ACT Parent Engagement Survey Follow-up

Dear Albany Parent Community,

On behalf of the Parent Engagement Committee that was formed as a part of the Albany Coming Together (ACT) group that responded to the 2017 incidents of racism and bullying on social media last year, a big thank you to those who completed the survey regarding racism and bullying in our schools. The response was robust (225 total responses) and informed recommendations ACT made to the School Board in February. 

To see the results, click on the "Responses" tab at this link. (Note you MUST select the responses tab (right side), not "Questions" to see the results.)

Highlights More than 1 in 4 parents said their child(ren) had been bullied or teased because of their race, religion or other aspect of their identity. Parents were split between whether the incident was handled properly, but more than 1/4 felt it was not handled well. Notably, more than half of all respondents think several days of school should be devoted to teaching our kids 4th grade and up about responsible use of social media and the internet. More than half of respondents said they are interested in attending talks/workshops regarding racism, implicit bias & how to talk to their kids about race. 

Background ACT was convened last year by Superintendent Val Williams in the wake of the 2017 hate incidents as a way for stakeholders to provide input on racism, anti-Semitism and other forms of bias and oppression in our community. ACT recommendations to the Board can be found in the February 13, 2018 School Board Agenda starting on p. 24. 

The ACT recommendations envision an ongoing partnership among staff, parents and students to foster an equitable, nurturing and inclusive school climate. While the formal work of the ACT is complete, there's lots more work to be done and progress depends in large part on how much we, as parents, remain engaged. Keep your eyes out for more opportunities to be part of this conversation. 

Best regards,
ACT Parent-Engagement Committee:
Andrea Clark
Michael Goldbach
Rebecca Long
Francisco Lopez
Kate Mehler
Jason Patent

If you have questions or want to be involved in discussions about next steps for this work and parent-engagement around these issues, please contact Rebecca Long at rebeljlong@gmail.com

Thanks!