students can feel a sense of belonging. Honey Dew staff will follow district policy at all times. This protocol is intended to complement district policy in a way that reaffirms school values, culture, and learning.

WHEN TO USE THIS PROTOCOL

In alignment with the Honey Dew and Renton School District Bullying policy, this protocol will be utilized based on repetitive offenses, intent to cause harm, and/or the severity of the infraction. After the first four steps of talking with the students, principal, and families, a team of at least two adults and the students involved will determine if the incident warrants a formal investigation and intervention.

WORKING DEFINITIONS

• BELONGING: Both a feeling and a practice—something we experience personally and something we create collectively. It happens in structures when all social groups are included in the critical institutions and communities that shape their lives, recognized and made visible within these spaces, empowered to have a real voice in shaping these spaces, and able to report a sense of emotional, physical, and psychological safety. Many people feel pressure to assimilate and hide a part of themselves to fit in at school. This is not belonging. (Adapted from the Othering and Belonging Institute)
• DISCRIMINATION: The unfair or prejudicial treatment of people and groups based on characteristics such as race, gender, age, or sexual orientation.
• HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION, OR BULLYING: An intentional electronic, written, verbal, or physical act that:
  1. Physically harms a student or damages a student’s property;
  2. Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s education;
  3. Is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment; or has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.
• PERSON RESPONSIBLE: A person who instigated or participated in the racist incident.
• PREDJUDICE: An attitude or opinion that is held in the absence of (or despite) full information.  Typically it is negative in nature and based on faulty, distorted or unsubstantiated information that is over generalized and relatively in-flexible.  Prejudices can be conscious or relatively unconscious.
• RACISM: A system where one race has the power over another race through a set of institution power, social structures, attitudes and behaviors. It is also a structure of dis-equality where privileges, rewards, goods and services, and benefits are accessible to those in certain identified racial groups (Love, Barbara (1994) Understanding Internalized Oppression). Any race can be prejudiced about another race, but only a dominant racial group can display racism. Racism is both prejudice and institutional power over another race (Vanderbilt University).
• RACIST INCIDENT: Implicit or overt action(s) resulting in the oppression of another based on race.
• STEREOTYPE: A widely held, oversimplified, and often inaccurate belief or fixed image about a particular group of people, often based on gender, race, or other group identity. These generalizations are used as cognitive shortcuts to process information quickly, but they frequently lead to prejudice, discrimination, and biased judgment.
• TARGET: A person against whom harassment, intimidation, or bullying has allegedly been perpetrated.

Anti-racism Protocol Addendum

Resources to address immediate student needs before investigation begins.

ANCHOR PHRASES FOR TALKING WITH TARGETS

• Thank you for trusting me with this information.  
• I hear you.  
• This is not your fault.  
• What would help you feel safe right now? 
• This is really important. I want to make sure your voice is heard. Are you willing to write
• down your thoughts about what happened? 
• Would you like to draw a picture instead? 
• Can I give you a hug? 
• Do you need a break? (consider stress response; offer water, snacks, calm corner etc.) 
• I’m so sorry.  
• This isn’t right.  
• I feel angry this happened to you.  
• I care about you.  
• Your feelings are valid/important.  
• You are not alone.  
• I will get us help.  
• You belong here.

SPACE & SEPARATION

• If you are witnessing physical violence, use your body to create space between the target and person responsible.  
• Invite targets to stay close to you until next steps are determined.  
• If both the target and person responsible are in the same class, and space is needed, the person responsible needs to leave. If the target is asked to leave, they may perceive it as a “punishment” (i.e.  internalizing the incident is their fault).  
• Ask a trusted friend of the target to “buddy-up” for a period of time.  
• As necessary, create a plan to buffer the target from interactions with the person responsible. Consider potential interactions beyond the classroom (i.e. morning arrival, hallways, recess etc.). Communicate to the target and their family what is being done to ensure they are safe in each setting.

CO-LEADERSHIP

Offer time with the counselor. The teacher/student relationship is key to each student feeling a sense of belonging in their classroom. If you are not yet comfortable leading a 1:1 or class discussion, do call on support but don’t disengage. Student targets need to know you care even if you’re unsure on next steps.

POSSIBLE NEXT STEPS

• Wrinkled heart exercise 

http://nellieedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Wrinkled-Heart-Lesson.pdf 

• Kindness buckets 

https://thinkkindness.org/bucket-kindness-teacher-kindness/ 

• Paper plate portraits (understanding prejudice) 

https://www.tolerance.org/print/75503 

• Bystander practice & peer support: after checking with target(s), share the incident anonymously with class and ask students to share what that would have said to the person responsible if they were a bystander; also ask them to share what they would like the target to know.
• Class Meeting Discussion

A teacher (preferably the classroom teacher) will facilitate a discussion to provide space for students (those who were in the space of the disruption and those who heard/witnessed the disruption) to process the incident.

Introduction:

“We witnessed/heard/saw a disruption in our class/school community. We are a community that takes care of one another. We have come together to reflect on what happened, share how we are feeling, and discuss what we need to move forward.”

Discussion Prompts:

• “How did you feel during the disruption, or how are you feeling now?”
• “What do you need right now to feel safe and supported?”
• “How can we support each other moving forward?”

Closing Reflection:

“Your thoughts and feelings are important. It’s okay to continue having emotions about what happened. Let’s brainstorm who you can talk to if you need support moving forward. Remember, you can also talk with your parents or caregivers at home.”

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR PRO-ACTIVE TEACHING BEFORE INCIDENTS

Culturally Responsive teaching is important in this work–it affirms student’s identities. Ensuring curriculum is relevant to the different communities and deals with the issues of the times supports healthy identity development, values what different cultures/races/people contribute to the good of the global community, and combats against stereotypes, racism, and bias. There are several books in the library that affirm diverse identities.

Learning for Justice-Let's Talk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XQpVwLZlc431TuILn7mZp1-kuem5Ow4o/view

Speak Up At School
https://www.splcenter.org/resources/reports/speak-up-at-school/
 

Plan adapted from these resources

https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/publications/responding-to-hate-and-bias-at-school/section-two-when-theres-a-crisis

Tiffany Park Anti-Racism Response, Maple Falls Pitt Meadows School District Response, Vancouver SD Hate and Bias Protocol

Cultures Connectin