Inclusive schools and the physical and emotional safety of all students are top priorities for educational success and healthy communities.
The U.S. Department of Education has highlighted the urgency of student safety due to a rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in schools as a result of the discourse in the U.S. and violence taking place in Israel and Palestine. Schools must proactively safeguard students affected by these incidents and help all students foster acceptance and empathy toward people with different backgrounds and histories.
Protecting religious identity is fundamental to creating an inclusive environment. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. This includes protection against discrimination based on religion and shared ancestry, ensuring that students of all faiths are treated with respect and dignity.
MAEC has compiled a list of resources for families, caregivers, educators, and districts to strengthen school safety, build inclusive environments, and confront violence in restorative ways. We drew from organizations explicitly committed to working across differences as a bridge to fostering an inclusive and safe school environment necessary for positive learning and the well-being of all students.
Resources:
- Anti-Muslim Bias and Acting as an Ally, Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
- Anti-Muslim Hate Surfaces Nationwide as Israel-Hamas War Continues, ADL
- Global Antisemitic Incidents In the Wake of Hamas’ War on Israel, ADL
- Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer and Religious Expression in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, U.S. Department of Education
- Challenging Islamophobia in Public Schools, Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project
- Combatting Antisemitism Through Education, Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
- Crisis, Controversy and Activism: Tips and Guidance for K-12 Schools, ADL
- Dismantling Islamophobia, Harvard Graduate School of Education
- Fact Sheet: Protecting Students from Discrimination Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics, U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
- Heavy Topics, Strong Classrooms, Learning for Justice
- Let’s Talk! Facilitating Critical Conversations with Students, Learning for Justice
- Religious Diversity in the Classroom, Learning for Justice
- Resources for Preventing and Addressing Antisemitism in Schools, U.S. Department of Education
- Rethinking Islamophobia, Rethinking Schools
- School Safety and Crisis, National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
- Singled Out: Islamophobia in the Classroom and the Impact of Discrimination on Muslim Students, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
- Socratic Seminar, Learning for Justice
- Teaching the Pyramid of Hate, ADL
