Bloomfield Hills Schools this week joined a rogues' gallery of suburban education: A warning about using racial slurs on school property.
Bloomfield Hills Middle School (Photo: Google Maps)
Superintendent Rob Glass, in a letter to "the Bloomfield Hills Schools community," writes:
In recent weeks, we have had reports of hate speech, specifically racial slurs, used at (Bloomfield Hills Middle School) and also on one of our buses with high school students. We condemn the use of this harmful language. There is no place in our schools for hate or hate speech of any kind. It is not in line with who we are or what we teach.
Then, in what is likely a twist on what you might have heard from a superintendent or teacher in similar circumstances, there's this:
Please encourage your child to report incidents of bias and hate to a trusted adult. We recently launched a poster series in our middle schools and high school to provide an alternate reporting option. The poster encourages students to report incidents of bias and hate by capturing a QR code on the poster with a device and filling out a simple and quick form. The information reported on this form is then shared with building leadership and district administrators who can provide support.
A QR code? Why not? Then:
Students are held accountable to the Code of Conduct and the district may utilize Restorative Practices, which are processes that allow us to strengthen relationships and build respectful and safe communities. Through restorative practices, we look at misbehavior as an offense against people and relationships, not just rule breaking. Restorative practices allow all involved to see the harm that was caused and address the conflict or inappropriate behavior so that relationships and community can be repaired or restored.
Restorative practices are kind of a buzzword, but a definite step up from the old suspension / zero tolerance policies of yore.
Bloomfield Hills is not alone, of course; in recent years, similar racial incidents have been reported from Rochester Hills and Grosse Pointe.
No one in the district's administrative offices could be reached for comment.
