The opening of the school year at Homewood-Flossmoor High School got off to a good start and the administration hopes to keep that going by using several initiatives geared toward positive understandings.
The opening of the school year at Homewood-Flossmoor High School got off to a good start and the administration hopes to keep that going by using several initiatives geared toward positive understandings.
H-F has partnered with the Anti-Defamation League and Front Porch Initiative to help everyone attending and working at H-F to learn how to listen to each other. It’s believed an open approach can help alleviate tensions and misunderstandings.
In addition, the district is working with Midwest Equity and Great Lakes Equity Center, groups that have specific models to help talk about cultural responses to teaching practices.
Principal Jerry Anderson told the Chronicle: “I can’t say it’s been nothing but perfect, but it’s been positive and definitely way more positive than the way we ended” the last school year.
In late April several H-F students wearing blackface made derogatory remarks to an African American worker at a fast food restaurant. Their actions went viral on the Internet and upset students, parents and the community.
“I think it’s more positive than the way it ended because we’re being really honest with where we are and where we need to go, and we started that journey and I think that makes a difference,” Anderson said.
“First, (the students) had to care: care to understand and care to move forward and care to make change. I think all that goes together.
“Guess what happens over time? People get to find out more of what actually happened as to what was rumored to have happened,” Anderson said.
“And, people get to step back and look at things more objectively and people get to see the response, and I feel like we were responsive as a school and a community. And I think we needed to be.
“I think it’s when you’re not responsive and don’t have the level of care and concern that things go from bad to worse,” she added.
This year Nancy Spaniak, director of curriculum, instruction and professional development, has organized programs and institute days for information sessions with the ADL focusing on its “A World of Difference” program that aims to help recognize bias and the harm it inflicts, improve intergroup relations and confront racism, anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry.
The other program is Front Porch, which helps focus on conversations that, by learning about one another, can lead to better understandings.
“Each institute day is all staff training, not just teachers but all administrators, all support staff, our security staff, maintenance staff, in cultural responsive practices and true communication,” Spaniak said.
“We see much more of the good things (students do), but we see the focus on that one negative point. It’s kind of human nature,” Spaniak admits.
“From the student standpoint, we’re working with students and staff and also our administrative team. One of the things I really admire that we did this year was to work on norms for both our students and our staff,” the principal continued.
“That work behind the scenes: How do you work to do the things you need to do? What are your understandings of agreement with each other so you don’t let other things get in the way with the work your doing?
“I feel like it’s made a real positive impact on our environment which is directly related to the product that comes out of that environment,” Anderson said.