Supporting Immigrant & Refugee Students & Families

RESOLUTION AFFIRMING SUPPORT FOR ALL STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN THE WEST LINN-WILSONVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT

WHEREAS, every student belongs and is welcome in West Linn-Wilsonville schools; and

WHEREAS, public schools and school districts in Oregon are subject to all federal and state laws and constitutional provisions prohibiting discrimination; and

WHEREAS, our school board and staff are responsible for enacting policies and promoting educational practices that lead to educational success as well as the health and wellbeing of all PK-12 students; and

WHEREAS, members of the West Linn-Wilsonville School Board recognize that discrimination, exclusion and racism have long been determining factors in how children experience school; and

WHEREAS, schools are critical in providing safe and welcoming opportunities for people to learn about others who are different from them and have conversations about pressing issues; and

WHEREAS, in order to truly champion equity, we must actively be in solidarity with Black, Indigenous Native American, Latino/Latina, Asian, people of color and tribal communities in our schools, district, and nation if we want to see more unity in our lifetime; and

WHEREAS, we believe that a public statement is only one aspect of what is needed to fully address discrimination and racism in our schols;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Directors of the West Linn-Wilsonville School District that we are committed to the following actions in our schools:

• We reaffirm our Policy ACB All Students Belong and Policy AC Nondiscrimination; and
• We will intentionally create spaces and opportunities to hear the perspectives and feedback from diverse voices in our district community; and
• We will take what we learn and apply it to policies and practices in order to continuously create learning communities where all students and staff are respected and valued for who they are; and
• We will work to be champions of equity in our schools by implementing culturally responsive practices and curriculum; providing staff with training and professional development to interrupt bias when it occurs, educate towards prevention and restore relationships and community where possible; track and monitor bias incidents in our schools in order to make improvements; and
• We will continue implementing lessons that teach students how to interrupt and report acts of bias and racism in classrooms, schoolwide and in co-curricular activity spaces; and
• We will work to eliminate barriers and promote student success across race, social class, geographic location or other personal characteristics such as creed, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, economic status, gender, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, pregnancy status, marital status, physical appearance, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability. 

The West Linn-Wilsonville School District is committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive school learning environment while upholding the laws and district policies that protect the well-being of every student and staff member in our district.