Dr. Adam Clark, Superintendent of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, invites District parents, families or community members to a Town Hall Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 21 at Pine Hollow Middle School.
The meeting comes after several students mocked the Black History Month celebration at Diablo View school campus.
The town hall is aimed for the community to share experiences or provide input to the District Governance team regarding recent incidents on some campuses that do not align with District values and are in conflict with the District’s goals.
“As the District Superintendent, it is my responsibility to ensure that we work to reach the goals outlined in MDUSD’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), which is a state-required plan describing our overall vision for students, as well as our priorities,” Dr. Clark said in a recent message to District parents and staff. “The first goal of our LCAP states, ‘All students will receive a high quality education in a safe and welcoming environment with equitable high expectations, access to technology, and instruction in the California State Standards that prepare them for college and career.’ In order to reach this goal, we as an educational community need to work together to celebrate our successes and address our deficiencies.”
He cited racial slurs, hate graffiti and the passing out of cotton balls to mock Black History Month as examples of bullying, and said that fights have also occurred on some campuses.
“Bullying and fighting have no place in any MDUSD schools,” said Dr. Clark
The Town Hall will take place in the Pine Hollow Middle School Multi-use Room at 5522 Pine Hollow Road in Concord.
See Story: Letter was sent out by Superintendent Adam Clark:
Dear Diablo View Middle School Community,
It has been brought to my attention that there was an unfortunate event that took place on the Diablo View campus last week. A student brought cotton balls to school and they were distributed by several students as a joke throughout campus in what appeared to be mocking the celebration of Black History Month. Although the student who initially brought the cotton balls to campus was disciplined, there were other students who participated.
Unfortunately, we as school and District leaders missed a crucial opportunity to turn this bullying and racist incident into a learning opportunity. I will correct that inaction. That said, Mt. Diablo Unified School District is committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment for all students. This incident does not represent our values. If we are going to combat bullying in all forms, a whole systems approach needs to be applied. Meaning, we have to directly address and reject all forms of offensive and divisive behavior within our school communities. Students need to be equipped with language to communicate their feelings, needs and emotions in an effective manner.
I encourage all parents to talk to your students about what kinds of language/actions are acceptable at school. Hopefully, as we work to address this offensive event, safe conversations can take place to prevent any student from feeling unwelcome or intimidated within our schools. I appreciate your cooperation and look forward to future learning activities that truly celebrate the diverse cultures of all families in this District.
Thank you,
Dr. Adam Clark
For more on the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, visit them at: www.mdusd.org
