To the editor:
On March 26, the school board voted to sunset DEI policy 100 and replace it with the district strategic plan. The community was roughly divided in half, with some supporting sunsetting policy 100 and some opposing it.
I have observed hissing, booing, and chanting at the meeting. There have been angry reactions to the posts from the local news outlets, and comments such as “hate won in Hastings today” and that the board “caved to the ultra-right-wing fascists”. Some people have claimed that our district is not safe for students from minority groups as well as disabled children.
Anyone who is angry, please ask yourself. Do you really think that half of your neighbors are hateful fascists? I’m sure if you are a reasonable person, you don’t think so. Now let’s look at the facts.
Before the policy 100 was created by the previous school board, we have always had and still have policies that guarantee equal opportunities for education and employment, and that protect against bullying and discrimination of any kind.
Here are the ones I found on the district’s website:
•102 Equal Educational Opportunity
•401 Equal Employment Opportunity
•402 Disability Nondiscrimination
•514 Bullying Prohibition Policy
•521 Student Disability Nondiscrimination
•522 Sex Nondiscrimination Policy
•526 Hazing Prohibition
•609 Religion and Religious and Cultural Observances
The district should provide equal employment opportunities to all and select the best candidates based on their skills and qualifications instead of being committed to hiring teachers and staff based on their race, gender, and sexual orientation.
The district should provide all children with opportunities and the support they need to perform at their highest capacity. The goal should not be to close the gap between the lowest and highest achievers. We need all students to achieve at their highest levels regardless of what that might be. Lowering the expectations for the students is not supporting students, it’s failing them.
The district needs to focus on reinforcing the existing policies, so that students and staff are always supported and protected. We all want to see success for our students, let’s come together to support our students and our school board.
Natasha Brown
Hastings