The Original 6 Climate Areas

** Our Task Force also recommends three important disclosures be provided as an overarching statement above the entire Climate Framework:

• Acknowledging the Native land upon which our building are situated, and

• The environmental impact and standards of MPS buildings

• Recognizing that relationships between all in the building have impact that can transcend the physical environment

1. It is the right of every MPS student and staff member to attend equally safe and well-maintained schools, no matter which school they attend, as well as to go to work and school in a space that is conducive to learning and requires all members of the community to take care of the space; more specifically, the space is regularly cleaned, is a comfortable temperature, and has well-maintained grounds.

2. It is the right of every student, parent, staff, and community member to feel physically and emotionally safe, recognized, and respected when entering and accessing a barrier-free MPS facility.

3. Minneapolis Public Schools inherently values the safety of all students, families, staff, and community in our schools. We commit to creating secure entries which are appropriately staffed with personnel who are approachable, welcoming and who support schools as a safe haven. The entries visually represent the communities we serve, are clean, inviting, and easy to navigate through appropriate signage. Our schools reflect and embrace our essential responsibility and commitment: the educational and developmental uplifting of all students.

4. It is the right of everyone in our school communities to feel valued. They should feel welcomed and celebrated, heard without judgement, and be recognized. We need to ensure as our space evolves that it is inclusive of and mirrors our communities.

5. It is the right of every student to have ownership over the space designed to serve them, and for youth to have dedicated opportunities to speak their truth and express their needs through intentional and ongoing dialogues about Climate.

6. It is the right of every MPS student, staff member, and family member to feel safe in every school environment, and to be confident that every school will be provided the resources to appropriately and consistently respond - free of bias - to any individual’s concerns related to their physical or emotional health and safety.

7. It is the right of every MPS student, staff member, and family member to be confident in the security measures and staff in place that provide protection from risk, while ensuring staff use an anti-racist approach to utilizing any assessment or surveillance systems in place, and that no member of the school community is criminalized.

1. It is the right of every MPS student to experience an equitable educational journey that is challenging, affirming, empowering, and filled with access to transformative present and future opportunities.

2. It is the right of every MPS student to have positive, meaningful, healthy relationships with adults at their school that stem from mutual respect, trust, and care. Student voice, choice, and perspective are actively sought, heard, and valued both in creating a safe and rich learning community in the classroom as well as a larger community of belonging in the whole school.

3. It is the right of every MPS student to be able to trust their educators, administrative staff and district members as a result of concrete evidence that adults are creating tangible change that is student-focused and creates greater equity within MPS.

4. It is the right of every MPS student and educator to receive meaningful feedback on their learning and instruction, respectively, that specifically addresses how they can continue to grow.

5. It is the right of every MPS student to be taught by culturally responsive, equity-focused, anti-racist educators.

6. It is the right of every MPS student and family to address biases in teaching and actions of school leaders without fear of retaliation, dismissive behavior, and fragility.

7. It is the right of every MPS student and family to have educators that reflect, respect, and affirm their identities, backgrounds and lived experiences (racial, cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, language, gender, sexuality) through both curricula and instruction.

8. It is the right of every MPS student to have curricula and instruction that de-centers and challenges whiteness, ableism, and heteronormativity.

9. It is the right of every MPS student and family to feel safe to engage in both learning and their school community by having educators who acknowledge and understand the impact of their own identities and biases.

1. It is the responsibility of leadership and staff on all levels to ensure the right of traditionally and currently marginalized staff to be heard, seen, respected, and safe from harm. Additionally, it is also the responsibility of leadership and staff to mitigate any harm through culturally specific (non-Eurocentric) ways.

2. It is the right of traditionally and currently marginalized staff’s language, cultural traditions, values, and truths to always be integrated, centered, and celebrated in all Minneapolis Public Schools affiliated spaces.

3. It is the responsibility of everyone in Minneapolis Public Schools to honor and value the dignity of all.

4. It is the responsibility of everyone in Minneapolis Public Schools to understand that giving and receiving respect is not universally the same, it is essential we show and receive respect in a culturally responsive, non-Eurocentric way

5. In order to ensure the inclusion and implementation of an equitable framework, it is the responsibility of all leaders to cultivate, promote, and hire staff that reflect a balanced leader-to-student ratio from within the communities they serve, as well as accurately reflect the demographics of the student population.

1. In order to ensure the inclusion and implementation of an equitable framework, all leaders are accountable to lead with empathy, and promote and provide a trusting, safe and inclusive (emotionally, physically, socially) community for ALL staff, students, families, and community members.

1. It is the responsibility of MPS to design and implement a clear, culturally reflective and accessible decision-making process where families and communities can easily participate and share in decisions that affect the student’s well-being and educational experience.

2. It is the responsibility of MPS to proactively partner with, engage, and support families, staff, community members and other stakeholders to create an environment of trust and belonging that honors and reflects the cultural diversity for the benefit of our students; ensuring equitable access to resources and academic rigor.

3. It is the responsibility of MPS to creatively and flexibly engage students, their families and support structures to identify their needs and strengths, in order to develop the confidence in their ability to learn and achieve academic success.

4. It is the responsibility of MPS to use flexible communication systems to share information and gather input from families and community stakeholders at the student, classroom, school, and district level.

1. It is the responsibility of adults to ensure that students' social, emotional, and physical needs are identified and addressed.

2. We believe relationships are key to learning and recognize that social and emotional learning is embedded throughout our practice during the school day and our interactions with families and the community beyond the school day.

3. All students, families, and staff deserve a safe and supportive environment that promotes healing as well as social, emotional, and academic growth

4. We value and respect all aspects of each individual’s identity.

5. We believe that children are happier and healthier when play and physical activity are built into each and every school day.

6. It is our responsibility to nurture all children through access to active living, as well as quality and culturally relevant food.

7. It is the responsibility of community, family, and staff to work together to eliminate systemic racism and value cultural competence within the education system.

1. It is the right of every MPS student, family, and staff member to experience consistency of affirming and relevant support of their emotional, psychological, and physical needs without fear of shame or stigma because of the need, their perceived or expressed identity, or their socio-economic status.

2. It is the right of every MPS student to feel that they are an essential member of their school community, to know that the staff recognizes their gifts and will help them rectify their mistakes, and to see themselves reflected in the curriculum, physical space, and staff.

3. It is the right of every MPS student, staff member, and family to co-create and restore positive, trusting relationships by being known (i.e. background, culture, talents, etc.) and valued, and to experience the benefits of restorative practices by teaching, modeling and giving space and time towards learning communication and conflict resolution skills.

4. It is the right of every MPS teacher and student to feel respected by all staff members, and be supported in naming and assured of a response from MPS staff that acknowledges and responds to racist actions and practices by any member of the MPS community.

5. It is the right of every MPS student to know that they have as much input in their own education as the teaching staff, and learn the practices of healthy discourse and to express discontent in the school system and to have those concerns addressed in every level of school administration, as well as to experience/feel that their voice is as important as their White counterparts.