Work Currently Ongoing About Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Hanover Public Schools

Racism and bias are topics we have worked to address with our staff and students for the past few years, and we wanted to share with you some of the ongoing work we are doing to address these issues.

In the 2018-2019 school year, all staff participated in a training, "Bias in the School Setting" which was facilitated by the Hanover Public Schools Anti-Bias Leadership Team. This program addressed issues around unconscious bias and microaggressions. In the 2019-2020 school year, the Hanover Middle School Staff participated in a full-day workshop facilitated by the Anti-Defamation League called "A World of Difference," which addressed bias, bullying, and the development of an inclusive and respectful culture. Our future plan is to have all schools participate in this training. In the Spring of 2020, students in grades 9, 10, and 11 participated in a bullying and inclusion survey as part of a study by Boston University to help guide our future anti-bias and inclusion training for students and staff. We are planning an Anti-Defamation League Peer Leadership program at HHS for the 2020-2021 school year, and we will do everything possible to make this happen while following state health guidelines. School Nurses have made anti-bias training a priority and have participated in multiple workshops over the past three years, as have a variety of other staff in the district. We also have had a group of community members, many of whom are educators in other Districts, recently reach out wanting to join in the conversations and work ahead of us.