Near the end of a relatively brief North Penn School Board action meeting Thursday night, Board President Tina Stoll read a statement from the board in support of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, in response to incidents of discrimination and abuse targeted at members of the AAPI community over the past year.
The hateful rhetoric against Asian Americans has been a result of misinformation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, and members of the AAPI community nationwide have been subject to physical violence, verbal abuse, threats, vandalism and the boycotting of AAPI-owned businesses.
Almost 3,800 racist attacks have been reported to Stop AAPI Hate since March 2020. The most striking example of this violence is the recent spree of killings in Atlanta, where a white gunman shot and killed eight people, including six Asian American women, in three massage businesses in the Atlanta area. The alleged gunman is in custody and has been charged with murder. He claims the attacks were not racially motivated, but skeptics argue the timing is suspect, in the midst of a national wave of attacks against Asian Americans in the year since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The school board’s statement calls for an end to the mistreatment of the AAPI community, and offers the district’s support and understanding. The statement read, in full:
“There has been an alarming increase of violence toward Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Xenophobic and racist incidents targeting members of the AAPI community have continued across the U.S. This violent behavior has put families, communities and businesses at risk, and must stop.
The North Penn School District condemns all forms of violence, bias and racism against fellow AAPI community members. To our neighbors, our friends, colleagues and especially our students and their families: We hear you, we see you and we stand with you.
We stand behind the school board’s equity statement and beliefs from July 2020, when we committed to advancing and enacting equitable policies, practices and programming in our schools, and throughout our community. As part of these efforts, tonight we [did vote on] the Educational Equity Board Policy. But there is more work to be done to ensure our schools and neighborhoods are inclusive and respectful of all individuals. We will continue to reach out to our various communities to engage in the conversations needed to keep our staff, students and families of all ethnicities and backgrounds safe. To that end, at the March 29 safe schools committee meeting, we will discuss tangible action items that we can take as we continue to move forward with cultural proficiency and racial and ethnic equity at North Penn.”
The policy to which Stoll referred, board policy 832, defines terms such as “cultural proficiency” and “explicit/implicit bias,” as well as delegates responsibility for carrying out and enforcing policy details.
“The Board adopts this policy to prioritize the principle of educational equity, through the fair and just allocation of resources, opportunities and treatment based upon each individual’s needs” the policy reads. “The pursuit of educational equity requires the continuous and collaborative effort of identifying various aspects of district programs and operations in which consideration of educational equity shall be analyzed, incorporated and prioritized.”
The policy goes on to say: “To facilitate educational equity for all, the district shall be committed to… promptly identifying and addressing barriers that cultivate achievement and/or opportunity gaps for students… [and] ensuring that a student’s educational achievement is neither predicted nor predetermined by explicit or implicit biases.”
The board voted unanimously to adopt the policy, as well as policies regarding student discipline, and weapons.
If you are aware of incidents of discrimination or harassment, please report it to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Incidents of threats, violence or vandalism can also be reported to the Pennsylvania State Police by calling the local troop.
See also:
North Penn School District Administrators Discuss Race, Diversity And Social Justice In New Podcast
North Penn School Board Recommends Approval Of Anti-Racist Resolution, Equity Statement
Local Elected Officials Sign Statement Condemning ‘Racist Remarks’ Made By Commissioner Joe Gale
Editorial: North Penn School Board Joins County Colleagues In Seeking Charter School Reform
