NPS Non-Discrimination Policy Information Session – this Monday (1/8) @ 7PM

January 6, 2024

Hello Peirce Families – 

We wanted to bring to your attention an NPS community training taking place via zoom on Monday, January 8th from 7-8pm about the NPS Non-Discrimination Policy that all NPS caregivers are invited to attend. Superintendent Nolin wrote about it in her most recent newsletter and we’ve shared some parts of that below: 

“Our goal is to always provide a safe and welcoming environment for all of our community members. To that end, you may remember that last year, we spent significant time revising our non-discrimination protocol and procedures. Given recent world events, we recognize that there is a heightened sense of fear, grief, and anxiety and as such, we have seen an uptick in the number of incidents and reports.

In comparison to data from the last year, the DEI Department has received an increased number of discrimination reports and a substantial increase in the percentage of reports that fall under the protected class of religion. While we are a community that cares about all of our members and responds to all acts of harm, we also need to meet this moment with accountability, support and most importantly, grace.

Even with these numbers, we’ve also heard from several community members that not all acts of discrimination are reported, often due to fear of retaliation or lack of knowledge about our process. In addressing this we have taken a few steps to increase our consistency of practice in reports, investigations and repair when possible.

On Wednesday, November 29, nearly 100 administrators participated in a refresher training on the NPS Non-Discrimination Protocol. We highlighted that every NPS staff is responsible for reporting ANY act of discrimination, the reporting & investigation process & timelines, and reinforced the ultimate goal of education and restoration when possible.

Although we always prefer that reports go directly to a trusted adult or NPS employee, there is also an option to submit a report via our Online Reporting Tool. This tool is accessible to ANY NPS community member and will go directly to the DEI Department for review and follow up. This also includes an anonymous option, but we encourage you to share your identity as anonymous complaints may inhibit our ability to process a thorough investigation.

Want to learn more? Consider attending a community training on the NPS Non-Discrimination Protocol–a crucial component in cultivating inclusion and belonging for all members in our community.

The session on January 8th will:

  • Develop an understanding of how NPS makes decisions
  • Goals of corrective and restorative action
  • Role parents can play in having conversations at home

There will also be Q&A session as well as some situationally relevant examples to help highlight how the protocol works. If you are interested in learning more about the protocol now, go here. To attend the meeting, RSVP here.“

Thank you!

Jordana Bluestein & Jaime Mason
Peirce PTO Co-Presidents

Check out www.peircepto.com for reminders, resources, and more!