Announcement Details
Announcement Message
Dear SFUSD Community,
At SFUSD, diversity is a core value. Every day, we strive to create safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments for each and every student who comes through our doors. We are committed to academic excellence and it is our responsibility to ensure that every student knows that they belong here.
Recently, we have heard concerns from students, families, staff, and the wider San Francisco Community about racist language, symbols, hate speech, violence, and their impact on the culture and climate in our schools.
Let us be clear: racism, hate, discrimination, and harassment have NO place in SFUSD. Hate speech, whether it targets someone's race, color, ancestry, nationality, national origin, immigration status, ethnicity, religion, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity harms the people it targets and can leave students feeling unsafe or unwelcome at school.
We want you to know that we take these concerns seriously. The Student and Family Handbook includes the District’s policies and procedures (Board Policy and Administrative Regulation 5145.9) for addressing reports of hate-motivated behavior, including hate speech.
Responding to Reports
Any person who is the victim of or who has observed hate-motivated behavior is encouraged to report the incident to any trusted adult on campus. All staff members are required to notify the school’s administration of every report. The school’s administrative team will take immediate action to stop the behavior, prevent it from recurring, and remedy the harm that has been caused. In most cases, this will involve a school-based investigation, an offer of supportive measures for the harmed student(s), and corrective actions such as discipline, education, and restorative actions.
Training & Education
School staff receive training each year regarding how to identify acts of bullying, harassment, and hate-motivated behavior and their responsibility to intervene in the moment. School administration receive additional training regarding their role in partnering with families, conducting fair and thorough investigations, and taking effective corrective action.
All schools are expected to take steps to cultivate safe and welcoming learning environments that are inclusive to all students, including leading developmentally appropriate instruction on respect, diversity, and how bias causes harm. Schools are encouraged to explicitly teach students how to speak to one another in person and online, to challenge racial slurs when they occur, and to reach out to students who may be isolated.
Getting Help
If you believe your child has been the victim of hate-motivated behavior, you are strongly encouraged to contact your school’s principal to report the incident. If you are dissatisfied with the school’s response or believe that the school failed to abide by District policies and procedures, you can seek additional support by contacting the SFUSD Student Family School Resource Link at sflink@sfusd.edu or 415-340-1716 or you can report your concern at any time through Report a Concern.
African American families may also contact the African American Achievement & Leadership Initiative (AAALI) and/or the African American Parent Advisory Council (AAPAC).
Partnering With Families
We value our partnership with families. Talking with your child about what they see and share online, and about speaking up when something is wrong can make a real difference. The resources below can help you start those conversations.
Addressing these concerns requires sustained action and we will continue to engage with families, students, staff, and community partners, including civil rights organizations such as the NAACP, to work toward schools free of hate and racism.
At SFUSD, we are committed to cultivating a safe and welcoming environment for each and every student.
In Community,
Dr. Maria Su
SFUSD Superintendent of Schools
Phil Kim
President, San Francisco Board of Education