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My son is about to turn 14 (wow, the time sure has flown by) and he’s heading to the 9th grade. With the cultural climate being engendered by our government, one of fear, hostility and xenophobia, even our children are being affected.
When I interviewed my son’s potential school, I was confronted with the idea he would be entering into what I remember being the cruelest years of the educational experience: high school. I informed the school of my concerns and the principal assured me they made greater efforts to create solidarity among their student body. They kept their population small, they have strong community values, and the students are invested in each other’s well-being.
If you didn’t know, my son is a special needs student. Diagnosed with autism at age two, we have spent his entire life giving him structure and psychological resources to help him manage the more challenging aspects of his condition. From music to martial arts, he has excelled and become an even better individual than his medical practitioners could have hoped for.
His years of school have always been challenging. Starting behind the curve, he has worked hard to push his scholastic capabilities to their limits. Consistently doing two to four hours of afterschool study he managed to graduate on the deans list and acquire a number of commendations from the superintendent of schools and his local educational facility. He also excelled in sports and also learned to play the clarinet in his spare time.
What inspires me most is my son’s even temper, desire for companionship and his genial nature. Generous, friendly, and forthcoming, he surprised me with the number of friends he had at school. While I have no idea exactly what his school experience will require, I am more comfortable knowing this school embraces diversity and promotes an egalitarian perspective in their students.
While I have less issues with racism and xenophobia in my community in California, other parents may not be so lucky across the nation, particularly in states with Republican leadership. Minorities in these communities may experience intolerance or even outright hostility from the administration or other students.
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If you live in a state where racial, cultural or religious intolerance is the norm, what is your plan for protecting your school-age children?
What do you think parents in those areas should do?
How do you let your children know such bullying is possible and what they need to do to protect themselves?
Teens fancy themselves as becoming more independent and wanting less intervention from their parents. How do you let your teenager know when they need to ask for your assistance around bullying or abuse at school?
What are the laws regarding the police and zero-tolerance policies in your school and how are they implemented?
What are your plans regarding your children’s computers? How will you ensure cyber-bullying isn’t having an effect on your children?
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