RESOURCES
for SPF community members

 

This page is in response to questions and information requests we often receive. It will be updated as needed. 

Table of Contents:

• About R.E.A.L. Parents x SPF

• SPF School District Info
  • District website, team, staff directory
  • PTA info
  • Board of Education info
  • Student Code of Conduct
  • District Policies on Equity
  • District Policies on Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (H.I.B.), Hate Crimes, Bias-Related Acts, Treatment of Transgender Students, Sexual Harassment, and How to Report/Escalate Incidents
  • COVID-19 Protocols and Resources
  • Email blasts/how to subscribe to them
  • Individual school contact info
  • Before and after care info: Right at School
  • The SPF Public Schools' Academy for Teaching and Social Justice 

• Job Opportunities in the SPF School District

• Local and Virtual Library Information

• Reading Lists
  • Book lists for the whole family
  • US History (and present) books for adults
• Help Provide More Diverse Books to Our Schools
  • SPF Elementary School Book Wish List
  • Nettingham Middle School Book Wish List

• Books in the Curriculum
  • Resources for selecting books
  • SPF Summer Reading Hub 2022: Elementary, Middle & High School
  • The benefits of reading diverse books

• FAQs About Bias and Inclusion Training
  • SPF District's Equity objectives
  • What is bias and inclusion training / why is it needed
  • Why is there bias and inclusion training in the SPF district
  • About the organization doing the bias and inclusion training
  • Q&A from the Parent Session at SPFHS (10/6/21)
• FAQs About Critical Race Theory (CRT)
  • What it is / what it is not
  • District letter confirming that SPF is not teaching CRT in schools
  • State of NJ Department of Education Learning Standards info 
  • Description of Amistad Law, Holocaust Law, LGBT and Disabilities Law in NJ
  • Antiracism vs CRT
• Calendar

 

ABOUT R.E.A.L. PARENTS X SPF

We are a collective of parents, neighbors, alumni and allies united to bring more Representation, Equity, Anti-Racism and Literary diversity into every corner of our Scotch Plains-Fanwood schools' lessons, libraries and leaders. 

We work alongside our incredible teachers, administration and officials to bring courageous and culturally responsive change to our classrooms. Together, we are all here to raise the next generation of helpers.

The need for change is as R.E.A.L. as our pledge to make it happen, together. 

• Learn more about who we are and what our goals are or a little about our backstory, sign up for our newsletter, and sign up to join our group HERE.
• Join our Facebook group or follow our Facebook Page.
• Follow us on Threads and Instagram.

 

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SPF SCHOOL DISTRICT INFO

District Website

District Administration Team

School District Staff Directory

PTA Council Board Members and Links to All SPF School PTAs

 

Follow the District on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Keep informed about what is happening in our community:

• Scotch Plains Township Website
• Scotch Plains TV (SPTV) Videos
• Fanwood Website
• Fanwood Borough YouTube Channel

  See also: 

• National Center for Education Statistics: District Demographic Dashboard 
• State of NJ: NJ School Performance Report (2021-2022) | En Español 

 

SPF Board of Education Information:
The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education consists of nine individuals (two in Fanwood, seven in Scotch Plains), each elected by voters in their home town for a three-year term. As of the 2022-2023 school year, per new NJ legislation there is also a student representative. 

Per NJ state law, all elected BOE members must complete New Jersey School Boards Association's mandated trainings to retain their seat. Additional training and certifications are available to all members throughout their term(s) via the NJSBA Academy. 

Learn more about the SPF BOE, its responsibilities and ways to engage with it below.

Board of Education Website
SPF BOE on Facebook, on Twitter
SPF BOE Newsletter
SPF BOE Email
2024-2025 BOE Meeting Dates and Agendas
2023-2024 BOE Meeting Dates
2022-2023 BOE Meeting Agendas  
2022-2023 BOE Meeting Dates (Plus Agendas, Minutes)
2021-2022 BOE Meeting Dates (Plus Agendas, Minutes, Videos)
BOE YouTube Channel to watch BOE meetings live-streamed, or the recordings of past meetings.
How to Become a BOE Member

General FAQs about the BOE Meeting experience:

• Why can't the Board have a back-and-forth dialogue with attendees during the Public Comments portion of the meeting?

Per the New Jersey School Board Association, BOE meetings are for Board members and Superintendents to meet with each other to take care of business as described on a set and publicly-published agenda, held publicly so anyone who wants to witness the meeting can do so.

All public comments are limited to three minutes each. Any that require/request response will receive it at some point after the meeting by the appropriate member of the Board (which is why each speaker's name/town are given).

The format was set at the state level to not be a dialogue forum or back-and-forth Q&A, and the local BOE cannot change that. Those types of conversations take place at other times/events.

See policies regarding public comments during BOE meetings here.
 

• How can families know what is going on in the district?

Here is a list of ways to stay in the loop.

For the most thorough information, Board of Ed meetings tend to be the best bet.

There are usually 1-2 BOE meetings every month, approximately 19 per school year. See the 2023-2024 schedule here.

Two days before each meeting, the detailed Agenda is published on the district home page (see: Spiffy Spotlight) and on the meeting page. 

As of February 2023, all BOE meetings will be live-streamed on the district's YouTube Channel. These and all previous meeting videos live on that channel. The signed minutes of the meetings are posted on the meeting page after they are approved at later meeting. 
 

• What else would be helpful to know?

"Coffee and Conversation" events during which families can meet face-to-face with the Superintendent and members of the BOE happen 2-3x per school calendar, and usually occur after information is shared that the community likely has questions about. 

If you see one announced, it's a good cue to take a look at recent BOE Meetings and eblasts from the district.

For example:
     
     11/30/22 Coffee & Conversation
     Recent hot topic: 
     - 11/17/22 BOE Mtg (Agenda, Minutes, Video) announcing the before/after care service bid process was officially beginning.
     - The most recent BOE election results were finalized.

     5/13/22 Coffee & Conversation
     Recent hot topic:
     - Dr. McGarry (Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction) shared a letter about the Health and Physical Education curriculum, including Sexual and Social Health.

3/3/22 Coffee & Conversation
     Recent hot topics:
     - 2/24/22 BOE Mtg (Agenda, Minutes, Video) reviewed the finalized 2022-2025 Strategic Plan.

That being said, anyone can reach out to the Superintendents and/or BOE at any time to discuss questions or concerns.

Related reading:

• New Jersey School Boards Association's FAQs about the roles, rules, limits and legal requirements of Board of Education members
• New Jersey School Boards Association video series and additional resources on the role of Board Members, including "13 Things School Board Members Wish People Knew About Them"
• SPF Board of Ed District Policy on Public Participation in Board Meetings
• R.E.A.L. Parents x SPF tips for attending and speaking at SPF BOE meetings. 
• SPF Board of Ed District Policy on Board Member Use of Social Media

New Jersey Student Learning Standards

• 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Health & Physical Education (full website) via NJ Dept. of Education
• 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Health & Physical Education (printable) via NJ Dept. of Education
• Core Ideas - NJ Student Learning Standards for Health (Shared in district June 2022)
   

SPF School District 2022-2025 Strategic Plan

SPF 2024-2025 School Year Calendar 

Student Code of Conduct

NJ's Guidance on Discrimination in School Discipline via the NJ Office of the Attorney General (August 2023)

District Policy 5750: Equal Educational Opportunity

• "Affirmative action shall be taken to ensure that students are protected from the effects of discrimination"
• "The conduct of teaching staff members shall exemplify the highest principles of equality and democracy.  Conduct and attitudes that display discrimination are contrary to the policies of this Board and, further, are destructive to the self esteem that this Board wishes to encourage in all students."

District Policy 5755: Equity in Educational Programs and Services 

• "It is the policy of the Board of Education to ensure equal and bias-free access to all school facilities, courses, programs, activities, and services, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectational or sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, socioeconomic status, or disability."

District Policy 5512: Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (H.I.B.)

• For Reporting Procedure, see Section E

District Policy 8465: Hate Crimes & Bias-Related Acts 

• "A “hate crime” is any criminal offense where the person or persons committing the offense acted with a purpose to intimidate an individual or group of individuals because of race, color, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity."
• "A “bias-related act” is an act directed at a person, group of persons, private property, or public property that is motivated in whole or part by racial, gender, disability, religion or sexual orientation, or ethnic prejudice. A bias-related act need not involve conduct that constitutes a criminal offense.  All hate crimes are also bias-related acts, but not all bias-related acts will constitute a hate crime."
• "Required Actions | Whenever any school employee in the course of his/her employment develops reason to believe that (1) a hate crime has been committed or is about to be committed...the school employee shall immediately notify the Building Principal and Superintendent"

District Policy 5756: Transgender Students

• "The Board developed and adopted this Policy to ensure that its schools provide a safe and supportive learning environment that is free from discrimination and harassment for transgender students, including students going through a gender transition. Gender-based policies, rules, and practices can have the effect of marginalizing, stigmatizing, and excluding students, whether they are gender nonconforming or not."
• "The school district must comply with N.J.S.A. 18A:37-15 and N.J.A.C. 6A:16 7.7, which prohibit harassment, intimidation, and bullying...If harassment, intimidation, or bullying based on gender identity creates a hostile environment, the school must take prompt and effective steps to end the harassment, intimidation, or bullying, prevent its recurrence, and, as appropriate, remedy its effects."
• "The Superintendent or designee should ensure training is provided to school staff members on sensitivity and respect towards transgender students."

District Policy 5751: Sexual Harassment 

• "The Board of Education will not tolerate sexual harassment of students by school employees, other students, or third parties. Sexual harassment of students is a form of prohibited sex discrimination...In addition, reports of sexual harassment shall also be investigated in accordance with the requirements of New Jersey’s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act and Policy 5512." 

District Policy 8461: Reporting Violence, Vandalism, Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying, Alcohol, and Other Drug Offenses 

• "A report alleging an incident of harassment, intimidation, or bullying shall be made in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:37-13.1 and Policy 5512. The Building Principal, for each incident of violence; including harassment, intimidation, and bullying, vandalism...shall review the incident report for accuracy; forward a copy of the incident report to the Superintendent; and notify the Superintendent of the action taken regarding the incident."

COVID-19 Protocols and Resources:

Be sure to visit the district website and their email blasts for any changes to their protocols. Information here will be updated regularly.

The federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency declaration ended on May 11, 2023. Here are some resources to help families with that transition.

• COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for the whole family remain free. Info here.
• Every US household is allotted (4) free at-home COVID-19 tests through May 31, 2023. Info here.
• Insurance companies are no longer required to cover the cost of at-home COVID-19 tests, but there are still free testing locations. (A quick search showed 6 of them within 5 miles of SPF.) Info here.
• There are still some ways to get free N95 masks. Info here.

For more information, visit the CDC's COVID-19 info hub.

Also check out the SPF Public Schools':

• COVID-19 Protocols
• Guidelines for keeping sick kids home from school

And reach out to your kids' school nurse(s) directly with any other questions or for additional resources.

Also:

• You can report COVID positive cases via email to the school nurse(s) or by using the Student COVID Reporting Form specific to their student's school: 
  • SPFHS
  • Nettingham
  • Terrill
  • Brunner
  • Coles
  • Evergreen
  • McGinn
  • School One

• If your student has received their COVID-19 vaccination and/or booster shot, the updated vaccination card can be added to their records by emailing a photo copy to their school nurses (listed below). This information assists the nursing team with contact tracing and quarantine protocol decisions.
• Testing, Vaccines, Boosters
  • The FDA's list of authorized SARS-CoV-2 antigen diagnostic tests (at-home rapid tests)
  • Visit NJ's Official COVID-19 Information Hub for info on free vaccinations/boosters, and free testing locations.
• Masks
  • CDC: NIOSH-approved N95 respirators listed by manufacturer from A-Z
  • Mask guidance for the whole family, including the whole range of mask options and links to data, by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH PhD— an epidemiologist, biostatistician, professor and researcher
  • Does My Mask Protect Me Against Covid-19 If Others Don't Wear One? on The New York Times
• Further reading:
  • "COVID-19 data shows that Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian and Alaska Native persons in the United States experience higher rates of COVID-19-related hospitalization and death compared with non-Hispanic White populations. These disparities persist even when accounting for other demographic and socioeconomic factors."
    • From Health Equity Considerations & Racial & Ethnic Minority Groups via the CDC website (2022)
  • "The COVID-19 crisis is hurting all our communities, but not equally. The data that would allow us to document the pandemic’s uneven toll rigorously are incomplete and only now emerging - and it’s already clear that communities of color, including children, once again are on the frontlines of vulnerability."
    • From The racial impacts of COVID-19: Articles on Embrace Race
  • "The [NJ] Department of Health...found the rate of infection among Black residents exceeded that of white residents, 4,181 per 100,000 compared with 3,332. African Americans were more than twice as likely as whites to be hospitalized from COVID-19 (810 per 100,000 versus 303) or to die from the disease (267 per 100,000 versus 120). Earlier this month, death data for 2020 showed COVID-19 was the number one killer of Blacks in New Jersey, with one of five African American deaths attributed to the disease and related conditions."
    • From The telling numbers: How COVID-19 has hit Black residents in NJ via NJ Spotlight News (2021)
  • "Immunocompromised individuals are more likely to have serious COVID-19 illness and a higher mortality rate than the average population...[but] what does it actually mean to be immunocompromised?"
    • From What Does It Mean To Be ‘Immunocompromised’? via Yale Medicine 

 

Backpack Flyers: Sign up for your school’s emails 

Sign up for info blasts from the district (aka, Dr. Mast/BoE) via BrightArrow through PowerSchool. 

Sign up for PowerSchool is mandatory to get the BrightArrow emails, if you haven't already (District Code RRDH)
To receive text messages from the district, you must opt-in by texting “YES” to 79041.  

Schools

SPFHS
Dr. Warren Hynes, Principal
Mr. Timothy Donahue, Assistant Principal 
Mrs. Brooke Esposito, Assistant Principal 
Mr. Ryan Miller, Assistant Principal 
Website | Twitter
Facebook Group: SPFHS Families Connect
Nurse(s) Info Page
Counseling Info Page
2024 SPF Summer Reading Hub: SPFHS
School Supply Guide
School Calendar
Marking Period Calender
School Schedule (Start/End)
Bell Schedule: Full Day, Delayed Schedule, Single Session
667 Westfield Road Scotch Plains, New Jersey 07076
(908) 889-8600

Nettingham Middle School
Dr. Jocelyn Dumaresq, Principal 
Ms. Sara Durand, Assistant Principal
Website | Twitter
Facebook Group: Malcolm E. Nettingham Middle School Parents - Scotch Plains NJ
Nurse(s) Info Page
Counseling Info Page
SPF Summer Reading Hub: Middle School
School Supply List
School Calendar
Marking Period Calender
School Schedule (Start/End)
580 Park Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908) 322 - 4445

 

Terrill Middle School
Dr. Kevin Holloway, Principal
Mr. Ralph Gerace, Assistant Principal
Website
Facebook Group: Terrill Middle School Families
Nurse(s) Info Page
Counseling Info Page
SPF Summer Reading Hub: Middle School
School Supply List
School Calendar
Marking Period Calendar
School Schedule (Start/End)
1301 Terrill Road, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908) 322-5215 

 

Brunner Elementary School
Dr. Scott Bortnick, Principal
Website
Facebook Group: Brunner Families
Nurse(s) Info Page
Counseling / Student Assistant Specialist Page
SPF Summer Reading Hub: Elementary
School Supply List
School Calendar
Marking Period Calendar
School Schedule (Start/End)
721 Westfield Road, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908) 889-2148 

 

Coles Elementary School
Karen Wetherell, Ed. D., Principal
Website
Facebook Group: Coles Families
Nurse(s) Info Page
Counseling / Student Assistant Specialist Page
SPF Summer Reading Hub: Elementary
School Supply List
School Calendar
Marking Period Calendar
School Schedule (Start/End)
16 Kevin Road, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908) 757-7555

 

Evergreen Elementary School
Colleen Haubert, Principal
Website | Twitter
Facebook Group: Evergreen Elementary, Scotch Plains, NJ School: Parents/Guardians
Nurse(s) Info Page
Counseling / Student Assistant Specialist Page
SPF Summer Reading Hub: Elementary
School Supply List
School Calendar
Marking Period Calendar
School Schedule (Start/End)
2280 Evergreen Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908) 889-5331

 

McGinn Elementary School
Dr. Sasha Slocum, Principal
Website | Twitter
Facebook Group: McGinn Families
Nurse(s) Info Page
Counseling / Student Assistant Specialist Page
SPF Summer Reading Hub: Elementary
Be a Super Reader! McGinn Summer Challenge
School Supply List
School Calendar
Marking Period Calendar
School Schedule (Start/End)
1100 Roosevelt Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908) 233-7950

 

School One Elementary School
Mr. Justin Fiory, Principal
Website | Twitter
Facebook Group: School One Parents
Nurse(s) Info Page
Counseling / Student Assistant Specialist Page
SPF Summer Reading Hub: Elementary
School Supply List
School Calendar
Marking Period Calendar
School Schedule (Start/End)
563 Willow Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908) 322-7731

Before and After Care: Right at School

• Registration links for each SPF school
• Link to view the 1/24/23 SPF/Right at School information session Zoom
• District letter on 1/20/23 announcing the partnership with Right at School

Academy for Teaching & Social Justice

Is your student interested in becoming an educator? 
SPF Public Schools now offers a teaching academy track during high school that:

• Enables students to earn college credit 
• Provides teacher-training to students interested in the fields of education
• Creates a pathway for students to return to SPF as educators and educational leaders
• Empowers students interested in becoming advocates for social justice
• Inspires more students of color to enter the teaching profession
• Provides opportunities for students to be mentors to younger students

What is a Teaching Academy?
"Grow Your Own Teacher Programs designed to draw teachers back to their home district. Ours is designed to attract teachers that reflect the diversity of our student population. 

Our Grow Your Own Teacher program:

• Helps students envision a future in education
• Provides teacher training with a focus on culturally relevant teaching
• Builds student confidence, leadership, creativity and communication skills
• Provides extensive support in college search and application process
• Provides opportunities to return to their community"

Learn more by viewing the Academy for Teaching & Social Justice Cohort 2027 Dual Enrollment Teaching Program Parent Information Session slideshow here.

Further reading: 
A Long-Term Solution to Recruit and Empower a Diverse Pool of Educators: Scotch Plains-Fanwood’s program encourages students to be teachers | New Jersey School Boards Association 



 

* * * * * * * * *

JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SPF SCHOOL DISTRICT

We want all our students to see themselves reflected in their teachers, administration and support staff. Let's help make better representation happen by applying for positions currently available in our school district, or sharing these job postings with the incredible, talented, hard-working people we know who would be a perfect fit.

Please note that the SPF school district's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan's Goal #1 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion states the intent to, "Increase diverse educational staffing, training and capacity building so that staff more fully reflect the composition of our community and have a better understanding of, and engagement with students." All are invited and encouraged to apply.

Elementary school
Middle school 
High school
Administration
Athletics & activities
Media center & support services

Other positions are available as well. Listings are subject to change, so search the main Employment Opportunities link to view the most up-to-date information.
 

* * * * * * * * *

LOCAL & VIRTUAL LIBRARY INFORMATION

The SPF community has two libraries we are able to visit in-person, but there's also the option to search and take out books (and more) online, via free library apps. Here's what you need to know to open your family's library experience up even wider.
 

SCOTCH PLAINS PUBLIC LIBRARY
1927 Bartle Ave, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
908 322-5007
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

• Need a library card for yourself or family member(s)? Get it here.

• Want to reserve or renew a book (or other items) from your computer? Do it here.

• Don't see the book you want on the shelf?  Ask for an interlibrary loan from one of the 41 libraries connected with the SPF libraries in the Middlesex Union Reciprocal Associated Libraries group ("MURAL" for short) here.

• Looking for personalized recommendations? Submit the request here.

• Know of a book that you think our library should carry? Submit the request here.

• Looking for Antiracism Resources? "In support of our mission to welcome and support our entire community with resources and services that enhance lifelong learning, we highlight these resources for learning about racism and systemic inequality." See those resources here. 

• Interested in bookish events for the whole family? Check the Events calendar for storytimes, activities, author visits, book clubs, and more here.

 

FANWOOD MEMORIAL LIBRARY
5 Forest Road, Fanwood
(908) 322-6400
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

• Need a library card for yourself or family member(s)? Get it here.

• Want to reserve or renew a book (or other items) from your computer? Do it here.

• Don't see the book you want on the shelf? Ask for an interlibrary loan from one of the 41 libraries connected with the SPF libraries in the Middlesex Union Reciprocal Associated Libraries group ("MURAL" for short) here. 

• Looking for personalized recommendations? Submit the request here.

• Know of a book that you think our library should carry? Submit the request here.

• Interested in bookish events for the whole family? Check the Events calendar for storytimes, activities, author visits, book clubs, and more here.

 

LIBBY BY OVERDRIVE ONLINE LIBRARY

If you have a Scotch Plains or Fanwood library card and a device for apps (phone, tablet), you can use the Libby by Overdrive app to access ebooks and audiobooks from the SPF libraries. 

Simply download the app and plug in your card info to connect your library with the app. Get the Libby (by Overdrive) app here.

* * * * * * * * *

READING LISTS

R.E.A.L. Parents x SPF book lists for the whole family!

These lists include two options each for the reading levels of Adult, Teen, Ages 8-12 and Ages 8 and Under. They are curated to deliberately include a variety of intersectionalities among the authors, illustrators and characters within each theme.

• AAPI Month / Books by Asian American and Pacific Islander Authors
• Anthologies
• Antiracism Reads 
• Antiracism Workbooks
• Award Winners (2021)
• Back to School
• Biographies and Memoirs by/about Black Individuals
• Black Joy
• Black Love
• Disability Awareness Day/Month, Books by Authors with Disabilities 
• Fantasy reads
• Filipino American History Month
• Ghost Stories
• Grief and Loss
• Indigenous Authors
• Native American/Indigenous History and Its People
• Juneteenth Books
• LGBTQIA+ Reads / Pride Month
• Latinx Heritage Month and Hispanic Heritage Month
• Love 
• Mothers/A Mother's Love and Influence 
• MLK Day: Books by, About and Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Neurodivergent Authors
• Poetry Books & Novels in Verse
• Puerto Rican Voices
• Retellings & Remixes
• Social Media, Smartphones & Screens
• Trans Voices
• Tulsa Race Massacre Reads
• Voting and Elections
• Women/Women's History Month

Related: 

• Diversify Your Reading YA/Teen Book lists by Scotch Plains Public Library
• Inlusive Book Lists for Children by Scotch Plains Public Library
• Diverse Reading List Ages 0-18, by Amelia Francois (L.E.A.P Scholar), Diversity Council on Global Education and Citizenship of Kean University
• Where to Find Diverse Books by We Need Diverse Books

US History (and Present) Books for Adults:

Because understanding where we are can help guide us to where we need to go (and how to get there), this list is for those of us who want to do some legwork on our own to learn a fuller, more accurate history of the United States, its people, systems and laws.

It includes contemporary insight into where we are now, and how to help improve equity.

If reading history/non-fiction books isn't your favorite way to pass the time, listening to them on audiobooks as you do other things (drive, walk the dog, do laundry, wash dishes, etc.) may be a better way for you to soak in the information.

Expect this list of non-fiction books to grow and change over time, just like we do.

• Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America by John Lewis
• An African American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul Ortiz
• An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States by Kyle T. Mays
• Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family by Amy Ellis Nutt
• Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer L. Eberhardt
• Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (or the Young Readers Edition, Ages 10+)
• The Burning: Massacre, Destruction, and the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 by Tim Madigan (or the Young Readers Edition, Ages 12+)
• Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson 
• The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein 
• A Disability History of the United States by Kim E. Nielsen
• From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement by Paula Yoo (Ages 13+)
• The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David Treuer (or the Young Readers Edition, Ages 12+)
• The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: And the Path to a Shared American Future by Robert P. Jones
• Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall
• How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America by Heather Cox Richardson
• How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith
• How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice by Jemar Tisby
• An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (or the Young Readers Edition, Ages 12+)
• Just Pursuit: A Black Prosecutor's Fight for Fairness by Laura Coates
• The Making of Asian America: A History by Erika Lee or Made in Asian America: A History for Young People (for Ages 8-12) by Erika Lee & Christina Soontornvat (Coming 4/30/24)
• Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past, Edited by Dr. Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer
• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
• On Critical Race Theory: Why It Matters & Why You Should Care by Victor Ray
• One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy by Carol Anderson (or the Young Readers Edition, Ages 12+)
• The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America by Andrés Reséndez
• The Other Talk: Reckoning with Our White Privilege by Brendan Kiely, Ages 12+) 
• Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond
• "Prisons Make Us Safer": And 20 Other Myths about Mass Incarceration by Victoria Law
• Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools by Monique W. Morris
• Read This to Get Smarter: about Race, Class, Gender, Disability, and More by Blair Imani 
• Segregation by Design by Jessica Trounstine
• Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi (Young Readers Editions: for Ages 12+, for Ages 6-10)
• This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell, Aurelia Durand (Illustrations), Ages 11+
• The Trayvon Generation by by Elizabeth Alexander
• The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change by Michelle MiJung Kim
• White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide
  by Carol Anderson (or the Young Readers Edition, Ages 12+)
• Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum

 

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HELP PROVIDE MORE DIVERSE BOOKS TO OUR SCHOOLS

Here’s  a way you can quickly and easily help us achieve our literary diversity goals for the community's elementary schools.

Shop the Wish List by clicking the image below.

 

 

Gifting from this Wish List gets the same diverse collection of books into all of our elementary schools immediately, helping equalize the representation students see in their classrooms and libraries in the 2021-2022 school year and beyond.

The SPF School District not only supports this project, they have committed to matching our initial donation goal by supplying another collection of titles of the same size and scope to all in-district elementary schools right away.

FAQs

• To purchase your gift, simply click the Wish List link, add books to your cart, and choose to ship to "R.E.A.L. Parents x SPF, Gift Registry Address SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ" during checkout.
• R.E.A.L. Parents x SPF will personally distribute all donations to the schools.
• Yes, you can share this list publicly with anyone, anywhere who has the interest and means to support this kind of project.
• Yes, we have plans to roll out similar initiatives for the middle schools (2023-2024 school year) and high school, so watch this space for updates.

Update:

• See the first delivery post here.
• See Mr. Lohn, the McGinn School Librarian, talk about receiving the books for his school before his first read-aloud video with one of the new additions. 
• Between donations from the original list and a match by the SPF Board of education, over 300 diverse books have been added to our SPF elementary schools through this initiative. Thank you so much for your generosity! The Wish List continues to have new titles added to it, so anyone can donate more books to our elementary schools to keep increasing the representation of voices and stories on their shelves at any time.

The Nettingham Middle School Book Wish List

Looking for a way to participate in the Malcolm E. Nettingham Middle School celebrations this November, while getting more diverse books into our schools?

Shop the Wish List by clicking the image below before the November 11th renaming ceremony:
 

Gifting from this wish list gets books about the late, great Mr. Nettingham's experiences and history into the hands of students in every school in the district. Nettingham Middle School leaders have partnered with R.E.A.L. Parents x SPF to coordinate this initiative with the goal of fulfilling the wish list before the November 11th, 2021 renaming ceremony. 

This Veteran's Day, Park Middle School will officially become Malcolm E. Nettingham Middle School during a renaming ceremony in honor of the late Mr. Nettingham, a longtime Scotch Plains resident, "Park" graduate (SPHS at the time) and Congressional Gold Medal recipient. In celebration of his life and contributions to this nation, SPF schools will be learning more about this deeply respected Tuskegee Airman in various ways--and you can be a part of this.

FAQs

• To purchase your gift, simply click the Wish List link, add books to your cart, and choose to ship to "R.E.A.L. Parents x SPF, Gift Registry Address SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ" during checkout.
• R.E.A.L. Parents x SPF will present the gifted books from the community to Nettingham Middle School during the November 11th renaming ceremony
• Yes, you can share this list publicly with anyone, anywhere who has the interest and means to support this kind of project (like grandparents and neighbors).

Update:

• Within 24 hours of launching this initiative every book on Nettingham's Wish List was purchased for donation. You can see us presenting them during the renaming ceremony at the 1:24:48 mark here. Thank you for your generosity!

* * * * * * * * *

BOOKS IN THE CURRICULUM

 

"It is productive for kids to explore some of the things that happen in the world in a very controlled and safe environment." 
- Dr. Mast, Superintendent, SPF School District

This is why the the Language Arts Department and Supervisor team up to carefully review and select each book used in the curriculum with a specific instructional purpose in mind.

"There's a great deal of thought, time and effort put into this ongoing process needed to create a balanced [library] collection for all students in the Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District."
- Terry Kelly, Evergreen Elementary Media Specialist

Learn how library materials are selected (at the 16:36 mark) from two longtime SPF educators/Media Specialists during their presentation at the 5/18/23 BOE meeting.

Some of the professional review resources available for educators and Media Specialists to use for this research include those by School Library Journal, School Library Connection, The Horn Book, Follett School Solutions, TitleWave, Publishers Weekly and the like.

Read the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for English Language Arts (NJSLS-ELA) here.

In our school district, when parents/guardians are concerned about a theme, topic and/or content of a specific book that has been assigned, the first step is:

• Talk to the teacher directly with your specific concerns regarding your child reading it, and ask what the "instructional purpose" of the book is. Their contact information is available via the PowerSchool app and on the school website's directory.
• If it is determined that the book isn't the right fit for your child, request an alternative option for them.

SPF Schools' District Policy 5750, Equal Educational Opportunity states that "The Board of Education directs that all students enrolled in the schools of this district shall be afforded equal educational opportunities in strict accordance with law..."  This includes library materials.

When parents/guardians are working with their child to pick a book from a list of options from a teacher (or grade-specific summer reading list) and want resources to help with the decision:

• If possible, reach out to their teacher for advice on which may be the best fit, since they know both the books and your child.
• If you don't have access to the professional review sites listed above, compare the information in a few user-based book review sites like Common Sense Media or Goodreads for theme, topic, representation and other details about the book, and Amazon to see the publisher's target age range for the book.
• We Need Diverse Books has a lot of reviews and interviews with the author(s)/illustrators, giving more personal insight to the story behind the pages, plus other related resources.
• This guide can teach you how to spot sexism and racism in books you want to share with children (and for yourself). This is doubly helpful because, "if a child can be shown how to detect racism and sexism in a book, the child can proceed to transfer the perception to wider areas." 

Visit the SPF Summer Reading Hub here.

• Elementary School
• Middle School
• High School

NJ's Diversity and Inclusion Mandate (N.J.S.A.18A:35-4.36a) requires K-12 instruction to "encourage safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments for all students regardless of race or ethnicity, sexual and gender identities, mental and physical disabilities, and religious beliefs."

Better understand why student exposure to books with a wide representation of voices, experiences and scenarios benefits them, and how the banning of books that include particular voices, themes or scenarios is detrimental to students of all ages by visiting the links below:

• "Banned in the USA: Rising School Book Bans Threaten Free Expression and Students' First Amendment Rights" | PEN America

• "Why We Need Diverse Books" | National Education Association

• "Teachers Push for Books With More Diversity, Fewer Stereotypes" | Education Week
• "Not OK? That’s OK. Middle Grade Authors Provide Compassionate Portrayals of Mental Health" | School Library Journal
• "10 Books About Autism Featuring Black Autistic Characters" | The Kisha Project
• "Making Elementary School Classrooms LGBTQ-Inclusive" | American Federation of Teachers

• "LGBT Literate in the Classroom" | Association for Middle Level Education

• "5 Reasons Why You Should Read a Diverse Book for Your Next Community Read" | We Need Diverse Books

• "Why We Need Diverse Books" | Anti-Defamation League

 

* * * * * * * * *

FAQs on BIAS AND INCLUSION TRAINING

 
From the SPF School District Restart Plan, page six (Updated 01/27/21):
“Equity
The Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District is deeply dedicated to improving anti-racism education in all our schools. We are proud of our diverse community of learners and remain committed to taking intentional action to celebrate that diversity. The process to improve our practices and curriculum is ongoing work. The following initiatives highlight some of our initiatives but do not represent our finished product to ensure that every student feels represented. To that end, the district is committed to:

• Hiring a student assistance specialist focused on diversity and inclusion.
• Continuing the process to be a certified high school in the Anti-Defamation League's No Place For Hate program.
• Supporting professional development opportunities for administration and staff on antiracism education, implicit bias, and systemic bias.
• Continued curriculum review to ensure inclusive practices and materials.
• Continued outreach with community organizations focused on diversity and inclusion.”

In line with the third bulleted item on the list, the SPF BoE approved a $30,000 budget for Inclusion and Bias Training for administrators and educators as part of their professional development. This training by the Institute for Teaching Diversity and Social Justice (a leader in this sector that has been doing this work since 2007) has been going on throughout this school year, and will continue.

Q: What is Bias and Inclusion Training for the employees of educational institutions?

In short, it is a layer of professional development training for school staff that helps educators and administrators of all backgrounds, identities and experiences more confidently teach the curriculum to students of all backgrounds, identities and experiences in a more fruitful and inclusive, less harmful way. 

These "tools of culturally responsive teaching practices and anti-bias resources help educators to revise curricula and learning materials and develop teaching strategies for diverse classrooms." (via IDSJ)

The diversity in the classroom includes -- but is not limited to -- race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nation of origin, physical ability, physical attributes, socioeconomic status and family dynamic.

This is not a class that students take, yet every single child in every classroom benefits from having educators who have received this kind of training. It is about respect, acknowledgement and inclusion of everyone in the room--and beyond.

Q: Why do school administrators and educators need bias and inclusion training?

1. It is natural for everyone to have biases, but some biases can be harmful in an educational setting.

Training educators and administrators to see their own biases can help them make more deliberate, inclusive choices in the classroom that benefits all students.

“Teachers make on-the-spot decisions every day — whom to call on to answer a question, when to ask a student to redo an assignment, what homework to assign. But each of those decisions, as research demonstrates, may be tinged with unconscious bias, particularly around issues of race.”

• From Uprooting Systemic Bias in Schools via Harvard School of Education

“If a student doesn’t feel accepted or seen or heard in their classroom spaces, and at a most basic level feel safe, if that’s not being met, then it’s harder for them to actually be ready and be in a place to learn.”

• From 5 Things Educators Can Do to Address Bias in Their School via the National Education Association EdJustice

2. Libraries in schools or classrooms that are limited in who is represented in the books they carry (both the characters and the people who wrote/illustrated them) can be harmful to all students.

Training educators and administrators in how to see their own biases when choosing which books to buy and/or include in their curriculum can help them make more deliberate choices for a more inclusive experience that represents the wide variety of students in their classrooms and beyond.

“When you look in a library, it’s going to be mostly white subjects, white authors, it doesn’t even matter what you’re looking for. For young people trying to formulate what they can do in life, I don’t think we realize the message that sends.

We talk about the beauty of imagination and books, right? You can imagine yourself being anything. But that sentiment usually comes from people who always see some sort of representation of themselves in the books. But if [people in books] never look like you, that sends a message too. That actually activates your imagination in a negative way—that you never see a black scientist, you never see an Asian politician. These things limit. The amount of imagination we’re asking of our young people of color is astounding.

But it also affects white students, because it limits what they think their classmates of color can do. This has a real impact on how we see the world, how we support our systems. The young people are the carriers of our systems. They’re going to inherit it all, and we need them to imagine something better, something more inclusive. We nurture that by showing diverse voices, showing diverse histories, and really giving them a new idea.”

• From Educators and Race: A Conversation with Author Ijeoma Oluo on Tackling Systemic Racism in U.S. Education via School Library Journal

3. When an educator says they “don’t see color,” that makes it impossible for them to see each student as an individual with their own unique experiences.

By making educators more comfortable with seeing each student for who they are, they are more able to ensure true inclusion and representation in their classrooms, curriculum, and engagement with students.

“When well-meaning people with good intentions say, "I don't see color," an ethnic minority will internalize that as meaning, "You don't see me." Part of the problem with our country’s desire to be “post-racial” and color-blind in terms of seeing the inherent worth of an individual regardless of skin color, is that you can dismiss all the concerns, experiences, and real-world issues of racism that plagues this country from both an individual and larger societal level.”

• From "I Don't See Color." Then you don't see me via Psychology Today

4. Textbooks have either not included, swept over, or deliberately altered the history of slavery and racism in the United States, leaving generations of its citizens ignorant of its relevance to American history and where we are today. 

Those who make decisions on which textbooks and other materials to purchase and use in curriculums should be made aware of what to look for when doing so in order to get more thorough, factual information in front of students.

“In Webster’s [History of the United States textbook] there was next to nothing about the institution of slavery, despite the fact that it was a central American institution. There were no African Americans ever mentioned. When Webster wrote about Africans, it was extremely derogatory, which was shocking because those comments were in a textbook. What I realized from his book, and from the subsequent ones, was how they defined “American” as white and only as white. Anything that was less than an Anglo Saxon was not a true American... I came across one textbook that declared on its first page, ‘This is the White Man’s History.’”

• From How textbooks taught white supremacy: A historian steps back to the 1700s and shares what's changed and what needs to change via The Harvard Gazette

5. Even when teachers want to teach students about the history of racism and slavery, many feel ill-equipped to do so, fearing they will cause harm during the lessons.

Training teachers how to better understand their own implicit biases, see the biases in materials and conversations that come up, and then show them how to teach difficult subjects in an effective way that limits the chance of causing harm to students can increase their confidence to teach hard history in age-appropriate ways. 

“The Teaching Tolerance project surveyed nearly 1,800 K-12 social studies teachers. While nearly 90 percent agreed that ‘teaching and learning about slavery is essential to understanding American history,’ many reported feeling uncomfortable teaching slavery and said they get very little help from their textbooks or state standards.”

• From Why Schools Fail To Teach Slavery's 'Hard History' via NPR (See the full study by the Southern Poverty Law Center that it discusses here.)

6. Bias is something we all have (adults and children), not something we learn. What our school district does is not just help our administration and staff understand this fact and see how it affects decisions on both small and large scales, but also the students through their improved, inclusive, more conscientious teaching practices.

A bias isn't always necessarily a bad thing, but it absolutely can be harmful. This is why bias acknowledgement and prevention of those that undermine equity are in both legislative and local mandates for our students' education; doing so helps chip away at both the process of harm that some students in the district still regularly face (due to both individual and systemic biases against their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nation of origin, physical ability, physical attributes, socioeconomic status, family dynamic, etc.), and the progress of educating students who are less likely to make decisions that harm.

Honest conversation about this and learning in a safe environment that is both inclusive and encourages students to make more conscientious decisions has shown to reduce the harm of biases. Students are more likely to grow into respectful people in their personal, educational, professional, and civic lives.

“children begin to show bias from an early age. Not only do they absorb the stereotypes they see, but they also become "increasingly attuned to social category labels, social status, and the biases exhibited by family members”"

• From Bias Starts as Early as Preschool, but Can Be Unlearned:
  A new study finds that children show bias at a surprisingly young age. But teachers have ways to address this and create a welcoming classroom. via Edutopia 

Q: Why is the SPF school district faculty receiving bias and inclusion training?

From the SPF School District Superintendent's Office:
"Dr. Mast, the District Superintendent, was motivated to move this work forward for a range of reasons, including a number of bias cases she encountered such as reports on student discipline, Social Media defamation and threats, and racially charged graffiti. The death of George Floyd also increased the community voice in the need to make both SPF and the country more just. Students and families have come forward requesting that the district engage in additional efforts to build a more inclusive community.

This professional development is a continuation of diversity, inclusion and equity work that the district has been engaged in for the past five years or more.

This training is designed to help educators examine their own practice to ensure that all students and all families feel like they belong to our district community and are able to access all the services that make us an excellent school system.

The objective is to increase the district's collective awareness on matters of both individual bias and institutional bias in order to make SPF a better place for teaching and learning for all.“

Q: What do we know about the organization that is doing the bias and inclusion training for our educators and administration in the district?

The Institute for Teaching Diversity and Social Justice (IDSJ), founded by Dr. Khyati Joshi and Shanelle Henry, has been receiving accolades for its approach and results since 2007. Dr. Joshi has been a highly sought-after expert, educator, writer and speaker in this field for two decades. Learn more about IDSJ and Dr. Joshi here:

• About IDSJ
• Praise for / Testimonials About IDSJ
• IDSJ's Social Justice Education Recommended Reading List and Listening List
• About Dr. Joshi | Awards & Recognition | Appearances | CV 

Q & A from Dr. Khyati Joshi’s Parent Session at SPFHS:
 "Talking to your Kids about Race and Racism"
(October 6, 2021)

Have more questions? We strongly encourage you to go straight to the source for the most accurate information: the SPF School District. Their website will give you access to the school communications, contact information for the District office (such as the Superintendents), curriculum details and more. 

* * * * * * * * *

FAQs ABOUT CRITICAL RACE THEORY (CRT)

Q: What is CRT?

In short, Critical Race Theory is a 40-plus-year-old framework of legal academic study in which the reasons how and why systemic racism exists and how to remove it from the various systems are looked at in great depth. It is a methodology, not an ideology.

Learn more here.

“In this post, we explain what Critical Race Theory is while sharing the thoughts from teachers on teaching about racism to their students…[Please] read the sources as homework.” Sources: 

• Just what is critical race theory and what's it doing in a nice field like education? (1998) | International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education article by Gloria Ladson-Billings

• Why are states banning critical race theory? (2021) | The Brookings Institution article by Rashawn Ray and Alexandra Gibbons

• What Do Teachers Think About Discussing Racism in Class? We Asked Them (2021) | Education Week article by Ileana Najarro

• What Is Critical Race Theory, and Why Is It Under Attack? (2021) | Education Week article by Stephen Sawchuk

• Racial/Ethnic Enrollment in Public Schools (Updated 2021) | Annual Report on National Center for Education Statistics 

Further reading:

• Students Deserve to Know Our History: What CRT Is and Is Not (2021) by Larry Ferlazzo, Part Four in a series of articles by educators on Education Week

Q: Is the SPF School District teaching CRT? What has it said about that?

“July 12, 2021

Dear SPF Community,

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. The district team is planning for a strong start that will provide our students with as normal an experience as possible, as we move beyond the COVID-19 disruption and challenges.

Even as we plan for a more typical, more harmonious start to the school year, we are hearing a new and growing concern across our nation, in our state, and now in our town, that public schools are teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT).

Before misinformation and misunderstanding fuel the discussion in our district and community, I want to address concerns about CRT. This is a decades-old academic concept created by legal scholars and used by universities, lawyers, and the legal system to review federal laws and the constitution to analyze inequity in our nation. Today, the term CRT is being used incorrectly as a catch-all phrase for all things related to racism. Some of the opposition around CRT revolves around fears that students will be taught divisive concepts.

We are not teaching CRT in Scotch Plains-Fanwood Public School District. We believe most parents in our district, and across the nation, want their kids to understand the historic path of our nation and this includes difficult discussions about racism. We also are committed to ensuring all children thrive and learn to lead and manage in a diverse community and nation. To fulfill this commitment, we are teaching diversity, empathy, and social justice. This approach helps build character, develop compassion and ultimately creates a stronger school community.

We are working with the Institute for Teaching Diversity and Social Justice, and this includes Dr. Khyati Joshi, who has worked with our district administrators. Dr. Joshi will continue working with members of our faculty to achieve the following goals:

1) Identity: Each student will demonstrate self-awareness, confidence, family pride, and positive social identities;

2) Diversity: Each student will express comfort and joy with human diversity; accurate language in speaking of human differences, and deep caring for human connections;

3) Justice: Each student increasingly will recognize unfairness, acquire language to describe unfairness, and gain understanding that unfairness hurts; and,

4) Action: Each student will demonstrate empowerment and the necessary skills to act, with others, against prejudice and/or discrimination.

Parents and the community will be invited to a session held in the SPFHS auditorium to gain a better understanding and ask questions about this work on October 6, 2021.

If you have questions or concerns, please call my office at 908-232-6161.

Thank you for your partnership in supporting our children, our schools, and our community.

Sincerely,
Dr. Joan Mast
Superintendent"

Further reading:

• Review of the June 8, 2020 Forum Q & A (with resource links) from the public conversation about racism and the diversity and equity initiatives within the school district.  

Q: What is the State of New Jersey Department of Education's learning standards in regards to Social Studies, which all school districts must follow?

"Social Studies

The ever-changing landscape of information and communication technologies have transformed the roles and responsibilities of the next generation of learners. Inquiry-based learning in social studies prepares students to produce and critically consume information in our global society. This document outlines social studies practices, disciplinary concepts, core ideas, and related performance expectations in a manner that promote learning experiences in which students actively explore the past, present, and future of the world through the study of history, economics, civics, and geography.

Mission

Social studies education provides learners with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and perspectives needed to become active, informed, and contributing members of local, state, national, and global communities.

Vision

An education in social studies fosters a population that:

• Is civic-minded, globally aware, and socially responsible;
• Exemplifies fundamental values of democracy and human rights through active participation in local, state, national, and global communities;
• Makes informed decisions about local, state, national, and global events based on inquiry and analysis;
• Considers multiple perspectives, values diversity, and promotes cultural understanding;
• Recognizes the relationships between people, places, and resources as well as the implications of an interconnected global economy;
• Applies an understanding of critical media literacy skills when utilizing technology to learn, communicate, and collaborate with diverse people around the world; and
• Discerns fact from falsehood and critically analyzes information for validity and relevance."

• From the State of New Jersey Department of Education: New Jersey Student Learning Standards – Social Studies, which includes:
  • Amistad Law: N.J.S.A. 18A 52:16A-88
    • "Every board of education shall incorporate the information regarding the contributions of African-Americans to our country in an appropriate place in the curriculum of elementary and secondary school students."
    • "The history of the African slave trade, slavery in America, the depth of their impact in our society, and the triumphs of African-Americans and their significant contributions to the development of this country is the proper concern of all people, particularly students enrolled in the schools in the State of New Jersey.” - The Amistad Bill (A1301)
  • Holocaust Law: N.J.S.A. 18A:35-28
    • "Every board of education shall include instruction on the Holocaust and genocides in an appropriate place in the curriculum of all elementary and secondary school pupils. The instruction shall further emphasize the personal responsibility that each citizen bears to fight racism and hatred whenever
      and wherever it happens."
  • LGBT and Disabilities Law: N.J.S.A. 18A:35-4.35
    • "A board of education shall include instruction on the political, economic, and social contributions of persons with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, in an appropriate place in the curriculum of middle school and high school students as part of the district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (N.J.S.A.18A:35-4.36) A board of education shall have policies and procedures in
      place pertaining to the selection of instructional materials to implement the requirements of N.J.S.A. 18A:35-4.35."
• See also: "Governor Phil Murphy today signed legislation (S4021/A6100 and S3764/A3369) that will ensure that the contributions, history, and heritage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are included in the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Social Studies for students in kindergarten through Grade 12. S4021 will create an AAPI curriculum requirement for schools and S3764 will establish the Commission for Asian American Heritage within the Department of Education." 1/18/22 Statement by the Governor of New Jersey

Further reading:

• Critical Race Theory isn’t taught in elementary and secondary schools. So what is? (2021) CRTToolkit
  • "Education Associations are where I go when I want to know more about what teachers do and why they teach what they teach:
    
    National Council for the Social Studies is the largest professional association devoted to social studies education. It serves as an umbrella organization for elementary, secondary, and college teachers of history, civics, geography, economics, political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and law-related education.
    –
    The National Education Association (NEA) is an organization with affiliates in every state and over 14,000 communities in the United States. They are devoted to advancing justice and excellence in public education.
    –
    NEA EdJustice engages and mobilizes activists in the fight for racial, social, and economic justice in public education. They advocate for students, schools, and communities.
    –
    American Federation of Teachers is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO and represents a vast number of teachers across the United States.
    –
    American Historical Association is the largest professional organization serving historians in all fields and all professions. The AHA is a voice for advocating for history education, the professional work of historians, and the critical role of historical thinking in public life.
    –
    Zinn Education Project promotes and supports the teaching of people’s history in classrooms across the country.
    –
    Common Core are learning goals for what students should know and be able to do to at different grade levels."

Q: What is antiracism, if not the same thing as CRT?

Antiracism is a way of thinking, choosing, learning, acting and moving about in this world in an equitable way that anyone of any age can embrace. 

"“To be antiracist is to think nothing is behaviorally wrong or right — inferior or superior — with any of the racial groups. Whenever the antiracist sees individuals behaving positively or negatively, the antiracist sees exactly that: individuals behaving positively or negatively, not representatives of whole races. To be antiracist is to deracialize behavior, to remove the tattooed stereotype from every racialized body. Behavior is something humans do, not races do."
– Ibram X Kendi in How to Be an Antiracist

Antiracism is the “active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies and practices and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and shared equitably.”

– from the National Action Committee on the Status of Women International Perspectives: Women and Global Solidarity

The learning of a more thorough, accurate history and present of the United States that includes the acknowledgement of racist practices and systems is a typical starting point to antiracist education, which results in an awareness of one's own biases (unconscious or not) and then antiracist action (moving forward in a way that actively helps equalize the balance of racial power, presence, and voice). This can be done at any age and in various ways, big and small.

Further reading: 

• Being Antiracist | Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

• What Anti-racism Really Means for Educators (2020) | Learning for Justice article by Jamilah Pitts

• Becoming an Anti-Racist Educator | Wheaton College Center for Collaborative Teaching and Learning (2021) | Principal Kafele Writes
• Critical Race Theory, Sleight of Hand, & Smoke and Mirrors
• Antiracism Resources via the Scotch Plains Public Library

Q: I’d like to study CRT on my own. Which books should I read?

Some well-regarded CRT titles include:

• Critical Race Theory: An Introduction by Richard Delgado, Jean Stefancic

• Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings That Formed the Movement by Kimberlé Crenshaw, Neil Gotanda, Garry Peller, Kendall Thomas, Cornel West, et al 

• Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism by Derrick A. Bell

• Critical Race Feminism: A Reader by Adrien Katherine Wing, et al 
• Crossroads, Directions, and a New Critical Race Theory by Francisco Valdes, Jerome McCristal Culp, Angela P. Harris, et al 
• On Critical Race Theory: Why It Matters & Why You Should Care by Victor Ray

 
Have more questions about how this applies (or doesn't apply) to the SPF school district? We strongly encourage you to go straight to the source for the most accurate information: the SPF School District. Their website will give you access to the school communications, contact information for the District office (such as the Superintendents), curriculum details and more. 

 

* * * * * * * * *
CALENDAR

Events are subject to change. Please check the website of the hosting parties to confirm in advance.

AUGUST 2024

Thursday, August 1st - Free interactive virtual training Hair Discrimination and the NJ Law Against Discrimination via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Monday, August 5th - Free interactive virtual training Responding to Bias Incidents in K-12 Schools via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Tuesday, August 6th - Free interactive virtual training Understanding Implicit Bias via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Tuesday, August 6th - Fanwood National Night Out at LaGrande Park 
Tuesday, August 6th - Fanwood Free Movies Under the Stars at LaGrande Park 
Thursday, August 8th - Free interactive virtual training Understanding Implicit Bias via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Tuesday, August 13th - Fanwood Free Movies Under the Stars at LaGrande Park 
Tuesday, August 20th - SPF Future Bond Referendum In-person Fanwood Open House Info Session 7PM at Forest Road Park Building
Tuesday, August 20th - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention to Stop Online Harassment: How to Be an Ally When You Witness Abuse Online via Right to Be 
Tuesday, August 20th - Free interactive virtual training Affirming LGBTQIA+ Identities in School via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Thursday, August 22nd - SPF Future Bond Referendum In-person Scotch Plains Open House Info Session 7PM at SPFHS Media Center
Thursday, August 22nd - Free Virtual Training Stand Up Against Street Harassment via Right to Be 
Thursday, August 22nd - Free interactive virtual training Strategies for Effective Bystander Intervention via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Tuesday, August 27th - SPF Board of Ed Meeting (BOE FAQs) 
Thursday, August 29th - Free interactive virtual training Hair Discrimination and the NJ Law Against Discrimination via the NJ Division of Civil Rights

SEPTEMBER 2024

Thursday, September 5th - Scotch Plains Fanwood Public Schools first day of classes (see the calendar)
Monday, September 9th - SPF Future Bond Referendum Virtual Community Forum 7PM via Zoom
Monday, September 9th - SEPAG Meeting (in person and remote)
Wednesday, September 11th - Free interactive virtual training Recognizing and Responding to Microaggressions via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Thursday, September 12th - Free interactive virtual training Understanding Implicit Bias via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Sunday, September 15th - Fannywood Day 
Tuesday, September 17th - Special Election: SPF Public Schools Bond Referendum Voting Day 2-8PM 
Wednesday, September 18th - SPF Board of Ed Meeting (BOE FAQs) 
Thursday, September 19th - Free interactive virtual training Having Anti-Bias Discussions in Class (Primary Educators) via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Thursday, September 26th - Free interactive virtual training Understanding Implicit Bias via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Monday, September 30th - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention to Stop Antisemitic, Xenophobic, and Islamophobic Harassment via Right to Be 

OCTOBER 2024

Wednesday, October 2nd - Free interactive virtual training Understanding the Needs of LGBTQIA+ Youth via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Thursday, October 3rd - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention for Educators via Right to Be 
Thursday, October 3rd & Friday, October 4th - SPF Schools are closed (see the calendar)
Sunday, October 6th - Scotch Plains Day 
Monday, October 7th - SEPAG Meeting (in person and remote)
Tuesday, October 8th - The SPF PTA Council presents the 2024 SPF Board of Education Election Meet the Candidates Night
Monday, October 14th - SPF Schools are closed (see the calendar)
Wednesday, October 16th - Free interactive virtual training Responding to Bias Incidents in K-12 Schools via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Thursday, October 17th - SPF Board of Ed Meeting (BOE FAQs) 
Thursday, October 17th - Scotch Plains Township Diwali celebration 
Thursday, October 17th - Free Virtual Training Accountability and Repair: What To Do When We Screw Up via Right to Be 
Saturday, October 26th  - Early voting begins
Sunday, October 27th - SPFHS Food Truck & Craft Festival 
Tuesday, October 29th - Ask the Superintendent at Nettingham Middle School Media Center 7-9PM

NOVEMBER 2024

Friday, November 1st - SPF Public Schools are Closed for Diwali
Sunday, November 3rd - Early Voting ends in NJ
Monday, November 4th - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention to Stop Antisemitic, Xenophobic, and Islamophobic Harassment via Right to Be 
Monday, November 4th - Women and Financial Empowerment | Fanwood Memorial Library 
Tuesday, November 5th -  General Election 
Tuesday, November 5th -  SPF Public Schools are Closed 
Tuesday, November 5th - Free Virtual Training Accountability and Repair: What To Do When We Screw Up via Right to Be 
Thursday, November 7th -  SPF Public Schools are Closed for NJEA Convention
Thursday, November 7th - Free Virtual Training Resilience: This Moment And Beyond via Right to Be 
Friday, November 8th -  SPF Public Schools are Closed for NJEA Convention
Saturday, November 9th -  NAMI "In Our Own Voice" presentation dispels myths, and leaves all with a sense of hope about living with mental illness | Scotch Plains Public Library
Monday, November 11th - SEPAG Meeting (in person and remote)
Monday, November 18th - Free Virtual Training Calling People In At Work to Build Respectful and Inclusive Culture via Right to Be 
Tuesday, November 19th - Free Virtual Training Resilience: This Moment and Beyond via Right to Be 
Tuesday, November 19th - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention for Educators via Right to Be 
Thursday, November 21st - Free interactive virtual training Having Anti-Bias Discussions in Class: For Secondary Educators via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Thursday, November 21st - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention to stop anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment via Right to Be 
Thursday, November 21st - SPF Board of Ed Meeting (BOE FAQs) 
Saturday, November 23rd - Afro-Peruvian Music Workshop with Peruvian musician and teacher Hector Morales | Scotch Plains Public Library
Monday, November 25th - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention in Sports via Right to Be 
Wednesday, November 27th -  SPF Public Schools have a Single Session Day for Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 28th -  SPF Public Schools are Closed for Thanksgiving
Friday, November 29th -  SPF Public Schools are Closed for Thanksgiving

DECEMBER 2024

Wednesday, December 4th - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention to Stop Online Harassment: How to Be an Ally When You Witness Abuse Online via Right to Be 
Wednesday, December 4th - Not in Our School program meeting for students, faculty and family at SPFHS
Sunday, December 8th - Fanwood Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting 
Sunday, December 8th - Scotch Plains Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting 
Monday, December 9th - Free Virtual Training How To Respond 2.0: Practical Tools for Being Powerful in the Face of Harassment via Right to Be 
Tuesday, December 10th - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention to Stop Antisemitic, Xenophobic, and Islamophobic Harassment via Right to Be 
Tuesday, December 10th - Free Virtual Training Accountability and Repair: What To Do When We Screw Up via Right to Be 
Thursday, December 12th - Free interactive virtual training The NJ Law Against Discrimination in Places of Public Accommodation via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Thursday, December 12th - SEPAG Meeting (in person and remote) Tuesday, January 7th - SPF Board of Ed Meeting | 2025 Annual Organization Meeting (BOE FAQs) 
Thursday, January 9th - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention to Support Trans* Equality via Right to Be 
Monday, January 13th - Free Virtual Training Accountability and Repair: What To Do When We Screw Up via Right to Be 
Wednesday, January 15th - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention for Educators via Right to Be 
Thursday, January 16th - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention to stop anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment via Right to Be 
Thursday, January 16th - SPF Bond Referendum Community Forum/Information Session at 7pm at Terrill Middle School Auditorium
Monday, January 20th -  SPF Public Schools are Closed
Monday, January 20th -  SPF MLK Day of Service and the "Dr. King's Dream" video project activity with R.E.A.L. Parents x SPF and Social Justice Matters
Wednesday, January 22nd - Free Virtual Training Resilience: This Moment And Beyond via Right to Be 
Thursday, January 23rd - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention to Stop Antisemitic Harassment via Right to Be 
Thursday, January 23rd - SPF Board of Ed Meeting (BOE FAQs) 
Monday, January 27th - SEPAG Meeting (in person and remote)
Tuesday, January 28th - Free interactive virtual training Words Matter: Navigating the Language of Diversity (formerly "Walking on Eggshells") via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Tuesday, January 28th - Special election for the revised SPF Public Schools Bond Referendum
Monday, January 29th -  SPF Public Schools are Closed
Wednesday, January 29th - Free interactive virtual training Responding to Bias Incidents in K-12 Schools via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Wednesday, January 29th - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention in Sports via Right to Be 
  Thursday, April 24th - SPF Public Schools Take Your Child to Work Day
Thursday, April 24th - SPF Board of Ed meeting
Thursday, April 24th - Free event at 7PM Voices of Resilience: Confronting Antisemitism Through One Survivor's Story at the Fanwood Memorial Library 
Wednesday, April 30th - SPF Public Schools District Art Show at SPFHS
Wednesday, April 30th - Free Virtual Training Engaging Men and Boys As Allies 6-7:15PM EST via Right to Be 

MAY 2025

Thursday, May 1st - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention to Support Trans Equality 4-5PM EST via Right to Be 
Friday, May 2nd - Project BrOken resource fair, art show and live dance event 
Saturday, May 3rd - Scotch Plains Mental Health Awareness Wellness Fair & Walk 
Tuesday, May 6th - SPF Board of Ed meeting
Wednesday, May 7th - Free interactive virtual training Strategies for Effective Bystander Intervention via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Wednesday, May 7th - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention for Educators 7-8PM EST via Right to Be 
Monday, May 12th - SEPAG meeting (virtual and in-person)
Tuesday, May 13th - Free Virtual Training Bystander Intervention to Support the Disability Community 3-4:15PM EST via Right to Be 
Wednesday, May 14th - Free interactive virtual training Protecting the Civil Rights of LGBTQIA+ Students via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Tuesday, May 20th - SPF Board of Ed meeting: Staff & Student Recognition at the Evergreen New Gym
Friday, May 23rd - SPF Public Schools Closed (Giveback day, due to unused emergency days)
Wednesday, May 28th - Free interactive virtual training Words Matter: Navigating the Language of Diversity via the NJ Division of Civil Rights

JUNE 2025

Monday, June 2nd - SEPAG meeting (virtual and in-person)
Monday, June 9th - Free interactive virtual training Protecting the Civil Rights of LGBTQIA+ Students via the NJ Division of Civil Rights
Wednesday, June 11th - Free interactive virtual training Understanding Implicit Bias via the NJ Division of Civil Rights