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Boston Public Schools Office of Equity to Host Regional Conference to Address Bias-Based Incidents in Schools
The Boston Public Schools (BPS) Office of Equity will host a two-day conference for more than 200 educators from southern New England to explore emerging best practices for preventing and addressing bias-based incidents in schools starting Wednesday, April 25, at the Hilton Boston/Dedham Hotel.
“During a time when hateful and divisive views are being expressed in the public sphere, we must guarantee that schools are a place where bias-based conduct is actively prevented, and swiftly and fully addressed when it does occur," said BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang, who is a featured speaker at the conference. "We must create safe, welcoming and sustaining learning environments in all schools.”
Additional speakers include Maureen Costello, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance project, and Eddie Moore, Jr., co-author of the recently released Guide for White Women Who Teach Black Boys.
"I'm proud that in Boston, we're proactively working to ensure every school and every classroom is free from bias, and sharing tools on how to best address bias-based incidents in schools,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "We know work that brings our community together is more important than ever. In Boston Public Schools, and in our city, we will continue to make Boston a welcome space for all, regardless of culture or background."
“Our schools play an important role in combating the invidious hatred and bigotry that, sadly, is now more frequently on public display,” said Boston School Committee Chairperson Michael Loconto. “We all must do our part to make sure students of all backgrounds feel safe and supported in school.”
Interactive workshops will train administrators how to conduct internal investigations of allegations of bias-based conduct; offer introductions to bias-prevention programs from the Anti-Defamation League, Facing History, Kingian Nonviolence, and others; and highlight innovative student leadership projects such as Boston Latin School Black Leaders Aspiring for Change and Knowledge (BLACK), Boston Student Advisory Council, Watertown Public Schools Undoing Racism, and YW Boston’s Youth Leadership Initiative.
“In today’s climate, those of us who lead schools and school districts must actively counteract the impact of racism and other forms of oppression on the learning environment for our young people, and be ready to respond immediately and comprehensively when destructive incidents occur,” said Becky Shuster, Assistant Superintendent of Equity for the Boston Public Schools. “This conference will help prepare us to take both proactive and responsive steps.”
“For our democracy to thrive, students must go to schools that live up to our fundamental values: tolerance, inclusion, participation, voice,” said Maureen Costello, director of Teacher Tolerance. “Teaching Tolerance is supporting this conference because it will highlight real practices that school leaders are using to confront bias and build schools in which young people thrive.”
Additional topics will include achieving racial equity in schools, cultivating culturally and linguistically sustaining practices in the classroom, addressing bias-based bullying, social media, applying restorative justice, and districtwide strategies for increasing the number of teachers of color.
Conference sponsors include the Boston Educational Development Fund, Hyams Foundation, Nellie Mae Foundation, and Teaching Tolerance.