Embracing Diversity
This
week I was invited to participate in a community forum held at UW-Stout
to discuss bias in our community, and to talk about what we can do to
make Menomonie a safer and more inviting place for everyone.
Unfortunately, there have recently been alleged examples where minority
members from our community have been treated quite poorly. In one
instance, a prominent member of our Hmong community was severely injured
over a hunting dispute, while, in another instance, a minority student
from UW-Stout was verbally assaulted and threatened after a traffic
incident. It was very disturbing to learn about these types of conflict
in a progressive community that has so much of which to be proud.
There
are no good excuses for letting bias affect our behavior, and there
continues to be too many occurrences in our country, state, and local
community where we do not treat each other with enough dignity and
respect. While diversity can sometimes make people uncomfortable or
afraid, we need to remember that, as human beings, we are all much more
similar than we are different. It is encouraging that there is
collaboration between our local law enforcement, judicial system,
university, school district, and community to offer an appropriate
reaction to these recent situations, but we also need to be proactive in
our efforts to keep situations like these from happening again.
Education at school and in our homes is the key!
The
mission of the Menomonie Area School District states that we will
embrace the unique needs and use the strengths of our diverse community
to prepare all students to become lifelong learners, caring individuals,
and responsible citizens. We have much work to do toward accomplishing
this mission, but we can already celebrate much progress in this area.
Our teachers, principals, and support staff continue to do a wonderful
job modeling and teaching appropriate behavior in our school district,
and our Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) program has
helped to provide a foundation of good behavior for so many of our
students. Administration and staff at our schools continue to work hard
to enforce policies and rules related to harassment and bullying, and
our school district continues to look for ways to make our academic and
co-curricular programming more inclusive.
Many of
us at one time or another have witnessed or participated in
inappropriate behavior based on bias. Some instances might have seemed
small like an off-color joke that was shared between family or friends,
while other, more visible examples, might have been more direct or may
have occurred in a more public setting. Large or small, public or
private, this type of biased behavior is not acceptable. It is a poor
example for our children, and it continues a chain of conflict that has
been passed down through generations.
The good
news is that we control our future! Menomonie is still a wonderful
place to live, and most of our community members are very sensitive
these issues. By continuing to provide our children with good role
models and a good education, we can create an environment that is safer
and more welcoming for everyone.
Should
school stakeholders have any questions about our school district, I
invite you to visit the Administrative Service Center on Pine Avenue or
contact me at 715-232-1642. More information about our schools can be
found on the school district website (www.sdmaonline.com) and on Twitter (www.twitter.com/sdmaonline).