Video of Berkeley School Board Meeting on Welcoming Schools
Also Available: Video from Minneapolis Public Schools Annual Board of Education Meeting (Jan. 2011)
From the Pilot Sites
“I strongly recommend, from the earliest grade levels, the Welcoming Schools program and Guide as an effective intervention to establish and maintain a safe school environment for each student. The New Bedford Public Schools needed to take more specific steps to keep all students safe, and Welcoming Schools provided the way.” [Read more]
Lawrence J. Finnerty, Ed.D., Retired Assistant Superintendent, New Bedford Public Schools, Massachusetts
“The Welcoming Schools Guide’s easy-to-use content and research-based approach make it a valuable tool to decrease bullying and name-calling in elementary schools. It is a must-have resource for schools that want to build respect for all students and families.”
Fred Fuentes, Executive Director, Latino Policy Institute (Former Assistant Superintendent of Equity and Diversity, New Bedford Public Schools, Massachusetts)
“By creating welcoming classroom environments where social skills are taught, where students can see themselves reflected in the curriculum, and where negative behaviors such as name-calling are consistently addressed, students build a better connection with our school communities. And better connections and positive school climate can lead to improved student attendance, more time on task in the classroom and increased student achievement.”
Bill Greene, Superintendent, Minneapolis Public Schools, in a district newsletter article about Welcoming Schools. Dr. Greene served as the district superintendent from 2006-2010.
“I totally agree with all the three categories [family diversity, gender stereotyping and bullying] of Welcoming Schools…Coming from a multi-racial family. . .I think it’ really important to expose the kids to these things because they don‘t always know how to react.”
Parent from Massachusetts pilot site
“By getting information to the parents and, then, having them feel a little more comfortable, [Welcoming Schools helps parents] approach their children in a way that they’re more comfortable.”
Parent from a Massachusetts pilot site
“The [Welcoming Schools] lessons on when teasing becomes bullying and the differences between allies and bystanders have been particularly helpful this year in dealing with sexualized play being instigated by a 5th-grade boy to the discomfort of some 4th- and 5th-grade girls. The lessons gave my staff a place to begin the conversations about boundaries, advocacy and self respect.”
Principal from a California pilot site
“I myself have a student in my class who has parents of the same gender and it has never come up as a discussion. It’s never been talked about … It’s not that I don‘t feel comfortable talking about it, I just feel it has never come up as an issue. But now that all the discussion about the Welcoming Schools curriculum has come up, I have often thought about how that particular child might feel left out at times because it has never been discussed.”
Minnesota pilot site educator
What Others Are Saying
“An indispensible resource for educators working toward respectful, inclusive classrooms.”
Scott Hirschfield, Director of Curriculum, Anti-Defamation League
“The Welcoming Schools Guide is an innovative tool providing invaluable assistance to educators in creating safe, inclusive learning environments for all students. This is a wonderful complement to existing anti-bullying programs and a welcome addition to any school’s toolbox for preparing students for today’s diverse world.”
Dennis Van Roekel, President, National Education Association
