The events of the world outside Lexington often have a direct impact on members of our community. These are a few highlights of recent events and the steps LPS has taken to support our students, staff, and families. Families balancing the impact of these events or others are encouraged to reach out to LPS staff to discuss differentiated support.

Ongoing Crisis in the Middle East

Dr. Hackett's recent communication on the crisis in the Middle East captured our approach to supporting students, staff, and families through this difficult time. We continue to shift our approach based on student need, including providing optional facilitated discussion spaces for students beyond those happening in courses with curricular connections. Members of our community are encouraged to reach out to building leadership with questions or thoughts on needs. Please also read through these resources that were recently added to our website as we care for ourselves and one another.

Combatting Islamophobia

• Dismantling Islamophobia

• Expelling Islamophobia

• Countering Islamophobia through Education

• Teaching "Different Is Okay" to Combat Islamophobia in U.S. Schools

• Beyond “Good” and “Bad” Muslim: Addressing Islamophobia in Schools

Combatting Antisemitism

• Addressing Antisemitic Hate with Students

• Hate at School: This Viral Video Requires More than a Conversation

• "Never Again" Starts with Education

• Addressing Antisemitism through Education

• Combatting Antisemitism in Schools

• Resources to Address and Challenge Antisemitism

Crisis in Nagomo-Karabakh

In September, an ongoing conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region exacerbated tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including members of our community with ties to the area. In response to these events, all LHS history/social studies teachers were provided with current news articles and a sample lesson plan related to the September invasion of Nagorno-Karabakh and the subsequent migration of many Armenian refugees out of this province. The Armenian Genocide is part of the 2018 Massachusetts state frameworks for History and Social Science. In Lexington, the Armenian Genocide is taught in the spring semester in all 10th grade modern world history classes- our teachers of this grade/course will have the ability to connect the 1915 genocide to recent events in Nagono-Karabakh. Our Facing History elective course considers this topic (historically and today) in more depth, with opportunities for individual student research.

The middle school math department recently engaged in focused learning on hidden biases in word problems. Reading this article from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, teachers explored the “hidden messages” of classism, racism, and sexism in textbooks and word problems. They discussed reframing word problems to be more representative of the lived experiences of their students, resulting in more inclusive practices that support the success of all students, and one teacher is even mirroring the experience with a lesson for her students.

At Lexington Learns Together, staff had the opportunity to explore and borrow a book from a “little equity lending library,” which includes approximately 20 texts promoting individual adult learning about equity topics. Titles include Race at the Top by Natasha Warikoo; Not Light, but Fire by Matthew Kay; and Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon. During and after reading, staff will have the opportunity to interact with others who have read the same book through technology tools. Next, the little library will travel to each school building in the district on a rotating basis.

This summer, we continued to build our districtwide capacity for building a restorative justice culture in our schools, one that embodies what Fania Davis describes as a culture “that might help move us from an ethic of separation, domination, and extreme individualism to an ethic of collaboration, partnership, and interrelatedness.” More than three dozen teachers and administrators attended district trainings that spanned the three tiers of Restorative Justice practice: (1) community and relationship building, (2) community and relationship repair and conflict resolution, (3) reintegration after a removal or other kind of absence. In addition, members of our District Equity Team came together to update guidance for building-based teams to promote this culture in their specific contexts, as each school building is in a different place in their journey towards a restorative justice culture.

As noted in our recent district discussions about the Serious Talks curriculum at the elementary school, all members of our community, including the adults, can benefit from exploring topics of identity, diversity, equity, and justice. As a reminder, our LPS Equity website includes a list of many resources for self-paced exploration of various equity topics. The initial list was curated by current LEA co-president Robin Strizhak and has been updated with contributions from many LPS community members, including students. We are always updating the list, so please reach out to the Director of Equity and Student Support with questions, updates, or additions. 

The Massachusetts Board of Education voted in September to approve the revised health education curriculum guidelines for the first time since 1999!  The new guidelines incorporate recommendations for physical, mental, emotional and sexual health, as well as updating language and content, especially inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community. These shifts are representative of the work that we have undertaken in LPS for several years, and we are happy that the State’s new guidance will help other school districts improve the health and well-being of students across Massachusetts.  

The following are recent articles, editorials, videos, and educational news items to check out as we engage in the lifelong journey of bringing greater equity to our community!