Addressing Discrimination is Focus of School Board

By Katisha Hayes, High Point Enterprise, N.C.

May 22–GUILFORD COUNTY — Officials will discuss tonight how schools address discrimination on campus.

An incident at T. Wingate Andrews High School last fall, involving the discovery of four nooses on school grounds, prompted the school system to look closer at how schools handle issues of harassment, bullying and discrimination.

School officials indicate that such behavior typically comes in the form of verbal abuse and harassing, insults and other physical acts of prejudice. More than 9,500 such violations have been reported this year to the school system.

Monica Walker, the district’s diversity officer, and John Morris, chief student services officer, will make a report to the Guilford County Board of Education during a 6 p.m. meeting at school administrative offices in Greensboro.

The report includes a number of solutions, including:creating a policy that addresses racial discrimination more specifically and offering more diversity workshops that lookcloser at culture, poverty and teaching tolerance.

During tonight’s meeting, the school board also will: — Receive an update on the latest construction projects; — Review a new 12-month payment plan for teachers; — Receive an update on the district’s health advisory council; — Discuss the superintendent’s goals for the 2008-09 school year.

khayes@hpe.com|888.3657

—–

To see more of the High Point Enterprise, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.hpe.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, High Point Enterprise, N.C.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.