Celebration of Light

With the upcoming change in our Presidency, there were fears from our district students and families about possible deportation. A few weeks ago, my School Board adopted a resolution to continue to protect undocumented students from deportation. “As part of the resolution, the board directed the district general counsel’s office to issue a legal memorandum to all students and staff affirming the protections for immigrant students and their families under a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding the rights of students in the country without legal permission to attend public schools.” In addition, we have a District Family and Community Engagement Office that is organizing an event to support the rights of all students to be educated in an “environment free from fear, violence and intimidation”. The event will have immigration advice, health care information, and other resources and support for our diverse community. I definitely saw some fear in some of my students about the idea of not being able to attend school and being deported. I think public schools have always been a safe place for students to attend. Now that policies are changing, the fear and anticipation of what will happen next is growing. It is a potential conflict that can have some devastating consequences. I do like how my district has taken action to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and families by adopting the resolution and offering supports and resources for families through the district office.