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Having Effective Conversations with Children about Racism, White Privilege, & Systemic Injustice

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Kean Diversity Council on Global Education and Citizenship

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Kean Diversity Council on Global Education and Citizenship

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The Diversity Council offers two student leadership conferences during the academic year that engage students in discussions on diversity, inclusivity, social justice, being an upstander, and more. Our High School Leadership Conference is held in November and our Middle/Elementary Leadership Conference is held in March, both of which take place at the main Kean University campus. At each program, students hear from a keynote speaker and have the opportunity to ask questions and consider their personal connections to the keynote theme. In addition, participants work collaboratively with students from different school districts to learn about the experiences of others and to promote equity, inclusion, and understanding in their school districts and communities. To learn more about these conferences and to bring your students, please email Sarah Coykendall, Managing Assistant Director, at coykends@kean.edu.

This year, our High School Leadership Conference keynote was Kizito Kalima, survivor of the Rwandan Genocide and founder of the Peace Center for Forgiveness and Reconciliation. Our Middle/Elementary School Conference keynote was Catarina Guimaraes, a current high school adaptive athlete and two-time published author. Information on next year's keynote speakers will be available soon.

"The whole [student leadership] conference was so enlightening and nothing I've ever experienced before. I was meaningful to me because it helped me value my life and others more by hearing all their stories. I joined our diversity club at school because of the positive energy exerted by the club leaders and I felt that same energy throughout the whole event. I've always struggled with feeling included and self-confident around others but during the event, I was able to tell my story to people who listened, even though they were strangers. Overall it was just a great experience to be surrounded by my peers who wanted to learn and express themselves the same way I did. Thank you for presenting the opportunity to the club." (Student, Watchung Hills Regional High School)

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Diversity Council on Global Education and Citizenship

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The Diversity Council offers two student leadership conferences during the academic year that engage students in discussions on diversity, inclusivity, social justice, being an upstander, and more. Our High School Leadership Conference is held in November and our Middle/Elementary Leadership Conference is held in March, both of which take place at the main Kean University campus.

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Human Resources / Comprehensive Equity Plan

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The district strives to maintain compliance with all applicable laws, codes, regulations, and guidelines governing equity in education including, but not limited to: N.J.S.A. 18A:36-20; N.J.S.A. 10:5; N.J.A.C.

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Start being proactive instead of reactive when it comes to dealing with incidents of inappropriate behavior that lead to avoidable issues. When students are comfortable sharing information with you, you will get the information you need to maintain a positive school climate and get students the help they need. You will have the ability to address issues early on, before they spiral out of control.

Students report anonymously via mobile app, web, or phone hotline service. 100% anonymous, 100% of the time.

Everything about STOPit is designed to save you time and reduce your workload. STOPit streamlines your processes to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of investigations with STOPit's case management system. STOPit is also a powerful deterrent. Students start thinking twice before making a bad decision. Fewer incidents translates into less work for you.

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Anonymous Reporting & Incident ManagementCreating Safer Places to Learn, Work, & LiveRequest More Info Start being proactive instead of reactive when it comes to dealing with incidents of inappropriate behavior that lead to avoidable issues. When students are comfortable sharing information with you, you will get the information you need to maintain a positive school ...

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Beth Azar & Paul Henry

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Families
LAW AND POLICY Federal Law
Public education is a field that is governed by many layers of law. Regulation begins at the federal level when the U. S. Congress makes laws affecting various areas of education such as special education and remedial programs. In addition to congressional acts passed, federal agencies create rules and regulations that implement federal law and affect all school districts. Only Congress can change federal statutes, although they can be declared invalid by court decisions.
State Statute
Similarly, proposals affecting education are constantly enacted as state statutes by the
N. J. Legislature. If bills are signed into law by the Governor, they become part of the body of education law entitledNew Jersey Statutes Annotated (N.J.S.A.) Title 18A. For example, included in Title 18A are the school funding law, the Charter School Program Act and the Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act. Additionally, statutes enacted in other areas, such as public health, employment and elections, may also apply to school districts. Only the Legislature can alter state statutes, although they may be declared invalid by the courts.
State Regulation
Details about procedures and applications often are necessary for state education statutes to be implemented. They are developed by the Department of Education working in concert with the Commissioner and State Board of Education via the administrative code process. Once a law has been enacted, the process begins with a code proposal, if necessary. The Commissioner or State Board begin discussion of the proposed code, also referred to as rules or regulations, and the public is invited to give input. The code proposal is revised and ultimately adopted by the Commissioner or State Board, at which time it is added to the New Jersey Administrative Code (N.J.A.C.) Title 6 or 6A. For instance, the state board adopted code for standards and assessment for charter schools. Rules and regulations adopted by a state agency have the force of law unless changed by the agency or invalidated by court action or a change in statute.
Decisional Law
School districts must also abide by the holdings of decisional law, which include court and state/federal agency administrative decisions. Unless overturned on appeal or altered by subsequent decisions, the holdings of courts and agencies have the force of law. There are three primary sources of decisional law affecting education. First are the decisions of the Commissioner of Education, who decides controversies and disputes arising under the school laws through an administrative hearing process. Second are those issued by the School Ethics Commission, which issues decisions with respect to alleged violations of the School Ethics Act. The decision of the State Board of Examiners is the third source; It issues decisions suspending or revoking certificates of teachers.

Determinations of the Commissioner are deemed final agency actions and are appealable to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court. Decisions of the State Board of Examiners to suspend or revoke teaching certificates and decisions of the School Ethics Commission finding violation of the School Ethics Act are appealable to the Commissioner.
State and Local Policy
Not only are districts regulated by statute, code and decisional law, but they also must follow state and local policy. Local board of education members are the school district's policy makers. In fact, while the state establishes the broader framework within which school districts must operate, local boards of education set many of the policies and procedures that most directly affect students and staff. Districts have manuals that contain written policies adopted by vote of the board. Parents should be familiar with these policies; Requests can be made to see the policies at the school district's administration building. Parents can affect local policy by attending board meetings and participating in the process. Proposed policies are open for public input. For instance, parents often write to the Commissioner about the fall cut-off date set for a child's entrance to school in their district but that date is governed by local policy.

Local policies generally are considered valid as long as they do not conflict with provisions of federal or state statutes and regulations. Disputes that arise from local board decisions can be brought before the Commissioner of Education for a legal determination when they involve questions of education law. However, local board decisions cannot be voided by the Commissioner unless they are found to be in violation of state law. The Commissioner's judgment cannot be substituted for that of the local board.
Role of NJ Department of Education
One major function of DOE is to create state-level policy initiatives that shape the education system to fit the Governor's vision for education and the State Board's strategic plan. For the last decade, the department has created initiatives that launched standards-based reform in New Jersey. the initiatives include development, adoption, and periodic updating of the Core Curriculum Content Standards; development and administration of state tests in grades 3 to 8 and 11; charter schools; the school funding system; expanded early childhood education; and transformation of secondary education, among others.

Another DOE responsibility is to administer various programs and educational services such as the licensing of teachers, oversight of Katzenbach School for the Deaf and the issuance of GED diplomas.

The department also administers federal and state entitlement and discretionary grant programs that make available millions of dollars to local school districts, community-based organizations, institutions of higher education and other agencies. The grant programs support critical education initiatives such as school improvement; educational technology; charter schools; community service; school-to-work; adult education; and many others. Additionally, the department posts on the Web current information about grant opportunities available from other sources, including the federal government and public and private foundations.

One of the most important roles of the department is in the administration of aid in accordance with state funding law. In the beginning of each year, the department's finance division issues the state aid report showing the amount each district is entitled to in various state aid categories. The local district factors its state aid figures into the local school budget that citizens vote on in April. Whatever amount of the local budget that state aid does not cover must be provided by the community's taxpayers and is referred to as the local share. The best way to learn about how the funding law affects the local budgeting process is to attend board sessions in the fall of the year when board members and administrators are determining the priorities of the local budget and developing the budget questions that will appear on the ballot.
Resolving Disagreements
Parents often ask about resolving disagreements that arise under the various laws and policies that affect school districts. Many problems and disagreements can be resolved by contacting the school principal or district superintendent of schools. If efforts at the local level are not successful, the county office of education may be able to assist. If an issue stems from alleged violations of state school law or disagreement over its interpretation or application under particular circumstances, and the aggrieved party wants to have the opportunity to present argument and evidence at an administrative hearing, a petition of appeal can be filed with the Commissioner of Education as long as the matter does not primarily involve special education issues. A petition is filed through the Office of Controversies and Disputes using the process found in the administrative code.

If a person alleges conduct in violation of the School Ethics Act, a complaint can be filed with the School Ethics Commission, as provided in the School Ethics code. If a complaint is about a local district's placement of a special education student, it may be addressed to the Office of Special Education. If a complaint alleges wrongdoing by school district officials or irregularities in district operations, it may be addressed to the appropriate Executive County Superintendent or to DOE's Office of Fiscal Accountibility and Compliance.

Certain types of disagreements that do not arise under state education law must be pursued through other state agencies, the courts or at the federal level. If you are not sure how to address a problem that cannot be resolved at the local school district level, the county office of education might be able to provide guidance in some instances. The DOE offices listed above cannot offer legal advice, but they are able to provide information about the school laws within their areas of operation and about their respective processes for filing complaints or appeals. Phone numbers for departmental offices are available in the department overview.
Parental Involvement
Parental involvement in education is essential for progress in any attempt to reform the education system. Parents are encouraged to attend local board meetings, vote in school board elections, volunteer at school, participate in the PTA, serve on school management teams or district committees and councils, and, above all, be active advocates for their children.

More information can be found in Finance and Department of Education FAQs.

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Families LAW AND POLICY Federal Law Public education is a field that is governed by many layers of law. Regulation begins at the federal level when the U. S. Congress makes laws affecting various areas of education such as special education and remedial programs. In addition to congressional acts passed, federal agencies create rules and regulations that implement federal law and affect all school districts.

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Some districts may use the model to compare current documents to, build from, rearrange, or select portions for implementation. The intent for districts implementing the curriculum is that districts, schools, and/or teachers will be able to easily craft unit and lesson plans by being attentive to the precise wording of the SLO.

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School Board Basics: Frequently Asked Questions

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School Board Basics: Frequently Asked Questions

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Who serves on the school board?

The school board consists of lay representatives - people who live in the community and are selected by the community (or, if it's an appointed school board, selected by either the mayor or county freeholders). They're your neighbors: parents, grandparents, local business owners, retirees - ordinary citizens. They are non-partisan and they receive no pay or benefits for their public service.

What is the role of the school board and the superintendent?

The school board has a dual role: To represent the concerns of the citizens, taxpayers and parents to the school administrators, and to represent the needs of the students and school district to the citizens, taxpayers and parents of the community. The school board does not operate the district on a day-to-day basis; that is the job of the superintendent, who is the district's chief executive. Rather, the school board sets the policies, goals and objectives for the district - and it holds the superintendent responsible for implementing the policies and achieving the goals.

I have a problem with my school. Isn't the school board the appropriate body to address it?

Maybe. We recommend working up the chain of command. For instance, if a parent has a problem with a teacher, the parent should first address it with the teacher and, if the issue is not resolved, the parent should turn to the principal or supervisor, and then the superintendent.The school board should be the "court of last resort." Many times citizens can get answers to their questions simply by calling the appropriate person in the school district (i.e., principal, school board secretary or superintendent).

Do I have an opportunity to speak at the board meeting?

State law requires a public comment period at board meetings. Boards are allowed to establish reasonable restrictions on the time, place and manner of public comment. For instance, school boards typically set guidelines on the length of an individual's comment (e.g., a certain amount of time per person), so no one person dominates the meeting. There is no required format for public comment; some boards have one public-comment period in the middle of the meeting, some have two public-comment sessions during a board meeting.

What is proper protocol for public participation?

Comments from citizens generally go through the chair at the board meeting, usually the board president. Boards use the public comment period as an opportunity to listen to citizen concerns, but not to debate issues or enter into a question-and-answer session or a "cross examination" between the public and individual members. Be aware that not all issues brought before a board meeting will be resolved that evening; boards may respond to public comment by seeking additional information or by delegating the authority to investigate the issue to the superintendent or his/her designee. While public education can be an emotional issue, and understandably so, the board will strive to maintain a certain level of decorum at the meeting. Many meetings are recorded or televised, and students often attend or participate in the meetings. As such, citizens are expected to maintain tone of courtesy and civility.

How does the board set its rules at the meeting?

A local school board's parliamentary procedure is a matter of local policy. Most boards follow Roberts Rules of Order, which describes how meetings are run, how motions and votes are taken and other procedures. The school board's secretary can inform citizens on rules of order and other issues of board policy.

The board goes into a closed-door meeting each meeting. Why can't the public witness what occurs there?

New Jersey's Open Public Meetings Act (also known as the Sunshine Law) specifies nine areas that are to be discussed in "executive" or closed-door session. Among the most common are privacy issues (including employee privacy as well as matters dealing with individual students and student discipline); anticipated litigation and issues involving attorney-client privilege; negotiations with labor unions and negotiating strategy; matters involving the purchase of property; and any issues dealing with security that could undermine safety if made public. Sometimes, citizens will want to know why a school board took a vote regarding a particular staff member (e.g., not re-hiring a teacher or principal). However, school board members are not allowed to publicly discuss evaluative aspects of the staff member's employment, unless the employee authorizes it.

What is the board agenda?

While school boards publicly post an annual notice describing the date and location of meetings, they are not required by law to post an agenda for each meeting. However, most do have an agenda. If they do, the agenda must reasonably reflect the matters to be discussed. However, the board is not precluded from addressing an issue that arises just because it was not on the agenda.

My school board seems to rapidly work through the agenda, without much debate. Why is that?

School boards sometimes have a "workshop" or "caucus" meeting where they discuss issues in greater detail, but don't vote on the issues. In addition, boards may utilize a committee structure, where certain members of the board, often working with the superintendent or key administrators, study a specific issue and make recommendations to the full board for a vote. By the time the board has a regular "agenda" or "business" meeting where it votes on issues, the agenda items have usually been vetted or studied already.

What is the difference between school board's policy and state regulations and statutes?

Statutes are the laws that are enacted by legislators in Trenton. Usually the law will contain broad language on an issue, and it will authorize the appropriate state agency (which would be the New Jersey Department of Education, or NJDOE, in the case of school law) to write regulations, also called "administrative code," that detail how the law will be carried out. Local public schools must adhere to state statute and regulations. There are many aspects of school management that the state does not manage. Those are covered by the local school board's policies, which are the school board's rules and guidelines that detail how the district will operate. Policies address many issues ranging from student discipline and dress codes to whether the district will rent the gym to community groups after school hours. The state generally does not delve into the oversight of local board policies unless there is a specific law requiring boards to have policies on an issue (such as school bullying), or if the local board's policies are found to be arbitrary or capricious, or have otherwise run afoul of state laws and regulations.

What role does the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) and the New Jersey Department of Education play?

The New Jersey School Boards Association is a service organization that provides training, assistance and advocacy for local school boards. However, NJSBA is not a state regulatory agency and does not have authority over local school districts. The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) is the state agency that regulates public schools. If a citizen has an issue that cannot be resolved by working up the chain of command locally, he or she can bring it to the attention of the NJDOE. The department has county offices run by "executive county superintendents," and the county offices can often serve as an effective liaison between local residents and the NJDOE. Under the umbrella of the NJDOE is the School Ethics Commission, which hears cases involving conflicts of interest and possible violations of the School Ethics Act. The state Commissioner of Education, who is the chief of the NJDOE, also hears many cases dealing with education issues.

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School Board Basics: Frequently Asked Questions - New Jersey School Boards Association

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Who serves on the school board? The school board consists of lay representatives - people who live in the community and are selected by the community (or, if it's an appointed school board, selected by either the mayor or county freeholders). They're your neighbors: parents, grandparents, local business owners, retirees - ordinary citizens.

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State law requires school boards to evaluate the performance of their superintendent each year. NJSBA provides online resources to help your board complete this requirement.

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Online Evaluations - New Jersey School Boards Association

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Online Board Self Evaluation Resources Begin the Board Self Evaluation Process Now Frequently Asked Questions Board Self Evaluation Adobe PDF (resource only) Online CSA Evaluation Begin the CSA Evaluation Process Now Frequently Asked Questions Superintendent Tips for CSA Evaluation Evidence Links CSA Evaluation Guidebook PowerPoint Presentation - Guide to the Chief School Administrator Evaluation Process Webinar: ...

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2020 CURRICULUM RESOURCE GUIDE (DRIVE FOLDER)

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2020 CURRICULUM RESOURCE GUIDE (DRIVE FOLDER)

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Appendix

Item 1.1: Selected Trainings for K-12 Educators

1. Teaching for Tolerance

1. Includes Critical Practices for Anti-bias Education and other frameworks that present strategies to K-12 educators

2. Experts lead on-site anti-racism workshops for educators

2. Center for Racial Justice: offers trainings, consultation, and in-depth partnerships to educators who want to dismantle racism in their classrooms, homes, and communities.

3. Anti-Racism Educational Consultants Network: an entire network of anti-racist educators available to offer trainings, input, and workshops.

1. Britt Hawthorne: another freelance consultant who leads anti-bias and anti-racism workshops for educators.

2. Rachel Cargle: “As a dynamic lecturer, Rachel has been invited to teach to students and faculty on topics of unpacking the racist histories of various American systems, affirming in the Black experience with tools of language, concepts, and cultural systems, as well as workshops that address everything from finding one's highest values to exploring the true allyship in universities across the US and beyond.”

4. Race Forward. Race Forward has extensive expertise in “strategic research and policy analysis, media advocacy, policy and program development, strategic coaching, curriculum design, educational material production, public presentations and keynote speeches, investigative journalism, community organizing, leadership development and applied technology.”

5. The Conscious Kid. “The Conscious Kid is an education, research and policy organization dedicated to reducing bias and promoting positive identity development in youth.”

6. Teaching for Black Lives book. This book provides educators with critical perspectives on the role of schools in perpetuating anti-Blackness, as well as offering educators concrete examples of what it looks like to humanize Black people in curriculum, teaching, and policy.

Item 1.2: Recommended Anti-racist Programs and Texts for Educators

1. Suggested Anti-Racist Lesson Plans and Organizations for Educators

1. Teaching for Tolerance lesson plans and activities.

2. Black Lives Matter at School website - includes lesson plans successfully implemented in Seattle schools.

1. 2020 Curriculum Resource Guide–free, downloadable lessons to challenge racism, oppression and build happy and healthy classrooms.

3. Sankofa Collaborative - conducts workshops on African American history, houses online resources for K-12 educators as well as books, articles, reading lists, and websites that provide information on African American history and culture

4. NJ Amistad Commission - lesson plans in Social Studies and Language Arts

1. Amistad Law mandates that K-12 public schools incorporate African American history across the curriculum.

5. Zinn Education Project. The Zinn Education Project promotes and supports the teaching of people’s history in classrooms across the country. For more than ten years, the Zinn Education Project has introduced students to a more accurate, complex, and engaging understanding of history than is found in traditional textbooks and curricula.

6. Facing History and Ourselves provides curricula, training, and free resources for teachers in history and language arts.

2. Suggested Anti-Racist Books and Organizations for Educators[1]

1. So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

2. White Fragility by Robin Diangelo

3. You Can’t Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson

4. When They Call You a Terrorist by Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrice Khan-Cullors

5. Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum, PhD

6. The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein

7. No More Taking Away Recess and Other Problematic Discipline Practices (Not This but That) by Gianna Cassetta & Brook Sawyer

8. Interrogating Whiteness and Relinquishing Power: White Faculty’s Commitment to Racial Consciousness in STEM Classrooms (Social Justice Across Contexts in Education) by Nicole M. Joseph, Chayla Haynes, and Floyd Cobb

9. The Restorative Practices Handbook for Teachers, Disciplinarians and Administrators by Bob Costello

10. Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom by Lisa Delpit

11. Teaching to Transgress by bell hooks

L.     How to Be an Antiracist Educator by Dena Simmons

1. Suggested Anti-Racist Books for Children[2]

-          I Am Enough by Grace Bryers

-          Hair Love by Mathew A. Cherry

-          Malcolm Little, The Boy Who Grew Up To Become Malcom X by Illyasah Shabazz

-          Rosa by Nikki Giovanni

-          Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney

-          Children's books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance by various authors

-          Recommended literacy training read-aloud books featuring African and African-American characters compiled by the NJ Amistad Commission

[1] List provided by Fantasy World Master List of Resources on How to Dismantle Systemic Racism[2]  List provided by Fantasy World Master List of Resources on How to Dismantle Systemic Racism

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Comprehensive Equity Plans (CEP)

In accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:7, Managing for Equality and Equity in Education, all school districts, charter schools and renaissance school projects are required to develop a three-year Comprehensive Equity Plan (CEP) and submit it for review and approval to their county office of education. Contact information for each county office of education can be found on the NJDOE website at, http://www.nj.gov/education/counties/.

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In accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:7, Managing for Equality and Equity in Education, all school districts, charter schools and renaissance school projects are required to develop a three-year Comprehensive Equity Plan (CEP) and submit it for review and approval to their county office of education.