Shoreline Schools: Our Commitment to an Inclusive, Diverse, and Culturally Rich Community

With school starting soon, we're reposting this information orginally published by SSD on Jan 14 2025. A continuación se adjunta una versión en español de este artículo.

Dear Shoreline Schools Community,

We understand that the shifting national landscape has many of our
immigrant, BIPOC, and transgender students, staff, and families
concerned for their safety and uncertain about their future. We
acknowledge that these concerns have real impact and implications for
our members of our community. As always, we strive to ensure that each
and every member of our community is safe and knows that they belong in
Shoreline Schools.

Shoreline School District is committed to fostering an educational
environment that is safe and free of discrimination for all, regardless
of immigration status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender
identity, sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age,
veteran or military status, or disability. Policy 3210, Student Nondiscrimination | Policy 5010, Employee Nondiscrimination

Even if federal laws change in the coming weeks or years, Shoreline
School District remains committed to providing equitable access to
education to all students within our school district.

Per our School Board Policy 4300 Limiting Immigration Enforcement in Schools, Shoreline School District does:

• have a responsibility to ensure that all
  students who reside within our boundaries can safely access a free
  public K-12 education

• have a responsibility to all students and ensure
  that all staff and volunteers are aware of the rights of immigrant
  students to an education

• prohibit participation or aid in immigration
  enforcement activity against all persons, including but not limited to
  students and their families, staff, and volunteers at all school
  facilities, which include (but are not limited to) adjacent sidewalks,
  parking areas, sports facilities, playgrounds, and entrances and exits
  from said building spaces

Shoreline School District does not:

• collect or have access to the immigration status of students or family members

• exclude students from receiving an education or
  unlawfully discriminate against anyone because of their race, color,
  national origin, age, disability, gender identity, immigration or
  citizenship status, sex, creed, use of a trained dog guide or service
  animal by a person with a disability, or sexual orientation

Policy 3226, Interviews and Interrogations of Students on School Premises reinforces
that staff shall not grant information or access to immigration agents
unless/until the District Superintendent and/or General Counsel
determine the request complies with Plyler v. Doe and other applicable laws according to the criteria in the associated procedure.

Currently, public schools within the state of Washington, including
Shoreline, are guided by the Office of Superintendent of Public
Instruction’s “Immigrant Students' Rights to Attend Public Schools.” This guidance, notably, states:

“Washington public schools must not initiate engagement with federal
immigration authorities for the purpose of sharing student information.
It is inconsistent with our state and federal constitutional mandates to
serve every student.

Before a Washington public school complies with a warrant, judicial
order, or subpoena [for a student’s records], it must make reasonable
efforts to inform the student and/or parents of the warrant, judicial
order, or subpoena well enough in advance to give the student and/or
parents time to seek a protective order. This is true unless the
warrant, judicial order, or subpoena specifically orders the school to
refrain from such notification.”

In accordance with Procedure 3213P, Gender-Inclusive Schools and directed by Policy 3213, Gender-Inclusive Schools, Shoreline School District does:

• use the names and pronouns students self
  identify for how they would like to be addressed in class, in
  correspondence to the home, and at conferences with the student’s
  parent/guardian

• support students using the restroom that corresponds to the gender identity they assert at school

• provide all students the opportunity to
  participate in physical education and athletic programs/opportunities in
  a manner that is consistent with their gender identity

Shoreline School District does not:

• disclose a student's transgender or
  gender-expansive status to others, including the student's parents
  and/or other school personnel, unless the school is (1) legally required
  to do so or (2) the student has authorized such disclosure

Support for Students

The children and youth of our community are at the heart of
everything we do. Their well-being, education, and development are our
top priorities, and we are committed to ensuring that our schools remain
places of safety, comfort, and growth. Together with families,
educators, and the broader community, we will continue to uphold our
schools as spaces where students can thrive and reach their full
potential.

Supporting students in our schools:

• Our school counselors will provide safe spaces for any student to process fears or anxieties they may have

• We will decisively respond to hate speech or actions that denigrate any member of our community

• We will reinforce our values of safety and
  belonging through our advisory periods, morning circles, and restorative
  discussions across schools

• We will connect families to community resources to assist them with any supports they require for their children

• We will continue to provide guidance to staff on
  how to facilitate constructive and productive dialogue while addressing
  negative or harmful commentary

Support for Families

Families are the fabric of our community and we embrace, celebrate,
and are better for the diversity that we see across Shoreline schools.
Our goal is to help keep families together, safe, and supported. We will
connect families to community resources to assist them with the support
they require for their children.

Immigration resources for families:

• Immigrant Students' Rights to Attend Public Schools (OSPI)

• Protections for Immigrant Students in Washington’s K–12 Public Schools (OSPI)

• Know Your Rights: Stopped by Police - translated into Spanish (ACLU)

• Know Your Rights Under the U.S. Constitution – No Matter Who Is President - translated into Chinese, Arabic, Korean, and Spanish (National Immigration Law Center)

• Know Your Rights with ICE (Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network [WAISN])

  • English

  • Spanish

  • Portuguese

  • French

  • Somali

  • Lingala

• More Know Your Rights resources (Northwest Immigrant Rights Project)

• Bystander and Observer Guidelines - translated into Spanish (WAISN)

• Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN)

• WAISN Resource Finder (Wraparound Services by County)

Transgender resources for families:

• Trans Rights in WA State (King County Trans Resource & Referral Guide)

• Trans Youth Handbook -
  a legal resource guide that covers the rights of trans youth across
  such a wide spectrum of situations, including identity documents,
  school, health care, non-affirming care environments, and work
  (co-authored by Harvard Law School and the National Center for Lesbian
  Rights)

• Facing the Future Together - FAQs, Guidance, and Resources (Human Rights Campaign)

• Trans Lifeline - national trans peer support, resources, and hotline

Support for Staff

Our teachers, support staff, and administrators care deeply for the
students in our schools, and some may have concerns for the safety and
wellbeing of their own families during these uncertain times, in
addition to their role as educators.

Resources for staff to care for themselves:

We encourage Shoreline School District employees to access the First Choice Health Employee Assistance Program.
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a confidential, professional
assessment and counseling referral service. The Employee Assistance
Program is confidential and available 24/7.

Find additional staff wellness resources (Staff Portal login required)

Resources for staff to support students and families:

School administrators, office staff, counselors, and others who are in school offices have been provided with guidance for interactions with immigration agencies (Staff
Portal login required). We cannot anticipate what might happen in the
next few weeks or months, but our staff will continue to keep privacy
and safety at the forefront of their work.

All staff should follow these guidelines:

• Do NOT answer immigration questions from families or provide legal
  advice; DO refer families to the many immigration resources listed
  below.

• Do NOT ask families about their immigration status; DO assure families that we do not record or share that information.

• Do NOT communicate political opinions or information on school
  property; DO allow students a safe place to express their opinions and
  beliefs while pointing them toward resources.

We will continue to provide guidance to staff on how to facilitate
constructive and productive dialogue while addressing negative or
harmful commentary.

If laws or guidance for schools change, we will share updates with
the community as we are made aware of how they might affect our
schools.

Shoreline School District is and will continue to be a community that
welcomes and supports people of all backgrounds and identities. You
belong here.

Sincerely,

Dr. Susana Reyes, Superintendent

Sara Betnel, School Board President, on behalf of the Board of Directors