Calif. schools chief urges districts to become ‘safe havens’
By Loretta Kalb, Sacramento Bee
California’s education chief has called on districts throughout the state to declare schools as safe havens against deportation and offered the Sacramento City Unified School District as a model.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson urged educators serving about 6.2 million students in California to take action, citing rising reports of bullying, harassment, and intimidation of K-12 students. The recommendation was distributed this week to county and school district superintendents, charter school administrators, and principals.
Torlakson said that after the November presidential election, families face “anxiety and in many cases outright fear. We want to use this as an opportunity to reassure parents that, regardless of immigration status, schools are welcoming places.”