Anti-Racism Proclamation

Proclamation:
At the Platteville School District, our core mission is to ensure the highest levels of learning for every student in a safe and inclusive learning community, embodying the principle of "Every student, every day." To fulfill this mission, we acknowledge the urgency of our next steps.

The Platteville School District is unwavering in its commitment to establishing a safe, inclusive, and nurturing learning environment for all students, each and every day. While we celebrate diversity, we also acknowledge the presence of racism in our community, and we are resolutely dedicated to actively confronting it. In this acknowledgment, we aspire to foster healing and rebuild relationships through courageous conversations among our diverse communities. We understand that education is key, and we pledge to take action when we witness expressions of hate and bias, recognizing that silence perpetuates injustice and tacitly endorses harm. We are fully aware that we may not always get it right, but we commit to acknowledging and rectifying mistakes when they occur. We will learn from these situations and strive to do better in the future.

Directive:
Our district is committed to educating ourselves and our community, recognizing that issues of racism and racial injustice are not confined to our students and families of color, but affect us all at the local, state, and national levels. We are dedicated to addressing these challenges through sustainable and purposeful efforts. We will engage in this ongoing work transparently and collaboratively, understanding that inclusion is a continuous journey rather than a final destination.

As a district, we pledge to:
● Review our existing policies, student, and staff handbooks, and revise any language that may have previously enabled discrimination and bias.
● Collaborate with educational agencies to adopt and implement policies that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion among our students and staff.
● Develop a restorative plan for students who violate these commitments, emphasizing growth and learning from their mistakes.
● Research and implement a K-12 curriculum that not only explores the history of racism but also outlines actionable steps to dismantle it in our community and society.
● Provide educational opportunities for our community to learn about systemic racism and injustice, along with resources for facilitating conversations with children.
● Ensure that our District's staff, administrators, and school board members engage in ongoing, mandatory anti-racism training to lead by example.

As a district, we are wholeheartedly dedicated to creating intentional change within our schools, with the ultimate goal of eradicating racism and dismantling all systems of inequality and privilege. We urge our families to learn alongside us and instill these values in their own homes. Together, we can effect lasting change.