The Salem-Keizer School Board has released a draft of their annual resolution regarding their Commitment to Students. The big news is supposedly that they’ve dropped references to race and racism which were bones of contention amongst board members previously. The larger problem is that the resolution displays a thorough misunderstanding of the role of the school district in educating kids.
Proposed Salem-Keizer Commitment to Students | DocumentCloud:
ANNUAL RESOLUTION NO. 202526-02 COMMITMENT TO STUDENTS
WHEREAS, Salem-Keizer Public Schools is dedicated to fostering coherent and consistent learning environments where all students, staff members, families and visitors feel safe, welcome, celebrated and fully included in our schools and spaces, with work to create these environments being led by our core values; and
I don’t know about “celebrated” but that’s a quibble. Otherwise, we’re off to a promising start.
WHEREAS, our core values begin with placing STUDENTS AT THE CENTER of all our endeavors, ensuring their diverse needs, voices and aspirations guide our actions; and
This places everything exactly backwards. Students and “their diverse needs, voices and aspirations” should not be guiding the District’s actions. Instead, there exists the large corpus of human knowledge, larger and more accessible today than it’s ever been. The District’s job, through its teachers and staff, is to help students gain access to this information so that they might become competent, learned, well-meaning citizens and further participate in the great adventure our species is on. This is not to argue that the District can’t accommodate students’ needs for help in this learning. It is also not to say that students aspirations won’t guide their emphasis of study. But it is to say that education is at the center of the District’s endeavors.
WHEREAS, we are wholly committed to EXCELLENCE and hold high standards for every student, staff member, family and community member through a foundation of support that inspires a virtuous cycle of growth and achievement for all students; and
I generally dislike the use of “excellence” as it is too broad a goal to be tangible. It’s also in the case of Salem-Keizer demonstrably untrue. Students are held to incredibly and increasingly low standards. Collectively, the State of Oregon was 50th (demographically adjusted) in 4th grade reading, and don’t think that Salem-Keizer wasn’t a part of that.
WHEREAS, we should actively eliminate historically inequitable systems because EQUITY is a fundamental principle of our district that drives us to provide targeted support for every student – regardless of their background, identity or circumstances – through inclusive environments that empower students to flourish; and
Equity is an enormous problem in education, because equal outcomes cannot be assured and the most frequently use of “equity” is schools is to dumb down curricula to ensure everyone gets a good grade. Equity is fine if we’re talking opportunity—getting blind kids the test in braille, say. It’s utterly destructive when used to wipe out honors classes because there’s not enough minorities in them.
WHEREAS, we recognize the importance of strong RELATIONSHIPS built on trust, empathy and open communication among students, staff, families and the broader community; and
WHEREAS, we are deeply committed to nurturing a COMMUNITY of local support and collaboration where students, staff, families and community members together share responsibility for ensuring students are healthy, happy and thriving and where all members understand and value their role in contributing to student success, because community engagement and involvement are paramount to supporting all students; and
Nothing wrong with any of this.
WHEREAS, the traditions, languages and experiences of our students, families and staff, who speak over 100 languages and represent cultures from all over the world, are invaluable assets that strengthen our connections, enhance learning and elevate the support that’s available to students; and
WHEREAS, this rich diversity compels us to retain our staff who provide important linguistic and cultural support that help create more welcoming school communities and to recruit community members to join our workforce, including volunteers, who reflect our community and the students we serve every day; and
Students speaking over 100 languages does not “strengthen our connections.” It creates an educational challenge that is difficult to overcome. That’s not to say one shouldn’t try, but we should be realistic about the matter.
WHEREAS, safety is a top priority in all our school communities, both physically and emotionally, to prevent all forms of harm, discrimination, harassment and bullying and foster a culture of understanding and acceptance for all identities.
I have multiple objections. First, safety is clearly not a top priority or there would not be 1,400 reported incidents of student assault against teachers last year, including 185 that were so severe they resulted in Workers Compensation claims. A district study shows most severe cases are the result of 65 to 70 students in the district. The school board should be using every means it is power to remove these troublemakers, including referring them to law enforcement. Second, what this means is that the District should not be opposed to discriminating on the basis of behavior. Some types of discrimination are okay! Third, I strongly object to the inclusion of the word “identities.” How about just a “culture of understanding and acceptance for all”? The word “identities” here does nothing more than it always does: It confuses matters.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Salem-Keizer School Board is steadfast in its commitment to celebrating diversity and honors the richness of our cultures and traditions, the critical work of our educators and staff, and the community support that actively addresses and combats social issues, and puts forward an annual resolution that encompasses our local and national commemorative months but that also takes us beyond the confines of what is publicly recognized, such as
- Safe and Welcoming Schools Week
- Black History Month
- Hispanic Heritage Month
- LGBTQ+ Pride Month
- Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
- Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month
- Arab American Heritage Month
- Teacher Appreciation Week
- National Education Support Professionals Week
- Child Abuse Prevention Month
- Hands and Words are Not for Hurting Month
- Suicide Prevention Month
- And many more
Not to put too fine a point on it, but none of this is part of the mission of the District other than maybe “Safe and Welcoming Schools Week,” “Teacher Appreciation Week,” and “National Education Support Professionals Weeks,” all of which could be ignored without consequence. It is not part of the school district’s mission to address or combat social issues. Politicization of the classroom is a cancer because whatever side you take, you will undoubtedly find some kids on their other side now ostracized from the teacher, the class, and the educational processes—and for no commensurate benefit.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Salem-Keizer School Board reaffirms its unwavering commitment to upholding the principles of our vision by fostering a school district that is safe and welcoming, celebrating our diversity through engagement and awareness, ensuring every student has access to the resources and opportunities needed to succeed, and providing a great and memorable school experience.
I would rather this just said, “We’re going to try, with everything we’ve got, to help your kid learn.”